forum "I would burn the world for you" (OxO Closed)

Started December 01, 2022 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

(agh happy 800 posts)

Treya had asked about a thousand questions, all while fiddling with her little chemistry set. At one point, the liquids had evaporated into a foul gas, which Treya quickly subdued with a grayish powder. She hadn't been suspicious of a sleeping tonic. She's made many of those for soldiers who couldn't sleep after returning home from a violent crusade. She had been more skeptical of a medicine. "I'm not a healer," she says quietly, finally setting down her little vials. She looks to Bel. "Is it what mother had?"

The question is surprising. Bel hadn't even been thinking of causes, only of cures. Genetics would make sense, he supposes. Bel's constitution had always been questionable. He's been sick more times then he'd like to admit. "Perhaps," he answers. He wonders if Treya even remembers their mother. She had been four when Dionn was killed. Are Treya's only memories of their mother when she was sick? "I don't know why now–"

"There's a reason Father kept you in the palace for so long." Treya is quick to cut him off. She only allows brief eye contact before she's back to her tiny experiment. "You've been in a whole new high-stress environment for the past month, Bel. I wouldn't exactly think that to be easy on your body."

And the prince hates how much that makes sense. "So the sleeping drought?"

"It'll be done by tonight."

(WHAT? WHATS WRONG WITH BEL? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LEAVE MY BABY ALONE.)

Nico had spent the better part of his morning in his meeting. When they finally dismissed, he had gone into the camp to offer his hands where ever they were needed. He helped breakdown homes and package things away in wagons. He checked Ober their rations in person. He had heard the numbers but he wanted to verify it anyways. It soothed his anxiety. They would still need to hunt toward the end of the journey but they should be alright. Water was being filtered and stored as the rest of the camp was being packed. While they would try to stay near a water source it wasn't always going to be possible. They needed to have water in reserves for when their supply ran out.

A couple hours after midday and it was like the camp had never been there. The only tell was the indents in the ground from where their things had been. It would take time for those to go away. But they would be long gone before anyone came across this campsite. Nico was stroking his horse's mane as the last bit was being fixed. His poor horse, who had traveled so far already was about to travel more. When they reach Blakkast he was going to give him a very long vacation.

( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°)

They have to pack up their tent, Val and Treya clearly familiar with this sort of process. The youngest sister packs all of her elixirs into a small side bag. Tied by their straps to the bottom of the bag are a quartet of masks, ones that latch onto the bottom of the jaw and hook over the nose. Bels seen those before. He's seen them donned by warriors marching through noxious smoke.He prays Treya will remain civil for the time being. For being so small and unthreatening, Bel believes wholeheartedly that Treya should be the most feared heir.

Val's exhausted. While most would look at her usual face of stone and think nothing of it, Bel can see the small shifts in her posture, the sluggish movement of her eyes. It takes a majority of the afternoon to pack. Treya's scribbling in a small journal. It's a grocery list of sorts, everything she'll need for a sleeping drought. A breeze picks up and Bel coughs into the crook of his elbow, wincing as he pulls away and notes the dark specks soaking through the charcoal fabric of his shirt. Valera gives him a look of pity… sympathy?

Not long after, Miran surfaces with a small cavalry in tow. Bel brightens upon seeing his favorite white mare. "Katya–" he coos, reaching fir her snout. She whiskies and snuggles into his touch. Flip, Miran's beloved horse, huffs. Bels sure to give her a little love as well.

Nico watched Bel from a distance. He wanted to give him time with his siblings and if he went over there he would be interrupting it. He only smiled, watching him with his horse. He looked happy. Nico swore he was going to do everything in his power to keep Bel happy like this. He would do anything for him.

Nico climbed his mount, circling around so he was at the front of the group. He was the only one on his horse, everyone else waiting for instruction. With a clear of his throat, he waited for the voiced to quiet. "Today, we are leaving the place we have called home for a time. It's time for us to find a new home. We leave for Blakkast. There, we will tale up residence at the palace while we plan. We plan for war. And then we will take back our home and free it from its tyranny. Today is the start of a new beginning. Now we ride."

