With the tournament over, Amanda took off Aaron’s armor and quickly changed back into her dress. She headed towards the safe room where her brother was resting. Thanks to Oliver’s secret transfer, Amanda was able to safely go to Aaron’s side without being noticed by anyone else. Not long after she arrived, her brother began to stir in his bed.
“…Uhmm.”
Amanda quickly approached him, her eyebrows knitted in anxiety.
“Brother, are you all right?”
Aaron’s eyes opened a slit, and he peered at Amanda in confusion.
“Your Highness? Oh, the match…!”
Aaron remembered that he had lost consciousness and quickly tried to sit up. However, Amanda grabbed her brother by the shoulder and tried to coax him back down.
“Don’t worry about the tournament.”
“How long have I been asleep? I have to get ready—”
“The tournament is already over.”
“…What?”
“And the winner is…is you, brother.”
He looked at her disbelief, and Amanda spoke again.
“I…I ordered someone to take your place.”
“Y-Your Highness.”
Aaron spoke in an uncharacteristically shaky voice. His expression was contorted as if he couldn’t believe the events that were explained to him.
“How did you find someone? What will you do if anyone finds out? It’s a violation of the rules for sometime to compete in another’s place.”
Amanda frowned inwardly as she listened to her brother’s reprimand. He was a man of integrity, and would probably have been satisfied with a death in the battlefield. Aaron was honorable to a fault.
Amanda was different however; she could not lose Aaron over something like honor. If he wouldn’t forfeit from a life-threatening tournament, then Amanda was forced to stop him from competing.
“You told me you would be my most powerful ally.”
“…”
“You said you would fight for me in the future. Are you going to throw away your life just because of a tournament?”
“…Your Highness.”
“I want you to live. Please…stay by my side.”
In Amanda’s previous life, Aaron had sacrificed himself so she could escape. Many years afterwards, she blamed her brother for leaving her to survive by herself. Aaron was the kind of man who would want a righteous death, and selfishly, she could not allow it to happen again. She would never lose a single family member.
“This may not be how you wanted to win. But please…don’t leave me alone.”
“…”
“I don’t want you to die an honorable death. Live your life and give me your strength.”
Aaron listened to Amanda’s words in silence, before finally speaking slowly.
“…I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Amanda’s heart sank. He seemed to be apologizing for not being able to do what she asked of him. However, his words continued from there.
“Even though I pledged to serve you, my foolish thoughts diverted me from my promise.”
Power had a dark side to it, like the flip side of a coin. It was politics that could motivate someone to deceive, tear down, and even kill others, and Amanda stood in the center of the Imperial Palace’s secret wars. Aaron would not hesitate to do evil for Amanda’s sake, but he had arrogantly been distracted by defeating Wickley and increasing the reputation of the Windsor family.
If something had gone wrong, Amanda would be left alone. Their father, Francis, was a man more loyal to the Imperial family than the Windsor family, and Amelia was too young to depend on. Only Aaron could give his strength to Amanda right now. He criticized himself for forgetting the fact even for a moment.
“You made a questionable decision before the match.”
“Brother…”
Amanda’s red eyes trembled, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of Aaron’s mouth.
“I did not win the championship on my own, but if this is your wish, I will be happy to follow you.”
Amanda’s throat tightened with emotion, and her eyes grew moist.
“I will live and protect you until the very end. You can lean on me in your journey through this thorny road.”
It must have been difficult for an honorable man like Aaron to accept this, but he looked at Amanda in understanding. Tears slipped down her face, and she smiled gratefully.
“…Thank you, brother.”