"Robane, Hereby I put my trust one you upon my wife," Clarity Robane though he misheard Lukas chocked on the wine the Waiter just brought to their table.
"what?" He touches his lips, gulping the rest of the boose that didn't spilled as he looked at his best friend full of shock.
"pardon?" Lukas grunt. Touching his lips is a habit of Clarity Robane if he is unsure or shocked about something and needed further explanation.
Claroty Robane sighed. He refused to looked at Lukas. He just spreaded his legs, and laid back on the chair, "I don't understand, why You are involving me into something like this Lukas," He knew he don't have the right to said no to this man. It's not like he didn't know who Lukas is.
But this man, coming to him all of sudden after several years they turned cold to each other, he though Lukas came to say sorry. And yet he just want to invite him to his wedding.
"Are you sure this is right?" there a tone of disappointment in his voice, "Your majesty, is this solely your decision" he got a goosebump from that calling, never Clarity Robane would entitled him such as that, though he never called Lukas his highness as well throughout their meeting. He did call him that from time to time, and he only that when he needs a clarification from Lukas,
Among people, he respects Clarity Robane the most, never in other people, he fear neglection this guy in front of him is the only person he trust with his life.
"I want her, to be mother of my children" he answered with a straight face.
"why her? There's plenty woman who is suited to be your queen," The tense in the air. He knew Clarity Robane wouldn't agree with him.
"You know she is, and what she is capable of? Why to why in such length you want to marry the enemy of your ancestor?" what he said is the truth. His people must have no idea who is the woman their king is in love with. That woman is a beast, her singke strength is enough to destroy the the palace. And he wishes for her hand? Is Lukas mad?
"I disagree with your decision, I am sure someone put you this this stupid plan" Clarity couldn't bear on how Lukas didn't obliege to his questions and became silence as a statue.
"No!" Lukas pulled him back to his seat. "I want her strength," He said it half screaming,
"I want alliance with her people, could you imagine how we overcome the war and bloodshed for centuries and we can have a proper life with this marriage" Clarity Robane sighed, they bad this conversation before during their first time meeting Thalia whom they thought a normal girl, and yet half of the knights nearly died by Thalia after her identity was leaked just because she saved Lukas from the death.
She told them, it wasn't her attention to attack. It was a self defense, she saved Lukas though she knew she will face consequences if she is exposed as a beast, a high treason beast to be exact.
"my people won't bring any harm towards human and their realm, it always your people who iniatiate the first attack, we just did what we do to survive" before she left, she swear she will hide they hunt her down, to prevent a war. Clarity Robane was there and his skill too didn't scrath that little girl. And now, Lukas wanted him to be her guard?
"enough, no matter what I disagree,"
"please," Lukas grabbed his arms, kneeling to made him agree to this marriage, like a son pleaded to his father for a blessfull marriage.
"I know what you meant. I saw it in you, and I know what you want to obtain by getting her into your side," The king must want the strength of Thalia's clan. He wants his children to be immortal, he wants her bloodline and him to rules Wisteria for eternity. Greedy indeed.
"she is a beast. One small mistake your life, your title and your offspring will be a wage, pledge to me you can control her," He swore to it with no second thoughts. And Clarity Robane laughed.
"then, you don't need me at all Your Majesty, if you excuse me" What a lie Clarity Robane felt humiliated. After all he did as Lukas subordinate, he had a misunderstanding and Lukas turn a blind eye when he needed his help. It was all in the past, and now his dream becoming the king had come true, he assumed Lukas wouldn't needed his help any more and here they are.
"I need you!I need your ability" He didn't intend to mock a noble, he didn't force Lukas to begged him like this,
"you will always needed someone for your plan, and once you uses them, you will discard them like a trash Your majesty, just like what you did to me" He pushed Lukas and walked into his house. He locked the door as well.
Just how did he find him though he secluded himslef from the world. "Please Clarity, one last time you are the person I trust in this whole whole more thab my family!" He was whimpering like a baby, knocking on the wooden door.
"I don't trust a person who kill his father for his crown, how will I know I won't be the next?" The knock stopped. But Lukas still waiting for him.
"huh" Clarity Robane sighed. He opened the window next to the door. He watches the King who was sobbing, how could that brat kill his own father? Even his ability and his swordmanship is lower than him or the former king. Clarity Robane had it in mind, someone was pulling some strings and made him into a king,
"hey," Lukad turned his head around searching for his voice. "who became your guard after I left? Was it Samuel?" Lukas came to window, wiping his tears as he nodded.
"that man is Marcus's man, how could you made another knight, from another household protect you?" Lukas refused to answer.
