Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The triplets
In another world...
Carlton stealthily crept through the palace garden, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and trepidation. He knew he should avoid Alaric at all costs - the last thing he wanted was to be the first empress in history to lay a smackdown on the emperor! Especially not with that infuriatingly smug grin plastered across Alaric’s stupidly handsome face.
Just then, a flurry of whispers reached his ears from around the corner. It sounded like some gossipy maids discussing their lord and master.
"...did you hear? Emperor Alaric has been running around like a lovesick puppy trying to find Empress Carlton!"
"...I know! Apparently he even abandoned his royal duties to go chasing after Empress again."
Carlton’s eyes widened in disbelief. That idiot Alaric had actually been looking for him? And he’d neglected his responsibilities as emperor to do it? The very idea made Carlton’s blood boil! How dare that arrogant prick throw away his responsibilities for a bit of tail?
Shaking off these distracting musings, Carlton focused back on the task at hand - following his mischievous triplet children as they crawled stealthily through the palace garden. The once dashing Duke, found himself in a rather undignified position - crawling on all fours through the palace garden like some sort of oversized puppy. The reason for this indignity? His three rambunctious children, the notorious triplets, had decided that they simply must take their dear daddy to a "special secret place" where no one would ever find them.
Rolling his eyes but too fond of them to refuse, Carlton got down on all fours and began crawling after them. He tried to maintain an air of seriousness befitting an empress, but it was difficult not to soften at their adorable antics.
Cristyn, always taking charge like her father, shushed him sternly from her position in front. "Ssshhhh Daddy! We’ll get caught by the guards if you make too much noise!"
Carlton nearly choked on his own tongue. Him, making noise? He hadn’t said a word this whole time! The triplets had been the ones chattering away nonstop like little magpies. But he knew better than to argue with a two-year-old at this juncture.
So he simply kept crawling silently behind them, wondering what on earth they could possibly be up to now.
Carlton heaved a heavy sigh as he crawled through the palace garden, his regal brow furrowed in exasperation. He knew damn well that the guards could see him and the triplets creeping about like a bunch of spies on some covert mission. But instead of alerting Alaric to their presence, they merely pretended not to notice - averting their eyes and maintaining stoic expressions.
It was almost comical how everyone in the palace had misunderstood that what Carlton was doing this time was a routine of bizarre antics from Carlton and Alaric’s love drama. In their minds, it played out like a scene straight out of some cheesy soap opera: the dashing emperor chasing after his feisty empress across sun-kissed beach.
Carlton running away giggling, arms flailing dramatically as he called over his shoulder "Kyaaa! Don’t chase me!" His smile betrayed his true feelings though - he loved every minute of their silly games. And then there was Alaric, grinning like a fool as he pursued his beloved across sand alike. "Wait for me!" he’d cry out in mock desperation, always careful not to actually catch his empress too quickly. Where’s the fun in that?
If Carlton ever found out that all people in palace actually perceived them that way... well, let’s just say the very idea made him want to throttle someone.
Preferably Alaric...
Carlton let out an exasperated sigh again as he crawled along, catching some of the guards’ knowing glances and barely concealed smirks. He could practically hear their thoughts: "Oh great, here we go again..."
It was infuriating! Did they really think he was just playing some silly game of chase with Alaric? That he was enjoying this little cat-and-mouse game? The nerve!
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder about his other self. Carlton shuddered at the thought of what might have transpired between him and Alaric in this world before his arrival. He had a sinking feeling it involved even more sappy declarations of love than usual.
But then again... maybe ignorance was bliss in this case. The less he knew about his other self’s exploits, the better off he’d probably be. Especially if it meant avoiding any potential cringe-worthy flashbacks!
Carlton’s eyes narrowed as the triplets suddenly stopped crawling and pointed excitedly at a small, nearly imperceptible crack in the wall of the crown prince’s quarters. His brow furrowed with curiosity - what on earth could they be gesturing at so enthusiastically?
Cristyn turned to him with a conspiratorial wink, her chubby little finger pressed to her lips. "Shhhh Daddy! It’s a secret!" she stage-whispered.
Before Carlton could question them further, Cristian and Cristina wriggled into the narrow opening with surprising agility for their age. Cristyn gave him an impatient look over her shoulder. "Well, Daddy? Are you coming or not?"
Sighing, Carlton peered into the dark crevice skeptically. This seemed like an awful lot of trouble just to play hide-and-seek... but he couldn’t resist his children’s pleading expressions.
"Alright, alright," he grumbled good-naturedly as he squeezed himself through the tight space after them. The passageway was cramped and claustrophobic, forcing him to duck his head and hunch his shoulders. "I hope this better be worth it, you little rascals..."