There was a small cheer that went around some of his people. There were shouts of a agreements and magic sparking before those with horses mounted their rides and the rest prepared to take the journey on foot. They would travel no faster than their slowest person.

Nico's strong voice catches Bel's attention. He turns from the mares and up to Nico, already atop of Abraxas. He's so… professional, at ease but hardly casual in front of this many people. There's a cheer that causes Miran to roll his eyes, quickly mounting Flip to be the second one on horseback. Bel can't hide the affectionate shake of his head. Always the competitive one. Val and Treya quickly follow on their own steeds. Markon is Val's mount, a mahogany dark stallion with a quick temper. Treya has the largest horse with shaggy blond hooves and a pitch black coat. His name is Edwin and Bel nearly got trampled by him the day the stablemen had first bought him.

Thicket is left to a boy with a hobble and a crutch. Bel carefully hands the boy Thicket's reins with a gentle smile. "Will you take care of Thicket for me?" Bel asks, noting how the boy's eyes light up as he nods vigorously. His mother almost looks as if she could cry.

Then Bel's on his own horse. Katya's familiar beneath him, the leather saddle well-molded to the shape of his thighs. The pressure is slightly uncomfortable but Bel will get used to it. It's not long before the group begins moving, Bel staying somewhere in the middle and Nico up front. within a week they'll be in Blakkast. Sella will take care of them. They'll pool their allies and charge. Within the next three months, Bel will be free.

Nico did not like making speeches. He wasn't good at it. While it was easy to make friends and talk to people, speeches was an entirely different thing. It wasn't stage fright or anything of the sorts. It was simply just addressing people like that. He wasn't good at it. Part of it likely stemmed from him hating taking such a position of authority. He didn't like having to show his power despite knowing it was needed of him. It made him feel out of sorts and uncomfortable. These were his people yes, but they were also his friends and family. He didn't like treating then differently.

Nico took up the front along with his men. There were six of them now that Ambrkse was joining them this time. They were a sight to behold, each of them. They were powerful and strong and unbreakable. At least, that's what everyone thought. But they knew better than that. They knew they each had vulnerabilities that coukd be exploited. Such as they would do anything for one another.

Nico turned his head back, searching the crowd for Bel. He spotted his prince further back, surrounded by his siblings. As much as he wanted to ride next to him, Nico wasn't going to tear him away from his family. The siblings had been apart from each other for too long. It was time to let them be together.

Bel sits atop of Katya, his siblings om their respective steeds falling around him. Per usual, Miran takes the front with the sisters on either side of Bel. Usually it would be Treya in the middle, but Bel's fully aware of the protective glint that shines in all their eyes. As soon as Edwin gets to a steady pace, Treya begins to dig around in her bag. The horse, a massive Clydesdale, is known for his large back and even gait. He makes the perfect mobile lab for her alchemy.

"I don't know if I'll make it to Araniel," Val speaks, jolting Bel out of his study with her soft voice.

"What do you mean?" Bel replies. Bel's supposed to be the sick one. Val should be healthy and fit, unless–but before a flare of anger can surge through him, Val speaks.

"I don't think I could face him," Val answers. Her hands clutch tightly at Markon's reins. Bel knows her well enough to know that she'd rather be spinning and winding her favored chained dart, but that would hardly convey a friendly image to the already wary citizens. "Miran's always been the brave one. You're the rounded one and Trey's the intelligent one." She sighs. "I'm the quiet one. Father forgets how much he scares me." She looks to the sky, gaging the amount of daylight left. "I might stay in Blakkast. Or move back to Cobrass. Maybe I'll drop off the map completely."

"Whatever you choose," Bel says carefully. "You will always be missed and welcomed by me." And that ilicts at least a small smile from his younger sister. Granted how little she allows her stone face to break, Bel considers it a win.

