Disclaimer: Anything recgonizable - I dare not own them. Recgonizable - yes, they're mine!

I don't quite like this chapter, but... oh wells. Hope you all do.

Chapter 4

"Paris! Do you know what that is? Do you have any idea what you have done?!" Hector hissed angrily.

The younger prince dropped his gaze once more, for he could not bear to look his brother in the eye again. "Yes," he replied hoarsely. "I know what it is. It is father's horse, isn't it? Only the king has the authority to have it."

"And only the king has the right to touch or hold it!" Hector's eyes flashed angrily. "Paris, you don't have to explain anything to me because I don't want to hear it. I only want you to put that back. Right now. Before father discovers it missing." He tried his best to remain calm. He knew his younger brother surely had a reason to steal the king's horse, but right now, that was not the first thing on his mind. His focus now was on how to get the brown wooden horse back in place.

Hector stood up and strode towards the door. "Come," he said with his left hand extended and the other on the doorknob. "Quick. We have to do this now."

But Paris stayed put. "Brother," his voice degenerated into a whisper and he shook his head. "No."

Hector was exasperated. Why couldn't his brother understand the graveness of this matter? "Paris, you must come! Now! Quick! I'm coming with you so you don't have to be scared." He wanted so badly to yell, but he couldn't. He could not let anyone overhear them.

"No." Paris shook his head again sadly. "Brother, you don't understand. I really need this. Please. I only need it for one day – tomorrow. I promise after tomorrow I'll put it back. I promise. Really. Please. Just let me have it, will you? Please. I cannot put this back right now." He pleaded. He was on the verge of tears. He, too, was as frustrated as his brother was. How he wished his brother would understand the difficult situation he was in! Oh, how he regretted making that deal in the first place!

Hector, upon seeing the tears brimming in Paris's eyes, relented a little. He sighed, and loosened his grip on the doorknob and his hand fell. "Paris, why don't you tell me what exactly is going on? Then I shall decide whether you truly need this horse or not."

Paris clutched the horse tightly to his chest. "I really need it." He whispered. Then he began to tell his brother of the morning's events, hoping that his brother would understand. Tears ran down his cheeks as he narrated everything – the games he and his friends played, the deal, everything. He went into every single little detail to make sure Hector fully understood the picture.

"Oh Paris..." Hector sighed after Paris had finished recounting the events. "You should have known better than to do that! I thought you were smart enough not to have anything to do with people like Kyriakos, but... You disappointed me greatly by taking father's horse! No, even worse, you stole it! You stole it, Paris, you took it from father's chamber without permission!" Realizing that he was being too harsh on his already-repentant younger brother, Hector sighed once more and softened. "So what do you intend to do now?"

"I don't know." Paris lifted a shoulder and lowered it.

"I suggest that we go to father and tell him straight." Hector insisted. "C'mon, Paris. Don't worry. I'll go with you. Come on, we have to do it quick before father finds it. You know he would rather you admit it to him than –"

"No."

"But, Paris –"

"No."

"– you must understand, Paris, that things are not as simple as they seem, you may not realize it but once father finds out that the horse is missing you are so in hot soup do you not know that? We've got to go –"

"No."

"– and find father right now –"

"No."

"– to tell him the truth – "

"No."

"– otherwise things will only worsen!!"

"NO!!"

The two voices joined together at the very same time. Both were quite loud, and as if on cue, both of them turned towards the door and waited silently for a few long moments to pass. They were worried. What if someone had heard them? But apparently not as they were no noise outside in the corridor.

"Paris, like I said – "Hector began, his attention focusing back on his little brother.

"NO! You don't understand brother. You think you do but actually you don't! You think you know how I feel but you know nothing about it! You don't understand my situation right now and how much this thing is worth to me!" Paris practically shouted. "It is not like what it seems or what you think it is, no! There's more to it... do you not understand that? Why do you not..." With that his eyes turned into tear-generators once more, with the big blobs of wet liquid streaming down his face ever so often.

"Paris, I do. I do understand, really. I've been through this before and when I was your age I was threatened by bullies like Kyriakos before! I know all these and I know exactly how you feel!"

"No you don't brother. You don't." Paris' voice was bitter. "Have you ever been threatened to strip in public before then?"

"No." Hector replied quietly.

