For Mo-Senpai~~
- Locked due to inactivity on Aug 29, '16 3:54am
Thread Topic: For Mo-Senpai~~
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Henry moved to stop Neddy, but noticing his lover's go pale, he let him go. "I'll meet you soon, love." He assured before turning to look at Hazard with a stirn expression. "You. You'd better apologize to him for what you just said. I don't know if you meant it that way, but what you said held a great deal of prejudice against magic users. I like Vivian and all, but I don't trust anyone outside of this family after all that's happened in my time. Don't give me a reason not to trust my own son." The king paused to sigh, looking over at Rosaria. He and Neddy had intended to stay and watch her for awhile, keep Jacian out, but he couldn't stay alone. He needed to check on his lover. "Hazard.. Please watch over your sister, and if Jacian tries anything to get in here, send someone to me. He is not to be in here until she has been well rested and Neddy and I give shared consensus." With that, the blonde quietly left the room, going to his bedroom to check on his husband.
Malakai pulled his knees tighter to his chest, burying his face to silently cry. He was glad was asleep, or at least knocked out from her magic use, so she couldn't see or hear their arguing. But when Vince slammed the door, rattling the room, he looked up to quickly wipe his face, sniffing softly. The brunette tried to get to the bathroom, desperatly needing to splash his face with cold water.
Flynn carefully adjusted her in his arms, glancing down when spoke. "I know it hurts, we're going to get help, don't worry." He tried not to get distracted by his wife too much, trying to quickly get her to the infirmary, but what she said to him next caused him to stop in his tracks, looking down at her with wide eyes. Another child, a poor life that was at risk because of the abuse she received. He tensed, trying to hold back any anger he felt in that moment. He was infuriated that she hadn't told him before all of this, and even more angry at whoever hurt her and his unborn child. With new found determination, he rushed to see a doctor, ones that had replaced many of the others that held prejudice against magic users. Some were even specialized in helping Neddy and Alicia, Cian and Avalon, too.
"I'm just that pretty when I please my hubby." Leith smiled and sat up to peck his lover's lips before gently pushing him down. Within an hour, the two had left a mess and were cuddles up under the covers. The elemental seemed to almost purr as he nuzzled Elias's cheek. "Being with you..is always magical, you know?" -
(Lemm fix dat order by saying Fynn*)
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Ezria Newbie"Vivian would never tell, anyways.." Hazard sighed, but agreed to watch his sister and keep an eye out for Jacian. As Henry left the room, Vivian began scolding him for the harsh words he had said, not caring that her voice carried into the hallway.
Neddy had cleaned up as soon as he had gathered himself- Washed his face off in the sink, brushed his teeth and combed his hair back away from his face. He knew that Hazard hadn't meant it as harsh as he had said it, but it still hurt. Gathering himself, he changed his clothes and hurried off to the study, where he knew Adria would be finishing her lessons. He pushed the door open and slipped in, glad to find that her mentor had already left her. On his way there, he had given two orders to a maid- One, bring three slices of cake and three cups of milk to the study, and third, tell Henry where he had gone. He knew he should have waited for his husband, but he wanted to be cheered up, not babied. He loved how Henry cared for him, but he needed a distraction, not kind words. He was careful not to make a sound as her approached Adria from behind, slipping his hands over her eyes. "Hmm, let's see.. You did number three wrong. And four.." He teased, not even looking at her work to see what she was doing or what numbers she was actually on.
Vince didn't return until his body was drenched in sweat from working himself so hard. He bathed in the lake that sat far into the forest, and then finally went back to the bar as the sun was setting. He checked and found that the food hadn't been brought up just yet, and reminded the kitchen maid of their order before heading up the stairs. He slipped into the room that they had used when Avalon was practicing magic, sinking down into the bare cot. It was thin and smelt faintly of mold, but Vince was too tired to care, and he was still too hurt by Mala's words to go back to him just yet. Hoping the younger would, by some strange chance, come and find him laying alone and comfort him by curling up in his chest like he sometimes did. It was far too cold without him.
