Chapter 142:
Sudden Saviors
"I heard a little from your letter. What happened at the palace?" Theresa asked directly, her eyes laying heavily on the group inside the room.
I never thought I would ever have three royals in my brothel. How times have changed. Theresa thought, shooting a passing glance over Charlotte and Philomena with interest.
"Malcolm began the process to usurp the throne from Clarence the day the king died, and the palace has been in turmoil ever since. Clarence escaped the palace with an elf he captured."
Theresa hummed in thought, "An elf? I thought he hated the elves."
An awkward silence fell over the room, particularly dropping Alywin and Charlotte's expressions as they thought of Clarence's obsession towards that blonde elf in particular that had captured his heart. "Not all the elves, it seems." Charlotte's tone was particularly sarcastic, cutting through the tension in the room like a knife.
Alywin kept from saying anything as Theresa rested her forehead in her hand, shaking her head lightly with a sigh. "Foolish child."
"Malcolm wanted to take Princess Charlotte as his wife in Clarence's place. As for Alywin's role, I'm sure you're well aware of what Malcolm had in mind." Theo spoke next, relaying the past events at the palace with distinct clarity, that of an involved bystander. "He's already begun sweet talking and bribing the nobles within our kingdom, and Clarence is still missing from the palace. We're not sure if he is alive or not, him and the elf he escaped with."
"Theo-" Alywin said in a low tone, his expression dark as he swiftly changed the subject. He turned to Charlotte and Philomena with a dim smile, saying with a tone of gratitude. "If it weren't for Theo's quick thinking and quick action of the princesses, we would have never been able to escape the palace. I'm grateful to them."
Philomena stared up, her cheeks flushed as she was unexpectedly addressed directly, making her feel flustered. "E-everyone is safe, and I'm happy I could help in any way!"
Theresa's stiff face showed a gentle smile, a small laugh escaping her lips as the wrinkled corner of her eyes lifted. He did not think the two princesses were bad, but they were definitely interesting to say the least. "I'm glad you all are safe."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted. "Lady Theresa, a letter has arrived for you. It's from Madison." There was a knock on the door from one of the women, no doubt something important. Basch stood up, walking to the door, but Theresa waved her hand
Theresa spoke aloud, "Come in, Chloe."
The girl named Chloe stepped inside, a letter resting in her hands as she quickly gave it to Theresa with a short bow, her expression direct. "It's important." Everyone else in the room stared at the letter, feeling the tension grow in the room.
Receiving the letter, Theresa thanked Chloe before the girl left, curtsying towards the group with a gentle smile as the door closed behind her. As the group stood, patiently still as they watched Theresa open the sealed letter with a letter opener. Her eyes trailed over the neatly-scrawled words, no one daring to look over her shoulder until she spoke first.
After reading over the contents, the silence in the room only grew as Theresa's expression hardened. Her eyes widened before she shook her head again, sighing for a moment before she carefully folded the letter, preparing to burn the paper before it could be viewed again. "Normally I wouldn't share this information with you all, but considering the circumstances, I will speak frankly."
The small audience fell silent, interested in hearing what such important information could be.
"No information will leave this room. If even a word is uttered, Clarence's life could be in danger." Theresa stated firmly, her eyes moving over the two princesses. "I'm sure the two of you understand this better than anyone."
Charlotte bowed her head with a nod. "You have our word." Philomena nodded on instinct, her face flushed as she stared over to Charlotte, whose expression remained calm as still water.
"First of all, Clarence escaped the palace and is safe, for now." Theresa said directly after their confirmation, placing the refolded letter down on the table, her facial expression grim. "Fortunately for him, he was taken in by a group of my comrades in the Highland District."
"The Highland District? That's quite some distance." Theo said directly. "But who is he currently with? Who rescued him?"
Theresa tapped her finger on the table with an impatient expression. "He's lucky to have been found by a comrade of mine, someone who will keep him safe for now at least. I'm sure you are already well aware of who that is, Theo, through your information network."
"There's only one person I can think of. It's Eva, isn't it?"
Hearing that woman's name, Alywin turned his head towards Theo, an expression of disbelief hanging on his brow.
"Who is Eva?" Philomena asked in a low tone, her voice full of trepidation and curiosity.
Alywin, Theo, and Theresa were the only three privy enough to know Eva's identity. Any and all people on the streets aware of the rebellion were aware of her presence. She was a hidden thorn in the side of the kingdom, assisting humans and elves alike with no desire for greed or notoriety. Instead, she only wished for those to join her cause, which had allowed her to amass a large network within the kingdom and outside the castle walls.
While Basch was Charlotte's knight, he had come to know Eva only vaguely, but hearing her involvement in such a matter was enough to be a point of concern for the princess's safety.
