M:    "Don't worry Johann, I'm coming too," Rowen reassured him, "I'm not going to carry Mandara around all day after all."

He went inside the castle as Johann tailed after him, it was a very panicky atmosphere, people running around to gather supplies for their king and prince or trying to figure out what happened. Rowen didn't like all the disorder and felt that he needed to help calm everyone down, but he had the princes to take care of first.

When he and Johann reached the brothers' bedroom they could hear sounds of pain coming from beyond the door, and although concerning, Rowen let out a breath of relief that Derogan was awake. He opened the door and stepped inside, Derogan was laying on his stomach in bed, a servant was gently pressing a wet cloth to his back, which it and the upper arms of his wings were covered in whiplashes.

N:     "Derogan," Johann yelped, which got him a good scolding from the servant, he rushed to the country's side. His face grimaced when he got a  better look at the whiplashes, so he faced Derogan. "It's ok, Derogan,  you will get better. No one is going to hurt you anymore," he whispered.

He went to check on Mandara, who was laying on his bed, and when he checked that he was alright, he grabbed a chair and dragged it next to his bed. He sat on the chair, arms crossed, and tried his most threatening face, which only resulted in him squishing up his face. He wanted to protect Mandara.

M:    Rowen chuckled at Johann's threatening face, it was actually quite adorable, "don't worry Johann, you can stay with them, no one will make you leave."

A bout of muffled shouting came from Derogan then, his head buried in his pillow as he tried to suppress the Mandorian slurs that spilled from his mouth.

"Prince Derogan, where had you learned such foul words," the servant scolded him.

Derogan chuckled ruefully as he raised his head, "from Rowen."

Rowen huffed at that statement but paid it little mind, he knelt by the prince and started preening his wings, picking out the loose and bloody ones so they could access the wounds underneath.

"I am terribly sorry about this boys," he apologized, "this is not what I intended to happen when I offered you a horseback ride."

N:    Johann raised a brow when Derogan called Rowen out, and when he heard the captain, he replied, "it is not your fault that this happened, Sir Rowen, you only wanted to cheer us up and you would have never predicted what was going to happen."

He saw what the captain was doing, so he got up and found a bucket so that Rowen could put the damaged feathers away. While Johann stood next to him with the bucket,  something came to mind. "Sir Rowen, since I'm going to stay with you, could you train me how to fight," his shoulders sunk, "I want to help take care of Mandara and Derogan, like you, but I just feel useless not being able to do anything."

M: Both Rowen and Derogan looked up to Johann, then to each other, then back to the kid.

"He has a point," Derogan mumbled into his pillow, "we've been having some pretty bad luck ever since Saxon came here, he's cursed I tell you." He then yelped when he was lightly slapped by the servant for saying that.

"You kind of deserved that Derogan," Rowen scolded, then turned to Johann,  "of course, if that is what you want, I'm afraid that you are still too young to be training yet but when you're older I will absolutely teach you, for now though-" he glanced at Derogan and Mandara, "you can help by just being there for the princes because I guarantee you that these two knuckleheads get into trouble more often than not."

He rubbed Derogan's head as he said that last part, earning him an eye roll and an annoyed grunt.

N: Johann smiled at the comment, so he saluted the captain, "well, Sir Rowen, I will do my best to keep them out of trouble, or join them when I feel like it." When he saw that the bucket was getting full, he placed it on the ground and went over to Mandara.

He sat on his chair and admired his wings, so he stretched out his hand. His fingers hovered just over the prince's wing, and when he got the  courage, ran his fingers through his primary feathers. He made sure not  to be too rough as he felt the softness of the wing.

M:     Mandara hummed contently in his sleep, smiling and subconsciously spreading out his wing so Johann could better pet it. Derogan and Rowen smiled at the sight.

"You're lucky he is getting to stay with you," the prince said in Mandorian, "I definitely wouldn't have minded having another little brother."

"(in Mandorian) He can still be like a brother," Rowen said back, "just because he is going to stay with me doesn't mean that you three can't play together, Johann can come whenever he wants to."

