95 Spectators (2/2)

”I'm not” she showed him her shaking hands. ”I'm as scared as you are. I'm really scared. This is not normal Tim. But what can we do? We are powerless. Whatever he is, whoever he is, we can't do anything. So we must do what he said. He sent you here to talk to me so we should talk.”

”Right” Timothy tried to calm his nerves. Since the man sent him here to talk to Lucia, then he will and the thing with Erik was a good place to start. He forced himself to forget about the strange man for a moment. ”Are you disappointed regarding my decisions with Erik?”

”I am. ” Her face turned sad. ”This is not like you Tim. I know saving Arthur is strategically more important but you are not someone who would leave a friend behind. You are turning into him, your father. Your actions are similar to what King Leopold would do. When you started this war, you told me that you wanted to be better than him. Now you are turning into him.”

Hearing her say that she was disappointed pricked his heart. He was hurt. He didn't want to disappoint the woman he loves. He wanted to be someone she could be proud of.

”Would you still love me even if I turned out like him?”

She smiled but sadness still lingered in her eyes. ”Yes. Yes I would. I will always love you Tim. Even if you've turned into the likes of King Leopold I would still love you. The heart is strange. The heart doesn't need reasons. The heart knows no morals. But I prefer you to be like before because if you change, then I will be sad.”

Seeing her like that prompted Timothy to make a decision.. He will think of his actions from now on. If he can't do it for himself, then he will do it for her. He will not disappoint Lucia and he will become a man she can be proud of.

”And what about Sylvie?” he asked.

”Trust her” she said without hesitation.

Her answer surprised him. Lucia was the one who experienced first-hand Sylvie's betrayal. She was almost killed twice by Sylvie. She should be the first one who would tell him to not trust Sylvie.

”Why? It could be a trap.”

”If Ivan and Skall were indeed preparing a trap for you, then they would use a more sophisticated plan wouldn't they? You said that she just walked up to your soldiers and introduced herself. That doesn't look sophisticated to me. Why would they use Sylvie knowing that you wouldn't trust her in the first place? Her approach reeks of desperation. She is desperate to free Erik.”

Timothy finally heard the argument he wanted. Once again, he realized Lucia's importance in his life not just as his lover but also his partner. She completes him. With her by her side, he felt that they could survive anything.

”And what if she really is working for Ivan and Skall?” he asked again. Even though her argument was sound, he was still afraid to put his trust on Sylvie.

”I may be wrong Tim and she could be part of an elaborate trap. But this is a test, don't you think?”

”A test?”

”I know you want to do the right thing. You don't want your morals to further degrade. This will be a test for you. Yes she could be lying but if she was telling the truth, then you could rescue Erik. Will you risk losing against Ivan for Erik? Will you take a leap of faith for your friend?”

Listening to her opened his eyes. A man must think and use his brain, but the desires of the heart must take priority sometimes. The old Timothy would throw away a crown in exchange for a friend. Some people may say that it's stupid, but this attitude was one of the attributes of the rooster prince.

”I will save Erik.” He declared. ”Even if I lose to Ivan, I will have my friend back. Even if I lose my crown, it doesn't matter. I am not my father and I will never be my father. I am Timothy Castonia, a better King.”

The sadness in Lucia's face faded. She smiled. ”Welcome back Tim”

Timothy opened his eyes and he was back on his bed. What happened was like a dream. No it was not a dream, he thought. He really talked with Lucia. He was sure that the person he talked to was the real Lucia and not just a fragment of his imagination.

To confirm his thoughts, he saw the strange man again. He was still standing near the bed.

”Who are you really?”

”A spectator” The man smiled. He then continued.

”We are investing in you. You have so much potential that we just can't sit idly. But this doesn't mean that we will always help. For now you are not yet worthy of our full support. We will meet again Timothy. From the shadows, we will watch you grow. When the time is right, everything shall be revealed.” He then turned around and walked away. Timothy blinked once and the man was gone.

Timothy was left staring at the darkness. He was glad that he met Lucia again and he was delighted that he finally found his way.

But the things that happened were just too strange. He realized that he was but a pawn in the grand scheme of things.