Chương 58: For Their Sake

Father Leandro escorted Felicity, Leah and Xia to their lodging, a small wooden house with a thatched roof.

"You can stay here for the night", he said with a gentle smile. Felicity nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Leandro".

"It's my pleasure. Anything for Arthur's daughter", he replied. Felicity offered a faint smile before stepping inside the house with Leah and Xia. The two exchanged puzzled glances before speaking.

"What is it?" Felicity asked.

"I don't mean to judge, Feli, but your friend Leandro seems like a religious fanatic", Leah observed.

"She's right. I don't know what kind of relationship you two have, but he seems like a dangerous man", Xia added.

"Mr. Leandro? No. He's one of the kindest and most honest men I've ever known. He was my father's only friend, and I used to play with his children all the time. You don't know what you're talking about", Felicity replied firmly.

"Maybe that was before his family was slaughtered. Grief changes people, Feli. It changed me, it changed Xia, it changed you and it certainly changed him too", Leah said.

"He's definitely changed, but he isn't a fanatic and he isn't dangerous. He's a good man. You just need to get to know him better", Felicity insisted. Meanwhile, deep beneath the castle, Oscar was training with his sword. Teresa approached him. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"You've started training here again. That's a good sign", she remarked. Oscar walked toward her, his expression serious.

"You were right, Mother. I was becoming like Oliver. I had put on weight, drunk a few too many goblets of wine and spent my nights with prostitutes. The most disturbing part is that I hadn't even realized it. You opened my eyes. Thank you".

"There's no need to thank me, my son. I have always believed in your potential and watching it go to waste would have been unbearable. You are the man who will lead us to victory in this war", Teresa said. Oscar nodded.

"Yes. I will win this war and make the kingdom stronger than ever before, and it will all be thanks to you, Mother". He kissed her hand before returning to his training. Teresa watched him with a satisfied expression. Felicity stepped outside the house. The rain had eased into a light drizzle, gentle enough to bear. Father Leandro joined her.

"My sweet Feli, can't you sleep?" he asked.

"No…I suppose you can't either", she replied.

"I often have nightmares. Just like you, I imagine", he admitted. Felicity nodded.

"It feels like only yesterday that I used to come to the clan with my family and I'd see you playing with my children".

"To me, it feels like an eternity ago. Those memories hardly seem real anymore, as though they belonged to a dream". Her expression darkened.

"For the past few years, all I've done is survive by fighting and killing. Now it's hard to believe there was ever a time when I was truly happy and at peace", Felicity confessed.

"Those moments were real, my sweet Feli. You were a kind but stubborn little girl and I was an overprotective family man. Now…now we are something different, something stronger. But to become who we are, we had to lose pieces of who we once were". Felicity nodded before meeting his eyes, her expression filled with melancholy.

"We both failed to protect the people we loved. Only you and I know how devastating that kind of pain truly is: the dead who haunt your nightmares, the endless guilt, the constant feeling of dissatisfaction, the sense that you're never strong enough". Father Leandro wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes…but we've learned to live with it and we'll keep doing so, to honor their wishes". Felicity nodded.

"Yes…for their sake".