The afternoon sun bathed the glass conservatory garden in a warm, amber glow.
Tristan sat on a stone bench near the central fountain, holding a small wooden block and a carving knife. With steady, patient movements, he smoothed down the edges of a wooden practice bird—a quiet hobby he had picked up during his recovery. He looked peaceful, unburdened by the dark ghosts of his past memories.
At the edge of the rose archway, Aurelian froze.
He wore simple, dark blue velvet robes, his hair neatly combed back. Yet, despite his restored appearance, his hands trembled inside his wide sleeves. And his eyes locked onto Tristan, a sudden wave of suffocating anxiety seizing his throat.
"I can't do this,"
Aurelian whispered, stepping back into the shade of the archway.
"Father, please... if he looks at me with fear, I—"
Cassian stepped up beside him, placing a warm, grounding hand against the small of Aurelian's back.
"He won't look at you with fear, trust me."
Cassian said softly, his voice a steady anchor.
"He doesn't remember the fight, Aurelian. But more importantly, he has no reason to fear the brother who is standing here today. Take a breath."
Aurelian took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a brief second before nodding.
Together, they stepped out from beneath the shaded archway onto the gravel path. The crunch of their footsteps made Tristan look up.
And Tristan set the carving knife down on the bench. His blue eyes swept over Cassian first, lighting up with a familiar, easy warmth, before shifting curious scrutiny toward Aurelian.
Aurelian's heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. He stopped five paces away, keeping the distance his guilt insisted upon.
"Tristan," Cassian began gently, walking over to sit beside him on the stone bench.
"Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, father" Tristan replied, brushing wood shavings off his trousers. He looked at Aurelian again, offering a polite, pleasant nod.
"Hello."
The simple, casual greeting almost brought Aurelian to his knees. There was no hatred in Tristan's eyes, no bitter anger, and no lingering pain—just the quiet openness of a stranger meeting someone new.
"Tristan," Cassian said softly, resting a hand on Tristan's knee. "This is Aurelian. He is your half-brother."
Tristan blinked, his brows drawing together in quiet thought.
"Aurelian..." He tested the name on his tongue, looking closely at the elven features, the black hair, and the striking crimson eyes, resembling every part of Cassian. And Tristan smiled. The knowing smile.
"I've heard the servants mention you so many times. They said you were away."
Aurelian swallowed hard, his throat tight. "I–... I was. I was isolated in my quarters."
Tristan picked up his carved wooden bird, turning it over in his hands.
"Father told me a little about our family," he said smoothly, looking back up at Aurelian. "He told me that we used to train together, and that you are exceptional with a blade."
Aurelian glanced at Cassian in surprise. But Cassian offered him a small, encouraging smile.
"I–... I used to think I was," Aurelian managed to say, his voice thick with emotion.
"But my technique was reckless. I hurt someone very important to me because I didn't control my strength."
Tristan looked at him thoughtfully.
'In the end he still feels guilty.'
He stood up from the bench, taking a few slow steps toward Aurelian.
'But that's enough for me to forgive him. Especially knowing how much courage it took a prideful person like him to apologize.'
As Tristan leaned closer, Aurelian instinctively held his breath, forcing himself not to retreat.
And Tristan stopped a few feet away, as if studying Aurelian's pale, anxious face.
"Father told me that the accident wasn't done out of malice," Tristan said quietly, his blue eyes clear and earnest.
"He said you carried a lot of pain, and that both of us made mistakes that night."
A tear slipped past Aurelian's lashes, gleaming in the sunlight.
"I almost took your life, Tristan. I said horrible things to you... things no brother should ever say."
Tristan looked down at his own hands, then back up at Aurelian.
"I don't remember those words," he said gently.
"And maybe that's a blessing. I don't know the person you were before, Aurelian. But I know that you're standing here now, looking like you'd give anything to fix it."
Tristan held out the small, half-carved wooden bird toward him.
'Forgive me brother and father. But this is the only way to make sure that we won't be awkward towards each other. And I prefer this side of me. Pretending to lose my memories is the only way I could start over with you all and without Aurelian spending his time keeping distance from me.'
Just then Tristan softly smiled, leaning even closer toward Aurelian.
"Brother, I am learning who I am all over again," Tristan said, a small, genuine smile breaking across his face. "If you're willing... maybe we can learn how to be brothers all over again, too. Don't you also think so?"
Aurelian stared at the wooden bird, then looked up into Tristan's forgiving eyes. The last remaining wall around his heart shattered completely.
With a shaky gasp, Aurelian stepped forward and accepted the wooden carving.
"I would really like that," he whispered, his voice cracking. "More than anything in the world."
From the bench, Cassian watched his two sons stand together in the warm sunlight, a quiet, profound peace settling over his heart. The scars remained, but the foundation was finally built on truth and forgiveness.
"This deserves some celebration. Should we ask the Emperor to extend the duration of the royal banquets?"
*****