Minutes passed as Jacob sat by the door in Iris’s room. He chewed idly on the inside of his lip, watching the screen of his phone in anticipation for his replacement. It would take the next guard fifteen minutes to travel from the palace to the hospital, plus another five or so for him to get through reception and up to the third floor of the building. Based on the time displayed on the top corner of the device, it had been about eighteen minutes since he’d started counting. He should be here any second.

At the sound of Iris’s voice, he glanced up at her and frowned. Her request was unexpected. He’d thought that she would have wanted Caspian to know what had happened to her, so he might be encouraged to rescue her from the penitentiary. Instead, it sounded like she didn’t want him to find out at all. She was either incredibly outward focused or had another reason why she was trying to keep the interrogation a secret. Either way, he had already planned on withholding the information from the prince for now, so he wouldn’t become distraught. As long as Atlas refused to permit her release, even the crown’s heir couldn’t do anything to veto the order, so it would just upset him to know that her life had been put at risk. For his sake, it was best to delay the news until something could be done about it.

He parted his lips to reply and then turned his head toward the door as the handle rattled and someone else stepped inside. “Oh good,” Jacob stood up from his seat, relieved to see that his replacement guard, Harry Calhoun, had arrived. “You’ll be able to stay for most of the day, right? I don’t want to give Matthew any chances to pull a fast one on me.”

“Yeah, Gary’s handling security at the palace just fine on his own,” the new guard shrugged and took the chair his boss had just abandoned.

“That’s one less thing for me to worry about then,” Jacob sighed and took a step toward the door. However, instead of leaving right away, he glanced over his shoulder at Iris. “I can’t make any promises, but I’m not planning to tell him if I don’t have to,” he said in belated response to her question before he strode out and closed the door behind him.

Meanwhile, at the exit, Cas drummed his fingers restlessly against his leg as he waited for Jacob to show up. There were a few other people in the reception area, all of whom were staring at him openly and whispering amongst themselves. He could have sworn he even saw a couple of them pull out their phones and discreetly take photos of him. Not wanting to be in the spotlight when he was wheelchair-bound, injured and hadn’t showered in a few days, he ducked his head with chagrin, hoping the guard would hurry up so he could get away from all the prying eyes.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Jacob came walking down the hallway and deposited his visitor’s pass with the receptionist. Once they were cleared to leave, he joined the prince and the doctor as they exited the building and headed toward the adjacent parking garage.

“I haven’t even been back for forty-eight hours, and I’m already being hounded by wannabe paparazzis,” Cas exhaled in exasperation, noticing yet another bystander point in his direction as they approached the other building.

“We’ll be back at the palace soon enough,” Jacob assured him, casting a hard stare at the same bystander until she scurried away. “You can stay out of the public eye as long as you need to as you finish recovering.”

“Right,” the prince murmured. He was still plotting to visit the penitentiary as soon as possible, but with the doctor accompanying them to Jacob’s car, he decided not to bring that up until he was alone with his bodyguard.

Fortunately, Jacob had parked on the ground level, so Cas insisted that he was capable of walking on his own when they reached the edge of the garage, and the doctor let him go, taking the wheelchair back to the hospital with him when he left. Cas’s leg still pained him when he put pressure on it, so his gait was marred with a limp, but he was able to get to the vehicle without leaning on his guard for support. He opened the passenger-side door and bowed his head to climb inside the low-riding car, letting out a sigh as he sat down and stretched his leg in front of him, “I wish I could drive. It’s been too long.”

“Next time,” Jacob promised, turning on the ignition and backing out of his spot. He drove the vehicle out to the road and turned on the radio as he began the trip back to the palace with his prince.

Opening her eyes at the sound of the rattle of the door handle and she couldn’t help but frown, her heart beat quickened again more because she shouldn’t have visitors nor should she except any visitors unless it was someone for her death warrant but when it looked like Jacob new this person she relaxed a little. Jacob hadn’t appeared as a threat for her right now, he was just probably making sure she didn’t run or do anything stupid. Looking over at Harry she relaxed a little stopping her thoughts from going wild on how this could be when she died. It was hard not to think that every time the door went, as a prisoner a member of the rebellion it was a pretty standard punishment. Plus, the image of her father kept flashing by each time she worried that she was about to die.

