After their meal, Ser Hune said she had to go spend time with the nursery tree now and excused herself and Sir Sanders. Both actually said goodbye to them, which was not surprising for Ser Hune, but was for Sir Sanders. Cass felt he might actually be wearing the other man down. Slowly he was going to win his approval, Cass could feel it.
However, it had been far too long since Cass had seen Fiona, and now that he was focused on that and not his own damn problems, something didn’t quite feel right.
Cass asked around to the people who worked in the mansion and asked if they had seen Fiona or Lady Ava at all that day. They were all about to leave for the night, minus the fairies who lived on the property, but they all said that they hadn’t seen the two lovebirds all day.
That was alarming.
Cass sent Edgar and Lucian away, up to his rooms to go ’get the room ready for bed’ and headed down to the second floor where the guest rooms were. He was unable to shake Lord Ridgewood since he was also staying on this floor. At first, Cass thought he was just following him down the long hallway to go to his own rooms. Cass didn’t actually know where he was staying, so he couldn’t call him out on it.
However, it did feel like he was following him from a few steps behind, like Sir Forsythe would normally do when they were walking around his own home. It felt like the man was escorting him, and Cass could feel his gaze boring into him from behind. It felt like the man wasn’t going to let him do this on his own.
"Are you checking on Fiona and Ava?" He asked eventually, confirming Cass’ fears were true. The man wasn’t just following him to his room, he was following Cass.
Cass glanced back at him, scanning him from head to toe. He looked normal, his face flat, but his eyes weren’t dull. They were keeping watch. He was in guard mode, even without a sword.
"I planned to. Why? Are you coming with me?" Cass asked and Lord Ridgewood gave a quick nod.
"I plan to. Mainly because I am aware that you have no idea where you are going." Lord Ridgewood said. Cass felt his hackled raise.
"What the hell does that mean?" Cass asked, annoyed that he was being followed. He’d already sent away the nuisances, and now he’d gathered a new one. Lord Ridgewood’s lips twitched slightly.
"Well, we’ve already passed their rooms, but you’ve continued on." Lord Ridgewood said. He wasn’t trying to embarrass Cass, but that didn’t mean Cass didn’t come to a halt, his face flushing. He wanted to yell at the man, demanding that if he knew what Cass had in mind, why didn’t he say anything?
Cass had thought, because he had demonic blood, that he would be able to sense where Lady Ava was staying. Foolish, he was now aware of, but damn it! It was embarrassing to have it pointed out to him without Lord Ridgewood knowing that he was making Cass look foolish.
Cass clenched his hands into fists as Lord Ridgewood came to a halt before him. He could feel the other man watching him. He was always watching him recently. It was concerning, honestly. Cass hadn’t noticed it before, but he had a feeling that Lord Ridgewood was always watching. How else would he have known with certainty before Lady Ava ratted him out as a demon that he was?
"Did you know before Lady Ava said anything that I had demonic blood?" Cass asked him bluntly, wanting to know for certain. It was something that he had thought about before, but well, here they were. He could just ask it now.
Lord Ridgewood seemed a little surprised by the question, before he shifted awkwardly.
"It wasn’t a full confirmation, but I did have some serious suspicions. There were a few times I would cut myself, just to see how you would react to my blood and you...would say that it burned." Lord Ridgewood admitted, looking ashamed. "Just a drop, here and there. I didn’t really think that it would work, but...." He trailed off and Cass was...surprised.
"I’m hurt by your blood?" Cass asked, surprised, and Lord Ridgewood coughed.
"Well, uh, yes. I think it might apply to anything that my body produces because of my holy power. However, that might not be the case anymore since you were blessed by the gods for a second time. That, and the gods might have taken my powers away because I dared to think of harming a hero they selected." Lord Ridgewood admitted with a soft, apologetic smile.
In any other context, Cass might have thought that he was mocking him, but Cass didn’t feel that way. It felt more...sad than anything else.
"I don’t think they did that. They did do it to the High Priest, but I don’t think they did that to you." Cass told him. He didn’t think telling Lord Ridgewood that at this point would harm anyone. Especially if he probably already thought that was the case. Lord Ridgewood nodded, unsurprised.
"Of course they would punish them. The Vespertines were kept in place, in power, for that exact reason. You know, thinking about it, it makes sense that the gods probably knew what was going to happen and punished the Vespertine family early. Making Edgar who he is while his two brothers were viewed as the ’successors’ but then both of them died...it was probably divine intervention. Proof that the Vespertine family, as they know it, has to die with this generation." Lord Ridgewood said, revealing that he knew quite a bit about Edgar’s situation.
"Wait, what do you mean by that? Is Edgar unable to have children?" Cass asked and Lord Ridgewood gave him a pained look.
