DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. Can it be? Has he really gone to the... The DARK SIDE?!
"I won't fall for this, Kain," he said aloud, "All it takes is a little time. The Terran will eventually forget about our little scuffle..."
Ion had seemed to become a recluse during this time as well, drawing away from people even when Esther was present, but that could have been because she was always tired after the numerous meetings she attended, and he didn't want to feel as if he was bothering her. Abel tried to ask him once, but he'd been snapped at and told to leave it alone. So he did. It was getting awfully tense in the palace; everyone was on edge. Esther and Astharoshe both had even snapped at each other, and at Abel too, which they had abruptly apologized for. He understood, of course, but this was starting to get out of hand. Even he, with his legendary patience, was beginning to wear thin.
Abel sorrowfully continued his search for his morning tea, sauntering down the silent street, his blue eyes downcast. The shouting of a crowd brought his attention off of his current tea-less state, and he followed the sound to a ridiculously large crowd surrounding a central podium, and standing on that podium... Abel gasped, dashing forward. What was Ion doing here? Wasn't he back at the palace? Finally, he was close enough to hear what he was saying:
"Which is why we have to get rid of him! Am I right?!" the citygoers of Londinum agreed rather loudly, and Abel pushed his way through the crowd, who, once they noticed the silver-haired priest, backed away with startled gasps.
"Excellency, what do you think you're doing? I thought you were helping me, not working against me!"
"Well, not anymore. I'm tired of sitting here and watching you take Esther from me!" he folded his arms across his chest with a scowl, crimson eyes narrowed with a vicious glare. His clothing had changed too... Abel had seen that uniform before, and he recognized it immediately once Ion was joined by a tall, dark-haired man whose gloves were embroidered with the inverted star of the pentagram. Since when was Rosenkreuz taking children among their ranks? Kain's standards must have changed.
"What do you think you'll accomplish by doing this? The Earl of Memphis reduced to working for terrorists? Do you think Esther would want you to do something like that?"
"And you would know all about what Esther wants, wouldn't you?" he snarled, "She always chooses you over me. She never left your side when you were injured, and now, she never comes to see me because she's always trying to convince the world that you're not bad. I'm tired of her always picking you, and at least they will give me what I want!"
"Please..." Abel shook his head, "Excellency, they'll use you and throw you away. I know Kain. He did it to Dietrich and he'll do it to you once you're no longer useful."
"We'd never do something so cruel," Isaak feigned a hurt pout, "What kind of men do you think we are?"
"And I'm not trying to take Esther from you! It would never work between the two of us, and everyone here can tell you why that is; I'll outlive her, Ion, many times over, and so will you. She knows that. Don't do this." But his reasoning didn't seem to be getting through to the boy before him. Ion had turned his back to the priest, and Isaak chuckled.