Matthew? That name, is it that interrogator? Why would he be pulling a fast one?

Confused over what they were talking about she kept quiet not wanting to question it and draw attention to herself. As she was eyeing up the new guard who had taken Jacobs seat, she heard him finally respond to her statement, he wouldn’t tell Caspain if he didn’t have too and that was all she could ask for. A faint smile graced her lips at that, Caspain did not need to worry about her. Right now, he needed to focus on recovering and sorting things out with his father, she could wait. She wasn’t important right now and if she was honest, she just couldn’t see how he would be able to fix this. Not with what she had observed of his father so far, to her she could only see a man who ruled with an iron fist.

I don’t remember much of yesterday and the questioning, probably for good reason. Looking back over at Harry who felt different to Jacob, maybe he was more friendly? Not that it mattered because she didn’t need that, sure maybe a little company would help time pass by and stop her spiral of thoughts that always ended up in the same place around her death she knew she should rest, she knew she should get some sleep because she still felt tired, but it felt strange when someone else was in the room. The guard wouldn’t exactly be watching her whilst she slept, she knew that and back at the prison there were probably cameras that watched all the cells but it still felt a little odd having an unknown presence in your room whilst you slept.

At least the silence with Jacob wasn’t as awkward. I don’t really know what I should do. As if the guard had read her mind, she could see already he had more of a friendly aura as he looked right at her giving a small wave.

“It’s Harry, Iris, right?”

The silence had been broken and she nodded in response to his question still watching him a little apprehensive. It was hard to trust anyone around her with her current circumstances so she still had to be careful, maybe it would lead to more questions? Nodding in response she rubbed her arm avoiding the various tubes that were embedded in her skin, “… Yeah. I guess you are here for the day?” What else could she really ask, should she ask how he was doing? What if he asked it back? It would just be awkward and add to how uncomfortable she felt already.

“Oh, you bet! I’ll always help Jacob where I can, he’s a good lad. Does a lot for people.” Harry spoke freely as if he was having a normal conversation and not just guarding a prisoner, however he did take his job seriously so even though he was having a normal conversation he wouldn’t hesitate to restrain her if needed though he doubted the later would happen.

“We should stop at the pharmacy on our way back,” Cas suggested as he fiddled with the radio that Jacob had turned on. Knowing that the guard had only done so to give him a chance to find a station he liked—Jacob wasn’t much of a fan of music—he played with the signal until he found something that sounded good. It had been a while since the last time he’d been able to just sit back and enjoy a song, so he appreciated that the head of the security team had remembered his fondness for it and set up the car for him to listen on their way back. Settling on an alternative station, he leaned back in his seat, “I have a couple prescriptions that need to be picked up.”

If his main goal had been to get home, he wouldn’t have cared when the medications were picked up and probably would have just sent one of the maids to get it for him after they arrived. However, knowing that he would be leaving almost immediately to go to the penitentiary, he wanted to have the prescriptions on hand, just in case he needed relief while he was with Iris. He didn’t want his visit to be cut short because his pain flared up, after all.

Jacob glanced at him sideways as he drove. “I can send someone else to run that errand after we get back,” he proposed, apparently thinking of the same option that Cas had been. “Wouldn’t you prefer to have someone from the palace go out discreetly rather than expose yourself to the public again? Or are you in pain now?” He furrowed his brows, his eyes sweeping over the prince as if he could tell if he was suffering just by looking at him.

“I’m fine right now,” Cas shook his head. Deciding that now was a good time to let the guard in on his plans, he went on, “I want to visit the penitentiary after I wash up and change clothes, so I’d prefer to get the prescriptions now. That way I can have them with me right away instead of waiting for someone else to make the trip to the pharmacy first.”

Jacob studied him with a frown. He had a feeling he already knew why the prince was in such a rush to pay a visit to their newest prisoner, but he asked anyway, “Why do you feel the need to go so soon? It might be better if you get some rest at the palace first and then leave later.”

