Chapter 56: The urgent request
As Ceremus sat at his desk, his nose buried in mountains of paperwork, his mind couldn't help wandering off to a certain white-haired guard who was currently running an errand for his advisor.
Now that he was alone, Ceremus found himself replaying the memory of the night before.
The moment they returned to the palace, a deep-seated fear had settled in his chest, unshakable and suffocating. The kiss they had shared only solidified what he had been trying to deny—he loved Hael.
And that terrified him.
For the first time, there was someone else in this world with whom he could be vulnerable with. Someone who could shatter him with their absence.
It meant that, at any moment, he could lose him.
As anxiety continued to gnaw at his mind, Anemone came into his study with a grim expression on his face. The king tilted his head as he braced himself for whatever devastating news his advisor had to deliver this time. It was always when Ceremus felt at peace that disaster liked to strike.
With a weary sigh, he waited for Anemone to speak.
"Your Majesty, we've received a letter from King Aeson," Anemone began. "He is requesting our assistance..."
Ceremus' frown deepened with each passing second, the tension in his face unmistakable. Seeing it filled Anemone with a familiar sense of unease, but he pressed on.
"According to the letter, a disaster-level monster has laid siege to the city gates. No matter how many knights and warriors they send, none have survived. They have been unable to defeat the creature, and they have no one else to turn to."