After breakfast, a maid stepped into the dining room, announcing Celine's arrival. Eiran excused himself to his study, leaving the three men in the hall.
As the child left, he appeared just as he always did, innocent and pure as before.
The conversation from earlier, where he spoke of hurting others, seemed like a fragment of his imagination—or perhaps it had really happened. Lately, he had been haunted by nightmares of his past, keeping him awake several nights in a row. He barely slept two hours last night.
"Shall we go?" Ren finally asked, forcing his voice low and steady.
Zayden nodded, rising from his seat with a low thud.
As he headed toward the stables, Ren tilted his head. It was a path he had only taken when the servants used to bully him. The stables were the least-used area of the mansion.
"Why are you going to the stables, My Lord?" James asked, voicing the question that had been on Ren's mind.