Alicia was finally able to drift back into darkness when she had that off her mind. She knew that she should try to stay away, that her head injury made drifting off dangerous, but she couldn't bring herself to care with all the pain she was in. When they finally reached the medic wing, Sergei, one of the medics that had came with Leo and Odessa stood up. He was one of Alicia's few friends, her closest confident. He knew, of course, about the baby- He had been the one to confirm she was with child, and he had urged her to tell Fynn, but she had waited. It appeared now that she had waited a bit too long. "What happened?!" He questioned as he sent two young nurses to prepare a room, ushering Fynn towards the stretcher they kept in the hall. "Is she conscious? She needs to be awake if she can be. Was she when you found her? When did you find her? And where?" He pulled his hair back and tied it up in a hasty pony tail, trying to study Alicia's numerous injuries. The worst ones where to her eye and skull- It may have been fractured, but he hoped it wasn't. Her eye had been gouged so badly that he knew it would have to be removed. "..Do you know who did this?" Sergei knew, of course, that if he did the man would be dead shortly. He wasn't the murder type but the sight of his friend made his heart ache.
"As compared to what?" He teased, nuzzling the side of Leith's neck, arms secure around his waist. He knew they needed to get up and clean themselves, but Leith was warm and soft and he really didn't want to move just yet. -
Henry smiled a bit when he heard his son's girlfriend's voice echo into the halls. He hoped they wouldn't get too loud and disturb Rosaria. He began to head for his room only to be stopped just down the hall by one of the maids, listening to her when she mentioned Neddy was in the study. The blonde thanked her and hurried to meet with his husband, figuring he wanted to spend some time with Adria while she was doing her studies. The young princess never failed to cheer up her fathers when they were upset about anything. When he peeked in, he smiled at the way Neddy teased their daughter, quietly walking in and finding himself a seat. He did his best to not let the girl know he was there.
Adria furrowed her brow and pouted when her eyes were covered, reaching up to put her hands over Neddy's. "N-Nuh uh! My tutor said they were right! She said..." The princess trailed off, knowing well that she was being teased but still gently moved her father's hands to look back at her work. Her eyes darted between her papers and her books as she checked the answers. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm right. See?" She grinned at him, reaching her arms up for a hug. "Papa needs a hug~"
Malakai had cancelled the food order hours ago, feeling that it would just sit and get cold anyway. He knew Vince had gone off somewhere to be alone, and the brunette's appetite had flown out the window after their confrontation. When it started to get late into the evening, he'd decided to take his first hot bath in what felt like forever. Malakai took his time, trying to put himself at ease and relax into the steaming water, and just as he was finishing rinsing his hair, he heard the door to the room open and shut. With a heavy sigh, the younger moved to get out of the washtub and dry himself with a towel. There was no doubt in his mind that Vince had finally returned.
Fynn tensed when she drifted off, letting the other take her into his medical care. "If I knew what happened, or who did it, I'd be beating him within an inch of his life.." The knight growled before slamming his fist on the nearest wall. Every time they fought, something like this happened. He couldn't help blaming himself for not being there, but also blamed his wife for continuously pushing him away when he tried to be there for her. "She was awake, she only just drifted off. After dropping another baby bomb on me.." He narrowed his eyes at the other. In any normal situation, he liked Sergei. He treated Alicia kindly and took care of her when she needed anything. But he knew how she confided in the man, so Fynn found it easy to believe that he'd known about her pregnancy. "I need to go tell my lord. We need to find whoever did this as soon as possible. And I of course trust you to take good care of Alicia while I do so."
"As compared to everything in my life before you came around. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. Even my big brother accepts you as one of our own." Leith cooed and pet his lover's head, nuzzling his hair and sighing in content. There was nothing better than being close to his beloved. -
Neddy noticed when Henry came in, but other than giving him a thin smile, he didn't acknowledge his presence. He allowed Adria to move his hands, smiling when she confirmed that her answers were right. "That's my smart girl.. What are we working on? Math, history, science?" He hugged her, tightly before taking a seat next to her. His daughter had grown up to be strikingly beautiful- And, in his mind, she was even more gorgeous that Avalon, and that was saying something. The years hadn't changed the fact that he loved his daughter deeply and beyond compare. Glancing at Henry, Neddy decided that, because Hazard already knew, that he might as well tell Adria. He didn't know how much she remembered about Malakai or Vince, but she hoped that she would be as happy as he was about their return. "We received some news today, Adria," He began, picking up an eraser and chucking it at Henry for no reason other than to pester his husband. "And.. Well, do you remember your brother, Malakai? I know you've seen paintings. And Vince, too.. Oh, well, what I'm trying to say is that they've been found. They're coming home. Very soon." Neddy was almost scared that by saying those words aloud, the miracle of their discovery would vanish, and he would wake to find that the news of their return had all been a dream.
