The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 37

Upon teleporting to the castle, they ended up in the main hall. Casimir could feel the tense atmosphere the moment he arrived. There were servants scurrying about, but they stopped when the men suddenly entered the castle. When they saw that Prince Casimir had returned, movement started again, but quicker this time. They needed to let the king and queen know that the crown prince had returned, but something else seemed to be going on.

"The High Priestess and her minions are stopping by today. They plan on getting to the bottom of your disappearance," Sebastian explained.

The prince sighed. It was a good thing he returned, otherwise, his parents would have a mess on their hands. He could already hear in his head how they were going to scold him, especially his mother. Deep down, they would be relieved that their son had returned. As strict as they were with him, the king and queen loved their children. They were only hard on him because of his position. He wondered how they would react if they knew he wanted to give it up.

Sebastian led them to the throne room where the king and queen would be waiting for the High Priestess to arrive. He was sure by now one of the servants was quick enough to inform them of Casimir's return. Since they had been searching for the prince ever since he disappeared, it was a relief to everyone now that he was back. That was one stress lifted off their shoulders. The kingdom wouldn't be torn apart by the church now that the prince was back.

Before entering the room, the men came to a halt. Sebastian turned to them and said, "Perhaps Logain should wait out here for us. I don't know how your parents will react to him. They don't know him like they know me, so they might suspect something."

His suggestion made sense, even if it disappointed Casimir. He wanted the other warlock to stay with him, but he guessed they could meet up afterward. He doubted he would have free reign of the castle without one of the guards having to escort him wherever he went. They would keep a close eye on him to make sure he didn't run away. This would go on until he could be trusted again. He would have to say goodbye to his freedom for now.

When Logain saw the sad look on Casimir's face, he wanted to reassure him. He gave the prince a gentle smile. "I promise I'll wait for you. And maybe when you're done, you can give me a tour of the castle."

Logain's words made his heart flutter. He didn't care who saw as he grabbed Logain around the waist, then planted a kiss on his lips. The kiss didn't last for long, but it was enough to make Logain's heart feel like it would burst out of his chest. It was even more embarrassing that Sebastian saw them kiss. Logain would have told his friend about his relationship with the prince eventually, but he didn't want it to be revealed like this. Casimir kissed him in front of the other warlock on purpose. Logain would keep it to himself for now, but he could tell Casimir was jealous.

He wasn't ready to, but it was time for Casimir to face his parents. Sebastian shifted back and forth, uncomfortable that he saw his friend and the prince kiss, but he stayed quiet about it. He was glad when the prince turned to face the throne room door. The warlock could escape this awkward feeling for a moment. Logain would wait outside for them as the other two men entered the room.

King Lucas and Queen Lillian sat on their thrones, discussing something with one of the diplomats. Casimir was sure they were discussing preparations for when the High Priestess arrived, but all conversation stopped when Casimir entered the room. His younger brother Oliver was in the room as well, and he looked annoyed the moment he laid eyes on Casimir. The prince shot him a smirk. Casimir had nothing against his brother. He respected all of his younger siblings, but Oliver was the worst of them all. The second prince was snarky and rude, unlike the rest of their siblings. Oliver didn't believe that Casimir was fit to rule the kingdom for many reasons. His brother was the first person Casimir approached.