Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Unintentional assistance
As Carlton and his brood of children approached the training grounds, a familiar figure came into view. Sir Galahad, the legendary knight whose reputation for skill and honor preceded him throughout the land, was engaged in a spirited swordplay session with Austin.
Carlton felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as he watched the exchange. He recalled his own youthful days spent under Sir Galahad’s tutelage, learning the ways of the blade alongside Alaric. It seemed like only yesterday that they had been eager young lads, soaking up every bit of wisdom their mentor had to offer.
Sir Galahad noticed their arrival and strode towards them with purposeful steps. "Your Majesty," he said with a respectful bow. "Have you come to observe Prince Austin’s progress?"
Austin immediately ceased his practice swings upon seeing his family and bounded towards them with unbridled enthusiasm. His eyes sparkled with joy at the prospect of spending time with his father and siblings.
Carlton returned Sir Galahad’s greeting with a rare smile - a genuine one that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Sir Galahad," he said warmly, his voice tinged with nostalgia and respect for the man who had played such an integral role in shaping him into the warrior he was today.
"I actually wished to take Austin away for a short while to engage in some activities with his brothers and sisters," Carlton explained, glancing down at his youngest son with affection.
Austin’s face lit up like a beacon at this news. He turned to Sir Galahad with puppy-dog eyes, pleading desperately for permission to join them. "Please, Sir! I promise I’ll make up for lost time tomorrow by doubling my training hours!" he vowed earnestly.
Sir Galahad chuckled good-naturedly at Austin’s impassioned plea. He placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder and nodded approvingly. "Very well, young prince. Enjoy your time with your family - but do not forget your responsibilities as heir apparent."
Austin beamed and nodded vigorously before rushing over to join his waiting siblings. Carlton thanked Sir Galahad once more before turning to lead his children away from the training grounds.
As they set off from the training grounds, Austin’s innocent question hung in the air like a lead balloon. "So... where are we going?" he asked, his brow furrowed with curiosity.
Carlton froze mid-step, realizing with a sinking feeling that he had no earthly idea! His initial impulse had been to simply escape Alaric’s presence and perhaps discover this mysterious secret spot the triplets had mentioned. But in the excitement of rounding up all his children from their lessons, Carlton had completely lost sight of any coherent plan.
Two days into fatherhood and already he was failing miserably at the parental duties. Carlton mentally facepalmed himself for his lack of foresight. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. What could he possibly say? "Sorry kids, Father doesn’t know where we’re going?" Yeah, that would go over well...
Just as Carlton was about to confess his blunder, Cristyn and Cristian piped up with their own mischievous suggestions. Their eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement as they regaled their siblings with tales of this mysterious secret place.
"There’s a door that can’t be opened!" Cristyn exclaimed dramatically.
"And strange sounds and cries echoing through the halls!" Cristian added ominously.
The atmosphere shifted instantly as Carlton and the older children sobered up at this revelation. Malcolm gripped Cristian’s shoulder tightly, his brow furrowed with concern. "Where did you three discover such a place?" he demanded.
Helena stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly as she voiced everyone’s unspoken fears. "You don’t think... it could be something dangerous or haunted?"
Austin paled at the thought, his earlier excitement draining away. "Do you really think so? Maybe we shouldn’t go..."
Carlton’s mind raced as he tried to process this new development. Part of him wanted to forbid the triplets from ever going near such a place again. But another part, he yearned to uncover the truth behind their discovery...
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever lay ahead. "We’ll investigate," he declared firmly. "But we must be cautious and stick together at all times."
The children nodded solemnly in agreement, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in this mysterious hidden place - even if their father was still clueless about what exactly they were getting themselves into.
As the triplets scampered off with unbridled enthusiasm, Cristyn latched onto Carlton’s hand and tugged him along to follow her siblings. Carlton’s mind whirled with doubts - was it truly wise to bring all his children into what was likely a perilous situation? Perhaps he should have gone alone with the royal guards, persuaded the triplets to merely describe this mysterious place verbally without putting them directly at risk.
"Kids..." Carlton began, intending to voice his reservations and call for a halt. But before he could finish his thought, a small figure came barreling towards them at breakneck speed.
"Brother Malcolm!!!" the child cried out, hurtling towards Malcolm with arms outstretched.
Malcolm deftly caught the tiny projectile and embraced him in a warm hug, his face breaking into a gentle smile.
"Kilian... you’re here," Malcolm murmured softly, stroking the boy’s hair. "But how did you know we were coming this way?"
Carlton blinked in surprise as recognition dawned on him. Kilian? Wasn’t that Rowan and Kastiel’s son? The kid was much shorter than Malcolm, his small frame easily engulfed by his older friend’s embrace.
He shook his head in disbelief, still struggling to wrap his mind around the concept of Kastiel and Rowan as a married couple with children. In this bizarre world where men could bear offspring and same-sex relationships were commonplace, even the most unlikely pairings seemed possible.
Carlton studied the boy more closely - there was no denying that Kastiel’s fiery red hair and Rowan’s deep green eyes were clearly visible in Kilian’s features. Despite himself, Carlton felt a grudging sense of approval at the child’s healthy and adorable appearance. Perhaps one day this cute little tyke would be his future son-in-law...
