Winter Affliction

Part 7

Albreru hadn't asked.

In the times he spent comforting Cale and the times he spent being hated by the boy, he hadn't been able to ask. He wasn't sure why he'd been under the misconception that it would be easier to get Cale to open up in person but he'd been quite wrong in that assertion.

Alver hadn't asked because he couldn't bear to stir up the raw pain so transparently displayed by Cale's every act.

But he had to know.

He'd wracked his brain, again and again, for a single explanation for Cale's hatred and he came up with nothing. It was true that Cale had hated him far more after the incident at the bakery but his hatred had already been strong before that moment.

Alver knew why he hated the engagement. It had been an insult to his legitimacy and Cale was far too young for such a laughable 'engagement' to mean anything but a declaration of his fathers apathy towards him.

But even when he'd been annoyed and disgusted with Cale, he'd never hated him. He hated what Cale represented. He had been jealous of the life he couldn't have. He'd been petty and cruel but he never truly hated the child.

Cale was different.

He radiated disgust and anger every time Alver was nearby, even when he attempted to hide it.

Alver couldn't help it. He had to know why. What terrible thing had he done that caused Cale to despise him so much? Was there really no chance of mending their fractured relationship?

So when Alver penned his first letter to Cale after returning to the palace, he carefully asked with eloquence and tact why it was that Cale found the first prince so despicable. He didn't really expect Cale to answer immediately, when it came to matters that truly upset him Cale had a tendency to become reserved and talk around the problem.

Alver had expected to spend a great while whittling down at Cale's defenses before the boy finally confessed to the reason.

He hadn't been prepared for the reply he'd received from the ten year old child.

[I don't want to be raped.]

"What." Alver nearly dropped the letter, wide eyes re-reading the six words hidden away in Cale's letter again and again, searching for some possible way that he could have misunderstood.

"What?!"

An attendant who had been lingering outside of the prince's office jumped in surprise at the uncharacteristic cry, staring at the door anxiously and wondering if he should check up on the young prince.

Alver had to put down the letter, hands trembling as he paced his office anxiously.

When had he ever...? He would never do such a thing! How could Cale think that?! What had he ever done to...!

Alver slowed down, quelling his indignation and looking towards the letter once more. Whatever the reason, Cale's fear was real. Alver couldn't comprehend how or why Cale would think he would do such a horrific thing but the truth was that the child believed it.

'...does he even understand what rape is?' Alver sat at his desk, it didn't make any sense to him. Cale, at his tender young age, ought not to even have a firm understanding of what sex was. Nausea filled Alver's gut at all the horrible reasons that a child that small might understand such things and he attempted to quell them.

It wouldn't do him any good to make assumptions. He needed to get answers. With hands still shaking with horror and indignation, Alver penned his response full of inquiries and sent it as quickly as he could.