Albion opened his eyes when Carlysle had gone, trying to get his breathing more regular. Normal… I have to act normal… they can't know that I got hurt again. He pulled his shirt back on, but noticed that it still had blood on it. No good… He glanced up at Jasper, not entirely sure what to do. Obviously, if he nonchalantly walked into the palace with a blood soaked shirt, he would raise some suspicion. He hesitated before starting to make his way back towards the garden. He'd taken off his overcoat near the exit when he left originally since it was warm outside, and he figured he could use it to hide the stain. He put the coat back on and sighed softly in relief when it covered the blood. "Um… I should probably head back in." He said quietly. "We've got one of those meeting dinner things later, right?"
"I think so…I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure if you wanted to just not go I could come up with a valid excuse as to why you aren't there, have a servant bring you some food, or I could." she offered, honestly hoping he would take up her offer, she hated seeing him in pain and it would only hurt more as he walked around, if he could be resting in his chambers then they wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone.
"You really should at least rest before then, and get changed." she spoked, feeling as if she were just stating the obvious.
"Mmmm… I have to go to it or they're going to be suspicious." Albion huffed a bit, struggling with the buttons on his coat for a few seconds before he managed to get them on property. "If you insist, I'll change and rest for a while until whatever the event is happens. I don't know. I never pay attention to what these things actually are." He winced as the coat tightened around the wound. After he'd recovered a bit, he headed back into the palace. "I'm sure it will be fine."
she sighed, "yeah I guess your right, they would probably send someone to check on you and report back to them if you didn't go.."
she moved to help him get on his coat, wincing when he winced, hating that he was in pain. "i do insist." she moved to follow after him entering. "i know, and I'm sure your right, but just in case, rest wouldn't hurt."
"Fine. I suppose I'll do that, then." Albion made his way through the halls with Jasper, trying to avoid the guards as much as he could. He was sure that some of them had seen him, but since Jasper was with him, they didn't interact. He spotted one of them hurrying off out of the corner of his eyes, presumably to inform people that he had been found. Eventually, he managed to make it to his room and collapsed on the bed with a soft groan. "Mmmm… m'gonna stay here for a while…" He mumbled.
Carlysle was about to crawl out from under the bed when he heard a thump from above. The prince is in here he thought. This was going to be awkward if he crawled out now… but he did anyways. Getting up from the floor he found himself directly facing the prince who was on the bed.
Jasper moved to select some clothes she thought would be comfortable for him, before moving to lay them on a chair near his bed, when she turned to look she saw the servant from earlier, "what..? where did you come from?"
Albion looked up when Carlysle came out from under the bed, looking very confused. "Hmm…?" He rolled over onto his back and sat up, turning his attention to the servant. "What are you doing in here?" He asked. He didn't seem upset or angry, honestly. Just confused more than anything.
He chuckled lightly, "I am glad that you feel the same." He held her close to him as she spoke softly, he loved to listen to her voice. It soothed his soul and every part of him.
"of course we can, my lady. We can stay here like this for as long as you like." He spoke softly, making sure not to be too loud when speaking.
She smiled, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of his heartbeat. He was like a rock; sturdy, something she could lean on. And yet, at the same time, he was in the middle of the violent river that was his family and his status. If they weren’t careful, she would drown in the river, or he would be broken down and beat against by strong, relentless waters. She tried not to squeeze his hand too tightly, instead tracing the crevices in his fingers, the tendons drawn taut beneath pale, smooth skin.
“So soft,” she whispered. “Yet so strong at the same time.” Humming for a moment, unsure of what else to say, she then asked, “What have you been up to?”
He smiled down at her as she traced the lines in his palms, chuckling softly. "Well, thank you for the hand compliment." he spoke softly, moving to set his head on the crook of her neck. "me? oh you know, noble duties and the sort, nothing of much interest, trust me." he just kept smiling softly at her.
Albion looked up when Carlysle came out from under the bed, looking very confused. "Hmm…?" He rolled over onto his back and sat up, turning his attention to the servant. "What are you doing in here?" He asked. He didn't seem upset or angry, honestly. Just confused more than anything.
