Loiya's fever had gone down overnight, but in the end, the bodyguard still had difficulty getting out of bed, so Kaetar decided that now was not the time to lecture him about working himself past his limits. Besides, Loiya was irritable, and wasn't in the mood for anyone's company. They would have to stay for another night for him to recover, and that was something that seemed to visibly bother Syrin, but Kaetar couldn't care less at that point.
Kaetar stayed in his room, reading his notebook yet again to see if there was anything he missed, and fingered the necklace as if it would grant him another vision. It was simply one of those days where there was nothing to do, and it was days like those that made him want to pull out a book; but he had nothing on him and he knew that Crimea lacked the history books that he favoured. The next best thing would be the visions, but apparently they would only occur when he didn't want them to.
He decided to leave the book and left the inn, where he found a crowd of people gathered around the exit that lead to Melior. He began approaching the crowd, only to be forcibly pulled back into the inn with a hand over his mouth. "Stay quiet and don't move," Darius whispered into his ear as he closed the door.
"What's going on outside? Where are the others?"
"In my room. I came to get you, but you left," the raven answered. "Now come, we have to talk." Kaetar knew it was urgent by Darius' somber expression. When they entered his room, he found Ema crouched under an open window, probably listening to the crowd outside.
"I believe they're on our side," the cat muttered quietly.
"What's going on?" Kaetar repeated.
"There are Crimean soldiers here, and they are looking for us," Syrin answered quietly.
"Did they actually catch you doing it?" Nicholas asked, clearly uncomfortable in the situation. He did join the rebellion, but there was something in the back of his mind that bothered him, that much Kaetar could tell. He just didn't seem fully engaged in the conversation.
"No, but we stand out as suspicious looking people," Syrin answered. "Did you say that they're on our side?"
"Yes, they say we've already left," the cat answered quietly. "I still hear the soldiers, though. I believe they want to search the village, and if that happens, then there is no way we're going to escape without someone dying."
That wasn't good. Kaetar watched for the reaction on Syrin's face, and found that he was relatively calm. He just looked to be deep in thought, which Kaetar didn't mind; Syrin could take as long as he wanted if he could take them out of the village. Suddenly, there was a shout from outside the window, and Kaetar quickly realized that something was wrong. He approached the window, and found several men in white armour around the inn, pushing the villagers back as they tried to protest against their actions. "They must be here! Men! Surround the building and capture them alive!"
"It's no use. We'll have to kill them to get through. Either way, we'll get in trouble," Syrin muttered. "Kaetar, go wake up Loiya."
"Where are we meeting this time?"
"Go to the ruins west of here."
Kaetar nodded and made his way to Loiya's room while the others made their way towards the inn's entrance. He grabbed the bags from his room on the way out, and slipped both on before finding his bodyguard's room. Loiya, however was already out of his bed with his lance in hand, and as if he was reading Kaetar's mind, he smiled weakly. "I heard Syrin through the wall. I'll be fine, but we need to leave," he muttered quietly, taking Kaetar's hand. This is different then what Kaetar expected; he wasn't acting anything like he was before. He was being nice now – but earlier he threw a pillow at Nicholas because the mage asked if he needed water.
By the time he reached the entrance, he saw a raven's talons rake through a Crimean's chest and a brown cat to his left pouncing on another man in white. Loiya guided him through a break in their lines and made a mad dash in the direction that Syrin indicated. He could already see Syrin in front of him, who opted for the same option.
"Don't let them get away!"
Kaetar cursed, and dared to take a look back. About five men took off in their direction – hot on their trail – and Kaetar could feel the burning pain in his chest. He was beginning to slow down, but on the other hand, Loiya seemed to pick up the speed. "Down the alley!" Syrin shouted as he turned to the left. Loiya followed, and Kaetar cursed again. It was a dead-end. What the heck was Syrin thinking? The leader rested up against the wall, panting heavily as he lifted his head to face the soldiers. Loiya growled and swore before spinning around, letting go of the prince's hand before he faced the Crimeans that followed them.