Vince heard water sloshing around in the small bathroom next to him, and sighed, knowing that Mala was in there- Who else, after all? He wish he had known the younger was taking a bath, he might have gone somewhere else. For now, though, he just tugged a thin blanket over his head and pretended not to exist. Perhaps if he tried hard enough he would simply vanish! Vince pushed the silly thought from his head, tore off the blanket, and stood. He strode across the room, pausing just in front of the door. Three soft knocks. "Malakai..?" He hesitated, not sure if the other would answer at all. "Are you still angry with me?" It was a stupid question, and he wasn't sure that he would get a direct response. More likely some smart comment. He didn't care, though. He wanted to talk to his boyfriend, wanted attention and love. Even if he didn't deserve it.
"A baby bomb?" Sergei hesitated, looking down at Alicia again before returning his eyes to Fynn. He signaled to one of the other nurses to move her to a room, ordering a few bags of blood to be delivered. "I will admit, I knew about the child. But I hope you wont be too upset with her about not telling you. She was scared she would lose it. I'm going to be honest with you. It's unlikely that the child will survive this kind of trauma. Her body will focus on healing her first, and that may mean it will abort the baby. I'll do everything I can to save both of them, but it's unlikely. I need to see what exactly the extent of her damage is before I can make any promises on her own condition." He swallowed, and then started for the room, none too sure that he would be spared of Fynn's wrath if Alicia didn't make it.
"Oh? The best thing, hm..?" He smiled happily, enjoying the sound of Leith's heart beat. "Well, the best thing that ever happened to me was dying. Because if I hadn't died, your brother wouldn't have brought me back. And if he hadn't, I would never have met you. And if that was going to be the case, I would have been perfectly fine with staying dead." Elias was perfectly aware that what he had said made no sense- But he didn't care. -
As much as the king hated being ignored by his lover, he gave a silent sigh and looked away. He'd came to his husband with the intention of comforting him, but it was clear their daughter was better at this sort of thing. Adria grinned when she was hugged and leaned up to kiss his cheek, leaving a print from her lipstick. "It's history. About old kings and stuff." She told him and pouted when she noticed where her eraser had been thrown. Henry flinched as it struck the corner of eye, giving Neddy a look that questioned what he'd done wrong to deserve this treatment. "Papa, don't pick on daddy! And of course I remember. He was older, like Rose, and he hated having to watch us." She stoppped remembering what little she knew about him, recalling the blonde, curly-haired boy that her brother was always around. She even remembered when he didn't come home with them ten years ago. Of course, her parents tried to play it off as Malakai staying over at Vince's for awhile, but that lie didn't last and they had to tell her what happened multiple times until she understood. When Noel died, she knew of its severity and began to worry about her own parents. "They're coming home..? Why? Why did they have to be so late? Uncle Noel would still be here if they came back sooner." Adria was glad to hear her brother was coming home, but she wished it had been much sooner.
Malakai had drained his bath water and was drying off with probably the best towel he'd gotten to use since being away from home. He was tempted to walk out in nothing but his towel, but after looking the mirror, the idea seemed ridiculous. He was skinny, no matter how much he would eat, and so pale. He couldn't see his ribs just yet, but if he got any thinner, it wouldn't take long. His hair felt like a complete mess as it fell over one of his eyes. If he were Vince, he wouldn't want to sleep with him either. He stopped the tears that threatened to fall and splashed his face with cold water, securing the towel around his waist before heading to the door. "I'm not mad," Malakai began, slowly opening the door to meet his boyfriend. "Just disappointed that you would do that to me.. Even if it was for quick money."
"Afraid she'd lose it, isn't an excuse to keep it from me. No. She chose not to tell me because she was ready to leave me and take my children from me. She believed that I was with her out of duty, even though every time I tried to bring this family closer, she resisted it. One problem after the next... That's how it is with her. But I still love her, I never stopped, not once, so just make sure she's stable. As much as I want the child to live, none of us can control nature." Fynn made everything clear about what he wanted before finally leaving to find Neddy. He hoped, for once, that his brother-in-law would be willing to help him with his relationship with Alicia. Although, her condition was more important right now and her brother deserved to know.
