DILEMMA

      King Raleigh looked at the joyous expression on Ives's face when he said he would stay with him until his wounds healed. It was so easy to make Ives happy. King Raleigh smiled at that thought.

     "Ah!! you smiled." Ives said opening his eyes widely.

King Raleigh's lips which had just curved upward slightly just straightened. 

      "I didn't smile."

      "But I just saw it."

      "It was a hallucination. Forget about it." King Raleigh couldn't believe that he had just smiled in front of Ives.

       "Are you shy?" Ives asked in a teasing tone.

       "What?! No!" King Raleigh immediately denied.

       "It's okay if you don't want to smile but you look good while smiling." Ives earnestly said.

  King Raleigh was silent and just hummed later. For the twenty-five years of living, it was the first time he was feeling so awkward. Before in the palace, no one even dared to look at him. Such a compliment was a rare thing to him. He was said to be the most handsome king by millions of people but just one sentence about his smile from Ives made him feel giddy or bubbly. He knew Ives was not lying. King Raleigh quickly needed to change the topic.

     "Let's stop this matter. Have you ever heard about the capital and other cities?" 

     "I just know our capital name is Ransford."

     "Have your father never told you anything?"

      "No. He just tells me to study to become the best doctor. You know, everything like reading and writing was taught to me by my father. And I was always focusing on my studies. He said once I become a full-fledged doctor and am capable to stand on my own legs, he would take me out from here."

        "Oh." 

What capable to stand on his own legs? Ives would just be skilled but he will not know the ways of the world. Ives is just too pure and hasn't been tainted by any darkness from the capital and out of these mountains. It will be hard for him in the future. This boy is going to learn about this tainted world a hard way.  King Raleigh thought.

      "I wonder what the places outside these mountains are. Here it is always cold and snowy all year and everywhere, it is white." Ives said in a longing tone.

      "It may not be that amazing as you are imagining it to be. Yes, there are beautiful sceneries, large and majestic houses, riches, colors, different foods but these are just good sides. In a good, there is always evil." King Raleigh said.

     "Hmm... My father also tells me this. Everything will not be the same as I imagined it to be. But I just want to be out from here. I am too lonely here."

      "Do you want to leave with me?" No!! King Raleigh cursed himself. How could he ask such a question?

   Ives was silent for a while. He then smiled and answered, "Thank you for your offer but I can't leave this place for now. Once I turn twenty and become a good doctor, I'll come to visit you thinking ah, once upon a time I had treated a stranger. Where do you live?"

     "Ransford." King Raleigh answered.

    

     "You are from the capital!! Wow!! How is that place?"

     "It is full of houses and peoples, nothing special, and the royal palace at the top of the hill."

      "What about the king? How is he? My father had said our king is very dangerous like a devil and I should always stay far away from the king and the royals."

   Ah!! He really was popular as a dangerous king. King Raleigh snorted and said, "He is only dangerous and cold to criminals and traitors. Don't believe the rumors. He is a very kind and capable ruler."  

      "Really!! Should I not be afraid of him, then?"

      "Yes, don't be afraid of the king. He will treat you properly once you meet him in the future."

      "I hope so. You know, in the future I may get in trouble because of my eye color." Ives said being sad.

       "Why? Your eyes are beautiful." King Raleigh just said what came to his mind.

   Ives blushed. It was the first time someone had told him his eyes were beautiful except his father and mother. He shyly lowered his head and said, "Thank you but everyone may not think so. It looks weird for me."

        "It is better just the way it is."

         "But both you and my father have the same eye color. Sometimes when my father's friends visit, they also have the same eye color, black. I am the only one who is different."

      "It may be from your mother." King Raleigh said.

       "I don't remember clearly but she has sea-green eye color."

        Ives said thinking hardly.

       "Hmm... maybe you got it from your mother's family. Where is she from?" King Raleigh asked looking deeply into Ives's Caribbean eyes.

 Ives was silent for a while and replied, "I think she is from the southern kingdom."

Southern!!! King Raleigh was shocked for a while. Ah, how could he forget the exclusive traits of those southern people? Their unusual eye color and tanned skin. He had just killed one spawn of the southern kingdom like days ago and now, here was the next. He just didn't think about it that way just because Ives had pale skin. Ives was mixed after all. His damned mother is from the kingdom that king Raleigh absolutely loathed. The southern kingdom was responsible for everything. The reason he had to kill his stepbrother, the reason he had to kill his aunt. And here he was about to fall for the mix. What a terrible joke?! He felt like a clown.

     King Raleigh now understood why Ives's family never stepped out of these mountains. Why Ives was always kept here since his birth, after all he was a son of the southern woman and the man of Raven kingdom. If he were to find it, he would have definitely ordered to kill them. It was the rule made by his father that no mixed child would be left alive. Raven kingdom just didn't want the genes of other races to be mixed in their kingdom. King Raleigh had just added that the  Raven citizens weren't allowed to have relations with other kingdoms too. Before it was the only Southern Kingdom. His aunt had disguised her identity and married his first uncle. They were just vile creatures.

