The next morning, Alaric's confidant, Kastiel, entered his chamber to wake him up. Alaric was still groggy when he realized that Kastiel looked panicked and worried, a stark contrast to his usual cheerful self.
"What's wrong?" Alaric asked with concern as he sat up in bed.
Kastiel took a deep breath before answering, "Your Highness, Duke Carlton was found lying unconscious this morning by the patrolling guards. He is currently being treated by the royal physician."
Alaric felt shock run through him like lightning bolt. Without hesitation, he got out of bed and began getting dressed with Kastiel's help.
As they made their way towards where Carlton was being treated, Kastiel filled in the details for Alaric. "It's strange because it seems that Duke Carlton was found unconscious in the middle of the hedge maze. No one knows how he got there or what happened to him."
Alaric's confusion only grew with this news. "Did they find anything else in the maze besides Carlton?" He asked.
Kastiel shook his head. "No, there was nothing else found."
As they arrived at the room where Carlton was being treated, Alaric felt a sense of foreboding wash over him. He knew that something wasn't right, but what could it be?
Inside the room, Alaric saw Carlton lying pale on the bed. Strangely, he felt that there was something different about Carlton's face, it looked softer and more mature than usual. Though it was also a bit strange to see him smiling in his sleep since usually, he would be frowning or grimacing.
"Lucas." Alaric turned to the royal physician inquiringly. "How is Duke Carlton doing?"
Lucas gave him a serious look before answering. "Duke Carlton is experiencing hypothermia as he slept outside all night on the ground."
Alaric was taken aback by this news, meaning that after they finished drinking together last night, Carlton must have wandered off into the maze alone.
If it were anyone else, he would have thought that they were too drunk to know what they were doing, but knowing Carlton, even when intoxicated, Carlton remained alert and rational. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something inside the maze which prompted him to venture out despite being drunk.
"What could have possibly made him do something like that?" Alaric murmured, his voice laced with concern.
"Hnngg..."
Suddenly, Carlton let out a small groan and began to stir.
"Your Highness, it seems that Duke Carlton is starting to wake up!" Kastiel exclaimed as he watched Carlton begin to move
Alaric immediately approached the bed and sat down beside him.
"Carlton? Are you awake now?" He asked softly, placing a gentle hand on Carlton's arm.
The blue-eyed Duke slowly opened his eyes, and gazed at the ceiling in confusion before spotting Alaric by his side. A wide smile spread across his face as he attempted to sit up straighter in bed. Then suddenly, to everyone's surprise, including Alaric, as soon as he managed to get into an upright position, he threw both arms around Alaric's neck for an embrace.
"Husband..." Carlton said softly while still holding onto him tightly. "Did I faint?"
The sudden embrace from his friend caught Alaric off-guard, making his body go stiff at first, and even more so when hearing those words come from him. Kastiel and Lucas were equally stunned by the sight before them.
"......."
As they all there frozen in silence, Carlton rubbed his head against Alaric's neck as if seeking comfort from him. Eventually, Alaric regained his composure enough to answer. He pushed Carlton's body gently as he spoke, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Carlton, is there something wrong with your head? Look at me properly, why are you calling me husband?" Alaric asked incredulously. "We're both men after all, it doesn't make sense for you to call another man your husband."
However, instead of answering his question directly, Carlton touched Alaric's cheek and chuckled softly. "You're joking around again, my love..." He said affectionately. "Of course I have to call you my husband since we got married."
Alaric gasped along with Kastiel and Lucas, who looked as if they had seen a ghost. Everyone knew Carlton as someone cold and stoic who never spoke much - not someone who would ever express such strong emotions or use terms like 'my love' or 'husband'.
Even more surprising was how different Carlton looked now compared to before, his handsome yet cold appearance replaced by an aura of gentleness and warmth, with flowers seemingly floating in the background.
Alaric turned to Lucas with a hint of panic in his voice. "Lucas, quickly check if there's any bump or injury on Carlton's head!" He demanded urgently.
Lucas nodded quickly before hurrying over to examine Carlton. After a few moments of careful examination, Lucas shook his head.
"There doesn't seem to be any physical injuries." He said quietly.
"But then why is he acting like this?" Kastiel chimed in worriedly. "It's not like him at all."
Alaric could feel the weight of confusion and worry settling heavily in his chest as they tried to make sense of what was happening with Carlton.
