A/N: I'm getting annoyed with having to switch back and forth between this one and Live by the Sword. I can only imagine how hard it is for you guys to keep the story lines straight. XD

Disclaimer: I'd love to own Albel, but that won't be happening any time soon I'm afraid.

Albel spent the rest of the day muttering under his breath about Dion. He paced around the room, growling about how Dion needed to be tortured and executed for his treasonous lies. But Albel didn't really mean what he said. Dion's words had only gotten under his skin. As much as he hated to admit it, Dion was right and he was far more shaken by that revelation than he ever cared to admit. By late evening, he had finally come to term with his weaknesses and he had sunk into a vague depression.

Fayt hovered over him in concern as Albel sprawled facedown across the bed, burying his face in the sheets. "My lord, do you feel alright?"

"Bah," Albel muttered.

Fayt cocked his head to one side. "If you're feeling really bad, I can get Dion to give you some more chiro root."

Albel shuddered. "No, never. I never want to hear about that stuff again. It brings out the worst in me. Dion says that I feel all that stuff somewhere inside me and it only magnifies it." He sighed heavily and tiredly rubbed his temples. "It's an awful thought."

Fayt blinked. "I suppose Dion thinks that deep down inside you there is a benevolent ruler and that being this tough is only an act to compensate for how weak you feel."

Albel rolled onto his back and stared up at Fayt through tired ruby eyes. "You too, eh?" He snorted. "I'm going to have to change my strategy if everyone thinks I'm all talk. I've got a reputation to uphold and I don't want everyone thinking I'm soft on the inside." He jabbed a finger at Fayt. "If everyone starts thinking you're a nice guy, they'll take advantage of it. I'm not that nice."

Fayt settled onto the bed next to Albel. "I don't think you're all talk. I just don't think you're quite as tough as you act. I mean, you haven't killed me yet and everyone says you kill people that displease you." Fayt shrugged. "So I'd have to say that yes, you're a fierce warrior, but you can also be kind when you need to be. You're not an evil man."

"Hmph," Albel snorted. He looked at Fayt out of the corner of his eye. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your company, without being under the effects of that awful root?"

Fayt shook his head. "No, my lord." He smiled. It was a nice thing to say.

Albel smirked. "Good. It's nice to know that I'm not completely soft yet."

Fayt pouted. "You don't appreciate me at all?" He heaved a sigh.

Albel shrugged. "You've been quite useful to me. But too many compliments will only go to your head. You're already weak-minded. I don't need your judgment further clouded by delusions of grandeur."

Fayt smiled. "I think this is what Dion was talking about. You keep insulting me and calling me useless, but yet you keep me around. It's like some sort of code. Telling me I'm an idiot actually means something positive."

Albel looked at Fayt suspiciously. "Right. Keep telling yourself that." He rolled his eyes. "Unless you and Dion are hatching some plot to keep me drugged on chiro root for the rest of my life, you can forget about it."

Fayt looked hurt. "We're not trying to-"

"Save it," Albel said dismissively. He pulled the covers around himself. "All this drama is exhausting. I think I'm going to go to bed early."

"Aren't you going to get out of your day clothes?" Fayt asked.

Albel sighed. "Very well." Reluctantly, he rolled back out of bed and began sliding off his outer robe.

Fayt stopped him as something caught his eye. He grabbed onto Albel's arm and inspected a piece of gauze plastered to Albel's upper arm that he had failed to notice before.

Albel jerked his arm away. "What do you want?' he growled.

"You're hurt," Fayt said softly. "When did this happen?"

Albel snorted derisively. "I'm fine. It's just a small scratch. Lieutenant Shelby is a clumsy idiot. I don't know why Vox brought the idiot to the general's meeting, but Shelby decided to show off and that's what happened." He rubbed his shoulder ruefully. "I guess I am getting soft. I didn't kill him on the spot for this."

"Can I see how bad it is?" Fayt asked tentatively. "It's probably time to change your bandages anyway so the wound doesn't get infected."

Albel sighed and reluctantly held out his arm for Fayt to inspect. "Make it quick," he growled.

Fayt nodded and slowly unwrapped the bandages. He cringed at what he saw, a short gash festering with green pus. It smelled just as bad as it looked, like a rotting corpse. Fayt's horrified eyes met Albel. "My lord, how can you even use this arm?" he exclaimed. "You're likely to lose it to infection."

"It was just a simple wound," Albel insisted. "Shelby barely nicked me. It doesn't even hurt. Quit being so overly dramatic, fool. It's not that bad."

"But can't you smell it? It smells like…" Fayt's eyes widened. "It smells like death."

Albel pulled his arm out and turned his head at an angle to see his own upper arm. "Hmph," he muttered. "It shouldn't be green like that." He sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "Smells awful too. But it doesn't hurt."

Fayt nodded. "It's not pus. It's poison. That's how you got it into your system. I was afraid you'd eaten it, but it looks like Shelby dipped his sword into the stuff and pretended to accidentally nick you."

"Bloody hell," Albel growled. "I should have sliced off his head when I had the chance. Now I'm going to have to go and track him down. Vox sent the idiot off to the border to deal with a tribe of barbarians that keep threatening the farms out there. I'm sure Vox wanted to be rid of him and his stupidity as much as I did." He shook his head sadly. "Vox has always complained about what an insufferable fool Shelby was, but I don't think he realizes that all of that is an act to cover up for his clever little schemes."

"We were all fooled," Fayt said softly.

Albel sighed. "And now he's out there dealing with our enemies. This could be a dangerous situation in the making. I can't let him live after what he's done. Tomorrow I better have my men ride out and track him down."

"You don't want to go after him yourself and deal him the deathblow in revenge?"

Albel groaned and shook his head. "I just want to be rid of this whole mess. I don't care about that anymore."

"It'll all be over soon," Fayt said soothingly. "I'll get Dion to give you a small dose of chiro root to get your mind off things."

Albel sighed. "I've dealt with bad situations in the past. I'll be fine, Fayt." He sighed again. 'Why does all this have to happen to me?"

"I'm getting you some," Fayt insisted. "You're becoming depressed again. You're worn out and exhausted. Believe me, you need a little cheer. But I'll make sure Dion doesn't overdo it this time. Just a little bit." He patted Albel's shoulder. "I'll be back."

Albel groaned and rolled over in bed, pulling the sheets over his head. Yes, he did feel rather awful. But the thought of what the chiro root could do to his already fragile emotional state scared him. Fayt should have been scared as well, but Fayt was actually volunteering to get Albel more of the stuff. Albel sighed. Fayt just had an unhealthy disregard for his own safety. The little fool was cheerfully looking danger in the face. He shuddered at the thought of what might happen to the blissfully ignorant little fool. Albel was far too fond of Fayt to want to see anything happen to him. He shut his eyes and willed himself to be able to control his carnal desires.