Capítulo 21: Where Are You?
"Where is the child?" asked Cassian as he entered the palace doors. All the staff was already waiting at the door for his welcome.
"The young boy is still sleeping with the lady, my Lord. "Do I go and wake them up for your welcome?" although the whole family and all the staff greet the head of the house when he arrives at home. Guest were never included. So they never thought it was necessary to wake up the kid and the lady who were sound asleep.
But now the butler looked confused. Especially when the lord had returned alone and for the first time, he looked dishevelled.
"No! That would not be necessary." Cassian shook his head as he dismounted his horse and walked in.
"I will take a bath first. Do the necessary preparations. Then I will have breakfast with the guests. So inform them in advance." The maids bowed and left for their jobs when he asked the butler to follow him.
"Arden." He stopped.
"You have been working in the palace since we were children. Not only that, your family has served us for generations." The man bowed his head in reverence.
"It is only by your grace that you have given us the chance, your highness. You have only been kind to us." Cassian shifted his weight from one foot to another as he looked at the young man whom he had treated as his friend in the past.
"You know that I have never trusted our staff after the death of..." He took a deep breath.
"But you are the one I have always trusted. Tell me... Do you think that child is my son?" Arden paused. He looked taken aback by the sudden question but then his face softened.
"The child looks exactly like her highness, your highness. He had a striking resemblance to you too. But I dare not say anything with certainty. But if you want, I can call a mage to confirm." He offered in a soft voice as he could feel the dilemma of the young man who had suffered so much in such a short period of time.
Cassian took a deep breath as he tried to stop his trembling.
"That would not be needed. I want you to arrange appropriate clothes for the child and treat him well. He should not suffer any grievances but his everyday life should be pleasant and memorable for him." Arden smiled, as he understood the meaning behind Cassian's words and he nodded his head thrilled.
"Would you like to announce it too?" he asked after a pause, when Cassian did not give further orders but Cassian shook his head.
"Let this matter be prolonged until I get rid of all the rats. And the child started to look at me in a positive light." He sighed as he felt the void increase in his heart. He had finally found his child but he was not able to tell it to the world.
His wife knew.. She knew something that he did not and that fact churned his heart.
"Alright! I will make sure that the child will change his heart soon." Arden bowed his head and left the room leaving Cassian alone who walked towards the small table near his bed and picked up the portrait of his wife.
She was smiling sweetly while hugging his arms as they were sitting on the sofa together. She was six months pregnant when the portrait was made.
She was so happy that the child had started to kick and danced with joy. Her face was glowing so he could not help but ask the painter to come and capture the scene.
He was looking at her so tenderly that she had asked to place the portrait near the table. He touched the portrait when a drop of water fell on it leaving a stain on the pristine picture and he closed his eyes.
"Why.. if you knew that something was going to happen, why did you not tell me? Why did you not let me come with you? "Where are you, Gabi?" If she had survived and left the child there, she would have fled into hiding but why did she not come back even after years passed?
He placed the portrait back on the table as the door knocked. The maid had come and he stood up and took a bath.
After getting ready for breakfast, he could not help but hurry toward the table.
Mary and Alec were already sitting there. They both stood up and bowed their heads when he entered.
"Your highness!" Both were wearing new and better clothes that he smiled and nodded his head.
"I hope you have a pleasant trip, your highness." Mary started the conversation as she found Cassian staring at the child with a smile. Could it be that he had finally found the truth? If that was the case, her reward was close!
Her eyes gleamed with the brightness of gold when the man finally shifted his gaze to her and nodded his head. However, to her dismay, nothing happened after that.
Alec was silent the whole time as if he was ignoring the existence of Cassian. Cassian kept staring at the child now and then but he did not take the initiative to talk to Alec and Mary felt infuriated.
Both of them are stubborn like blocks of rock and they still do not realize they are family. Then how in the world would it be possible. The silence was so deafening that she was afraid she was going to have a stomach ache after the meal.
Even when she stopped eating, she could not leave unless Cassian stood up and he was having the longest breakfast of his life.
When Cassian noticed that both had stopped eating long ago and were only staring at him, he finally let go of his cutlery and untouched food as he stood up.
"Emily. Come with me. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you." He called the woman but she did not reply.
"........"
"Did you not hear me?" He frowned when Mary finally raised her head and looked at him in confusion.
"Are you talking to me?"
"How many Emily's are there?" he asked with his frown growing deeper when she scoffed.
"None!"
Regalos
-- Regalo
recibido Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder