"king Canton" Errot took a small bow, careful to keep his eyes down and away from him. "You asked to see me."
Errot's heart was ready to burst out of his chest. It was currently two in the morning and even though he was woken up, all the tiredness was replaced by anxiety and fear.
"Close the door and take a seat."
Even though King Canton's voice held his usual darkness in it, Errot could also hear something else this time too. He didn't sound indifferent but rather odd.
Oddly cold.
Errot closed the door as asked and sat down at Canton's couch. He had to physically restrain himself from trembling.
Canton was laying on the other couch across from Errot, his eyes stuck at the ceiling and a bottle of bourbon placed on his hand.
Oh. This is not good.
He looked around at the King's room, realising that it's actually quite different from what he had on his mind.
The part of the walls that was actually visible was dipped in Ink just like the rest of the castle. The rest of the room was filled from head to toe with tall, black bookshelves. If Errot didn't know that this room was Canton's bedroom, he would have sworn it was just a huge library with a double bed on the very far corner.
All those books reminded Errot of king Elian and Moccasin Blood and a wave of nostalgia took over him. Two days in that dimension and he felt like he belonged there. He was aware that he wasn't exactly the smartest person on the planet but everything about this place brought him comfort and hope. Ink Blood on the other hand terrified him. From the elves that live here to the castle and the atmosphere, this whole dimension is a huge horror story. You can never just stand and relax. You always have to be alert of your surroundings so much that Errot is convinced this is the ugly part of the hell that he likes to call Merlot Blood.
At least here he had a chance to stay alive.
"Do you read books, Errot? " Canton asked calmly, his eyes still fixed on the black ceiling. He took a sip from his bottle.
Errot immediately snapped out of his trance and blinked at the floor. It was just now that he realised King Canton had let him stare at his room in peace and Errot had for sure taken his sweet time by doing so. "Not so much, your majesty."
"Hm. Why?"
"I don't really have time." His leg started moving a bit nervously against his will.
"Am I possibly overworking you, love?"
Errot shivered. "Of course not."
Silence.
"Any progress with the Moccassins?"
"I'm..working on it"
"How was your night? I believe you spent it with Adan. "
Errot wants to scream. Rip his hair off his skull. Cry. Do anything but keep having this casual conversation with Canton. He doesn't understand what's going on, why would the king wake him up in the middle of the night to ask him about his life and books.
"I did. It was good." Errot mumbled.
"What did you do?"
We kissed. "We talked. Nothing much, really."
"Do you like him?"
"He's... different."
"So, that's a yes?"
"I don't really know him."
Canton scoffed but stayed silent. Another sip.
"I visited the Moccassins, tonight."
His heart dropped. "What did they say?"
Pause.
Errot counted ten seconds of silence.
"They didn't deny it."
"Oh..did they reveal who the spies are?"
"You ask a lot of questions."
" Well, it kind of concerns me"
Canton's hand froze around the bottle and his body became stiff. He blinked but kept looking at the ceiling.
"Did you just talk back to me? "
"I didn't talk back, I just-"
"Talked back to me." Canton sat up on the couch and looked at Errot, his features icy cold as always.
Errot decided not to say anything because if he did, he would definetely mess it up more.
"Tell me, Errot. Are you really that comfortable around me?"
Errot bit his lip. "No."
"You walked in here literally trembling and now what? You're not scared anymore? "
"I don't know what you want me to say to that, king Canton." Errot mumbled, his gaze frozen to the floor.
Canton sighed. "When you stepped into the castle you were a dead man to me. I care very little about people spying on me or about you finding out about it. I would have placed a bullet in your head and let my spy take over your case. "
Errot gulped inaudibly at that but his face stayed neutral.
"I trust Santos with my life, love. So, when he comes in and tells me that you and blondie are not to be trusted, I believe every single word. "
"If you're saying all of this just to kill me, please do it now." His voice came out somewhat weak and not confident at all.
"Shut it! " He exclaimed.
Errot flinched a bit and stayed unmoving, his lips sealed, irritation slowly taking control of him.
"If I wanted you dead, Errot, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." Pause. "You're alive because you remind me of..someone that I used to know. You and this person are very similar in a lot of ways. Appearance wise, you look exactly the same. Copy-paste. "
Where is he getting at. Why is he telling me all this? Errot's head was literally about to explode.
"I was a little surprised when they told me that you have his attitude too. Well, I got a glimpse of it when you first came in but I wanted to be one hundred percent sure and now I can safely say that I am. " Another pause. "So, we have looks, personality and a similar way of approach.. identical."
Errot's head was trying to process all this information at once but it was very hard for him to concentrate. His thoughts were spinning and turning and he felt slightly numb.
Canton kept looking at Errot, intensely.
"Only..only that he was a Merlot. "
Errot begged himself not to freak out right now. He needed to hold himself together for his own sake. He knew that Canton was looking at him, so he was careful not to move and not to pull any facial expressions that would betray his feelings.
"I'm not a Merlot."
"Did I say you were?"
Errot bit his bottom lip.
Canton leaned back again and continued drinking his bourbon, his eyes still on Errot.
"What happened to him? Did he die of age?"
