The Great Black King

Chapter • 10

♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅  Calisto ⋅• ♱

"He's gone again" Azrael said and I felt my body heavy.

What the hell was left to happen?

Asra had practically thrown me out of her room after an argument where I couldn't even go against what she said.

"How can he run away again? What the hell are these maids up to?" I growled, sinking into my chair.

Loren had been doing this quite often lately, and I knew in part that this was just a response to my actions, but it didn't get me rid of Azrael.

He loved to remind me of this damned fact.

"Well, maybe..."

"Shut up" I spoke, interrupting him before giving him a chance to continue, to finish whatever the damn rant was.

The truth was that Azrael hated Asra for all the things she had ever done, and I... well... I forgave her and I forgave her, because I know that it is exclusively my fault that Asra is the way she is.

I condemned her.

"You really have no way" he grumbled, and I could only sink further into the chair.

"He can't have gotten far" I muttered, "just send everyone to look for him around the castle.

"Why don't you go?" he asked bluntly, and I felt my eyes burn.

"Because I don't want to tell him where I was last night.

Azrael smiled, that damn demon already knew the answer.

"That girl..." he muttered, "is also here in the castle. Aren't you afraid she might run into the prince?"

I froze.

"What's it like?"

"Elaine, I think that was her name" he said shrugging, "I had her brought to the castle so that..."

"You what?" I growled and Azrael stared at me with some confusion.

"Callisto..."

"Say it again. What the fuck did you do?"

He had already understood his mistake and all that remained was to think about how he could lessen his own destruction and suffering, so I watched him swallow hard.

"You were putting it off again and again, I thought that was the best option" he admitted and all I could think was that that fucking idiot had finally lost his fear of death.

I stood up, but my eyes were still fixed on the fallen man who led the armies of my empire.

"If anything happens to Loren, you can consider yourself a soul about to face your own worst private hell."

That was all I said before I went out the office door in search of Loren, but even when I looked all over the castle, I couldn't find him.

"Where is he? How can you all be so incompetent?" I shouted as I went outside.

Loren shouldn't expose himself so much to the outdoors. His curse was delicate, dangerous to his own health, and yet, I stood there, wanting to put the blame on someone else when it was only my fault that he was acting this way.

I was all Loren had, and I was not being enough. I knew that.

"Please" I mumbled, "I can't lose you too.

"Daddy?" The childish voice called to me and I turned around so quickly that he looked at me with wide-eyed eyes.

I lifted him up and hugged him as I questioned.

"Loren... why are you in the garden?"

My son sank his face into my shoulder.

"I..." he stopped and denied with his head before continuing, "I missed you.... And I went out to look for you."

He wasn't lying, Loren never lied to me, but somehow I knew he was hiding something.

I clenched my jaw.

Had he found that saint project? What couldn't an energy like hers cause to my small, fragile child?

I sighed.

"When you want to meet me, just ask Azrael to bring you to me," I said, kissing his forehead, and my son's eyes twinkled.

"Really? Can I really do that?"

"Of course you can.

"Won't uncle be mad?" I snorted.

Azrael would stay, after all it would bog him down with more work, but who could call?

Loren was my reason for living, he would never be able to deny my sweet son anything.

"No, he would love that."

Loren's weak little arms wrapped around my neck.

"I'm glad" he said, smiling, "I get to spend more time with you".

I nodded.

"You can always have anything you want, my little moon" I said and this time, I couldn't hide my melancholy.

That's what she called him when he was still being conceived, and I remember how she used to lie in my arms and hum about the old romances and the legend of the sun and the moon.

What would Loren say if he knew that his mother thought of him as the moon from the tales he loves so much?

I sighed as we walked back into the castle.

"But Loren, I have something to ask you."

He looked at me with an expression that told me to continue.

"Did you see someone when you were looking for me? Maybe... a different woman than you've seen around here before?"

My son looked away as he thought about what to answer me.

"Why?" he questioned, taking me by surprise.

I could make up a story, but I didn't want to lie to him that much. So I decided to tell him the truth.

"Because... being around this woman can hurt you," I spoke bluntly, and he stared at me.

"How?"

So he had met someone.

"She and you are opposites, little moon."

He sank his little face into my chest.

"But..."

"Son" I called him,, "if you go to her, you will have to spend more time with the doctor."

He grunted, and a part of me felt guilty for using something he hated so much, but it was the truth.

If he was standing next to that angelic, divine thing, he would need a lot more blood. So much reinforcement when it was needed, because I would not let my son die.

"If you're anywhere near her, you could get hurt."

Loren's little mouth opened, but he didn't say anything, just closed it again and then lay down on my shoulder.

"Okay, Daddy," was all he mumbled after a few minutes, and somehow, that didn't put my mind at ease.

Maybe... I should just kill the damn thing.

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