Chapter 85 - Blackmail (1/2)

After a few hours of visiting with Ayana and Nyla, we really needed to get back to the palace in time for dinner. Our absence would be noticed if we missed it two days in a row.

”Al, we need to go,” I told him reluctantly as I watched the sun begin to sink in the sky.

Ayana's face fell. ”…will you visit us again? I would love to tell you more about the Kanta clan. Anything you want to know. And you have to meet my other children and their families.”

Al smiled softly at his aunt. ”I can't promise when because it is a bit difficult for us to get away but yes, we'll be back. I want to know everything you can tell me about our homeland and my parents.”

This appeased her and she let us go. Al's face hardened the moment we were outside. Here it comes.

”You had already figured it out, didn't you?” he accused. ”Who I am.”

I held my hands up in defense. ”I did wonder if the king was suppressing you because you were someone important briefly before but it wasn't confirmed until I heard Ayana's story. I wouldn't have kept something like that from you if I was sure!”

He sighed and tilted his head up to gaze at the cloudless sky. ”It never would have even occurred to me. You truly are a political genius. No wonder everybody wants a piece of you.”

I didn't know how to respond to that. I wasn't a genius. Any poli-sci student was capable of thinking the way I did in my world.

But that was the problem. This wasn't my world. The way I acted, the things I said, and my particular type of thinking were all foreign here. They made waves no matter where I went or what I did. All I was trying to do was be myself but I kept making a mess of the plot.

Al being the heir to the leadership of the Kanta clan complicated things. He had never felt like he belonged in his family—because he didn't—so now that someone who knew about his past and valued him had come along he wanted to know everything.

I couldn't blame him for that. In his shoes, I would likely be the same way. But what did this mean for the future of this novel world?

He hadn't thought it would matter if Sigmund or Franz became king because he didn't like either of them. He allowed my support of Franz's bid for the throne because it mattered to me and he wanted me to be happy.

That might be thrown into disarray now. Al loathed the king; that much was obvious based on his attitude the past two days. He probably didn't care if the entire monarchy fell at this point.

His apathy towards the people of Annalaias had been there from the start. Nobody cared about him so he didn't care about anybody else either. That had been the primary reason he had wanted to run away and start over somewhere else.