Kaetar's back hit the wall. Loiya has practically threw him into the wall that marked the dead-end for his protection, but the prince couldn't help but to slightly upset. He stayed on the ground, but he managed to push himself up into a sitting position. One of the soldiers stepped in front of the others and pointed a lance at them. "We'll give you one more chance to come with us quietly or we will-"
The soldier never got to finish. Loiya pulled his bloody lance out of the soldier's neck with a spray of blood, then with a pivot of his body, buried his lance into the chest of the soldier closet to him. Kaetar gasped at the blood, but didn't feel as sick as he thought he would have; perhaps it was the situation that managed to keep his stomach contents inside. On the other hand, he couldn't help but to notice that his stomach was uncomfortably tight, and it was this feeling that kept him frozen. Was it fear? Loiya stepped to the side as another lance grazed his side, and with a yell, Loiya returned the blow, spinning the lance around from behind and striking the soldier in the neck, killing him like the first soldier. Another raised his weapon just as Loiya retrieved his own.
This time Loiya couldn't dodge it. The lance dug into his shoulder and with a yelp, he staggered back, nearly tripping on Kaetar. The bodyguard recovered his lance, which fell from his hand when he was struck, but instead of attacking, he used his lance to hold off the soldier's next attack.
Kaetar was hugging the wall now, and backed into the corner as the last soldier approached him and Syrin. The leader managed to keep a defiant look on his face, but he said nothing; even Kaetar managed to stay quiet. "You're friend is well-trained, but no man can take on so many! Now, come with us, or we'll kill him. You're outmatched and out numbered!" the last soldier panted, holding his lance up to Kaetar's neck. There was a shout, which was followed by a soothing chanting. The sky darkened slightly as bolt of thunder suddenly struck the soldier. He screamed, and his body convulsed as he fell to the ground.
The prince didn't need to see who it was. He knew the attack came from Nicholas. Loiya growled as swung at the soldier that still occupied his time, but ultimately missed. The bodyguard look far from steady, and Kaetar swore that he was swaying on his feet. Whatever made it possible for him to fight in the first place was wearing off now, and all Kaetar could see the fever returning. The soldier apparently had enough though; he merely dropped his lance and ran away, exiting the village rather than heading back toward the laguz. The bodyguard turned around and knelt beside the prince with a warm face, despite his apparently illness. It was a nice gesture, but the fact that Loiya was covered in his own blood and blood splatter from the soldiers completely changed everything; whatever kept Kaetar from fainting before let go of him, and with a nervous laugh, he felt his body hit the ground, and the darkness closed in.
Kaetar came around when the sun was at its highest point, and he was vaguely aware of the fact that he was being carried. It was hot and sticky, and he found himself sweating, though he wasn't sure if that was related to the heat. "Are you back with us?" Nicholas asked, looking down at him with a smile, and he only looked down because Kaetar was settled in his arms. The prince was either lighter than he thought he was, or Nicholas was stronger than he looked.
"What the heck happened? Where are we?" Kaetar asked, only able to recall Loiya's bloody figure. Where was Loiya now? Were he and Nicholas alone?
"You fainted, and so did Loiya. We're just on our way to the ruins, and that will take a day or two." He fainted? He couldn't remember that, so it had to be a real fainting spell – not what a vision did to him. He was always back on his feet shortly after a vision, and always felt relatively fine, aside from dizziness that went away quickly; but this time, he was still feeling groggy, even after hours after the event.
"Is everyone else with us?"
"The others are up ahead," the mage answered. Loiya was with the others then, though Kaetar didn't know how well he was doing. He was wounded and ill, and even if he felt a lot better before the battle, he had to be feeling the toll of overexerting himself now. That was the first time that he saw what Loiya was capable of, though; Kaetar knew that he had to know what he was doing, otherwise he wouldn't have been hired, but the prince had to admit that Loiya surprised him. He did not expect Loiya to kill a man while he was talking, and didn't expect that Loiya would be able to do what he did while suffering from a fever.
"And Loiya?"
"His wounds were healed with a vulnerary... not well, but the bleeding stopped," Nicholas answered with a shrug. Kaetar was relieved; Loiya was going to be fine so long as his wounds didn't open again.
"Do you know about the ruins?"
