Chapter 47:
Repercussions
As the door to the sitting room was opened, there was a figure sitting back on the sofa, looking comfortable and relaxed as he leaned back, his arms crossed languidly across his chest. Captain Laurent's eyes widened as he looked at the figure and then back at the prince, who was standing behind him with a light smile on his face, the hood of his cloak now sitting on his shoulders. Captain Laurent could only walk into the room, an expression of shock on his face, as he looked at the strange figure and asked in a heavy tone, his hand close to his sword, "Who are you?" The scent around this person was not the same as the prince's, but their appearances were almost perfectly similar.
That navy hair, those blue eyes, even the mischievous smirk on his face were almost perfect replicas of Clarence's, even the outfit was one of the crown prince's, but with one sniff of the air around this man, Beau was able to tell the difference between the two almost immediately. The scent hanging from this man was not as pure as the smell from Clarence. There was an ashy, coppery smell coming from this figure, smelling of old blood and mustiness. There were two Clarence's in front of him, but one of them was an imposter.
One that smelled dangerous.
"Don't worry about him, Captain Laurent." Clarence said, stepping into the room. "He's here under my orders." With the prince standing close to the perpetrator, Beau felt uncomfortable, as if he were watching the prince place himself in a dangerous situation. As much as he wanted to react and dispatch the dangerous imposter, he waited and watched. Prince Clarence and Marquis Cyneric seemed oddly at ease with the imposing figure, so for now, Beau would listen.
"Is he staying?" Theo asked, his voice still eerily similar to Clarence's. Without missing a beat, Clarence nodded.
"For now, yes. But there's a reason." Clarence began to pace, his hand resting under his chin as he was deep in thought, "I won't be able to catch that elf by myself. I need someone outside of the castle. Someone who is not involved in the politics. Someone," Clarence finally stopped moving and turned abruptly towards the group, "I can trust. Who knows the kingdom intimately. Who can leave without a blink from any wandering eye."
Alywin looked between the men as Clarence heavily stared at the small group, and Theo finally stood up and dusted himself off.
"Well, I believe I've served my purpose here, so I'll be off."
"No," Clarence said shortly, raising his hand, "I need you."
Theo narrowed his eyes and laughed, "Don't forget I choose who I work for. Besides, I'm quite expensive." As the two Clarence's stared at each other, Alywin cut in, stepping between them, stopping their intense staring contest.
"Clarence," Alywin began, looking over at the real Clarence, "I think we should discuss this further in private." His tone dropped on the last two words.
"Why?" Clarence asked, laughing, as he opened his arms wide, "If we can't speak now, when can we, Alywin?" He then dropped his arms, and began to pace again, "No, I've thought about this for a long time. Too long. Right here, in this room, is the group that will kill not only the elf that tried to murder me, but all of the elves in this kingdom."
"And why do you think anyone of us would agree to something so absolutely insane?" Clarence's body double asked, "Do you realize how long the elves have been hunted? They've been hiding for years, if not decades. They know better than anyone how not to be found if they do not want to."
"That is why," Clarence said, walking towards Beau. Clarence then slapped a heavy hand down on his shoulder, his warm palm resting on the captain's shoulder as he said, "We have him. The bloodhound. He'll be able to smell out any elf that is hiding. No matter where they are hiding. And between the four of us," Clarence said, moving away from Beau and circling the three men like a predator, "No one can stop us, and no one can hide."
"I have yet to agree to anything, Your Majesty." Beau said, sternly shaking his head. This caused Clarence to stop mid-step and look at Beau with an unblinking, cold stare. For the first time in Beau's life, he felt a sudden rack of fear run through his body. An icy chill ran through his veins, making his body pause jerkily as he stood still for only a short moment before the feeling returned to his limbs. It took Beau a moment to recollect himself, "I don't know what is going on here, but I've had enough." Beau, opening his palm, then gestured towards Clarence's body double, who looked away with a frustrated sigh, "I don't know who or what this is, but I do not want to find out. The more involved I get in this, the more trouble I will be in down the line when people start asking questions. And if you think for a moment, Prince Clarence, that people will just ignore whatever you're doing just because you are the future king of the Yursear kingdom, think again." With a sharp shake of his head, Beau walked over to the door to the hallway and slipped out, resisting the urge to slam the door behind him.
