Never Whole Again (SBI royalty AU)

Chapter 23- We Can't Give Up On Him

Techno POV

"You cannot be serious Dad!" Techno shouted, slamming his fists onto the table. 

"We don't have a choice Techno!" Phil replied, equally mirroring his growing frustration. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to stay calm.

Techno shook his head, refusing to back down. "We can't just give up on him! We're closer than ever before. We can finally end this nine year separation, finally mend our family again!"

Phil raised his voice, his words growing more stern. "I know, trust me I know! But we have other loyalties, it's not just our family that lives in this world." He understood his son, but he knew he had to act as a king and not as a father.

"You did not just compare our brother, our family, to our subjects." Wilbur growled, he just couldn't understand Phil's side.

Phil sighed, "I want to keep looking for him just like you do, but the shadow is advancing! We can't live in our own little safe world while our subjects suffer. We can't wait! We've waited long enough, clearly we should have acted sooner!"

Techno bit his lip, trying to stop himself from thinking back to what he had seen. The coldness, the flames, how deserted the town had been when they left. The life had just been sucked out of it. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. To know that they could have done something about it.

"Let me and Wil continue to search." Techno suggested, hoping it might be a good compromise.

Phil was quick to shut that idea down. "I need both of you here Techno. With the advancing armies, we'll need the best general around. And no one can create strategies like you Wil. With you both working together we might just have a chance of surviving this."

"We can't lose all the ground we've covered. We're close Dad, I know it!" Techno may as well have been on his knees begging. It felt like they were losing Tommy all over again and he couldn't stand it. They couldn't stand it.

"I'm sorry Techno, we just can't afford it right now. We can't just sacrifice everything." 

"We can't sacrifice everything for family? For Tommy, who we don't even know is okay? He could be hurt or in danger! We can't let him down Dad! What if he's counting on us?" Wilbur stepped in. They couldn't lose this discussion, they just couldn't.

"I understand your frustration! I want him back more than anything! But if we throw away everything then he won't have a home to come back to!" Phil pleaded for them to see his side, to understand that he was doing the best he could.

"If you understood our frustration you would let us keep searching!" Techno snapped back, feeling the voices begin to grow louder.

Silence lingered, making them all shift uncomfortably. It wasn't often that they argued, but when they did it was difficult to make up, especially when it concerned Tommy.

Phil took a deep breath, draining all his emotions from his voice. "You are not to leave the castle by any means, understood?"

"What if-" Wilbur began.

"UNDERSTOOD?" Phil yelled causing them to shrink a little. Sometimes they forgot their father was the king.

Wilbur and Techno exchanged looks, knowing the argument was finished. "Yes Father."

They both bowed, leaving the room without looking back. They walked in silence for a few moments, finally reaching the garden. Luckily they were alone which made them both internally sigh in relief. They could speak freely.

"This is beyond stupid." Wilbur exclaimed, sitting on a bench. Techno followed him, quick to sit beside him.

Techno hummed in response, thinking for a moment. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right."