(unless you have anything huge planned for travelling, maybe we could skim over it until they reach the mountains of Blakkast? With Bel and Nico separated it might be a little difficult to rp it all out akhdjjsks)

(Time skip os good.)

The trip had gone rather soothingly over the week. The trip was taking a little longer than intended to but they did have a few elderly and small children. They were bound to hold up their party. Braxton and Laurent were sent off with a few other to go hunting before they reached mountains. Nico didn't want anyone straying from their group once they entered the hostile grounds. They needed to ahbeneough provisions to last then to the palace.

Bel was spending most of the trip with his siblings. Nicandros was not happy about that. The first couple of days had been fine but now he was beginning to get irritated. The ration part of his brain told him they were his siblings and they had bee separated for a long time. They were just catching up. But the irrational part was blocking that voice out. Nico felt something for him that he had never felt for anyone before. He wanted all of Bel's time. Which wasn't possible but he coukd at least try.

He had been pouting until Amrbose finally told him to grow up and get over it, and even then, he still sulked some. It was alright, he thought, Bel coukd spend his days with his siblings but come night he was with Nico. He would set uo their bedrooms right next to each other and they would fall asleep side by side. And somehow, despite being in separate bed rolls and falling asleep apart, Nico woke up each morning curled around Bel. It was instinct. He reached out instinctively for him in his sleep and held on tight. And he wouldn't let go until dawn.

But now they had reached the mountains. Nicandros had kept a loose leash kn his people thus far ad it had been rather safe. They were too big of a group for small bands of bandits to truffle with and they had enough guards and weaponry to steer away the others. But now they were about to enter a mountain range filled with terrifying beasts. This was when he got more strict. And when he wanted Bel by his side to better protect him. He sent Ambrose to get hos little prince. Nico at least wanted to speak to Bel before they entered the mountains.

The trip, thank the gods, is entirely uneventful. Bel chats merrily with his siblings, checks in with Treya on her alchemy, and steals glances up at Nico leading the pack. A few times, their eyes meet and Bel smiles before blushing like a teenager and turning away. The night falls and Bel stays awake until a firm arm eventually wraps around his torso. Only when he and Nico are an odd in-between of their bedrolls does he finally feel the pull of sleep. His sleep is dreamless but easily interrupted by whatever creature crawls through the underbrush. There's safety in numbers, however, and nobody would dare attack this big of a group radiating this strong an aura of magic.

Together in the night and separated during the day–Bel doesn't have to be beside Nico to know that the other man is suffering. Bel inquires of the sleeping tonic, and Treya replies that she was unexpectedly low on lavender extract. They had to stop in a field to allow her to harvest some. She mushes it into a pulp atop of Edwin's sturdy back. By the morning they reach the base of the mountains, Treya presses a glass vial of deep blue liquid into Bel's palm with a simple instruction. "One drop is an hour."

With the group sitting at the base of the mountains, marveling up at the imposing peaks, Bel takes his chance to weave through the crowd and up to Nico. Miran follows closely behind. "Sella said she would meet us here," Miran supplies, his firm voice beating Bel to breaking the silence. "It shouldn't be long."

As if he had been the catalyst, a grating roar sounds from above. Everyone around the heirs tense, but Bel has never felt safer. Descending the perilous slope is an armored figure riding a puma as large as Treya's horse. The cat has pointed teeth, intelligent eyes, and ears pressed back flat against its head. Its silvery fur blends against the stone. The closer Bel looks at the cliff, the more pumas appear from their natural camoflague. Atop of them all are armored soldiers with lances three meters long and daggers strapped to their belts.

"Hello," says the leader, carefully reaching up to lift their helmet. Falling from its confines is dark hair, braided in with silver to form dozens of tight, back-length cornrows. Her eyes are sharp, as clever as the cat's she's riding. Her smile resembles Miran's, a near-cocky but assuring one. Her gaze falls upon the leader. "I'm assuming you must be Nicandros?"

