Romanowski and Rosemary

18. Sins of Remun Ra

Sitting in the corner of his small chamber, Dunkin stayed numbed, staring at the wall before him. Neither had the tears stopped nor did his heart, which seemed to beat louder with every passing moment, the more he thought of what became of Coretta. He couldn't control anything.

For the hundredth time, he flipped to the back of his AI book, hoping that the department would message them about her arrival, but nothing came.

It had been over 24 hours. Nothing came. Not even Coretta's message from this world.

"It's my fault..." he mumbled, eyes pooling back with burning water. "I should've... I should've been more forceful to not let her be... a priestess..." Tears choked his voice as he buried his face in his hands.

Having no hope left, he connected to the group call where Aarmen and Lorenzo were already fighting.

"There would've been zero problems had Cors been YOUR wife instead of Dunkin's!" Lorenzo screeched.

"Unlike you, I have no interest in being locked up in some torture prison for becoming the father and husband of the same person, you dimwit!" Aarmen fought back.

"Dude, as if anyone would know? Like, what the heck, man."

"For God's sake, use your brain and tell me what would I DO if Julian called the father and husband of Coretta together to his palace for a feast?! You never know what's going on in that king's head!"

"Please, he's a king, not a party monger. And from what I've heard, he even hates the f of feast."

"Guys please, quit it." Dunkin sighed. "You can't change what's happened. Focus on the goddamn future."

"Has the priest association in your temple told you about the priestesses' whereabouts?" Aarmen asked.

"No. It'll take some time, is all they say."

"I discussed 3 scenarios that could happen to her. What could it be? Anyone?" Aarmen questioned.

"That mf priest with her seemed to have bipolar disorder imo..." Lorenzo suggested. "By whatever I heard him saying to Cors, there's like 50-50 chances if he hurt her. Badly."

"NO! No, he didn't... he didn't h- hurt her," Dunkin's mind wandered back to the time when he'd heard the last message from Coretta. That background noise around her still brought an ugly chill down his spine. It was as if someone had pushed her to the ground. He sucked in one harsh sob and wiped his tears from the palm of his hand, determined.

"Sorry bestie, but my greatest fear seems like the only saviour in your crisis." Dunkin breathed out as he held out Coretta's AI book, a smile on his face that he hadn't destroyed it in the flames yet.

Because he was going to return it to Julian, and in exchange, would ask to help save the priestesses of Alexandria from whatever heinous place they had been taken to.

"Dunkin, bro? U there?"

"Lorenzo, pack up for Greece. From whatever Cors told, max chances are that they'll sell her in the Greek slave market. You'll have to get there sooner."

"Yes, uh but, but I'll have to take permission from Julian..."

"No excuses Lorenzo, you'll have to do it." Aarmen snorted. "I've been her father, Dunkin her husband, and what have you done? Instead of telling her off over Cheryl's dead body."

"Woah, chill leader-"

"No, actually he's right, Loren," Dunkin interrupted.

"Damn bros, okay, I get it. It's time for me to be the scapegoat. I'm ready." And in the group call, they could hear the fake warrior thumping his chest in declaration.