Chapter 835: Kneeling Aaron
Nathaniel looked at him, but Arthur avoided looking back at him. He turned straight to Arlan. "What did you call me for?"
"You know it," Arlan commented and asked, "Did your sister say anything to your father?"
Arthur let out a helpless sigh and shook his head. "Everything is just as it is."
"But this morning, I told your sister to reject it," Nathaniel said.
Arthur looked back at him. "And this is what best you come up with to leave everything on your girl who has no power, huh? You can’t say no to your father, but expect my sister to do it like it’s nothing?"
"I have my reasons," Nathaniel said. "But don’t you and your father love her, unlike my father, who even hates my existence? You should respect her wishes if she doesn’t want something."
Arthur clenched his fists, "You know, I have a suggestion for you," Arthur said. "Just leave somewhere far and never return. It will save you trouble from your father, and it will save my sister a life of torment."
"Do you think I don’t want to?" Nathaniel came to stand facing Arthur. Both looked at each other like enemies. "But I can’t. And I don’t need to tell you a reason. Just know that everything was going fine until this matter with your sister. So all you have to do is settle it by siding with your sister, and everything will get back to normal."
"Do you think it’s that easy for her?" Arthur countered. "You, being a man who doesn’t give a shit about your father, find it difficult to go against him, while you expect too much from my sister, a young woman who is taught to obey her family and act mindfully?"
"I understand alright," Nathaniel tried to be calm. "Just this once, tell your sister to disobey your family. Later, you can find someone better and your father’s anger will be gone."
"Don’t talk like my sister is dying to marry you, alright?" Arthur said angrily. "I do not want her to marry you either. You will get the desired answer by tomorrow. I will make sure of it," and he looked at Arlan. "I am done with this bastard," and left.
There was silence once Arthur left.
"Wait until tomorrow," Arlan said. "It’s not easy for a young woman to defy her father, her family, when matters are already fixed."
"If she was not his sister, I wouldn’t have cared about her life," Nathaniel sat back in the chair. "Is there any other way to avoid it all?"
"There is none except for she says no," Arlan said, "or you."
"You know the reason already," Nathaniel said. "Even if I burn that agreement he signed with Aaron, only words from my father and Aaron will fulfill it. And that old hag won’t hesitate from doing it."
Just then, someone arrived there. "Hey Nathan, you are sitting here? Why did Aaron go to the mansion your father is staying in? If I had known you were here..."
Nathaniel had already stood up and left in a hurry. "Get me the horse," he shouted at the guard.
"What’s wrong with him?" Rowan asked.
Arlan didn’t answer, just watched his friend leave in a hurry.
Nathaniel rode faster and reached the guest mansion. Without stopping even for a moment, he headed straight to his father’s study.
Aaron was kneeling on the ground. at some distance, Lord Mortem was sitting behind his desk on the cushioned arrangement on the elevated platform, quill in his hand as he was writing something.
"Stop whatever you are doing," Nathaniel barged inside. He went to Aaron. "Stand up."
"I have something important to talk with Lord Mortem," Aaron said calmly. "Wait for a while."
"You are not talking to him about anything," Nathaniel raised his voice. "If you don’t listen to me, consider me dead. Do you hear me?"
Aaron finally stood up and faced him. "I know what I am doing. You don’t have to worry."
"I am not worried about you," Nathaniel said, his gaze full of pleading. "But you don’t need to sacrifice yourself to this bastard. Even if you do, he will find another way to torment me, so nothing is ever going to be easier for me. What I can’t tolerate is losing you to him, so you better stop it. Or I will never forgive you. You are the only one I consider everything. Do you get it?"
Aaron looked at the old man, who was quietly watching him, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.
He looked back at Nathaniel, "I wait for you outside."
Aaron didn’t bow to old man before leaving.
Now left alone with his father, Nathaniel spoke. "Don’t you dare even think about harming him."
"I didn’t, as you are finally getting married to where I want. It’s your friend who came to me on his own, ready to fulfil the dead he had with me," the old man said and shook his head. "So sad you keep such weakness of yours by your side just for me to exploit it."
"This wedding is not happening. Just wait for it to get cancelled," Nathaniel said in a challenging tone and walked out.
Once outside, both friends rode back to where Aaron stayed. Just as they dismounted the horse, Nathaniel said, "Whatever happens after this, it’s one me. Don’t meddle in when I don’t want you to."
"I just want everything to be fine with you. Even if I lose everything to your father, that’s what I owe him. And, not like I need it to survive. I have you as my friend that’s enough."
"You owe him nothing. That entire estate, that territory is your family’s inheritance. And In exchange for letting you live under my care, I have already paid him back by obeying him all these years. Now you are free, you don’t have to look back. I will take care of everything."
They continued to talk and entered the home.
---
Meanwhile, Arthur went to see his sister in her chamber.
"You didn’t talk to father?" he asked, walking towards the window where she was standing.
"He was busy entire day and didn’t allow me the audience," she replied.
"Tomorrow, I morning I will arrange it," Arthur said.
She hummed and continued to look outside.
"You met him today, what did he say? Was he rude with you?" he asked.
"Just unhappy with the arrangement," she said, "Nothing else."
"Tomorrow we will solve it. Just talk to father and I will handle the rest," he said.
She hummed once more.
He patted her head, before leaving. "Good night. Sleep well."
"Good night brother."