"If Eva is involved, it is not safe for us to stay here for long." Basch stated directly, his eyes falling over the letter with keen interest. "Her motives are far from pure. We'll find a safe hold to hide in until Malcolm rescinds his orders."
"Wait just a minute." Theresa tapped the table with her finger, "You are much safer hiding here than trying to run. Whether Eva is involved or not is a mute issue."
Basch and Theresa's eyes were at war with one another, both refusing to step down from the battle between them.
"What will happen to the palace? None of us can return there now. There is no way for us to escape the kingdom with them locking down the border like this." Alywin shook his head, resting his forehead in his hands with an impatient sigh.
"Your father will most likely send out a search party for you too, Alywin. But don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
Charlotte's face was nearly black as she thought to herself. Of course, protect your beloved sweetheart. She held back her temper, her eyebrows twitching in irritation at the lovey display by the two men. But what about the rest of us?
"Captain Beau Laurent has also been captured by the same group, but there is no further information on his condition." Theresa finished, staring up at the group from the palace with interest. "It seems that Malcolm is crumbling his stronghold from the inside out. I doubt he will stop his search for you all until he finds you. That being said-" She stood up, moving towards the door to the office. "I know somewhere where you will be safe for a longer-term stay. It will be some time before my correspondence reaches my contact, but she cannot refuse a request from me, that I'm sure."
"Then what should we do?" Theo asked, worry resting on his face.
"Please feel free to make yourselves at home in my guest rooms until then. There is more than enough space to temporarily accommodate a few important guests." Theresa said with a smile. "Of course, your stay won't come free. The girls will be happy to have guests closer to their own age to entertain them in the meantime."
Basch shook his head. "How can we trust Malcolm won't come here?"
Theresa stood up from her chair, her hands by her side as she responded, "Alywin, take the girls to settle in. Theo, show Princess Charlotte's knight the escape path."
"But Theresa, that's-" Theo began, but he was interrupted.
Theresa shook her head. "I understand his concerns. Please explain the paths to him in detail. The safety of our important guests is my top priority. Until then, I will be running my establishment." She bowed slightly, her curtsy brisk as the door to her office swiftly opened, her heeled steps echoing through the hall as she walked away, leaving the rest of the group inside the room.
"Philomena, Charlotte, follow me. There are some extra rooms upstairs that are unused. I hope you don't mind a little dust." Alywin said, gesturing for the girls to follow him. "It's just around the corner here."
"Thank you, Alywin." Charlotte stood, Philomena quickly standing at her side as the pair looked to Theo and Basch one more time before they stepped towards the door, following Alywin. "Basch, I trust Alywin and Theo. I hope you can do the same."
As the princesses were led out of the room, Theo stared at Basch, feeling the dangerous aura from the man. He could only motion for the man to follow him with a gentle wave of the hand, gesturing towards a servant's staircase that led towards the kitchen of Theresa's, the scent of cooked food filling the air. "Once we pass through the kitchen, we'll be entering a storage room with an underground path. I hope you don't mind spiders."
Basch grunted, his eyes staring down at Theo as he followed the younger man, still unable to trust their sudden savior. "Lead me there."
…
Days away from the planned attack, there was little time to eat, and even less to sleep as the soldiers were decorated with armor and weapons, testing and checking each and every detail before all hell would break loose within the kingdom.
Nearly a full day had passed of Silas and Clarence reading over the final invasion documents together for the infantry within their bedroom. As much as Camille was reluctant to share them with Clarence, Silas told her he would take responsibility for Clarence before. Silas knew he could have withheld the mission plans from the prince, nearly ensuring a quick death of the royal, but the thought of sending the young man to his death before he could see his family was enough to make Silas sick, and he could not bring himself to be so cruel.
Instead, it was far more enjoyable to make Clarence read through the hefty range of paperwork, helping him file what was needed before their near departure. By the time they had almost finished the pile, the sky had well become dark, and even the summer locusts had fallen silent.
Silas, still grasping papers in his hand, had begun to nod off on the sofa, his head bobbing slightly as he rubbed his eyes, attempting to stay away long enough to finish the paperwork for Countess Camille. "I'll be fine. Let me finish reading over these documents and then I'll go to bed."
As much as Clarence wanted to urge him to sleep, Silas's sleepy face made him reluctant to speak again. Instead, he continued to sip as his cup of coffee, keeping himself awake in spite of his own drooping eyes.
"You've been having trouble falling asleep lately, haven't you? Why don't you rest your eyes for a minute. I'll wake you up when I finish reading these documents." Clarence suggested, sipping at his coffee, hoping Silas would take better care of himself. His dark circles had only darkened the past few days, and it was obvious he was struggling to stay awake.
