There was an obvious problem that the forest caused the kingdom of Coerthas; even before the walls were built, previous kings never did venture far out into it. No matter how many resources the forest held the kingdom had resigned itself to be an importer for well over a hundred years.

That all had changed when Gaius, Vector's father, ascended to the throne. The nation that made its fortune with its fishing trade was quickly turned into a military might, as the peaceful shipping boats where replaced with mighty war ships. The naval fleet soon became the strongest in the southern hemisphere, plundering anything its motherland may have needed from neighboring nations. By the time Vector was of age he was placed at the top as Commander of the Navy and held the title ever since; and eventually forced to king in the wake of his father's absence and assumed death.

The heels of IV's sandals echoed off the stone walls as he hurried to follow behind Vector and his knight. He noticed how tense Vector's shoulders and back were, slightly hunched over as he stormed off toward the throne room. Anger was radiating from him, something IV hadn't sen since he was first brought onto the war ship.

IV looked over at Alit briefly, "I don't get it, I thought Vector's father was dead?"

"It was never confirmed," Alit said was they took a sharp turn around a corner, "But because of that the church has created a problem for themselves now when they made His Majesty king so soon."

The church had always kept itself in the shadows of the king; a public face of nothing but religious peace while pulling the strings and turning the crown into nothing but a puppet. Vector had been the first to prove difficult to control, not having the same faith his father did. But then again, someone as paranoid as Gaius it wasn't exactly difficult to rule by proxy.

It was clear to Alit whose side the church would take if Vector's rule ever came into question and that worried him.

"This is my kingdom now, he has no right-" Vector cut himself off as he threw the heavy oak doors open, "Father! What is the meaning of this?"

Vector's gaze landed on his throne where Gaius sat perched as he laughed with the priests who had gathered around. His whole body shook as the anger inside him turned white hot for the disrespect they were showing his rule.

"Ah, Prince Vector," The head priest, Shunya, stepped down from the platform with a warm smile on his face as he welcomed him with open arms.

Vector hissed at the insult as IV and Alit moved to either of his sides. IV wasn't sure what he was doing, but Alit's hand was quick on the hilt of his sword, his own anger rising for the dishonor.

"Do not call me that if you value your life, Shunya." Vector's own hand reflexively went to his side only to come up empty. When did he start walking around unarmed? "I am your king, address me as such."

Shunya waived his hand dismissively as he folded his arms across his chest, "come now, Your Highness, your father has returned in good health! You must be delighted."

Violet eyes narrowed as they shifted toward his throne, looking his father once over. He was right, he did seem unharmed; but that didn't mean anything when the Sickness manifested in the mind first.

"That's impossible for how long he was in the forest."

The priestess that sat by Gaius side joined Shunya, a few guards Vector always knew had more loyalty to his father moving with her. She was petite, and soft spoken. Always the kindest to Vector when he disagreed with the church, but even now she seemed adamant in the church's convictions of returning the crown to Gaius.

"The gods have blessed the king, and kept him safe all this time," Trini's voice was gentle despite the betrayal her words held.

"How can you tell, he's always been insane!" Alit snapped.

"Sir Alit, please don't talk to your king in such a manner."

"He's not my king!" Rage had spilled over for him as he drew his sword from it's sheath. The guards drew their own to match, closing the space between them as they encircled the trio. With Vector unarmed it was almost too simple for them to overpower Alit, his sword clattering to the floor as they took hold of them. Alit thrashed against their hold and Vector snarled.

"Unhand me!"

"Son, please. You look unsightly." Gaius said as he calmly stood from the throne and made his way toward Vector. "Aren't you happy to see me unharmed?"

Vector grit his teeth as his arms were wrenched behind them, "not under such circumstances."

A grin twisted across his face as Gaius raised his hand and the guards released his son. "I apologize." He moved away from Vector and picked up Alit's sword from the ground. He walked toward where a pair held IV still, not that it took much as he was hardly struggling.

"Who's this? Trini tells me you have a boyfriend." He leaned forward, pinching IV's face between his thumb and pointer, "but he can't be him, can he?" He tilled IV's face to the side to get a clear look at the purple tattoo across his cheek. "Looks like you have quite the prize here, son. He would be great bait to get our hands on the gods' weapons."

Vector's fists shook at his side, as he stood tall subconsciously trying to look intimidating without a weapon of his own, "Do not touch him, father. Or I swear I'll –"

Vector was cut off as his father swung the sword wildly behind him, nearly slicing Vector's unprotected chest, "Or you'll what, Vector? You're in no position to be threatening me." He squeezed IV's face tighter, "So which Guardian are you? Earth? Maybe Water? No, not with those gorgeous eyes, you must be Fire."

IV narrowed his eyes, his own anger starting to swirl in his gut. The heat started to simmer under his skin, heating it so it was hot to the touch. Gaius gasped in pain as he withdrew his hand, the guards unwillingly following suit as the heat began to grow.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Fire is correct." IV sneered, his voice thick in sarcasm as he took a step forward forcing Gaius back.

Crimson eyes shifted to the sword hilt, the medal instantly burning white hot like it was right out of the blacksmith's forge. Gaius let out a sharp cry as he let go of the sword, clenching his wounded hand against his chest.

"Bastard." He spat, his other hand going to his belt, drawing a small dagger as he wielded is wildly at IV, reaching just enough to slice across this right eye. The pain that welled instantly in his brain caused him to loose control. He screamed out in pain as he clutched at his eye, falling to his knees as a ring of fire defensively circled around him. The pain folded back into him, compounding as the blood seeped through his fingers. The flames grew and flared out uncontrolled as they shot to the ceiling to protect IV in a vortex. The next moment a pressure was released outward as they sent everyone flying back from him.

