The Royal Thief

Chapter 68: A Keeper of Secrets

Yup, updates keep coming later and later. To be honest I'm done beating myself up about it. As long as I get them out weekly I'll count it as a win.

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It wasn't Caer. No, it certainly wasn't Caer, though I spent a good minute and a half staring at the back of his head and trying to figure out who it was.

"Are you going to sit down, or stand there all day?" He asked testily.

I continued to stare at the back of his grey head as I stepped into the room. "You're his father."

"I'll assume you mean Caer in the context of that rather obvious statement. Sit." He was sitting at Caer's spot at the table, bent over a piece of parchment. He hadn't turned to look at me at all.

"Nah." I leaned against my usual chair and propped my head on my hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Teaching. Unfortunately."

"Where's Caer?"

"I am unaware of his current whereabouts."

"What's he doing?"

"His job."

"This is his job."

"It most certainly is not."

"Then you're gonna be surprised when you find out what he's been doing."

He finally raised his eyes to give me a long glare, and I remembered that not too long ago I'd called him a rodent, or something along those lines. In my defense, he had been acting like a bitter, vile old man. He still was. Perhaps that was why Tobias had originally assigned him to be my teacher. They must get along well.

"When's Caer coming back?"

"Within a year, most likely."

I nearly fell from the chair and was on the verge of yelling for Magali when I saw his tiny smirk. "Funny. Tell the truth."

"I don't know."

"Where did he go?"

"I already answered that."

"You said he didn't know where he was. That doesn't mean you don't know where he's going."

His eyes narrowed. "None of your business."

"What, is it a secret?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"That's not an answer."

"What an accurate observation. Too bad you are unable to apply the same to what goes on around you."

I knew it was an insult and I should be bristling with indignation but I was distracted by the strangeness of the statement. How could he have any idea if there was something going on I didn't know about?

"Oh... Master Solentude." Magali's voice sounded exactly how I'd felt upon recognizing him. "Where's Caer?"

I couldn't help but snicker at the look on his face.

"Unavailable. I trust I will do for today, Your Highness?"

"When will Caer be back?"

"Soon, Your Highness."

No snarky answers for her, apparently.

"So what are we doing now?"

"He's here to teach us," I echoed him. "Unfortunately."

"Oh." She didn't move from the doorway between her bedchamber and the sitting room, still looking disappointed.

"You could tell him to leave," I suggested, talking over his head.