The jealous king

Anemone felt an eerie calm coming from Ceremus as he entered the grand study to give his daily reports. 

Usually, by now, Ceremus would be grumbling his complaints of how tired he was about hearing about other people's problems. But the King's attention was riveted on the advisor's words this time. Since their conversation yesterday, it seemed Ceremus had developed a newfound respect for his advisor.

Under normal circumstances, Anemone would be thrilled about this new development, but this was King Ceremus we were talking about. The man changed moods like he did clothes; no one ever knew what version of Ceremus awaited them. After finishing his report without any interruptions, instead of receiving the usual replies asking him to deal with everything himself, Ceremus was proactive and went straight to work. 

What shocked him even more was that he thanked him for the good work he was doing. 

"Uh, Your Majesty? Are you feeling alright?" Anemone couldn't help but ask. 

Perhaps he'd gotten ill, or all the wine he'd been consuming had finally started to affect his brain. What else could explain his strange behavior? 

The King absentmindedly waved his hand, assuring him he was all right. Anemone could only accept his answer and leave it at that. 

"Ah, Anemone, I have a favor to ask you before you go," Ceremus said. 

Anemone furrowed his brows. "A favor?" 

"I'm planning on taking a few days off starting tomorrow. I'd like it if you could rearrange my schedule." He said. 

Anemone raised an eyebrow in surprise. The King always decided to have some time off on his own, usually without Anemone's knowledge, so this wasn't anything new; in fact, it was a daily occurrence, but Ceremus never actually saw it through. He'd take half the day off at most before returning to his duties. This was the first time he'd formally requested some time off. The advisor wasn't sure why Ceremus was suddenly informing him now, but since he'd been working non-stop for the past few days, he didn't see any reason to refuse. So the advisor nodded his head. 

"I'll make sure to let the other officials know." He said. 

Good." Ceremus paused. "Has Hael returned from his outing?" 

"No, he's been out since morning, Your Majesty. Should I have someone find out where he is?" He asked. 

Ceremus shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. Just have him come see me upon his return."

Just as he said, Hael was returning to the grand palace, its towering spires visible from miles away. After a long day of hiking up the snow-capped mountains and hunting in the dense forests, he wanted nothing more than to take a bath in the marble-clad royal baths. As he fantasized about the warm water touching his skin, the King felt a jolt in his chest and a sudden heat entering his body. 

He brought his hand to his chest, rubbing the area with a frown. 

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" Anemone worriedly asked. 

"Have someone check if Hael has returned!" He ordered, ignoring the advisor's question. 

Anemone's eyes widened, but he did as he was told. He quickly found a servant who just as quickly followed his orders. The servant came back and confirmed that Hael had just returned. 

Ceremus let out a sigh of defeat before letting out a low chuckle. "Just what in the Hades is this?" 

He could sense Hael's presence the moment he entered his domain. His eyes couldn't help but unconsciously look up at the sky, silently asking the gods why things had to be like this. 

"Haa…bring him in here." He finally said in a low voice. 

Hael appeared before the two men a few minutes later, looking worn, torn, and filthy. His weary eyes and haggard appearance spoke volumes about the day he had. Ceremus raised an eyebrow as he stared at the man before him perplexingly. 

"...Just where did you go?" He couldn't help asking. 

"I went hunting in the mountains," Hael responded matter-of-factly. 

A look of surprise and confusion flashed across the King's face. "The mountains? Why were you there?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. 

"To hunt." 

Ceremus shot Hael a deadpan look while Anemone tried to stifle a laugh. This is the man I'm destined to be with? He thought, his face scrunching up in distaste. 

"Of course, you went hunting; that much is obvious. What I'm asking is why you were hunting in the mountains?" He asked, his patience wearing thin. 

"I went to accompany Anthanasia on a mission. We hunted the Neryan beasts that were occupying the mountains." He explained. 

Ceremus' blank expression immediately morphed into a scowl at the mention of the huntress' name. It was like any semblance of happiness he felt when seeing Hael in front of him had vanished. 

His eyes darkened at that moment, unbeknownst to the guard. "And why were you out on a mission with her? I don't recall relieving you of your guard duties nor remember you becoming a huntsman either." His voice, now noticeably colder, dropped a few degrees. 

Anemone glanced between the two men and had the sudden urge to flee. 

"Your Majesty granted me a day off, and I hadn't visited Anthanasia in a while, so I decided to pay her a visit at the guild. She happened to be on her way out, and the vice-captain said it would be fine for me to join her since I'm still technically their sponsor." He innocently replied. 

Hael's eyes drifted from the floor to Ceremus, and his eyes widened when he saw how dark his golden orbs had gotten. It was now clear to him that Ceremus was upset, but he couldn't understand why. Was it because he went without telling him? Or was it because he went with Anthanasia?

"I see. I'm glad to see you enjoyed your day off." The King said coolly. 

Hael's lips twitched. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the time he spent with Anthanasia. He'd come to like being around her, and he considered her a dear friend. But that didn't mean he didn't miss being in the palace, being around Ceremus. Seeing him look so upset made the young man upset in return. 

Still standing on the side, Anemone felt a shift in the air and knew it would be impolite for him to stay in there and listen to their conversation. The tension was thick, and he could feel it in the air. So he politely excused himself, using the pretext of going back to work to leave. He cast Hael one last sympathetic glance before leaving the room. 

Ceremus could feel his heart racing rapidly with the third party now gone. It was hard for him to tell whether it was out of anger towards Hael for daring to enjoy himself in the presence of another or because of how nervous he felt after realizing they were all alone. 

A prolonged silence settled between the two men until Hael spoke up. "I apologize if my leaving upset you, but there's something I'd like to ask of Your Majesty." His voice sounded strained as he spoke as if carefully considering his words. 

Hael wasn't a wordsmith and didn't have the sophistry to put his thoughts into a coherent sentence, so he had to think about the words he was about to say, especially considering how the person he'd be uttering them to was Ceremus. 

The man in question narrowed his eyes as he watched Hael shift his body nervously. His eyes softened at that moment. "What is it?" 

"Forgive me if my words come off as presumptuous, but I can't help wondering if perhaps you have qualms concerning my friendship with Anthanasia," he started to say. "Would I be correct to assume that is the case?" 

Hael's heart pounded in his chest as he worried about whether or not he might have offended the King. His curiosity couldn't be contained any longer, but a part of him hoped that his dislike for Anthanasia stemmed from jealousy. 

Why he felt this way, he didn't know, but the desire in his heart was far from waning.