Alexander rushed to the window, his eyes urgently searching the Academy grounds below. He quickly spotted Aurelius running away from the scene, with Aristotle following closely behind him.
Turning back toward his son, Alexander's expression was grave, heavy with concern. "How long has this been going on?" he asked quietly.
Elias instinctively avoided eye contact with his father, looking down at the floor instead, his silence speaking volumes.
Alexander then shifted his penetrating gaze to Caelum. "Tell me, young Valtheron, how long has this been happening?" he inquired, his voice firm.
Elias instinctively squeezed Caelum's hand, a silent plea for protection. Alexander knew well that only royalty was exempt from punishment for refusing to answer a direct question from the king.
"I need you to be completely honest with me, son," Alexander requested, his voice still firm but now infused with a gentle plea.
Caelum nodded slowly, releasing a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of their secret. "Since the beginning of the term, Your Majesty," he finally replied. "At first, we had no idea who was attacking us, so we would simply teleport back to the dorm the instant we left the classroom or the training ground," he explained, recounting their desperate measures.
"What exactly transpired at the training ground?" Alexander asked, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Elias visibly flinch at the mention of 'training ground.'
"Aristotle Ravenloft and the Crown Prince, Prince Aurelius, attempted to launch an attack on Prince Elias. Fortunately, Prince Elias was able to sense their hostile intent just in time and conjure an ice shield to protect himself from the assault," Caelum recounted, the memory causing a tremor of indignation in his voice.
Alexander walked over to Elias, gently taking his son's hands into his own and examining them closely. "The tremors?" he asked, his brow deeply furrowed with renewed worry.
"Caelum channeled his healing magic and fire magic into me, ensuring my hands became warm again and stopping the shaking. Ever since he learned how to stop the tremors, he has used his magic every time I use my ice magic," Elias explained, his voice hushed and filled with a quiet appreciation for Caelum.
Alexander made a move to immediately teleport away, presumably to confront Aurelius, but Elias quickly stopped him, holding onto his father's hand tightly.
"Please," Elias pleaded, his eyes earnest and sincere. "Please do not do anything while we are still at the Academy," he requested, his voice full of hope. "I want to feel like a normal student for these next three years. I want to make genuine friends, forge important connections, and build strong alliances," he elaborated, laying out his true desires. "If you arrest Aurelius now, the Ravenlofts will undoubtedly manipulate the situation and turn it against me, just as they did when the poison first began to take effect years ago," he warned, his voice grave.
Caelum tightened his grip on Elias' hand, a silent yet powerful declaration that he would always be by his side, no matter the danger. 'Does that imply the Ravenlofts possess some method to intentionally trigger the poison?' Caelum wondered inwardly, the chilling thought sending a shiver down his spine.
Alexander sighed deeply, a wave of resignation washing over him, and looked directly at Caelum. "Promise me you will keep my son safe for as long as he remains here in the Academy," he requested, his voice heavy with paternal concern that bordered on desperation.
Caelum immediately dropped to one knee, placing his hand over his heart in a gesture of utmost respect and sincere devotion. "I promise, Your Majesty. I will keep Prince Elias safe, utilizing every ounce of strength and power I possess within me," he vowed solemnly, his gaze unwavering.
Elias gently pulled Caelum back up to his feet, a small, pained smile gracing his lips.
"Why?" Elias whispered, his voice laced with emotional pain and confusion. "Why is this happening again?" he groaned, clutching the front of his shirt tightly as a sharp, internal agony flared deep within his chest.
Caelum quickly steadied himself, bracing to bear Elias' weight should the pain become overwhelming and cause him to collapse. He looked at Alexander and Matheas, whose eyes were wide with shock and alarm as they witnessed Elias' sudden distress. "Please, I need to help him now," Caelum said, his voice urgent and commanding, leaving no room for argument.
Matheas nodded quickly and immediately assisted Alexander, who was still visibly paralyzed with shock and terror, in walking out of the dorm room, giving the boys privacy.
"No," Elias weakly protested, shaking his head slowly. "You do not have enough magic left to heal yourself after everything you have done," he gasped out, struggling desperately for breath as his body temperature fluctuated wildly, shifting violently from an unbearable, deep freezing cold to a searing, burning hot.
"Yes, I do," Caelum insisted, his voice unwavering in its conviction. "I have more than enough to heal myself and you," he reassured him, his tone gentle as he swiftly began removing both their clothes. "I told you before, you must do whatever is necessary to stay alive," he stated firmly, pushing Elias gently onto the bed.
"We still have about three minutes left, do we not?" Elias asked, his voice strained from the internal struggle.
Caelum nodded, moving quickly to straddle Elias' lap and positioning himself intimately over Elias' body.
