Idris' finger flinched and that didn't escape from King Roy's eyes. He waited until the duke opened his eyes in a slow manner. The man looked at his direction with confusion on his face, "You're finally awake, your grace. As much as I want you to rest first, I think you need to hear me out first."
Idris eyebrows met after hearing the king's words, his memory from last night is still vague, his head is aching, and he feels thirsty too. He pointed at the glass near the king and the man handed it to him, he sat on the bed and drank before placing the glass on the bedside table, "Where's Rufus?" he asked after watering his throat.
The king glared at him and that made him more confused, James released a fake cough beside the king when he felt the tension rise in the duke's room, "He went to the north... retrieving a report from the knight major."
"For... for what?" he asked.
"You shouldn't be concerning yourself with that man anymore, Idris."
The crease on Idris forehead went deeper after hearing the king's words, besides he called his name, not his title, which means the king is serious this time. Annoyed and serious.
"What are you talking about, your majesty?"
The king walked and sat on his bed, "I am speaking to you as your friend, Idris. I'm giving you very nice advice." After that the king signaled to James, the man placed a worn-out brown leather bag on Idris' bed. Idris stared at the bag cluelessly before glancing at the two men.
"What is this all about? Whose bag is this? What the hell is happening?" he wondered.
"See for yourself, your grace." James stated.
He pulled the bag's strap and forcefully opened the bag's cover, he entered his hand and tried to reach for something inside, a metal string touched his skin, so he pulled it out. He lifted it and his eyes went wide when the pendant glittered when the sun hit it. It's his necklace! The Gastrell's heirloom necklace!
"James found out about this when he heard Rufus and King Balder talking at the veranda of your manor, your grace. I interviewed the three noblemen who were about to do something bad to you last night, they said it was planned..." the king explained while Idris was busy examining his necklace.
"A plan? What... I don't get it."
"It was planned all along... They said it was Rufus' plan all along."
His eyes went watery when he digested the king's message to him.
"You're lying! Rufus will never do that." he defended.
"Please calm down, your grace. I heard them talking about the necklace, and it seems that Rufus and the king know each other." James intervened when he saw the king start to get annoyed at his own friend.
"Have you confirmed this, your majesty? Please..." Idris bagged and dropped his eyes on his shaking hands.
King Roy's jaw clenched, "I did. The confirmation came from the nobleman's mouth. As much as I want to believe the fake sincerity Rufus showed you last night, I just can't, after I heard those things. I am not risking my only friend's safety." the king said with authority.
"Just how... Please enlighten me more." Idris pleaded, he can't believe it, no- more like he doesn't want to believe it.
The king shook his head before looking at James who got the king's signal instantly, "As I've said earlier, I heard them talking last night, and it didn't turn out good, but the king said something about you getting mad and about the missing heirloom necklace the late duchess gave to you. That's when I snuck into his room and searched for the necklace until I saw this bag under Rufus' bed. And I, then, reported it to the king immediately and confirmed it because he interrogated those noblemen already, they stated the whole plan to us, your grace." James explained.
Idris look at his annoyed friend in front of him, "The noblemen said it was planned by Rufus, from stealing the necklace to framing up the queen for the said crime, up to sending the letter to your father since they can't sneak in a letter anonymously, it must be someone from the manor, maybe Rufus snuck the letter in, days before your father died, then he appointed the noblemen to harass you and plotted that he will come to save you and gain your trust even more..." King Roy concluded.
Idris shook his head; it doesn't even make sense!? It's too much for him. How did all of it happen?
"And my father's death?" Idris asked, praying that Rufus isn't part of it.
"We're still investigating that, you know... if Rufus has something to do with it." the king sighed, "I still don't get it, just... Why would Rufus do that? Out of envy or what? he's such a low lifer!" Roy said frustratedly.
"Well, your grace, it turns out that Rufus isn't a low lifer." James butted in.
"W-what do you mean?" Idris asked nervously, he paled when he imagined that Rufus was his father's other child from someone since his parents weren't really a thing back then. That's disgusting, did he have sex with his half-brother? Idris stopped his dirty brain from overthinking things. He's being paranoid all because of his stupid brain.
Roy sighed when he saw the troubled expression of his friend "It's not what you think, your grace. Your parents may be a product of arranged marriage, but I know my guardian won't do that. Cheating isn't his thing."
Idris sighed in relief, but the next news made him lose his cool.
"Rufus... is an illegitimate son of King Balder." James stated.
Idris gaped his mouth open, he tried to collect himself, but he failed. So, the king decided to drop everything, "Heard about the rumors before? About Queen Adele and King Balder's supposed engagement? Well, it turns out that King Balder did touch a woman when he went to a house of ill fame, knocked up a lady and Rufus is the offspring. Queen Adela's brother-in-law, the late emperor found out about that and of course broke the engagement. But the king denied it but it's too late... Many years passed, Rufus grew up in an orphanage somewhere in the north with awareness and knowledge about his life story and that the king is his father. Found out that he is the only successor to the throne and maybe, he wants to please the king by harming your family especially by ruining Queen Adela and your father's relationship."
"Why would he stoop that low? Just why?" Idris whispered after hearing the unexpected news from the king's mouth.
"Maybe because of the throne? You know, he grew up so poor in an orphanage, he grew up working for those nobles when in fact he can get more power if he was legally recognized by the king and law, out of envy? Well, I don't know." King Roy shrugged.
"M-maybe the noblemen are lying." Idris insisted.
James closed his eyes tightly when he saw the king's expression shifted, King Roy is so done with his friend.
"Idris! Stop being so stupid! Why would those noblemen lie? It's their head at stake!" Roy scolded and smacked the sheets of Idris' bed.
Idris didn't mind the rage of his friend, he's still wondering why the man did that, he can't believe it. Is that why Rufus was unsociable with the nobilities? When they first met? But he treated him right... unlike those aristocrats who wronged Rufus.
YOU ARE READING
Royal Thief
General FictionPREQUEL | BL Alone in his huge room, no people roaming in the dark alley, not enough good guards guarding their manor. Soon to be Duke, Lord Idris Gastrell was left alone that night. His father took almost all the guards from their household for a t...