      Ives's father just kept his son safe here till today. But what now? Should he kill Ives or not? Although Ives was half Ravenian, southern blood still flowed in his veins. What should he do? Should he keep an eye on him? Ives's father must be disappointed knowing their secret revealed so soon knowing he had committed a crime against Raven kingdom and even more had a son with the southern woman and stayed hidden. King Raleigh was in dilemma.

      King Raleigh sighed and looked at Ives intensely. Ives also looked at him with his doe Caribbean eyes.

       Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Haha... and look, his heart was beating for this guy.

      "What?" Ives asked raising his left eyebrow.

       "Nothing." King Raleigh looked away gazing outside the window.

       "Then take rest. We talked for too long. There are still many days." Ives said as he stood up and helped king Raleigh to lay down. "I'll be next door. Call me if you need anything." 

     "Um." King Raleigh said covering his whole body with a blanket making only his hair visible. Ives smiled and left closing the door behind him.

  King Raleigh had seen that beautiful smile from inside the blanket. It was so pure and graceful. He felt like he could do anything just to see that smile again. If only he was not mixed, then he would have...... would have? What would he do? King Raleigh didn't want to think anymore. His stone heart couldn't be melted by anyone. And certainly not Ives who was half southern, a commoner, and a boy. He could never fall in love with that boy.

    Or so he had thought. The next morning he was again charmed by that smile. King Raleigh was not a clown, he was a whole circus. Who was it that had decided to not be affected by that smile? And here he was drinking the most bitter medicine just because Ives smiled at him once. What the hell?! Was he going to be a slave of that smile? NO. NO. NO. He couldn't. How could he be a good king when he himself breaks the rule of the kingdom?

     King Raleigh just finished drinking the medicine and his face was twisted with disgust. Ives giggled and put sweet stuff inside his mouth. The bitter taste immediately faded being overwhelmed with sweetness.

     "What is this?" King Raleigh asked chewing the sweet.

     "It's a bar of chocolate made by me. Is it tasty?" Ives asked showing his twinkling eyes.

How could king Raleigh say no? "It is sweet."

      "I know. It is my favourite too. I made it after you slept yesterday. I made a lot of them for you."

      "For me?"

       "Yes."

And of course, king Raleigh had all the riches that the world had to offer. See, how his emotions got affected just because Ives said he made chocolate just for him. He was feeling pleasant. He silently chewed the chocolate as slow as he could. He looked at Ives as his desire to just hide him here from others seeing him increased. Why should others discover and see this piece of treasure? He was the first one to see him. Maybe it was destiny. At this time, he totally forgot he was a king and Ives was mixed blood. He just wanted Ives not to be seen by anyone. Only king Raleigh himself was enough.

     "What do you want to have for breakfast?" Ives asked.

      "Anything." In fact, he was the pickiest food eater. But for now, he would eat anything Ives made.

      "Okay then, I'll make you a tea. Till then freshen up. After that, I'll tend to your wounds." Ives said. Then he left the room smiling at king Raleigh.

       King Raleigh stared for a long time at the closed door. He stood up and walked to the restroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror for the first time after five days. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked so sickly. His hair was rough and messy. He looked terrible. King Raleigh got frightened by the thought that this was how he looked in front of Ives all this time. He had thought he would look handsome no matter what condition. What a mess?!! Ives was so angelic while he looked like some haggard person. He must be presentable in front of Ives no matter what.

      King Raleigh washed his face and brushed his teeth with the extra toothbrush. His stomach and left leg were bandaged and there were other small cuts in his whole body. Fortunately, his face was not damaged. He also immediately washed his hair and finally felt his head was light. He lightly washed his body without wetting the bandages and felt fresh. He wore a clean dress left by Ives and sat on the bed after looking in the mirror for the last time. He felt his sculpted face finally looked handsome and his chiselled body finally looked attractive enough. He looked like a peacock flaunting its tail to impress the female.

  King Raleigh was sitting on the bed gracefully waiting for Ives to arrive. Ives will definitely be surprised seeing my new look. King Raleigh though smiling at himself. Soon, Ives entered with a tray in his hands. 

     "Whoa! Whoa! Who is this man?" Ives said loudly smiling in a teasing way.

     "It's me." King Raleigh replied bringing back his poker expression.

      "I never imagined you were so handsome."

      "I am always handsome."

      "Look who is being so narcissistic here?" Ives said as he put the tray on the bedside table.

      "I am not a narcissist."  King Raleigh quickly denied. He was the king, above everyone.

      "Okay. Okay. Have this tea." Ives said giving king Raleigh a cup of tea after pouring it from the kettle.

  King Raleigh smelled the tea's aroma which gave off the jasmine smell. He drank a sip and immediately got hung up on it. King Raleigh was a tea lover. He had tried different brands and Earl Grey was his favourite till now but it looks now it was going to change.

    "It's so tasty."

    "It was made by me."

Ives said showing a proud expression slightly raising his chin and crossing his arms. King Raleigh's heart itched seeing that proud expression on Ives's face. Ives exactly looked like that cat once he had kept with him when he was a child. Well, he was a fanatic cat lover too. He always had a weak spot for the cats. King Raleigh wanted to pat Ives's head but he controlled himself.

      "I want to drink the tea made by you daily."

      "I will make it for you as long as you stay here."