Chapter 6: The Broken Prince

Sweet awkward slightly uncomfortable silence…and scraping forks on plates…

What a wonderful dinner.

Leafa cleared her throat in attempt to break the silence as she glanced at the other two seated across from her at the table, a gaze that was of course returned as they waited for her to speak.

"So….um…Kirito, cousin…what have you been up too all these years?" She finished lamely as she looked back down at her meal praying for it to just come to life and swallow her already…this whole dinner has been nothing but awkward.

Kirito frowned, while it may have seemed like he broke the ice between them earlier just before coming down stairs…the fact of the matter still remains: They haven't had any sort of contact with each other since he was around eight years old.

They were practically strangers, and it was his entire fault.

"Well….not much… mostly sitting around, making others life's hard, playing pranks, or the rare occasion of actually listening and doing as my mother tells me…yeah… that's about it. It's been boring."

Asuna turned and looked at him in disbelief, "You openly admit to disobedience and making others life's hard?"

"Sure why not, it's the truth after all." Kirito answered almost sounding disinterested in the matter.

"I don't know if I should be amazed or disgusted…" she answered with a shake of her head before continuing to eat.

Kirito just chuckled at the statement, not even taking a moment to defend himself… It's not like she really cared…no one ever did.

"You should be vaguely disgusted. That's a horrible way to abuse your inheritance, position, and responsibilities Kirito. As the future king of this land…you can't play games forever you know." Leafa responded as she put down her fork and glared at Kirito with disappointment. She had heard some interesting rumors about the Prince and his antics, but she had hoped that was all they were.

"And just who gave you the right to lecture me about my life, Leafa. Stay out of my business." Kirito responded in turn with a death glare of his own as he put back up whatever walls he may have just broken down earlier…maybe built a couple extra ones too.

How stupid of him to try and be open, he had left himself vulnerable…Others weren't worth trusting. He already knew this and yet…

He really wanted to be able to believe in someone…just once, and not have them turn around and break him more or spit in his face with their judgment.

"I'm your cousin; I have every right to-"

"Oh please, you and I both know we're as good as strangers!" Kirito spoke raising his voice as he stood up from his place at the table and slamming his hands down upon the surface. The half empty plates of food crashing to the floor as they were practically sent flying by the spriggan's massive strength.

The awkward dinner, the uncomfortableness, the past memories hanging over their heads, the judgments, the tension…It was all too much for the prince, he was tired off all this hell and was ready to just be home tucked in bed without a worry in the world except to satisfy his boredom.

He looked about ready to strangle poor Leafa as they both continued to glare at the other. Just daring the other to try something, or say something.

Asuna stood up before grabbing Kirito by the arm and dragging him out of the room with her, "Thank you for the dinner Leafa, were going out." She announced before heading to the door, "She's only concerned you know…" she added quietly with a slightly irked expression.

Kirito just scoffed then crossed his arms and allowed himself to be dragged away. It was probably for the best he left the room anyway…It'd be a real shame if he killed his cousin...besides Asuna also seemed to have quite the iron grip, his poor arm was going to bruise at this rate.

Asuna growled and resisted the urge to turn around and kick him, "Kirito promised me he would show me around town." She explained/ lied to the blond who had followed them in confusion as to where they were going.

"But...but Kirito isn't all that familiar with Swi-"

"We'll be back later." Asuna called ignoring the girl as she continued to stutter and stare at her completely lost.

Asuna just smiled warmly in response before opening the door, tossing Kirito out like a sack of flour, and closing the door behind herself.

"That hurt dammit!" Kirito yelped as he quickly jumped back to his feet, "I just recovered from an injury you know!" he continued in annoyance.

"Oh, you'll live." Asuna responded walking past him without concern, she was a tad bit pissed off with his behavior at the moment.

Kirito practically growled before following after her.

The two walked down the street silently, Kirito just a few paces behind Asuna with his hands shoved into his coats pockets. He stared at Asuna's back for a moment wondering why he was even following her in the first place, when he noticed something different and incredibly obvious.

"You changed your clothes, they're not those weird pieces of cloth anymore." He mumbled as he took in her white and red outfit silently…She fit it very well, though he'd never admit it out loud.

"Weird pieces of…." She repeated confused before trailing off, "Wait you just now noticed this? It's entirely different from what I was wearing before and you just noticed now?!" Asuna continued in disbelief as she turned to stare at him, how idiotic and oblivious could this guy get?

Kirito just shrugged before looking her up and down. He shrugged again and turned his head to watch a couple kids nearby play sword fight.

Asuna dead panned, only one thought rolling across her mind in defeat.

'Men.'

Shaking her head she turned to follow his gaze…

For a couple minutes nothing was said as the two just watched the kids play before Asuna was reminded of a promise she had made to herself.

"Kirito…"

"Yeah?"

"Your know how to fight….right?" she continued as she turned to look at him with determination in her eyes.

Kirito met her gaze with uncertain confusion, "Yeah…" he answered as he tried to figure out where this was going.

"Teach me." Asuna demanded.

Kirito just stared at her for a long moment before comprehending her words completely, "Eh?!"

"Alright I think that's enough for now, let's take a lunch break!" The Sylph King said with a smile as he ruffled his son's hair.

Kirito smiled and shifted from one foot to the other trying not to bounce in his excitement, "How'd I do, Dad?" He asked eager to know if his flying had improved any.