After a few moments of crawling through the dusty tunnel, Carlton emerged into a dimly lit chamber that made his jaw drop in shock.
He blinked rapidly, his mind reeling as he took in the scene before him. There stood Malcolm and Helena, their eyes wide with shock at the sight of their father emerging from beneath the table like some sort of subterranean creature. And behind them, poor royal tutor nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected intrusion.
But it was the triplets’ antics that truly stole the show. They sprang to their feet, brushing off dirt from their rumpled clothing with all the solemnity of miniature adults. Cristyn and Cristian struck identical poses - hands on hips, chins jutting out defiantly. Cristina took one look at her siblings’ stances and immediately mimicked them.
"Daddy," Cristyn declared importantly, "we have to round up all our siblings before we go to our super secret hideout!"
Carlton gaped at them incredulously. If they needed to gather everyone else, why on earth had they chosen this convoluted route? Crawling through garden and squeezing through tunnels when they could have simply walked here like normal people? It was enough to make Carlton’s head spin!
He suddenly realized how ridiculous he must look - an empress crawling out from under a table with three grubby toddlers in tow. No wonder everyone had given him such odd looks earlier! They probably thought he was trying to avoid Alaric, when in reality he’d been at the mercy of his mischievous offspring.
"Kids," Carlton said slowly, as if explaining something to a particularly dense adult, "we could have just walked here normally. There was no need for all this subterfuge!"
Cristyn grinned impishly up at him. "Duh, Daddy! But that’s not nearly as much fun! Besides..." She leaned in conspiratorially. "It’s a secret mission!"
Carlton pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. He groaned inwardly as he hauled himself to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes with a grimace. He couldn’t believe that in all his years of war, he’d never been toyed with quite like this by anyone - not even the most cunning of enemy generals. And yet here he was, being outsmarted by three tiny humans who had only just begun their journey in this world.
Turning to Ambrose, the royal tutor - with a serious expression, Carlton inclined his head in apology.
"Sir Ambrose, I hate to ask this of you, but I need Malcolm and Helena’s assistance for a few hours. Could we possibly postpone their lesson until later this afternoon?"
Ambrose inclined his head graciously. "Of course, Your Majesty. The young prince and princess’s studies can certainly wait a few hours." He bowed respectfully before taking his leave.
Carlton then faced Malcolm and Helena, noting their troubled expressions. "Are you two alright with that?"
Malcolm stepped forward earnestly while Helena nodded beside him. "Daddy," Malcolm said solemnly, "you’re still recovering from your illness. We can’t let you go off with the triplets alone in this state. They’re just too... energetic."
Helena giggled at her brother’s diplomatic choice of words. "Yes, Daddy. Cristian and Cristyn are like little hurricanes! We don’t want you to overexert yourself."
Carlton ruffled their hair, attempting to sound stern but failing miserably. "You two are good kids..." He praised, shaking his head in amazement. The notion that eldest children were angels and youngest ones were devils was a common myth, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t ring true in his case.
Cristian’s curious gaze landed on Carlton’s chest, and before he could react, the tiny human had pulled up his pants and examined him with an air of seriousness. "Daddy, let’s go get brother Nikolai and brother Austin this time."
Carlton gazed down at Cristian, a hint of exasperation creeping into his tone. "Alright, kiddo. But this time we’re walking normally – no crawling or sneaking around like little ninjas."
Cristian’s face fell as if he’d been punched in the gut. "Daaaaddyyy! That’s not fun!" He looked up at Carlton with pleading eyes. "To get brother Nikolai, we should climb silently up to the drawing room where he learns to paint... and then take the secret tunnel again to reach the training room where brother Austin practices his swordplay!"
Cristyn, never one to be outdone by her brother, immediately chimed in with a whine. "Yeah! Walking is boring!" Carlton rubbed his temples, feeling a migraine coming on again for the hundredth times. He tried to reason with them, reminding himself that he was dealing with toddlers who had the attention spans of gnats.
"You two are going to give me an aneurysm if I don’t put my foot down," he muttered under his breath before addressing them more calmly. "I know you think crawling around is fun, but Father needs to set some rules so we can all stay safe and healthy."
He paused for dramatic effect before adding, "And if you keep arguing with me like this... well, let’s just say there’s a big oak tree outside that would love to have you hanging upside down from its branches."
The triplets’ eyes widened at the threat – or perhaps it was the promise of even more excitement. Carlton could only pray that they’d listen this time as he ushered them towards the door.
Malcolm and Helena exchanged amused glances, shaking their heads in shared exasperation and love for their unpredictable siblings, then following them.