"I will return, for a while until you had official heir" Lukas was in joy, he pulled Clarity Robane's neck, kisisng his forehead, saying thank you multiple times,
Clarity Robane would quiet just like his usual self, this king in front of him is just a kid, he was his older brother and a father in a form of knight protecting this princes from killers, he just cannot let go of his joy.
He likes smiling Lukas and his Dimples if the man had a fun journey, He couldn't understand how can he kill him if something goes wrong in the future?
°°°
Frizzy hair with droopy eyes, a haggard looking man could be seen relaxing while staring at the night sky. His feet were on the table, one of his hand is on the stomach while the other one is under the bench, holding half empty bottle of alcohol.
Clarity Robane leaned on bench and tried to close his eyes, he saw three empty bottle on the table and decided let drop the unfinished alcohol realising he had too much of it.
The man yawned feeling sleepy, it was chilly tonight when he think of past memories, loneliness brought him the alcohol.
"mmm" He groaned. His whole face flush due to the alcohol.
"No!" Clarity Robane distracted by unwelcoming sound. Did someone bullied again? Or is one of the guard is harassing the maids?
Clarity tossed and turn on the bench. He can go inside his room, somehow he wanted to stay outside.
He can see falling Magnolia petals from where he is now, he is worried for Thalia and hope to be the first one to greet her once she arrived tomorrow.
"Arghhh! Let go! I'm sorry" he sighed deeply.
"Is it a new hire? Since when Lukas permitted a kid as a servant?" He was annoyed. The more he ignored the sound, the more that tantrum coming to his path. As if the person consciously searching for him.
"Robane-arck!" He quickly got up. He pushed aside his front hair. Uneasy feeling got him wide awake. Clarity Robane picked up his sword on the table, glancing over the domain of his residence.
He is drunk, but not that drunk to hallucinate. "It his voice, is that him?" He saw a shadow near the entrance of his residence. Someone was approaching but was stopped by something huge.
"Arghhh! I don't want to die!!" Clarity Robane sprinted as soon he recognised the owner of the voice.
It belongs to his best friend son Eliot De Willow the crown prince whose his mother is under his protection. And unoficial heir who hadn't confronted by royal families wouldn not attended by any guards.
Thalia isn't here, no one's protecting him!
Forget about that friend of him, the way his son is searching for his mother's guard telling him that Eliot failed to seek his father.
"Your highness!" A limping small body is running away from something. Maybe he was tired or injured somewhere, his relief seeing Clarity Robane beyond the corner went downhill after he carelessly misteps on the stairs.
"Eliot" being Thalia's guard, he was watching Eliot growing up from a baby. He didn't actually raise him, but he is proud of Eliot.
He refused getting attached to this half blood prince, upon seeing how fragile he is compare to a young beast in his age. The crown prince might be a human.
A slight burnt silver dagger flew from the boy's finger when Clarity Robane picked up Eliot from the ground.
The boy is a horrible condition. A visible injury is noticeable from wet shirt. Coaxed by dried blood from his injury, Clarity Robane felt weak.
"who did this?" He patted the crown prince's face to check whether he is aware of his surrounding. His forehead was cold. He is losing too much blood.
Clarity Robane sheated his sword back so he can carry Eliot, "Arghh!" Eliot struggling get out of his arm, "let go! I Don't want to die!!" if you ever held a rampaging cat, bitting every where to save itself from predator, that is how the crown prince reacted.
"I don't want to die!!! I want to live" The crown prince slap his face without even looking at his holder.
"I don't want to die!! I don't want to die!" his eyes swollen from ths cried. Losing his consciousness, Clarity Robane held his whole body like a newborn.
No response when he peeked onto his face, the boy was breathing. How didn't someone noticed his presence? This is not his problem, but he will speak to the king regarding this.
"I don't want to die!! AHAHAHA!!" The crown prince burst out into a laughter. He looked possessed moving in a strange way in Clarity's arm.
"Roro?" Eliot called him.
"mm?" said Robane.They were heading to his residence when the boy woke up. "I need, to live" Eliot voice was hoarse due to screaming.
Clarity Robane had a goosebumps. The person in his arm somehow making him uncomfortable. His feets little by little embedded into the ground. As if he is carrying two people.
Unbothered, he knew what might going to happen, boldly he confront the tiny prince whose completely different before he picked him up.
Was his eyes black this whole time? Just like his ubnormal blackened blood dripping from his nose?
He must treat the prince before other people saw them and witness this beast blood.
"your highness?" The boy was grinning. His lips was pale, or turning blue like a corpse. Veins are popping through the corner of his eyes. Those eyes shape and face except from the dimples is Thalia's.
He will be pretty as his mother, and indeed deadly as her clan," your grace?" Clarity called the boy using another horrific.