The next morning, without waking anybody up, at the first streak of dawn, Aaron and Charles rode on their horses to meet Erasmus.
He lived to the east side of the kingdom, on the other side of the forest that was supposedly free of witches. He stayed in a tower which, from no angle could be called a home but the prophecy guy preferred to stay only there.
Aaron always found him a bit strange. A man with no emotions, never smiling, never changing his voice, expressing nothing. He had met him few times in his life, the most strangest time being when Aaron was fed up of the chain on his neck and had hidden it under the ground. He thought his mother would surrender her demand of making him wear it all time. But his mother and granny were agitated and immediately summoned Erasmus.
The blasted man immediately found out that Aaron was messing with them. How did he fucking found it, Aaron didn't understand. Not then, not now.
"His Majesty knows where it is", Erasmus had said with eyes as blank as a clean unwritten paper."
"I never liked Erasmus much", Aaron now said to Charles riding his horse slowly through the woods.
Charles shrugged. "He is very wise. We don't have to like him, as long as he keeps helping us".
Aaron smirked, "I thought the strictest man I ever saw was you. But then entered Erasmus".
Charles gave him a side glance. "You need to be strict or all people take you for granted".
"I am not strict, people never take me for granted". Aaron said proudly.
"You are the king, Your Majesty. If people take you for granted, they might die".
Aaron and Charles reached the other side of the forest and the huge stone tower of Erasmus was visible through the thick fog of the early morning.
They rode fast towards it, and reaching there, they found the tower situated on a hill. Tying their horses to a tree, they made to climb the tower.
"You can stay down if you want. Dont overtax yourself at this age", Aaron smirked down at Charles while climbing the circular stairs.
Charles merely shook his head. Perhaps saving the energy to climb rather than talking.
Finally they reached the room at the top and knocked at the door. The tower was dark and chilly. No wonder Erasmus stayed here. Comforting and away from the people's tattering.
But Aaron wished he had taken the room on the lower stories. Heaving a bit with exertion, he thought he had good exercise.
The door opened and Erasmus met their eyes with the blank ones of his own. Clad in the tradinally fashioned white cloak with golden hair, Erasmus looked the same age as Aaron had seen him before.
"Your Majesty" he gestured them to come inside.
They entered the chamber and Erasmus closed the door. A lone candle which he must have used at night was still lit.
Aaron walked towards the only window in the chamber and stood there clasping his hands in his trouser pockets. He could see his entire kingdom and a small smile grazed his lips to see the land he had come to love with all that he had.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Majesty?"
"I wanted to ask you a question, Erasmus." Aaron turned and raised his wrist. "The chain perhaps wants to increase it's value. It doesn't want to be silver anymore. It prefers to be gold", Aaron said sardonically.
Erasmus blinked.
"Why has it happened?" Aaron asked lowering his hand. "Mother thinks it's a warning as the red moon is near".
Erasmus shook his head. "It's not a warning, your Majesty"
"Then, what is it?"
"It's nothing".
"Come again".
"It's nothing, Your Majesty"
Aaron looked at Charles and found him confused as well.
"Then, why the colour change?" Charles asked.
Erasmus looked at him. "I cannot think why. But I do know that it doesn't indicate a warning of the red moon or anything that His Majesty is in danger from".
Aaron looked at him intently. Though the man's eyes were blank of any emotion, they seemed confident. Erasmus knew something. Perhaps he wasn't allowed to say it. But nonetheless, anger bubbled up in Aaron's chest seeing that he was not disclosing the meaning.
Erasmus looked at him too, and Aaron knew that he had realised that Aaron was aware of his lie.
Aaron sighed and looked at his wrist and frowned.
Charles, seeing his frown too, looked at the wrist and came towards him.
"The colour is changing again, Your Majesty".
The chain was the bright golden now as it had been last night. It seemed the colour was fading and turning back to silver. What the fuck! He wrinkled his brows.
Raising his eyes to Erasmus, Aaron walked around Charles towards him.
"Tell your king the truth, Erasmus", Aaron said in a deep voice. "I am no more patient about this curse". The fucking curse had started to make him loose his mind. There is no solution they found at all whatsoever and signs like these are infuriating.
"I am telling the truth, Your Majesty. It's nothing".
Aaron groaned. "Let's go Charles. It's nothing".
He decended the stairs, barely containing his fury. His mother wouldn't like the person who had saved her son getting killed by his son himself.
He mounted his horse.
Charles stood bside him. "You think he is lying, Your Majesty?
Aaron breathed angrily. "Perhaps he is hiding the truth. It might not be dangerous. But it might signify something. And he is not disclosing it".
Aaron eyed the tower with revolting gaze and kicked his leg, urging the horse to move. When he held the reins, Aaron saw his chain had already turned back to the original silver colour. Furious, he galloped his horse at the fastest speed letting the chilly wind graze his face.
Aaron was grateful that Erasmus had helped his mother when she needed it saving his life. But after he hadn't done anything no matter how much his mother had begged. When she asked about the woman or the sacrifice or anythimg related, the damn man had always avoided to help.
Aaron wasn't sure why but he thought Erasmus was aware of the process to uplift the curse. And he wasn't sharing that with him.
And it infuriated Aaron. Lord knew he wasn't afraid of death. But he was afraid of the vanishing peace of his family. The closer they were getting to the red moon, the worrier his family became. And no matter how much he tried, Aaron was powerless to lessen it.