I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 181: The play

"By heavens. Lyrius. Thy word shock mine ears! Thou art the spy, who did our secrets steal? And thou, fair Lirien, didst thou know of this? Art thou complicit in this treachery!" The man’s voice was loud and echoed around the theater. He was wearing a royal red robe with gold trim, a white shirt, and black pants.

The woman he was addressing was beautiful, with brown hair flowing like water tresses, she wore a light blue gown with flowery petals embroidered on the gown. She gasped dramatically and her gaze shifted from the elderly man and the young man in servant clothing. "No, my dear father, I didst not know, O swear! Lyrius deeds do shock me, as much as they do thee!"

The young man in servant clothes laughed slowly, "Aye my dear kinds, I didst confess indeed! But there is more, a truth that doth exceed."

The light on the stage dimmed as the man took off the face he was wearing to show off an even more handsome appearance, "Behold! I am not Lyrius, but the son of thy friend who you so betrayed and stole his throne, Prince Ryder, and now, I claim my right, to the throne."

The entire court on the stage erupted in chaos as the audience gasped. No one’s gasp was as loud as Arlen who watched the stage enraptured. He held the drink to his mouth but he did not take a sip, the hand gripping Ravi’s tightened.

Ravi did not think that a couple having different interests was a bad thing at all.

Arlen was interested in watching the overly melodramatic series on the stage and he was more interested in watching his animated facial expression.

Right now, it was a mix of ’Wow’ and ’I did not see that coming.’

Ravi wanted to laugh but he knew if he should do it now, when the entire theater was holding their breaths collectively, he might just as well be bound and then stoned on that very stage.

Today had not gone so great, he had woken up from another nightmare, one that was even worse than the one that he had yesterday. One that Ravi wished that he had forgotten for good. The nightmare had been so bad that his fingers had trembled when he hugged Asher, he had ordered out instead of cooking, and he could see flashes of red throughout the day, like he was back in the dream, his hands soaked with blood.

Asher was reading and receiving free tutoring from Lana for his examination on Monday, he did not want to worry him so Ravi had chosen to enter his workshop and paint.

He painted for the majority of the day before Arlen had called him to invite him out for a play.

He wanted to refuse, he did not know if he was in the best state to go out on the date but Arlen had said that he had already bought two tickets and he...Ravi wanted to see him so he had gone.

That brought them to this moment. Watching the most melodramatic play Ravi had ever had the fortune of witnessing.

He was glad though. The animated expressions on Arlen’s face made the gloom in his heart fade away somewhat.

Min solo. Arlen was his sun, just one smile had the ability to keep his darkness at bay.

"Treachery! Treachery! How couldst thou? Liried, dost thou see, thy love was but a pawn."

The girl’s eyes were soon filled with tears, "No father, no. This cannot be! Lyrius say it is not true!"

Ravi swallowed as the words entered his ears. It seems like there is not much difference between him and Lyrius, there was a lot that he was keeping from Arlen. His identity, his abilities, so much.

"What is wrong?" Arlen looked at him and asked with concern.

"Nothing. I was thinking. Watch the play."

"Sshhh!" Someone cautioned them from the back.

He leaned on Arlen’s shoulder. He would look for a way to make this work, it was already too late for him to even consider giving up on Arlen. The thought of Arlen even disliking him made his stomach physically hurt.

How can someone go to the cold, after tasting this warmth?

"Wasn’t that the greatest play you have ever seen?" Arlen praised as the two of them left the theater and walked down to the car park.

"It was...something."

Arlen paused and looked at him like he had said something incomprehensible, "The suspense, the romance, the intrigue."

Ravi chuckled.

Arlen watched him with that gaze like he could see through him, "You did not enjoy it."

Ravi shrugged, "Well, everyone was ’oohing’ and ’aahing’"

Arlen gasped, clutching his chest, "oohing and aahing. I feel like I am going to faint."

No wonder he enjoyed it so much, Arlen could be just as dramatic as the characters in the play who could not tell that someone who would run to write a letter anytime you tell him a secret about your father was a spy.

"You like plays." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Arlen nodded, "Yes, I have even a share in the Avalon Theatre." He looked so proud and Ravi, confused bout how to respond, started clapping.

"Please don’t." Arlen said, chuckling.

Ravi smiled, "When did you start liking plays."

"My Papa." Arlen looked at Ravi and explained, "My mother has three husbands. So one of them, I call him, Papa, he is Anouk’s biological father, he is the one who raised me so he is my mom and dad, and friend in one, he loves plays. He is a scientist so whenever he is done with work, we would watch plays together. We would even act on weekends then we would go get ice cream. My mom had no sweet treats for children, it is not her particular but like the family, it is a foolish, old rule, they believed that it made children weak...I don’t know, they were all miserable probably and looking for who to share the misery with..."

Seeing that Ravi had wrapped his hand around his and was gazing at him with such soft eyes.

He squeezed back but he shook his head, "This is not a side story. Aside from Anouk, neither I nor my sister followed those rules. Well, she followed some, I did not follow any." Thinking back nostalgically he confessed, "Papa helped me build this secret compartment beneath my bed. It was amazing, I could do anything there. Play games, and have ice cream like a normal child.."

His words made Ravi chuckle. He could almost imagine a mini-Arlen rolling his eyes before climbing into the secret compartment.

"Your childhood sounds both tough and interesting. Was it so difficult?"

Arlen smiled, "No, not more than the average child. I am the last born so I got a whole lot of leeway. My sister spoiled me and my brother loved me in his own...way. My fathers all loved me and my mother tolerated me." He said the last part chuckling, "To give you some pictures. Anouk is just my mom."

Ravi recalled the man who was similar to an ice sculpture and nodded sympathetically causing Arlen to laugh.

" I am not sure how to ask this...em"

"Three husbands?"