Derogan smiled but was instantly thrown into a cursing fit when the servant applied an herb paste to his wounds, Rowen was just thankful that he was still speaking in Mandorian. Mandara, being a heavy sleeper, didn't wake up to his brother's shouts, even when he smacked Rowen's face with his wing and knocked him over the bucket, he still didn't wake up.

N: Johann continued to pet Mandara's wing until he heard the bucket get knocked over. He quickly got up and tidied up the mess, his fingers going slightly red from the bloody feathers, and he decided he should find another bucket.

He walked towards the door and when he opened it, he was surprised to find Anglo. The winged country had his hand up ready to knock.

"Ah, Johann, do you know where Sir Rowen would be," the winged country asked, lowering his hand.

"He is inside, taking care of the princes, sir."

"Is he now," he peeked his head inside and said, "Sir Rowen, sorry to disturb you; however, the people are getting a bit ... disorganized."

M: "Figures," Rowen said simply, "this situation doesn't happen a lot, thank the gods, but when it does it always sends people in a panic, and rightfully so."

The captain stood up and grabbed the feather bucket to take with him, he walked to the door and nodded to Anglo as he passed him, but stopped to ask him something.

"Would it be too much trouble to ask if you can help with Derogan's injuries," he lifted the bucket slightly as he said, "as you can see, the Prussians were rather ruthless and whipped him several times on the back and upper wings, he doesn't like any humans touching his wings, I being the only exception, so perhaps a fellow winged countryhuman could tend to them?"

N: Anglo nodded, "I will do my best to treat him." Knowing how much winged countryhumans valued their wings, and protect them, it was an insult to him that the Prussians damaged Derogan's wings, albeit hurt him at all.

When Rowen had left, Johann reconsidered and decided to stay in the room as he watched Anglo walk in. He was fine around the winged country, but since he was connected to Saxon, he did not fully trust him. Returning to his chair, he resumed petting Mandara's wing while keeping an eye on Anglo.

The winged country knelt next to Derogan's bed and glanced at his injuries. "I'm here to help," he said while his hand neared a damaged feather, "let me finish taking out the damaged feathers, assist you to get better, and you will be up and running in no time." He held on to the damaged feather, and as gently as possible, plucked it out and placed it on the ground. Anglo would send wing vibrations to try to comfort the prince.

M: Derogan merely nodded his head in both acknowledgment and thanks. By now, the servant had finished with the herb paste on the prince's back,  but in order to bandage him up they needed to treat the wounds on his wings first, and whenever the servant reached for his other wing to help pluck the damaged feathers, Derogan would growl at her and shrink his wing away from her touch, so she had to step back and let Anglo take control.

When Anglo was finished with his left wing, all of the secondary coverts and most of the secondary flight feathers closest to his torso were plucked off, leaving just the marginal coverts on his wing arm where the whiplashes were. Because of the damage to his wings, Derogan most likely wouldn't be able to fly for a long time, and the young teen didn't like that.

"Sir Anglo," he muttered and he looked at his wing, "why do people hate wings, why are we so targeted by others?"

N: Anglo, when he heard the question, didn't answer immediately. He silently worked on Derogan's right wing as he thought for a suitable answer. Eventually, he just sighed, "I don't know what drives people to hate us, or anyone. Nobody is ever sure. Maybe it is because they envy that we can fly, so they try to ground us, or perhaps they see us as strange or different. Either way, those people would boil us down to a countryhuman with wings, not caring that we have lives and personalities. Ignorance breeds hatred, and hatred breeds violence."

He stood up, smoothed out his clothes, and started to collect all of the loose feathers. When he saw the prince's face, he tried to cheer him up, "your feathers will grow back, albeit slowly, but that won't stop your shenanigans. But now, we need to bandage up your wings, are you up to it?"

M: Derogan just stared at him as he contemplated his words, he wasn't sure how he felt about the answer he was given, he wouldn't really call it an answer either. Eventually, he nodded that Anglo could treat his wings, so the servant gave the country the rest of the herb paste while she went to get a fresh washcloth and basin to wash the blood on Derogan's wings.