"You did wonderfully!" His father cried as he scooped him up and spun around earning a joyful laugh from the boy in his arms. "We can try some more after lunch, but I'd rather we didn't. I don't want you to over work your wings…These are new muscles you're working with here, Kirito." He continued after pausing in his spin and looking at his son with a stern face.

The little spriggan huffed as he wiggled in his dad's arms to try and get free, "I can take it, I can take anything!" He yelled determined as he leaped down to the ground looking smug that he got out, unbeknownst to him his father had just let him go to humor him.

"Take anything? That's a dangerous way to think son. You should never look down on your opponents." He lectured, only to find that his advice was falling on deaf ears as his son was already across the clearing and digging through the picnic basket. He sighed before smiling and decided to let it lie for now.

"Kirito save me a sandwich, I want one too!" he cried as he rushed forward when he noticed his son had practically started to inhale them. Really his son loved sandwiches way too much.

"Your majesty, we need to talk." A voice sounded behind him.

"Ah, Jonavi…I'm spending time with my son. Can't it wait?" The king responded when he turned to face the general of his army. The man had a couple other soldiers standing behind him; something about them seemed off though…

The king shook his head; he was just being paranoid… Jonavi was an old friend of his; there was nothing sinister about him.

"No…I'm afraid it can't…Forgive me your majesty." The man spoke in a broken tone as he pulled out his sword, "They'll kill my family if I don't." he finished as he suddenly charged forward with a yell.

The king's eyes widened before he dodged the attack, the other two charged in with distorted smiles as they tried to slash at the king.

"Daddy!" Kirito cried as he stood in panic, people were attacking his father? He didn't understand…people liked his dad, he was a good king. So why? Why were people attacking his dad? Why did they look like the soldiers that were supposed to protect them?

One of the soldier's smile grew disturbingly as he noticed the look of panic cross the king's face, the king was an incredible fighter…but there was no way he could fight all three of them at once and still manage to protect his son. He charged towards the little boy, weapon raised and ready to kill.

Kirito cried in alarm and stumbled backwards receiving a cut to his forehead that would have been stabbed through his head had he not moved.

The soldier laughed gleefully as he swung again, just barely missing the boy as he fell backwards. "Hold still ya stupid mutt." The man spoke, his twisted smile somehow only growing, it was almost like his face would split in half. Serving its purpose in terrifying the poor prince even more, how blood thirsty did one have to be to smile like that in the face of murder?

"Kirito!" The king cried as he disregarded the other two attacking him and charged to save his son, only to be stabbed in the back. The king stumbled for only a moment before moving forward again, swinging his sword behind him blindly in attempt to hold them off till he could reach his son.

He didn't care for his life when his son was in danger.

"daddy!" the boy cried as he watched his dad get stabbed again in his mad dash towards him.

"Stop, and surrender!" came a yell as guards rushed into the clearing wielding their weapons.

The general dropped his sword immediately as he raised his hands in surrender, he knew his men's capabilities…he knew the fight was over as his second and command rushed forward yelling to arrest them all.

The other soldier cried out in anger as he disregarded the weapons and soldiers surrounding them, he rushed forward towards the wheezing king who had fallen to his knees a couple feet away from the young prince once he realized his son would be saved.

The guards cried in alarm, and attempted to stop him…but the blade had already been plunged through the king's chest by the time they took him down…plunging right through his heart.

Kirito screamed in horror as he watched the whole thing, blood oozed down his forehead from the deep cut, but more alarmingly so his father's blood was also now splattered across his face. To Kirito it burned like acid…almost as if to say 'It's all your fault'

Kirito screamed again as he hands flew up to his face to violently wipe at the blood, scratching at his face in the process. The boy wept in horror and grief as black spots entered his vision, he was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

The other soldier near Kirito was taken down immediately after when he refused to surrender and attacked the nearest soldier.

"Someone get the Queen!" the second in command cried as he realized their King was truly dead…

And their Prince was officially broken.

Kirito cried in alarm as he bolted upright in bed and began to wipe at his face in horror, he could feel the sting as he scratched up his face brutally and warm blood oozed all over in response. He didn't stop because to him he was only focused on the imaginary blood of his father burning across his face.

"All my fault!" he cried hysterically over and over again as he kept scratching.

"Kirito? Kirito!" a cry of alarm came from near the door as he felt someone grab his wrists and pry them away from his face.

At first he fought to keep scratching and wiping, but when he realized that whoever it was that was stopping him wasn't going to leave him be… he gave up and just cried.

"Leafa!" the person hollered alarmed as they took in the damage to Kirito's face.

"Asuna? What's- Kirito! Asuna watch him, I'll go get the healer." Leafa yelled panicked as she rushed down her stairs and out the door.

Asuna started to shake in concern, "Kirito what happened?" she spoke voice sounding like she was about to cry.

"It's all my fault." He cried again as he attempted to wipe at his face again.

Asuna yelped in alarm as she tightened her grip on his wrists and pulled his hands away from his face again.

Kirito was hysterical…did he even know who she was right now? Asuna decided it was best if she didn't talk to him right now, lest she trigger something else…

Unknown to all but the queen and her guards; there was a reason why Kirito's guards have always been positioned inside of his room instead of outside it…

If anyone were most likely to hurt the prince…

It'd be without a doubt the prince himself.

A/N: When I first started writing this chapter I was like "I think I'll try and make this chapter fluffy…" Nope it went to messed up and dark in the blink of an eye…maybe I need therapy? Nah.

Anyway that's chapter 6, Sorry for the wait…I hoped you liked it and please leave a review :D see you probably in another month…sorry I'm so slow at updating stuff