Nico turned his head as Bel trotted up to him. He leaned over to place a hand on Jo's thigh and gave jt a small squeeze. Everyone here knew they had relations. If they hadn't back at the camp they certainly would know now by the fact that Nico cuddled the prince every night. And while he was sure there were some whispers, his people kept it relatively quiet. His people had never seen him happy with someone. Never seen him in love before. And if this was who Nico chose to spend his life with, there was no stopping him.

Despite Miran being on the otherside of Bel, he leaned over across the horse to kiss Bel on the lips softly. "Hello, love," he said quietly. He's missed this, having Bel by his side. Having him at night just wasn't enough for him. He had never been a possessive man until Bel had come along. And now he wanted to be by his side always.

It was only then that he acknowledged Miran, nodding at him. He turned his gaze forward. Not a moment later, a puma came into view. He tensed, his hand moving to rest on his sword. It wasn't until he saw the people that mounted that he relax, just barely. A domesticated puma would be easier to handle than a wild one. Though he supposed it depended on their riders.

Someone approached then, a woman. He could tell even with the distance. She took off her helmet and there was no guessing that this was Sella. She looked too much like Miran for them not to be family. He bowed her head in respect to her. "I am. And you mist be Sella."

Bel's comfortable beside Nico, his hand warm on his leg. Part of Bel is still self-conscious. Every single one of Nico's citizens could secretly hate him and be planning his demise behind their king's back. Bel knows that's a ridiculous thought, but his paranoia and anxiety sure don't think so. Nico's sweet, chaste kiss is enough to bring him out of his mind. Miran makes a nauseated noise beside him.

The Queen ignores the affection, breaching it to get straight to her introduction. "I am. Queen Sella the Second," Sella responds, dipping her head in Nico's direction. She looks to Bel and Miran, Treya and Val coming up behind them. The professional demeanor fades into an easy expression. "Cousins, it's been too long." A mock pout forms on her face. "You missed my wedding and coronation."

Miran rolls his eyes at that, ushering an undaunted Flip closer to Sella's puma. "Forgive us for being preoccupied. We had a few more pressing matters on our minds." Once at Sella's side, he turns Flip to look over the crowd. "They all need asylum." His voice grows quiet. "Will Blakkast be able to provide enough shelter?"

Sella looks carefully over the area. She snaps twice, the sound echoing through the towering cliffsides. Three pumas, just slightly smaller than Sella's, appear at her sides. Her sentries. "With this crowd, we'll go through the bypass. It's longer but safer. I don't want to risk this many trying to climb the peaks." She says it to both Nico and Miran. A chilly air weaves through, Bel turning from Nico before coughing into his sleeve. He's sure to discreetly wipe any sort of blood away before he turns back to face them. Sella notes the allergy but doesn't say anything of it. "Does that sound alright to you Nicandros?"

Nicandros smiled at the queen. Friendly, mind. He hoped they could be friends. She was Bel's family and a potential ally. It would be good to make friends. So far, Nico had tried to keep this Araniel, avoiding outside contact. But it was clear that he wasn't going to be able to do it by himself. But as long as he had Bel by his side he would be happy.

Nico watched the exchange between the cousins silently. He looked to the side to look at Bel, smiling softly at him. He mouthed, I love you, to him. Then he looked forward at Queen Sella.

"That is alright with me. Anything for the safety of my people." He would never risk their lives. Not for anything. And if it took longer to get through the mountains to ensure their safety, he would do that.

"Fantastic," Sella says with a sharp smile. "Follow me then." Her puma grumbles and turns, the sentries moving with her and beginning to slowly surround the crowd. "There are plenty of monsters here," Sella informs quietly, slowing her cougar to walk side by side with Nico's horse. "Banshees, wyverns. Loven swore she saw a Yeti once. Regardless of what's out here, it's dangerous. There's a reason Blakkast has stood this long without foreign interference." Sella snaps again and as if materializing from the walls, more pumas and armored guards appear.