"Yes! We're going to the ruins of the fort that the Greil Mercenaries themselves called home! It was hit by a bad storm after it was officially reclassified as a monument, so no one is allowed to enter the building, but that isn't going to stop Syrin, apparently!" Nicholas beamed."I'm so excited! I never seen it before!"
"We really are rebels, aren't we? First the church, then the soldiers, and now we're trespassing? If my father found out, I would never see the sun again!" Not that Kaetar saw the sun very often before, but he didn't like the idea of never seeing it. Of all the things he could have been doing, he was running around with criminals, and Loiya could get into serious trouble for the soldiers. He didn't like the idea of getting into trouble, only because he never got into trouble; he was stepping into unknown territory, and that would be frightening to anyone.
Eventually, Nicholas let Kaetar down, and the two were able to catch up to the others – only because Darius needed a break from carrying Loiya. Ema looked simply exhausted; she was covered in dirt and scratches that resulted from her scuffle with the soldiers. Darius looked better, much better than his cat friend, but he still seemed weary from carrying Loiya. He was the only one who really could – he was stronger than he looked, which was a trait that Kaetar found to be common in laguz, but he was also the tallest one. He could carry Loiya without Loiya's feet being dragged on the ground.
The group sat around the grass together when a thought came to Kaetar. "Syrin, why did you tell us to go into the alley? You had to have known it was a dead end."
"I did," the leader answered.
"Then why did you tell us to do it?" Kaetar repeated, getting a little impatient with Syrin's silence.
"I knew that when backed into a corner, Loiya would react, just like any other creature would," he muttered. It was a risky move; Syrin never saw Loiya fight before – and if Loiya wasn't up to par, they probably all would have been captured. There was no way the laguz would have known where they were, and Kaetar didn't even know how Nicholas found them, unless he was chasing after them the entire time. "And speaking of which, it would be beneficial you knew how to defend yourself. You cannot rely on the rest of the group in a situation like that again."
"What about you?" Kaetar asked. He didn't understand why Syrin would ask him to learn to use a weapon if Syrin wouldn't use one himself.
"I was a mage; but tomes are no longer an option for me. The best I can manage is a staff now," the leader answered. Even Kaetar knew that for the most part, staffs were not a great choice for offensive power; you where better off with tomes if you were stay with magic.
"I think I would best with magic. Loiya said himself that I had the physical strength of a mage."
"Loiya would know you best!" Nicholas smiled, pulling out his thunder tome for Kaetar to look at. The prince fingered the cover, then opened the book to the first page only to find that the letters were faded, and he could barely make out any text on the page. He flipped through a couple of more pages and found the words of the ancient language dark and clear. What was the difference? Nicholas seemed to read his mind, and immediately scooted over beside Kaetar. "The faded pages are used. I don't know why you can't use the same page over and over, but I bet Syrin would know."
"And I bet he wouldn't answer," Darius chimed in.
"We should be leaving," Syrin muttered suddenly, getting up from the ground and walking away. Darius scooped up Loiya, who was still comatose, and followed him. Kaetar stood up and stretched his legs, and slowly began following after the rest of them with Nicholas' tome still open in his hands. He could make out some of the words, but that was a very small selection - he only studied the ancient language as a hobby.
"So I just have to learn this language, correct?"
"Just reading the words won't work, you also have to draw on your own abilities," Nicholas explained. "And you also have to find your affinity for magic."
Affinity for magic? He thought all tomes were the same, and he could jump between them as long as you knew the text. Syrin seemed to sense his confusion, even though his back was turned towards them. "All tomes have different weights, weaknesses, and strengths. A mage could master all three types of anima magic, but he or she will always find that one type in particular better suits their physical strengths, and find that one easier to use."
"So... thunder might not work for me?" Kaetar asked.
"I highly doubt it would, but it's the only tome we have so far, so it will suffice for now," Syrin sighed.
"So why is it that you can't use a sword or something? Why magic? Why not a bow or something? Darius, do you want me to take over?" Ema suddenly asked, turning towards Darius. He merely shook his head.
