It was the day of the banquet. Phoebe had prepared Calhoun's clothes the previous night, Mary was the one who would dress him.
Calhoun was shameless and didn't care that he was standing naked before his servant. Mary put her face to the floor until he had entered his bath fully.
"My king, what else do you need?" She asked. She wanted to leave his chamber, staying with him for twelve hours a day for three days had caused a detrimental issue for her. Calhoun's reasoning was beyond comprehension.
"Hm." Calhoun hummed. He ignored her question and submerged his entire body. He was enjoying his bath and wanted to take his time to wash. He expected Diana to at least show up. Even if she wasn't going to show her face or wait till the end of the banquet, at least she would show up.
Mary took it as a yes and left the chamber. Calhoun wasn't bothered by her going, he even wanted privacy. But for the sake of making her squirm, he wasn't going to ask her to leave.
Thinking about his warm and fuzzy moments with Diana, he began to smile. His body reacted to her every day and even while she was absent, she could still control his body's reaction.
"Diana..." He whispered. "You should see how well I have grown. I can do much more than before."
"I can snap a bone twice as fast." He chuckled.
"I can tear someone's head off their body with one hand. Strange right? Well, you wouldn't believe why."
Almost as if Diana was there with him. He just had the feeling that she was coming, she was close to him and it made him elated.
It made him so happy, he could feel a smile forming on his face.
When he finally came out from the bath, he took a soft towel and dried his body completely. He took a fragrance oil and rubbed it around his skin. Usually, he didn't bother with that and it was only Diana who had served him that did such a ceremony on his skin.
Patricia was too dumb to realize that men should be oiled as well. Mary and Phoebe? They had just begun serving him. His mentality was detrimental to their health. He was toxic and he loved it.
It gave him a sense of satisfaction that he couldn't be replaced by anyone. He was indispensable whether they liked it or not. After oiling his skin, he wore his underwear.
Standing before his large-sized mirror, Calhoun smiled at his reflection. He hadn't added the fat which he had lost during his dark days but the new look suited him even better. He couldn't help but wonder if Diana would like his new look or not.
He took out his trousers and wore them. It was midnight blue trousers that were made from a thick fabric that felt like his personality; thick-skinned.
He matched it with a shirt made of the same fabric. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he smiled. The dark color matched his white skin and the golden yellow light gave his skin the touch of melanin it needed, making him look even hotter than the sun. At least that was what he thought.
Calhoun put on his shoes. They were ankle high and the sole was made of very thick leather that seemed like it was prepared for the military only. Well, he was never to be caught unguarded.
His robe was a scarlet one. It was made of a lighter fabric and it shimmered in the light. Turning around, he enjoyed the new outfit, it was tailor-made for him.
He took his jewelry and put them on. Then his eyes went to the neck piece that was claimed to belong to Diana. He took it and placed it in his pocket where it balanced properly.
He will solve the mystery today. When Diana showed up, he would ask her if it belonged to her. If she said yes, he would give it to her but on a condition. Because that was who he was. But if she said it didn't belong to her, well at least she had helped him solve a part of the problem.
All the same, knowing Diana, it could be hers and she would still deny owning it. She would want to do anything to be away from him, but he was prepared. He wouldn't allow it.
He combed his hair and styled it backward, gelling it to stay in place. Once he was done, he checked himself out one more time. His outfit was complete but it remained one thing. His mask.
He took out his silver mask and was about to wear it when his eyes caught another mask in the drawer. It was a sunset yellow that seemed to hue more red than orange. He smiled. It belonged to Diana, he remembered her using it at one of the events they held at the banquet.
"Where are you going, looking like that?" He demanded. Diana looked so messy and he knew it was because she had tended to him all night, not sleeping. Yet he had insisted that she accompanied him to the event.
"You asked me to come with you." Came her soft reply. "Do I not look good enough?"
Calhoun could see the hope in her eyes when she asked that. She was expecting him to say something nice to her. Calhoun chuckled.
"You look horrible. Do you have a mask?" He asked. He watched as the hope died quickly and how she replaced the feeling with mild anger. He smiled internally.
She went back into the castle and after a while, she returned with the mask. He forced her to leave it on all through the event and even on their way back to the castle until they entered his chamber. When she eventually took it off, her face was swollen.
Remembering it, he laughed softly. Now he was going to wear the mask to see what made her face swell up. He put it over his head and placed it properly. Once he was done, he left the chamber.
The hall was filled with guests already and he knew there was no hiding from him. Everyone was dressed beautifully but no one else wore a cape or a robe. So if anyone saw him, they would immediately know it was him.
"George." He called. "Get Thomas to attend this banquet."
"My king?" George asked. "I thought you locked the man away."
