[BL] Rules Of Desire: His Majesty's Secret-Chapter 53 - 51: The Return and the Weight of Silence

Kaelith stepped forward, his cloak brushing the marbled floor of the grand hall. The moment was heavy. Gileth and Nigel stood among the gathered court, alongside noblemen, soldiers, and townspeople, all silent, all watching him.

Everyone was eager to hear what the prince had returned with.

Kaelith’s gaze swept over them before he finally spoke.

"Our journey to Khasidar was not a waste," he began, his voice even and composed. "But... we did not return with answers. Not yet."

A murmur spread through the hall, disbelief blooming in hushed tones. Confusion. Disappointment.

But King Aldric raised a hand and silence fell immediately.

Kaelith continued. "There is no solution at the moment, but we hold hope. We believe freedom and peace will return to Zarethrone... in time."

No one dared to interrupt again. The king stepped forward, eyes calm, voice steady.

"I am proud of the group that went to Khasidar," he said. "It takes courage to face the unknown, and greater strength to admit when answers are not yet found."

As the murmurs began again, Darius, standing by the side of the hall, whispered, "If there is no solution, everyone should return and prepare themselves. Stick to the warnings."

The king raised his voice for the final address. "Until a solution is found, no one is permitted to leave the kingdom after nightfall. Let this be the law until further notice. You are all dismissed."

The crowd slowly filtered out, murmuring among themselves. Questions lingered, but none were brave enough to voice them now.

When the hall was empty, King Aldric turned to Kaelith. "Walk with me."

Kaelith followed his father silently through the wide corridors, the palace guards bowing as they passed. They stopped at the doors of the king’s private chambers.

"I know you didn’t want to reveal the truth in the hall," the king said softly. "But I need to know. What must be done?"

Kaelith lowered his gaze. "I told the truth, Father. There is no solution yet. Only hope."

The king studied him for a long moment, but said nothing more. He placed a hand on Kaelith’s shoulder and nodded.

"Then rest."

Kaelith bowed and turned to leave.

Outside, at the far edge of the corridor, Hale stood waiting quietly.

As Kaelith approached, Hale walked to his side.

"Why didn’t you mention the talisman?" Hale asked gently. "Or tell the king what the priestess said?"

Kaelith didn’t meet his eyes. "I didn’t."

Hale noticed something deeper in Kaelith’s tone, something colder. Distant. Since the night the priestess summoned Kaelith alone, something had shifted. He barely spoke to Hale anymore. And when he did, it was short. Careful.

Hale didn’t know what sin he had committed, but he knew the cause was buried in whatever the priestess had said.

When they reached Kaelith’s chamber, the moon had already risen high. Hale quietly helped him remove his cloak, set aside his armor, and prepare his bath. He laid out Kaelith’s robes and fetched the herbal tonic left by the court physician.

But as Kaelith sat in silence, saying nothing, Hale lowered his gaze and bowed.

"Your Highness... I’ll take my leave for tonight. Please rest well."

He turned to go, but Kaelith spoke suddenly, his voice low.

"Wait."

Hale paused, hand resting on the doorframe.

Kaelith stood slowly. "Didn’t I already tell you? You’re spending the night here."

Hale turned slightly, offering a soft smile. "It’s fine, Your Highness. Your heart feels heavy tonight. I think I should go. We can be together... some other time."

But Kaelith stepped forward. His voice was firmer now.

"I’m not asking you to leave, Hale."

He met Hale’s eyes at last.

"I’m asking you to stay."

Back to the Kingdom

The stone corridors of Zarethrone were quiet, lit by flickering torches that cast long shadows along the ancient walls. Gileth strolled alone, hands folded behind his back, lost in thought. The palace was still settling after the return from Khasidar, but for some, it was already back to normal.

Elion, in contrast, had no intention of spending the night in solitude.

He pushed open the door to his chambers and stepped inside with a smirk, already tossing off his cloak. He turned to his attending knight.

"Send word to the east quarter. I want two of the girls brought here. The long journey needs a proper... welcome back."

The knight nodded and left swiftly, while Elion poured himself a goblet of wine and reclined on the couch, ready to enjoy the night in his way.

Meanwhile, deep in the royal wing of the palace, King Aldric sat alone in his private chamber, staring at the dim fire crackling in the hearth. His thoughts were far from rest. His hands were clasped together, his brow furrowed.

The people needed hope.

But something in Kaelith’s eyes earlier disturbed him more than the absence of an answer.

He could sense the burden his son carried the kind that was heavy with consequence.