Now in much more familiar territory, Bel rides up front, sandwiched between Miran and Nico. Despite winter being half a year away, the mountains are still chilly. Bel brings his cloak (the one that had been Nico's all those weeks ago) closer around his body and leans further into Katya. Her white hair at least provides some warmth.

"There are a few shelters on the way up," Sella explains. "They're usually for soldiers, but they'll provide us with the necessary resources for the two days it will take us to arrive. It only takes half of a day to climb through the cliffs, but you all are painfully unprepared for our mountain climate." Her nose wrinkles as she smiles.

Nicandros nodded his head. They had been warned about the monsters that prowled the mountains. They had stocked their weapons and made arrows for their bows in preparation. But he knew they would never be truly prepared before they had seen what they were up against. Nico had strapped every weapon he had been able to this morning. Knives and his sword. And there was a bow strapped to his horse. While he wasn't the strongest with one he could still hit his target.

"Araniel doesn't have a mountain range. Winter is a few months away. We haven't had time to prepare just yet." Nico sat stiffly on his horse. He wasn't comfortable. Not yet, at least. He didn't know Queen Sella he would likely be tense around her until he did. Just as he was still cautious around Miran.

Nico looked over at Bel, reaching over and dragging him off his horse and onto his own, settling him in front of him. A blind man could see Bel was cold. He grabbed the reigns of Bel's horse and tied it to his horse. He wrapped his arms around Bel, trying to provide some heat.

"Araniel is… a boring country. All meadow and no waterfalls." Again with Sella's fake pout. Miran once again rolls his eyes but there's a hint of a smile. "It makes it very easy to stampede upon. Very easy to attack from all angles." Her voice gets serious, sharp. "If you prepare well here, then you'll be prepared anywhere you battle."

Bel's a little lost in his own world when there's suddenly an arm around him, and then another before he's pulled from Katya and onto Abraxas. He doesn't comment on how easily Nico had pulled him from one horse to another, but it does cause his heart to do a flip. "Warm," he notes softly, leaning back against Nico. It's almost like when they had to share the steed all those weeks ago.

Nicandros pursed his lips. He didn't take kindly to his country being spoken about like that. Araniel was vastly different from Blakkast, yes, ut it was still beautiful. Meadows and farms and forests. It was his home. It would always be his home. He wanted nothing else for him. And if Miran thought as much, who was he to try to rule a kingdom he didn't love? Because Nicandros loved his kingdom, every bit of it. But he didn't say anything. He wasn't trying ti start an argument with the Queen before they had even made it passed the mountain pass.

Nico kissed the top of Bel's head. "Ride with me, please?" He asked. He missed riding with Bel. He missed feeling the weight of him against his chest. And while there was the buffer of his leather armor between them, he could still feel Bel through it. Maybe not as much as before but he coukd still feel him. "You're cold. I can keep you warm."

"At least Araniel is prettier than Pthalo," Miran inputs, his voice practically musical with a hint of laughter. "Gods, wouldn't it be dreadful to be the Sire of Sagebrush?" His voice gets accented, posh and mocking.

"Ah, to be a hoighty-toighty oil baron," Sella muses in the same idiotic accent. Bel has to restrain his own laughter at that. Suddenly they're all twelve years younger, sitting around a game of cards and mocking every stupid kingdom they could think of. They would all call Cobrass the Land of Vipers for the sheer amount of pirates and thieves that hail from their foresty waters. Lumiere was Maidsville for the abundance of seamstresses and weavers that sent out thousands of fine garments every week.

Pulling himself from his reminiscing, Bel sighs and pulls Nico's cloak around them both like a second blanket. "My knight in shining armor," he muses softly, tipping his head up to look at the man behind him.

Nico was quiet as the cousins spoke. They were jesting and fooling around and he was happy for them. Happy that they could be reunited. As horrible as it sounded, Nico hoped that Miran would love it so much that he would decide to stay in Blakkast and let Nico take the throne. It was his, after all. He would take it. And he wouldn't let anything stand in his way.