"Well, if bought I bow and couldn't use it, then it would be a waste of a good bow," Kaetar muttered with a frown. If there was anything that he learned from trying to force Loiya to train him, it was that he was pathetic in the strength department. He never needed to rely on strength before; in his mind, it came down to magic as the only option, and Ema didn't need to worry about that. That was his business and his business alone.
"I suppose I can understand that..." Ema muttered, seemingly uncomfortable with his decision. What was her problem? He doubted that he would ever understand laguz. Even though Darius opened up to him about even being in the last war, he still felt that he didn't understand what made them tick. What scared them? What angered them aside from the obvious racism?
It just reminded him that he didn't know as much as he thought he did.
After what felt to be a couple of hours, a large mansion popped out of the landscape and presented itself to the group. If it wasn't for the fact that they weren't in Melior, the mansion could easily have been mistaken as a castle; it was built with large, grey stones, and had a gate that bordered it. There were guards and flowers on the other side; everything that reminded him of the luxurious life that he left at home. "Excuse me!" Kaetar called out from the front of the gates. One of the guards approached him, and he could hear Ema growling. Syrin looked more displeased than normal.
"What are you doing?" Syrin asked.
"What is your business here?" the guard asked.
"Who lives here?" Kaetar asked. The guard shot him a look, as if he couldn't believe that he was being asked.
"Duke Tyre and his daughter, Arianna. Who are you to ask?"
Arianna! Kaetar knew his face lit up. He personally knew Arianna from when she and her father went to Daein to discuss the subject which he liked to avoid if he could, but between running away from the Crimea military and Loiya suffering from his fever, he couldn't help but to face it again.
"Kaetar," Syrin growled through his teeth. "We have to leave! What is so important?"
"Just a minute!" Kaetar whispered back, then turned his attention back to the guard. "I'm Prince Kaetar of Daein, and I'm here to see Arianna," the prince announced in the most confident and threatening voice he could muster. The guard, who looked unamused before, suddenly opened the gate. He was surprised that he didn't need proof; the guards were far too trusting. "And I'll be taking my friends with me. If they cause a problem, just let me know, alright?"
Kaetar was the first to step onto the property, and signalled the others to follow him quietly. The guard who let him in was now leading Kaetar to the large doors, and while Kaetar knew Arianna, he never been in her home before. The mansion had many windows and walls that were tanned by the sunlight, full of various paintings and decorations to fill in the space, and seemed maze-like in nature – but maybe that was just every castle and he was just used to the castle in Nevassa. "Lady Arianna will be happy to see you," the guard muttered. "She's in her room right now."
The prince nodded and looked back to the rest of his team. Everyone but Syrin seemed to be in awe, and it occurred to Kaetar that they probably have never been in a mansion before. Syrin didn't seem to care, and if Kaetar had to guess, he would say that Syrin has probably been in one before, and he wasn't surprised because he's seen it all before. They took a flight of stairs up and found themselves in a corridor lined with doors. The guard knocked on one of the doors, and a girl who was no larger than Ema, in her human form that was, answered.
Though the two were about the same height, they looked completely different. Arianna resembled Ramon with her blue eyes, and but she had teal, curly hair that fell to her waist. She was wearing a simple night-dress that came up to her knees. She was a lot prettier than Kaetar remembered, but he also remembered her being about twelve and not nearly as developed then as she was now. She gasped, then ran into Kaetar for a hug. Syrin was glaring at Kaetar, as if he was silently repeating his question. "Kaetar! I didn't think I'd see you for another four years! Did you come to marry me early?"
Everyone went silent. Loiya stirred and opened his eyes for the first time in hours – Kaetar wondered if his bodyguard heard her.
"Don't make me ask again, Kaetar," the leader muttered in a low growl.
Kaetar pulled Arianna off him and turned around to face everyone. "Everyone, this is Arianna. My father arranged a marriage between her and me, so she's my fiancé. Arianna, this is Darius, my bodyguard Loiya, Ema, Nicholas and Syrin," he muttered with his hand on her shoulder.
"That's your bodyguard? Isn't he a little... young?" He was surprised she didn't say anything about how sick he looked; instead, it was how young he looked. He supposed that also came to a shock though; most new recruits were relatively surprised to see Loiya in full uniform with the prince. Yes, he was a little young, but he was just as capable as many others for the job. If anything, Kaetar thought that their closeness in age gave Loiya more motivation that just as paycheck at the end of the day; Loiya would want to make sure his friend was safe.
