Free Web NovelChapter 43: Episode 043: Caius is Free
A few weeks pass.
The cabin was quiet. Rue sat in her wooden chair, holding a bowl of sliced apples. Theron was on her lap and had gotten bigger. He wasn’t a fragile, squishy newborn anymore. His little body had filled out, and he had learned how to hold his head up high.
He stared at Rue.
It wasn’t a baby’s unfocused gaze. It was intense. He watched her every single move with bright, observant golden eyes. He looked like he was trying to learn the secrets of the universe, or perhaps he was just wondering why she insisted on eating the red fruit when he wanted milk.
"You are staring again," Rue chuckled, as she popped an apple slice into her mouth.
The more she explored motherhood, the more she understood what it meant to live.
Theron didn’t blink. He reached out a chubby hand and poked her chin.
Rue took his hand and kissed the palm. She felt a rare, quiet moment of peace as he giggled from the gesture. The stress of the panther territory and the long walk back seemed like a lifetime ago. Here, in the tree-lined neighborhood near the market, the air was clean and the neighbors were quiet.
Caius was busy near the hearth, cleaning his long, black coat. He moved with the grace of a lethal snake even when he was just folding cloth. He kept checking on them, his golden eyes flicking over to Rue every few seconds. He was acting like he had a lot to say.
Rue could see it but she was the least bit unbothered.
He was acting like he was in heat?!
How can a beastman want to breed again after getting a child? Is that even allowed?
[Don’t you enjoy it?]
You are seriously asking a virgin that.
[Used to be*]
Rue glared at the screen, while little Theron giggled. Rue frowned as she turned her gaze to him. There was something odd with her child.
He giggles and laughs for no reason. It only happens whenever she is talking to herself or the system.
Hmmm....
Rue decided to brush it off and tag it as something unnecessary for her to linger on. Instead she focused her attention on Caius again.
"You can sit down, you know," Rue said, watching him pace.
Caius didn’t look up. "I prefer to stand. My legs are ready."
Rue rolled her eyes. "Fine. Stand."
Then, a knock thundered against the front door. freēwebnovel.com
Caius went rigid. His scales rippled under his shirt. He was at the door in a blur, his hand instantly finding the hilt of his blade. He looked at Rue, his eyes flashing red.
"Stay behind me," he hissed.
Rue didn’t move. She watched Caius open the door.
Standing on the porch was Queen Tanith.
She wore a long, dark gown that looked like it was woven from shadows. Her face was a mask of cold, terrifying beauty. She did not look like she had come for a friendly tea party.
Caius bowed so low his head nearly touched the wood. "My Queen. Is there... is there trouble at the Palace?"
Tanith stepped inside without being asked. She ignored Caius entirely, and walked straight toward Rue, her eyes moving to the baby in her arms.
Rue didn’t even consider any greeting at all.
Because she was scared about what next this mysterious Queen could tell her about her past.
She already knows I am not of this world.
I should stay away from her.
[You will meet her more and more.]
...
Caius stood in the center of the room, his fists clenched. He was clearly expecting a summons to a war. His body was coiled like a spring, ready for a fight but that never came.
Tanith looked down at Theron.
The baby looked back at the terrifying Basilisk Queen. He didn’t cry. He gurgled, a tiny, happy sound, and reached out to grab one of the dangling, dark pearls on her necklace.
Tanith froze.
The cold, icy lines around her mouth softened. A strange, small flicker of something like warmth appeared in her dark eyes. She reached out with one finger and gently touched the baby’s tiny, pale nose.
Theron reminded her so much of Gianna when she was a kid.
"He has your eyes, Cai," Tanith cooed. Her voice sounded lower, almost tired. And Rue began to wonder, why did two sisters come to her all masked? What might have been going through their minds for them to see her?
Even if she had lost the resolve to die.
Didn’t mean she wanted to be anyone’s savior. She stepped back, and Tanith’s soft expression fell.
Just when she was about to speak, Caius’s voice came through. "My Queen?"
Tanith shifted her gaze from baby to Caius. She looked at her Left General, and looked at his posture, his tired eyes, and the way he stood between Rue and the rest of the world.
For the first time, a single thought registered in Tanith’s mind.
It must be nice.
She walked over to him. Caius tensed, but he didn’t move.
He was used to having strict Tanith, whom he could easily please, not this Mysterious Tanith that looked more spontaneous than ever.
"You have been my blade for a long time, Caius," Tanith started quietly, her gaze finally looking away, spacing out. "You have fought every war I asked for. You have assumed the role of a brother and a confidant. You never once asked for a rest."
Caius bowed his head. "It is my honor, My Queen."
"It is time for that to end," Tanith immediately retorted.
Rue’s brows jumped just at the same time Caius snapped his head up.
She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Caius frowned.
"I have assigned a new General to the front lines," she stated. "Your service to the Spires has been enough. You are no longer bound by the oath to the Palace."
Caius looked up, his golden eyes wide with shock. He couldn’t speak. Because he was trying to understand something as much as possible.
Tanith looked at her left general, her gaze steady and quiet.
"I am finally giving you the chance to build your family."