"Cass, he’s married to Fiona. He’s also in a relationship with you. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but would you allow him to impregnate a woman? I don’t think so." Lord Ridgewood said before he sighed. "There is also the fact that he is not allowed to produce a living heir. He is not allowed to ’pass on’ the blood he was gifted." Cass was learning so much.
"Does that also apply to you? Is there a succession issue with your family as well?" Cass asked and Lord Ridgewood stiffened.
"I was not expected to marry or have children." Lord Ridgewood said bluntly. "They never expected anything from me." That was a wild thing to hear, especially given the fact that he was in the hero party and was protecting the secret princess.
"Why?" Cass asked, confused and Lord Ridgewood’s jaw was tight. He glanced away from Cass, staring at the wall of the hallway.
"My father knew...of my tastes." Lord Ridgewood said and Cass let out a soft gasp.
"What? How did he-" Cass cut off, clearly able to tell that this was a big thing for Lord Ridgewood to admit. Suddenly, his poor treatment and why he was sent to guard the Princess made sense.
Even if he married Fiona, he was never going to touch her. It was a punishment of sorts. A security for the Ridgewood family. Get rid of the man who brought shame to the family for being gay and protecting the princess. The King had probably ordered them to keep an eye on Fiona, and fuck, if hearing those words didn’t sting.
While it didn’t excuse his actions, some of them now made a lot more sense. If he had felt like this was a way to get recognition or acceptance from his family...fuck. Cass could have sympathy for the man. His family didn’t seem completely evil, at least not on the outside. But he grew up in a military family. Even if he wasn’t looking for affection from them in a familial way, he would have wanted to get some kind of recognition from them.
Finding the demon in the hero party would bring that.
No fucking wonder he was kicked out of his family, and beat up by his brother.
God, what the hell was wrong with the Ducal families?
"I should have dropped your father." Cass muttered darkly and Lord Ridgewood’s gaze widened, before he panicked.
"I am very glad that you didn’t." He admitted, before looking a little awkward. "However...thank you for dealing with my brother. It was rather...cathartic to see him beaten within an inch of his life." Lord Ridgewood said, smiling at Cass and Cass frowned.
"I hate bigots. Do you have more brothers?" Cass asked and Lord Ridgewood nodded.
"Several. I am the fourth of six boys. No sisters." Lord Ridgewood said and Cass grunted.
"Perfect. Let me know when we find another. I’ll beat them up for you too. What are they going to do? Fight back? Ha!" Cass snorted, annoyed. "I’d like to see them try. All I have to do is show them my hero mark and they’ll panic like little bitches." Cass muttered, annoyed, and Lord Ridgewood’s expression broke out into a genuine smile.
Cass was a little shocked to see it. The man was known for smiling as much as Lord Blackburn was.
"Thank you, Cass. How about I show you where Fiona and Ava’s rooms are?" He suggested and Cass straightened. He could fantasize about beating up another Ducal family later. Cass nodded and gently, Lord Ridgewood took his elbow in his hand, spun him around and released him as he began to lead the way.
It turns out, he’d passed them recently, so it wasn’t far of a walk. Lord Ridgewood looked back at Cass over his shoulder as he came to a halt outside a set of double doors.
"I had a feeling you didn’t know where you were going once you passed them. That was when I decided to speak up. Otherwise, we were going to go towards my room and the servants’ rooms." He told Cass and Cass nodded, embarrassed all over again. However, that didn’t stop him from the task at hand.
Cass turned to the door, clearing his throat, and knocking. He honestly wasn’t expecting much, but when silence rang out, another bad feeling filled his gut. Something wasn’t quite right.
Cass stepped forward, pressing his ear against the door, but he couldn’t hear anything on the other side. It didn’t sound like anyone was in there. Cass reached down, trying the doorknob but that wouldn’t budge either.
What? The door was locked?
Cass turned to Lord Ridgewood, worry filling him.
"The door is locked." Cass told him and Lord Ridgewood frowned, stepping forward and Cass moved to the side, letting him attempt the door. He wanted to be wrong, but when Lord Ridgewood couldn’t open the door either, he looked confused as well.
"Can you hear anyone on the other side of the door?" Lord Ridgewood asked and Cass shook his head. "Odd. Shall I go outside and see if I can see anything from the windows?" He asked and Cass blinked, surprised by the suggestion before he nodded.
"I...would like you to do that, yes. Before we try to unlock the door. I want to make sure that nothing has happened to them, like being kidnapped. I’ll stay here until you come back." Cass said and Lord Ridgewood nodded, turned, and took off.
Cass crossed his arms, leaned against the hallway wall and glanced at the door. He really hoped his gut feeling wasn’t right.