Chapter 3: A time

“So you’re marrying Mia again after being married for five summers just because you saw a proposal in the kingdom of Klean?” Edward asked with a furrowed brow. 

Xavier had barged into Edward’s chambers while he was reading to announce to him his plans on remarrying the Queen.

Edward was a bit surprised by the intrusion, as well as the announcement.

Edward told him to tread with caution whenever he came to his chambers, as he was already married, but Xavier had ignored his warnings many times.

This time, however, he demanded a bit of respect and privacy, and he was furious at Xavier’s intrusion. He had been married for over two summers and had his mate for four, but Xavier seemed to have ignored that. His chamber deserved as much respect as Xavier’s did and wished he would understand.

Xavier apologised for the first time but told him he knew his mate, Kailani, wasn’t in the room with him. He told him he had seen her already headed out of the Palace before he came in to deliver his good news. Edward then told him she had just left for Soule, the northern region, to visit close friends she considered family.

Edward looked as confused as ever by the news of his brother’s remarriage, but tried to work through it. He was reading ‘The Orchard,’ and he has been doing this for almost six moons. Despite the book not being the biggest he’d ever read, he couldn’t comprehend it as fast as he did the others. 

Xavier nodded and moved to sit down at his desk. “Yes, I need you to be my best man.” 

“Your best man,” Edward repeated, closing the book and dropping it onto the table, having found a reason to let it go. 

Xavier rolled his eyes. “Don’t act like you do not know what I speak about, brother. You were there at Klean and also you were my best man at my wedding” 

“I wasn’t your best man at your first wedding. It’s called escorts in Wahala. I was your matrimonial escort, and I only did that because our father wasn’t there, you idiot.” he muttered the last part, but Xavier heard.

“Fine, I want you to be my best man. I don’t want our father to be my matrimonial escort. I want it to be you.”

He folded his arms across his chest and stretched his legs out. “I am not your best man, though. According to the custom in Klean, only the best friend of the groom gets to be the best man. I am not your best friend. I’m your brother, stupid.” 

Xavier groaned, already knowing what Edward was doing and not liking it. “Are we going to do this now?” 

“Yes, where is Sean? Where’s Lyon?” 

“I don’t want them. I want you, brother.” 

“First off, ew, I’m married and second, I’m busy.”

“The wedding is two weeks away. You can work through your schedule and also there’s no ‘ew’ here. I’m not interested in you. You’re my brother and you’re a man. I’m interested in my wife and that’s why I want to marry her. Now stop being a fucking pain in the ass and say yes.”

Edward sighed. “If I say yes, will you get out?”

His brow rose at his brother’s audacity. “Why would I want to stay another minute in your chamber? It’s just as boring as the man who owns it.” 

Edward sighed, “Fine, I will be your best man.”

Xavier started from the table and moved to the door. He grabbed the knob, but pause and turn back. “Talking about interest, will Kailani be returning from Soule, the northern region, before the wedding date?”

Clueless at his line of questioning, he replied. “Not sure, why?”

He folds his arms across his chest, “Many maidens and men do not believe you’re married. It would be a chance for them to see Princess Kailani and her husband, prince Edward, together.”

“I have nothing to prove I am not the king,” he said with a mild shrug.

“I am and I want her present at the wedding,” he said with a firm tone, not giving room for argument.

Edward groaned, his patience growing thin. “Fine! she would be here.”

Xavier grinned, happy to be having his way, but he didn’t leave. He had other questions. “Still, on the subject, how do you two not miss each other? We just got back from our journey to Klean, which kept us apart from our mates for three moons. Now she’s heading for Soule and will be gone many days.” 

Edward gave him a coy look. “Some of us have something you do not; self-control.” 

“Fuck you!” Xavier shot at him. “the moon goddess didn’t design us to be so far from our mates. It’s not a normal state of being. I could have said Kailani isn’t your true mate, but she is. So tell me how and do not tell me magic because magic can do things, but it takes a physical touch to derive satisfaction from the cravings.” 

Edward ran a hand through his hair, frustration written in his eyes, “You were supposed to leave after I said yes.” 

“Was I?” 

“You promised.” 

“Did I?” 

Edward realised he had never really promised, and he pressed his lips together. “Can you leave?” 

Xavier stepped away from the door and approached him instead. “Why is that?” 

“Because I want to be alone?” 

“No, I mean, the reason the distance between you and your mate has not affected you. Why is that?”

“Since when did you become so curious about my affairs, uh?” 

“Today,” he wasted not one second before answering. “And also since I just realised I’ve not been an involved brother.”

“You not being involved isn’t a problem for me,” he pointed out. 

“It is for me now ‘cause I’m curious!”

Edward groaned and dropped his head on the desk before him. “Please go away.” 

His brows pulled together, “You’re uncomfortable talking about it?” 

“Yes!”

“Why? Is it something you have done to yourself, like pushing boundaries? Are there other coping methods not written in the books of the ancients?”

“I’m going to smite you with dumbness if you don’t stop talking.”

“Tell me what it is. I am curious and I want to know. I won’t judge.” 

“First off, there is no book of the ancient. We stay off because we want to get better at controlling our urges and desires. The more we do it, the easier it gets. I can dream walk or wander walk to her, but most times I don’t. I tell her it’s okay to long for me, but control is important. A time will come when that’s all we will have.” 

Xavier’s lips stayed pursed as he thought about what Edward had just told him. It made sense why, throughout their journey to Klean; he was the one that moaned the most about missing his mate, while Edward stayed almost unaffected. 

“Oh wow. I didn’t know that. I don’t think I can have such control.” 

“And that’s why you’re king Xavier and I am prince Edward.”

“I hope I never get to find out what a life without a mate is. I wake up every day hoping to always have Mia beside me for the next hundred years and not having her often is torture..”

“I hope so too.”

“Thank you for talking to me. I feel like I know you more than I did before and it’s a great feeling.” 

“It’s nice talking to you, too.” 

With that, Xavier nodded and departed from Edward’s chamber.