Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Disappeared
Alaric strode into their shared chamber, expecting to find Carlton waiting for him. However, the room was eerily silent and empty - no sign of his beloved empress anywhere. Alaric frowned, puzzled by Carlton’s absence.
He had assumed Carlton would be tending to their children as he often did in the evenings. With a shrug, Alaric began to undress, slipping out of his formal attire and donning a more comfortable nightshirt. He settled onto the bed, propping himself up against the headboard as he waited patiently for Carlton to return.
As time crept by with no sign of his spouse, unease began to gnaw at Alaric’s mind. Memory of just days prior resurfaced - how Carlton had collapsed without warning in the palace garden before waking up with amnesia that very next morning. It was as if those eleven years of marriage and parenthood had simply vanished from Carlton’s mind.
The Emperor could not shake off this troubling thought as he rose from the bed with renewed urgency. He made his way down the corridor towards Malcolm’s chamber on the crown prince’s wing. Alaric raised a fist and knocked firmly on the door, hoping for some answers.
Moments later, Malcolm himself answered the door, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he rubbed them in confusion at the sight of his father standing there. "Father?" Malcolm yawned. "What brings you here so late?"
"Wasn’t your Daddy with you and your younger siblings after dinner? Where is he? Is he in your siblings’ chamber?" Alaric asked urgently, peering past Malcolm into the room. His gaze fell upon Kilian’s small form curled up on Malcolm’s bed, fast asleep - but no sign of Carlton anywhere.
Alaric felt a chill run down his spine as realization dawned that something was very wrong indeed. If Carlton wasn’t here with Malcolm and hadn’t returned to their own chamber either... where could he possibly be? Alaric felt a growing sense of unease as he pondered this mystery, determined to find his Empress or unravel what trouble he could possibly be in.
Malcolm’s sleepy eyes widened with concern as he shook his head in response to Alaric’s question. "No, Father. Daddy left my room a few hours ago," the young prince said, his voice still heavy with drowsiness. "He didn’t seem well, so he didn’t stay long before departing. Perhaps he went to see the royal physician?"
The perceptive Malcolm had noticed Carlton’s discomfort earlier, despite his daddy’s attempts to hide it. Carlton’s pallor and hasty exit from Malcolm’s chamber had set off alarm bells for the observant crown prince.
Alaric’s brow furrowed deeply as Malcolm’s words sank in, his worry intensifying. Carlton had left Malcolm’s chamber feeling unwell? The Emperor felt a pang of concern for his beloved Empress. He hoped fervently that Carlton had indeed sought out the royal physician for aid.
Forcing a reassuring smile onto his face, Alaric ruffled Malcolm’s hair affectionately, determined not to alarm the boy further with his own growing unease. "It’s okay, son. I’m sure your Daddy is perfectly fine. Probably just feeling a bit under the weather and wanted some rest," he soothed. "You get back to sleep now. I’ll rally the guards and we’ll find your Daddy posthaste."
Malcolm opened his mouth as if to protest or offer more information but then seemed to think better of it. He simply nodded solemnly in agreement, his expression a mix of concern and trust in his father’s abilities.
"I understand, Father," Malcolm replied softly. "I’m certain Daddy is alright, but I do hope you can locate him quickly if he is indeed unwell at the moment."
With those words, Malcolm retreated back into his chamber, leaving Alaric alone in the corridor with a heavy heart and a growing sense of urgency. The emperor knew he needed to act fast - Carlton’s health and whereabouts were too important to delay any longer.
As he strode through the palace halls summoning servants and royal guards alike to join him in the search, Alaric’s mind raced with possibilities. Where could Carlton have gone if he was feeling unwell? Had he truly sought out physician for treatment? Or had something more dire befallen his empress?
Alaric’s heart pounded with a mix of worry and dread as he rallied his men to scour every corner of the palace and grounds. He silently prayed to the gods that they would find Carlton safe and sound - and soon. For in all their years together, Alaric had never known Carlton to disappear like this without a trace or word.
The Emperor steeled himself for whatever challenges lay ahead, determined to locate his Empress no matter what it took. He could only hope that when they were reunited, Carlton would be well and whole once more.
As Alaric barked orders to his guards, dispatching them in all directions to search for Carlton, he didn’t forget the most obvious course of action - seeking out the royal physicians. He commanded his men to find Lucas and the other physicians posthaste and inquire if they had treated Carlton that evening.
One by one, the guards returned with shaking heads and furrowed brows. No one had laid eyes on Carlton or been summoned to treat him. It’s just that the only physician they can’t find at the moment is Lucas...
Alaric’s jaw clenched as he issued a new directive. "Find Lucas immediately! Bring him before me at once, no matter what task occupies him!" The emperor’s voice rang with authority and barely concealed urgency.
Minutes ticked by like hours as Alaric paced the corridor, his mind whirling with worst-case scenarios. Where could Carlton be? Why hadn’t he sought out medical attention if he was indeed unwell?
Just as despair began to creep into Alaric’s heart, a commotion echoed down the hall - raised voices and hurried footsteps approaching rapidly. Alaric whirled around to see his guards bearing down on him, and in their midst...
Lucas. Naked once again, save for a hastily draped blanket cinched around his waist,, leaving much of his slender physique on display. His hair was disheveled and there was an unmistakable flush to his cheeks that spoke of recent... activities.