"He's decent with a lance," Syrin muttered.
"Is he okay?"
"Does he look okay?" Syrin shot backed, then looked at the prince with a accusatory glare. "Are we staying the night here, Kaetar, or did you just take it upon yourself to visit someone that you would clearly see again?"
"I could ask my father if you just said please. I see no reason to let someone who is so rude stay here," Arianna muttered, folding her arms in front of her chest. Syrin looked away, like he was debating his options.. Before Syrin could answer, however, Kaetar cut in.
"Arianna, I want to ask your father myself. There is... something that he needs to know first," Kaetar muttered.
"That is a good idea, Kaetar," the leader muttered as he walked out of the room. "I'll be in the kitchen in you need me."
"I'll take you to the Duke's office, your Highness," the guard that escort him earlier muttered. Kaetar nodded and left Arianna's side. No one else followed him down the hall and to the left, where he found himself in front of a plain old door. There as nothing that denoted the door as Duke's office, other than the fact that it was at the end of a hall. The guard knocked on the door, and Kaetar could hear a scuffled voice welcome them in.
If the outside didn't say anything about a Duke being on the other side of the door, then the inside said a lot. The Duke, who was an older man with greying hair and wrinkles, sat behind a giant desk that was cluttered with papers. The room had red velvet curtains, a luxurious red carpet, and even the chairs were made to be very sturdy and comfortable. Arianna's father put a piece of paper down and exclaimed at the sight of Kaetar at his door. "Kaetar! What are you doing in Crimea?"
"It's a long story... would you wait outside the door, please?" Kaetar asked, turning towards the guard. He nodded and left, leaving him with his future father-in-law. He wouldn't mind if it was just a nice visit, but since it wasn't, it certainly made things awkward. The Duke looked at him, as if to urge him to continue. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes... but what is the matter? What are you doing in Crimea? I was going to send my daughter to Daein when when you turned twenty, just how your father and I agreed," he muttered, motioning for Kaetar to sit in one of the chairs. Kaetar sat down, but he was uncomfortable in his seat.
"...It's a long story, but it has nothing to do with the marriage, that will still happen according to plan," Kaetar answered with a shrug. "But I'm here for something, and I got myself caught up in a lot of trouble. I don't know how I'm going to get out," he continued, suddenly aware that he was treading unknown waters. He didn't know exactly how the Duke was going to react, and if he somehow ruined a future wedding, he knew he wasn't going to go back to Daein.
"What did you do? Did you get involved with the rebels I keep hearing about?" he asked. Kaetar didn't answer, but Arianna's father seemed to take his silence as an answer. "How did you end up like that, Kaetar? Did you have anything to do with the chapel burning in Melior?"
Kaetar bit his lips. "I... knew about it, but-but... I didn't do anything," he stuttered, feeling the pressure in his face that came from holding tears back. He didn't know why he was getting so upset over what happened; he thought he was over it, especially since he didn't have a hand in what happened. It was all Syrin. Everything was his idea, and if anyone was going to take the blame for it, it should be him. But Kaetar himself felt like he was being blamed – he felt as his life was slipping through his fingers. He knew that he would actively be on the run now; it was a far cry from the life that a prince was expected to lead. He could feel the tears running down his cheek.
Suddenly, the Duke was behind him, bent down on one knee with his hand over his shoulder. "Kaetar... it's alright. I don't know what you are doing, or even why, but I won't tell your father, and I won't sell you out. I know the soldiers are out there trying to round up all the rebels, because that is not first that the rebels acted out like this. You will be my first son, even if it's not by birth, and like a father, I'll have your back."
"But I'm still a criminal! People died because I was here! About four of them! I'm still an accomplice and my father will never accept me now!" he cried back. The impact of what happened in Melior, and what happened in the village that he never learned the name of, finally crushed him. He never felt more emotionally exhausted in his life, even after dealing with his father. Kaetar laid his head down on the desk in front of him and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He felt Arianna's father run his hand up and down his back, and he felt instantly calmer.
