Is It True Love?

Chapter 19: The Struggles With Love

Oliver

Two teen boys silently watch the sunset from Greendale hill. He asked Frederick to hang out over the weekend, and though usually busy, the country visitor at last agreed. Now they're left with not much to do on this particularly dull Saturday.

Oliver throws his hands up at his limit at the lack of excitement. "I'm so bored! I don't know why the prince and his friends forever waste their time up here. The view isn't all that special to me either."

"There are no places where I can watch the town below like this in Narrok." Frederick, apparently enjoying the sight, breaks away from it, eyeing the taller boy beside him. "Hey, um, mind if I ask ya somethin? What exactly dontcha like about Prince Wendell?"

"Where is this coming from?"

"Ah, I just figured by the way ya talk y'all aren't on great terms."

"Well, you're not wrong though it's mostly one-sided..." Oliver's voice trails off hesitant if he wants to continue. He hasn't shared this with anyone, excluding a small amount to Blanche, but Frederick is his partner and should be informed of their rivalry. "You see, I wasn't always heroic and strong as I am right now. Back then, I often got bullied for embarrassing faults that I had truly despised. It happened for years until moving to Calestra and finally escaping their torment."

"Must've been awful to endure..."

"Yeah, but those three jerks are past history. The biggest problem I dealt with growing up that hasn't changed is my mother. To spare you the extra details, my mom had a traumatic childhood growing up with an alcoholic father. He beat on his wife and constantly lost jobs which put very little food in their four children's stomachs. And yet, the drunkard forbidden her to work and piled on all the more household chores. This cruel treatment was so severe that it led my grandmother to an early grave before I ever met her." Oliver's scarlet eyes drift upward at the orange hue skies, and he does have caring grandparents from his father's side at least. If his mom was raised under different circumstances, perhaps she wouldn't be this way today.

"Anyways, my mom grew a hatred for the majority of men, besides the exceptional few. Surprisingly, her own son did not qualify for her. She acted somewhat loving when I was a kid and had those feminine features. However, after going through puberty our relationship gradually deteriorated. She developed this fear that I would turn out like her father, and had unreasonable expectations of me to prove otherwise."

The taller boy glances at the shorter who's remained quiet, and he's probably waiting for him to finish prior to speaking.

"Leading back to your original question, Wendell is someone she sees as a ray of sunshine. Similar to my dad, he's a perfect gentleman and will constantly compare us being close in age."

Oliver's gaze drops down to his hands which is a feature he and his mother are said to have alike.

"Truth be told, I don't plan to launch some revolt against the Chestna family. I started patrol to exhibit my newly gained strength and assist weak villagers that's like my old self in the process. I just wanted to show those long-gone bullies, my mom, and even myself I'm worth something," he mumbles, far from the best at confessing these insecurities he hates to acknowledge so openly.

"On a final note, the crowned prince is entitled and takes several things for granted. Wendell chooses to attend the Royal Warriors Association when he can afford a private trainer. Plus, he's engaged to the one I loved since childhood all because it was set in his very lap. It annoys me how easygoing his life must be, but that's royalty for you."

Frederick doesn't say anything for a good minute most likely to see if he's done sharing. Wearing an expression Oliver can't quite decipher, his gaze remains locked at the houses beneath them. This awkward air is making him rather uncomfortable and wishing he would give some thoughts on the matter.