The sight of the naked royal physician swathed only in a blanket brought back vivid memories for Alaric - deja vu indeed from just last night when nearly this exact scene had unfolded. Wasn’t this the exact same situation they’d found themselves in just last night? Lucas being carried naked through the palace by the emperor’s men? History seemed destined to repeat itself as Lucas was deposited before the emperor, looking equal parts confused and annoyed.
"Your Majesty," Lucas began, his voice still breathless from being unceremoniously interrupted mid-coitus. "I must protest this treatment! For the second time in two days, I have been rudely extracted from a most private moment by your guards. Surely there is some other way to summon me that does not involve my being carried about half-naked?"
Lucas’s eyes darted around wildly as he tried to make sense of his sudden abduction - clearly annoyed having been interrupted mid-coitus with one of his many lovers. The guards had apparently barged into Lucas’s chamber without so much as a by-your-leave, hauled him out of bed and carried him away - all while he was in the buff - then deposited before the Emperor without so much as an explanation.
The Emperor felt a pang of guilt for interrupting Lucas’s private moment yet again - and for the second night in a row no less! But Alaric pushed those thoughts aside. Finding Carlton was all that mattered at this point.
"I apologize, but this is an emergency situation," Alaric said urgently, trying to keep his composure despite the turmoil within. "Did Empress Carlton come to see you earlier? Do you know where he is now?"
As he spoke, Alaric couldn’t help but notice how Lucas’s blanket tented obscenely over his crotch, clearly displaying the physician’s own arousal. It seemed even a naked kidnapping by royal decree could not dampen Lucas’s lustful spirits.
God, this man is shameless. But if he knows where Carlton is, I’ll ignore the fact that he looks like he’s about to audition for a very different kind of royal service.
Lucas blinked owlishly at Alaric’s question, seemingly oblivious to his own state of undress or the Emperor’s mounting distress. "I did meet with Empress Carlton coincidentally a few hours ago," he replied matter-of-factly. "He mentioned his body feeling quite...hot and asked me for medicine."
The royal physician paused, a sly smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "I told him the only medicine he needed was you, Your Majesty," Lucas purred suggestively, "and I advised him to return to his chamber."
Alaric’s eyes widened in alarm at Lucas’s revelation. Carlton had indeed been experiencing the effects of the fruit, just as he’d feared! The Emperor’s heart raced with a mix of panic and primal desire - panic for his missing spouse, and desire to find Carlton and sate the hunger that surely consumed him.
"By the way, Your Majesty..." Lucas continued blithely, seemingly unaware of Alaric’s inner turmoil, "His Majesty Empress should be experiencing the full effects of that fruit right about... now." The physician glanced pointedly at the dark sky beyond the window.
Alaric felt his blood run cold at those words. Carlton was out there somewhere, vulnerable and desperate with need - and Alaric wasn’t by his side to provide the comfort and release he so desperately required. But then, suddenly, his mind raced with horrifying possibilities.
Had Carlton wandered off somewhere private to relieve himself? Or worse... what if someone else had found him first and taken advantage of his compromised state?
The Emperor felt a surge of panic unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He couldn’t bear the thought of Carlton suffering alone or being touched by another! He needed to find Carlton immediately!
"I... I don’t know where he is," Alaric confessed, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. "Empress Carlton is missing now."
The Emperor’s words hung heavy in the air as Lucas blinked up at him innocently, still not seeming to grasp the gravity of the situation. Alaric fought down a surge of frustration - he needed answers, and fast! But for now, all he could do was pray that Carlton was safe... and hope that wherever he was, his spouse found some way to sate the fire burning within him...
****
Under the silver glow of the moon, the hedge maze took on an almost mystical aura, its towering walls casting long, eerie shadows across the cobblestone path. Amidst this otherworldly scene strode a tall, broad-shouldered figure - Empress Carlton - his movements unsteady and labored as he struggled to maintain his footing.
"What in the seven hells is happening to me...?" Carlton muttered under his breath, his voice ragged with exertion and confusion. "Why does my body feel like it’s on fire? And why am I suddenly overcome with this...this insatiable need for Alaric?"
The Empress paused mid-step, bracing himself against one of the hedges as a wave of desire crashed over him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will away the intense arousal that threatened to consume him. But it was no use - every nerve ending in his body screamed for release.
"Is this some sort of aphrodisiac?" Carlton wondered aloud, desperation creeping into his tone. "But when did I ingest such a thing? And why would Alaric...?"
His thoughts trailed off as another shudder wracked his frame. Carlton’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation even as his body betrayed him. He knew he should return to the palace, seek out Alaric and demand answers...but the mere thought of seeing him sent a fresh surge of heat coursing through his veins.
The heat coursing through his veins demanded release - no, insisted upon it! But Carlton fought against it with every fiber of his being.
"I mustn’t give in," he ground out through gritted teeth. "I am Duke Carlton! I will not be ruled by my desires!"
But even as he spoke those defiant words, Carlton’s body betrayed him once more. His legs buckled beneath him and he pitched forward, his outstretched hands scrabbling for purchase against the dense foliage. For a moment, it seemed as though he might catch himself - but then his fingers slipped on the dew-slicked leaves and Carlton tumbled headlong into the hedge wall.
The impact knocked the wind from his lung, sending stars exploding across his vision. And in that instant of disorientation, Carlton felt something else take hold of him - a sensation like drowning in an endless sea of blackness. His thoughts scattered like leaves on the wind and all at once, everything went dark...