"Really, I-" Silas wanted to refute, but he felt a bout of dizziness, stopping him as he held his head with his left hand, still clutching the papers in his right hand.
As much as Clarence wanted to let out a small "I told you so", he kept his words to himself as he watched Silas lean back on the sofa, his neck and head resting on the spine of the sofa as he closed his eyes, sighing quietly.
"Five minutes. I'll rest for five minutes, and then we can start reading these over again." Silas finally relented.
With Silas resting his eyes, his breathing falling into a weak rhythm as Clarence feigned reading, his eyes trailing over Silas's sleeping figure with doting eyes. As patient as a rat, he waited, waiting for the moment that Silas truly fell asleep.
Finally, when Silas's head fell to the side, the papers in his hand spraying against the floor in a disorganized pile, full of notes in his neat, simple handwriting. Clarence, having watched the other man out of the corner of his eye, carefully turned to the side and caught Silas's falling body in his embrace.
Holding Silas's head against his chest, Clarence let out a small, content sigh, gently running his hand through Silas's loose hair. The soft sensation running through his palm made his skin itch, and he wanted to touch it more.
With utmost care, he lowered Silas's head onto his lap, resting the side of his head on his thigh like a pillow. Once Silas was comfortable, having adjusted his head in his sleep, Clarence used his left hand to stroke Silas's hair, and in his right, he read over the unfinished documents, including the unfinished documents Silas had looked over.
A feeling of contentment filled Clarence's heart as he stared down at the sleeping man. If he could, he wished he could carry Silas directly to the bed, holding the man close to his heart as he nuzzled his head in his chest. He wanted to hear the man's heartbeat, smell his scent, and keep him close, not allowing any intruders to pollute their time together, how little it felt.
Even if my own family won't accept it, I hope you at least sincerely answer my feelings, Silas. Clarence mused to himself, his fingers brushing past Silas's soft cheek as he played with a strand of hair by Silas's ear. The warm tips of his fingers passed against the soft skin of the elf's pointed ears like a dove, and the tips of his calloused fingers lingered on the tip of his ear. Feeling the warmth of his hand, Silas twitched in his sleep, murmuring as he moved his head slightly, moving his reddened ear away from Clarence with a hint of annoyance.
Unconsciously, Clarence continued to stroke Silas's head as it rested in his lap, the tips of his fingers trailing over Silas's long hair as he passed his hand over his head from root to tip. The soft strands of hair brushed gently against his palm, and Silas's breathing remained at ease. Unconsciously, he snuggled closer to the prince's hand, brushing his cheek against the palm twice before he settled down again.
He's so cute. Clarence thought, his cheeks burning red as he attempted to keep his focus on the papers in front of him. It led the pair into a gentle rhythm of Silas's soft breaths, and Clarence's gentle caresses passing over his head and hair, like a passing breeze in the wind.
Staring down at Silas like this, Clarence felt content, but he also felt a tinge of fear as he thought into the future. I wish I could leave you here, safe and sound, while I saved my family. If I could just explain my feelings to my mother, maybe she would understand. I wouldn't be the first to fall in love with an elf in the family. If he had to, Clarence was not above using his elven heritage to sway his mother's mind. His feelings were not immoral, and neither was the person he loved. He would not let his mother stand in the way of his desires, regardless of her own thoughts.
The papers had all but been read when the prince finally looked down once again, having already neatly arranged the paperwork for the morning. His hand fell still as he felt the urge to speak to Silas in a way he never had before.
"Silas, I like you." Clarence said quietly at first, his voice barely tracing Silas's ears as the man slept heavily, unable to hear the sickeningly sweet words of affection.
There was no response, but the prince was not deterred.
"I love you."
As the words left Clarence's lips, the doorknob to the room turned, and Clarence swiftly raised his head, the flush on the ends of his cheeks unable to dissipate in time before he met face to face with Maeir, who looked less than pleased with the current arrangement between the two.
"I saw the light was on and I came inside. Why are you not asleep yet?" Maeir asked in a cool tone, her eyes trailing over Clarence's hand, resting on Silas's head.
Clearing his throat with his other hand, Clarence said quickly, "We were studying the infantry documents, and Silas wanted to stay up to finish them by the end of tonight." He quickly explained, flustered. "He fell asleep before we could finish them."
Seeing her son asleep near the prince like that, Maeir was not happy in the least. She approached the pair and spoke in a quiet tone, her words far more biting than the sound of her voice.
"I still don't like you, Clarence." Maeir said directly, staring down at her sleeping son, whose breathing was still even, sound asleep. "You're entering that palace with my son now due to Eva and her threats, I know that much. But you'd better listen well, prince-" Her expression was dark as the bottom of a scorched kettle, her aged eyes narrowed in frustration. "If my son doesn't make it out of that palace, neither you nor your family will step out alive. Do I make myself clear?"