“I just… don’t want to leave Iris alone any longer than I already have,” he replied quietly. “I don’t care what the law says. She doesn’t deserve to be locked up just because she was part of the Scourge once before. She isn’t with them anymore, and she saved my life multiple times… It’s my turn to stand up for her.” Of course, there was also the little detail that he was in love with her, but he kept that to himself. Anything he said to Jacob would be reported back to his father, since the guard was so close to the king. If Atlas found out he’d fallen for a rebel, he’d probably execute her on the spot and have him admitted to a mental ward.

Jacob thought about it for a moment then sighed, “If that’s what you want, Your Highness. Are you sure you want to go into a pharmacy though? There will be other people around.” He was well aware that the prince wouldn’t find the prisoner he was looking for at the penitentiary, but he still hadn’t come up with a way to break the news to him that she was at the hospital. Deciding to mull that over for the rest of the drive to the palace, he didn’t say anything for now.

“I’ll just wait in the car while you get the stuff,” Cas shrugged.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Jacob said hesitantly. After the prince had been abducted once, the thought of leaving him alone, unsupervised in a public parking lot left a bad taste in his mouth. “I can’t leave you by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” Cas rolled his eyes. Ethan and his cronies were the ones who’d taken him before, and he was certain they weren’t in the capital again. Bolstering his argument, he added, “This car has tinted windows. Just turn off the engine and lock the doors. If it makes you feel better, leave a phone in here, so I can call for help if I happen to need it.”

Jacob considered the idea. He still wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but Caspian was insistent on stopping by the pharmacy before they reached the palace, and the highway exit to get there was coming up fast. With no time to come up with a better alternative, he exhaled again and turned onto the ramp. “Fine. Just this once.”

Pulling around to the plaza with the closest pharmacy, he parked a few spaces back from the building and got out, leaving his cell phone on the driver’s seat for the prince to use if there was an emergency. Cas watched him head toward the entrance and leaned his seat back in a more comfortably reclined position. Unfortunately, the stereo had to be turned off with the rest of the vehicle, so he entertained himself by watching the other people who passed in and out of the building. Seeing other high borns again felt a little surreal but also pleasantly familiar, since their presence was another reminder that he was home. The capital may have had its faults, but it was all he knew, so he felt at ease there. It was hard for him to remember why he’d even considered leaving for good when he was surrounded by familiar sights and sensations. He just hoped he could get Iris out of prison, so she could be there with him.

Suddenly, he was drawn from his thoughts by a faint buzzing, and he glanced down at the phone Jacob had left on his seat. The name that glowed on the screen was Warden Walker. Drumming his fingers on his leg, he watched it continue to ring for a few more seconds and then picked up the device. Had the incoming call been from anyone else, he wouldn’t have snooped, but he was desperate to hear news about Iris, and who better to ask than the man who ran the penitentiary? He tapped the button to accept the call and brought the phone to his ear, “Hello?”

Curry, thank god, the warden sighed. I need someone to tell me what the hell happened yesterday. I was gone for three fucking hours and the whole place has fallen into the crapper! All Matt will tell me is that Iris Nox-Fleuret responded poorly to the Aproveset and needed to be given the antidote prematurely. I was hoping you could tell me why she’s in the goddamn hospital! Why is she taking up a bed there when we already got everything out of her that we needed? The little bitch is just going to be executed anyway.

Cas stared at the windshield with wide eyes, dumbstruck as he tried to process everything he’d just heard. He couldn’t believe it. Iris wasn’t at the prison; she’d been hospitalized. He was also horrified to find out that the soldiers had already interrogated her with their truth serum. He’d witnessed other interrogations in which the drug had been used, and although he’d never experienced it for himself, he’d felt sick watching the prisoners scream and weep and beg for death’s sweet release from the torturous chemicals. Imagining Iris going through the same thing made him lightheaded.

Curry? Are you there?

Cas startled as he realized Walker was still waiting for him to say something. In the next moment, his flurried confusion was replaced with white hot anger. Iris didn’t deserve any of this. He was furious that the soldiers had tortured her while he’d been unable to stop them; that they had overwhelmed her to the point that she’d been sent to the hospital; and that Jacob had kept it all a secret from him. It was the most betrayed he’d felt since the night he’d been abducted.

