"Nicholas... I came out here to talk to you because I wanted to know if you have really regained your memory. If that's the case, I want to settle whatever it was between us once and for all. I know you need closure," Sophie said with a hoarse voice.
She added, "I am sorry that you lost your memories and by extension, the chance to step up. I forgive you. I understand it's not entirely your fault. It was a really unfortunate incident."
Sophie tried to stay calm and looked Nicholas in the eye. She realized Leland was watching and listening to their conversation. She almost could feel his anger rising at every word Nicholas uttered to her.
The last thing she wanted was for the two men to fight each other again, openly, with Luciel watching. She knew both men already fought once with them getting severe injuries. She didn't want that to happen again.
Right now, they were enemies, but their war was not here and now. Leland had his bigger goal, and Nicholas had to think about his kingdom.
She didn't want their war to be narrowed down to just fighting over her. Other people would lose respect for these two formidable men if they knew all they fought about was just a woman.
Nicholas felt literal pain in his chest when he heard Sophie say she forgave him. She forgave him and called what happened an unfortunate incident. However, she was clear about not wanting to give him another chance.
Wasn't everyone entitled to a second chance? He didn't even commit a mistake intentionally... and now he was ready to pay for whatever was asked of him to show his regret and how much he wanted to make up for what happened.
Why couldn't she have mercy and let him see his kids?
Nicholas would rather have Sophie be mad at him, curse him, hit him, vent all her anger and disappointment... but after she was done, she would want to have a sit down with him and discuss their relationship.
They would NEVER become strangers because she was the mother of his children, and Luciel and Jan were the heirs to the throne of Riga.
They would live for another seventy years. Nicholas had failed them for the first six years of their lives, but he wouldn't want to fail them for the many more years to come.
"Sophie, my sons... they are lycans, aren't they?" Nicholas suddenly changed the subject. "Were you worried that I wouldn't accept them because they are lycans?"
He remembered how frustrated he was with his lycanthropy and how much he hated himself back then. Now, this thought was bugging him. Perhaps, Sophie still thought he hated lycans, so she took his sons away from him, not willing to let him have a relationship with them.
Sophie didn't immediately reply. She did worry about that many years ago when she was still pregnant with the boys. She knew how much Nicholas' parents hated lycans that he ended up hating himself.
That was one of the reasons why she decided to stay with Leland in a real marriage, after she found out the man was the Alpha of a werewolf pack, and he treated her and her children well.
When she asked Leland to take her as his true wife, Sophie begged him to teach her sons to love themselves.
She did think that if Nicholas was still alive and knew his children were not proper humans, he would find it difficult to accept and love them since he was also struggling to accept and love himself.
Sophie could imagine how badly his family would react to seeing her and her sons. So, yeah... his assumption now was not inaccurate.
"I would never..." Nicholas became emotional. "I would never do that. They are my flesh and blood. If anything, I would love them more because I knew how it felt to hate myself because my parents couldn't accept me for who I am."
He didn't bother wiping his eyes from the tears that were dripping down his cheeks. "I would love them more."
The man stood helplessly, looking utterly devastated.
Sophie suddenly sobbed uncontrollably. She couldn't hold back her welled-up emotions any longer. She felt really sorry for Nic. She wished things were different.
She wished there was no enmity between their two sides.
"Your... your kingdom is waging war... with the lycans..." Sophie said between her sobs. "I cannot let... the kids... live in fear for their lives..."
"No, they won't need to fear for their lives, not as long as I live," Nicholas said. "What are you talking about? I am a lycan too. It took me a long time, but I have finally accepted who I am, now that I realized half of my family is lycan, my kids are lycans. Why would I want to continue this stupid war?"
Sophie's eyes bulged at Nicholas' words. Did she hear him correctly? Nicholas would want to end the war against the lycans?
"H-how...?" she muttered in confusion.
"I am the king of Riga. I will change the laws. I would rather focus my government on developing our kingdom, than hunting lycans. I will even dismiss the royal lycan hunters," Nicholas said firmly. "I can do anything because my words are law."
Sophie looked at Nicholas in disbelief. Why was it always so easy with Nicholas? He was open, passionate, and would listen to her. Yes, he was stubborn at times, but he was also very easygoing and didn't dwell in grudge and hatred.
Why couldn't Leland think the same way when it came to peace?
Before Sophie could say anything, however, suddenly a big shadow jumped between her and Nicholas and pounced on the king. Leland had lost his patience and jumped to attack Nicholas.
"How dare you talk about peace bullshit when your family killed Sophia's parents and made her an orphan?!" Leland growled as he swung his fist to Nicholas' jaw. "How dare you thinking that everything can be forgiven and forgotten!"
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