Despite knowing the fact that his mother had grown extremely suspicious of Cedric's motives, it was not the thing that he worried about.
He thought about the possibilities of his brother strangling Aefia whenever he found her. And this pleased him to know that Aefia herself had chosen to stay out of the palace for a while to do her own work. Whether there was truly any work, he wasn't sure anymore. Because she was good at hiding her thoughts from everyone. She might be hiding something she knows about his brother from Cedric too.
However, he remembered hearing a lot about his brother from her mouth. Including that his brother was a devil who was controlling George and giving him his powers. So what could she possibily be hiding anymore?
Or was she hiding nothing at all and really had work to do?
Like normal humans, the most suspicious choices would be registered inside his mind until he could confirm Aefia truly had a work other then fleeing from his family. Although, looking back to the current situation, Cedric found himself staring at a partially hostile area.
"Wasn't she dead, Cedric?" His mother asked while stepping back a bit.
"Yes she is! And if I am not wrong, she is quite strong." His brother continued while hooking his elbow around Cedric's neck. Squeezing as a threat to do as he said. In the midst, he found himself fallen victim to this first problem just how Aefia had also predicted. Like she watched the chessboard before telling him about it the whole day just two days ago.
However, that wasn't the problem that was triggering Cedric the most.
Based on the way the situation was flowing currently, he might even be asked to bring Aefia to this palace. It was easy to do until that, but it won't be easy to escape his brother. Even if he was a devil, and he might be hit by a tree, but he isn't supposed to be speaking like... A drunk. Looking carefully, he might as well be deliberately faking his injury up to try and pull Aefia into this.
Just what is it this time? When you weren't satisfied with kicking me out, you are trying to kick her out. That too out of this world. God knows what he is planning.
Cedric stared deep into his brother's eyes before turning to gaze at his mother's worried face.
"Yes, he is right." He declared while breathing out heavily. "It is her Imperial Highness Princess Aefia."
His mother on the other hand, tensed up. "God knows what she must have done to torture you! Maybe she planned it up. Listen, are you hurt?" She may have asked it, but her actions were frantic and she checked him back and forth, checking his arms for any sickle imprints or other things.
"No ma! She didn't. In fact, she is adopted. Eight months in and she fled the family. And because she was missing, her family marked her dead." He answered while lowering his mother's hand down to her side again. "Besides, if she did harm me, I won't have been openly talking about her. That alone, completely calmly. If she did have any intentions to use me against the Kingdom, the Empress and her brothers would come as a foreign delegation, and I would be presented as a trade."
The queen let out a sigh as her greying pink hair strands came to shield her face, with her head hanging low in slight embarrassment. "I see. She must be nice then, keeping you healthy and well-fed in the mean time. Luckily, you went onto good hands."
"That certainly is true." Cedric stated. He smiled as his mother lifted her gaze back up and beamed at his direction.
"So, when do you wish to meet your father? I am certain he will be just as thrilled by your reappearance. Unless... You are tired from your journeys."
"No, its not a problem. I will go now." He politely spoke while allowing his mother to lead him towards the throne room. But as he walked, his brother leaned in. Smirking as he said a few things in a whisper before walking forward, faster and then dissapearing around the corner.
The words echoed in his ears like a death whistle. Particularly... It was a death whistle. But with a more chilling tone.
"Now that you are in here, you are under my observations. If your try to use that girl to plot against me, I will rip your head from your shoulders with my bare hands. If you want to avoid that from happening, you better bring her to me within the next three days. And I won't disrupt your peace unlike your younger days."
It spooked him. Because of him, someone else was losing their life. Even if he had trust that Aefia would still be alive after relentless torture—it can't be guaranteed if she would be alright by the end. For someone heavily dominated by opioids before she died, it could be easily said she would mentally collapse before she can escape.
As the doors to the grand throne room was swung open, Cedric was met with the most intimidating stare from his father. Unlike his mother, his person was way more tactical and quick-witted to ask direct questions. If he would want to know about who saved Cedric, he won't say;
"Who took care of you until now?"
Rather, it would be like:
"You look too well-fed to consider you were looked-after by a normal villager or a greedy noble person who could move past me. But how exactly did you 'exist' until now? One decade and you look way more healthier and mentally stronger than when you were six. So who is this very grateful and trustworthy person who really knew your value without knowing your worth?"
And yes, he did explain it in a half-sensical way to deceive others into spitting the truth. For Cedric, he grew up in his father's den until he was six. He observed his movements and the way he spoke, thinking he would one day claim the throne after him. He saw his father as another role model.
While also, kids tend to observe and learn things faster and remember them more clearer as they grow. Because their brain is trying to cope up to the environment, so it polishes the knowledge the kid has taken from their surroundings before coming face-to-face with it someday.
But as his father opened his mouth, he was met with another question. One he never expected from someone like his father. As Cedric gazed up... He saw that his father's face had softened and a relieved smile was hovering on his face.
"So? How are you? How have you done all these days?"
Cedric's breathe caught at his throat. The threat from earlier dissolved into the back of his mind as he looked up at the dias. It felt like a hearty welcome back to his home after a decade. The feeling was, unexplainable. If he were a kid again, he would run towards his father to demand a hug.
