Death

While the trial was on going earlier, Rowan's finger twitched and he slowly woke up from his few days of slumber.

The maid who was taking care of him was shocked, "Your highness, are you alright?" She asked and tried to help him sit up when she noticed that he was trying.

"Jerome... where is he...?" He asked, wincing at the pain on his stomach where he was stabbed.

"He's in trial, your highness. He's the primary culprit to your attack."

"What?" His eyes widened and he immediately tried to get off the bed and the maid tried her best to stop him.

"Your highness! You're not well yet!"

Rowan took a robe from his coat hanger, ignoring the maid and the pain on his stomach, going straight to the trial room.

He tried to remember what happened that night, from what he recalled, he heard footsteps from his balcony and felt as if something was off.

He felt disappointed with himself when he got caught in the trap and was drugged via handkerchief with chloroform, he tried to fight back the drowsiness but he immediately fell since he was also stabbed on his stomach.

Rowan snapped out of it when he was getting close to the said room when he heard screaming to that direction, making him confused.

He endured the pain on his side and immediately ran to the room, that's when the door open and Liao along with the others were running away.

"Your highness! Lord Jerome is being attacked by King Roysce!" Henry exclaimed, worried for his lord.

The crown prince was confused but he was quick to run to the mentioned man's rescue, "Call for the other knights!" He ordered as he continued running.

"As you wish!"

As he entered the said room, he was shocked to see his father surrounded by dark magic, King Roysce already whipped Wystan and Marshal away to the sides, aiming the accumulated dark energy on Jerome.

So Rowan immediately ran, "Jerome!" He heard Marshal exclaimed and before the dark energy could hit his beloved, he ran past him, embracing him to protect him from the attack.

"Rowan!" Jerome's eyes widened and suddenly, a barrier surrounded them, much like before, it was like golden thorns.

But then Jerome suddenly heard, 'This barrier won't last...'

And so, the black haired man turned Rowan away from the dark energy and once the barrier broke, he got hit like he was supposed to.

"Jerome!" The crown prince exclaimed and held the man who was slowly detoriating in his arms.

"Rowan..." The King snapped out of his madness when he only just noticed his son.

The prince ignored him and cried as he held onto the dying man who smiled weakly at him, "It's okay..."

"No... no... it's not... I'll help you... the Rosaria Stone... I-I know it'll give you a wish..." Rowan was shaking, panicking, he need to do something. Anything.

He already had some speculations that the Rosaria Stone was the pendant on Jerome's necklace but somehow, he didn't need it anymore.

Jerome shook his head, caressing Rowan's cheek. "It's all used up..."

'He asked for two wishes... to meet you in the past and again in the future... for love is strong and how I long craves so... let me grant thy wish a lad sacrificed his life to...'

The black haired man remembered what the voice told him when he took the Rosaria Stone. From what he could feel from the pendant, there was only a few magic inside to protect him, and not enough for more wishes.

He assumed that it was Rowan who wished on it twice, once in the novel but probably once in the future.

"Were you happy?" Jerome chuckled softly and weakly.

King Roysce, Marshal and Wystan could only watch as the man died in the prince's arms while the knights came running into the scene, in shock at the sight in front of them.

Rowan cried with a smile and nodded, "I was... everytime we're together..."

"I'm glad..." The black haired man also cried.

He knew he'll die. It was meant to happen, yet it still hurts for him to see the man he grew to love, cry and break in front of him.

"I'm getting tired... Rowan... I think I'll sleep now..."

The crown prince nodded, tears were still streaming down his cheeks and some were dropping down his lover, "Sleep tight, Princess." He whispered and kissed Jerome.

Jerome's eyes closed and his arm became limp.

The red haired man's face was the last thing he saw before he finally took an eternal rest.

Rowan was still mourning but he can't let his father get away from his crimes, "Attacking the crown prince and murdering his fiance which is acknowledged by the Kingdom is a sign of treason... Other than that, you used dark magic which is forbidden. King Roysce Lennox, you are under arrest for such crimes." He glared at the old man who already felt defeated.

He was swallowed by greed, by perfection and by the pressure of being the king. King Roysce treated everything and everyone as his pawns, even his son.

But as he saw how Rowan cried and mourned for Jerome, he remembered how he did the same for the Queen, his wife.

He remembered the forgotten promise he swore for her, that is to make Rowan the King who'll always be happy.

He thought perfection was supposed to be the answer: No poverty, that means ignoring the commoners who were in need; paying more attention on the nobles more who he thought would someday be a great asset for his son once he became the king; and trying to marry him off to another noble, which was Empress Liana, only for the sake of the kingdom and the future benefits of this marriage.

He thought all of it would make his son happy as a king but he only noticed how wrong he was now that a death of someone, Rowan's beloved, occured.

King Roysce knew he had never been listening to Rowan and he masked it with the idea that he was only doing it for his sake but now, he was consumed by dark magic which he took in order to protect his son which ended up to be the end of someone.

"I will accept any verdict place upon me..." The king simply stated before lifting his arms to take his crown and placing it on his son's head.

Everyone was wary, the knights, Wystan and Marshal watched the old man's actions carefully.

Rowan on the other hand felt pain. His father betrayed him, with no explanation and now he was abdicating the crown.

The red haired man carefully took Jerome's body, looking down at his bethroted, "Send him to the dungeon and prepare for the funeral..." He stated, not even giving them a glance.

Everyone watched the now, King Rowan, leave the room after he gave his orders. They could feel how depressed the man was and so, the help that they could do was to handle the situation in the palace.

He doesn't even know where he'll take Jerome but he simply left the palace and took Jerome to the flower field where he brought him last time.

He road his horse in silence, not caring about the people watching him.

Once he arrived at the flower fields, he carefully placed Jerome down and quietly made him a bouquet.

Rowan couldn't utter any words as he let his tears fall down while preparing the bouquet.

After a while, he placed the bouquet on Jerome's chest and said, "It's not as pretty and as creative as yours but I wanted you to look pretty for the last time... I mean, you always are."

He chuckled softly while crying, "I just wish I could continue being happy with you Jerome... without any of these... titles."

The red haired man smiled softly at him, "I'll see you again... Sweetheart."