BETRAYAL OF DIGNITY
Bonus Volume
Part 2 ~ 2
A series of knocks interrupted Anna as she was about to climb into bed. Who could it be at this hour?
The knocking persisted, this time in a peculiar rhythm.
There was no one the twins were expecting so late at night; it certainly couldn't be a servant.
"Who do you think that is, Anna?"
Declan inquired in a hushed voice as he emerged from the adjoining chamber. He regarded his sister with a grave expression.
"Could it be an assassin of Carter who caught wind of our visit?"
"Since when does an assassin announce themselves with a knock?" Anna retorted with a scowl.
Declan, his face still somber, approached the door. "Stay here. I'll go investigate."
Clutching her pillow as a makeshift shield, Anna watched as Declan edged toward the door. It was then that they heard a familiar voice from the other side.
"Are they already asleep?" the voice muttered.
Declan paused, exchanging a knowing glance with Anna. It wasn't hard to guess who the voice belonged to. With a click, the door swung open to reveal their suspicion was correct.
Lucas greeted them with a roguish grin, his cheerfulness a stark contrast to his languid demeanor from earlier.
"Good evening. Beautiful night, isn't it?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Did you see the moon tonight? It's lovely."
Placing her pillow back in its spot, Anna walked over to Declan's side to face Lucas. "What is that you're wearing?" she asked.
Dressed in a dark brown cloak akin to a blanket and a hat obscuring his curls, Lucas looked at them with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh, this?" He chuckled. "This makes it easier to hide in the darkness. I brought some for you two as well."
As he offered them the garments, Declan's brows rose in skepticism.
"You expect us to put on these rags?" But before he could finish, Anna had already draped the cloak over her shoulders, eagerly following Lucas out of the room. Left with little choice, Declan followed suit.
"Where are we going?"
"Moon gazing."
"We're not going outside the castle, are we?"
"Indeed, we are."
Stifling a scream of excitement, Anna cautiously
trailed behind Lucas.
"This doesn't seem like a good idea," Declan whispered, but when Anna tugged at his hand, he had no choice but to follow.
After wrapping Declan's cloak around him, Anna whispered, "If anything goes wrong, we'll pin it all on him."
The twins were confident that the King and Queen of Carter, who seemed to indulge all of their son's whims, would not chastise them too harshly. Even Declan, ever the model of maturity, found his curiosity piqued.
"Hurry up. If we get caught, it's over," Lucas said, gesturing to them from the entrance to a secret passageway he claimed was known only to him. The twins clasped hands tightly, their eyes gleaming a bright blue as they dashed silently across the corridor.
* * *
Despite the late hour, the town within the Duchy of Carter was bustling with activity.
"Children really shouldn't be wandering the streets at this hour," said a passerby.