"IV!" Vector called out as the smoke settled. He scrambled to his feet but the guards were quicker as he was once again restrained. An audible gasp left his lips as he saw a familiar sight. IV passed out on the ground in a burnt out circle.

Gaius coughed as he tried to rid his lungs of the smoke, shakily standing up.

"Take him to the dungeons."

"Nasch tells me Kaito is a dragon."

The voice sounded more amused than anything as V looked up from the old book Kaito had found in the study. It was early the next day when he wandered out of Kaito's chambers only to not be able to find him. Merag stood in the doorway, it was her study after all.

"That's right, I'm sure you know the stories."

"I do," she nodded, "it's just amusing to think my brother has bedded – oh, sorry, I."

A soft smile slipped onto V's face as her cheeks quickly turned red, "don't be. I already know."

"Right, of course." She shook her head violently to get the blush to disappear, her blue bangs dancing around her head as she did.

"You're his Guardian then?"

V nodded as he closed the book to give Merag more of his attention. "Yes I am."

"Then tell me," she started as she rounded the desk where he sat, leaning against it, "is it true, that Kaito – Alcor is stuck in that human body."

"Stuck?" V chuckled, "that implies this wasn't his choice. But, I suppose he is "stuck.""

"Choice?" She parroted as she pushed herself up to sit down on the surface of the desk to make herself more comfortable for the story she felt coming. She enjoyed learning anything about the Old World especially. And now that one of the dragons had slipped under her nose into the kingdom she was even more curious.

V sighed as he rested his elbows on the desk, cupping his face in his hands. "Alcor wasn't left on Earth like Mizael or Alkaid were. After the gods left the Earth for different stars they left Alcor behind in the heavens as a ruler of the after life. Which worked for hundreds of years, but you can't leave a spirit of life in charge of death.

"One day he heard the prayer of a boy. Haruto was an orphan who lived with his sick brother. If you ask him Alcor will tell you this child prayed for his brother's life to be spared every moment he was awake. I," another sigh, "I can say that's exaggerated, but only because I was there."

Merag's ruby eyes softened as she watched V. Of course, the Guardians were as immortal as the weapons, that was common knowledge. But the memories seemed to drag up a pain V wanted buried. She smiled gently, placing her hand over his. "Hey, it's OK you don't have to keep telling me."

V chuckled and shook his head, the pain slipping beneath the surface the best he could hide it. "I'm fine. It's just. Haruto's brother, Kaito – the human Kaito not the "Kaito" you know now, was important to me. When Alcor fell into him and took over his body in attempt to keep Kaito alive I happened to be the first one he saw. Haruto was meant to be his Guardian, not me."

V pulled his hand from under Merag's. The only reason he was telling her because he knew as a priestess her faith would be able to respect the story. He pulled his sleeve back revealing the blue gem imbedded in his wrist. He held it out to her and she instantly took it. He had a feeling she understood, but continued anyway.

"Dragon tears. When he fell he cried for me and it created this stone. Cried because,"

She cut him off as she ran her fingers over the gem gently, "because he knew at that moment your humanity was gone."

The next thing IV was aware of was the heavy iron door swinging open behind him with an awful whine. His vision was blurred as he went to rub his eyes but was met with pain when he touched the wound. He cried out again, the straw he was laying on catching fire underneath him.

"IV!"

There was a clatter of objects hitting the ground before he felt himself being pulled from the fire. Curses fell from Vector as he frantically patted on his clothing that caught fire.

"Idiot, I wasn't going to get burned." IV huffed as he struggled to sit up, holding the good side of his face in his hand as sharp headaches ripped through his temples.

"Yeah, well," Vector shook his head as he crouched down next to IV and pushed his head back to get a good look of his face better, "what the hell was that for anyway?"

"Head hurts." IV groaned, "can't control it so easily."

"I see." Vector shifted as he reached for the medicines he previously dropped and sat down flat on the ground next to IV. He handed the mage a crushed tablet of herbs to ease the pain, "now let me clean you up."

Vector took IV's chin between his fingers, gently cleaning the wound of dried blood and ash with a warm cloth. His touch was soft, IV barely could feel it as he wiped the wound clean before wrapping a dressing around his head and under his ear to keep the bandage in place.

"Shouldn't a servant or something do this?" IV asked when Vector was done and cleaning his own hands of the blood.

"I've been a soldier my whole life, I'd like to think I do a better job dressing wounds than a servant." Vector sighed and tossed the bloodied rag to the side, "besides, it's sort of my fault."

"It's not." IV paused as he closed his uninjured eye. "Can't see."

Vector shook his head, "the eye is pretty mangled, I doubt you ever will out of that one again."

They both fell silent for a beat, the "that's unfortunate"s and "I'm sorry"s going unsaid.

"Your father?"

"Complicated."

Vector stood up again. There wasn't anything complicated about it. After IV was removed there wasn't a moment wasted as Shunya informed him his crowning was fake the whole time, and legally meant nothing. There had been more than heated words that nearly resulted in Alit getting injured as well. Vector calmed down after that, not wanting to risk anyone's life that his father held in such little regard.

"Come on, I'm not going to let him treat you like this, however." He held out his hand to help IV back to his feet as he lead him out of the cell.

If his father was serious about wanting to use IV to lure the weapon he was tied to into his grasp he would have to be extra careful. Torture was not out of the realm of possibilities for such a tortured mind; Vector knew he and Alit both were going to need to keep IV safe.