Two weeks later.
It was finally the day of the harvest banquet, and the official announcement of Lucien and Ruby's betrothal was set for the evening. Cassian was relieved to see that Lucien looked well despite the two weeks they had spent apart. Still, his chest ached with a desperate desire to speak with him, if only for a single moment.
"Many more blessings for your bright future ahead,"
Cassian said smoothly as he approached the couple in the center of the grand hall.
Lucien almost flinched at the sound of his voice. Seeing the sudden tension in his eyes, Ruby quickly draped her arms around his, resting her palm plainly against his chest. Cassian's crimson eyes followed her hand, but his face remained a composed, polite mask as he smiled at them.
"Indeed, you are a match made in heaven,"
Cassian added gently.
"It is all thanks to you, Your Highness, for bringing us together,"
Ruby noted, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
"If it were not for your magnanimous consideration, I would never have known what true love feels like. Isn't that right, my beloved?"
Ruby looked up at Lucien with a radiant smile, and Lucien gave a slow, stiff nod.
"Indeed. It was all thanks to you that things proceeded this way."
To anyone listening nearby, the couple seemed to be expressing simple gratitude to the Crown Prince. But beneath the polite words lay a far sharper meaning:
"You eagerly gave Lucien to me, so do not try to take him back now. Accept your loss."
"You caused this mess, Cassian. It is entirely your fault that we ended up like this."
And just as Cassian opened his mouth to reply, the nausea he had been fighting since the morning surged back with violent force. He gasped, covering his mouth as his stomach turned over.
Elias, noticing the sudden pallor on Cassian's face, stepped forward quickly and took the wine glass from his hand.
"Your Highness, you should not be drinking this right now,"
Elias whispered urgently.
"Elias, it was only a single sip..."
Cassian rasped, his hand still covering his mouth.
"Even so!"
Elias sighed, carefully ushering Cassian toward the side exit of the ballroom. Before leaving, Elias offered a quick, polite bow to Lucien and Ruby.
"Have yourselves a splendid evening. I will take His Highness to his quarters to rest."
Lucien instinctively took a step forward to follow, but Ruby's grip on his arm tightened, holding him firmly in place.
"Today is an important night for us,"
Ruby murmured under her breath, her eyes cold.
"Do not ruin it by falling for his schemes again."
Lucien remained silent, watching Cassian's retreating back until he and Elias disappeared through the heavy arched doors.
After a few minutes inside his private quarters, Cassian crouched on the floor beside his bed, his head buried over a washbasin as he vomited his evening meal.
"Ah... Elias, I am dying,"
Cassian groaned, leaning his forehead against the cool rim of the basin.
"My Lord, why were you drinking alcohol in your condition?"
Elias asked sternly, handing him a linen cloth and a flask of water.
Cassian took the water, swishing it around his mouth before spitting it into the basin.
"Elias, as I told you, I only took a tiny sip. If a prince known for heavy drinking suddenly refused wine altogether, people would start asking questions. Everyone would grow suspicious, and no one can know about this yet."
"Not even Sir Arden?"
Elias asked quietly.
Cassian looked up at Elias, letting out a long, heavy sigh as he sat down directly on the cold floor, resting his back against the bedside frame.
"I thought tonight would be the best time to tell him everything,"
Cassian admitted, staring blankly at the rug.
"But that woman is glued to his side. I suppose I will have to wait until we can finally be alone."
Cassian pushed himself up, untying the formal sash of his evening coat.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?"
Elias asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I am changing out of these clothes so I can go back to the banquet,"
Cassian replied, pulling off the heavy velvet jacket.
"You should be resting right now, not returning to a crowded ballroom,"
Elias insisted, stepping in his way.
"Elias..."
"My Lord, do you intend to faint in front of the entire court this time?"
"That would raise far more questions than declining a glass of wine."
Elias countered flatly and Cassian froze, looking at his attendant for a long moment before his shoulders sloped in defeat.
"Lucien..."
Cassian murmured, his voice dropping into a quiet, desperate plea.
"If I do not speak to him tonight, I may never get the chance again."
Elias sighed softly, taking the velvet coat from Cassian's hands.
"Wait here. I will go down and speak to him myself. He will surely come up to see you. Please, just lie on your bed and rest while you wait."
Cassian hesitated, looking toward the closed doors before turning toward the bed. He pulled on a light silk robe and nodded slowly.
"Fine. I will wait."
Down in the grand hall, Lucien found himself repeatedly scanning the crowd, searching for any sign of Cassian's silhouette.
He knew Cassian was clever and often used dramatic antics to get his way and garner attention, but the pale, hollow look on Cassian's face earlier had not been an act. He had looked genuinely ill.