Canton started chuckling. "If I wasn't so drunk, you would have a knife on your guts right now."
Errot raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. He wants to take him seriously but given that he's laughing as he says it, it only amuses him. "Oh you're that kind of drunk."
Canton frowned at him. "I'll show you why you can't talk to me like that..tomorrow. Now I just want you to elaborate."
Errot suddenly felt a bit comfortable himself so he truly spoke his mind without hesitation. "I mean, I didn't know you were drunk until you told me to, cause you are the serious and dark kind of drunk but I guess that's just your personality so it was really hard to tell the difference. But right now, you seem.. very vulnerable. I suppose when you get drunk you put your walls down and you allow yourself to be more ...human. Relaxed. Loosened. "
"Human" Canton scoffed. "Talking like you know me too well, Errot."
Small pause.
"Or like I'm not your fucking king." He shook his head dangerously amused.
"Am I wrong?"
"About me being your king?"
Errot blinked. "No. I happen to be aware that you're my king. You're like wearing a crown and ordering Inks around"
Canton closed his eyes and smiled. "I won't fall to this trap.." he mumbled more to himself.
"What trap?"
Canton started chuckling again, his eyes still closed.
Errot pressed his lips into a thin line, slowly getting more creeped out than he already is.
"You know I despise irony, especially when it's directed to me."
"No shit." Errot mumbled under his breath.
"I also" Canton pointed at Errot with his bottle. "have an amazing hearing"
Errot nodded. "That's great, your highness. Want me to bring you a cup of coffee?"
"Do you know what else is amazing about me?"
"Surprise me."
"My memory is outstanding. That means that I can remember what happened approximately a thousand years ago and tomorrow when I wake up, I will surely remember what happened tonight while drunk out of my head. So you better start being careful of your choice of words and I'll show a bit of mercy" He didn't look amused anymore.
Errot clenched his jaw but nodded at the king.
"Good boy. Let's drink to that." He finished the last of the alcohol on his bottle. When he realised that the bottle was now empty, he looked at it for a good five seconds before throwing it carelessly on the floor with an eye roll. "People do be making bottles tiny to piss me off. Jesus fucking christ." He mumbled.
The world doesn't revolve around you, you egoistic asshole.
"Errot."
"King Canton."
"Talk."
"What do you want me to talk about?"
"Anything. Just talk. You don't have a big mouth for no reason."
Errot chocked on plain air at that.
Canton turned his head to look at him, his face indifferent and slightly drowsy "Don't die yet, love. Too soon. "
Errot stopped coughing and cleared his throat. "Right, uhm..." He tried to think of a topic that interested him. "What do you want to do to the Teals?"
Canton let a small laugh out . "I'm drunk, not stupid."
Errot clenched his fist in frustration.
"Do the job Elian's spies are doing right now and figure it out."
It took a great effort for Errot not to scoff. Instead, he just remained expressionless, still staring at nothing.
"Such a bastard isn't he" Canton sounded amused again.
"Who is?"
"Elian, you brain-dead creature. I literally just mentioned his name."
Errot almost rolled his eyes at him. At this point, he literally wanted to take a gun and end the king's entire existence. The level of anger and hatred he felt about this person was only getting higher every time a word slipped out of his mouth.
"He had the audacity to stalk me."
He sat up once again in frustration.
"Like, who even cares about the stupid Teals or what I do with them, Errot? Tell me, who? The world has bigger problems than giving a flying fuck about me wanting to destroy spoiled brats in my free time."
"Apparently not. Didn't you force him to remove his spies?"
Canton smirked. "No. But I did leave Moccasin Blood satisfied."
Errot raised a curious eyebrow at that and glanced at Canton absentmindedly. He then locked eyes with him and his heart stopped the moment his amused smirk turned into an icy cold poker face.
Errot's eyes widened and he immediately looked away in instant regret.
Shit.
Nothing could be heard for a few long seconds and every possible way of dying right then and there passed through his mind.
Suddenly, Canton got up and walked to Errot.
Errot closed his eyes shut. "I forgot, I'm sorry" he whispered as he felt Canton incredibly close to him.
"Open your eyes, Errot." His voice was cold again, not an ounce of amusement audible anymore.
"No." His voice came out unsteady.
"That's an order." Canton snapped.
Errot took a shaky breath and opened them slowly.
King Canton was staring back at him, his green eyes dark and his features sharp. He was literally standing only a step away, now towering him.
Canton placed his palm on Errot's cheek and run his fingers against it, gently. Errot's heart couldn't beat faster than that, chills now all over his body.
"It's been a long day for you, no?" He said softly.
Errot nodded, not trusting his voice right now.
"Understandable. Interesting banter but you should go to sleep now. " His voice kept being tender.
Errot nodded again and immediately got up and started walking towards the door.
"And Errot." He said now, his tone excessively coolly.
Errot stopped dead on his tracks.
"You'll miss Elvina's class in a few hours. We'll have breakfast together. "
Cold.
Errot turned just enough to bow his head in agreement and managed to mumble 'goodnight' before he walked out of the King's room, his head spinning with thoughts that would definitely not let him rest for the remaining of the night.
♛