Chapter 40 Alexander

• “Of course, cousin. What troubles you?” Caelum responds with a concerned tone. He is attentive, as he always has been, despite the evident weight now hanging over his shoulders as a monarch. The title of king has brought him a new seriousness, an air of responsibility that, though it existed before, now seems to shape every one of his movements.
• I adjust my posture, feeling the pressure of the moment. Caelum is not just my older cousin; he has always been something between a mentor and a brother to me. We grew up together, sharing secrets, dreams, and eventually the heavy responsibilities that come with our lineage. But now he is a king, a sovereign whose word carries the fate of a nation, and this changes the dynamic between us, creating a subtle but undeniable distance.
• Being a sworn soldier of the Crown, being a member of the royal family, brings responsibilities I cannot escape. For five years, I managed to avoid the title of Duke of the Lowlands, but now that the mission is over, I must make decisions in my life. I must reclaim my lands and the title given to me even before I was born.