"Ugh, haven't you had enough?"
Xander bore on his face a look of true disgust as he observed his younger sibling call for another glass of wine, which was promptly served to him. Leo had been acting strange ever since the conflict of other day—perhaps he was unused to real conflict, Xander mused. It was true that his queer younger brother prefered his books to almost everything else.
Perhaps the fight had made him a man. Then again, perhaps not.
"It's—HIC—good for my heart. All the medi—HIC—medical journals say it's good for my heart." Leo was flushed red with alcohol; it made his breath heavy in his chest.
"Not if you drink that much," Camille chimed in, sipping her own glass. Ever the sommelier of the family she was. "Still, it is a bit amusing to watch you spar with Xander about it."
Elise looked on unperturbed, and pushed her food around on her plate rather than eat it.
Xander took up his knife, sliced off a hearty bite from his steak, and popped it in his mouth. He chewed, savoring the juices of the rare meat. "You know, little brother," he said between chews, "I'd say we're at a real turning point in your life. All these years, you've avoided fighting for our family, and now that's changed. In the end you ran, sure, but it's a start isn't it?"
"I saw him barf afterwards," Elise stated, which brought forth a high, malicious cackle from Camille.
"Well, we can't expect everyone to have a taste for it their first time, can we?" Xander said.
Leo crawled further into his cup, got even redder as his blood pressure mounted, or lowered, or whatever it does when you drink and get pissed off. He put his glass of wine down as delicately as he could: "I'm gay," he said.
"Leo!" He had earned the attentive gasps of all in attendance.
"A huge faggot," Leo added for dramatic effect.
Xander stood, and if you thought nothing could top his disgust and contempt for his brother earlier, you would be wrong. "What is this salacious nonsense you're sputtering?!" he demanded of his drunk sibling. "You're drunk! You need to—"
"Let him be, Xander," Camille cut in. It almost pained her to step in, especially when Leo was being such an especially easy target. "Isn't it obvious that he's toying with you?"
Leo smiled, letting his teeth show through his purple-stained lips. Was it all a joke? Xander sat down and sneered, the air practically redolent of his disdain.
"Get some sleep, will you?" he sneered, dismissing Leo. The younger prince went from the table—he never was one for passing up a chance to leave the company of his older brother. Leo found his bed quickly that night, and was soon fast asleep.