Nico hand his hand placed on Bel's soft belly. His thumb was caressing it through the fabric of his shirt. He smiled as Bel wrapped his own cloak around him. His prince must have been very cold. He would do anything he could to keep him warm. Hopefully the shelter they were heading for had warmer clothes he coukd dress Bel in. Bel's comfort came before his own. He would see that he would be warm and cozy.

He looked down at the prince as he looked up at Nico. He smiled down at Bel before bending down to kiss him gently. They had gone this entire week without showing much affection. Other than their nightly cuddles and perhaps a chaste kiss, they had done nothing else of the sort. Nico was feeling deprived and he was ready to make up for it. The moment they had some privacy he was taking advantage of it.

Bel accepts the kiss with a smile. They'll be at the palace soon and they'll be able to spend all their moments together. Despite being pushed up right against Nico, Bel's still cold. He can feel his hands begin to shake. His smile fades as he feels the blood rise in his throat. Oh no– He coughs violently into the crook of his elbow. As he stops, he feels his head swim. Sella swears, halting her cougar to appear at Bel's side. "Is this what your mother had?" She asks, pressing a hand to Bel's chest. Treya looks at her cousin gravely from over Nico's shoulder. She nods. Sella swears again.

"We need to get Bel to the palace, very quickly before the cough progresses into something worse." She looks to Nico, instantly seeing the panic in the man's eyes. She whistles and snaps and another puma appears at her side. "We're taking the pumas. They're faster and can get to the palace much easier than any horse could." Sella's slowly grabbing at Bel. She keeps her voice steady calm. "No healers will be able to cure a genetic lung condition, but the doctors at the palace are trained for these." Two of Sella's younger siblings both suffer from the same condition, but it's been quite a while since she's seen a cough as bad as Bel's. How long has it been since he's sought help? How long has he been choking on his own blood. "Nicandros, will you come with us?"

(Bel better be okay or ima throw hands)

That bit of happiness Nico felt faded at the cough. At first, he had thought it had only been a tickle. But as Bel's cough became more violent he became more and more concerned. And then the panic rose at Sells's words. Even his sister Treya had known. Had everyone known but Nico? Why hadn't Bel said anything to him? Nico hugged him tighter to his chest, trying to stabilize Bel. And keep Sella from taking him.

"I will come with you but no one takes him but me." There was murder in his eyes. He didn't care who it was he would kill anyone that tried to take Bel away from him. Even family. Nico swung off of his horse, Bel in his arms. He looked in the crowd and made eye contact with Ambrose. "You're in charge until you catch up with us. No one gets hurt." He knew Ambrose would take good care of his people while he was gone.

While Nocandros was not a fan of the puma and certianly did not want to ride it, he didn't hesitate for Bel. He needed help and Nico wasn't going to do anything to prevent him from getting it. "I've got you, my love," he murmured to Bel. "I'm gonna get you some help."

(he'll be fine :) )

There are strong arms around him and Bel knows that they're Nico's. He wants to open his mouth, to say that he's okay–but there's another cough and he's too light-headed to wipe the blood dribbling down his chin. His hands weakly grip at Nico's arm. No, he was supposed to have a little more time. Sella's words are concerning, but at least he knows that it is a genetic ailment. His mother was sick. Whenever there had been a particularly stressful event, she had to spend the next day in bed.

Sella carefully removes her hands from Bel's chest, looking up at Nico. Stepping away to allow the man to dismount with Bel in arm, Sella strokes both of the puma's down the tops of their heads. "Miran–" Sella addresses the oldest. He's ramrod straight, eyes wide and fists shaking from where they're clutched around Flip's reins. "Miran, you should know the way back to the palace. Bel will be fine, our doctors will make sure of that."

With that, Sella mounts her puma and gestures for the men to take the second one. "The faster we get there, the better." Without a second's hesitation, Sella leans forward and her cougar takes off sprinting. The cats leap, taking to the mountains with their huge paws, clawing their way up the cliffside to the first peak. From the tall vantage, the kingdom of Blakkast spreads out beneath them. The castle stands at the center, a breathtaking structure made of glass, iron, and sapphires. All around them are tumbling waterfalls, their water crystal-clear and reflecting the shining gems embedded into the natural pools. Caves and minecarts decorate the mountains, a few workers covered in soot chat and share sandwiches. Sella only spares a single look over her shoulder to ensure Nico is following before beginning the perilous descent.

