Page 130 of The Silent Mountain
He blushes slightly. “Of course I am taking it seriously. It’s what I wanted to do. I can’t disappoint you, not since I am not going to walk the path of a warrior.”
“You don’t need to be constantly afraid of disappointing me,” I assure him. “You have nothing to prove.”
“I am still trying to wrap my mind around that,” he admits. “Sometimes, I feel like everyone expects big things from me, and it makes me anxious.”
I squeeze his shoulder gently. “We talked about this, Elio. Are you still feeling so much pressure?”
“Not always,” he admits quietly. “Just sometimes.”
“Everyone loves you here, and I, for one, am glad you found your calling. You might not become an elite warrior, but you will for sure become a fantastic healer.”
“I won’t neglect my training though,” he promises. “I know as a prince it’s important for me to be able to defend myself and my kingdom.” He pauses, gazing at me with a hint of anxiety. “But I don’t think I will be able to ever catch up to you or Alana, or Ludwig, or even Stefan.”
“You have your strengths and I have mine,” I say. “There is nothing wrong with that.”
“You really don’t mind?” he asks quietly.
I look at Elio thoughtfully. He has settled down on one of the sofas that I had recently purchased to make the living room more comfortable. Grabbing a chair, I pull it closer to sit down next to him. “What’s this really about?” I ask him.
“I feel like I let you down,” he admits. “Not just now, but ever since we returned to the kingdom.”
“Why would you think that?”
“I was so reckless,” he says quietly. “You were right when you said I was just running from my responsibilities.”
“I am pretty sure that’s not how I said it,” I say tentatively, trying to recall the several talks we had about Elio spiraling because of his anxiety of not being enough. “Never once did I think you were running from your responsibilities. I know how heavy they weigh on us, and how it’s not always fair that we have to abide by the expectations of those around us.”
He sighs. “I know, but I do feel that way.”
“The clan loves you, I love you, Alana loves you,” I reassure him. “But I know more than anyone else, how suffocating the pressure we are under can be. You were on the run and hiding for so long you barely had any childhood. People will always try to tell you what you should do and who you should be, but remember that these decisions are yours to make, not theirs. The path you choose is solely on you. We have a responsibility to ourselves, too, not just to the clan.”
Elio doesn’t say anything for a while, then he takes a deep breath and nods. “I will try to remember that,” he says.
The door opens, pulling us out of our thoughts, and Stefan and Ludwig enter. “We are finished with the last preparations for the ball,” Ludwig says. He has become much more reserved since Barbara passed on, but he is slowly returning to his old strength. Sometimes, I even see him smile. I think his friendship with Alana is helping him, and some of the other warriors are looking after him also, always including him in their plans.
It will take some time for him to be able to move on.
“I can’t quite believe the Fae King is attending as well,” Stefan says.
I nod my agreement. “Yes, I was surprised. I thought that after helping Alana, he would completely ignore us.”
“He said he wants to remain close to my family and not upset us,” Alana’s voice reaches me from the door.Done with my training,she links me.
“Well, it’s weird, but we shouldn’t complain too much,” Stefan points out. “The Fae are strong allies, probably the strongest, together with the wolves.”
“Will I be attending the ball?” Elio asks.
“Do you want to?” Alana asks him in return.
“Of course, that is if you want me there. I do want to support you.”
“I think it’s a good idea if you join us,” I say. “Our allies should know who you are and that you are a full-fledged member of the royal family.”
Elio’s eyes light up at my words. He is still struggling with his confidence, that much is evident now, but he is working so hard. I am sure he will get there and find that nothing is wrong with how he is or with the goals he’s chosen.
Later that evening, Alana and I retire to our chambers. Wrapped in a thick blanket, we are sitting outside on the balcony, looking into the abyss below us and the vast mountain chain ahead of us. “This view is still so magical,” Alana says, snuggling against me. “It’s humbling and also truly breathtaking.”
“It is. That reminds me, I need to take you out again.”