Elias, with a sudden surge of adrenaline and strength, flipped them over so he was on top, dominant and protective. "Just relax," he murmured softly. He gently pushed two fingers inside Caelum, testing his readiness, and offered a small, reassuring smile. He then slid another finger into Caelum, preparing him further. "Since we only did this just about an hour ago, you are still quite receptive here," he commented, his voice low and intimate.
"Then do it quickly," Caelum huffed out, his breath catching in his throat. "There is only a minute left, remember," he reminded Elias urgently, the internal clock ticking down.
Elias sighed, his movements becoming slow and deliberate as he gently pushed himself into Caelum. "I truly do not want to hurt you," he confessed, his eyes filled with genuine remorse.
Caelum smiled, a soft, loving expression on his face, as he began channeling his magic, both fire and healing, deep into Elias. "It is only a small amount, but I can already see that it is having a good effect," he said, anticipating Elias' immediate objection to receiving Caelum's magic.
Elias sighed again, a sound of reluctant acceptance, and nodded as he fully seated himself deep within Caelum, establishing a profound connection. "Is there any pain?" he asked, his voice thick with concern and tenderness.
Caelum shook his head slightly, denying any physical discomfort.
"Discomfort then?" Elias rephrased the question, seeking clarity.
"That means essentially the same thing, does it not?" Caelum replied with a light, playful smile. He wrapped his arms tightly around Elias, pulling him closer into a deep embrace. "I am not in pain. It does not feel strange or wrong at all. We have been doing this together for five months now," he pointed out, emphasizing the comfort of their shared intimacy.
"Does it not feel strange to you," Elias asked, beginning to move slowly and sensually within Caelum, the rhythm becoming hypnotic. "That the poison requires sexual activity, when triggered, for me to calm down and stabilize?" he questioned, his voice low and philosophical.
"I have a few, ngh, theories about why," Caelum managed to articulate, his breath catching sharply with the building pleasure.
"Tell me what those theories are once we are finished," Elias instructed, his voice becoming more demanding as he began thrusting himself deeper and faster into Caelum, a frantic energy taking over. Caelum instinctively pulled him even tighter against his body, urging him on.
"You are absolutely evil," Caelum gasped out, a mixture of pain and pleasure in his voice, when Elias deliberately struck his prostate with a deep, powerful thrust.
"I want you to enjoy every moment of this," Elias whispered close to Caelum's ear, continuing to hit the prostate repeatedly from the inside, his focus intense.
"Why are you, ngh, saying that, ngh, now?" Caelum asked, his heart skipping a beat at the unexpected sincerity and tenderness in Elias' words.
"Because I have come to care for you deeply, Caelum. I never want you to suffer or feel pain because of me or this terrible poison that affects me," Elias admitted, his voice full of genuine affection.
"It is simply inevitable, ngh, if it is because, ngh, of the poison's effects," Caelum countered softly. "And, ngh, you would never hurt, ngh, me on purpose," he added with a genuine, soft smile, his trust absolute.
"Caelum," Elias called out his name, his voice a soft murmur, and Caelum immediately looked up at him, his eyes wide and attentive.
Elias observed how thoroughly flushed Caelum's face was, radiating heat and passion. A fine layer of perspiration had already formed on his skin, making him glisten. He looked absolutely radiant, shining slightly from the light pouring in through the window and the sweat of their exertion. "May I kiss you?" he asked, his voice a gentle, profound inquiry.
Caelum gasped softly, a wave of surprise washing over him. "You, ngh, want to?" he asked, a hint of nervousness coloring his tone, a fear of vulnerability creeping in. He desperately did not want Elias to know the depth of his feelings if Elias did not feel the same way in return.
Elias nodded slowly, his expression tender and full of admiration. "May I?" he repeated the invitation, holding Caelum's gaze.
Caelum nodded back eagerly, all hesitation gone. "Do not, ngh, ask me again. It is, ngh, a little embarrassing," he confessed, his face flushing an even deeper shade of red, a sight Elias found utterly captivating and endearing.
Elias smiled warmly, his heart full, as he leaned down, closing the final distance to kiss Caelum. The kiss was not deep or immediately passionate. It was only a soft brush of their lips, a gentle, tender connection, but the simple, profound contact sent a powerful wave of pleasure and affection coursing down Caelum's spine.
Both Elias and Caelum cried out in a shared moan of ecstasy as they finally reached their climax together, their bodies arching as one.
"I can still sense them outside," Caelum murmured moments later, catching his breath on Elias' shoulder. "Your father and Matheas are still there, waiting patiently," he whispered the names softly.
Elias nodded with a weary sigh as he slowly and gently withdrew from Caelum, their intimate connection broken for the moment. "Take a quick bath," he instructed, his voice low but firm. "I will change the bedsheets and then call them back inside once you are finished and presentable," he promised, already moving to attend to the room.