Nico was shaking with fear. What was happening? No one was explaining anything other than that Bel was sick and it was soemthung he got from his mother. He was told nothing else. Would this kill him? Would he be just fine? Did he need bedrest? Medicine? What did he need? But no one was saying anything. And getting Bel back to the palace and getting him medical attention was moes important than anything else.

"Hang on, my love. Stay with me," he kissed the top of Bel's head before the puma started off at a run. He leaned forward to clutch the reigns and held on tight ti Bel. There was no way he was letting him out of his grip. He held on as the climbed the mountains. Had this been any other time, he would have stopped to watch the world around him. He would have admired the beauty of it with Bel. He would have laughed and yelled they were on the top of the world. But this was a different situation and there was an urgency. Bel's life depended on them.

"Scarlet Lung," Sella supplies when the second cougar catches up to her own. She can sense Nico's confusion, his rising anger and fear. The least she can do is peovide some context. "A genetic ailment. Bel's mother had it, two of my siblings have it. I thought at least Dionn's family would be safe." She looks over her shoulder to Bel. He's getting paler. "Aparantly not. Blood vessels leak inside their lungs under high stress. Sometimes it goes away, but sometimes it builds. And it builds and it builds." She sighs and turns back to the precarious cliffside beneath them.

Her eyes wander to the bypass, curling around the jagged peaks that act like a natural wall. There's a heavily guarded opening, one where Sella had planned a ridiculous amount of fanfare to welcome her family and the small city they keep in tow.

"Im with you," Bel says quietly, his voice a rasp. He stares at Sella, then shivers as he leans back into Nico's body heat. "M not leaving–" He trails off sleepily. His mouth tastes of metal.

Nico looked up at Sella. Her words didn't soothe him at all. If anything, they made him more anxious. How long had this been going on? How long had it been building up? Cause it must have been building if he was having a reaction like this. "And you can fix him right? You have medicines to make him better?" Because all Nico wanted was for Bel to feel better. He would do whatever he needed too.

If high stress caused this, Noco would do everything in his power to keep Bel from getting tok stressed. He would do anything. He would go to any length to protect him. No matter what it took. But he would not allow him to suffer.

He looked down at he heard Bel speak. Tears welled on his eyes but they didn't drop. "Stay awake for me just a little bit longer. Can you do that for me?" They need to get to the palace fast. Bel was becoming paler by the minute. He looked awful. And Nico was terrified he might loose him.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a case like this. Usually we catch it when it's just a small cough, but I doubt Bel even knew he was sick," Sella huffs as her mount goes down an awkward few steps. "I wouldn't put it past his bastard father to keep the illness from him. Mierlenan is nothing but cruel." Sella had been the same age as Kein. They had spent nine years playing with each other in nurseries and dragging the maids to play with them. Kein would be thirty this year. The Queen doesn't doubt the possibility of Kein also being sick with the Scarlet Lung and whatever her father put her through accumulated and it resulted in her premature death. Sella doesn't say that part. She doesn't need Nicandros to panic.

"And yes, we should be able to help Bel as long as we get there soon enough. Our doctors have had years of experience with the Scarlet Lung, after all, it descends from our bloodline." That draws a shaky exhale from Bel. Slowly, he finds Nico's hand and loosely wraps his own around it. Sella watches the movement, then turns to the palace still hundreds of feet down. "C'mon, Arko." She rubs at her mount's neck.

"I'm awake," Bel breathes, but he can feel his eyes begin to drop. It's hard to breathe. The air is thick and his lungs are infested and his vision is blurred and darkened at the edges. "Just tired." The two words cause him to cough again, a terrible, sickening hack.