Episode 10 :Magnolia (2)

"ermm"

fatigue filling over his body he twist and turn on the bed but could not get out since his upperbody started from his neck pain a lot. Even his toes were numb freezing after a sudden temperature drop.

Every edges of the room lighted with candles that he could clearly see what's around. His neck felt like prickied by a needle, so he stares at the ceiling this whole time.

He heard a rough snoore. A man is on the right sided of the bed he is not laying on the floor he Clarity must have fall asleep while taking over him. His hand is still holding a half damp towel.

He heard a rough snoore coming out of a dozing man on the right side of the bed while holding a half damp tower. He could understand, Claity Robane must have guarding the whole night in case something happen to the crown prince.

He even refused to get out that much considering there were three basin which are filled with a dark red liquid from cleaning his injury.

"ergghh" Eliot move a bit, he needed to get out and tell his father what he saw. Three attempts, Eliot grabbed the bed corner for support. "thirsty" he gulped. He had been here before and amazed on how a man could drink so much that he still not drunk and do his duty properly.

Clarity Robane was a merchant before he assigned to his mother. The merchandise is still popular to this day and people would still thinks he is the owner of his business though he passes the title to his nephew.

Considering the amount of bottle in his chamber, piled up sheets all across the tables even in the wall he is still active making a new recipe.

Cough!

The crown prince let out a small cough his throat is too dry to speak because he was crying too much last night. A water of jug on the entrance relief him.

With a wobbling knees Eliot go to the tables. There weren't any glass so he took a sip from the jug instead. "are you all right?" Surprised he dropped the jug and chocked on the water. Clarity Robane was watching him the moment he get down the bed like an old man that needed crane for support.

"arghh" one of his ankles was throbbing. Unable to grabbed the table Eliot body crashes to the floor his usual diziness attack him. The crown prince was sweating.

"your highness!" Clarity threw the damp tower and rushing over to embrace the fallen prince. "I need my father" He pushes Clarity Robane away.

"He don't need you" The looked at him in disbelief. He swear his his father is in this room a moment before he woke up. He is not that close to Lukas but he knew the his touches and how he smell like.

"My father,"

"Robane, I need to tell him something" the knight pretend not to hear him and cuddled him instead and throw him on the bed telling him to rest.

"His Majesty is knew what is going on. You don't have to worry about it he knows what to do, now close your eyes and get some rest" Clarity Robane tucked him back to bed. Dark circles around his fair skin is noticeable that he felt bad about it.

"Roro"

"hmm?" Clarity Robane sat next the crown prince, stroking his brown hair checking his temperature. The man yawned and left the prince and began to tidy up the mess in the room.

"my mother" He is sure Clarity Robane didn't do anything to his mother, if he did he would not be here alive, Lukas would not be here talking to a killer, or he did the deed and his father didn't know about it.

The vague dreams is taunting his head, he isn't sure which one is which both are scary. "Her grace will be here soon you better get some sleep to cheer her up with a healthy face" so her mother is alive? What he saw was not real the crown prince eyes softened and Clarity Robane realized that.

As he thought, the crown prince saw what he did to the creature last night because the boy was in tense and would not look at him. Moreover, Eliot had a habit where he would play around with his fingers is he is nervous about something.

"Tell me what happened? Where were you?"

"I was,"

"speak up your highness, you are talking to me someone who is lower than yourself. Why are hunching?" there were sadness portrayed in his eyes when he waited for his response.

This boy is fragile like any other kid in his age who needed extra protection because he is excel in anything. Basically the crown prince is a spoiled brat.

Thalia forbid any physical activities that will lead to accidental injuries so unlike his cousins who attended academy academy and hiring certain instructors to inherit their swormanship.

"Raise your chin and speak up and tell me what you saw" Clarity Robans sighed when his answer was was a silence.

Pretending not to be interest, he picked a mandarin from the basket on the cabinet.

He he got up, he kew Eliot were secretly looked at him wanted to say something he smirked. If the crown prince knew the reflective walls on top of the cabinet is reflecting his dehydrated face that still staring at Clarity Robane's broad shoulder.

"ehem" He coughed. Immediately the crown prince averted his eyes. "want some?" he shooked his head politely not that he wanted to offend Clarity but because he is a sweet tooth.

Ignorant, Clarity Robane is known to stuffed people with food more than his own plate, squeezing the boy's chinn until his mouth opened and put a slice of mandarin into his mouth.

