"Where is that damned Alexander? He's the one that has control over the authorities…Damn him for spoiling Claude…"

Marie paced to and from her bed.

"I no longer consider him my son, and for that he'll pay!"

- - - - - - -

Claude halted in his steps to stop at a designer store and glance at what he wore. Green, white, and black. The family colors.

He entered the store, then exited about an hour later in an open dress shirt and black slacks. He tossed what was his old life into the trash bin beside him at the exit of the shop.

He left the store and continued on his way, heading towards the city limits.

I just need to get away from here.

He sped up his walking after hearing footsteps beside him in an alley he decided to take a detour through. Then eventually, he began jogging, and then he sprinted into a full blown dash to the outside of the city.

Before he could reach the sign that said he was doing just that, a figure leaped onto him from behind and they both tumbled to the ground. He spun onto his back to see who the offender was and froze.

His step-father's aesthetically perfect face loomed above him.

"Claude! What happened to you? And where are you going?!"

Claude turned his face away to avoid his father's gaze.

"Mother wants me dead, and she'll kill anyone else if need be. You've experienced it happening. She killed Cherie! She killed an innocent child JUST to get back at me! You may even be in trouble!"
"Listen, calm down. You're my youngest child, blood related or not."

He paused, as if contemplating on what he truly wanted to do. When he decided, he sighed.

"I'm going with you."

Claude's eyes widened.

"…"

"Keep walking. I'll be right beside you."

"…People are going to talk."

"Let them, we are leaving anyway." He smiled.

"You'll be targeted too."

"I was becoming a target anyway!"

"…Change your appearance. All I need is someone tracking me down 'cause I'm with the King."

"So you will allow me to go with you?"

"…Yeah. But it's kind of weird. And you'll have to get off me."

"Good point. Oh yes!"

Alexander pulled out Claude's violin from his cloak and handed it to him after standing and helping Claude to his feet. He took it and stared.

"Why are you coming with me?"

"I know your mother is on the warpath, and I want you where I can protect you. I have just as much, if not more power to counter whatever she throws at us. And honestly, I'm through with the rich life anyway. I may not be your blood father, but we're more alike than ya think."

"And Alan?"

"He'll be fine. He takes after me."

They smiled at each other before running towards the next city maybe two days away on foot.

The two stopped at a hotel almost halfway in between the two cities. They stopped at the lobby desk. It was a nice hotel, not too pricy but not all that poor as well. They met a young woman at the desk. After seeing them, she gasped.

"S-Sir Alex-" Claude silenced her by placing a finger on his lips. She gulped and nodded.

"How may I help you, sirs?"

"A room for two."

"Y-yes, right this way!"

She led them to the second story out of three and to a room near the back of the left hallway after leaving the elevator. She handed them the keys, bowed, and left.

The moment they entered the room, they went straight to the restroom. Claude stared at his step-father through the mirror.

"Your eyes and hair are how you're easily recognized, and we can't change your eyes…"

Alexander sighed.

"Fine, but I must cut it. I don't want it turning out like yours."

Claude rolled his eyes and handed him a pair of scissors he found while fumbling through the cabinet drawer. He then exited and shut the door behind him to sit on the bed and pull out his violin from it's case.

Do I really wanna keep this?

A squeak of the bathroom door opening forced Claude out of his thoughts. His eyes widened when he saw his father looking his own age.

His hair was cut to the back of his neck in a "V" shape, and he changed from his royal robes to tight fitting black slacks and a loose sweater.

"Does it work?"

Claude grew a bit jealous.

"Yeah, it's fine." He yawned.

"I think I'm gonna rest…This'll be the first time I do in a really long time."

"Alright, then I'll be off to the shop I caught downstairs behind the stairwell. Food would be real nice to travel with."

"Whatever…" Claude allowed the darkness of sleep to consume him.

Alex realized that was truly his first time out wandering in public since his days in America. He got many looks and double-takes as he entered the shop.

Little did he know he had a certain individual shrouded in shadows looming just feet behind him as he walked.

Claude woke up to a cold hand clasped on his throat in an attempt to strangle him. He immediately pulled up his knees, shoved his boots into the offender's stomach and sent him flying into the opposite wall.

What surprised Claude even more than the sudden attack was the fact the offender wasn't a man.

The woman scrambled to her feet to pull out a hand gun from a holster attached to her waist. She had deep-brown hair tied back in a bun and wore a black body-suit. Claude sat up on the bed and crossed his legs.

