Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Strange fruit
Carlton paced the opulent chamber like a caged lion, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation. The young Duke’s usually stoic facade had been replaced by a flurry of emotions as he grappled with the bizarre turn of events that had befallen him.
After his intense conversation with the children and Alaric, Carlton felt an overwhelming need for solitude to gather his thoughts. Fifteen minutes prior, he had dismissed everyone, insisting on being left undisturbed so that he might rest and reflect upon their predicament in peace.
With purposeful strides, Carlton exited the palace garden and made his way to the shared bedchamber he occupied with Alaric. He crossed the threshold into their lavish quarter, and paused for a moment to survey the grandeur surrounding him - ornate tapestries adorning the walls, plush carpets underfoot, and gilded furnishings gleaming in the soft candlelight.
But Carlton’s gaze lingered on none of these wonders. His eyes darted around the room, settling on familiar items that now felt like a heavy burden. He tried not to dwell on the personal items strewn about that hinted at a life he couldn’t remember living.
As Carlton strode back and forth across this lavish expanse, his mind raced with questions he couldn’t begin to answer. How could he have reacted as if he’d been pregnant? As if someone had harmed an unborn child growing within him? It was absurd! Impossible!
"I am a man!" Carlton declared aloud, his voice echoing through the cavernous room. "I cannot bear children! This is madness!"
Yet even as he spoke the words, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered that perhaps it wasn’t so far-fetched. That perhaps there was some truth to this strange new reality he found himself inhabiting.
Carlton shook his head vehemently, trying to dislodge such ludicrous notions. He was a man, also a Duke, for heaven’s sake! A confidant to the crown prince! Such things simply did not happen...did they?
His pacing grew more agitated as he grappled with these unsettling thoughts. The plush carpet muffled his steps but could do nothing to quiet the tumult within him. Carlton felt like he was losing his grip on sanity itself - and yet part of him couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, this was all real after all.
Not long after, with renewed determination, he strode towards a nearby shelf, desperate to find some shred of evidence that would confirm his sanity and prove this was all just a cruel illusion.
He scanned the items on the shelf with growing frustration - books, trinkets, and various knick-knacks that meant nothing to him. Carlton’s brow furrowed as he rifled through them one by one, but after several long minutes of fruitless searching, he was forced to admit defeat.
Resignedly, Carlton turned away from the shelf and made his way over to the bedside cabinet. He knew it was likely futile - what could possibly be in there that would shed light on this perplexing situation? But at this point, even grasping at straws seemed preferable to simply accepting this madness.
As expected, when Carlton opened the cabinet drawer, he found only an innocuous wooden box nestled within. For a moment he considered leaving it be - surely whatever lay inside couldn’t possibly help him make sense of any of this. But something compelled him to pick it up, to open it and see what secrets it might hold.
Inside the box, Carlton discovered a velvet pouch tied with a shimmering golden cord. His expression remained stoic even as his curiosity piqued - what could be concealed within such an ornate container? With deliberate motions, he untied the cord and poured the contents into his palm.
Carlton’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the peculiar something like fruit nestled there. It was small and intricately shaped, resembling a star with multiple points jutting out from its surface. He had never seen anything quite like it before.
Carefully, Carlton lifted one of the strange fruits closer to his face for inspection. He turned it over in his fingers, marveling at its unusual texture and coloration. What manner of plant could produce such an exotic specimen?
"What in the world is this?" Carlton murmured aloud. "I’ve never laid eyes on such a thing..."
Carlton’s curiosity got the better of him as he brought the peculiar fruit to his lips. He licked it tentatively, not intending to consume it but rather to gauge its edibility and potential toxicity. His father had instilled in him a strict regimen from childhood - forcing him to ingest small amounts of poison so that his body would gradually build up a tolerance. This harsh upbringing left Carlton with an uncanny ability to detect poisons and resist their effects.
As Carlton’s tongue made contact with the fruit, the sudden slamming of the chamber door startled him, causing his head to jerk up in surprise. In that moment of distraction, he accidentally swallowed the small morsel whole before he could even register what had happened.
Alaric burst into the room in a flurry of excitement, his eyes immediately seeking out Carlton.
"Darling!!! It’s been almost an hour and I missed you!" Alaric exclaimed breathlessly as he rushed towards Carlton.
The unexpected intrusion and loud noise sent shockwaves through Carlton’s system, momentarily overriding any other sensations or thoughts. As realization dawned that he had inadvertently swallowed the strange fruit, Carlton’s eyes widened in alarm. But almost instantly, he sensed that whatever it was, it posed no immediate threat to his health.
Carlton quickly schooled his features into a neutral expression as Alaric approached him, not wanting to reveal the inner turmoil he felt. He fixed his best friend with a stern glare, irritation evident in the set of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Carlton demanded coolly, his voice cutting through Alaric’s excited babble like a knife. "I explicitly requested solitude and privacy - did you not hear me?"
Despite the calm exterior he presented, Carlton’s mind raced with questions about what exactly he had just consumed. The taste lingered on his tongue - sweet yet slightly bitter, with an unusual tingle that seemed to permeate throughout his body. He would need to keep a close eye on any potential effects or side effects... but then a wave of dizziness washed over him.
Carlton’s brow furrowed as a peculiar sensation began to spread through his abdomen, distinct from the dizziness that still lingered at the edges of his consciousness. As one of the empire’s most formidable warriors, he was no stranger to pain and discomfort - even in the throes of a raging fever, Carlton had led his men into battle without hesitation. This minor inconvenience was nothing compared to the agony he had endured on countless occasions.
Alaric’s eyes fell upon the velvet pouch clutched in Carlton’s hand and he enveloped him in a warm embrace, his smile radiating affection.
"Even though you lost your memory," Alaric murmured against Carlton’s ear, "you still didn’t forget to eat that? Thank goodness your body remembers." He pulled back slightly, his gaze earnest. "The royal physicians and apothecary researched about that fruit extensively - besides its primary purpose, it is indeed beneficial for your health. You should consume it once every month."
Carlton bristled at the unexpected hug but remained silent as Alaric’s words sunk into his mind like stones dropped into still water.
A fruit for health? So this strange fruit was not some unknown poison or exotic delicacy, but rather a health supplement?
The thought struck him with surprising force, instantly erasing any lingering suspicion or unease about its effects within him. A wave of relief washed over him, replacing the unsettling sensations with a sense of calm.
If only he knew the true nature of this innocuous fruit...a secret that lay hidden beneath its deceptively simple exterior...
