章節 22: Must stay in Canopus to meet the king?

The man got off the window and stood beside Chance. Noticing that he was in a daze, he tapped Chance on the shoulder which snapped Chance back, "You do not have to think about it too deeply."

He smiled at him, "Just follow your heart, go with the flow and it is up to fate." he said but Chance was still down, 'The Fate you are talking about is nowhere to be seen!' he shouted but only inside his head.

It has been days since he last talked to Fate. It was about the rules that he has to follow. After his encounter with Clayton Howard, Fate just disappeared.

"You believe in fate?" he asked the man with a lion-like face.

"I do not like fate, but I believe it is true." he said with a snort.

"You believe in fate but you do not like it? Then why do you believe in it?" he asked in confusion, could not understand what the man was trying to say.

"Everything that I am in is because of fate and I hate it." he answered. Chance regretted asking about it as he felt that the lion was going through something terrible. His eyes have gone cold and dull. Like a gold that has lost its shine.

'I wonder what happened to him.' Chance thought but he just stayed silent to avoid saying another mistake. "Sorry for asking, Leon."

The man's eyebrow raised and he glanced at him, "Leon?" Chance smiled and responded, "I do not know your name, but you look like a lion so I just called you Leon."

"I see." he muttered, Chance examined his face, "Do you not like it? I should not have given you a name." he scratched his neck in embarrassment, how could he suddenly give someone a name?

"It is fine. Call me Leon." the man said with a smile. Chance stared at him, there was something about his smile that confused him, but he could not explain what it was.

"Your Highness."

They turned to voice and saw Alec behind them, "I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but we have to head to the dining area. Your father is waiting." he stated but was looking at the man beside the prince, "Let us go, then." Chance said to his knight.

"Still as impatient as usual."

Chance stopped when he heard his whisper, "You know my father?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

Leon did not answer him and just gave him a smile and waved goodbye. Since they were in a hurry, he did not get to ask further and started walking away after the knight tapped his shoulder.

Alec turned his head and bowed slightly to the man that Chance was talking to. Leon smiled at the knight's greeting, grateful for the behavior he had shown when Chance was with him. The knight turned around and followed after the prince, heading to the dining room.

Leon folded his arm and the other was resting its elbow to his palm, with his two fingers on his chin. He looked back outside the garden and smiled, recalling his conversation with Chance, "What an interesting fellow."

~~~~~~~~~~

Caliber just sat up alone in his bed in a daze with his deep thoughts, remembering how Chance was about to say something to him if it was not for the knight's interruption. "He called me Caliber..." he muttered, forming a smile on his lips.

The smile faded as he thought of how Chance shouted the knight's name, "Alec, you call him Alec, huh?" he muttered with irritation. He stood up from the bed and pointed his finger to nothing but the air, "Is it normal for you to call someone's name that easily?" he said as if Chance was actually in front of him, but it is just him that is going insane.

He let out an annoyed groan, there is something about the knight's gaze that he does not like. Not only that, but the way the Valorian utters his words is irritating. "That rude tone of his was intentional, how could a knight talk like that to a prince." he muttered and let out a snort.

He stopped when a sudden thought came through his mind, "Does he like..?" he cut the thought with a shook of his head. He grabbed his coat and sword and stormed out of his room.

On his way to the dining where Chance was in, he met a face he knows so much in the halls. "You are not supposed to be here, right?" Caliber stated with a raised brow.

The man put his hand onto Caliber's shoulder, "I met a rather interesting person." he said with a smile, clearly amused. Caliber was curious to know who it was but he felt like it is normal for the man to be like that.

Caliber squinted with a slight hint of disgust of seeing the man's smile, "Did you find yourself another woman? Who is this lady of the week now?" he said. He knew the man well enough to know the amused face he has whenever there is a new 'flavor'. So even if he is curious about the identity of the new prey, he is not surprised anymore.

"That is kind of offending, you make it sound like all I do is sleep around." the man said after hearing his question. "Do you not?" Caliber responded sarcastically and the man just smiled.

Caliber sighed, "So who is it?" he asked. The man tapped his shoulder and went near his ear, "I am not going to tell you." he whispered.

He looked at Caliber in the eyes with a teasing smile and walked away. The clicking sound coming from the man's heels echoed as it vanished, going further away from the spot Caliber was in. Dumbfounded, his brows furrowed, "What the hell was that?" he muttered and continued walking, ignoring the incomprehensible words of the playboy.

~~~~~~~~~~

There was an awkward silence inside the dining area. At the end of the long table are the empty seat for the newly crowned king of Canopus, while at the other end sits the Ruler of Antares, King Cadell. The chair at the side, one seat near to King Cadell, was the one Chance was sitting on.

He could not help but gulp on his saliva, enduring the deafening silence. He was comfortable and used to the silence since he was always alone, but this quiet was very intense, every movement of the king's hand that was slicing the meat made him nervous.

"Why are you just looking? Eat your food." the king said without even looking at him. As his father said, he grabbed a knife and fork on the table but was hesitant. 'The King of Canopus is still not here, how can I dare eat?' he thought.

"I do not want to waste my time on waiting for a person who will not come." the king muttered, biting the sliced meat from his fork. The king looked at his son, "He will not come, so eat now."

Although Cadell told King Leonidas to be patient in waiting for his son to arrive, Cadell's patience is not as long as it seems. Even though the face of the king of Antares remains the same, serious and blank expression, he is quick to be annoyed and has very thin patience.

Chance started eating, but it was slow as he could not swallow his food properly out of nervousness.

"You did not get to see the new king yesterday and now. You have ruined your chance to meet him."

Chance stopped eating and looked at his father. "Are you not ashamed? You have arrived too late to even see him." Despite the calm face, Chance could feel every emphasis on his words.

He put down the silverwares and bowed his head, "Forgive me, Father." he uttered. The King did not respond and also put down his knife and fork, wiping his mouth with the napkin.

"Do not ruin my expectations towards you." the king said and looked at him coldly.

Chance tried to sound apologetic since it was his fault to get late by being lost in the palace and staying in the garden, but his blood boils whenever he remembers the punishment for the gays that they had caught.

"I will be leaving now, but I do not want you to return with me." he said. Chance nodded as a response, "You can take the carriage, father. Alec and I will return by riding a horse." he said and was surprised to hear the King snorted.

"You will stay here."

Chance with opened eyes paused and felt like he had gone deaf, "Pardon, what did you say, father?"

"I said, you will stay here." Cadell repeated.

Confused, he did not know what to say. Why would his father suddenly want him to stay in Canopus? "Why?" Chance finally asked.

The door was slightly opened and outside was Caliber, who was about to go in. He heard the sound of the chair being moved and he peeked by the door seeing that the king stood up from his seat.

Chance stood up and he could hear him ask 'Why?' but the answer from the king he hated made his bad mood vanish.

"Not until you meet the king of Canopus, do not return to Antares."

A mischievous smile formed on the lips of the Canopus prince as he thought of an idea.