Child of the Moon.

~Chapter Twenty-Three~

Eugene walked down the stone steps of the palace to the lower-level rooms that were intended for the close servants and handmaidens of high-class guests. The rooms were in the basement level and could get very cold, but they were well furnished and comfortable. However, they had no windows and only one exit door.

Today, one of these chambers was guarded by five men, and the doors were locked from the outside. The guards were there to keep watch over only one man - King Edmund of the Dark Kingdom.

The king had been there for three days now, alone. Eugene had spent the time searching for Hector. He'd sent several search parties out every day to scan every inch of Corona. He'd put up posters, asking if anyone had seen his friend. He even went to ask the former captain, Cassandra's adoptive father, for help, but the man refused to. He said that even if he could help, he wouldn't. He would not do anything that would harm his daughter, be part of any plans involving the war against her or be part of the military. That was why he had resigned. And so, Eugene would go out and search himself, calling Hector's name along with the words 'I'm sorry'.

Eugene would return from his searches in the evenings to ask if any other party had found Hector, and all three times, he was disappointed. No one had the first idea where the warrior could have gone or if he was even still alive.

At night, Eugene had gone to see Rapunzel. He allowed her to hold him in her arms while he tried not to cry. He failed every time. She would try her best to soothe him, but he would have none of it. 'It's all my fault', 'He could be dead because of me' was all that Eugene would say.

But now on the morning of the fourth day, Eugene went down to the lower levels of the palace to see his father. His hands were clenched in tight fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. Cold determination burned in his eyes. He stopped in front of Edmund's locked door.

"Open it," he ordered. "Give me fifteen minutes with him. I only have one question, so I shouldn't be long. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, come in with your weapons drawn. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" All five of the guards answered at once.

The guards quickly unlocked the door and let Eugene slip through, closing and locking it behind him.

Edmund sat on an ornate red sofa in the center of the entrance room. There were two other doors. One led to the bedroom, and the other to the powder room. Everything else was in the large entrance room/lounge.

Edmund looked up, and his eyes brightened when he saw Eugene, only for them to become sad again when he noticed the furious look in his son's own eyes.

"I only have one question," Eugene growled in a low voice. "Did you or did you not know about the Mindtrap and what it would do to Hector?"

"Eugene..." Edmund said sadly. "You have to understand. I-"

"Did you know?"

"Son, please-"

"Did you know?!"

Edmund stared at his son. He had never seen this look in his eyes before. He had never heard him speak like this. And he'd certainly never seen him draw a knife on somebody.

The dagger pointed directly at Edmund. Eugene's hand shook in fury. He looked like he wanted to run his father through but also like he wanted to cry at the same time.

Edmund sighed in defeat.

"...Yes, I knew."

The knife fell to the ground.

"W-why?" Eugene managed, the tears welling up in his eyes. "Why would you do this to him? Why didn't you tell him? He trusted you!"

"I didn't think it still existed."