"Then have you ever had the fear of losing face in front of everyone, even your dearest friends?"

"No, but that's your fault for –"

"My fault?!?!" Paris' eyes flashed vehemently. "My fault?" He repeated again. "Then let me ask you again, brother, have you ever felt so inferior and powerless before, without a single status other than being a prince? Have you ever been teased of being a coward and a weakling with nothing – not even courage to stand up to them? Have you ever lived in shame among people like your classmates?"

Hector was silent. His brother's words shocked him. Yes, he knew Paris was upset and young and innocent, he was fragile too. But this...?

"I take your silence as a 'no' then." Paris continued. "See, you don't know how it feels like to be second," he spat, "oh no, you don't. You are always first and Number 1, and in the future you're gonna be the king! And everyone will bow to you and respect you and love you... but what about me? I would be nothing! You will always be known as the 'future king'! And me? 'Future king's brother'?" Paris laughed bitterly. Hector noted that there was a hint of sadness and pain in his voice, but remained silent.

"I would be nobody, brother, nobody! You will be high and mighty, and I shall hide in a corner and assist the king whenever he wants it, shouldn't I?"

Hector was speechless, yes. For Apollo's sake! Paris is so young at yet he is now worrying and upset about things like that? Moreover, they still had many more years to go before that happens! What on Earth was he talking about? Never in Hector's life had Paris ever said something hurtful like that, never. They loved one another greatly, their relationship so strong they often joked that the gods and goddesses would grant them brothers many lives after this, as they were often unseparated.

Finally he found his tongue.

"Paris..." he paused, then spelled out his words slowly, so as to make sure he does not say the wrong thing and upset his brother again, "you're right. You're right in everything you say, yes. Maybe I have not experienced what you have and never may. Perhaps I have not yet the chance to do so, or feel what you feel."

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

"Paris, I have no idea how you got such thoughts, and neither do I want to know. But I just want to let you know that, no matter what; you're still a prince of Troy, and my brother. Both father and I will love you. " He breathed in deeply before continuing. "As for the part on me being a king, "both winced, "Paris, you must know it's not my wish. No, I didn't mean that. I mean, I'd love to serve the country and all, yes, I feel honoured. But you must know that I didn't have a choice in it too. No, it's not supposed to come out that way. I mean to say that, well, in tradition it is always the eldest who, well, gets the throne and –"

Noticing the look on his younger brother's face, Hector stopped immediately. He knew he had said the wrong thing. He gulped.

"– well, be a king. It is a duty and it is not fun, Paris. At least, I don't think it is. But... there can be certain exceptions though, when the second prince becomes king." Paris did not even look up at all. He continued staring at his bed. "Well... that is, if the first prince is, uh, gone." At this moment, Paris' head snapped up immediately.

"What do you mean?"

"Gone. You know, either dead, or exiled, or probably has become a lunatic or anything else harmful to the citizens." Then Hector added, "But in most circumstances it is the first reason."

Just then, Paris caught his brother's hint. Horror splashed across his face as he gripped Hector's hand firmly and look him in the eye. "No, brother, I don't want you to die. I didn't mean it, brother, I'm sorry. I just... Sorry, I was just so insensitive and childish to kick up a fuss like that. I'm really sorry. I really am."

Hector placed his hand over Paris's. "Shh... yes I know, Paris. I know you didn't mean it." He smiled.

Then the whole room fell into a total silence for long moments, before Hector spoke up again. He had decided to take the risk once more, after all, the horse was really important.

"Paris... do you want to, you know, take this horse to, um, father? Because you see, it's –"

"Okay." Paris nodded his head while replying quietly.

"You do?" Hector was surprised.

"Yeah. I mean, I could risk getting, um, naked in front of people and all but this is father's horse and he needs it for official things. If he finds it missing the results will be even worse, rather than if I were to admit it to him."

Hector was on the verge of melting when he heard his brother's reply. "Thank you being so understanding," he whispered, fighting the tears in his eyes. He placed an arm around his brother's shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm sure father would find a way to get you out of this mess."

Both princes crossed gazes at the very same time, and smiled.

TBC. Please, please, please review!

darkdestiney2000, Althelas, FelsGoddess: Thanks for your reviews. I greatly appreciate it. :)