Chapter 10: Of Secrets And Surprises

Chapter 10: Of Secrets And Surprises ƒreewebnσvel-com Kethra cleared her throat loudly, and Aramith immediately noticed the sharpness in her gaze, the dark expression that conveyed more than words ever could. He straightened up instantly, his grin faltering, and forced himself to sit still. It felt like laughter was hanging on the edge of his lips, ready to burst out at any moment, but he swallowed it down. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mozrael, her posture slightly hunched, her head lowered even further. Her hair covered her face, hiding it completely, and Aramith could guess, though he couldn’t see, that her cheeks were probably turning a deep shade of red from embarrassment. Lia, sitting beside him, slumped deeper into her chair, her exhaustion painted all over her face. "My stomach hurts," Lia groaned again, letting her head fall heavily onto the table. Aramith, who had been trying to keep the mood light, gave her a sideways glance. "Then we should get you out of here as fast as possible so you can get some medicine," he suggested. "I don’t need medicine. I need to eat," Lia retorted, raising her head just enough to look at him with wide, innocent eyes. Aramith raised an eyebrow. "I know, you need to eat medicine," he replied dryly, barely suppressing the smirk that wanted to form. "Yes, I only need medicine, and I’ll be alright." She beamed at him with a self-assured grin that only further proved she was actually unbothered by whatever was wrong with her. "Oh, well, that’s great! Go on out to get your medicine, then," Aramith said, the relief of possibly getting rid of her evident in his tone. "Oh really?" Lia’s voice grew playful, her eyes sparkling. "You’ll watch over me until I get better?" Her teasing was clear, but it only fueled Aramith’s frustration. "Like I would! You’re not even sick," he muttered, his words sharp and sarcastic. "I’m not?" Lia asked with a thoughtful expression. "Of course, you aren’t," Lia sighed dramatically, dropping her head once again. "I wanted the three of us to go shopping today, but I don’t think you’d even want to go anymore. You’ve been mean to me since I woke you up. Now we can’t go," she said, her voice adopting the pitiful tone of someone who’d just been wronged. "What did I miss?" Henndar’s voice suddenly cut through the tension as he entered the room, his regal presence filling the space. His red robe, trimmed with gold, shimmered as he glided gracefully to his seat, an immediate air of authority surrounding him. Lia, being the one to usually answer the question waited a while before suddenly speaking up. "Aramith has been mean to me the whole day and I planned for us to go shopping." She complained. Although they termed it as shopping, they would only shop within the castle walls. People were paid to act and make the chosen place look and feel like they were going for shopping because they couldn’t be allowed to go out. The people loved Lia, but due to some part events, they ridiculed Aramith and Mozrael. Henndar looked at Aramith. "Is that true?" A faint smile hung at the edge of his lips as he could already see where this was all going. Aramith, caught off guard, swallowed the bite of food in his mouth and looked up at his father, trying to hide his discomfort. "Well... I guess I remember Lia mentioning it yesterday. But I must have forgotten," he said sheepishly, trying to dodge any responsibility. Lia, not missing the opportunity to accuse him, jumped in. "He even made Mozrael feel bad!" "Wha-" Aramith was immediately put on the defensive, realizing that Lia had probably prepared a full list of complaints to paint him as the villain. He was certain if he tried to explain himself, it would only make things worse, so he chose the path of least resistance. "Ah, I see," Henndar said, turning to Kethra, who, for a brief moment, exchanged a knowing glance with him. Aramith could feel the weight of the moment, but no one spoke. It was like they were waiting for him to say something, but he stayed silent. "I don’t see what’s so wrong with the idea. You’ve been quite busy lately, Aramith," Kethra said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, her voice cool but considerate. "It would only make sense for you to all go out for a while. You just need to get ready, and I’ll arrange everything else." Henndar nodded in agreement, his eyes softening as he looked at his children. "It seems Lia has already made preparations for the outing, hasn’t she?" Lia’s face brightened immediately. "Mm! I even had the clothes selected and prepared." "Of course," Kethra added, her voice light but firm. "Lia has thought of everything. I don’t think you want to deny everything she’s done for you, do you?" "No, I guess not," Aramith replied curtly, his tone betraying his reluctance. He couldn’t help but feel that he was being pushed into a corner. As the meal continued, a servant slipped in quietly and whispered something to Henndar. Henndar nodded thoughtfully, then spoke a few words to the servant, waving him off as if dismissing something trivial. "I need to meet with Gebreth," he announced to the table before rising and moving toward Kethra’s side. He whispered something into her ear, and for a brief second, their eyes locked in an unspoken exchange, something that made Aramith feel more uncomfortable than ever. Henndar leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Kethra’s cheek. She didn’t react, her composure unshaken, but Aramith caught the faintest blush creeping onto her face. He glanced at Lia, who only giggled under her breath, a knowing smile on her lips. Aramith couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on that he wasn’t privy to, and it left him uneasy. "Oh, and come present yourselves to me before you leave," Henndar said with a teasing chuckle, clearly in a good mood as he turned to exit. His words, though lighthearted, only seemed to deepen the mystery of the moment. Aramith couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of foreboding as his father’s laughter echoed in his mind. The room fell into an eerie silence after Henndar’s departure, and Aramith, feeling increasingly out of place, was the first to break it. "Well, then," Kethra said, standing with grace, her voice cutting through the stillness. "Shall we?" Lia seemed eager to follow her mother’s lead, her earlier reluctance forgotten the moment she spotted the maid coming in with a tray of cookies. "Mom," Aramith began, speaking quietly but urgently. "I don’t know for sure, but I think Gebreth might be displeased if we don’t attend our lessons as usual." Lia raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, I wonder what he’ll do when the King and Queen have given us permission to do this." "Just shut up," Aramith muttered, not bothering to hide his frustration. His mind raced with suspicions and confusion. He knew there was more to this than they were letting on, and it was starting to annoy him. Kethra smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling with mystery. "Don’t worry about that. Your father said he would inform Gebreth, so it’s already been taken care of." Aramith’s eyes narrowed, suspicion growing in the pit of his stomach. Something was happening behind the scenes, and he didn’t like it. He felt like the only one in the dark, surrounded by people who knew more than they were letting on. "Mom," he pressed again, moving closer to her, his voice lowered. "Did Dad say anything about me to you?" Kethra’s expression changed in an instant, confirming his suspicions. Her smile deepened, but it wasn’t the reassuring smile Aramith had hoped for. "Oh, it’s nothing much. Just a surprise your father doesn’t want you to miss. I’m sure you’ll like it." "A surprise? Can I know what it is?" Aramith persisted, his impatience creeping into his voice. "Well," Kethra continued, "I’m sure it’s something you’ll enjoy. You might even find it a pleasant surprise. It’s been a while" Lia giggled softly, clearly enjoying his discomfort, and Mozrael, ever the silent observer, simply sighed quietly. She turned to him, her smile wry as she shrugged, as though she too was in on something he wasn’t. Aramith’s unease deepened. He could sense that the mystery surrounding him was only growing, and the more he tried to unravel it, the more elusive it became. His eyes darted from one familiar face to another, but no one offered him any answers. Only the maid, almost invisible in her quiet presence, seemed unaffected by the growing tension. Aramith’s mind was spinning with thoughts of what was really going on. But no matter how hard he tried to piece it all together, he felt the unsettling chill of being left out of something important. "I don’t like this feeling," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. He couldn’t shake the thought: something was about to happen, and he wasn’t going to like it one bit.