Without wasting a moment after Beau's departure, Clarence's body double said, "I'll take this time to be off." Before pulling a small pendant out of his shirt. With a stern yank, the pendant snapped from his neck, and a thin stream of mist swarmed around Theo, dancing around his shortening, darkening hair and following him as his legs grew taller. Within moments, Theo was back to his normal appearance. His dark brown eyes glittered as he looked down at himself and sighed in relief, "It has been fun, Your Majesty, to pretend to be you, but I am glad to be back in my own skin." Theo then walked over to Alywin and pressed his warm hand on his shoulder as he passed by, holding it for a moment as he said, "I'll get in contact with you soon."
"Right." Alywin said shortly, refusing to return Theo's stare. With a final gentle squeeze, Theo lifted his hand and walked over to the opening in the wall that was slightly ajar, and slipped through into the darkness. The secret passage clicked quietly behind him resolutely, then there was silence.
Clarence and Alywin stood, awkwardly staring at each other, their frustrations leaking out in their downturned brows and curled lips. Finally, Alywin sighed and looked away, walking over to the window, where rows of torches lit up the night sky. Alywin shook his head, which pushed back the loose blonde curls on his forehead, showing more of the pale, flawless skin on his face.
"What is going on with you, Clarence?" Alywin said, the cold night air leaking through the window and chilling Alywin's forehead as he rested it on the glass, "You've changed. Completely. I don't even recognize you anymore." When Alywin heard feet shuffling behind him, he turned his head towards the noise, only to see Clarence standing mere feet behind him, also looking out the window. The light from the lit torches shone brightly into the window, illuminating Clarence's face in an orange glow. His previous scowl was gone, now replaced with a sorrowful frown as he stood only inches away from Alywin's figure.
"I've waited years for this, Alywin." Clarence whispered, looking down at his feet, suddenly looking like a child with his reddening eyes lowered, "All I want is for this nightmare to end. And if I kill that elf, it will all end, won't it? I can move on, can't I?" The frailty in his voice was palpable, making him appear smaller than his tall frame suggested as he whispered in a weak voice.
Hearing Clarence, Alywin sighed and pushed himself away from the window, moving closer to Clarence with a small step. He paused for a moment, looking over the prince's downcast expression, and then he lifted his arms and grasped them around Clarence. Alywin then gently patted Clarence's back while he pressed his cheek against Clarence's shirt, reaching just below the prince's chin as he held the prince in his embrace. "It's okay, Clarence." He said soothingly, much like Theresa had coaxed him when he was a child.
The pair stood by the window quietly, the only sound between them was the sound of their heart beats. Resting quietly, they stood, for what felt like forever until Alywin finally whispered to Clarence, "If that elf dies, will you let this all go and return to the old you?"
Slowly, Clarence lifted his arms and hugged Alywin back, wrapping his hands around Alywin's waist, "Once this is all over, we'll both return to the old us." Then Clarence released his arms around Alywin's waist, and Alywin did the same. They stared at each other, still close enough to feel each others' breaths on their faces. The orange hue of the torches lit up both of their faces as they inched closer to each other, as if preparing to join their bodies once again in embrace.
Suddenly, a heavy knocking sound came from Clarence's door. With a sigh, the two broke apart, leaving a strange feeling in the air between them.
"Odd that we keep getting interrupted." Alywin said with a roll of his eyes. Clarence's face broke into a smile for a moment, before his face returned to a frown.
"Come in." Clarence said as he stepped away from Alywin and closer to the bedroom door. With a creak, the door opened, and a maid stepped into the room, curtseying heavily and keeping her eyes on the ground.
"Her Majesty, Queen Radcliffe, requests your immediate presence, Your Majesty, Prince Clarence, in her drawing room." The maid's expression was tense as she looked to the floor, her head bowed in submission towards Clarence.
"Tell my mother I will be there momentarily." Clarence said dismissively as he turned his back on the maid, who took the cue to quickly exit the room without looking up at the prince, closing the door quickly behind her with a quiet click.
