Theodore looked back at the Queen and lowered his eyes on the cold marble floor, “We are mere servants of this castle, milady. I mean, I am. I don’t think the guards would heed to my request.”
“Good to know that you have at least that much amount of sense in you,” Queen Morganna scoffed, and she turned around and said, “Let me see you to your room. We don’t want you getting lost again.”
Theodore knew this would cause a problem, but with two more guards who appeared behind him, there was nothing much he could do but comply with the woman’s order. He bowed his head, and they started to head to the quarters where he and Calhoun had been allotted the room to stay. He was apprehensive because Calhoun wasn’t in the room, and instead, pillows were kept underneath the blanket.
“Were you not able to sleep too, my Queen?” asked Theodore, and the Queen looked at him as if he was a piece of trash.
“Who do you think you are to know what I do and don’t? Know your place, and be glad that I am not dragging you to the dungeon for finding you wandering in the corridors at this hour,” the tone Morganna used was calm, but there was an evident threat in it.
“Apologies for my rude question, my Queen,” Theodore bowed his head again.
“Hmph!” responded Morganna, and when they reached the room, the guards who had followed them opened the door.
Theodore noticed his bed didn’t hold the pillow but scattered blanket, and Morganna said,
“People usually work in pairs, you know, while trying to get something done. One to do the deed and the other to distract. What do you think you are, boy?” she asked Theodore, turning to look at him and waiting for him to reply.
“I don’t understand what you mean, milady,” he had an oblivious look on his face as if he didn’t understand what she said to him.
“Let me tell you then,” Morganna walked straight towards the other bed, and she pulled the blanket that was earlier covering the pillows before he and Calhoun had left the room through the open window. They used the window because Morganna had made the guards station around their room.
When Morganna pulled the blanket, her eyes widened, and she took a step back as Calhoun looked annoyed, and he stretched himself before getting up from the bed.
“Grandmother,” surprise was evident in his voice, and Calhoun asked, “What brings you here? Is everything alright?” his eyes then shifted to look at Theodore.
Morganna was sure that the bed was a decoy, a lie, but instead, she saw Calhoun had wrapped himself in the blanket. She looked gobsmacked with a loss of words.
When the Queen turned to look at Theodore’s face, his expression didn’t change. But Theodore politely said, “Queen Morganna wanted to see me to the room.”
Calhoun smiled, and he walked and came to stand in front of them, “What a kind Queen we have. With many snakes that walk around the castle, one will be worried about what might happen. The uncertainty always hangs in the air, doesn’t it, grandmother?”
Morganna felt as if she had made a fool of herself, and she scowled, “I am Queen Morganna, you shall address me as the Queen, and not by grandmother.”
Calhoun tilted his head at her words, “Why?” Hearing his question, Morganna frowned, “It seems like you don’t like to keep family relationships and rather prefer to have your status. I am your grandson, the next King of Devon.”
The guards had not stepped into the room, leaving Morganna alone in the room with Theodore and Calhoun in the room that was not well kept as the other rooms of the castle.
“I know why you are here, but you are dreaming too much if you think you will succeed in taking the throne away from any of us,” Morganna’s words were low, and she warned Calhoun. “It’s not too late to go back to the place from where you have come from. If needed, I will see to it that you are well taken care of for the rest of your life. With women, wealth, and everything you might fancy.”
A smile appeared on Calhoun’s lips, and he chuckled, turning Morganna only alert.
“I am your grandson, yet you try to distinguish me telling I am not one of you, but maybe you are right,” Calhoun nodded to himself, and he sighed. “Why settle for something of lesser value when I can have the world at my feet, the entire kingdom.”
“You’re playing with fire. Your mother didn’t heed my words and see what happened to her. You will face a fate worse than she did,” Morganna’s tongue clicked, but Calhoun didn’t back down.
“You have misunderstood me, grandma,” Calhoun’s voice was sweet. “My father is happy to reunite with me. It is only right that I stand next to him and support him.”
Morganna glared at him, and when she was about to leave, her eyes fell on Theodore, “You seem more sensible than this one. I will give you some time, and you can confess why he’s here. I will give you a position much better than what you are in right now, boy,” proposed Morganna, baiting Theodore, “Think wisely,” and she left the room with her guards following her.
Calhoun’s smile lowered from his face, and he looked at Theodore, “What were you doing talking to her? Didn’t you find someone better to talk to?” Turning around, he went to sit on the edge of the small bed.
Theodore stared at the door through which Morganna had stepped out of the room. Ignoring the question, he said, “She seemed to be in a hurry as if she wanted to go somewhere in the castle.”
Hearing this, Calhoun’s eyes narrowed. “I doubt she will be going back to where she wanted to go tonight,” he murmured to himself and then said to Theodore, “Avoid things that aren’t of importance,” and he laid on the bed.
Something told Theodore that Calhoun knew he had helped Lucy, or else Calhoun wouldn’t be here in the room when Morganna had arrived.
