Alaric managed to escape Carlton's wrath, dragging Rowan into the sanctuary of his study. He slammed the door shut and slumped against it, exhaling a shuddery sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Kastiel breathed an audible sigh as he saw Carlton acting normally for once. The empress usually chased him with a sword at every opportunity, but today he seemed preoccupied. Kastiel hadn't set foot in the palace or worked with Alaric in ages - he was grateful for this rare reprieve from Carlton's usual aggression.
However, when Carlton casually handed over guardianship of the children to him and asked him to keep them occupied while he retreated to the library, Kastiel nearly choked on his own tongue. In the past, Charlotte had used Kastiel as a pawn in her schemes almost poisoning Crown Prince Malcolm! Kastiel fully expected Carlton to be his usual imperious self - kicking his ass or brandishing a blade if he so much as glanced at the royal brats. But here he was entrusting them to his care!
