Duke sat at his table , thinking about the message of doctor Davis. Erwin stood near the end of the table whereas Kai sat on the couch with feet up on table and arms crossed. He never gave a damn about rules and regulations after a certain age , his eyes darting between Erwin and Duke reading their expressions.
"So someone will me what's going on with village? Or I will have a dream about it?" His sarcasm was infuriating Duke yet he stayed silent .
Duke sighed however didn't say anything making Kai frustrated. He glanced at Erwin to which Aide rummaged through his notes and said "near the forest of fesia, a old man's body was found by a young boy and we sent Doctor Davis for doing postpartum of body but when he reached he found that the whole village dissapeared without a trace even villagers vanished and at the place of village ,forest is there."
Kai listened quietly without interrupting, his eyes narrowed as Erwin filled him with all the information , his fingers stopped tapping against his arm. Duke was still silent and staring at the papers in front of him however his mind was somewhere else. As Kai and Erwin still waiting for him to speak something , someone knocked on the door. After getting permission from Duke to enter , chief of Duke's knights entered and greeted. He was much bigger in size compare to Duke, a cut on his eyebrow and his beautiful brown hairs turn heads wherever he goes. He was a handsome man but his disciplined self and loyalty caught Duke's attention during war when chief was just a lower rank knight. Even though other knights were scared and wanted to step back , he stood beside Duke with his broken sword , ready to fight.
Caspian trusted him more than anyone with his life and would kill someone for him. They became really good friends later yet chief respected the boundaries between Duke and him.
"I think you already heard about the village, Louis. What do you think about it?" Duke asked.
"Your grace, I would like to see it by myself before I make any comment on it." Louis replied.
"Alright then. Take kai with you and depart as soon as you can." Duke ordered and dismissed everyone.
Erwin and louis left after getting orders but kai stayed until they were alone. He was mad at his father for not even asking his opinion. He just came from capital and now he have to leave again.
"Father. Why? Why do you never ask what I want? I just came home and y-" kai was cutoff by duke. He stood up from his chair and walked to kai , his posture straightened, eyes staring at his son making a strong eye contact. He stopped just few inches away from his son, kai had same stubbornness like his father however right now in front of him , The Duke Caspian Draconis stood in his glory and commanding aura, his golden eyes shone and for a split second they looked like snake's eyes.
"Yes I understand, your grace." Kai back down from his little rebel. Yes he was hurt and yes he wanted to say more however this wasn't the right time.
First sunray fell on the castle's tallest tower, it was very rare because it was the peak of winter season but once in a while sun takes a little peek at Draconis land. Louis with his knights were checking on carriages and other supplies like rations, bedrolls, weapons , tools etc. they had to bring along with them . Kai checked on his horse once again and asked maid to call Erwin, but before maid could call , Erwin walked out of castle following Duke with some papers in his hands. Kai noticed since he was child that kai always carried few papers with him even though he never showed them to anyone.
"Is everything prepared?" Duke asked louis.
"Yes your grace.we should leave now. Weather can be unpredictable and will change anytime." Louis replied.
"Alright. Solve this problem as soon as possible Louis. " "yes, your grace."
"Kai, do not trouble louis." Duke stared at kai, his eyes saying that it wasn't a request but a command or warning.
Gates opened and everyone started leaving, kai turned back to look at his father's face again, searching for something, maybe care or love for him. From inside he was still a child craving for affection from his only family , his father. He felt a rush of disappointment when he saw the signature expression of his father on Duke's face , cold.
And then he left.