Back to Kaelith Chamber

Elsewhere, Hale stood in Kaelith’s chamber, catching the prince’s gaze from across the room. The mood between them was thick with unspoken emotion.

"I should go, Kael," Hale said quietly, his voice low and strained.

Kaelith looked at him but said nothing.

The silence felt like a wall.

Hale took a breath and moved toward the door, his hand resting on the handle. Just as he began to open it, Kaelith spoke.

"I’m sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know I’ve been... cold. I was just trying to get my thoughts together. I never meant to hurt you."

Hale paused, then turned slowly.

"It’s okay," he said softly. "I understand you more than you think. I’m not angry... I just don’t get it. What did the priestess say that’s changed you this much?"

Kaelith lowered his eyes, silent.

No answer.

He said nothing even as Hale opened the door fully.

Then, just as Hale stepped out.

"I’m scared," Kaelith confessed, the words trembling from his lips.

Hale froze, his hand still on the door.

"Scared of what, Kael?" he asked gently, turning back toward him.

"I don’t know," Kaelith said, voice shaking. "But I am."

Hale stepped closer, shutting the door behind him. The soft click of the lock was the only sound between them for a moment.

"If it’s because of what you promised me tonight..." Hale reached out, placing a hand gently on Kaelith’s cheek, "Then don’t worry. If you’re not ready, I can wait. We can take our time, okay?"

Kaelith lifted his gaze, searching Hale’s face.

"If not tonight... then when?" he asked quietly.

Hale smiled a little. "Anytime. Whenever you’re ready."

But Kaelith was tired of waiting.

Tired of the fear. Of the weight. Of the silence.

And he knew that some promises, once made, could not be postponed forever.

His fingers gently curled into Hale’s cloth. He stared at him, deep, searching, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Hale responded, soft and slow at first, but Kaelith’s urgency grew with each passing second. His hands slipped along Hale’s neck, drawing him closer as he deepened the kiss.

He had already bathed. The soft silk of his robe slipped easily from his shoulders. Hale’s breath caught as Kaelith led him gently toward the bed.

Kaelith kissed him again, and again.

Tonight, he chose to stop being afraid, not of Hale, not of the future, and not of the truth that was still waiting to unfold.

Even if it came at a cost.

Hale’s back touched the soft sheets of the royal bed, his breath hitching as Kaelith hovered over him. The tension between them, so long suppressed, was finally unraveling, thread by thread.

This was no longer just desire. It was something deeper.

Forbidden by law. Bound by fate.

Kaelith’s lips trailed down Hale’s collarbone, planting slow, reverent kisses across his bare chest. His hands explored Hale’s body like he had memorized it a thousand times in his dreams. And perhaps he had.

The room pulsed with urgency, but not just theirs.

Outside the chamber, the wind howled.

A flicker of light, one of the candles in Kaelith’s chamber, shook, then extinguished on its own.

The temperature dropped.

Still, Kaelith didn’t stop. He pressed closer, skin to skin, mouth to skin, devotion poured into every touch. Hale trembled under him, fingers curled against the silk sheets, caught between pleasure and confusion.

Then...

A sound.

Low at first. Distant. Like a moan caught in the wind.

But it grew louder.

It became a wail.

Hale’s eyes widened. "Kaelith... did you hear that?"

Kaelith’s lips brushed over his neck. "Ignore it," he whispered, voice hoarse with desire. "Whatever it is... it can wait."

Another candle went out.

Then another.

The room darkened as if shadows were crawling inward.

Kaelith’s hand moved lower. His touch is firm. Intent. Hale’s breath stuttered, his thoughts torn between fear and want.

And then...

A scream.

Not human. Not from this world.

The sound seemed to pierce through walls, rattling the window frames. The floor beneath them quaked softly. A golden vase tipped over near the wall. The entire chamber pulsed like it had a heartbeat of its own.

Hale sat up, startled. "Kaelith, this isn’t normal."

Kaelith stopped, panting, his hair falling over his face. The heat between them hadn’t vanished, but something had shifted.

That scream...

It wasn’t just a sound. It was a summoning.

A warning.

A consequence.

Kaelith’s gaze locked with Hale’s, both of them now breathless for different reasons.

From somewhere, beneath the palace, or perhaps inside the walls themselves, a voice whispered something in a language neither of them recognized.

Kaelith stood slowly, pulling Hale with him. They looked around the room.

"What is this voice about?" Hale asked, voice trembling.

Kaelith’s lips parted, but no answer came.

Only silence.

Then...

A crack in the floor.

A fracture near the candle stand.

Dark mist began to rise.

The Whisperer had been watching.

And now... it was free.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com