"I think I know what you mean. But I wonder, if you'd never died, would you have accepted my brother's offer to work with him? Or have you just felt duty bound since he gave you another life? If you had seen me in that situation, would you have chosen to stay without owing him anything?" Leith asked curiously, knowing well that Elias would say what he wanted to hear. Seeing as they'd been together for so long, it was hard to imagine alternate situations for them. -
".." Neddy sucked in his teeth at the mention of Noel, going to sit next to Henry. He leaned close to him, kissing the spot where the eraser had hit him. The king laid down, head in Henry's lap, staring at the wall while he thought of a way to answer his youngest child's questions. "They.. They haven't been able to find a way home up until now. Just be glad they're coming back at all, Adria. And try not to mention Vince's parents around him, alright? It's going to take a while for them to settle in, and I don't want you upsetting him, even if you don't mean to." Neddy rolled, hiding his face in Henry's stomach. He was absolutely exhausted, and wanted nothing more that to sleep right then and there, but he knew there were other things to do as well. "Oh. And after you finish your studies," He said, turning his his head slightly so that his voice wasn't muffled, "You should go and visit Rosaria. She's in the hospital wing right now. Don't make a big fuss, though. It's not that bad," He lied, even though his own blood still boiled with anger at the thought of what had been done to his daughter. He would make sure that whoever fell in love with Adria was worthy of her.
Vince had never seen anything but beauty when he looked at Malakai- Even now, after years of change. He stepped forward when the door was opened, slowly wrapping Mala in a hug, not caring if he returned it or not. "I can't go back and undo those things, but I can promise you that now I'll never do them.. With anyone but you, of course. And we will do them, someday. Alright? Now, come on. You really do need to put something in your stomach, and I don't care if it's just a roll. And then you're going to help me go buy clothes. Your brother would have a heart attack if we showed up in our rags," He teased lightly, lifting a hand to brush Mala's hair out of his face as he leaned in to kiss him, first his cheeks, then his nose, and then his lips. "I love you."
Sergei didn't say anything in response- Fynn was right, after all, but he really had no business getting involved in problems like that. He scratched the back of his neck, wondering if marriage was really worth all the fuss before he headed into the hospital room and set to doing what he could.
James had, after tucking Cian into bed, ran off to find Fynn and find out what exactly was going on. The younger didn't understand so it was perfectly fine for him to fall asleep but James couldn't get the images of carnage from his head. He rushed along the halls, not really noticing where he was going until he collided directly with Fynn's legs. He stumbled back, blinking and rubbing his forehead. "..I couldn't sleep," He said quickly. "Is Momma okay?"
"I would have went with your brother either way," He confirmed, giving Leith a smile as he presed another kiss behind his ear. "I was done with my old life. I was done being lonely, so.. So I would have gone with him. And I would have met you. But I think it happened the way it did for a reason, Leith." -
Henry smiled when his husband kissed the sore spot by his eye and reached up to brush his fingertips over the other's cheek before the younger could move to lie in his lap. He stroked Neddy's hair and silently listened to hiss conversation with Adria, clearly hearing in the tones of their voices that they were both upset. They were beginning to become reckless with their words as they spoke to each other, and Henry stepped in just before their daughter could respond to Neddy. "We understand that you're upset about everything, Adria, and I know you were young when they were taken from us, so you didn't have the chance to get very close to them. But even though it's easier for us to talk about your uncle, it's best not to bring it up around Vince. His wounds will be fresh, and we need to let him settle in. And you have to understand that they were just boys, kids like you, so there wasn't much they could do to get home." The blonde explained, watching Adria as she went back to her work but still listened to him. He sighed softly, looking down at Neddy. "We're glad that they're alive and well, and we hoped you'd be glad, too."
The redhead finished her last question, closing her books and standing. The princess didn't want to settle for what her fathers said, but felt it would be pointless to argue. As a young lady, it was not becoming of her to argue with them anyway. "I get it.. It's just...they didn't care about me then, so I doubt they will now. They spent all of their time together, like both of you do, and that's all they want. I was just a baby that Malakai hated watching over and spending time with, and that's exactly how it's gonna be when he comes home.." Her hair fell over her face as she looked down, clutching at her dress and heading for the door. She loved her family but found it more than difficult to be happy about the return of someone who had wanted nothing to do with her. "I'm going to go see Rose..." She mumbled and hurried out the door to go see her older sister.
Startled by the hug, no matter how slowly Vince had wrapped his arms around his thin frame, Malakai stood there for a few moments before hugging around the other. He relaxed at the tender kisses, returning the one that was planted on his lips. "I love you, too. I just wanted all of that to be between us..from the start. I don't know if I'd ever be able to be on top though." He paused and glanced to the side, cheeks lighting up. "Not like this anyway." The brunette chuckled at the mention of buying new clothes for when they went home. He knew Hazard would have a fit about them coming home in anything that wasn't at least somewhat decent. "Though I agree that we need new clothes, we won't be able to find, or really even afford, what we'll get when we return home."
