The Scholar's Rebirth-Chapter 34: The talk

Few hours ago

The grand banquet hall was alive with laughter, clinking glasses, and the hum of noble chatter. Candles flickered from massive chandeliers, casting warm light across golden goblets and silver platters piled high with roasted meats and delicacies. The music from the string ensemble in the corner blended seamlessly with the sounds of celebration.

King Edric sat at the head of the long banquet table, a goblet of wine resting in his grasp. His expression was unreadable as he surveyed the room, though his mind was elsewhere.

Rowan stood across the hall, away from the main clusters of nobility, a drink in hand. He looked composed—too composed. Edric could recognize the act for what it was. The boy had been different ever since that day. Quiet, distant, unpredictable. Running off to the sea instead of fulfilling his duties had been bad enough. Coming back just to wallow in the palace gardens was worse.

Edric exhaled slowly. He had made arrangements for tonight. A push in the right direction. If Rowan would not willingly step back into his role, then his father would remind him of it.

"Edric."

He turned slightly to see Queen Vivianne, seated beside him, watching him with an amused yet knowing look. She swirled the wine in her goblet lazily. "You've been glaring at Rowan for the past ten minutes."

"I am observing him," Edric corrected.

She arched a brow. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"He has avoided nearly every woman I've sent his way tonight," Edric muttered, taking a sip of his drink.

Vivianne sighed. "You know why, Edric."

"That is no excuse," Edric said, his tone firm but quiet. "He is a prince. He has duties. A future to consider. He cannot simply—"

"Dwell in the past?" Vivianne interrupted. "You expect him to act as though nothing happened? That he should just wake up one morning and pretend he didn't bury his own daughter?"

Edric's grip on his goblet tightened. He had mourned too. He had felt the loss, the weight of it, the hole it left in their family. But grief did not excuse abandonment. "Rowan left his duties. He abandoned his position as a knight. He ran away to the sea like some merchant boy."

Vivianne exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "You see it as running. Maybe it was. But maybe it was the only way he knew how to keep himself from falling apart."

Edric did not respond. There was no point. They had gone in circles over this argument more times than he could count. He turned his attention back to Rowan, intending to call for another noblewoman to try her luck—

Then he paused.

Rowan was talking to someone.

Not just talking—engaged. His body language had shifted. Instead of cold disinterest or polite dismissal, he was leaning in slightly, brows relaxed, lips curved in what might have been the start of an actual smile.

Vivianne followed his gaze. Her eyebrows lifted slightly before she smirked. "Interesting."

Edric's frown deepened. "Who is she?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

They watched in silence for a moment,before turning away.

Then, from a nearby table, they heard whispers.

"Hey, look! Prince Rowan is on the dance floor."

"With who? He only ever dances with family."

"That's the thing—she's not family. At least, not yet."

A noble lady, previously focused on her dessert, dropped her fork. "That's not possible... not fair," she muttered.

Edric straightened slightly as he watched Rowan lead the woman onto the floor. He was dancing. Willingly. Without obligation.

Vivianne chuckled beside him. "Well, that's something."

Edric leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I want to know who she is."

Vivianne gave him a warning glance. "Don't interfere, Edric. Leave them alone."

"I haven't done anything."

"You're thinking about it."

He scoffed. "Since when is it a crime to be curious?"

She rolled her eyes. "Since the last time you decided to 'be curious' about Rowan's affairs and nearly drove him out of the palace again."

Edric grunted but said nothing. He'd find out soon enough,he shifted his attention elsewhere.

Then,a loud bang and the music was cut off abruptly.

Edric's eyes snapped toward the center of the room.

Rowan and Gareth.

Standing off.

Edric exhaled through his nose. He should have expected this.

--------

King Edric had barely slept.

His mind replayed last night's events over and over, he kept thinking about Rowan.

Rowan had not lost control.

Edric had expected an outburst, a fist thrown, maybe even an all-out brawl. But his son had stood his ground, sharp-edged words replacing sharp steel. He had walked away when it would have been easier to fight.

That alone had given Edric a strange sense of pride.

He had gone to Rowan's chambers first, only to find them empty. It didn't take long to find him—his son had always retreated to the gardens when he needed space.

Rowan sat beneath an old oak, staring at the pond,his gaze unfocused. The dark circles beneath his eyes told Edric all he needed to know.

"Rowan," Edric called, keeping his voice even.

His son turned his head, his body straightening.

Edric stepped forward, his boots crunching against the gravel path. "You look like hell."

Rowan exhaled but didn't look up. "Good morning to you too."