“Curry isn’t here,” he snapped. “This is Caspian Maydestone, and Iris is at the hospital because I gave the order to keep her alive. In fact, I also gave the order to treat her like a guest, not a prisoner, but it sounds like that part got lost in translation.”

P-Prince Caspian? Warden Walker squawked, sounding tongue-tied at the revelation that he was speaking to the crown’s heir.

Cas didn’t give him time to recover, “Whoever thought it was a good idea to use Aproveset on my guest had better be fired immediately. Don’t bother checking in on Iris at the hospital either. As of right now, I’m taking full custody of her to make sure she’s treated with the respect she deserves.” With that, he hung up the call, tossing the call phone back down on the driver’s seat and fixing his gaze on the pharmacy door as he waited for Jacob to return. When the guard got back, he was going to have some explaining to do.

“Don’t feel awkward to sleep if you want too, like I know it may be a little odd, but I promise I won’t stare at you.” Harry laughed as he looked over at the girl in the bed, “Or we could do something to pass the time, I don’t mind.”

“Why are you?”

“Being kind?" Harry cut her off before she could finished her sentence, "It’s just some human decency, it would be boring for me too if I just had to watch you without talking or helping the time go by. It’s not like I’ll be letting you go or helping you with anything so there is no harm in talking. I may even have some playing cards if you want to play? It would just be boring.” Harry shook his head with a smile, it’s not like he was do anything wrong by just talking with her or offering to play cards.

“I… guess.” Iris felt herself frown looking down at her hands unsure on how to feel, it’s not like he was letting her go or helping her escape. Harry was still going to be here and watch her, and he was right it was only helping pass the time and ease any sort of awkwardness between them. It would make the time go quicker as she didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in his presence just yet, so perhaps passing the time even with a game of cards would help.

“Great! Cards it is. Don’t tell Jacob though.” Harry laughed as he stood up and moved one of the tables that was on wheels. Directing the table, it slotted perfectly over her bed and gave them a table to play the game on without making her move too much. Sliding the chair of his across the floor he sat opposite the bed which gave him enough room to play cards comfortably and not be in her personal space as he still respected that. Shuffling through his pocket he pulled out a pack of playing cards and placed them on the table, “So what kind of card games do you know?”

“Oh…” Iris hadn’t thought he was being serious in his card game offer, but here he was with the table moved and chair closer so they could play a card game together. Thinking on it she wondered what kind of card games she did know, trying to rack her memory she frowned as all she could think of was snap but that was a kid’s game right? Surely, he wouldn’t want to play snap. “Ahh… well. This is kind of embarrassing. All I can remember is snap and I don’t even I am capable to play that game.” There was no way she could just smack her hand down shouting snap; she couldn’t move quickly or shout for that matter.

“Snap, oh jeez." Smacking his hand to his forehead in amusement. "Well let me teach you a game. Rummy?” Taking the cards out of the packet he began to shuffle them, mixing them all up before he began to deal them out between them. Whilst he was doing this, he began to explain the rules to Iris who was intently watching him shuffle the cards. Thinking to himself he looked at her eyes and noticed how they appeared to be distant, dull and he was certain that she was still recovering from what had happened. Even as he explained he could tell she wasn’t paying attention, but he couldn’t blame her after all the rumours that had spread about the incident. He would just take his time and if he had to explain the rules again he would, it’s not like they were going anywhere.

As soon as he recognized Jacob’s tall figure exit the pharmacy, Caspian narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t believe the guard had gone behind his back and allowed the soldiers to torture Iris after he’d told him that she wasn’t an enemy. Since Jacob had obviously known it was her who was in the hospital, the prince was certain he’d also been involved in her interrogation as well as the methods that had been employed to question her. He wondered if his father had told the guard not to say anything to him. Though he hoped not, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the king was behind this mess too. Just thinking about the possibility, he curled his good hand into a fist, frustrated that they didn’t trust him enough to take his word or even keep him in the loop.