However, the court is always observant and a single wrong flick of a finger can cause rumors to start circulating between the nobles. As per the plan, he had to live with Aefia's instructions and mark every single one of his steps onto a notebook before going to the next step.
I think I was just homesick.
"I am good father. How have you been doing all these years? It's been a decade full." Cedric smiled back while standing his ground. He offered a bow, to win his parents' favour. This was step one of course.
In every single type of revenge, involved winning at least one person's favour. If you are not the one winning favours, then you are being used for someone else's revenge.
As Cedric let out a sigh, he took a moment to check for any changes around the palace since he was a kid. His head tilted upwards, staring at the vast ceiling filled with arts from different eras. All placed in a straight line as if a giant film roll containing the timeline of art was pasted onto the concrete above. The pillars leading up to the throne were all covered in the tiniest details. Like they were created using mere pencils.
The windows were high-arcs behind the throne. This was a thing he recall seeing from his youth.
In contrary, the palace was actually facing the east. That too especially the throne room windows. It was placed that way because during the morning, the sun rays would hit directly at the windows and due to the early morning gathering in the throne room. During that time, while the reigning Monarch sat on the throne, the light would shine from behind him, making him seem more majestic and high in front of the entire court while they are greeting him by 'His Majesty the King. The Sun of Mides'.
It was actually a trick the king before the former invented after having started a controversy and wanting to keep the throne to himself after slaughting his brother to keep it. Because no one could ever outshine someone who looked like they were blessed by the entire universe, the king chose to built this castle in a way that the entire court would be forced into this belief, and he would continue his greedy reign. Meanwhile, taxes and wheat prices were rising exponentially. But no one could defy his rules.
Although no one ever noticed, the king himself had made up a rumor right after building the palace.
"The sun knows who is be seen as majestic and high above the rest, and therefore, shines its light to prove it."
And no one, not even the priests could raise a voice over this. Everyone turned a blind eye on this matter, and the generation has continued ever since. Every single king after that, has a conspiracy attached to him. But they all got foreshadowed because of this light technique. This later, became a political playing card against anyone who ever wanted to go against him.
Until of course, the Empire of Smod didn't share the same believe. The Smod empire was a multi-religion nation—who preferred peace after having conquered for the past hundred and fifty years. They only conquered those who were treating their population badly. Just to save the innocents, they became greedy in the eyes of others. Truthfully, they never wanted the bad for anyone.
Unless you consider their inner family politics.
But it was understandable at some point.
Cedric lowered his gaze back to his father, who was currently watching him look at the decorations in the throne room.
"It has been changed slightly over the years. Do you not like it?" The king asked when he saw how slightly uneased his son was.
"No, I love it. That is why I am looking through them thoroughly. I am just, observing." Cedric smiled, knowing well he might be doing a good job. "You have put good work to it—reconstructing a few pieces."
"Yes yes... I know I have." The king laughed, a hearty one. "Now then, how about you tell me about your days? How was your survival?"
"It was horrible at first. But I ended up learning a lot of things. If it wasn't for me going missing, I won't have understood what life truly was like." Cedric spoke while placing a hand over his heart and softening his facial expression. Fooling... Is the best way to win his favour.
"I understand that. Afterall, all good kings needed to learn about life once in a while. It is good to know you learnt about it too." He answered while standing up from his throne. He had grown some fat over the years. But not too much to cause him any appearance differences though. Just moderate amounts.
"Now then, I was going to ask you something." He added while walking down his stairs to meet his son at the bottom of the dais. "Whoever saved you, I would like to reward them. Do you remember where they live?"
Cedric thought for a while.
If Aefia were to come here one day or another, it would be better to have her here already.
"Yes, I know where they stay. I was planning on bringing her over soon. If you allow me, within how long would you need her here? I would prefer three days."
The king's face slightly enlightened.
"Yes... Then three days that is."
***
"Hey, can you call your master over to this meeting place?" Cedric casually and nervously asked the ghost standing beside him. With a nod, it dissapeared. Then the next two minutes, as he tapped his toes on the grass, the ghost reappeared and in the distance, be could see Aefia approaching from the woods.
"What is it?" Aefia asked with a stern voice while folding her arms. Her eyes slightly swollen from her lack of sleep the past two days.
"If you aren't busy... Would you like to come over to the palace?"
She let out a sigh. "Let me guess... You messed up a little bit."
"... Yes..."
"Alright fine. I will go."
Cedric immediately lifted his gaze in pure shock. She was supposed to be mad with him—for trying to think out of the box a little. But it was too short a time for her to be angry about it. As he took a closer look... She wasn't just tired.
"Aefia? Are you—"
He silenced himself as she passed him completely, walking towards the palace by herself. He turned around to walk alongside her. Cedric wanted to ask more questions, maybe wanting to know if it had something to do with him. But he knew his friend too well. If she was mad at him, she would directly take action over it.
He tried to open his mouth again. The atmosphere felt like it was crushing at him from all directions.
You know that feeling, when you are with someone and something feels wrong, but you are too afraid to ask why because you know the feeling after knowing would hurt more than before you asked the question...
He just didn't want that to happen.