"May I ask who you were sent by before you shoot me?"

"No, you may not. All you should know is that you have two options. Get your father and come with me, or watch your father die before being killed yourself."

"Sounds like my mother."

This seemed to have hit a string. She felt easy to read.

Unfortunately, this was when Alex walked in with grocery bags. The woman, out of fear of being caught aimed at him and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through one of the bags and into Alex's shoulder. Claude, in shock, remained motionless as Alex dropped the bags and spun around to land roundhouse kick on the side of her head. She immediately plummeted to the ground and refrained from moving anymore. He rushed over to Claude and shook him.

"Hey! Snap out of it, I'm fine! I've taken worse from your mother!"

His son finally blinked and shook his head.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't do anything, and that's why Cherie died…"

After a long silence, the woman bolted to her feet and caught Alex in a headlock. Claude also rose but slowly stepped towards them.

"Look, I'm sure she didn't really send for Alex, so leave him out of this."

"She wants both of you. She knows you and your dad have changed appearances and wants you two to return."

"Did she give you the details?"

"Well, n-no…But it's not in my contract to know anything but my mission."

By this time Claude was in striking distance without her noticing, but it was too late by the time it was realized.

"Alex, duck!"

He lowered his head, allowing Claude to land a left hook punch on her. She was knocked off of her feet again, and Alex was able to scramble out from her arms.

"We're gonna have problems." He said in-between pants.

"And we'll take them as they come. We hafta get going. She already knows we're here somehow."

The two packed what little they had and left through the fire escape in case the hostess was the rat.

They darted towards the next city even faster than they began.

"This is so unnecessary! Why didn't you grow up smart and stay with her?!" Alex shouted between pants as they ran.

"Don't you start too! I have had enough BS-ing to last me a freaking lifetime, okay?! Just keep running!"

They paused to take a rest when the suburban city they sought was seen on the horizon. It was nighttime.

"We have about a day's travel ahead of us."

"A day's travel and assassins everywhere we decide to stop."

"You complain a lot. If only your female fans knew who you truly were…"

When Claude began to laugh, Alex scowled in offense.

But soon after, he couldn't help but laugh, and the two banished the silence of the countryside that night. The King held his shoulder as a wave of pain shocked through him.

I wasn't expecting this…

An unnatural shadow followed their every step.

They sat in darkness, knowing a campfire may give their location away to lurkers.

"I'm hungry…"

"I forgot how young you were…"

"You're not hungry, old man?"

"You don't see me complaining."

"While you were all comfy eating the best food available in your throne room, I was wandering the streets trying to survive the traumatizing attempts to destroy my life that stupid woman threw at me."

"Alright, alright. Point taken. By the way, Claude…" He sat up from slouching and looked off into the distance.

"I'm sorry…"

Claude didn't even have the time to look up when he was engulfed in bodies restraining him.

He didn't have the energy to fight off several men, so they were successful in doing so. Before he knew it his cheek was being shoved into mud below a booted foot. Alex shut his eyes tight before burying his face in his hands. After a long silence, he looked up and met his son's eyes. They were dull and devoid of any life.

"Take him back to the city. If you cross our deal and he becomes injured in any way, every one of you will be assassinated. Your job is to get him back to his mother safely. Now get off the poor boy."

Claude was hoisted to his feet, his white hair and clothing tainted with the dirt and grime he was laid in. What were just empty eyes moments before they became orbs of fury.

"You are safest in your mother's arms, Claude. I can not have you running around all over the place and not know where you are. Please forgive me…"

With those words, Claude was hauled off by the men and Alex followed closely behind.

In the meantime, Alan had been pacing back and forth beside his bed awaiting a call -any call- from his brother.

Finally, after an hour, the phone rung. He fidgeted through his pocket to reach his cell phone before opening it.

"Claude?!"

He was disappointed to hear his father's voice instead of his half brother's.

"Alan, I know you had a part in Claude's leaving the city."

"I knew 'bout it, but didn't take part in it. I thought it was a good idea. He didn't need at take abuse anymore."

"Well…He is back in town, and in his mother's safety. I will not tell her you were up to it, but I can't guarantee she has not already figured."

"I ain't scared of her…We were better off without her anyway."

Alex paused momentarily, aghast.

"You know it too, Dad. I hate what has happened to you. I'll keep doing what I can to help Claude, regardless of whether I have your stupid approval or not."

Alexander smiled before shutting his cell and pocketing it.

You're not the only one fighting for him, Alan.