Dawn of Arcane Destiny

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“Please, Caelum?” Ella Rose practically begged. Caelum closed his eyes. Ugh! He could never deny her when she got like this.

“Ella, I told you. I must work today. I can’t watch Cassian.” Caelum said emphatically.

“I know, I know.” She thought for a moment. “You could bring him with you. He would love to see where you work. It will only be for a couple hours and I can come pick him up.”

Caelum sighed in frustration. He wouldn’t have visited today if he had known that he was going to get stuck with babysitting duty. Never mind that there was no way he would be able to watch Cassian adequately while on duty. He had nothing against Cassian, of course. He would watch him on days he wasn’t on duty, but today wasn’t the best day to do that.

“Fine.” He forced out. “But you better be quick about your errands. I’m not a nursemaid. I have duties, Ella Rose.”

“Thank you!” She exclaimed in her bubbly way that he found positively endearing. He couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be back in no time at all.” She picked Cassian up and handed him to Caelum.

The boy squirmed a little in Caelum’s arms, as he always did when he knew that his mother was leaving.

“Ma. Where you goin’?” He asked reaching out one chubby hand towards her.

“I’ll be back soon, love. You get to go with Caelum to see all his guards.” She said brightly.

Cassian still looked unsure. He looked up at Caelum. The boy’s features always surprised him slightly. He had dark brown hair, almost black, and deep violet eyes. They were in such contrast to his mother’s pale features. He looked a lot like his father, with his mother’s eyes.

He smiled and bounced Cassian a little. “Do you want to see the castle, Cassian?”

Cassian slowly smiled and nodded eagerly. “Can I?”

Caelum nodded. “Yep. You get to come with me to work.” He couldn’t help but shoot Ella Rose a look of slight annoyance. She laughed and grabbed her threadbare shawl and basket.

“I’m sorry, Caelum. I promise this won’t happen again. We don’t have any food for dinner. I was just waiting to get paid for laundry I did for one of the Houses.”

It hurt Caelum’s heart to see her threadbare shawl and hear her struggles with lack of food. He wished he could provide her with all the comforts he had. But she had made it clear that she hated charity. He tried to help where he could.

Caelum nodded. “It’s okay. It might make my day more interesting to have this little solider with me.” He poked Cassian’s belly making him giggle, just like he knew it would.

“Thank you!” She said again. She rose onto her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she slipped past him out the door.

Caelum sighed. Did she know that she tortured him? Lillia caught on quick. How he wanted to court her just like Lillia had said. But all Ella saw him as was a friend. A good friend, nothing more. Part of it was on him. He didn’t want to ask her and then make everything awkward. It’s best she just thinks of you as a friend. He told himself over and over. Of course, that didn’t make it any less agonizing.

He suddenly was aware of Cassian tugging on the jacket of Caelum’s uniform. “Come on!” He said in his four-year-old frustration. “We be goin’ now?” Caelum smiled and shook his head slightly. How did just a simple kiss on the cheek undo him this much?

“All right let’s get going.” He turned and opened the door, crossing the threshold that Ella Rose had moments earlier. “Cassian, have you ever ridden a horse?” Caelum asked.