"Ummm… this was my post before I left to the courtyard…" he paused " I came from there." He didn't elaborate as to how. He didn't really know how he could possibly explain it to the royals that he had found a secret passageway built into the castle. "I apologize, I didn't expect… either of you to be in here"
"Mm… don't worry about it. I don't particularly care at this point." Albion rolled back over to bury his face in his pillow, clearly exhausted. "I dunno when the… event thing is. I'm sure that they'll send someone for me when it's time for me to attend it."
"I was told you would be preparing for it soon, which was why I was assigned your room. I really didn't expect either of you to be here." he slumped his shoulders " I finished everything early though. Either you don't keep many possessions or you're much tidier than yout fa-" he froze clutching his mouth in fear " I apologize your highness, I spoke out of turn, I shouldn't have said that" he stumbled over his words, apologizing quickly. "Please forgive me" he said, breathing sharply, looking down at the foot of the bed rather than at either sibling.
"Hah?" Albion glanced up again. "I don't know. I suppose it's a bit of both. I don't bother leaving things lying around since I'm not in here all that much. Don't worry about making fun of my father. I hate him." He replied simply, resting his arms behind his head and humming softly to himself. "It doesn't surprise me that his room is a mess. He's an incompetent, frivolous, pathetic fool. But I suppose I'm not supposed to talk about that."
Carlysle lifted his face, though he still looked down at the ground with his eyes, Albion in his peripheral vision " I don't think the king is a fool, just a little… lost much of the time" his voice was still shaky from the fear, but he didn't seem afraid anymore " But I suppose I haven't gotten to know him as much as you have, considering you're his son. And his heir." Carlysle stated this matter-of-factly, no offense meant behind his words, but he was definitely entirely ignorant of the King's relationships with his children. He also kind of projected what he wanted in a father onto the king, given his father is a lousy man, who basically forced his whole family into servitude.
She watched as the two interacted and talked, seeing how the servant quivered in fear before Albion spoke, and how they were slowly shaking away the fear.
"honestly we could do away without him as king and this whole kingdom would be none the wiser, and we would have gained something from it." She muttered, Albion would definitely hear it though. She sighed, moving to straighten out the clothes she had set out for Albion.
"I picked out some comfortable dinner event clothes for you when you need to change."
Albion snickered a bit at his sister's comment about their father. "Honestly yeah, that's pretty true." He yawned and closed his eyes again, keeping his arms behind his head as he relaxed. "Our father is pretty lousy. At least mother knows what she's doing. Thank the heavens for that; god only knows what would become of the kingdom without her." He glanced up when Jasper spoke again. "Alright. I'll change into those when the time comes."
"I'll be going then" Carlysle said, and face beet red, he ran out the door. He realized immediately that he didn't have another post for about an hour, so he stopped. All he could do was stand outside the door.
Jasper nodded at what he said, she may not like her mother much but she was the one thing keeping their kingdom doing well. she didn't want to spoil Albion's opinions on her if he had any good memories. she watched as the male servant left in a hurry. "Well, goodbye then."
The queen let out a deep, releasing sigh. She had given up on critiquing her husband's logic a long time ago.
"I should go see the children," she said stiffly, composing herself and exiting the hall.
"Farewell." Albion waved goodbye lazily from his bed, sighing softly and just trying to relax for now. "Mmmm… I suppose I should get changed soon. The blood feels gross. And I need to be 'presentable', apparently."
(OMG, that's like, super DUPER AMAZING! I honestly died a little)
(Sjisijskjsjk, tysm! >/////<)
He smiled down at her as she traced the lines in his palms, chuckling softly. "Well, thank you for the hand compliment." he spoke softly, moving to set his head on the crook of her neck. "me? oh you know, noble duties and the sort, nothing of much interest, trust me." he just kept smiling softly at her.
The smile never left her. “I just feel like complimenting you,” she said, feeling the need to explain. She leaned into him as he rested his head in her neck.
Chuckling a little, she replied, “Alright then.”
It was then that her smile fell. “But I hope I’m not keeping you from anything you’re supposed to do,” she murmured. “I’m not sure how much time I have anyway.”
