Chapter 18: Heart pounding
Francis was still inside his room, it had been a while and he was not even aware of the reason why he was in there. He could have gone out, he could have made a better acquaintance with the other people around him. He wasn't convinced in doing any of the actions, he didn't know why, but he was as if pulled by a close conviction. He believed that the others were better than him, because he was not a noble, much less able to take care of his own true wonderful emotions.
This was at least what had been moulded into the young man's head since his childhood. This was what his father was convinced of: that his son was a useless bastard, that he didn't deserve what other pure-blooded nobles deserved. On the one hand, he thought about how neither he nor Gilbert himself had good relations with their fathers, and this made him feel good, in some way it gave him a sense of common security. Francis continued to delude himself of a future where finally the general and him could love each other, more than just companions.
It was not easy to get rid of love once you get it, and such a love, like Francis' one towards Gilbert, was almost impossible to forget. The lieutenant was surrounded by other young noble men and certainly of beautiful appearance, but they were not attractive to him. Gilbert was the crush of his unrequited love and it had been so since the moment the gaze of the two had exchanged. He now lay there, his body sprawled on a chair.
He was sitting wrong, as his abdomen pressed against the back of the chair and his back lay on the opposite side, but he didn't care.
Francis was sitting there anyway, with his freckled cheeks filled with a blush and his wavy hair pinched into a short ponytail at the base of his neck. He rotated one of his fingers quickly against one of the heavy glass closures of his scented oils and the movements of his finger were fast enough to spin the small bottle with them.
He too was as worried, as the others, about the future and inside his head he kept repeating the same request that the general, his loved one, had made him. He kept wondering why Gilbert had specifically told him to flee in case of danger.
Moreover, he was not the only one to have come to the castle with him, that same sentence could well have been said to one of the two Dustin twins or even to the army commender. He did not know what the general was referring to, he could believe that a man as strong and courageous as Gilbert could suffer some danger. The question was, could he not believe it or was he just afraid to believe in it?
Francis didn't know either, as he let his head rest on one of his arms. Was he afraid that something would only happen to Gilbert or that something bigger would harm others as well?
He was not aware of the answer himself and wondered if in case of real danger he had had enough strength to abandon his general, lose his cause and flee or would have stayed there, with him at any cost. The lieutenant thought in his head that the latter was more plausible and that even if he had those many confused ideas in his head it would not be easy for him to react until the danger presented itself. He heard a loud knock on the door.
-Come on ahead- Francis said, until the heavy door to his bedroom swung open. It was not difficult to notice the mighty body of the army captain and it was not difficult to notice the look he had.
-Uncle, it's a pleasure to see you- alluded the young man with a smile on his face -can I do something for you? -.
The mighty man sat on the other's wooden bed and began to think and stare at the void around him. A silence covered the room for a few moments, in which Francis observed his uncle and the man in turn was blocked in his thoughts.
-Uncle, has something happened? - The voice of the young man began to seem decidedly worried. He hated not being aware of the events happening around him, and even more he hated when those who kept their secrets were his relatives.
The captain put his hands inside his black hairs and continued desperately to observe some point in the deepest void.
-Prince Henry was poisoned ... - the man admitted - as if that weren't enough, also a first degree burn on his lower abdomen was found ...-.
Francis at the news did not seem to express surprise even because in his head at the moment different thoughts were running.
-I was aware that the prince had been poisoned ...- commented the young man -although I have to admit I was not aware of the embarrassing burn ..-. The army captain covered his face with both of his hands and began to puff in worry. Francis was not really aware of the feelings that his uncle felt, also because, perhaps in his inexperience he did not find the fact completely alarming.
- If something or rather someone tried to poison the prince, the situation is really getting worse - the man snorted - this could mean that in a short time we would not be safe here either...-. Francis kept asking himself many questions, but among the words his uncle had just quoted, he remembered what Gilbert had asked him for.
Was there really the possibility that they were in danger? Could it be that some trouble could be caused to his dear Gilbert?
Francis could not allow it and he would not have run away, indeed, he would have protected his partner until the end if necessary.
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