Fynn was deep in thought until he felt something run into his legs, looking down to see his oldest son. He smiled and crouched down to help him back onto his feet. "What are you doing up?" He questioned, but understood the reason when the boy asked about Alicia. He carefully lifted him up with a grunt, brushing hair out of his face. "Momma is.. Momma is in a lot of pain right now, and the doctor is doing everything to make sure she'll be okay. I think she'll be just fine after a few days of rest. Now, let's get you back to bed, alright? I need to go talk to Uncle Neddy." The knight told his son, kissing the side of his head.
Leith smiled, glad to hear that Elias would've come to them one way or another. Hearing just how lonely his husband had been, he empathized easily. Sure, the elemental had his brother, but he always hated being alone when Aditya did business in other regions. Even just having the older in the basement all day made him feel as if he were alone. Plus Elias provided the kind of love that Aditya couldn't and wouldn't ever give him. "I feel like..we're meant to be together. No matter what situation, we'll meet again and again forever. At least, I hope so. I couldn't imagine being without you." -
Neddy sighed when Adria left- He had been hoping to talk with her for a while about nonsense and stuff that didn't really matter. It always made him feel better, but she seemed to be upset for some reason. He knew she had liked Noel, but she hadn't even really known him- Neddy, on the other hand, had grown close to his brother again during those few short years. Even though things had never been the same, he really had enjoyed having his brother back. It helped that Arissa was a total sweetheart as well, but now they were both gone. His heart was heavy for Odessa and Leo, but more so for himself and what could have been but wasn't. He pushed the hazy memories from his head, and leaned into Henry's touch. smiling a bit. "I love you, so much," He hummed, just before Leo came in from the door to the servant passage. He knew it was Leo that way- The young boy never liked the main hallways, preferring closed spaces and the stairwells were perfect for that. "Uh, Uncle Henry?" He began, pointing a thumb behind him. "There's blood in the stairwell. Lots of it. What happened?" Leo viewed Henry as some sort of God, Neddy sighed at the thought. He believed that Henry knew everything about everyone at all times, even though it was far from true.
"We'll deal with all that when it's time," Vince assured him, pressing a gentle kiss to his nose again. "I really don't want to talk about all that right now, but I promise we will, when I've got it all sorted out in my own head." He pushed the subject matter aside, slowly swaying Malakai while he pulled him into the small bedroom, finally letting go. "Get dressed, and we'll go and see what we can find. We're just looking, and even if we can't find anything of that quality, it'll all be better than what we have." Vince was excited- About clothes, and swords, and beds, about everything that wasn't important at all. In truth, he was scared to death of the idea of seeing his little brother and sister again. They had both grown up without him, and had probably let his memory fade to the back of their heads. He didn't know if they would even recognize him.
"I don't want to go to bed!" James protested, wrapping his arms around Fynn's neck. Cian was always the one who got carried around, and James understood why and wouldn't dare ever complain, but he missed behind picked up and held all the time, most of all by Fynn. In his mind, his dad was better and more powerful than even the kings. Even though it wasn't really true, James still believed in it fully as the gospel truth. "I want to stay with you. And I want to see Momma. I gotta see Momma," He insisted, still unable to forget how mangled she had looked. "She's gonna die, so I gotta say bye for Cian. And me," He declared, eyes starting to water- He really did think she was going to die, there was no way someone could get hurt that bad and live.
"Our souls are connected, so to speak?" He laughed lightly, sitting up and pulling Leith with him. "We should get all cleaned up, and then go see what's taking dinner so long. Come on, baby. Let's go." -
Henry moved his hand from the younger's hair, slowly trailing down to rub soothing circles into his back. He knew how hard it had been for Neddy to lose Noel again, since they'd all shared a pleasant reunion before the boys went missing. It seemed as if the older hadn't had a problem with their relationship in the slightest, even wishing them the best. He would've been a great brother-in-law and uncle to their kids as well as Alicia's. "I love you, too, Neddy. You and the kids are my everything." The blonde grunted as he struggled to lean down and kiss his husband. "I'm not this flexible.." He managed before Leo interrupted them.His brow furrowed at the mention of blood and he carefully moved his lover so he could stand. "Show me where, Leo."
Malakai huffed and rose a brow at the other. "I'll be holding you to that promise. And we will definitely be doing stuff like that at least once when we're both eighteen. If we don't do it before then." He smiled at the kiss to his nose, allowing the other to sway him. "Alright, alright. So bossy." He had no issue losing his towel to expose himself to his boyfriend, seeing as he knew the other wasn't going to try anything anyway. While he was getting dressed, Malakai eyed the other curiously. He could tell something was off about his lover. "What's on your mind, Vince?"
