Strong Willed (Slave AU)

Chapter Eighteen: The Head Guard

"I don't care if your little prince lost his girlfriend."

The head guard of Procellas snapped at the Caelum guards. The head of the search, Xavier, stood face to face with the man. The air was thick around them. The other Caelum guards watched as the standoff continued, ready to break up any battle that got too heated.

"Prince William's fiance was not a woman," Xavier hissed, his friendly nature gone and replaced with this icy stillness. "He is a man. And he is missing."

"A man?!" The Procellas guard snorted, his amusement only making Xavier's anger grow, along with the tempers of the other Caelum guards. They didn't appreciate their royals being insulted like this. "How wonderful. How does that fool except to become King without a Queen? And how does he expect to be a good one without an heir?"

Xavier looked close to punching this idiot. The other guards were debating over whether they would stop him or not, if that was to happen. "That is none of your business," Xavier growled. "But I assure you they will be fine Kings.. once we find Nico di Angelo."

"Well your runaway Queen isn't here," the guard turned and started walking away. "And probably isn't anywhere. How long as he been gone exactly?"

"Past a month," Xavier said, following the man to stop his escape attempt. He wasn't quite done with him yet.

"He's dead."

"He is alive. That's why we're looking for him."

"Are you?" The man stood and spun to face Xavier again. "Are you truly looking for him? Or are you just following the commands of some grieving imbecile who can't accept the fact they failed to protect their loved one?"

The guards all went deathly silent. They glanced at each other, beginning to question the same thing. They've all met Nico before. He was a kind young man with a certain spice to him that only made him all the more likable. He definitely didn't deserve this fate. But were they truly looking for him, or just going to ever kingdom, hoping he'll turn up?

Xavier wasn't taking such harsh words towards his king. He lifted his hand, back handing the guard across the face. The guard stumbled back, shocked by the sudden action. Fury burned in his eyes and he went to speak, only to be slapped again.

"Learn some respect," Xavier snapped, eyes cold and hateful. "Or I'll teach you some."

Despite being such a "tough guy", the Procellas guard didn't make any attempt to attack the man back. He only spat a common coward's phrase. "I'll be sure the king hears of this." He then spun and stormed off. The other Caelum guards watched, unsure how to react to the scene that had just played out before their eyes. Xavier, clearly not caring, but turned back to the other's with a softer version of the eyes he was giving the Procellas guard.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and gawk, or are you going to keep looking?"