The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 51

Prince Casimir was the first to wake up after a long night of lovemaking. He lost track of how many times they did it, but the men couldn't express how much they loved each other enough. As he looked at Logain's sleeping face, his heart soared. This wasn't the first time Casimir fell in love, but this was the first time he wanted to spend the rest of his life with someone. He couldn't imagine a life without the warlock now. Whatever obstacles they faced, Casimir wouldn't let them get in the way of their happiness.

He wanted to wake Logain once more to express his love for him, but he had already woken him up enough during the night. He would give him a break for now. The prince gently wrapped an arm around Logain's waist as he tried not to disturb him. No matter how much more he craved him, being beside Logain was what really mattered. Casimir couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. He felt Logain move beside him, and Casimir couldn't help pulling him tightly into his arms.

His voice was soft as he asked, "Did I wake you, sweetheart?"

Logain gave a sleepy nod, then he turned in the prince's arms and buried his head against his chest. This was the most relaxed he felt in a while. Logain didn't need to sleep as much as mortals, but spending the night with Casimir relieved whatever stress he was feeling from the ball. He could stay there with Casimir for eternity, but he knew they would need to get out of bed eventually.

After he yawned, Logain asked, "What happens now? We're engaged, but we can't keep this charade up forever. Your parents will figure out that I'm a man."

"That's why we're not going to keep it a secret from them. My mother will be angry, but all of Ambria will know about this engagement by now. She would be embarrassed if word got out that she was fooled by us, so she will keep it a secret. She especially doesn't want the church to find out about this." Casimir thought about what his mother said as well. There was something she needed to tell them about the church. "I don't think my mother has any problem with me marrying a man. Growing up, the queen always wanted whatever would make her children happy, and while she was tough on me, I think that deep down, she wants me to be happy as well. The main obstacle is the church and the High Priestess."

It always went back to the church. Whenever something was wrong, the church was somehow involved. Logain felt bad for Casimir. Because of them, he was never allowed to express himself as a person and was forced to keep everything bottled up. The expectations were only high because he was the crown prince of Ambria. If one of his other siblings had his title, the pressure wouldn't be on him. However, as the eldest child, he received the majority of his mother's divine blessings. Someone with divinity running through their veins needed to reign the kingdom.

It wasn't always like that, though. Logain might have been around for a long time, but he didn't know what had changed. The king's father and mother weren't born with divine powers. Only the current queen had divinity, but this power never ran through the royal family's veins before.

Out of curiosity, Logain asked, "Why must you succeed your father instead of one of your siblings? I understand people want someone with divine magic as their ruler, but in all my years of being alive, it was never like this before. The High Priestess in the past used to be the one with the most divinity, and she always stood at the sidelines and guided the royal family. But divinity was never something the royal family inherited."

"Well, that's because of my mother. The queen only acquired her royal title by marrying the king, but my mother was born a commoner. Originally, my mother wanted the High Priestess position, until people learned that she is the Divine Maiden. But that's a long story for another day. But because of those events, my mother eventually married my father, and since then, the church has declared that the royal bloodline must contain divinity. It is all a tactic for them to have some control over us. The church and royal family will always be connected because of this," the prince explained.

If the current queen had never fallen in love with Casimir's father, then the prince wouldn't have to go through this. Casimir could be free to love whoever he wanted without someone trying to stop him. Unfortunately, the past was out of his control, so he would have to make the best of it now. He would keep working towards a brighter future regardless of the obstacles. The prince was determined to be with Logain.

Before they could continue their conversation, there was a knock on the door. Casimir quickly pulled the blanket all the way up to Logain's shoulders. It had been resting at their waist, and while nothing was showing, Casimir had a feeling Logain wouldn't want anyone to see any part of his naked body, not even his chest. The knock startled the warlock, and he took it a step further by hiding underneath the blanket just in time as the door opened.

Standing on the other side was Selene. It was early, so Casimir was surprised that his sister was already calling on him. Selene noticed the lump underneath the blanket, but she didn't comment on it. Everyone saw Casimir and Logain leave together; it was no mystery who was underneath the sheets. The dress she made for Logain, which lay on the floor, was a dead giveaway.

She didn't want to think about it as she said, "Mom and Dad want to see you and Logain downstairs in the dining hall."

"They want to see Logain as well?"

"Did I stutter? Mother wants to talk about your engagement, and they want to meet Logain officially. And there's no point in hiding Logain's identity. They already know he's a man." Without waiting for a response, Selene quickly fled her brother's room. She felt uncomfortable being in the same room as her brother and his lover, especially after knowing what state they were in.

Even though she was gone, Logain was still too nervous to come out from underneath the blanket. He was even more nervous knowing that he would now have to come face to face with the king and queen. The king didn't bother him, but after knowing how Casimir's mother could be, the queen frightened him. He didn't know if he was ready to meet the parents.

Casimir tried to soothe him as he gently said, "It'll be alright, babe. Whatever happens, I'll be there with you. Besides, since my parents know that you're a man and still want to discuss our marriage, then I think everything will turn out okay. If they didn't accept it, they would have kicked you out by now."

"But what if your parents don't like me when they meet me?" Logain asked. The rulers could still change their minds about this engagement.

"They'll like you. My mother might seem stone cold, but there's no way she won't like you." Casimir grabbed the blanket and pulled it down to reveal the warlock beneath. He gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Come on, let's go meet with my parents."

Reluctantly, Logain got out of bed with the prince. Casimir gave him clothes to wear, and once they were prepared, they left to attend the meeting with the king and queen of Ambria.