Fynn was startled when James protested going to bed, and even insisted on seeing his mother to 'say goodbye'. He pat the boy's back, trying to get him to calm down as he soothed him. "You can stay with me, but Momma's hurt and needs the doctors' help. Your Momma... She's strong, James. Believe in her, okay? She won't leave you and Cian, I promise. Don't cry, my precious boy.." The knight sympathized with his son and reached up to tenderly wipe the water from under his eyes. The brunette stroked the boy's hair, kissing the side of his head. "Momma will be fine. But I do need to go find Uncle Neddy and let him know, then I'll help you get to sleep."
"Exactly." Leith smiled, slowly sitting up and stretching, a smirk coming over his lips. "What if they tried to bring it up and heard us having too much fun? Maybe they decided it would be best to not disturb us." -
Leo nodded, hesitated a bit, and then swung the door open wider for them to follow. "It's just down here. I'm not sure what happened, but it's.. It looks like someone got attacked real bad, Uncle Henry." Neddy had gotten up by then, not really wanting to move but disliking the idea of staying there and being alone. He slipped a hand into Henry's, frowning. "There's not been any alarm bells, though. Perhaps it's not blood?" He knew that was a stupid guess, and Leo didn't even respond to it as he led them to where the stairs were stained and broken. Whatever had happened, there had been a struggle. Neddy stopped to grab a torch off the wall and used it to illuminate the scene. Blood covered about four feet of area, and there were places on the stone walls that looked like hand prints. He squatted down, leaning in to examine them. This was, after all, his job. Being head of the royal guard included investigating crimes that occurred within the castle. And whatever had happened here had been a crime. "It looks like it was a girl," He concluded, placing his hand over one of the prints. "Long, narrow fingers, thinner palm.. It was either a girl or a very young boy.." His eyes caught on something shiny near the door that lead to one of the halls. It was small, and silver, and when he got up and went over to it, his heart sank. "Henry," He mumbled, leaning down to pick the ring up. It was coated in blood, but the symbol was there. Silver with rich blue detail, and the seal of his own royal family. He wore the matching one- His had belonged to Noel, and he had held onto it, planning to give it to Leo when he was old enough, or Vince if he ever returned. But this one was thinner and more delicate than his own, too small for his own fingers. Arissa had passed it onto Alicia before she'd died, making sure the beautiful ring went to someone of Cart blood. Alicia's. Realization washed over him, hard and fast and he glanced back at the splattering of blood. So much of it. Neddy turned, leaning against the wall before throwing up once again, this time all acid as nothing was left in his stomach anyways.
"What if.. What if when we get home, Leo and Odessa don't remember me? They'll have grown up so much, and they were so young when we left.. I mean, Odessa might, but Leo? Unlikely. Malakai, what if they hate me? What if they feel I abandoned them, or blame me for what happened to my parents? The might. They wouldn't be wrong.." He sunk onto the cot, hiding his face in his hands. "We should have tried harder to get back. Maybe if.. If we had, they'd still be alive." He looked up, finally, running his hands through his hair.
"But what if she does leave us, Daddy? Sometimes people die. You know that. It just happens and nobody can stop it." He hid his face in his father's shoulder, still crying. "Okay.. But I wanna come with you because Uncle Neddy might freak out a little bit. He will, won't he? He always freaks out. Momma says he's a baby and Uncle Henry made him like that because he babies him so much. But she babies me and Cian! I don't mind, though.." He tilted his head, looking back up at Fynn with his brows furrowed. "You don't baby her like Uncle Henry babies Uncle Neddy, and Momma says he does it because he loves him so much. Do you not love her so much? Is that why you don't wanna go say bye?"
"Whoo, let's hope not. I don't want to excite the cooks and maids too much," He teased, pinching one of Leith's cheeks. He picked up a blanket off the floor and used it to quickly clean them up, rising to get dressed. He was a bit sore but he knew it would be worse for Leith. A smile touched his lips at that thought. -
"Show me the way, Leo." Henry told him while he took Neddy's hand in his own, leading his husband through the stairwell. "I'd expect a maid to clean up their mess if they dropped something." But once they reached the scene, there was no mistake that the "mess" was blood. Henry let his lover look around while he assessed the damage. The alarm hadn't gone off? That meant whoever had assaulted the victim didn't want it to, or it was possible an intruder had been taken care of. Still. The blonde looked back at Neddy when he heard his name and stood to walk over to him. His brow furrowed at the blood-stained ring that was a more delicate version of the one his husband wore. "Neddy.." He murmured and flinched, taking a step back when the younger vomited nothing but acid. He pulled Leo to his side, avoiding any tampering with the evidence, and rubbed Neddy's back. "She's not here.. Let's see if someone took her to the medical wing. Then we'll find out who did this... I believe an execution is due."