The car door opened, and Jacob slipped inside, picking up his cell phone and settling down in the driver’s seat. Not looking at the prince’s face yet, he hadn’t caught the vexed look in his eye. “I bought you a bag of trail mix,” he said, handing off the paper bag the contained the prescriptions and snack. “Just in case you wanted to try stomaching something solid—”

“Why didn’t you tell me Iris was in the hospital?” Cas interrupted coldly, causing the guard to tense in surprise. Jacob looked up at him with confusion etched into his features, and the prince explained, “Warden Walker called while you were inside. He mistook me for you and told me everything.” He paused, waiting to see if the guard would reply, but he didn’t, so he continued in a slightly raised voice, “What the hell, Jacob? You let them use Aproveset on her? When I told you not to let them kill her, I also meant don’t let them torture her. Now look what happened! An innocent girl has been hospitalized because the soldiers were too harsh on her.”

Jacob groaned inwardly. He’d been planning to tell Caspian about Iris on his own time, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. The Warden just had to call during the ten minutes he’d been in the pharmacy, didn’t he? Nevertheless, he felt like he’d made the right decision when it came to handling the prisoner. She wasn’t cooperating with the interrogators, so they’d needed to use excessive force to convince her to tell them vital details about the Scourge. No one could have foreseen that the truth serum would cause her to have a seizure.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, I was only following protocol,” he defended himself, hoping the prince wouldn’t overreact and jail him for a night for speaking out. “You’re too close to the situation, and the standard procedure is to question her without outside interference. We couldn’t properly vet her if you were standing there with a biased opinion. It was more efficient to run the interrogation yesterday to determine if she’s dangerous or not.”

“I’m not biased,” Cas retorted. “I spent the entire week getting to know her. Every minute of every day. I think my opinion of her is reliable enough for you to have trusted me.”

“A week isn’t a very long time,” Jacob pointed out with a frown. “I was just trying to make sure that you and your father are safe. The Scourge has already come too close to dismantling the monarchy once. I can’t risk letting that happen again.”

“You’re wasting your efforts on the wrong person,” Cas growled. “Iris isn’t an enemy.” He turned his head toward the window on his side of the vehicle, leaving the paper bag untouched in his lap. “Turn back for the hospital. I want to see her now.”

Jacob shifted his weight, “I think it would be best if you go to the palace first—”

“I’m not in the mood to discuss this,” Cas cut him off with a hostile sideways glance. “I made up my mind, Jacob. Take me back to the hospital. That’s an order.”

The guard hesitated briefly before he gave a reluctant nod. “…Yes, Your Highness.” Backing the car out of the parking space, he drove back toward the highway, silently taken aback by the prince’s demanding attitude. As long as he’d known Caspian, he hadn’t ever seen the young royal take charge of anything the way he did now. There was a new authoritativeness to his voice that had replaced the insecurity and uncertainty that had colored his behavior before. He just hoped the change wasn’t for the worse, since the prince had been among rebels for an entire week.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch any of that.” Iris mumbled as she looked down at the cards in her hand that had been deal to her, she still didn’t feel right, and she couldn’t keep pretending otherwise even if she didn’t want to show weakness in front of them. If she was honest, she still couldn’t shake the effects of that drug that had been injected into her system, even though it had to be gone it was hard to shake away that feeling. It’s probably just my mind making me believe such a thing. It’s something I never want to go through again… the pain. It was like I wasn’t myself. I'm not myself.

“No worries we can play cards another time. You could probably do with some rest.” Harry smiled as he started to pack away the cards taking them gently from her hand. Whether or not there would be another time to play cards with her he doubted it, but he could see she wasn’t up for it. What little colour she had had drained from her face and he wasn’t going to push her, after all she was in the hospital for a reason. Shoving the cards back into his pocket he moved his chair back to its original place before looking back over at the girl who didn’t really seem present. Looking at the bedside table he could see a jug filled with water and a few cups around it, moving over he poured out two glasses of water. One for himself and the other he took in his hand and placed it on the table where the cards had been set up moments ago, not wanting to disturb her he sighed and settled himself back in his chair but he kept an eye on her noting the sudden change in behaviour.

Focused on her own thoughts Iris fell into a somewhat trance. It was as if the lights where on, but no one was home. I… maybe I’ll get to say goodbye to Cas one more time. I don’t know how he dealt with everything I put him through, that my father put him through and Ethan. It had to be painful… but… that drug. Without even noticing tears had left her eyes as her mind wandering back to the interrogation, she wasn’t fine. As much as Iris wanted to say she was fine, that it didn’t hurt, and she was okay in reality she wasn’t, and she still wished for someone to just end it for her. It was the easy way out she knew that, but it was honestly starting to feel like the only viable option as she had nothing to really live for.

