At Your Service- A Royalty Solangelo AU

Chapter 17

TW: Mentions of fatal sickness

The Hele kingdom was even brighter than he remembered, the gold leafed towers reflecting the sun rays harshly into his eyes. For most of the journey through the town, he kept his head bowed, trying to avoid looking at the people who lined the streets to watch an Aruman general ride with him. Not that it mattered whether they saw him or not, for he was still unannounced to the public, but the idea of them seeing him as a foreign man did not sit well with him.

But, all of the worries that had gnawed at his stomach throughout the journey dissipated when their horses moved through the gleaming gates of the palace. The gold plated turrets were no longer an annoyance, but comforting, reminding him that he was finally home. 

As they pulled up to the front steps, he saw the familiar faces that he had grown up with, the servant staff who lined the walkway to welcome the pair. No sooner than when he had dismounted his horse, did he find himself shepherded hastily up the steps and through the large doors. He gained more questions than answers as he tried to converse with the servant staff, but none would talk to him. Instead, they continued to push him into the large entry hall of the palace until he stood in front of a familiar face. Luke Castellan. 

"William," His voice boomed through the space as he opened up his arms, "Welcome home, your highness."

Will flinched at the royal title bestowed upon him, looking around anxiously for Percy, hoping he had not heard it. Though he was home, he could not risk the general finding out about him. Strangely, the brunette was nowhere to be found. There was not a single body besides them in the entryway, so it was unlikely he had become lost in the wake of other bodies. Slightly unnerved, he turned back to his friend. 

"Thank you, general." he nodded curtly.

"None of that fanciness. Though, that does bring me to ask, where is your  general?" 

Will cocked an eyebrow at him, having the sense that something was wrong about the situation. "I was hoping you could tell me that. What was with the haste in bringing me in, so quickly that I lost track of my handler?" 

Castellan chuckled "I see you have not changed, still answering questions with more. But have no fear about Percy, I am sure he trusts you enough to be on your own here. If not, he never would have brought you in the first place." 

"Still didn't answer my question." Will mumbled under his breath. Whether the general was oblivious to his muttering, or heard him yet did not care enough to remark, Castellan continued to address him with a sort of uncanny friendliness.

"Now that you are back, I am afraid I have some news to share with you." 

"What is it?" 

Will expected an answer to this question, but instead Luke turned on his heel and began walking quickly down the hallway. The servants in the corridor paid worried glances as he struggled to maintain a walking pace while following after the general. 

"Luke? Luke!" He called after him, but his pace did not falter. If anything, it hastened slightly as they wove their way through the building. Just as he was about to lose the man, Luke halted in front of a set of doors, sending Will nearly careening into him. 

The general stared straight ahead at the doors, as if engraving the memory of the wood into his mind. Will too, looked at them, before finally it clicked into place. They stood before the entrance to King's quarters, the wood being the one thing keeping him from reuniting with his father. 

"Before you go in, I wanted to say I am sorry," Luke's voice was quiet as he spoke, his gaze not departing from the doors in front of him. Something about the tone of voice caused Will's stomach to turn uneasily, but he did not say anything about it.