PRINCE DAEGAN

The moment I first felt alive, was when a grenade had hit a soldier I'd just met a five meters away from me. I'd done what any logical man had done. I'd run away. I swear, I'd never ran faster than I did. We all did, we had seconds to escape and fear was a song among all of us. It's only then, in that moment of utter fear, I'd felt alive.

It's almost tantamount on incidents with high adrenaline, only then, does your body truly push yourself to hit what it's been capable of. The most extreme length I've gone, the last was when I'd dragged myself & my crushed leg to safety.

Each time, I'm breathless that it's possible.

And after, I'm so drained, it's a herculean effort to move my head.

The moments in between would slip through my fingers like water. Hard to hold in the palm of your hands but the brief feeling that's almost mind-numbing in essence. 

I sit, outside of the room Laurie has been kept in. It's one of the spare rooms we had on the bottom floor. It's also the makeshift medical room with a full time nurse to care for. The doctor wasn't in during the night shifts. 

I tried to stay in the room with him, I truly did but the smell of liquor, blood and vile brought up one too many unpleasant memories and bile and the back of my throat.

I hear footsteps. Someone had woken up Adaliz. With the mess of guards and staff, to narrow down who would be as useless as finding a needle in a haystack. He's dressed in shirts and slacks, but the shirt is a little messy which was the only indicator that he'd been rudely awoken. 

With a sharp glare in my direction, Adaliz asks "What did you do?"

I shake my head, "this is not me this time."

Adaliz doesn't stop moving, he walks forward to look at Laurie but when he opens his door, his face scrunches up in a look of utter disgust. Like me, he can't take the smell. There's only so much love for Laurie he has to withstand it. He looks in long enough to see that Laurie isn't conscious. 

"What happened?" Adaliz asks me. 

I didn't know, but I tell him everything I'd seen and what we did and learnt with the girl that had followed him. 

"Father isn't going to like this," Adaliz replies weary when I'm done.

"We don't have to tell him."

He raises his eyebrows, "You think he isn't waking up right this instant?"

And of course, he's right. Within minutes, mother runs past us, a robe covering her for Laurie's room. I wondered how long it would take for her to run back out. We hear her shouting at the staff demanding for the doctor to be in right this second.

"We should let her know what happens?" I say, rising to stand.

"There's no point in panicking her right now. Wait for the full story." Adaliz rubs the space on his nose between his eyes. He coughs, a dry cough. I wait for him to finish. "Also, father will be here soon. I'd like it if you stayed with me to deal with father."

"Okay," I reply silently.

Father comes a minute after out mother. He's dressed well, wearing his shirt, slacks and a belt.

No one would think he'd just been woken up.

As he walks in the wing. He see's Adaliz and I sitting waiting for the doctor. "What's going on?" He asks Adaliz. He doesn't bother to go in. I can't help but wonder what happened in the decade I hadn't been home between father and Laurie.

"Father," Adaliz greets, "we're not sure yet. Three guards are interrogating the woman who followed Laurie."

"Which guards?" My father hisses.

"Murielle, Goel and Mukham," Adaliz replies, "Captain Nathaniél is only present in the daytime shift." I wonder how he knows this since I hadn't told him their names. 

"And these guards are qualified to interrogate?"

I flinch, while father hadn't been addressing me, it doesn't ease my discomfort at being so close to them. In fact, I'm uncomfortable by the proximity. "Yes father," Adaliz replies smoothly. Either Adaliz knew the capabilities of each and every guard or he was lying. I'm not sure which.

"Good," He crosses his arms. "I'll go check on Laurent."

Adaliz steps up, "Father," it's a bit rushed. I knew why. You could smell the liquor off Laurie's breath the minute you entered the room. "First, we need to decide on what to do with the dog."

"The dog?"

"Yes," Adaliz looks uncomfortable, "Laurie came back with a dog in his arms, he's been mumbling about it -"

"Put it down," father replies. "Done, problem solved."

Adaliz casts a panic glance to me. It's just then we spot one of the guards. He has dirty blonde hair and he's tall. Around 6 feet. He walks towards us and bows to the three of us. "Your Highness."

"What's the news, Mukham," Adaliz asks.

So, this is Mukham. I hadn't paid attention to the names, but now I'm studying him. Would it be better for me to have interrogated the girl? He looks too pretty.

"Your highness, the girl is called Andrée Nord. She says she's a friend of Prince Laurent. She was with him in the Sunset Club, but he left before she did. When she left, she saw him unconscious by the road side. She thought he passed out and offered to drive him home. He seems to have been in a brawl outside the club."

Adaliz was deflating when the guard had mentioned Laurie had been to a club. There goes his chance at protecting Laurie. I was too afraid to see how our father would react.

Adaliz asks him, "And what of the dog?"

The guard looks uncomfortable, "She said he told her that the dog saved his life."

The King splutters, "What nonsense is this?"

Mukham doesn't try to rationalize it. He stands waiting for the King to dismiss him or ask another question. Adaliz steps back, making eye contact with me. He does this often, like we're having a conversation. The truth was I barely understood what we were talking about. Right now, it looked like he was saying Why is Laurie such an idiot?

Truth was I'm not sure.

He must have seen a reply because he shifts his eyes a little, he looks like he's disappointed in me. Then he glances away.

I would get better at this for Adaliz's sake.

"Keep her in questioning," The King orders Mukham. "I will deal with my son."

"And what shall we do with the dog, your highness?"

"What are you doing with it now?"

"We've left it in the shed."

"Then leave it there." The King turns walking away from Mukham. Mukham walks away, reaching for the walkie on his belt. Adaliz and I turn to follow the King. The King walks straight into Laurie's room.