"Well yes," Calhoun replied. "But you see, Diana is going to come. If she does, I know she would find Thomas first. Despite not having been on good terms with him, I'm sure she misses him."
And I hope she misses me. He added in his heart. He hoped she missed him as well.
"Alright my king, I will do just that," George said.
Calhoun remained up, watching his people mingle. The man who was in charge of the mating ceremony began it. Calhoun watched as his other members got mated and he started to feel like it wasn't a good idea.
Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't exactly chase all of them away.
Scratch that, he could. But he wouldn't want Diana to show up suddenly and think that she was pranked.
Diana was in her tent, playing with her son. Occasionally she would look up and stare far at the castle of Wisteria whose towers stood tall and were very visible.
"Diana," Julitta called. "Tell me something."
"What?" Diana asked. "Something like what?"
"Tell me why you miss Calhoun but would never want to see him. Yet you choose to defy Eugene just because you want to keep him safe."
Diana went quiet. She loved him, that was why she didn't want to see him. But that was also why she didn't want him dead.
"He's my son's father." She replied. "I don't want him dead."
"Then why don't you want to see him?"
"He's an asshole."
Julitta chuckled. "Is that what you wish to convince yourself with?"
"What do you mean?" Diana demanded.
"Listen D, I know you still love him," Julitta said. "Why not go? Just to see him."
"Never."
"Okay let's do it this way... How about you show up at the banquet, find your stepfather, and ask him how Calhoun has been."
"If he tells you and you like what he said, you can decide to see him. Otherwise, you can decide to come back."
"Why do I want to see Calhoun?" Diana asked.
Julitta shrugged. "Maybe because it will help you know if you still love him or not. It will help you know if you can forget about him or not."
Diana turned her face away. Julitta's words had gotten to her.
"What about spying?" She asked.
"Just go ahead and spy on Wisteria," Julitta said. "Also, who do you support in the war?"
"The winning team."
"Then who do you hope to win?"
Diana went silent. After a while, she whispered, "Wisteria."
Julitta stared at her. Wasn't this considered to be treachery? "Why?"
"Eugene is a fool. He wants to wipe out a kind of creature completely just because of a decades-old feud. The person he has an issue with is long gone and he wishes to destroy the man's grandson."
"What has all this got to do with you?" Julitta asked. "Aren't we all just pawns in the bigger game?"
"The man he had an issue with is Marjun Montego," Diana said. "And the grandson is Calhoun Montego, Coco's father."
Julitta finally understood. If it was so then she would have to fight Diana. She also didn't like Eugene.
"Go. I will stay here and wait for you." Julitta said.
Diana quickly took out a small dress and put it on. She unpacked her hair and combed it down. She wore her boots and then she snuck out of the tent. She had grabbed a military mask that they used, she was going to wear it inside out.
Within three hours, she made it to the castle in Wisteria. Standing before the familiar ivy-covered walls, she felt a sense of nostalgia wash over her. Sighing to herself, she walked into it.
She wasn't questioned at all and it was because everyone was busy with the banquet. She sighed as George walked around, making sure things were in order. Once she entered, she began to receive some attention which she didn't like.
She found a way to hide. While walking through the corridor of the castle, she sighted a man. From the way he walked, he resembled Thomas. But she wondered why he looked so thin and starved.
"Thomas." She whispered. The man turned instantly. He was surprised to find a young lady, clad in a short dress that still managed to have many layers of chiffon from the waist to a little below mid-thigh. She wore a mask that covered her nose and mouth and her eyes were visible.
She looked like... "Diana?"
"Shh!" Diana shushed instantly, looking left and right to ensure that nobody had heard him. Thomas hurried over to hug her and Diana was truly surprised.
"Thomas I-"
"I miss you every day. Where have you been? Why didn't you come to me before you left?"
Diana smiled sheepishly. "What can I say? I didn't want him to find me at all."
"Well he found me and locked me up for a long time, I was in the dungeon starving," Thomas said, shaking his head. "When I came out, I was a changed man."
Diana nodded. "I can see that."
Honestly, she had missed Thomas too. Just as she was about to tell him that, she heard footsteps approaching.
"Thomas, who are you speaking to?" Calhoun asked.
Thomas stared at the spot where Diana had just left. Calhoun turned and saw a shadow moving. Before Thomas could say anything to stall him, he pursued the shadow.
Diana was running for her life. She didn't want to face Calhoun yet. Hearing his voice brought so many memories, she could only wonder what seeing him could do.
She managed to escape the castle. She reached the gate and turned back, he wasn't following. As she turned to continue running, her vision got blocked by a man.
He grabbed her and took her away. Diana couldn't scream as she didn't want to attract attention, she had to keep mute and pray that he wasn't an enemy she would have to fight.