Chapter 19 The Boy Known As Cayden (1/2)

Lady Zula let them go from her embrace and looked at them with grief filled eyes. ”We better go back to the room.... Cayden I think it's best that you spend the night with us, in our room.” She said as she grabbed Cayden's hand and started to drag him out of the study room.

Cayden flushed a deep red when he heard what she said and tried to protest but Lady Zula was not having it. ”No, you will now be in my care! In the morning we will have a long chat about 'things' and I won't feel comfortable if you are not within my sight!” Cayden groaned and looked at Ariana.

Ariana was not to pleased, she turned her gaze away when Cayden's flushing face turned to her for help. She didn't like seeing him so red while her mother was dragging him along. Once they made it upstairs, Lady Zula called on the butler in waiting to bring in a fold out bed for Cayden.

Ariana watched as Cayden's face started to relax and wondered what caused him so much embarrassment. ”Cayden.” She said as she took a couple of steps towards him. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve. ”Are you going to sleep right away?”

Cayden looked at Ariana then Lady Zula.He sighed and started to rub the back of his neck as he brought his gaze back to Ariana. ”You want to ask me questions now, right?” Ariana nodded her head slowly. ”That's fine I have some questions too.”

There was a knock on the door and two butlers came in carrying a single fold out bed. They started setting it up when Lady Zula asked the butler in waiting to bring up some warm milk and cinnamon rolls. ”The old hag has a sweet tooth so I know she always has a stash of cinnamon rolls, ready at any given moment.” She said with a wink as she looked at the two.

Cayden smiled and Ariana noticed he had small dimples resting above the corners of his lips. ”A double smile.” She said as she raised her hand to stop her giggle. Cayden's gaze became tender when he heard what she said. ”That's right a double smile...” Lady Zula watched the boy as she sat herself down in one of the two red velvet wingback chairs in the room. ”Cayden sit, I want to have a chat with you.” She said as she pointed at the opposite chair.

Cayden looked at the chair then at Lady Zula. He reluctantly moved himself to where she instructed while Ariana looked around the room, until she spotted the stool by the vanity.She rushed over, picked up the stool and placed it in between Cayden and Lady Zula's wingback chairs.

”So Cayden let's start with the basics. Full name, age and your parents names please.” Lady Zula said as she crossed one leg over the other and placed her hands on top of her thigh. Cayden looked at Ariana, while she looked back with sparkling eyes. Cayden sighed and let his head fall down to his chest. ”Alright, I promise I won't lie to you but in return if there is something I can't answer, please don't press me okay?”

Lady Zula heard a knock on the bedroom door. She gave Cayden a stern look before she nodded her head. ”You may enter.” She said in a loud, clear voice. The butler in waiting walked in with a tray, carrying three tall glasses of steaming milk and a plate with a small mountain of cinnamon rolls. ”Thank you James I will take over from here. You may retire for the night.”

The stoic butler handed over the tray and watched Lady Zula place the tray on top of the coffee table. ”That's not possible miss.” He clenched his jaw, his olive skin became tight, his dark, brown eyes were screaming defiance while his salt and pepper, curly hair was slicked back perfect

Lady Zula looked back, locks of her dark hair topple off of her shoulder. ”Excuse me?” She said a little bit more shocked then she wanted to let on. ”I'm sorry miss but Madam wants me close by in case you need anything...” James said then moved his dark gaze towards the children. ”We don't want another mishap to happen again, where we get another uninvited guest within these walls.”

Lady Zula's face became very stern as she straightened up her back. ”James, leave!” James gave a courtly bowed before he turned and left the room. ”Old hag is even oppressing children that are not even her own.” She scowled as James left.”Disgusting.” She said under her breathe before she looked at Cayden. ”Here, lets chat while we eat.” She said as she passed a cinnamon roll with a napkin to Cayden then Ariana.

Ariana couldn't wait to sink her teeth into the roll. While Cayden just stared. After Ariana was almost done her first roll, Cayden took a bite, he slowly savoured the bite and swallowed. ”My name is Cayden Remo, I'm fourteen this year and my parents... well my birth mother passed away from an illness 9 years ago.” He said sadly as he looked at the cinnamon roll in his hand. Ariana looked at Cayden and felt her heart ache along with his.

”Remo, Remo, Remo....Remo! You're Erik Remo's boy?!” Lady Zula shouted. Cayden silently nodded his head in agreement. ”Isn't his wife Lydia Remo? Isn't she your mother? I mean there are other siblings of course and they are around your age... you're an illegitimate...” Lady Zula said as she stared at the boy who suddenly became furious and decided to devour his cinnamon roll then answer right away.

He reached out and grabbed his glass of milk. He chugged it down, banged his empty glass onto the coffee table and his cold gaze shot daggers at Lady Zula. ”That's right I'm a bastard child.” He hissed. Lady Zula softened her gaze as she looked at the boy but it was Ariana who spoke up. ”My mother is not trying to be mean or degrade you. I think she is more shocked then anything else. I think you've talked about them, the Remo's before, right mom?”

Lady Zula sighed as she leaned back into her chair, clawing her fingers into the velvet fabric of the chair. ”So they too are a white lily family.” Ariana and Cayden looked at Lady Zula curiously but Lady Zula ignored their gazes. ”So how did you end up in a slave contract? Don't tell me that Lydia forced it on you?” Cayden took another cinnamon roll and started to pick small pieces off before popping it into his mouth.

”Yes and no.” He answered lazily and kept popping pieces of the roll into his mouth. Lady Zula raised her eyebrow, expecting him to elaborate but he silently kept eating. ”Is it my fault?” Ariana whispered as she grabbed the fabric of her night gown and stared at Cayden with big round eyes. Cayden swallowed a piece of roll too quickly and started to cough. Lady Zula gave him her glass of milk and watched him drink half before he regained his breathe.

”It was not your fault, it will never be your fault! I... was to stubborn trying to win their approval. I was stupid enough to play into their games.” He said as a mixture of emotions flashed across his face. Anger, sadness, fear, hatred and regret. ”I fu-u.. cough... I made a mistake. I was supposed to act as a bodyguard for a very important family acquaintance. However I failed my mission and it resulted in me being disowned and sold off to some slave traders.”