075

075
In one of the lower houses in the castle, Roga stood in the hallway, her features marred by worry.
She had stepped out into the dimly lit hallway to search for her son. As she passed by the few males standing in the hallway, she looked at them to see if she’d see Carldo.
Unfortunately, Carldo could not be seen. Roga had noticed the way Carldo went missing sometimes in the castle and would only return at odd hours.
The female hadn’t felt bothered when it all started, but now that it was getting extreme, she needed to know what was happening. It’s not like Carldo had introduced anyone to her as his boyfriend in the castle.
So, where was he always disappearing to?
Roga plucked one of the torches on the wall to illuminate her path as she walked around in search of Carldo.
While passing one of the narrow hallways that was connected to another lower house, Roga squelched on her track when she heard the faint clanging of metal coming from the eastern side of the building.
Roga took a moment to think as dread crawled down her spine. She remembered the postern door at the eastern side, making Roga believe someone might be trying to breach the door.
Her face paled. Could it be thieves? She wondered.
Lubricating her dry mouth, the woman debated whether to call the sentinels or go and verify what was occurring. She chose the second option and began to walk stealthily to the eastern side after turning off the flaming torch she held.
Roga held the stick in her hand as a weapon, her back perched over the wall for support. Her vision balanced in the darkness, she peeped through the wall when she reached the eastern side, where the small escape door was.
Sneaking a peek, Roga saw a male cracking the small metal door open and crawling in through it.
Her heart thudded as she braced herself and tightened her fist around the stick, waiting for the person to get closer.
As the male got to his feet, a grunt bursting from his mouth, and began to walk down where she was, the woman launched her attack.
Unfortunately, the male, with fast reflexes, held the stick on time, locking his eyes down at her.
Roga froze immediately when she realized who that was.
Her son.
“Carldo?”
“Mother?”
They called out simultaneously, shocked to see each other here.
“What are you doing here, mother?” Carldo was the one who broke their hypnotic stare.
Roga didn’t respond outright; instead, she grabbed his arm and tugged him toward their chamber. They moved briskly through the hall until they got to the safety of their room and shut the door behind them.
“What do you think you’re doing sneaking into the building through the postern gate, Carldo?” She barked, throwing her hands up. “The sentinels would have assumed you’re a thief!”
Carldo shrugged casually, feigning ignorance.
“Nothing, mother,” He said, breezing past Roga, who noticed a difference in his scent.
He smelled like ale and musk.
“Where were you, Carldo? I notice you are hardly in the castle sometimes, and you always return at night,” She griped, her words making Carldo freeze.
He could guess his mother could hear the rapid beating of his heart. Carldo clenched his eyes shut, looking to gather a reasonable answer.
“Son?”
“I went to see my male,” He rasped, hoping she wouldn’t ask him who it was.
“You’ve a male?” There was this joy in Roga’s undertone as she asked. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
He pivoted to face her, uttering. “Because I didn’t want you to know yet.”
Roga’s lips curled down. Not what she was expecting. “Did I offend you that you don’t want me to know about him?”
Roga had always thought Carldo wouldn’t forget his trauma. It made him always avoid the company of others because he was scared they’d hurt him like Edrand used to hurt him.
It made Carldo feel less of himself, and that had worried Roga for years. However, hearing that her son had a secret lover was the best news the female had ever heard in a while.
“Of course not, mother. It’s just, both of us decided to keep it low for now,” He barely smiled after that, making the woman nod.
“If that’s your wish,” She commented and went to lie on the bed when Carldo suddenly asked.
“Mother, do you think there’s someone more rightful for the Iron Throne?”
She stopped breathing for a heartbeat, narrowing her eyes on Carldo.
“No one except Lord Draco. Why do you ask?” She hummed, watching Carldo fiddle with his fingers as thoughts ran through his mind. “Is this about the demon clan?”
She sighed when Carldo didn’t speak. “The demons have no claim to the throne of Bloomington. The Ice pact, signed thousands of years ago, declared only the Thrones would rule Bloomington.” A huff that sounded more like a scoff escaped her. Carldo flicked a glance at his mother as she griped about the demon clan trying to breach the agreement signed by their ancestors to cause chaos in Bloomington.
“What if there’s someone else out there believing they are the rightful heir?” Carldo stepped forward and sat beside his mother, adding. “Does anyone know the reasons the massacre of females in the kingdom was carried out by King Cormac? Was there any speculation?”
Roga thoughtfully looked over the burning candles as wheels turned in her head. She spared a look at Carldo and said. “No one actually knows, but there was this speculation your father made as he was the king’s aide back then.”
“He assumed King Cormac was trying to cover his tracks. More like cover his secret so no one would know,” She shrugged. “It’s only a speculation. No matter what the demons are doing, Lord Draco remains the rightful heir.”
Carldo’s eyes hardened as the words flew past his lips. “Does he have eyes to see the truth?” His words referred to Edrand and Draco’s inability to see what the male was capable of doing.
“What do you…mean?” Roga hissed, shocked at Carldo’s outburst.
However, the male collected himself again and shrugged, shaking his head. “Nothing, mother.”
Roga watched with skeptical eyes as Carldo removed his clothing to change into a flimsy night shirt to sleep. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw the marks that littered Carldo’s back like claws the size of a demon’s.
“Carldo, who is it you’re truly seeing?” She blurted, eyes wide.
Carldo froze instantly at that question, staring at himself through the mirror as he reminisced about how he got those marks from this evening.
TBC.