Strong Willed (Slave AU)

Chapter Six: The News

"What the hell do you mean he's gone?!"

The guards Will called to search for Nico flinched at his reaction to the news they came back with. The prince passed back and forth, obviously more stressed than he was when Nico didn't come back by dinner. It's been about a day, maybe a few hours more, and there was still no sign of him. Will called his two best guards, Reyna and Frank, to search the village for Nico and ask him to return to the castle. His heart fell to the pit of his stomach and his mind began to race when they came back and told him they couldn't find his fiance.

"I'm so sorry, Will," Frank spoke up. Will had made sure the people who worked in the castle, especially the servants, knew they didn't have to act like they worshiped the ground he walked on. It made him extremely uncomfortable. "But we've searched the whole kingdom. No one's seen him."

"Of course no one's seen him," Will groaned to himself, yet the two guards seemed to think he was speaking to them and winced. "He looks exactly like the people of the town. He blends in much too easily."

"We'll keep looking," Reyna stated firmly. She and Nico had grown close over the time he's lived with Will. She loved him like a brother and hated imagining him in any harmful situation.

"Please do.." Will stopped pacing to rub his face with his hand. "For all we know, he could be pregnant with my child right now. Then two lives would be in danger.."

"If he's in danger," Frank piped in, trying to calm the prince's nerves. Will noticed that and gave him a small smile, silently thanking him for the effort. But it didn't help much.

"We'll find him," Reyna said, walking over and placing a firm hand on Will's shoulder. "Nico's smart and strong. Wherever he is, I'm sure he's perfectly fine."

Will sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. She was right. Nico wasn't one to go down without a fight. No matter what. But that didn't calm Will at all. Nico didn't quite know how to pick his fights very well. And Will couldn't protect him from everything. But he finally nodded. "Okay."

Reyna smiled and nodded, turning and leaving the room with Frank at her heels. Will leaned against a nearby wall, covering his face with his hand once more. "Please be okay, my darlin'," he mumbled softly.