The Prince and His Slave (boyxboy)

Chapter Twelve

Dorian

I wrapped Camille tightly in my arms as I led him from the hall and towards my rooms. He was inconsolable. Every time I tried to shush him he just cried harder. I didn't need any of the servants or guards to hear him and start asking questions. I needed to get far away from Payne's room before I did anything. I wouldn't be surprised if my uncle had done this to set me up. The bodies were fresh. Bennet's neck had still been leaking blood onto the soaked rug.

"Why?" Camille wailed.

"Hush, darling," I said as soothingly as I could at the moment. I was on edge. I had been since I saw Payne's empty seat at dinner. Something wasn't right and my hunch had been correct.

I guided him through the castle and thankfully no servants were around to ask if Camille was all right. I knew that they would all be worried about him if they saw him crying like this. Once I reached the door to my rooms the guards' eyebrows raised.

The one with the rust colored hair opened his mouth to say something when he saw Camille sobbing, but I said something before he could, "Camille is fine. I need one of you to find some other guards and go to Councilman Payne's chambers. Don't tell anyone that I said this to you."

They both nodded and discussed for a moment which one of them should go, but I didn't stay to listen because I needed to get Camille inside.

He covered his mouth as he sobbed. His face was deep red and his nose was running, dripping down his chin.

"Come, my love," I said and brought him into the bedroom. I led him over to the bed and had him lay down before I pulled the blankets over him.

He curled in on himself and buried his head in the pillow, muffling his sobs. I went around to the other side of the bed and crawled in beside him. He immediately cuddled up to me and I held him in my arms, resting my chin on top of his head.

"What happened?" He could barely get the question out past his sobs.

"Just calm down. We can discuss it once you've stopped crying."

"You knew something was wrong! You knew that it happened!"

"I didn't know for sure, but yes, I suspected something was wrong."

I couldn't exactly place why I got the feeling that something bad had happened. I had seen the way my uncle had looked at Payne when he had spoken for me at the meeting, but it wasn't until I saw Payne's suspiciously empty seat at the dining tale that I suspected my uncle could have done something like this.

I was furious that my pet had to see his new friend bleeding on the floor. Neither Payne nor Bennet deserved the ending they got. I had thought Payne was going to be a great ally, but my uncle had just moved a chess piece in a game that I hadn't known we were playing quite yet.

"Why d-did B-Bennet have to die? He didn't d-do anything to a-anyone!"

"I know, darling, I know. I'm sorry you had to see that." I ran my hands through his hair, hoping that would help calm him.

His crying began to get quieter and he started sniffling more. Eventually he was able to get more questions out without sobs making his words hard to understand.

He wiped his nose and moved his head so he could look up at me. "What did Payne do? Why did that happen to them? It was your uncle, wasn't it?"

I was silent for a moment, trying to decide how much I should tell him. I didn't want him to be scared to live in the castle anymore. I would never let anything happen to him, I would make sure he was always safe. But I knew the death of Payne and Bennet would be like waking up from a slap across the face. I think he knew, in the back of his mind, that there was always a possibility that my uncle could do something like this, but now it was a reality. I wouldn't be surprised if he was scared out of his mind and I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to hide in the bedroom for awhile.