CHAPTER 30 - WE ARE BOTH FREAKS.

In the palace, Lucas sat in his courtyard quietly. He had a couple of wines beside him, but instead of looking drunk, he looked calm and collected.

After gulping down a few glasses, he heard the door squeaking open. He knew it was Nora. He had asked for her presence a few minutes ago.

A frowning face appeared from behind the door. Nora still looked mad and she kept avoiding eye contact with her father. She had no idea why her father had called for her.

Had that duke come already?? Was he going to force her to marry those pot-bellied men this time??

Nora thought, hoping it was far from what she was thinking...

"Alright come and sit, I have something to tell you," Lucas said, sounding calm.

"Father... I don't want to marry any Duke... Please don't make me marry him. I promise I'll find someone good. I won't ask to marry the man Anna was supposed to marry..."

Nora said. She looked so frustrated.

"Come and sit, I won't make you marry any duke..." Lucas interjected.

"Really... You are not making me marry them??" Nora cried out looking gleefully excited. Her initially pale face suddenly had some color in it.

Lucas smiled awkwardly.

"Yes, and since you want to marry Nathan, I'll let you marry him..."

"Na...Nathan?? Is it the man that was betrothed to Anna?? He's called Nathan??" Nora asked hoping it was as she thought.

"Yes, he is called Nathan... I spoke to..."

"Ooh, Father thank you...thank you, you are the best. I knew you wouldn't say no to me... Ooh god, his name is Nathan?? He has such a nice name..."

Nora cried out gleefully interrupting whatever Lucas was about to say...

Lucas didn't know whether to praise his daughter for her stupidity or to cry for her. She was like a stupid dull that could be tossed anywhere as long as it pleases others.

"Yes, get prepared, you'll be marrying him in two days,"

Lucas said with a forced smile.

"In two days?? Don't I get to spend some time with him so we get to know each other?? " Nora asked

"No, you don't get to do that," Lucas answered her nonchalantly

" Go and get prepared, and remember this is a path of no return..." Lucas said and walked out of the courtyard.

For Anna, he admits guilty. For Nora, he admits not being guilty at all. Whatever will happen to Nora will not be his doing.

Nora stood confused, what did his father mean by this was a path of no return?? Well, whatever... She should go get ready.

She scurried out of the courtyard looking excited.

In the woods, two boys were sweating profusely. The sweat trickled down their face and the strain on their legs with each stride was unbearable. The weight around their waist was causing them to lean forward, making their breathing labored. But they kept pushing through the discomfort. Most important was the uneven ground, causing them to trip and fall now and then. They knew Arthur was up the hill, which meant they both had to climb up with the blindfold and the damn sack bag around their waist.

"Little god, do you think we can do this?? I think you probably can but I might not make it..." Nate said dejectedly. He didn't want to give up, but he didn't think he could make it either...

"Nate am not the only one who's abnormal here. You had all your senses under control in just one day. You could make a freak like me feel like a human too. If you could do this, I don't think there's anything you can't do. If you think am the only one who's not normal here, then sorry to announce to you that you're not normal too. After all only a freak can be with a freak. Am not climbing this thing without you..."

Lucian declared while panting.

Nate smiled and got closer to Lucian. He didn't know why he felt so attached to him. But he was like the brother he never had. Lucian was right, they were both freaks...he used to think he was just human, but every time he was with Lucian, he always felt different. Like there was something more to him than just being normal. He had never liked the normal, he believed it was boring.

" Alright freak, let's freak Arthur out ..." Nate responded causing Lucian to laugh, then they started climbing together. The hill was covered with rock which helped with the climbing. Their palms and feet were covered in wounds, but none were ready to give up. They each focused and kept climbing regardless of the pain.

Arthur stood at the top of the hill feeling speechless as he looked down at the determined kids. Were these boys normal? Honestly, he wasn't expecting them to climb. He had thought they would both give up, or one would probably give up when they got to the edge of the hill. Who would have thought they would climb it? He was starting to like the boys for real.

Lucian and Nate managed to make it to where Arthur was and then collapsed to the ground.

The boys rested a little. They ate some food and drank some water. After getting energized, Arthur made them run around with the sack bag around their waist and the blindfold still on. They had gotten used to the blindfold, the weight bag was the next difficulty.