I open my mouth to speak but quickly closed it as I came up with nothing to say yet, taking another long moment before finally coming up with something and meeting his narrowed gaze with a slight glare of my own and nothing but harsh seriousness in my tone. “If you or your… lovers, repeat a word of what I say, I will make you and them and anyone else you have told pay for daring to put my lover and friends into more danger, understand?” His eyes widened in genuine shock, but gives an affirmative nod, waiting for me to continue. “I came back early because I… I ran into a dying mother with her infant child and she trusted me to take her child. I do not know exactly what it was that she wanted but I brought that child back here after she handed him over and I will do whatever I must without a second thought to see that boy grow up into a happy and healthy adult with my lover and I by his side.” I explain, feeling more nervous and hesitant to speak than I ever have before. I was admitting to committing a crime, potentially treason if my father sees it that way. “You and those two in your bedroom are now some of the very few that know of his existence.”

“Who else knows? Other than your lover, Syrion, and the other human.” He asks, a flash of concern on his face.

“The guard that is close to the other human, whose name is Nalik by the way. As well as Ryliar and Ocalan.” I tell him, growing nervous by the almost unfamiliar wide-eyed look that comes across his face. I hadn’t seen that kind of look on his face since we had first started training together, when we were training with real swords and I had mis-stepped just as he thrust his blade forward, resulting in it stabbing through my side. It was the most genuine expression of fear I had ever seen on him, especially when my mother came rushing up to us to have me sent straight to the palace’s medical staff.

He stares at me in a long, uncomfortable silence that makes my skin prickle with a nerve-wracking uncertainty. I don’t like that he’s been so quiet for so long, nor do I like the genuinely fearful expression on his face. Then what he says to break the uncomfortable silence makes my blood run colder than it ever has in my life. “You need to grab your lover and friends and that infant and get your asses out of the palace. Now. None of you are safe if Ocalan knows about him.”