"Excuse me for a moment,"
Lucien said, turning away from a group of visiting nobles.
"Lucien—"
Ruby began, reaching for his wrist.
"Lady Thompson,"
Lucien interrupted, his tone turning sharply cold as he looked down at her.
"Have I suddenly become your prisoner?"
Ruby stopped, her mouth snapping shut in shock.
"I said excuse me. I will return shortly."
Ruby clenched her jaw, biting her lower lip as she watched Lucien stride away through the crowd.
As Lucien made his way toward the quiet residential wing, he bumped into Elias near the base of the private staircase.
"Ah, thank goodness,"
Elias said, bowing quickly.
"Sir Arden, His Highness would like to see you in his quarters."
"How convenient,"
Lucien replied, his face expressionless.
"I was already on my way to him."
"Then please hurry,"
Elias urged softly.
"He has important matters to discuss with you."
Lucien nodded and hurried up the stone stairs without another word. When he reached the heavy double doors of Cassian's private suite, he pushed them open and stepped inside.
Cassian immediately rose from the edge of the bed.
"Lucien..."
Before Lucien could speak, Cassian closed the distance between them and threw his arms around the knight's neck, clinging to him tightly.
"Lucien... I missed you so much."
Lucien stiffened, his body going rigid in shock. For a single second, the familiar scent of Cassian's skin nearly broke his resolve. But then the bitter memory of Ruby's words and the Emperor's announcement flashed in his mind.
With a low, harsh growl, Lucien grabbed Cassian by the waist and shoved him back onto the bed, trapping his wrists above his head against the mattress.
"You really are shameless, aren't you?"
Lucien growled near Cassian's ear, his breath hot and ragged.
"You push me away during the day, and then you use your body to keep me chained to you at night. Fine. If this is all I am to you—a tool to satisfy your selfish desires—then let us play your game to the very end."
Lucien leaned down, pressing his lips forcefully against Cassian's neck, taking him with a fierce, angry passion that carried no sweetness—only the raw, burning pain of heartbreak. Yet beneath the anger, he could not deny the truth: he had missed his prince just as desperately.
Cassian let out a low cry, wrapping his legs around Lucien's waist and holding onto his shoulders as if anchoring himself in a storm. Even if Lucien was angry, even if this touch was born from bitter frustration, Cassian held him tightly, desperate for his warmth.
"Wait, Lucien..."
Cassian gasped softly, his breath short.
"I... I have something important to tell you..."
"Then tell me,"
Lucien rasped against his skin, his grip tightening on Cassian's hips.
"I do not need to stop to listen to you, do I?"
Cassian whimpered softly, his eyes closing as Lucien pulled him closer.
Then, just as the movement reached its peak, Cassian gasped violently. His eyes rolled back, and his back arched sharply off the mattress.
"Cassian?"
Lucien paused, his brow furrowing as he felt Cassian's entire body begin to tremble uncontrollably.
"Cassian, what is—"
*Cough!*
Before Lucien could finish his sentence, Cassian gagged hard. A surge of stomach bile erupted from his mouth, spilling across Lucien's bare chest and the silk sheets beneath them.
Cassian's red eyes grew dull and unfocused. His hands slipped limply from Lucien's shoulders, dropping heavily onto the bed as his head fell back, his breathing turning into shallow, painful rasps.
Lucien froze, his heart dropping into his stomach.
He stared down at the mess on his chest, then at Cassian's deathly pale face.
"Cassian?"
Lucien's voice shook, all his anger instantly vanishing into terror. He quickly shifted, taking Cassian's face in his hands.
"Cassian! Wake up! What is wrong?! What is happening to you?!"
Cassian weakly scrambled off the edge of the bed, dragging himself toward the wooden bucket on the floor. He couldn't answer; tears leaked silently from the corners of his eyes as he doubled over, throwing up again into the basin.
"Ah, damn it... why now of all times?"
Cassian muttered weakly between retches.
Lucien pulled up his trousers and knelt on the floor beside him, rubbing Cassian's trembling back with a shaking hand.
"It seems... I was not done throwing up earlier,"
Cassian managed to utter, his voice hoarse.
"And with you probing inside of me just pushed it all up..."
"Cassian, what is the meaning of this?"
Lucien asked, his voice tight with anxiety.
"Are you ill?"
Before Cassian could answer, the double doors were thrown open with a loud clatter.
Empress Chantella stepped into the room, flanked by Prince Adrian and Ruby.
Both Cassian and Lucien turned toward the doorway in shock.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Cassian coughed out, wiping his mouth.
"Since when does no one knock?"