"We'll talk to them. I'll talk to them. I doubt they'll hate you, Vince. Your mother was ill to the point where she hardly left her bed, and personally, I don't think your father was mentally healthy either. The stress got to them, and it probably still would've even if we were there. We were kids. We did what we could to survive. It was impossible for us to get home on our own, and no one would help us. Remember when the people a few towns back tried to kill us for trying to tell them who we were? There wasn't much we could do, and they can't blame you for that." Malakai told him while he got dressed. He moved to stand in front of the other, cupping his face in his hands. He tenderly rubbed his thumbs over Vince's cheeks, leaning over to kiss him. "I'm honestly scared the Adria thinks that way of me. I'm more afraid of her hating us than your siblings."
"Uncle Neddy is..neurotic. He'll freak out over the smallest things. That's just how he is." Fynn furrowed his brow at his son, wondering why Alicia would put such thoughts in his head. "I love your momma just as much as Henry loves Neddy. People show their love differently, James. Babying someone is one way to show it, but you realize Neddy never does anything himself, don't you? If there's a problem, Henry is always there. They're almost always together. Not just because they're in love and married, but because Neddy can't do anything without him. Except for maybe going into a battle. Uncle Neddy lacks responsibility. If I babied your mother, she wouldn't ever be able to take care of you and Cian without me. Even now, she can't do that.. James. I don't want to say goodbye because I don't want to think about her not being here anymore. I love your mother, but she's pushing me away. She wanted to leave me and take you and Cian with her. I know you love momma, but you don't want us to be apart, do you?"
"I think they'd be more afraid of what they heard. We were pretty wild. At least you were~" Leith smiled as he made to get up, wincing at his sore lower back and hips. He even felt his thighs shake slightly as he straightened up. "Damn you.. You haven't made my body feel like this in a long time." -
Leo pressed against Henry's side, hiding his face in the king's shirt. He was still a child in many ways, even though he'd done a lot of growing up, and the realization that someone had attacked his aunt made him uncomfortable. Neddy gathered himself, slipping the ring into his pocket. "If she's not there then whoever.. Whoever did this will be disposing of her.. Her body. Either way, we need someone to ring the alarm. And I want guards posted at all the exits. No one leaves the castle." He leaned down, running a finger through the puddle of blood at his feet. "Fresher than up there.. Either she dragged herself this way, or her attacker did. It's possible that they took her alive, but that's a lot of blood. She wont last very long if they don't.." He swallowed, and gripped one of Henry's hands. "Let's go check the medical wing, like you said. Henry, whoever did this, I.. I don't want them around our children."
"Adria could never hate you," He assured him, frowning a bit. "She's only thirteen, Mala.. She'll welcome you back just like all of them will. Now, Hazard, he might hate you when he sees what you're wearing," Vince huffed, kissing his boyfriend back. "Let's go make sure that doesn't happen, hm? I'm sure he'll find something to fuss about either way, though. Remember when he used to make us play dress up? And it was the most annoying thing in the world, but I.. I'd give anything to see him again."
"..I wouldn't have gone with her," James promised, frowning. He looked away, shrugging. "I wouldn't have. Cian needs you. I know that. Momma is great and all, but she would never let C grow up or do nothing because she's always so scared that he'll get hurt. So if it came between you or her, Daddy, I'd pick you and Cian would too. You know, maybe she should die, Daddy, if she wants to leave so bad. I think that would be good." He looked back at him, and shrugged yet again, as if wishing for his own mother's death was perfectly normal. "If she really wants to leave so bad, I'm glad she's gonna die."