While she was gone, Mandara started to stir as he was beginning to wake up, he blinked his eyes open and saw Johann petting his wing, he didn't mind, he was more open to people touching his wings than Derogan was. The prince slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Where is Father." he mumbled, "is he ok?"

Derogan looked to Anglo for an answer too.

N: The older country only glanced in Mandara's direction before turning his attention to applying the paste on Derogan. "I heard that they have moved your father to his room where he is being treated by the doctors. Having fought off a lot of Prussians, it has taken a toll on him, but if the doctors here are as skilled as I have heard them to be, he will come through."

He noticed that he kept on rambling, so he stopped what he was doing, and faced Mandara, "he will be ok, I promise."

When Anglo resumed, he remembered, "also, the wolf, Lady Ora, visited your father and was able to help, so Mandoria has the help of a goddess and skilled physicians."

Johann, who was still petting Mandara's wing, asked, "Who is Ora?"

M: "Ora is the wolf goddess of travelers, as well as a guardian spirit of the kingdom of the Great Beyond," Mandara said, trying not to space out while his wings were being preened, "she protects people who travel on the road and lead those who are lost to where they need to go. She will often take the form of a light grey wolf with blue eyes and a white star on her forehead. In her godly form, she gains a blue hue to her fur but otherwise remains the same. What I don't understand is why she would save Father, legends say that the guardian spirits seek out the dead to bring their souls to the afterlife, so if one is seen near where a dying person is then they are marked for death."

Mandara was cut off by shuddering when Johann touched a certain spot, his wing fluffed up in response and he let out a noise that sounded vaguely like a purr, "wow, you are really good Johann, have you preened wings before?" he asked with a blissful expression on his face.

N: Johann retracted his hand when Mandara's wing fluffed up, but then he continued and grinned at the prince's positive response. "I haven't, but if winged countryhumans have the characteristics of birds, there is a spot which all of you like. From the sheepdogs that my father had, I took care of a large German Shepherd, and his favorite spot was always right behind the ears. So -," Johann brushed his finger over the spot again, "this is yours."

Anglo smiled at the interaction between the children, "maybe Lady Ora saved your father because there is more waiting for him in the future, and now was not his time."

M: "Ohohoh yeah, that is a good spot," Mandara breathed, his wing was fluffed up so big that it doubled its size. The purring noises coming from Mandara grew louder the more Johann pet his newly-found pleasure spot, making him sound like a cat.

"I have never heard that noise come from Mandara before," Derogan commented, "what are you, a bird whisperer?"

N: "Maybe, maybe not. You will never know," Johann smirked, continuing to pet Mandara.

Anglo just watched the two until he turned around when he heard the door open, revealing the servant with the washcloth and basin. He took the basin and drenched the cloth into it, then wrung it so it was only damp. "No fidgeting now, Derogan," he warned as he began to clean the blood off his wings.

There was a knock at the door, and when Anglo called them in, Saxon's head poked in. When Johann saw him, he purposely turned so his back faced the door, focusing on Mandara.

"Um, I just wanted to say that Sir Rowen is making an announcement so if anyone could come can," said Saxon, aware that he was not invited into the room.

M: Mandara snapped out of his trance, his stomach sank at Saxon's words and he turned to Derogan with a look of worry and fear. Derogan was also worried, even though he didn't see Mandoria come to fight off the Prussians, he knew about the code 18 from the servant who was treating him.

"Yeah, let's go," he eventually said, he tried to lift himself but his back hurt way too much to move, so he collapsed back onto his face and groaned in pain.

Mandara flinched at his brother's painful noises and jumped off his bed to see if he was alright, "Derogan, I don't think you should get up yet, you'll just hurt yourself more."

"No, I'm fine really, just a little sore is all," Derogan tried to reassure his little brother, though the tears that were welling up in his eyes were giving away his pain. He tried again to sit up, and again his arms gave out and he plopped back onto his stomach with a painful groan.

