Chapter 182: Julian had gone cold

Aurelian looked back at Alaric, who was trembling with a fury so profound he could see his shoulders shaking.

"I didn’t do anything, Brother," Aurelian said, his voice returning to its light, bored cadence. He shifted Julian’s weight, allowing the Duke to practically rip the unconscious man from his arms. "But it seems Master Astrea is quite exhausted. A week of my company can be... taxing, I suppose."

He waved a dismissive hand toward the palace, the golden lion mask on his head catching the moonlight.

"Take him and rest in one of the wings," the Emperor commanded, his gaze lingering on the way Alaric’s hands clutched the midnight-blue velvet. "The Jade Wing, if you may. I believe he is already quite familiar with the bed there."

Alaric didn’t wait for another word. He held Julian to himself, pulling him against his chest with a crushing, protective strength as he carried him like an unfortunate bride.

He turned and began the long walk back toward the palace, his stride frantic and heavy, leaving the Emperor standing alone by the black water of the pond.

The Emperor remained by the Mirror Pond, the water’s surface finally settling back into a dark, unbroken glass. He looked down at his own palms—the hands that had just felt the sudden, dead weight of the scholar—and slowly curled them into fists. A low, amused laugh escaped him, floating through the damp garden air.

The night truly was full of wonders.

"Your Majesty," one of the Golden Guards ventured, stepping forward with a cautious bow. "Are you unharmed? The Duke’s actions... he went too far. To act so violently in front of you—"

"Lucien has always been a creature of free spirit," Aurelian interrupted, his voice airy, almost nostalgic. He dropped his hands to his sides. "And he has certainly never been one to back down easily. I wonder..."

He trailed off, his mind flashing back to the balcony—to the raw desperation in his brother’s eyes as he attempted to unsheath a dagger. He had intended to trap Alaric, to provoke a reaction he could use as leverage. But he hadn’t expected the Duke to move with such suicidal thoughts.

If Julian hadn’t stepped between them, Aurelian knew he would be a corpse with a dagger in his heart right now.

He had gone too far with his provocation, poked a sleeping jaguar, and it had nearly cost him his life.

"Well, the fun is over for now. Lucien won’t give me another opening tonight," he mused, turning back toward the distant glow of the banquet. "Let them have their sanctuary in the Jade Wing. For now. And when the morning comes, we shall discuss ’other’ matters?"

The heavy doors of the bedchamber slammed shut, the iron bolt clicking into place with a definitive thwack.

Alaric didn’t care about the protocol or the guards outside. He strode to the bed and laid Julian down with a tenderness that bordered on reverence, his hands trembling as he pulled away the midnight-blue coat.

"Julian," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Julian, answer me."

But Julian remained silent and out cold.

He grabbed Julian’s hand and furrowed his brows at feeling Julian’s skin as cold as ice.

It wasn’t just the chill of the night air; it was a deep, unnatural cold that seemed to seep from his very bones. Alaric pressed his ear to Julian’s chest, and thankfully, the heart was beating.

It was slow, yet stubborn, but Julian’s body was as cold as a statue made of ice.

This made no sense. This cold was unnatural.

Alaric looked around the room, his eyes flickering around the familiar room filled with the scent of his lover.

But this unfamiliar room had a strangled foreignness. It had served as a cage for Julian for the past week.

And in this cage, he could smell the lingering salt of dried tears in the air and the cloying scent of the Emperor’s jasmine.

Every corner of this room screamed of the pain Julian had to go through alone, struggling to keep his mind from fracturing while Alaric was stuck behind the palace gates.

He gritted his teeth so hard it was as though they would shatter.

"I’m sorry," Alaric groaned, pressing Julian’s freezing hand against his forehead. "I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. And then after all you did, I... I almost threw it all away... my pride, my rage... I almost left you alone again." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He squeezed the hand, feeling the coldness seep into his own forehead. But he had made his resolve. No more mistakes. No more abrupt actions.

His eyes were burning with the determination to take his lover home.

"We are going home. To the North. I don’t care what he says or what he threatens. Nothing shall stop us. So, please, Julian,’ he shut his eyes. "Wake up."

The heavy descent of armoured footsteps echoed in the hallway, which marked the end of the guards’ duty to watch over this room.

And as they marched away, three more footsteps approached.

The bolt slid back, and the door creaked open, allowing Sir Kaelen to step in with a grim expression.

"Kaelen," Alaric barked without looking up. "Get a physician. Now! If he isn’t here in five minutes, I’ll go find him myself, and he will not be thrilled by my visit."

Kaelen nodded sharply,

"Yes, Your Grace," and then he vanished.

When the physician arrived, he was a small, trembling man who nearly dropped his bag at the sight of the Duke’s murderous expression.

This was not the same physician Rowan had brought, but he was still an Imperial Physician.

He hurried to the bedside, pressing a hand to Julian’s neck. But as soon as he felt the cold temperature, he nearly took his hand back in fright.

"H-his temperature..." the physician stammered, his face paling. "Your Grace, this is not normal." He claimed. "His temperature is falling too fast. If he doesn’t warm up, the blood in his veins will go stagnant, and his body could go cold forever."

Alaric’s body stiffened, and he scowled heavily, looking at the Physician like he was about to make his body go forever cold instead, if he didn’t do anything.

"Then make him warm!" Alaric groaned, rising from his kneeling position like a storm. "Make Julian Warm. Don’t you have any medicine for this?"

The physician shook his head.

"U-unfortunately, this is not a normal cold or illness, so I have not heard of a remedy. I haven’t even seen a condition like this on a living person."

"Are you trying to tell me Julian is dead when his heart is still beating?"