Both Cedric and Wolff returned to their quarters, exhausted from all the scolding. They, however, were free of any other punishment.
They go directly to the office space, where Cedric has put a magical barrier using a special Magic Object. Courtesy from the Lord of the Tower, the prince's uncle. With it, their words wouldn't be heard by outsiders.
Cedric went to sit behind the desk. He had to finish the homework the Royal Tutor gave him or he would be punished again. But concentrating on the task was getting difficult.
"We got away easily, Wolff." Said Cedric, as he watched the window behind the desk. It was a silent night, a contrast to the hectic day.
"Yes, we did." Agreed Wolff, who was sitting in one of the four armchairs, placed in front of the big wooden desk. He started smiling at Cedric but, realizing his sour mood, he gave it up right away. "Your Highness does not worry about Miss Lucreatia. She is the most loved daughter of the Duke. I am sure nothing bad will happen to her."
Those words, however, did nothing to alleviate the prince's heavy heart. After what he saw, Cedric was not so sure of the Duke's preference for Lucreatia.
A hard knock interrupted his troubling thoughts. It was not a knock on the door, but on the barrier, which echoed in the room, telling them already who was responsible for it.
"You can enter, Lord Philip." Ordered Cedric with an authoritative voice.
A ball of purple smoke started to form. It got bigger and bigger until it was big enough for a man to come from it. He was wearing a black cloak that covered his face and most of his body, except for his, also black, boots.
The man walked silently over the room, saying nothing but touching some things around. He touched the high bookshelves on the right side, the desk of Prince Cedric, the bookshelves on the left side, the armchairs where Wolff was sited, and finally the main door to outside.
When he finished circling the room, he gave a deep bow.
"Greetings Your Majesty. The barrier is intact, I can now bring the status of my mission." Said Lord Philip his face still covered.
"Proceed." That was the only thing Cedric said. His scarlet eyes glued on the figure in front of him.
"Thanks to your and Lord Wolff's efforts, we were able to track the Head Priest's whereabouts at the palace without being discovered. Contrary to our expectations, he did not go to the Empress Residence. He went to Princess Odette's quarters." No emotion could be tracked in the man's voice.
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"Have you found what they were discussing between them?" Asked Wolff, his wolf ears twitching, searching for any foreign sounds.
"Unfortunately, they placed a Holy Barrier, making it impossible for us to know what was said between them. It prevented us from coming closer too." Answered the spy, now with a hint of disappointment.
"Well it is not perfect, but at least we got something. You can leave, for now, Lord Philip." Ordered Cedric with a dismissive hand.
"Yes, Your Highness. May the Blood Moonshine upon you." And then the man disappeared out of thin hair.
"Now we will have to watch Princess Odette closely. She is up to no good." Wolff got up, feeling tired of being inside a building. The night was calm, the moon was high and shining, and he wanted to run.
"Yes." Cedric was back to watching the window, which gave Wolff insight into his troubled conscience.
"Your Majesty." Started Wolff, now in front of the desk. "As the Crown Prince of the Moon Empire, you cannot be swayed by a Sun Empire noble girl. Not even if she is as beautiful as Miss Lucreatia." At those words, Cedric turned to his aide. His ears were red and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. Wolff gave a small smirk, he had gotten a reaction finally.
"That is not it!" Yelled Cedric, before composing himself. His eyes were glued to the desk. " I just feel responsible... if not for her, you would have been thrown into the Temple's dungeon. I cannot even imagine what they would have done to you..." the prince's voice sounded small and afraid, as he entertained the thoughts of losing his friend.
"It was a possibility I was prepared to take." Remarked Wolff seriously, bowing to his friend and prince.
"Say no more of such things!" Ordered Cedric, getting up from the leather chair. His angriness was visible in his unusual eyes. "You are my friend and one of my people, losing you would bring me too much sorrow. So stop this noble idiocy." When Wolff started to protest Cedric raised his hand. "Wolff, let's end this discussion. I want to be by myself now."
Wolff knew he had stepped too far and was ready to leave, but when he picked his bag from the ground, he remembered something. Back to the front of the desk, he placed Miss Lucreatia's shoes.
"You can always compensate Miss Lucreatia." Said Wolff, his ears and tail were moving in slow movements. Though Cedric didn't answer or look at him, he was watching the window. The aide knew better and was sure he had caught the prince's attention. "I will leave those here, they are heavy on my bag. Have a nice night and may the Blood Moonshine upon you, Your Highness." With those words, the wolf boy left his prince to stew on his thoughts.
Prince Cedric turned to the shoes when Wolff no longer was in sight. They were of extravagant gold colour with pink details. Too much for him. He felt Lucreatia would be much more suited to a Moon Empire dress code, though if she did wear it, he would never be able to catch her. For a noble girl of the Sun Empire, she sure runs fast.
As he remembered the Duke's enraged face looking at Lucreatia, Cedric's heart grew smaller. For the trouble he caused her, Cedric would have to compensate her somehow. The problem would be to meet her, as the Duke would never allow them to meet again.
Then, an idea formed in his head... When he finished formulating his plan, Cedric let out a gleeful smile.
"Yes, that would do!" Then, while smiling and humming, Prince Cedric prepared himself for the long night ahead of him. The thought of seeing Lucreatia again eased up the heavy workload.