Chapter 47: Wedding portrait
Dexter walked behind his king and Calhoun followed them too.
"You are quite lucky your highness. The beast king is still unaware of your absence." Dexter said as he walked beside Calhoun.
Calhoun pursed his lips hearing this. He was thankful that Dexter gave him this peace of information, but also understood that he can reveal the truth to his father at any moment.
"I know right. My lucky stars are shining brighter than ever." Calhoun commented and walked past the elf prince.
Lawrence was already inside the modest house, looking at the interior and architecture. He can tell it must have belonged to some mythiopian, since the architecture looked quite similar.
With tall white pillars and beautifully sculpted arcs everywhere, the house almost felt like a holy temple.
"You might want to check the room upstairs your majesty" Calhoun commented as he pointed towards the stairs.
Lawrence nodded and followed, while Dexter was alert for any stupid tricks that might harm the king.
Calhoun stopped in front of a closed door. The door had intricate wooden designs on it. There were two rooms on the floor. Not very big, but spacious enough for one small family to live.
The beast prince opened the door and let Lawrence enter first before following him in.
When Calhoun first arrived the entire top floor was quite a mess, as if someone broke in. There were blood stains, dragging marks, broken vases, a bloodied sword, and torn curtains.
When he inspected the rooms, the first room, where he was staying currently looked fine and clean, but the second room, which they were entering right now, looked like a battle field.
The marble railing in the balcony was broken, deep sword marks on the pillars, lamp oil spilled on the floor, mirror shattered all across the room and some badly burnt furniture.
He didn't clean the room and simply locked it. Might he too felt that Lawrence might want to see this.
"Is this how the room was?" Lawrence asked sensing the vibrations in the room. It took him sometime, but he still figured out that the vibrations was quite similar to the dark aura surrounding the human realm gate.
It was not that sinister here, but still dark and filled with menace.
"Yes, your majesty. The entire floor was like this when I first arrived" Calhoun informed.
Lawrence and Dexter both inspected the room. Calhoun didn't bother them and stood at the door.
Lawrence's and Dexter's eyes met as they both came to a conclusion. Along with the dark aura, there were few other vibrations they felt. One of them was on the same level as that of the coin connecting the worlds.
Is this where the gatekeeper used to stay?
Lawrence went towards the dressing table. There were a few woman jewellery there. 'Must belong to his wife' the king thought.
"Your Majesty" Dexter called out. Lawrence walked towards him to see what he wanted to show.
There was a huge portrait hanging on the wall covered with a red cloth. Lawrence signaled and Dexter pulled off cloth, revealing a beautiful wedding portrait.
Calhoun had already seen the portrait before, so he left the room silently giving the king privacy he needed. The king had not disturbed him all this while even after knowing he was here. So decided to not interfere anymore.
Lawrence and Dexter stood in shock as they looked at the portrait. They would have marveled at the painter's skills if not for the couple posing for the portrait.
The elf-prince gazed at the king. Lawrence had a complex expression, which after a lot of thinking Dexter termed as blank.
Lawrence stared at the portrait without blinking. He saw Isabella dressed in a beautiful red long skirt paired with a golden top and an embroidered silk scarf draped on her shoulder elegantly.
Behind her was her groom, dressed in golden robes. His blue orbs looking at his bride. The bride and groom looked so happy and in love.
Lawrence mostly looked at Dylan.. or Draphior. He was sure he was looking at Draphior because of the bracelet kind of ornament he was wearing. It had the coin - royal heirloom embed into it.
"Is this why the gate opened within the prince consort and not the coin? Because he is the gatekeeper?" Dexter asked, earning a sharp glare from Lawrence.
Prince consort? He haven't even approved that paper marriage yet and here people already titled Dylan as prince consort?
Dexter shut his mouth sensing the king's irritation. He can only think in his mind how it was useless for the king to get angry over this matter. Their crown princess already chose Dylan and is loyal to him.
"That looks like the ancestral shrine, your Majesty" Dexter pointed out. Indeed the background of the portrait was the ancestral hall.
Lawrence remembered that royal weddings were usually held there but then someone in the previous generations build a wedding hall within the palace and no one held the weddings in the ancestral hall anymore.
The king sighed looking at the portrait and the destroyed room. What worried him was the blood stains on that beautiful portrait.
As a father, he didn't like seeing blood splattered over his daughter's portrait. So with a snap of his fingers the entire room turned new.
No blood stains, no burnt furniture and broken railings. Everything was as good as new. They just needed to put them all back in right place.
"What do you plan to do now, your majesty?" Dexter asked.
"Guess I will have to teach that boy some magic." Lawrence sighed. If Dylan is Draphior, even if born as a normal human, there must be some magic within him to open the gates.
"Dexter. You will stay here." Lawrence ordered. Dexter didn't expect this.
Stay here? Here? With that beast prince? Is his king abandoning him here in the middle of no where?
"The portal might open here in the snowblood mountains. I want you to be here to fetch the crown princess whenever she arrives." Lawrence explained.
Dexter shrugged and nodded. Fine. He would have to attend the ancestral ceremony if he went back. Which meant meeting his father. No thanks. He would be lot more happy here. Just like that beast prince.
Both of them walked out the room. Calhoun was downstairs, still figuring out what he should do to host these two guests.
Had this been the palace, everything would have happened according to the protocols, scripted. He wouldn't have to rack his brain like this.
"It is nice hosting you in Mythiopia, prince Calhoun. Hope you enjoy your stay." Lawrence commented.
Calhoun blinked. Right. Snowblood mountains actually fell into the Mythiopian borders except for the few outer ranges which went towards Vandrad. So he was the guest, and they were the host.
The prince awkwardly nodded and bowed. He felt he has lost the ability to strike conversations after being away from civilization for a while.
Lawrence didn't say anything else and left. Calhoun waited for the elf prince to follow his king but Dexter simply settled on the couch in the living room.
"Are you not leaving Lord Dexter?" Calhoun asked as he settled himself down on the couch. ow that Lawrence had left, he felt he could feel his brain working normally again.
"I will keep you company here." Dexter said as a matter of fact as he stretched his legs on the couch.
Calhoun cursed him in mind. He was happy being alone here. He didn't want this beautiful elf roaming around in front of his eyes.
"Cough .. cough.. Is that crown princess Isabella?" Calhoun asked after a while. He made that guess before, just wanted to confirm.
Dexter nodded. There was no harm in telling this much to him.
"And who is that man with her highness?" Calhoun asked again.
Dexter noticed how the prince's temperament had changed a lot after staying away from the royal palace. The carefree life here had indeed brought out the youth in him.
"Her husband."
Calhoun was taken aback. Husband? The princess was just 18 right?
Marriage at 18 wasn't uncommon. But there was no hurry in a crown princess's marriage. There would be a long line of political suitors for her. And since woman don't usually maintain a harem like men, they chose carefully before settling down with someone.
"Why? You look disappointed prince Calhoun" Dexter smirked. He was just joking.
Calhoun scoffed. He remembered that cunning Vakra by Adrian's side. He had been trying to instill crown princess into Adrian's mind like since forever. He would love to see their faces after hearing the news.