Harry had started to feel a little awkward, of course it hadn’t been the first time he’d been a prisoner who had cried, Harry had seen grown men cry after the Aproveset and this wasn’t different and he shouldn’t feel more sympathetic because was a girl as she had been part of the rebellion anyway, but she seemed pretty harmless. Closing his eyes, he sat back in the chair folding his arms, he wouldn’t think about it. Instead he would use the time to focus on more important matters until Jacob told him otherwise.

The ride back to the hospital was tense. For the first half of it, Cas told Jacob to fill him in on everything that had happened at the penitentiary that he didn’t know about. He wanted to know what the interrogators had asked Iris about, what methods they had used to question her, and why she had ended up in the hospital after they’d been through with her. He was partially relieved to find out that the soldiers hadn’t done anything to her physically aside from dragging her around to different cells and rooms. He’d seen them get rough with some of their other prisoners in the past and had been worried that one of them might have become violent with her. Fortunately, from what Jacob knew, they had only tortured her psychologically and had done nothing that would leave a physical mark.

Still, he was sickened to know that they had resorted to using Aproveset on her the same day she’d been brought in. Usually the interrogators went through a series of other, less sadistic methods of questioning before they were given clearance to try the truth serum. Either the soldiers had questioned her multiple times in the same day or they had skipped a few steps and gone straight for the most effective resource at their disposal. Part of him was tempted to order that all of the men who had been involved be fired from their jobs, but he knew it would have been an overreaction. Even if he tried, his father would override the command. For now, he would just have to be content with the knowledge that whoever had been in charge of the heinous interrogation was going to be facing the consequences he deserved.

For the second half of the ride, Cas and Jacob lapsed into uncomfortable silence. The prince kept his gaze fixed on the window in front of him, concerned about Iris now that he’d been made aware that she’d had a seizure in response to the drug she’d been given. The doctors at the hospital had most likely made sure that her condition stabilized after she’d been brought in, but he doubted they had run any tests to make sure there hadn’t been any permanent damage to her body. He intended to tell them to make sure she was going to be okay, regardless of how expensive the examinations and scans might be to find out.

For his part, Jacob drove without speaking, reflecting instead on everything that had just happened. He’d thought he had been making the right decision by waiting to tell the prince about what had happened to the rebel girl, but now he was beginning to wonder if he’d made a mistake. His gut certainly told him that he had. As the head of the royal family’s security force, he reported to King Atlas first and foremost, and he knew that the monarch would have preferred him to keep the heir uninvolved. However, Atlas had never earned his respect the same way Caspian had. He was surprised to find that he felt guilty for keeping the secret from the prince, as if the son’s authority outweighed his father’s. It was strange, but when the two royals stood in opposition to one another, he cared more about holding onto Caspian’s approval than he did Atlas’s.

When they arrived at the hospital, Cas instructed the guard to pull his car around to the front and drop him off before he parked in the garage. Reluctantly, Jacob complied, and the prince climbed out, leaving the paper bag on the passenger seat and walking back into the building empty-handed. As soon as he stepped inside, heads turned automatically in his direction, and the receptionist casted him a quizzical look, not expecting to see him back so soon. He was even dressed in the white clothes he’d been lent during his discharge.

“Your Highness, did you need something?” she asked bemusedly.

Cas glanced at the people around him and strode over to the counter, doing his best to mask the way he was still favoring his left leg. “Yes,” he replied in a low voice, trying not to speak loudly enough that anyone else would overhear. “I’m looking for another patient here. Iris Nox-Fleuret. Which room is she in?”

The receptionist nodded and checked the computer monitor in front of her. “Third floor, room 311,” she told him, taking out a guest pass from the drawer at her desk and offering it to him.

“Thanks,” he said curtly, taking the pass with his good hand and slipping it around his neck. Not bothering to wait for Jacob, he headed for the elevator and rode it up to the third level. As he made his way down the corridor, following the signs and placards in search of the proper room, he felt anticipation build inside of him. He didn’t know what to expect, but he knew he was eager to see Iris again. Trying to focus on his excitement rather than his nervousness about the condition he was going to find her in, he knocked on the door to room 311 and stepped inside.