"you are in my quarter, you need to follow what I said and what I want." he still holding his chin refused to let go until he see something is being chew.

"Roro's quarter is in father's land, the owner of this realm and what his is mine, I can - do what I want" he was caught off guard that the knight ended up laughing because he didn't expect this introvert liitle prince would be furious on something like that.

The crown prince motion how his neck is hurt because Clarity Robane isn't just holding it, but he basically raising his head so their eyes met.

As instructed, he released him and sat on the bed stroking the crown prince's hair. "I need my father" Clarity Robane took another mandarin and give it to the crown prince.

"My father Clarity" There was a reason why he being close to Eliot so he can control his movement if the boy decided to flee on his own just like now while bandages all over his body.

"His Majesty is busy, he does not require your presence"

"but I need to see him, This is important"

"I thought you said you didn't have anything to share my prince? As I said His Majesty is handling something that is not meant to be seen or heard by unimportant people"

"Such as-" Lukas had a trouble time searching for his son's whereabout though he was following the scattered droplet of Eliot's blood.

When he came to Clarity Robane the boy was already treated as a patient and he couldn't thank enough. The moment Clarity told him who was the killer the King couldn't hide his expression.

"me?" Eliot gasped.

"you said it yourself" He wish to tell Eliot the corpse had been taken care of, his death letter is on the way towards his family front door.

"this is not funny Roro someone is dead and I need to tell my father whose responsible for it before he blame someone else" he shouted. Kicking away the blanket covering his feet.

"And it is not funny either how you called my name little prince," Eliot expected Clarity Robane to be surprised because an innocent worker died in the that are place in top protection. Judging by his face and based on Clarity Robane conversation that dawn, they were discussing about it.

"Nothing happened, everything is fine just like a normal day you should rest and return to your chamber soon after I get your clothes from Merliah" He is sure the maid is freaking out right now because the prince isn't in his room.

"under a willow tree, the king is in danger a thing trespasses into his place, a man died," He didn't add about the puppy and its mother as it would not matter.

"So you saw it" Clarity Robane pushed his lingering hair to the back of his head he raised his eyebrows iritatedly.

"what? What are talking about?" That woman resemble his mother that is why he couldn't say a thing

"something was out there, something that hurt you like this that made you shrivelled in fear to the point of making you unable to sleep, which make me stay awake all night long and when I asked what happened yet you became a puppet and just stared at my back? "

" I do not" he couldn't complete his sentence as a sudden pain on his ankle was throbbing.

"it was his choices when he entered Wisteria Palace to become a guard, it was his duty he got kill, he died fullfilling his task."

"It was his mistake, you shouldn't blamed yourself because it is known, everyone shall confined themselves yesterday it's his fault for breaking the rules"

"If you ran to his majesty while wrapped up in this, people would know you were there when the guard were killed, I'm sure there's a reason for both of you creeping outside when you're not supposed too"

He cried, it was the first time witnessing something horrible such as organs are being pulled and eaten while the victim is not completely dead.

He saw his eyes moving when he fell on the guard, soaked in blood wondering how it would be to be in the guard's position.

He ran because he is scared, he ran frantically to his father because he wanted to tell him someone is dying, and he believed the king can help him.

"EL - I want to tell you something" He needs to know his origin for him to understood why Lukas confined him here. The maids cleaning the pathway would this it was a mere liquid, the prince will be held in court if they knew he is a beast.

"Promise me if you are injured come to me, Thalia or Lukas" He was nervous that he ended up calling these people by names.

"you poor boy, Lukas can't protect you alone so come to me and rely on me" he used to have a younger brother. He neglect the little one because he was busy pursuing his career as an honorable knight. If he knew he will end his own career that fast.

He wouldn't leave his people only to find his brother kidnapped by human traffickers. His corpse were tossed in forest after several decapitation he hoped it was someone else, another missing person or an orphan.

Nothing else on the scene aside for the jade ring shining in the darkness. One of those kidnapper that sold out his brother was his own best friend, one it out if fury because he couldn't passed the knight exam he let his anger toward Clarity a Robane's brother.

He would run away with money he got after selling the poor boy out, but he wanted to see Clarity Robane's reaction so he stayed.

"That thing, what was it?"

"My son!" A woman tripped herself at the front door. She pushed the door so hard that the wooden door split into half.

"Thalia?" said Clarity Robane.

"mother?" Said the crown Prince