The kings body shook as he was racked with a coughing fit that left a pain in his chest, making it more difficult to breathe for some painfully long moments. The man should have been in bed resting, something his youngest son, Feliciano, told him often enough as he went about taking care of duties that his son could not. His dull brown eyes glanced over to the crown on his desk. Normally the sight sent happiness in his heart and pride through his body, but not anymore. Soon, his son would be wearing the crown. The mans time was near and he knew it. None of the medicine the doctors had been trying was working, and even in such an ill state he could see right through their honeyed words and spy the truth in their forced smiles and eyes. Their words did nothing to set him at ease, yet the same could not be said for his son. The boy had too much hope that it would work, believed things would be okay and the king was uncertain if his child was in denial or really believed things would go back to how they were before. That was never going to happen- things were changing and quickly. He had to ensure Feliciano was prepared for what was to come, and that their family line was to be continued. Always a careful man, he slowly looked around and listened out to ensure that no one was coming after that fit he had just had. It was not unusual for one of the staff to come check up on him if they heard. Once he was positive he was not going to be disturbed while in his room, he opened the letter the kingdom's messenger had delivered earlier that day.
The response he was given gave him one of the smallest smiles he was able to have since the illness began. His fellow king shared a similar concern for their line continuing, and this, the other king had agreed would be beneficial to both of their kingdoms. With no time to waste, he quickly wrote a letter back with the intent of sending his messenger out today. Once he was finished a few minutes later, the king grabbed his cane and made his way out of the room on shaky legs. It wasn't long however, before a familiar voice broke through the mostly silent hallway with voiced concern.
Feliciano had rushed over to his father, who was not stopping or slowing down for that matter. "Father, you need to rest!" The prince frowned, his father wasn't going to listen, he knew, but still had to try anyway. "You will not get better if you keep moving around the castle like this. You know what the doctors have said. If there is something that has to be done, I can do it."
The king was not oblivious to the desperation in his sons voice and the worry in his young golden eyes. Feliciano meant well, the king knew that but this was something he felt like he could not entrust to the prince. He was too convinced Feliciano would read the letter and try to stop something the king considered necessary. The older man was lucky if he had a month left at most at this rate. Feliciano would understand later on. For now, he said nothing as he continued, leaving his saddened son standing in the middle of the hallway.
Feliciano was about to call after the king once more but fell silent before anymore words were spoken. A tired sigh escaped him instead and he walked in the opposite direction of his father. His own steps were slow, frown still on his face and the ache in his heart became stronger as he quietly entered his elder brothers room. Over the past few weeks it had become his favorite thinking place and the only room in the castle where he had any kind of peace. It had been almost a full month now since Lovino had disappeared with no word of where he was going or currently was, and Feliciano missed him and his younger brother terribly. The prince had every intention of leaving and searching for Lovino the day they discovered he was gone, only a few of his things missing. Nothing had indicated a robbery, the guards saw no one in or around the castle the night before and that afternoon Lovino had had yet another argument with their father. With Luciano, things had been very different. The boy wanted to go out and see the world, not be stuck at one castle and kingdom his entire life. Luciano was as smart and clever as his elder brothers, something the king noticed and made a deal with his youngest son so he could go out into the world. The full details were unknown to Feliciano, and he suspected Lovino knew but the elder had no interest in sharing that information if he did. It was around the same time Lovino disappeared that he quit getting letters from Luciano, and Feliciano felt in his heart there was something going on neither of his brothers were telling him, something that made the ache grow. Going to search for them became out of the question once the king fell ill, all he could was check in with those still searching where he could not and get looks of pity from people that believed his brothers were runaways lost to the world or dead, and he was in denial over it.
'They are alive, I know it,' he thought determinedly, and knew deep down that they were. Feliciano just hoped and prayed that they were both well and unharmed. Brothers gone, father dying and most of the staff too busy to pay him any mind these days, Feliciano felt very much alone in the large castle. There was no distraction that could take his mind from his troubles and nothing that could bring him decent rest these days. It was determination and hope that helped him during this time, something he had not lost and held onto like precious lifeline. Things would be okay in the end, it was something else he knew and never doubted.
In another attempt to take his mind off of things for a short time, Feliciano went to look out of the sole window in the room. It had one of the best views of the front yard of the castle, and the path that led into the village. From this point, he could see anyone coming and going from the castles entrance. Not long later, he let out a small hum of puzzlement seeing the castles messenger ride away quickly. The brunet assumed it had to do with what his father had been up to lately. The king had been trying to keep it a secret for now, not counting on Feliciano seeing his father and the messenger a few days ago, only over hearing urgency in his father's voice as he told the messenger to deliver it as quickly as possible. The king did not know he had been there and Feliciano never mentioned it, fearing his father would dismiss it as nothing or blame his imagination for going overboard on something normal.
Moving to sit on Lovino's bed, he rested his head in his hands, feeling extra tired all of a sudden. Between his father and brothers, the brunet felt a bit left out of everything that was going, having a lot of questions and no answers, something he hoped to change soon. Maybe, just maybe it was time to confront his father about what he knew.
