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Emergency

LUCERNE’S POV

I had changed from my nightclothes into a pair of khakis and a brown, sleeved shirt, and then slid my feet into its leather black boots, getting ready as I usually do on some mornings to tend the castle garden.

As I turned away from my wardrobe, a knock came on my door and Sage, my handmaid, walked in. She curtsied before me, stretching the neatly folded ash cloak out to me, “my Lord.”

“Thank you, Sage,” I acknowledged as I took the cloak from her and wore it on myself. “Get me my toolbox and gloves,” I ordered, and Sage did as I said. She gingerly moved to my drawer and brought out the box filled with my tools for tending to the garden, and then the gloves. I took the latter from her, wore it on, and then proceeded to leave the room. However, I met the apologetic faces of Anastasia and Sofia when I opened my door.

“My Lord,” they curtsied in unison.

“Why are you here; are you not supposed to be with my brothers?” I asked, staring hawkeyed at them.

The two girls exchanged glances and immediately dropped to their knees, pleading, “We have been incompetent, my Lord. Please have mercy, we came in this morning and realized that they were not in their chambers.”

I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh, “It is not your fault, rise.” Of course, I would not blame the poor women. Leaving the castle at early mornings and late nights was like a custom to Damien, and Wayne might have probably fallen victim in Damien’s hands. All I had to do was proceed to my own interest until they returned. Therefore, I smiled at the two girls and nodded.

“T… there is something else, my Lord,” Anastasia stuttered.

My brows creased. “Which is?”

“The master… is seriously ill; he demands the presence of you all at once.”

The hairs of my skin stood as I blinked twice, trying to let Anastasia’s words sink in. Was she joking or what; my Father is ill? That was close to impossible, I will not believe. However, on second thought, these handmaids could not just come up with something like this to tell me at this early hour of the morning, so it was not possible that they were lying.

“Since when did it begin?” I queried to be sure because I was certain father was super healthy before bedtime last night.

They nonetheless replied, “Just this morning, my Lord.”

WAYNE’S POV

Damien and I sat by the shore. I drew my legs to my chest and hugged my knees, silently watching the calm flow of the Coral Sea as it moved along with the wind that carried it in waves. Damien, who was once standing like a sentry behind, sat beside me with a handful of pebbles, which he began to toss into the sea.

We had been here for four hours. It was now a bright morning and the loud chirping of birds was clear to my hearing, though I knew the sound was not coming from the woods behind us, it could probably be coming a long way from Lucerne's garden.

However, I still have not ironed out the confusion in my head, plus the uneasy feeling that I have just begun to feel. I was still trying to evaluate why we found a witch in the Coral shore and who it was in the first place because since the witches came under the domination of the werewolves, it had been rare to see them in any territory aside that of the wolves. Moreover, those bastards and the demons were mortal enemies; since we had stayed out of their way, it was only right that they did the same to us too.

“You should stop straining your head with such thoughts,” Damien muttered with a grin, interrupting my thoughts. I rolled my eyes. He had the habit of reading one's thoughts and intruding on their privacy, now I seriously wished I knew a way to block my mind from his access. “You cannot even do that if you want to,” he spurted again as he rose to his feet. “The sun will soon be out, you can decide to stay, but I certainly am not.”

“I know,” I muttered and stretched my hand out to him; he huffed, but still helped me up.

I slapped the sands off my derriere and followed Damien out of the shore. We passed through the morning-misted woods and arrived at the back of the castle that seemed to be in chaos as the royal guards and handmaids ran here and there. I began to wonder what must have troubled the Coral shore castle at such early hours of the morning.

A junior demon approached us, “My Lords,” he greeted us with a bow.

“What is going on?” Damien blurted.

“Lord Lucerne conducted a search party for you two,” the demon responded with an obeisance and Damien let out a dry laugh.

“Lucerne should be aware that we always leave the castle and return whenever I choose, why would he cause such uproar this time?”

“He said it is urgent, my Lord.”

Damien sighed. “We will see him then.” He grabbed my hand on that note and I soon found myself in my room. It happened so fast that the world turned me around for a moment. By the time I regained myself, Damien was already out through the door. I sluggishly followed after, bumping into handmaids and guards who screamed our arrival.

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