"I wonder what that could be about?" Alywin said, crossing his legs and leaning against the window sill, "It's awful late for her to be summoning you."
"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Clarence said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. His previously neat hair was now messy, but it returned the air of childishness Clarence had lost when he was dressed and paraded as the future king. After all, he was only eighteen years old, just old enough to be considered an adult. With his weakness displayed before, Alywin found it hard to imagine he would be leading the kingdom so soon.
"Hey, relax Clarence." Alywin said, his back to the window. His face was covered by the shadows coming off the light nearby, "I told you I would help you, right?" His expression was unreadable.
"But I need those two, Alywin." Clarence said, exasperated, "There's no way we can do this by ourselves."
Again, Alywin sighed, closing his eyes tightly before he reopened them, only stare at Clarence's desperate, begging face. He was still weak to Clarence's teary-eyed face, "I'll handle Theo. And I'm sure with a little persuasion, that captain will come around too. He may be resisting now, but he is part of the royal military. He serves you, don't forget that."
Hearing Alywin's encouragement, Clarence's face broke into a large, genuine smile. He let out a soft laugh, his eyes bent into crescents as he responded warmly, "What would I do without you, Alywin?" He held out his arms and quickly approached his loyal companion. Slowly, Clarence lifted his hands to Alywin's face, keeping his eyes locked with the confused Alywin, as he closed the distance between them. As his warm hands rested on Alywin's cheeks, Clarence quickly kissed him lightly on the forehead before he released him, hurrying out of the room with a quick wave.
The door slammed behind Clarence as he hurried down the hall, his feet taking him forward as his expression rapidly changed. His reddened eyes had turned cool once again, darkening the soft blue hue from before. A skill he had acquired as a child. As he briskly walked, he lowered his head, attempting to hide the malicious grin sneaking onto his face, and the low snicker that kept coming up his throat.
"That's one." He maliciously chuckled, "Two more to go."
…
"Honestly, Silas, he really doesn't care." Adora said with a huff, leaning against the wall in Silas's bedroom, her arms crossed against her dark green jacket. She rolled her eyes and turned her head towards Silas, who was staring intensely at the small, standing mirror in his room, frantically trying to tame a wild hair that was sticking up in his otherwise neat hair.
"Adora, I am meeting the king of all of the Falfier kingdom. How could I possibly go with my hair looking like this?" Silas said, his shaking hands desperately trying to hold down the stray hair that kept springing to life. Adora laughed at Silas's panicked expression and finally pushed off the wall, her black boots scuffing against the wood floor as she approached Silas.
"Let me see." Adora said, poking Silas's shoulder. With a sigh, he straightened up and turned towards her. Adora looked him over quickly, taking in his black boots, black pants, and dark green jacket, the looped buttons going down from the chin to the waist, and the black belt and the decorated scabbard. The insignia of the Falfier kingdom proudly placed on the upper left of his uniform, his gold badge of rank resting directly below it.
Adora nodded approvingly and then glanced in the mirror at herself. She was in a matching outfit, as it was the Falfier kingdom's official formal military garb, except her long black hair was tied into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. The only make up she wore was a slight bit of rouge to warm up her features in anticipation for greeting the king, but she was more concerned if Silas would notice or not.
With a shake of her head, Adora then dipped her fingers in the wash basin sitting on the small table in front of the mirror, shook her fingers lightly, then grabbed Silas's stray hair, twisting it sharply between her wet fingers, which made Silas wince. She waited for a few moments, then slowly let go, her cheeks flushed warm at the short distance between the two.
The stray hair stayed in place, though it now sat oddly against Silas's head, going in a different direction then the rest of his styled hair. Silas glanced in the mirror, turning his head slightly to look at Adora's creation.
"Well," Silas said with an uneasy sigh, "At least it's not standing up anymore."
"Just use your hat to cover it, you toad." Adora said with a laugh as she sloppily placed Silas's feathered, pointed hat on his head, which he quickly adjusted with a gasp.
