Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 147: Misunderstanding

Chapter 147: Misunderstanding

The sun dipped toward the horizon, spilling warm gold hues across the plateau and painting the sky in streaks of amber and crimson. The air shimmered with the last warmth of the day as Alaric strode forward, his powerful frame silhouetted against the waning light. On his back, Kane lay motionless, his head resting against the prince’s broad shoulders, his breath soft and even as if lost in deep slumber.

Two figures stood rigid with anticipation at the base of the hanging bridge. Angus and Aramis, who had scoured every inch of Galeya’s Throne and turned it upside down in search of their prince, now watched in stunned silence as Alaric approached at a leisurely pace. Their search had led them through the dense wilderness along the side of Mount Ourea, yet they had found nothing—until now.

Aramis squinted as he tried to decipher what the prince was carrying.

"It is Kane." Angus murmured, his tone laced with recognition and saving Aramis further trouble.

"Who?" Aramis asked, thinking that he had misheard.

"Kane," Angus repeated, his voice louder.

He and Angus had guessed Alaric and Kane were together, but why hadn’t he told them? Why did the prince sneak out without bringing along his trusted guards, not even Angus?

Aramis’s brows furrowed. His thoughts were in a tangled mess as he and his half-brother watched Kane’s limp form drape over Alaric’s back. Their gazes met, heavy with unspoken questions.

The younger man leaned toward Angus, and a lowered voice whispered, "Brother... what did Alaric do to Kane? He looks utterly drained. It’s unlikely they were attacked by wild animals—neither of them has so much as a scratch, and their clothes are untouched."

Angus shoved Aramis aside with a swift motion, his brow furrowing in annoyance. "When did you become such a busybody?" he snapped, his voice laced with irritation.

Aramis let out an exaggerated sigh, his frustration palpable as he rolled his eyes skyward. With purposeful strides, he approached the hanging bridge, its ropes swaying softly in the breeze. Each step forward was accompanied by a creaking sound. As he reached the other side, Alaric also arrived, his frame silhouetted against the lush backdrop of the forest, an air of impatience hanging around him.

"Your highness, do you need help?" Aramis asked politely as his gaze flickered to Kane, noting the unnatural stillness of his form.

"No need," Alaric replied coldly. "Move." He commanded.

Aramis hastily stepped aside, watching in silence as the prince strode past. Only then did he truly see it—Kane was not just exhausted. He was sleeping. Deeply.

Aramis wanted to ask what happened to Kane, but thought it was inappropriate, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Ari, you’re finally back!" Agilus came sprinting toward them, his relief evident—until his gaze landed on Kane. He skidded to a halt, his expression shifting from joy to confusion.

"What happened to him?" His voice wavered, uncertainty creeping into his words. Confusion danced in his eyes, shadowed by a flicker of self-doubt as they darted from Alaric’s impassive face to the prince’s unconscious burden slung across his back. The weight of the moment hung palpably in the air, crackling with questions left unspoken.

Alaric didn’t stop. "Have someone boil water. Prepare a tub in his room." His voice was clipped, allowing no room for argument.

"What the hell? What happened to Kane? Why did he look so weak?" Agilus asked, his gaze shifting from Angus to Aramis.

Angus merely shrugged, but Agilus wasn’t satisfied.

Agilus’s imagination ran wild, flitting through realms of possibilities. He glanced at Aramis, and at that moment, something passed between them—an unspoken thought, a silent agreement. It was as if they could read each other’s thoughts. A shudder ran down his spine.

Aramis gave voice to their shared suspicion. "You don’t think His Highness was too rough, and Kane was too delicate, do you?" His voice dropped to a whisper, yet the weight of his words lingered.

"Aramis!" Angus hissed, his reprimand sharp enough to cut. "Watch your tongue! How many times must I tell you—there are certain things you should never say aloud."

The sternness of Angus’s voice caused Aramis to flinch.

"Understood," he muttered, stepping toward the house. "I’ll handle the boiling water."

"Let’s go back." Agilus hesitated before gesturing for Angus to follow him inside. His mind was still tangled in a web of questions when he reached the house, but Alaric’s orders grounded him.

The tub, a simple yet ingenious invention, sat beside the clay jar at the ground below the bangera. It had been crafted from wood and coated with latex from a rubber tree, a result of a bored soldier’s ingenuity—an effort to spare himself from repeated trips to fetch water from the waterfalls. Necessity had birthed invention, as it often did. That’s human nature.

Angus and Aramis carried the tub into Kane’s room, setting it down quietly. On the bed, Kane remained utterly still, his chest rising and falling in a rhythmic slumber. The soft candlelight flickered over his face, casting shadows that made his exhaustion even more pronounced.

"Why is Kane sleeping? It is not even night yet." Aramis finally summoned the courage to ask, his voice barely above a whisper as he took in the scene before him.

Silence.

Alaric didn’t answer. Instead, his next words carried the weight of command. "Go fetch Felix. Tell him to gather rosemary, eucalyptus, and mint. I saw them in the herbal garden. Kane needs a medicinal bath."

Agilus who stood in the doorway, his breath catching in his throat as a chill swept through the air. Time seemed to freeze around him, the world fading into a blur.

Alaric was attentive to Kane.

Why?

He was momentarily lost in a haze of thoughts when Alaric’s sharp voice snapped him back to reality. "Are you deaf?" Alaric’s impatience crackled in the air.

Agilus jolted. "I-I’ll get Felix."

As he rushed out, a single thought lingered in his mind.

What happened to Kane? And what the hell was going on with Alaric?

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