Reaching a Temporary Stalemate

The bedroom was so still and calm. To Caio, however, it felt like it was charged with tension as he exchanged intense stares with Alessandro. But he refused to look away, letting his closest friend know that he meant every word of what he just said.

It was Alessandro who turned away first. "Let's talk about this outside," he said, casting a wary glance at 20 before leading the way to the door. She seemed to continue sleeping, like the doctor had said she would. But he didn't want the slightest chance that she might overhear the conversation.

He headed to the sitting room with Caio behind him. And when they got there, and he had locked the door to ensure complete privacy, he turned back to Caio. "Aren't you forgetting whose concubine you're asking for?" Alessandro challenged, picking up exactly where they had left off.

"And who do you think brought her to the palace to be your concubine?" Caio shot back.

Alessandro frowned, realizing he had no idea how 20 had become his concubine, or how she had arrived in the palace to begin with. Aside from the 10 highest ranked concubines, whom he had personally selected in order to strengthen the empire's connections with the kingdoms and territories under it, he didn't have any clue about the origin and backgrounds of the others. He didn't even bother to know how many official concubines he had until 20 had offhandedly mentioned the names of the chief steward and head housekeeper.

"I did it because I thought she would be safer working in the imperial palace as your concubine than being a slave outside the palace grounds," Caio went on. "But that hasn't been the case, has it?" He smiled without humor.

"A slave?" Alessandro repeated sharply. "Do you mean…?"

Caio gave an affirmative nod. "From the last territory we had conquered," he confirmed.

Alessandro closed his eyes briefly, rattled at what he had just learned. No wonder Caio was so protective of 20 – he had rescued her in the war. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was cool and steady once again. "So are you saying you want 20 to be your concubine instead?"

"The thought has never entered my mind before," Caio replied honestly. "But now that you mentioned it, the idea certainly has its merit."

"What?" Alessandro was outraged. "Just because she finds you good looking, do you think she'd agree to be your concubine?"

Caio's eyebrows furrowed, momentarily confused at the petty turn the conversation had suddenly taken. But he still answered, aware that it would provoke Alessandro further. "I already know she finds me good looking."

"She told you that?" Alessandro asked, totally affronted. When he had thought about it, 20 had never commented that he was good looking. But she always gushed about Caio.

"A few times," Caio answered with a smug look.

Alessandro scoffed at the remark, but he tried to pull his mind back to what was important to settle right now. He could try convincing 20 about his own handsomeness later on. "I won't let you have 20," he growled.

"And I will do everything I can to protect her," Caio declared. Years ago, long before he became the military general and archduke of Luxentfort, he had vowed never to violate any imperial law. And he knew he had managed to uphold that promise exceptionally well. But he was ready to break the oath, if it meant keeping 20 safe. "Even if I have to go against you."

"I will never allow anyone to hurt 20," Alessandro said, watching Caio closely as he walked to the door. 

"Be sure to remember that," Caio warned. He turned to Alessandro one last time before seeing himself out. Their confrontation ended in a temporary stalemate, but he won't tolerate it to remain that way if 20's safety was ever compromised again. 

*****

"General," the entrance guards of the imperial prison saluted Caio when they saw him making his way towards them.

"The two prisoners I had ordered to be taken here," Caio said. "Bring me to where they are." Now that he ensured that 20 was indeed out of harm's way, he could momentarily breathe a sigh of relief and focus on finding out the truth behind the assault.

"Yes, General." One of the entrance guards motioned for another of his comrade stationed at the hallway, and the guard rushed over to Caio, eager to make a good impression on the general.

"Right this way, sir," he said, leading Caio down a long passageway with winding turns, lighted by torches on the wall and both sides cramped at full capacity with narrow prison cells. He finally stopped at the far end of a corridor and unlocked the metal gate, hurrying to the side so Caio could enter. "They're here, General."

Caio turned to the guard. "You can go."

"Yes, General," he gave a salute and left, leaving the gate open.

The cell was dim, with the light coming from the hallway and one lone candle at the corner of the makeshift room not quite adequate. Still, Caio could see just fine. He looked at the two men, and they were as he remembered them from earlier – only several times worse. Their hands were tied to the low ceiling, their feet hanging several inches off the floor, and both remained unmoving save for their shallow breaths.

Caio spotted a pail of dirty water near the entrance and he took it, throwing the water at the men from where he was. When they choked and gagged, rousing from semi-unconsciousness, Caio stood in front of them. "Wake up," he ordered, his voice lashing out.

The burly man tried to shake off the water dripping from his eyes, blurrily squinting at the man in front of him. When he recognized that it was the archduke again, he felt even colder, as though he was submerged in ice rather than water. "Y-your Grace," he stammered.

"Why did you assault the girl?" Caio asked.

The burly man hesitated. That was the question he was hoping wouldn't come up. It was supposed to be an easy job – practically a walk in the park. The girl was a commoner, and she couldn't even talk. How was he supposed to have guessed that she knew both the emperor and the archduke?

Caio saw the man's hesitation. He unsheathed his sword and stabbed him on the leg, and he screamed, the sound echoing eerily along the empty corridor. "I asked a question," Caio reminded him.

"It-it was just something for f-fun," he stuttered, trying to avoid telling the truth, and the archduke stabbed him on his other leg.

When the screams died down, Caio turned his attention to the other man – the one who was holding a fabric from 20's skirt. "Where did you touch her?"

The lanky man groggily looked at the archduke. Even in the darkness he could see the intensity of the nobleman's stare. His instincts told him he won't get out of here alive, so he might as well have some fun while he was at it. "She was struggling as I tried to take off her shirt –"

Caio's vision darkened and he didn't let the man finish his sentence, stabbing him below his collar, just where the top of his shirt's button was. The man screamed but Caio didn't stop, letting the sword pierce through the flesh. 

He turned back to the burly man, who was shaking so much it was as if he was swinging from the ceiling. "Who told you to do this?"

"I-I don't k-know, Your Grace," he croaked, attempting to get the words out as quickly as he could without revealing what he knew – which wasn't much. He was terrified that if he didn't answer fast enough, the archduke would strike him again. 

"If you don't have the answer tomorrow morning," Caio said as he strode to the gate, "prepare to die."