"Don't mess my hair up, I don't have time to fix it!" Silas said, frantically adjusting his hair with his left hand. Though his right hand had almost completely healed, something Barbarus credited himself heavily for, Silas still felt uncomfortable to use it, blaming a lingering pain, when in all actuality, when Silas looked at his injured hand, it reminded him of how weak he was in the fight with the crown prince. He could not bring himself to look at his hand, or any of his healing injuries.
"I told you, the king really doesn't care." Adora said as she walked over to the front door and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know why everyone gets so scared and serious around him. You couldn't meet a bigger teddy bear."
Silas rolled his eyes and followed after Adora. The both of them threw their dark green capes over their shoulders and closed the clasp on the capes on their left shoulders. The insignia of the Falfier kingdom fell behind them proudly as it hung on the back of the cape.
Silas reached out and opened the door, shaking his head, "He might be a 'big teddy bear' with you, but for everyone else, he's the king of the kingdom. That warrants some respect, Colonel." Silas emphasized the last word as he closed the door to his apartment, locking it behind him, as Adora glared at him. As they walked together down the hall, however, Adora's joking demeanor disappeared, leaving only the serious appearance of a soldier. Now that she was in the public's eye, anything that would bring dishonor to the military's image or her image as a high-ranking soldier, Adora would absolutely not allow. It was through her hard work and dedication that she was able to earn her ranking, and she would not allow anything to jeopardize that.
Within a few minutes, Adora and Silas were approaching the castle gates. As soon as the gate guards saw Adora in the distance, they began opening the gates. As Adora and Silas grew close to the gates, the guards respectfully bowed, and Adora and Silas bowed slightly back before they continued forward.
"You must come by often if they let you in without checking your credentials." Silas whispered as they began to walk up the castle steps.
"Don't forget my father works here." Adora whispered back, looking up at the castle, which has become as familiar an image as the sight of home. Its grey walls, beaten by the unforgiving weather, and tall towers with long buttresses looking no different, though snow now covered every open space like a comforting blanket, "Even the new guards see me so much, they don't even blink at my presence anymore. I might as well be one of the statues in the garden."
"Well, if I need to visit the castle again, remind me to bring you along." Silas looked over at Adora and chuckled, "Lowly citizens like me would be thoroughly questioned at the gate, after checking to make sure I have the proper pass to even be able to step on the grounds."
"Glad I could be of service." Adora said with a small curtsy. Silas tried to bite back a chuckle as the massive front doors to the palace opened, revealing the grandiose palace entrance.
Looking at the immaculate, glimmering foyer, Silas faltered slightly. He immediately became uncomfortable and unsure. He felt out of place in such an expensive, polished environment. For an elf and soldier, this was like a whole other planet. He gently wrapped his left hand around his right under his cape. "Maybe I should go home. I don't think I should be in here. I'll stand out too much." Silas said, swallowing heavily. He began to turn around and walk down the stone stairs, but Adora grabbed his arm with a tight grin.
"You're not going anywhere. I have to go thank the king, and you have to too. So come on, Silas. He's expecting us."
"By the gods." Silas whispered under his breath as he let Adora drag him inside. The doors shut quickly behind them, closing out the cold from the outside.
…
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Thank you all for reading! Hunny and I are finally reaching the part we have been anxiously waiting to share! :D The mental illness tag will continue from here on out, including my own psychology studies! Ah ha, I really need to get the DSM 5, but I am broke, so that'll wait.... When I was in high school, I read through the DSM 4 for fun, and my teachers laughed at me, but look who's using their knowledge now!? ( `ε´ ) I'll discuss possible diagnoses later.
Webtoon is going as well. Check my twitter for the latest updates on that. Chapter 1 is almost done, but webtoons take double the time to draw out than a regular written chapter, so I'll need your patience more than anything teehee...
Chapter 48 will be coming next week because of the problems it was giving us! Hunny and I just died a little inside writing this week, but thankfully I've been working ahead ^^; Sorry, Hunny (╥﹏╥) This concludes this arc! Next arc will discuss Clarence's bride selection, Alywin, and then where the rebellion is headed with Silas. I cannot wait to write more yandere Clare C; they are my favorite character type, after all~♥
For those who are looking for a little black room, well... all I can say is plans are being made for things! (/ω＼) Again, thanks always for reading!! Have a great week, all~~♥♥