*Click*
The door to the study opened and closed once again. Only this time it wasn't the emperor's aide coming out to perform errands. Serpens remained calm on the surface. But his shoulders shook. Eyes softened.
"Your Highness..."
He called out but didn't dare to ask anything further.
What happened inside?
The question was pushed somewhere back in his mind.
Celyn didn't answer him either. He simply turned around and started walking back to the guest room. His throat felt like it was closing.
In the long corridor, a familiar man walked past him, with brown hair, green eyes and the Inferos knight's white uniform. Vance Windertide, the knight captain and a close friend of the emperor.
Celyn stopped for a second instinctively but the other party simply didn't acknowledge him. It wasn't that the knight captain didn't see him. He simply ignored him.
This was going to be the new norm in the path he had chosen today.
Celyn's eyes dimmed. His thumb scratched the corner of his other nail. Once was fine, but with repetition some skin had started to peel.
Serpens was the first to notice it. He increased his pace and started walking right behind. His finger brushed against Celyn's hand intentionally to correct the prince's habit.
What had they discussed inside that room? Unease began to eat him away. His lips pressed firmly together. When they entered the guest room, Serpens stood by the door and closed it behind.
He watched as the prince searched for something frantically. Serpens' hand pressed firmly at the door handle, creating a magic circle. A magic circle to keep the room soundproof. The black mana spread out through the handle and the walls, penetrating every crack and forming a sealed space.
Yet, something felt like it was stabbing his heart, he should have protected the prince, his treasure. He was so powerless....Why?
It was done. The magic circle shone before disappearing.
"I will ask this once..."
The voice belonged to Celyn. He was standing not far from his luggage, a small book was in his hand. "Can you smuggle a letter out of this palace?"
Outside the palace, Luxuria had its own spy network in the Inferos' capital. Small but very crucial to have any standing as a kingdom. Celyn was well aware of that. But getting a letter out of this palace felt almost impossible.
"I can."
Serpens answered. He gazed downcast, his eyes zooming in to see what the book the prince held. But to his dismay it was wrapped in paper. "How fast do you want it delivered?"
To others this was overconfidence. But to Celyn if Serpens said he could do it. Then he would at any cost. Celyn knew it better than anyone. "Do it as soon as possible."
"It's a letter to tell the prime minister... to prepare for crowning of a new crown prince." His hand tightened around the book. His eyes closed in pain.
"What-" Serpens strode forward. Held the prince by the shoulder. Almost shaking some sense. "Are you hearing what you are saying?"
It wasn't a reaction Celyn had anticipated. Something similar but not this far. But this was twenty years of work, Serpens' reaction was understandable. Celyn tilted his head to the side, removing Serpens' hands.
"The prime minister will never agree." Serpens retorted. Only a fool would agree.
"Just tell the prime minister there's a child at Mother's summer home outside the capital. He will be 8 this year-" Celyn put a hand at Serpens' chest pushing him back. "He will connect the rest of the dots..."
Meanwhile, he would wait ten years to strike.
This didn't make sense. Serpens was frozen in place. The Crown prince's faction didn't rally behind the title. It rallied for the person.
Bitterness spread in Serpens' mouth. He remained calm on surface watching the prince read a book, heading towards his own ruin.
He thought things would be fine after that woman left. His hand clenched into a tight fist.
The next two days were awfully quiet. Celyn stayed in the guest room reading books. Mostly his mother's diary and records. There were many things he didn't know before. Just like the child who was now eight years old.
He held the diary, keeping his thumb between the pages. His eyes hurt. He leaned back on the chair, finally placing a bookmark and closed the diary. His tired gaze fell on a large egg placed in the middle of the table. The white egg glowed in the light of the dim candle.
It was a really strange place for it to be. Celyn propped his head on his hand. His other hand extending to touch the egg. The long index finger stopped just before touching it.
*Click*
Serpens walked in and saw this scene. "I am here to take it back."
He quickly moved forward. He was holding a few letters and some telegraphs. Some letters still had seals, while others were folded like cheat sheets. He simply spread them on the table, burying the diary and books underneath.
Celyn picked up the letter with the prime minister's seal. Looking up at Serpens. He had once again completed the given task.
Serpens felt the gaze and nodded. He lifted the egg with a handkerchief, planning on going outside.
"How?..." Celyn's finger traced on the fine paper of the letter. His eyes read the words on paper but his mind tried to solve how Serpens did it. "How did you manage to get it past palace security?"
Serpens took a step back. The egg held closed to his body. As if to warm it up. His eyes half-closed, his head hung lower. A polite smile spread across his lips. "I didn't. His parents did. I just kept their child hostage."
He looked up, showing the egg to Celyn. Eagles were terrifying birds. Easily able to fly ten thousand feet above ground where the palace security couldn't catch them. While still having the brains to locate things from that height. Like the hiding place of Luxuria's intelligence.
Using eagles? It was logical but something most humans won't think of and weren't capable of.
Celyn always forgot the black-haired man who stood in front of him. The same man on whose shoulder he cried on when his mother died, the one he grew up with... wasn't human.
Celyn was momentarily stunned. The bird that was usually used to intercept messenger pigeons was demoted to this. So of course focus shifted to logistics. "You should take it back. The parents must be worried."
Serpens tilted his head, they sure were worried. "I will send him back. But Sir... Won't you tell me about who that child in Queen's summer villa is?"
His gaze was firm.
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