"Well, with Ava on our tails all the time, I haven't had a chance.. Don't get me me wrong, I love her, but Aditya needs to start occupying her time a bit better. Or she needs to get a boyfriend or something." He stretched, yawning yet again, watching Leith move. "I'll fix you up later, okay? A hot bath should make it better, hm?" -
Henry rubbed the boy's shoulder, giving him a few pats while allowing him to hide his face. He acknowledged and respected his nephew's maturity, but he understood well that he was still young. Matters like this could still be sensitive for him at his age. "Let's not assume anything yet. With as fresh as it is here compared to there-" The king pointed out, looking at his lover. "She may have moved herself. The streaks aren't very constant either, showing that she stopped moving now and then, probably to breathe or take breaks." Henry placed a hand on the small of Neddy's back, leading him the way the trail led until it stopped in the hallway. "..Someone moved her from here. Neddy, I'm going to the medical wing. You're the leader of my guards, so I need you to order my knights. Find Fynn, too, he can definitely help you." He gave his husband a kiss and pressed their foreheads together. "We'll figure out what happened, so take a deep breath and do what you need to do."
"You don't know that. Your dad was nice to her from the start." Malakai pouted, slipping his arms around the blonde's neck and nuzzling noses with him. "I think he'll still hate whatever we come home in because that's just how he is. Yeah, he was a bit annoying but he's still my little brother. He'll probably be happy to see me because he won't have to be king next." The brunette laughed and stood, pulling the other up with him. "Let's go shopping then."
"Don't say that. Don't ever say that. There are only a select few people in the world that deserve death, but not your mother. She just..." He paused, sighing heavily as he thought things over. "She needs help, James. Medical help. Mental help. I love your mother, and Neddy's surprisingly warming up to me, but there was always something off about that family. I've heard they're prone to mental illness. I think that's part of the reason Henry is so careful with Neddy, he doesn't want to lose his lover to madness. Your mother loves you both very much, so don't say things like that.."
"She's a sweetheart, no boy is good enough for her. At least that's how my brother sees it. You know he'll never allow her to have a lover. I'm sure that the day he passes away, his spirit will haunt her to keep men away." Leith giggled playfully about his brother's attitude. He'd never expected him to grow so fond of Ava and be a decent father figure towards her. "A hot bath after dinner sounds nice. While we eat, someone should come change out the sheets." -
"..If she's at the medical wing, Henry, send for me. Immediately. If she's there, if she's even still alive, she might not be for long. And she'll need transfusions and-" He paused, remembering that exactly three days ago, Sergei had pulled him aside to tell him something about Alicia. He'd done it during one of Neddy's midnight walks, and had made sure that no one was listening at the moment when he told him. It was something Alicia had begged Sergei not to tell anyone, but the young doctor had been ordered by Neddy to report any serious matters concerning his sister or children to him. He was told that night that Alicia was once again with child. There would be no announcement, as until she reached her second trimester the risk of losing it was just too high. Neddy had kept her secret and told no one, and hadn't even told his sister that he knew less she take her anger out on Sergei, but now.. "Henry. There's something else. Alicia.. She's with child, Henry. You have to send a rider, our fastest, to Aditya. Have him come here. If you find her alive in the medical wing, after you have sent for me, that has to be the second thing you do," Neddy insisted, gripping his husband's hand. "If she loses her life to this I'll find a way to be okay. But if she.. If she loses her child to this, Henry, I don't think she'll ever recover. So, please. I love you." He kissed him quickly, and took off up the steps towards the guard's quarters, as fast as he possibly could run. Along the way, he signaled someone to ring the bell that would alert all guardsmen and order them to report to the armory immediately. This was an attack on a member of the royal family, and until Neddy had the criminal in his custody, the castle was going on lock down.
"My father always favored daughters.. See, that's why he sent me away with Hector so much. Because he wanted me out of his hair.." Vince smiled softly, leaning over to kiss the top of the brunette's head lovingly. "Hmmm. Where to? Perhaps that suit shop towards the middle of the island? They're pretty pricey.." He took one of Mala's hands, weaving their fingers together. He was excited to get into some nicely fitting clothes for a change. "I kinda see where he's coming from, though. Now that I think about it, I really do miss our clothes.. The fabrics and smells and colors. I can see why he's so caught up in it all."
"She wanted to leave you!" James protested, squirming a little bit in his father's arms. "I don't care if she's sick. How can she even think about doing that? We need you! She needs you. I need you.. It's not fair that she wants to leave, Dad. I-" He paused as a bell rung out through the castle. It was loud, and the tone was kind of odd, one that he'd never heard before. "That must be a special bell, Dad.. Do you know what it means?" He asked, watching as a door swung open and a knight, half dressed, took off down the hallway. Jams found it a little odd, as the door belonged to a broom closet, but he didn't bother asking, not even when a maid followed him out, going in the opposite direction.
"Hnn. I'll make him let her. I think a boy would do her good, honestly. Maybe she's stop wearing those god-awfully short dresses," Elias wondered, nuzzling his lover's cheek.
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