Don't Be Curious- A criminal who did the impossible

Chapter Eighteen

Jaksa tapped his foot against the floor impatiently. "I don't like this." he grumbled. Kass rolled his eyes.

"I saw what happened with you two before, what's going on with you guys?" he asked, dismissing Jaksas impatience. The knight rounded on him.

"Good question! I didn't do anything wrong, he just- ugh. I don't know!" he crowed. Kass folded his arms.

"I have a pretty good idea what he thinks." He scowled. 

Before Jaksa could question the servant, the doors were opened by Endire. She gestured for them to follow her.

Jaksa and Kass looked on in confusion as the queen hugged the two princes tightly. Zander turned with a proud smile on his face, meeting the knight's eyes. He ran up to Jaksa and hugged him tightly. The knight tensed, looking dumbfounded."what-"

"Jakks, you were right! My mother is alive, and she's the queen!" He smiles excitedly, moving his hands to the knight's shoulders. Jaksa blinked, then smiled.

"Ah- ahah- i knew it..!" He attempted to joke, but the prince's proximity made him nervous. Zander almost missed how Jaksas eyes darted over his face to his lips. Almost. The knight stepped away from Zander as the queen approached. "It's a pleasure to meet-" he was abruptly stopped by the queen, engulfing him in a hug. "....you... your highness." he choked out, surprised by her strength.

"Oh, the pleasure is mine, jaksa! Your story is so inspiring." she praised, releasing him from the hug and looking down at him with a smile. Jaksa frowned.

"My story?" he questioned. He never thought that the other kingdoms would have heard of what happened all those years ago. Of course, he had been a criminal far longer than he had been a knight, which caused further confusion from the praise.

"Oh yes," she began. "you and your friend were the first to even attempt redemption, that deserves all the praise." she nodded towards Kass, who had been trying to hide behind Thomas, giving her a shy smile.

"Anyway your highness," Sasha spoke up, stepping next to the queen. "I was hoping I'd be able to take these four around the castle grounds?" the queen hummed in agreement.

"Of course, and show them to the guest chambers afterwards, I'm sure they are all exhausted after their journey." Zander still wanted to ask her so many questions, but he did feel incredibly tired as the sun had begun to set. He decided it would be best to leave questions for the next day.

The tour around the castle was quick, but seeing little creatures and floating magic objects made it worth it. The cafeteria seemed as if it didn't need people, and it was being run on its own. Some of the people had wands, others simply waved their hands to create magic. People had pointy ears, tails, horns, and other unique features that Zander felt slightly intimidated by. He wasn't used to all of the new faces. Most of the servants knew Zander, and bowed respectfully as he passed. He also overheard some of the conversation about Jaksa and Kass. It intrigued him. He supposed that it was because of the wanted posters, but he did notice that some did not recognise Kass. Since their arrest, his hair had gotten darker and the tight curls he once had reduced to waves.

Sasha had led them to their chambers on the top floor. Kass and Thomas in one room, and Jaksa and Zander in the other. Jaksa didn't know if Sasha had done that on purpose or not, but he didn't really mind. He just wanted to sleep.

Later that night, Jaksa turned to see the prince wasn't in his bed. He sat up in time to see the door close. Jaksa looked around, considering his options. It was still dark, but he could hear the hustle of the town below through the window. He guessed it was very early in the morning, so he took his chances. He threw the covers off and chased after the prince.