Empress Chantella hurried across the room, kneeling beside her son on the floor. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead, her face creasing with worry.
"Son, you are burning up! Lady Thompson informed your father that you had left the banquet because you were unwell, and that Sir Arden had come up to assist you. Seeing you like this, it seems she was right."
Cassian lifted his eyes toward the door. Ruby stood just behind the Empress, offering a small, sweet smile from behind her lace fan.
'Ah... this woman,'
Cassian thought bitterly.
'Lucien and I were actually having sex.... if they had walked in just moments earlier, what kind of scene would they have witnessed? Was that her intention—to humiliate me? Thank goodness I got sick when I did.'
"I am fine, Imperial Mother,"
Cassian said smoothly, leaning back against the bedframe.
"It is only a minor fever. You did not need to trouble yourselves."
Adrian stepped closer, his quiet gaze sweeping over the room before landing on Lucien. He cleared his throat softly, making eye contact with the knight. Adrian gave a subtle glance downward, signaling for Lucien to fix his open trousers.
Lucien quickly turned his back, scrambling to adjust his clothes.
A faint, amused smirk touched Adrian's lips. He had clearly understood the situation instantly.
"We should call an imperial healer to examine His Highness,"
Ruby suggested gently, taking a step forward.
But Cassian waved his hand dismissively.
"I said I am fine. I only need quiet rest."
"If you are certain,"
Ruby said, turning toward Lucien.
"Then I will take Sir Arden to get cleaned up in the meantime. Please excuse us."
Ruby wrapped her hands firmly around Lucien's arm, pulling him toward the door. Lucien hesitated, his eyes meeting Cassian's for a brief, tense second.
"I will send word to you tomorrow,"
Cassian murmured softly, locking eyes with him.
"We still need to speak about something very important."
Lucien gave a single, firm nod.
"Very well. I will await your message, My Lord."
With that, Ruby led Lucien out into the corridor, closing the doors behind them. Cassian let out a long, exhausted sigh, leaning his head back against the mattress.
Empress Chantella began gathering towels to help him clean his face, but Adrian remained standing near the bed, studying his brother with calm, sharp eyes.
"Cassian..."
Adrian said quietly.
"...you are pregnant, aren't you?"
Cassian flinched, his head snapping up to stare at his brother.
Empress Chantella froze, her hands dropping as she turned to stare at Cassian in absolute shock.
Cassian wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, letting out a defeated breath.
"I suppose I cannot keep it hidden forever. Yes... it is true."
Chantella gasped, her face going pale.
"Cassian! Before marriage?! How could you do such a thing?!"
"It just happened, Mother!"
Cassian said defensively.
"I never planned for this to occur!"
"Then how on earth did you obtain the nectar?"
Chantella demanded, her voice rising in distress.
"The Sacred Nectar of the Fertile Mother is only granted to princes after their formal weddings! How did you get your hands on it?"
"I... drank it by mistake,"
Cassian muttered, looking away.
"Cassian! There is no such thing as an accident with sacred relics!"
Chantella pressed her palm against her forehead, her voice trembling.
"If your father finds out about this—"
"Please do not tell him!"
Cassian pleaded, reaching out to grasp her hand.
"At least not yet! Can we please keep this between us for now? If the court finds out that the Crown Prince is carrying a child out of wedlock, I will be ruined!"
Chantella sat back on the floor, holding her head as a sharp migraine set in. Her red eyes narrowed as she tried to process the mess.
"Then... who is the father of this child?"
Cassian swallowed hard.
"It is Lucien Arden."
Adrian let out a soft, knowing chuckle, while Chantella slumped sideways, looking as though she might faint on the spot. Cassian quickly caught her by the shoulders to steady her.
"Even worse!"
Chantella groaned, rubbing her temples.
"It is not the divine elf Sora, but Sir Lucien?—the man who is set to marry Lady Thompson next week?! What are you children trying to do to me at my old age?!"
"I am sorry, Mother..."
Cassian whispered quietly.
"Lucien does not know yet. I intended to tell him tonight before you all arrived, but I couldn't. Please, let me tell him first, and then we will figure out how to address Father. Just keep this a secret for a little longer."
Adrian stepped forward, resting a hand over his own soft baby bump, a warm expression softening his features.
"I can keep your secret, Cassian,"
Adrian said gently.
"After all, I am glad my child will have a cousin to grow up with."
Chantella let out one last long sigh, looking at her younger son with a mixture of anger and deep worry.
"I will keep quiet for now, but you had better not take long to resolve this."
"Yes...I will send a letter to him first thing tomorrow morning,"
Cassian said firmly, looking toward the window as the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon.
"And then I will wait for his response."
*****