Malcolm chuckled softly as Kilian clung to him, answering his question with an innocent giggle.
"I was with Father and Daddy," Kilian explained brightly. "They wanted to meet Uncle Emperor... but then they said they needed to discuss something first before meeting Emperor, so they told me to play alone here..."
Carlton raised an eyebrow at this revelation. What could possibly be so important that Rowan and Kastiel needed to have a private discussion before meeting the Emperor? He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity, even as he mentally prepared himself for whatever unusual family dynamics might be at play.
"I see... then you want to play with us?" Malcolm asked, although already knowing the answer.
"Oh yes, I do! Brother Malcolm, you’re the best!" Kilian exclaimed joyfully. He planted a sweet kiss on Malcolm’s cheek before Malcolm could react, leaving him blushing and momentarily speechless as he patted the younger child’s head gently.
Helena and Austin couldn’t resist teasing their elder brother about his flushed face. "Wow Brother Malcom, you’re as red as a tomato!" Helena giggled. Austin joined in with a smirk. "Yeah! Brother Malcolm is turning redder than Kilian’s hair!"
Carlton internally facepalmed as he witnessed this display of innocent same-sex affection between the youngsters. He had only just joked about Kilian potentially being his future son-in-law, but seeing it play out before him left him momentarily speechless.
He quickly began chanting a mantra under his breath - "This is normal here, this is normal here..." - trying to convince himself that he wasn’t witnessing anything unusual. With an inward sigh and a muttered mantra, Carlton pushed aside his initial shock and focused on the interaction at hand.
Kilian suddenly extricated himself from Malcolm’s embrace and noticed Carlton’s presence for the first time. The young boy bowed politely, addressing the Empress with a respectful greeting.
"Your Majesty, good afternoon. I hope I have not disturbed your Majesty’s precious time with the royal children..."
Carlton nodded approvingly at Killian’s impeccable manners and gentle demeanor. The boy was not only adorable but also well-mannered, which boded well for his future prospects - especially if he and Malcolm were to become a couple someday.
As long as they found happiness together, Carlton mused, that was all that truly mattered in the end. He may not fully understand of same-sex relationships, but he could certainly appreciate the genuine affection between Malcolm and Kilian.
"It’s okay... where are your parents now?" he asked Kilian, wondering why Rowan and Kastiel would leave their young child unattended in the palace garden.
Carlton couldn’t help but feel a twinge of concern. Despite the presence of royal guards, there were still numerous potential dangers lurking about that could pose a threat to an innocent child like Kilian.
Kilian’s chubby finger pointed vaguely towards a cluster of trees in the distance. "They’re there, discussing something important," he explained innocently.
Carlton shook his head disapprovingly. "Even so, it’s not safe for you to be left here alone. Come along, let’s go find them."
As Carlton strode forward with Cristina and Nikolai in tow, Cristyn and Cristian scampered ahead excitedly. Malcolm walked behind him holding Kilian’s hand, while Helena and Austin brought up the rear.
However, just as they began to approach what appeared to be Rowan and Kastiel’s location, Cristyn and Cristian suddenly returned to Carlton’s side with wide-eyed expressions. Cristian placed a single finger against his lips in a hushing gesture.
"Shhh Daddy," he whispered conspiratorially. "We can’t go there! Uncle Rowan and Uncle Kastiel are playing ’Go To Heaven’ together! Father Emperor once said we mustn’t disturb people who are playing that game, or else the disturbers will go straight to hell!"
".....?"
Carlton’s eyes widened in shock as he processed his son’s words. ’Go To Heaven’ again? Surely Cristian couldn’t mean... no, it was impossible!
Carlton’s worldview shattered in an instant as Kilian’s innocent words pierced through the veil of his childhood innocence. The young boy’s so oblivious to the scandalous nature of his revelation.
"I heard Father say he wanted to talk to Daddy about making a new little sibling for me! Before sending me off to play by myself, I overheard Father saying he wanted to try... well..." Kilian trailed off, struggling to find the right words for such adult concepts. "...the B-E-E-P-P position with Daddy. And then he said he wanted to B-E-E-P Daddy real hard! If possible, B-E-E-P-"
Malcolm quickly clamped a hand over Kilian’s mouth before any more vulgarities could spill out. Though only ten years old himself, Malcolm instinctively knew that such topics were not meant for young ears and should only be discussed between consenting adults.
Meanwhile, Carlton felt a vein throbbing angrily on his forehead as he processed the profanities pouring from this child who was likely no older than six or seven. With a roar that shook the very foundations of the palace, Carlton bellowed his confidant’s name with all the fury of a tempest.
"ROWWWAAAANNN!!!!"
However, Carlton’s outburst had an unexpected consequence. The sheer volume and intensity of his scream startled Rowan and Kastiel in the midst of their intimate encounter, causing them to reach their peak more quickly than anticipated.
It was that very moment, as Carlton’s enraged shout echoed through the garden, that later Kastiel found himself impregnated with their fourth child - all thanks to Carlton’s unintentional assistance...