Edric let the silence sit for a moment before walking closer. He wasn't here to lecture. He wasn't here as a king. Just a father who knew what it was like to have ghosts that refused to leave.

He sat down on the stone bench a few feet away, resting his forearms on his knees. For a while, neither spoke. The garden was quiet, save for the rustling leaves and the distant chirp of birds.

Finally, Edric broke the silence. "You handled yourself well last night."

Rowan scoffed, shaking his head. "Did I?"

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"You didn't break Gareth's nose, so yes."

"That was very tempting."

Edric gave a short chuckle. "I know." He let out a breath, then leaned back slightly. "What he said—"

"I know." Rowan's tone was flat, unreadable. "I know what he was trying to do. It worked."

Edric studied him. "Did it?"

Rowan clenched his jaw. His knuckles were white where they rested on his knees. "I should've hit him."

"Maybe." Edric shrugged. "But you didn't. And that's what matters."

Rowan let out a bitter laugh. "You sound proud."

"I am."

That made Rowan pause. He finally looked at his father, brows drawn in mild disbelief. "...Why?"

Edric held his gaze. "Because you didn't lose yourself."

Rowan turned away, exhaling sharply. His hands ran through his hair, frustration and exhaustion bleeding together. "I don't know what you expect from me anymore."

Edric was quiet for a moment. Then, he said simply, "Nothing."

Rowan frowned slightly.

Edric leaned forward again, resting his clasped hands between his knees. "I am your king, but first, I am your father. And as your father, I expect nothing from you today except for you to breathe." His voice was steady, firm, but lacking the usual weight of command. "I've lost people too, Rowan. I know what it's like to carry something you cannot put down. You can hate me for how I handled things before, and I won't ask for your forgiveness. But for once, I just want to sit here with my son and not fight over what I think you should be."

Rowan stared at him, expression unreadable. "Did mother put you up to this?"

Edric laughed,"Not really." He shook his head,"Look,I know I've been hard on you,but it's because I just don't know what to do anymore."

Rowan let out a slow breath. He leaned back against the tree, tilting his head to stare up at the branches.

Then, suddenly, Rowan blurted, "I'm leaving."

Edric stilled.

Rowan let out a bitter laugh, as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud. His fingers raked through his hair before gripping the back of his neck. "I'm leaving," he repeated, softer this time, as if trying to convince himself.

Edric remained quiet for a moment. He had expected Rowan to run. It was what he always did when things became unbearable. But he had also expected—no, prepared—for a fight to keep him here.

He surprised even himself when he simply said, "I know."

Rowan's head snapped up. "That's it?"

Edric met his son's gaze evenly. "That's it."

Rowan stared at him, waiting for the argument, the commands, the demand to stay. When none came, his throat worked, and he looked away, eyes flashing with something raw. "You're not going to stop me?"

Edric sighed "You think I haven't tried? I've been trying to keep you here for two years, Rowan. Hasn't changed a damn thing."

Rowan swallowed, his chest rising and falling unevenly. "I don't—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I can't be here."

Edric nodded. "Then don't be."

The wind rustled the leaves above them. Rowan's fingers curled into the grass beneath him, as if trying to ground himself. His voice was hoarse when he asked, "Do you think I'm a coward?"

Edric didn't answer right away. He could have said yes—he had said it before, hadn't he? In the heat of arguments, in the frustration of seeing his son abandon his place. But here, now, with Rowan looking at him like a wounded animal, he found that the words no longer fit.

"I think," Edric said carefully, "that you are trying to outrun something you'll never escape."

Rowan's throat bobbed. "I don't know how to stay."

Edric let out a breath. "Then go. But this time, don't just run, Rowan. Find something worth stopping for."

Rowan closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Edric saw the decision settle in his son's gaze.

"I leave at midnight," Rowan murmured.

Edric gave a small nod. "Then I suggest you don't waste the rest of the day."

Rowan huffed a quiet, disbelieving laugh, rubbing his face. "Gods, you're really not stopping me."

Edric smirked faintly. "Would it work?"

Rowan shook his head. "No."

"Then there's your answer."

Edric took a few steps before pausing, glancing back over his shoulder with a smirk. "Do me a favor, will you?"

Rowan, who had been staring at the grass as if it held all the answers in the world, looked up with tired eyes. "What?"

Edric's smirk widened. "Find me a wife while you're out there, eh?"

Rowan blinked, caught completely off guard.

The king chuckled, shaking his head. "Just make sure she's no siren."

Rowan huffed a breathless laugh, rubbing a hand down his face. "Gods, you're impossible."

Edric only laughed harder as he walked away, leaving Rowan to shake his head in exasperation.