N: "Derogan, you cannot go. You are in no state to get up, so forget about going," Anglo stated, he finished up with the washcloth and got the bandages, "you need to heal, and moving around would not help."

"Mandara and I can go," suggested Johann, who stood up and was beside the younger prince, "we can see what Sir Rowen has to say and will report it back to you." He walked towards the door and only glanced at the entity before entering the corridor. While the boy waited outside for Mandara, Saxon asked him, "do you want to come, with me of all people? You could stay."

"I just want to know what the announcement is. Nothing to do with you," he grumbled, "where is he?"

"I'll lead the way." After that, the two fell silent.

M: "I will be fine," Derogan grumbled, "this isn't the first time I've been hurt by Prussians.

"Except last time you were bedridden for weeks after you got an infection from Prussia's sword, natin, you stay." Mandara countered.

"You sound like Father," Derogan grumbled.

Mandara didn't appreciate his brother's disgruntled attitude so he said firmly, "Well, until you stop acting so immature and start acting like the king we all want you to be, then I guess I'll need to grow up faster than I should and play the part you're too afraid to play."

Without another word, Mandara left to go see what Rowen would be saying, leaving his brother feeling shocked and rather saddened at his little brother's statement.

N: When Mandara had joined them, Saxon led them to where a crowd had developed, and in front of them stood Sir Rowen. While they waited for the announcement, there was an awkward silence between them, and Johann especially didn't want to talk to Saxon.

"So Mandara," Johann piped up, "I heard what you said back there. I get that Derogan should act more mature, but shouldn't he live up to his childhood?"

"He needs to grow up," Saxon answered, not looking down, "whether he likes it or not, he needs to. However, I do agree that he needs to live a little, or he will end up like England. I made him grow up too fast then he's a mess to look after as an adult."

M: "I know, and it probably was a little uncalled for what I said, but he always gets himself in trouble and it is hard for Father and I to deal with him," Mandara said, crossing his arms, "I mean, I needed to grow up fast to keep him in line, I'm ten years old, I should be the one causing trouble, but he is so immature about being king that I had to become the responsible adult, it's just not fair that I had to grow up while he runs around getting into altercations with the Prussians."

When Mandara was done with his rambling, Rowen clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, the muttering between the humans ceased and there was silence in the throne room where they gathered

"Thank you all for coming," he started, "now I'm sure you all know of the code 18 we had so I will simply elaborate on it and the king's condition. About an hour earlier, a band of Prussian soldiers attacked and attempted to capture Prince Derogan."

Surprised gasps and nervose muttering filled the room but were quickly silenced by Rowen, "please, there is no need to panic, the threat has been eliminated and the prince was rescued, he is currently being treated for any wounds he had received. However, when King Mandoria attacked the Prussians he was quickly overpowered and critically wounded. The doctors have done everything in their power to save his life, he is currently resting but has not awoken yet, and we don't know if he will."

Mandara gasped at that statement, he desperately wanted to run to his father's room to see him but he stayed put to hear the rest of the announcement.

"With the king out of commission, it falls onto me as his captain and royal adviser to lead in his place until he is recovered, so I want this incident to be told to the people so they may know to watch out for any more unwanted visitors, but we must keep this within the kingdom because if king Prussia finds out it could spell disaster for us all. That is everything, you're all dismissed."

N: Once the crowd dispersed, Johann started to follow the people, wanting to tell Derogan the news, but then stopped when he saw that Saxon wasn't following him. The entity instead stepped forward and asked Rowen, "since we need to keep this situation within the Kingdom, does that mean that my family would have to remain until Mandoria recovers?"

"Can you not just go?" the boy retorted, and even when he noticed the tone he spoke in, he did not care.

"I can't exactly leave the kingdom during this time. All of us, the English, know what is happening, so us leaving could potentially leak information," he faced Johann, "you don't want Prussia to come here do you?"

Johann stared at Saxon and finally replied, "Nein, I do not," before leaving the room.