Carlton laughed softly, thinking that his husband and confidants were just joking with him. He rubbed his stomach and teased Alaric further.
"Husband, don't you want to tell Lucas to check if I'm pregnant again or not?" Carlton said, chuckling.
Alaric felt his heart stop at Carlton's words, while Lucas stumbled and sat down on the floor in disbelief. Kastiel looked like his chin would drop from shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing either - a cold man like Carlton claiming to be pregnant?
Wait... who wants to check for pregnancy..? This big and cold man said he's pregnant?!
Alaric tried hard to stay composed despite the overwhelming confusion coursing through him. His hands shook slightly as they gripped Carlton's shoulders tightly.
"Carlton, please stop this joke." Alaric pleaded. "You're a man, how can you get pregnant?"
But then Carlton lifted up his shirt and revealed several scars on his lower stomach, evidence of past pregnancies.
"I've given birth to several children for you..." Carlton said with a smile. "But you still say things like this, husband?"
Lucas scrambled to his feet, only to fall again, lying on the floor in disbelief. Meanwhile, Kastiel's mouth hung open so wide it looked like his chin might hit the floor.
Alaric stared at Carlton's scars in disbelief, his mind racing with confusion and suspicion. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, how could a man be pregnant?
"Are you really the Carlton I know?" Alaric asked coldly, grabbing Carlton's cheek to inspect it for any signs of deception. "Or are you someone pretending to be him?"
Carlton suddenly remembered an incident from five years ago when another man tried to impersonate him after he had disappeared for three months. He had been kidnapped and held captive, managing to escape after two long months.
Just a month before his return, another man had attempted to pose as Carlton, with 98% similarity, no less. Fortunately, Alaric had been able to see through the imposter quickly.
So, instead of feeling offended or hurt, Carlton hugged Alaric tightly. He thought that his husband was just trying to add some spice to their intimate moment by pretending to be suspicious.
"Of course I'm your beloved darling..." he said playfully. "You said just a little touch and you'd immediately know it was me."
Alaric was taken aback by Carlton's sudden boldness. He tried to let go of the hug, but found himself frozen in place when Carlton spoke up in a seductive tone.
"You said the three moles on my butt are unique, you can check that... Or maybe you could explore my entire body. After all, you know more about it than I do myself..." Carlton's fingers trailed down Alaric's chest as he spoke.
Carlton was portrayed out of character in the fanfic. His behavior and actions didn't sit well with many fans, except for one aspect that everyone seemed to agree on: his insatiable appetite for sex. It was no surprise then that in the fanfic, Carlton and Alaric reproduced like rabbits, their sexual activities seemingly never ending.
"Or perhaps just take a little taste..." Before Alaric could even respond, Carlton had already pressed his lips onto Alaric's.
For a moment, Alaric was caught off guard. He felt Carlton's tongue gently teasing his bottom lip, which made him couldn't help but part his lips slightly in response.
Carlton took that opportunity to deepen the kiss further. His tongue slowly slipped into Alaric's mouth, exploring every inch of it before meeting with Alaric's own tongue in an intimate dance. Alaric tried to pull away but Carlton was strong and persistent. The kiss deepened as they both lost themselves in the heat of the moment.
As they kissed, Lucas who had been trying to stand up while adjusting his glasses fell back onto the floor again in shock. His hand unconsciously gripped his glasses so tightly that they broke, and blood began to flow from a cut on his hand, splattering onto his face.
Kastiel bit down hard on his own tongue by accident, causing it to bleed profusely. The intense scene unfolding before them had left everyone reeling with disbelief.
Meanwhile, Princess Luna had been longing to see her brother, Crown Prince Alaric, who had returned after two long years of war. When she heard that he was visiting the sick Duke Carlton in the palace, she decided to pay them a visit as well.
Despite her fear of Carlton's cold demeanor, Luna made her way to his room with hopes of seeing her beloved brother again. The guard announced her arrival at the door but received no response from inside.
Without waiting for permission, Luna pushed open the door and entered - only to be met with a horrifying scene before her eyes. The royal physician lay on the floor bleeding from his face and hand, while Kastiel stood nearby with blood dripping from his mouth. But what shocked Luna most was seeing her own brother locked in an intense kiss with Carlton on the bed.
Princess Luna let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the palace, startling everyone within earshot. The sound of her cries became a legend in its own right, a testament to the shock and horror she had felt at witnessing such an unexpected sight.