While Isis and Kali were well on their way to deepening their friendship and building a much deeper relationship between them, Sol and Camelia slowly walked in the vicinity of the woods, sometimes waving at the knights who stood guard as they inspected the surroundings.
They knew that there were really few chances of anyone attacking them, and with the queen present, any assailants would only be seeking death. But it was their duty, and they needed to do a good job. More than anything, they couldn't just slack off in front of the entire royal family now, could they?
The silence was starting to weigh on her. So she decided to start with some small talk.
"Are you sure it's alright to leave them alone like that?"
"What do you think? It isn't like they will start trying to kill each other, right?"
Sol shrugged at Camelia's obvious worry and took a deep breath of the fresh air surrounding them, enjoying the slightly chilly feeling lingering in the air. It was the undeniable proof that winter was already looming above their heads.
Soon it would be time for Christmas, and at the same time, they would go out on an all-out war with Wratharis- the Kingdom of the Beastmen. The timing was truly awkward and harrowing, bringing forth blood and death to the world, but there was no way around that outcome.
Camelia fidgeted on her feet, constantly looking toward Sol while she feigned looking at the surrounding scenery. Now that she was standing next to him like this, she realized once again that he had become far taller than her over the course of his adventures.
He had become more muscular than she had once remembered him to be, and he definitely looked more mature and confident than before. The definite aura of power and authority that constantly emanated from his existence alone allowed her once again to realize that the small Sol she used to take care of was now no more.
"This isn't like you. Usually, don't you always try to take care of the problem before it can fester?"
Sol smiled under his breath at Camelia's words. "This isn't a problem that I can just intervene in. All I can do is give my utmost support to the two and make sure that everything is alright. I can only hope that they sort it out between them."
Sol knew that he couldn't have the answer to everything, and a mother and daughter relationship as awkward as the one Lilith and Lilin had was something he definitely had no say in. In this situation, all he could do was keep his mouth tightly sealed and act as support for them rather than meddle unnecessarily and cause even more problems to arise between them. He was sure that anything he would do in this situation would just further widen the rift that had formed between the mother and daughter pair.
"Lilin has many deeply rooted issues about her identity, and learning that she was some kind of experiment forced on her mother didn't really make things any better for her. So, it is quite understandable why she is behaving as she is. It is childish but, in the end, justified..."
"As for Lilith, she is, even now, dealing with the weight of 18 years of neglect and let's say technically bad parenting on her side, and she doesn't know how to amend for her sins."
Lilith had indeed done her duty as a mother. She had given her daughter the weapons she needed to become strong and survive through this cruel and unfair world. She had given Lilin food, shelter, and never physically abused her in any sense, outside of training, of course. Any and all abuse she may have put her through was actually for her growth.
All her life, Lilin had never been wanting, never had to suffer hunger, and was respected by everyone for her position as the Queen's only daughter. Her position gave her influence, money, and all the means necessary for her to lead a successful life. This was already more than what many parents could ever hope to provide to their children in their entire lifetimes.
But parenting was never about just responding to the basic physical needs of your children, and Lilith failed on that regard royally. Was Lilith a bad parent? Was Lilin a spoiled child who should learn to be happy for the small blessings she received in having a parent that didn't mistreat her? Questions without any definite answers. They were never meant to be Yes or No answers in the first place. The world didn't work that way.
The situation they were facing was severely complicated, never one that was fully white or fully black. The world was dyed in shades of gray, and this issue between the mother and daughter pair was one such gray hue amongst countless others.
"Rather than speaking about them, I think it's time that we talk about ourselves. What do you say?"
Camelia took a deep breath and closed her eyes when she felt Sol's hand tuck one strand of her hair behind her ear, after which he gently cupped her face with said hand.
"How is your health, my dear Camelia?"
Before Sol left for the Astral Realm, Camelia's health had been negatively affected because of all the rituals she had done and the fact that Nihil had broken down her shield.
Camelia hesitated before shrugging and responding to his question, "I am getting better. The biggest problem was the backlash that I received from Nihil's attack, but my body is healing and returning to its optimal condition."
"Good."
He smiled and kissed her forehead, causing Camelia's cheeks to be dyed in a slight shade of rosy pink.
"What gives?"
Sol's brows rose at that question, "Do I need a reason to give you a kiss?"
She shook her head hurriedly, like a child caught doing something bad and denying the blame, "Of course not. I just thought you were still mad at me."
"I was. Even though it was for my own good, you lied to me many times, and this seriously affected my confidence in you and your words."
The words "It was for you" sound beautiful and all, but what this ultimately boils down to is "I know better than you do, so shut up and listen to what I say." This is nothing more than putting yourself in a position of superiority and deeming the one you were trying to protect as too immature and weak that they needed your absolute protection.
"The reason I never really totally got angry was because I understood that I indeed didn't have the experience nor power necessary for you to not think about that option. I am simply not worthy to be angry with you for what you did."
Before awakening, Sol had honestly taken his life to be an easygoing ride. It wasn't as if he didn't train or study. But he never truly grasped what his situation in the world was. Never once did he really pay attention to all the potential dangers surrounding him.
He was like an eagle raised in a golden cage by very caring owners, who wished all the best in the world for him. But the place of an eagle was in the sky as a predator, not a pet.
"Camelia, I love you, and I know you would give your soul for me. This is why I am willing to give you as many chances as you need."
He smiled, but the smile didn't really reach his eyes fully, "But while my love for you is eternal, my trust is unfortunately limited. As such... Never lie to me, ever again."
There was an edge to his smile, and Camelia could understand the reason behind it. No matter how much Sol loved her, if there was no more trust, she would feel like she was being killed by their relationship-quite literally too, in fact. This was a reality she refused to live in.
"So, no more secrets?"
Her voice held a certain meaning, and Sol understood that she was talking about his soul and the reason why all the souls of the previous kings were so different.
Sol closed his eyes. Truth be told, there was no reason to hide his identity at this point. Ambrosia knew. Kali knew. Even Isis knew. The same went for Tiamat and all the Divine Beasts. This also included Nent and Nefertiti, as well as Kiyohime. In short, only the mortal women in his harem were unaware of his true identity.
This was pretty unjust and a circumstance he needed to work on in order to truly be in a relationship where there were no more lies between all of them. No more veil that shrouded all of them, only endless love and devotion that connected them to him, and in turn to each other as well.
In the end, he just nodded his head in acknowledgement of what he truly wanted to do now.
"When we go back home, I will call everyone and tell them my tale."
It would be time for him to give his deepest and, at the same time, most worthless secret away to everyone he held dear to his heart.
(AN: Sol's identity at this point is the kind of open secret 80% of the cast know but act like they don't because they don't want to make things awkward. But Sol isn't the focus currently. Let's end this volume in a blast.)