"Do you believe in what you are doing, Kaetar?"
Of course he did. He believed in Syrin's mission to set history straight again, but he didn't necessarily agree with the methods – what other choice was there, though? How else do you make your point known in a society that's pushing so hard towards one direction? He couldn't blame Syrin for burning the chapel down. "Y-yes... I do. I just never had the chance to really think about what it was that happened. I never took the chance to think on it and I never really wanted to," the prince answered with a sigh. If he was moving, he was thinking about the next place. If he was sitting, he was think about Soren; he never did think about what happened. He wanted to hide it from himself.
"You sound calmer now," the Duke muttered, his hand still on his back.
"I feel calmer."
"Now... what is it that you wanted to see me about? Did you need to stay the night?"
Kaetar completely forgot; he was so caught up with his emotions that he forgot why he wanted to see the man in the first place. He wanted to make sure that the man knew what he was getting into when he made his request, and now that he was sure that he did, he felt a lot better about making it. He lifted his head off the table. "Yes. My friends and I need to stay the night. My bodyguard is ill, and he needs a place to recover. I would also like a waggon or carriage for when we get back on the road."
"I will make arrangements for a nurse and for rooms for the night. You may have the wait for a carriage, but be sure you will have one," Arianna's father answered confidently, finally moving back to his own chair.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes; I already said that I wouldn't sell you out if they came to my door. Besides, they need a warrant from King Ramon himself, and considering that he used to write to me constantly, I would know his signature," he answered, his face betraying the confidence he showed Kaetar.
Used to? Kaetar asked himself. If King Ramon didn't answer the Duke's letters, then something must have happened to him – a King simply does not disappear with no notice. He kept these thoughts to himself, however he couldn't find the King if he tried. "Thank you... I'll be leaving now to tell everyone the news."
"It's fine, Kaetar. Are you going to join us for dinner?"
"I will, I can't say the same for everyone else," the prince answered with a shrugged.
"Ah. One more thing, Kaetar – please be careful. I do not want to have to find another husband for Arianna – she's excited for you. I do not think she will handle it if you were to die."
Kaetar simply nodded and left. The words struck him deep, but he had no intention of dying. The guard nodded to him, and Kaetar made his way down the hall where he found Arianna standing outside one of the doors. She looked to be deep in thought, but the look instantly disappeared when she saw Kaetar. She waved him over. "Kaetar! Your friends are in here! Except for the rude one, I think he really did go to the kitchen."
"Thanks, Arianna. Can you do me a favour?"
"Yes! What do you need, love?" Arianna asked with a smile, making Kaetar cringe on the inside. He thought it was simply too early for her to be calling him 'love' – their marriage wasn't for another four years!
"I need you to arrange rooms for my friends – your father looks busy, and you know your house better than I do, so -"
"Of course! Just give me a couple of minutes! First off, you're sleeping in my room tonight. I'll have another cot moved in my room for the night!"
"I'd rather not," Kaetar murmured, backing away from her.
"Why not? We'll be sleeping together in the same bed one-"
"That is four years from now! We can do everything that a couple does when we're married, but for now, I'd rather not practice something like that. I'd prefer my own room," Kaetar mumbled, leaving as fast as he could. He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, just were Syrin said he would be. He had no idea why Syrin would be down there, but Kaetar was determined to see him.
When he found his way into the kitchen, he found Syrin sitting in the chair holding a wet cloth over his left arm. He had his sleeve rolled up, and Kaetar could see not only an arm that was paler than his face, but an ugly scar that snaked its way up to his shoulder, and the wash cloth seemed to be in the middle. Syrin watched Kaetar come in, and looked away, but he didn't move to hide the cloth. "What happened to your arm?"
"I nearly lost it when I was attacked by a bandit. It never healed properly, which makes running and using magic quite painful," Syrin explained. It made sense now; he was in the kitchen for the water that they used to cook with, and the cloth was probably used to clean up after dinner. It also explained why Syrin kept that arm from moving so long as he could help it; it hurt other wise. Kaetar felt bad for him – no matter how many times Syrin may have belittled him and his capabilities, he couldn't help but to feel sympathetic because he knew he would hate to be in that situation.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Syrin scoffed back, taking the cloth off to reveal an uglier portion scar than what wasn't covered by the cloth. It was raised, and resembled a plant root. He pushed his sleeve back down. "Now, did you talk to the Duke?"