Like us the smell is unbearable. I can see him visibly gag. "Prince Laurent!" He shouts stretching out Laurents name to LAUUUUURENT. This almost felt like familiar ground that I resist laughing. Some things hadn't changed in the decade I left, like how father shouts Laurie's name.

The boy in question was already waking up with mother's anxious prodding, so he jumps up when he see's father, then his eyes dart to Adaliz and I. His skin pales. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Father's voice is booming. No one could desire sitting here in this position. 

"Father, I can explain, but first what's happening to the dog?" His voice is groggy and slow despite the urgency in his words. He looks like a mess, dark auburn hair disheveled, and eyes unlined with red. There's signs of bruising that will only get worse on his face. There's a cut on his lip that I doubt will heal on Monday when Lady Arianna comes which I know will irk father more.

"Explain then," father ignores his question on the dog.

"What of the dog?" Laurent is pleading. 

I don't want to be here.

"Laurie, explain," my mother cuts in sensing father's dark mood.

His eyes go to her pleading. She's unyielding.

"I got drunk," Laurent spits out, "I went to a club, and drank. When I left a man tried to mug me. He put a knife on my throat, and I managed to get a punch at him. Then he caught me before I could run and punched me." 

I feel a heaviness in my throat. I see the bruises on his skin now clearly, the blue rim around his eyes, the distortion in his face. 

"I would have died if not for the dog. He came out and chased the man away. Please father, help save the dog."

My mother reaches out to touch Laurie's face, her eyes are moist. Laurie doesn't pay her any attention, instead his eyes are focused on fathers.

"We'll put the dog to sleep," father replies. Laurie gets off the bed, and dashes forward stumbling with the liquor still in his system. 

"No," He shouts, "the dog is innocent."

Our father is tall, out of all of us, Adaliz is the only one who's taller than him. Right now, with Laurie standing to stop him, drunk, it looked like a joke. I felt for him, I truly did, but I didn't know how to comfort him.

"The dog is a disease carrying mongrel, for all you know it was going to attack you." The king pushes Laurie away. I catch him to stop him from falling. He's unbalanced on his feet.

He pushes me off and stands again grabbing fathers arm, "Father please." Laurie does something neither Adaliz and I could have expected. He goes on his knees. "The dogs life is innocent, I am the one who has done wrong. The dog saved me. Please get him a vet."

Father looks at Laurie. He turns to face him, "And what will you do once the dog is cured?"

"I'll take care of it."

Father laughs, it's not a warm laugh. "You mean you will have the palace staff take care of it. Don't lie to me, boy."

"I will."

"Do you think it's Princely for a Prince to fight for a mongrel?" 

"Father, would you save a soldier injured for you that has saved your life?"

"I wouldn't needlessly put my life at risk."

Laurie falters but his eyes focus back on fathers, "if the risk was unavoidable?"

"Was your risk unavoidable?" Father doesn't wait for Laurie to answer, he's moved to the door. Laurie runs after him, but Adaliz holds him back. 

"Let go of me," Laurie pushes Adaliz.

"Laurent," I try.

"Don't," His eyes are fierce and wild. The sight of it makes me take a step back. 

He manages to get past Adaliz who has a coughing fit and he runs right up to father. I turn to follow, Mother following to. As I leave, I see her concerned eyes on Adaliz. But she moves towards Laurie.

"Father, please!" Laurie cries, "If you do not help the dog, I will."

Father turns to Laurie, "I forbid it."

Laurie's face pales, "I'll still do it."

"You will not," Father said. "If you really want a dog, we can get you a pure-breed worthy of your station."

"It's not about a purebreed," Laurie is frustrated, "this dog saved me!"

Father doesn't reply, he turns to Mukham, "set the dog to sleep."

Laurie is crying now, he slips on something and falls on the floor. "Father!" His voice is angry. He pushes himself, tears on his face. I take a step forward to help him up, but he pushes my hands away from him. His eyes a blaze of anger. His tears are not sad, I realize, they're angry. 

"Phillipe," Mothers voice rings from the behind me. She steps forward. 

Father turns.

"Let Laurent have the dog," Her voice broke no room for argument. "Let him return the kindness shown to him."

Father doesn't argue. "Laurent, everything concerning this dog is your business and yours alone. The next time you step out of line, I will send your dog to the pound."

There's silence. 

Then Laurie says, "Very well, father."

"Prince Adaliz, Prince Daegan," Father addresses the two of us, "you will make sure that he cares for it. If he steps out of line, you will tell me directly. Mukham, make sure all the staff know not to clean up, or care for the dog. It's Laurent's business and his alone. All understood."

"Yes, father," Adaliz and I say together. 

"Yes, your highness," Mukham replies.

Then father turns to walk out. 

Laurie doesn't let me help him up. He gets up on his feet, then he's turning to the nearest bin and the contents of his drink make a reappearance. 

Mother turns to Mukham, "See to it that the girl is dropped off at home and a vet is called for the dog." She turns to Laurie, helping him go back to the infirmary. 

Adaliz's face is a cold marble of stone. He turns to head back, and I follow him. As we walk together, Adaliz says to me, "this dog is more effort than it's worth."

I'm not sure when, but I wonder when did Adaliz stop protecting Laurie from father. Because as I walk with him, there's a certain resignation on his features. It looks like he left Laurie on his own for some time. 

My heart goes out to Laurie.

For the first time since I came back, I wished I had been here to protect him. 

AN

Thank you guys for your amazing support! I've recently opened up a twitter account to connect with you guys! Follow me there at @Antagonistpains I'll be following you guys back! I'm planning on posting more Royally Screwed stuff, but also updates on my stories and planning for Royally Screwed!

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