It was nearly ti for dinner. Caius hated how aware he was of this. There was still so ti, but if he wanted to see his father and make it to Rose imdiately after dinner, he had to leave now.
He didn’t want to, but Rose wouldn’t forget to ask, and even if she didn’t say anything rude, she wouldn’t be pleased. Why did he care about whether she was pleased or not? But this was an irrelevant question, as he already knew the answer.
So he slamd his hand on his desk as if to punish the table for his problems, even though it couldn’t possibly do anything to worsen or better them. After that, he marched out of his study with a grim look on his face. The guards positioned around his study gave a stiffer bow as he passed them.
Caius frowned as he approached the King’s floors. The wing wasn’t any different than usual; after all, their als were always held about a floor above, but the King’s floor was deserted.
It wasn’t empty, but Caius could count the guards. No one stopped him as he marched towards his father’s chambers, which lay nearly at the end of the hallway.
He knocked once, and almost imdiately the door opened. One of his father’s physicians poked his head out with a scowl on his face. Seeing Caius, his expression changed imdiately.
"Your Highness," he bowed. "Right this way, please."
Caius walked into the room and was greeted with a space that looked sowhat like a waiting room, and a set of huge curtains that went all the way to the ceiling separated him from his father.
Caius looked at the dark blue curtains and wondered if he left now, would it count as coming to see his father? However, he knew Rose would want details about how the ga went.
More importantly, he could keep his promises.
The physician looked at Caius apologetically, and Caius imdiately understood. He needed to ask the King for permission to let him past the curtains.
Caius gestured with his hand. "Go ahead."
"Thank you, Your H-Highness."
The physician was through the curtains in an instant. Caius didn’t catch anything from the other side except for the setting sun through the window. Before he could think much about this, the physician was back, and the curtains opened wide to give him entry.
Caius frowned and marched onward. The first thing that hit him was the sll—it was so strong he could taste it. It slled like strong herbs, but that wasn’t just it; it slled like death.
Caius winced as his eyes moved towards the bed. It wasn’t a lie or a ploy to get him to co here. His father really was dying. Caius didn’t like how he felt; he wasn’t sure how he felt.
"Son," his voice was low, too low.
Caius found himself in disbelief. He had seen his father barely a month ago when he was threatening Caius to either get married or Rose would end up dead, and sohow between that ti his condition had worsened this badly.
Caius didn’t answer as he approached the bed. A chair was quickly drawn up and placed directly beside the bed in view of his father. Caius didn’t take his eyes off him as he sat down.
The King was practically skin and bones, and sohow he was sitting up and staring at his son, following every movent, his eyes and gaze as strong as ever.
Gaius coughed; it had that exhausted sound to it, as though any mont now his lungs would give up on him. He struggled to get air back into his lungs, and a loud wheeze filled the room.
"Your Majesty didn’t expect Your Highness to co," Physician Briar spoke.
For the first ti since Caius entered the room, he let his gaze stray away from his father. The physician was standing close to the bed, his hand partially stretched out as if to support the king if he needed it.
"I can leave," Caius simply stated.
"No, please, Your Highness. Don’t be hasty; as you can see..." he glanced towards the king, and the rest of his words went silent.
"You’re dying," Caius said bluntly, but he wasn’t trying to be rude; it was as though he was saying that more to himself than his father.
Regardless of how far he had co, Caius had always had a fear of the person who birthed him. He had always been sickly but sohow never weak, and no matter how bad his episodes got, he didn’t die. Yet, Caius could tell there was nothing that could save his father now.
"Surprised?" Gaius asked, his shrunken eyes darting around his son’s face before settling.
"You wanted a ga?" Caius simply said.
"Yes. I didn’t expect you to grant your dying father his last wish." His last word ca out as a gasp, and Briar looked as though he might faint as the King spoke.
"Despite my preference, it would be best if you died in peace. I wouldn’t want your ghost lurking around."
Gaius chuckled, his shoulders shaking slightly before resting his head against the headboard as though it was too much for his body to hold his head up.
"Shall we begin?"
Caius didn’t care for pleasantries. He wanted to play and be out of there as soon as possible. His father’s situation was a shock, but it didn’t change anything.
"Yes," the sa wheezing sound escaped his lips.
Another physician moved and placed the board on the bed, arranging the pieces. Caius noticed the white pieces were placed in his direction.
"No," he said. "My father will begin first."
"My apologies, Your Highness," the physician replied and switched the colors.
Caius glanced at his father again, who had briefly closed his eyes. Caius wondered how he would play when he could barely move.
As soon as the pieces were arranged, Briar made a gesture with his hands, and the rest of the physicians imdiately exited the room in one swift movent.
"Your move," Caius said.
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