"Yes. We can stay here... I said the night, but I don't want to leave until Loiya recovers. I think it would let us stay longer if we need to."
"And he knows the circumstances?"
"Yes... and maybe we will get his support," Kaetar muttered. Syrin looked at him, as if to dare him to continue. The prince gulped and took a deep breath. "And I'm also convinced that something happened to Ramon. Apparently, he and the Duke wrote letters to each other often, but Ramon stopped sending letters back... or at least that's what it sounded like it."
Syrin seemed to consider what he said, then nodded. "It would seem that way. Now, I suggest that you make sure that Loiya has a change of clothes. He is probably still covered in blood. Or are you going to faint on sight of it like earlier today?" he asked with a smirk.
"Why would you even bring that up?" Kaetar asked, rising his voice slightly. Syrin was obviously amused to some degree; there was something about the prince's weakness that Syrin obviously thought was funny.
"It's strange; you are part of a rebellion and you can't stand the sight of blood. Did you really think it would be a peaceful protest even after Darius and I burnt the chapel down?" Syrin asked, his smirk disappearing of his face.
"I guess I hoped," Kaetar answered with a frown. He really did hope that they wouldn't ever need to draw blood or steal a life. He knew that what he was getting into wasn't exactly what one would expect from a foreign prince, but he never expected that someone would die. He was hopeful unless he was faced with evidence that he couldn't deny – and he wasn't hopeful for Ramon.
"Perhaps you'll benefit from this after all; I for one, wouldn't want a naïve king on the throne. Now go; and if you're curious, I will not be attending dinner," Syrin mumbled, standing up from his chair and moving away from Kaetar before he could respond. Kaetar made his way back up stairs, and was happy to find that Arianna assigned everyone with their rooms, and he got a separate room from her. He peeked into Loiya's room, and found that Loiya was not only sitting up, but he was struggling to pull off his shirt, even with the help of the various people present. He was conscious, albeit grumpy and frustrated, but at least it was a sign that he was getting better.
"Loiya!" Kaetar called. Loiya immediately looked past the army of nurses and the look of utter frustration was replaced with a grin. The shirt finally came off, and Loiya seemed to enjoy throwing it off the bed a little too much.
"Kaetar! Can you call these people off for two seconds?"
"Depends... are you still covered in blood?"
Kaetar could see that Loiya was fingering his face and took a quick glance over himself, then pulled the blankets over his legs and singled Kaetar to come in. The prince followed his directions slowly, and swatted the nurses away from Loiya. The bodyguard acted like he was better, but the colour of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes betrayed him. He was still sick – and just to think that he was almost better before the soldiers came! "How are you feeling?"
"A little better," Loiya answered.
"I can tell. I'm kind of surprised actually. You were almost better, then you drive yourself over the edge and make yourself even worse. What am I supposed to do with you? If my father thinks you can't handle the job, then he will fire you – and I don't want some old guy looking over me!" Kaetar shouted. He didn't come into the room to lecture him – it just happened really – but it was still something that needed to come out ever since Nicholas brought the idea up.
"Kaetar, what happened back then was part of the job. We don't know what they were going to do with us if the caught us. I had to do that," the bodyguard responded, keeping his voice relatively calm. Kaetar didn't know if that's how he actually felt, but that was how he looked, certainly.
"I'm not talk about that. I know that was what my father would have expected from you, but I'm talking about what you did after the fire. You worried and stressed about me all night, and you made yourself sick! You don't need to do that for me! I appreciate that there's someone who cares about me, but I don't expect that out of you," Kaetar muttered, keeping his eyes on Loiya. His bodyguard looked away, and the prince could feel a tinge of guilt in his stomach. He didn't want to make Loiya feel bad – he just wanted Loiya to feel better.
"Kaetar-"
"Just rest, alright?" Kaetar mumbled, cutting him off and quickly leaving the room before Loiya could respond.
Yes, one day Loiya will get better.
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