Clarence's face was full of seriousness, his voice firm. "I won't let that happen, even hypothetically. Silas and I have a plan, and I guarantee nothing will happen."
Maeir's eyes narrowed with fury. "What if you had to choose between my son and your family? What then?"
"That would never happen." Clarence spoke again, his eyes determined as he spoke in a harsh whisper, afraid of waking Silas. "I can promise on my life. Nothing will happen to either of them. "
"What would your family think of this?" Maeir suddenly asked, catching the young prince off guard, rendering him wordless for a moment. "I severely doubt your mother would ever accept, but I-" She paused, as if watching Clarence's reaction. "I follow my son's wishes, regardless if I personally agree or not. I would hope your mother is the same way."
Each question Maeir presented was harder and harder for Clarence to answer, making him feel much under the thumb of his overbearing future mother-in-law, but after all he and Silas had been through together, Clarence was well aware of his own role in Maeir's bottomless hatred for him. He could only fight to change her thoughts. "
Having released some of her anger, Maeir no longer wanted to face the human prince. "Make sure he gets to bed. There's another long day ahead of us." Maeir finished, her eyes trailing over her sleeping son with worry and the fatigue of a mother. If she could have, she would have whisked him away herself and tucked him into bed just as she did when he was little, but as she stared at Clarence, she felt her place had been swiftly taken from her. Bitterness filled her heart.
"I will. Goodnight, Maeir." Clarence said the woman's name in a natural tone, nearly flinching, anticipating her to throw something at him for uttering her name in such a casual fashion.
Rather than fighting more, Maeir sighed aggressively and turned on her heel, moving towards the door. She turned to look over her shoulder one more time, staring at her adult son with a frown as she grasped the door to the room, quietly exiting before closing the heavy door one again.
The farther she walked away from the pair, the more frustrated she became. Maeir was not convinced by Clarence's speech, but with Eva's intervention, she was made unable to help her son within the palace. As part of the outside infantry, her duties were just as dangerous, and she could only pray to the gods nothing would happen to him.
If only I knew what Silas was thinking. Maeir thought with a hum, her steps slowing as she stared out the darkened window, the full moon shining bright like a second moon in the air. Clifford, what should I do? Why does it have to be that stupid human?
Out of sight, inside the room, Clarence carefully shook Silas's shoulder, attempting to wake the man from his heavy sleep, but Silas just groaned, irritated, murmuring in a low, purring tone that he was sleepy. Clarence let out a small laugh as he walked around the room, blowing out the dim candles before he returned to the sofa. He lifted Silas's body from the sofa, and then placed his arms in his lap, carrying the other man in a princess carry.
After placing Silas on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, Clarence unlaced Silas's books and placed them next to the bed, unbuttoning his overshirt next with gentle movements. Silas moved as he was gestured, wiggling out of his shirt before he laid back on the bed, dressed in his thin undershirt and pants.
Once the prince had removed his own shoes, he excitedly moved towards the bed, laying under the blanket as he raised his head on his arm, staring at Silas with a sincere smile.
"Goodnight, Silas." Clarence pushed back Silas's hair and kissed his forehead naturally, an innocent smile dancing on his lips as he stared at the other man, wrapped in the blanket. Unable to help himself, he moved closer to Silas and wrapped the other man in his embrace. Their arms and legs tangled together naturally, as they had done since the first night they shared a bed, feeling all but unnatural with their shared intimacy.
The night was short, but the time they spent together like this truly made Clarence feel that time was far more generous than he originally believed.
…
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Jesus fucking Christ, pardon my French but wooo boy, my shoulder is sore as all hell, and this was very, very difficult to write this week. My favorite work colleague just left, so I've been depressed this past week at work :( She trained me and everything, but we're still in contact. Katey, I will miss you ;; Work has been utter hell, and messy, messy, messy, so finding things to distract myself has been lovely, like drawing sexy cereal men (on my insta @phiphimagician ahaha).
Though, on a better note, we got the first "I love you" after (checks notes) 142 chapters! Yay! Silas would not cuddle up to Clarence like this if he didn't at least like him a little, so I doubt he's far behind at this point. Maeir and everyone else seems to know but him :D Hunny said this chapter was cheezy, but I liked it ahaha
So excited to be near the end. I've been working 12 hour days (work, then my store), so my pace has slowed, but your comments and support have been super lovely. Still slow on messages. I apologize, I've been depressed (work) and getting over that hurdle has been hard. I'm hoping to still continue strong after this shit week, so I'm wishing you all a better start to this week too >y< See you next Sunday, all.