Each year the Kingdom of Khearia throws a festival in remembrance of one of their most beloved kings who had tragically perished along with his wife and second son. His first son, Prince Fabian, was the only one to survive. Witnesses claimed his cro...
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Alex pushed the food around his plate, his ear numb to the masses of chatter in the canteen. Thomas was silent opposite, his cheek creased against his propped-up hand, zoning out at the table beside them.
ㅤThe numbers dwindled as the evening progressed, the men slowly swarming to the bar in the next hall along, a few remained, sparsely spread. Thomas and Alex were two of the such remaining.
ㅤ"What are you going to do?" Thomas asked.
ㅤAlex regarded him tiredly. It had been the first word spoken by either of them since the inquest's close.
ㅤAlex hadn't let himself think too hard about the future, the outcome wasn't yet certain enough for him to abandon his anxiety. There was still time for things to wrong. Except...
ㅤ"I want to get the duchess away from him."
ㅤThomas nodded in thought before grimacing. "I'm sure it's justified. I don't know what he's done but if it's anything like how he treats you... Well, I'm sure you're justified. That's all."
ㅤIt felt nice to be trusted.
ㅤAlex sighed, running a hand down his face. "I want to save the slaves, too," he admitted. "If they get killed because of my actions I'd feel awful."
ㅤ"That would be the duke's actions, not yours."
ㅤ"Aye, well, I'm not convinced. If I could've prevented it but did nothing then I'd be responsible too."
ㅤAlex could no longer wait in slight hope that Colby would change his mind and take over the duchy now that his brother's body was permanently damaged. That slight chance had dwindled into an impossibility.
ㅤ"I wonder if Fletcher has woken up yet," Thomas mumbled, looking off to the side.
ㅤDespite himself, Alex smiled slightly. "He's probably ranting his mouth off to any nurse that'll hear him right now. He wanted to be here so badly."
ㅤ"He's too soft. I think he would've been disappointed..."
ㅤ"Mm, probably," Alex allowed. Fletcher was particularly sympathetic to others' plights.
ㅤA silence lulling between them, Alex's gaze fell to his food once again. Almost untouched, the grey slab of anaemic pork had long gone cold and the beige bread stiff. It was no more appetising than the plate it sat on. Alex was still for a moment in thought, then, he stood.
ㅤ"Off to bed?" Thomas asked.
ㅤ"Off to see James," Alex replied, taking the plate with him.
ㅤThomas gave a lazy wave. "Don't die."
ㅤAlex frowned as he walked away but Thomas' parting remark wasn't unwarranted. James was behaving erratically and Alex wasn't very good at skirting away from danger; he never had been. His attraction was evidence of his broken survival instincts— like an animal interested in a blatantly poisonous bright-red butterfly.
