Come to me...

Chapter 20 ~ One week... Part V

Taking Gabriella with one hand and the bags with the other, Rayne didn't waste any time looking back before he finally crossed the portal.

***

*Fifth day*

Gyra.

"Finally." Rayne said, remembering all the awkward events that happened that day. Now he truly understood the meaning behind the phrase home, sweet home...

From the time his feet touched the ground, after the brief weightless sensation that came from crossing the portal subsided, a smile found its way to Rayne's face. His senses were overwhelmed with a nostalgic sensation, and his whole being was adapting to the sudden wave of power he got from being in Gyra. He didn't know how much he had missed his home until that very moment.

Right now Rayne was in a small cottage in front of the beach.

***

 Countless years ago, when Nathaniel had become king, Rayne wanted to offer him the best present. He had contracted the best architects to make the cottage- which was the gift- as comfortable as possible for his brother.

But nothing had been enough for him. Once he was satisfied with the blueprints, Rayne managed to find another flaw. The materials they were going to use for the construction didn't get an approval so the workers had to think of something else. And like that Rayne's pickiness and stubbornness continued for a solid three years. Everything seemed to have an imperfection hanging around.

Finally, when the day came and Rayne couldn't find any flaw spoiling his masterpiece, he didn't waste a single minute before he stormed to his brother's chambers to let him know about the big surprise.

To say that Nate was touched was an understatement. The moment he saw the small cottage, he knew the meaning behind its construction. Nathaniel knew Rayne hated how strict everything was in the castle. He knew how happy he was when they went hunting without anyone's knowledge. And above all, he was well aware of how much his brother valued his freedom.

With Nate being king, he became even busier. Rayne seemed to notice how easily his brother seemed to lose his glow. He would always look tired, as if someone was sucking his energy right from the core.

With that in mind, Rayne came up with the idea of giving him the cottage. It was a place where he could relax whenever things got overwhelming. Its location was also perfect because it was extremely far from the castle. It was also the reason why Nathaniel never suspected anything. Well, his tight schedule was also an important fact worth mentioning when it came to maintaining the secrecy of Rayne's gift.

After Nate was taken to the cottage, he instantaneously refused to enter the building and accept the gift if he was going to be the only one using it. Nate wanted to share the freedom that the lovely place provided with his brother. Even if he wasn't king, Rayne was brought up as if he was going to become one.

 With his brother being monarch, Rayne thought he was going to be freed from the torture that came with his royal duties. However, things didn't go as he planned as his to-do list  only seemed to increase, much to his dismay. So without much thought, Rayne accepted his brother's offer.  Since then, whenever the two bothers felt like escaping, they started going to the cottage.

Rayne had certainly chose the best location for the small house. Not only it was far from any sort of nuisance, but the surroundings were also enchanting. The cottage was situated on top of a cliff, imposing its presence on it, and beyond was a beautiful beach with golden sand delimitating the turquoise water that went till one could only see the horizon.

After Nate's death, everything became shallow in Rayne's eyes. All the things he loved about that place seemed to lack vivacity. The sand looked grimy and the sky seemed to mirror his emotions whenever he went there. Maybe it was because that place held the best memories he had of his brother. As a consequence, Rayne couldn't help himself but unlashing his powers and letting the sorrow consume him.