Whilst sat in the chair Harry listened out to all the sounds around him, he was trained for this and even though his eyes were closed he was still on full alert making sure that no one came to harm and that no one moved her from this room. I bet Matthew is not impressed, he hates it when the prisoner he questions gets moved. Or given treatment for that matter. Mulling over his thoughts on Matthew who had interrogated the girl, the fact the Aproveset had been used so quickly was interesting to him. Usually it only came after other means, the usual questioning techniques. Violence, though perhaps they didn’t want to hit a girl. Aproveset was certainly the easiest. Though Matthew has an obsession with that drug, pushing it further each time. Sighing to himself as he pondered his thoughts letting the girl have her own space for now.

Well hopefully Matthew will be suspended for this, it was clear he did not follow the correct guidelines. Though, she is the daughter of the rebel leader, the King will want her dead and stick up for him. Wondering just what would happen over this, Matthew was often protected as it wasn’t the first time, he had done something like this.

Feeling her body tremble Iris glanced at the cup of water that was on her table, she hadn’t even notice it get there and all she could feel was confused. Well, water was a good thing and something she could do with, trying to swallow she could feel how dry her mouth was. Reaching out to the glass she took hold of it in her hand but as she wrapped her fingers around it, she frowned, her grip was not nearly strong enough to even attempt to lift it from the table. Letting her hand drop back to her side she fell back on the bed sighing softly closing her eyes just wishing for death to come kill her.

Snapping to attention Harry looked up hearing a knock on the door and before he went to answer it the Prince walked inside, and he stumbled not expecting to see him back in the hospital. Bowing his head respectfully hiding the shock to see him here, “Your Highness.” Taking a step, he allowed the Prince inside the room, automatically he looked out for Jacob knowing he wouldn’t be far behind the Prince.

Your Highness? It felt like her heart stopped when she heard those words, had Cas come to visit her? How did he know she was here? Jacob had said he wouldn’t tell him, she didn’t want him to know. Maybe he doesn’t know, maybe he just knew I was in the hospital and thinks I was taken care of? The little colour she had regained instantly drained at the idea of Caspain being here, as much as she had wanted to see him, she didn’t want it to be like this whilst she was in this state and still trembling. “C-Cas…” It was barely an audible whisper that came from her lips as she looked over at him, eyes wide seeing him standing in her hospital room.

Expecting to see Iris, Caspian paused in the doorway and raised a brow when the first face he saw in the room belonged to Harry Calhoun instead. As the guard bowed to him, he realized belatedly that he should have known Jacob would have left someone behind to keep an eye on their prisoner though. The head of security wouldn’t trust her enough to be left alone at the hospital even if she was injured. He nearly rolled his eyes at the thought but restrained himself. The man he was upset with was Jacob, not Harry or Iris, so there was no point in taking out his frustration on either of them.

Noticing Harry’s wandering eyes, he glanced over his shoulder. “Jacob is parking the car right now,” he explained casually, taking a guess as to what the guard was searching for. Carefully, he maneuvered around the other man to come further into the room, losing interest in talking to Harry as his gaze landed on Iris. Right away, he could tell that she wasn’t doing well. Her skin looked pale, and her eyes were red as if she’d been crying recently. The sight made him want to run to her side and wrap his arms around her in a protective embrace, but he couldn’t do that when the guard was there with them. Everyone on the security team reported to his father.

So, suppressing the urge to let go of his inhibitions and close the distance between them, he glanced at Harry again, quickly coming up with a way to get rid of him for a little while. “Actually… why don’t you go down and meet him in the lobby?” he suggested. “That way you can show him how to get to this room when he gets here.”

“Oh, Jacob already knows where this room is, Your Highness,” Harry replied.

Shit. Of course he does, Cas cringed inwardly, remembering too late that Jacob had visited Iris once already. He shifted his weight, his dark brown eyes flicking toward the open door once more before he tried a slightly more honest approach, “Do you mind waiting just outside then? I’d like a word with Iris in private.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Harry bowed again and stepped into the hall, and Caspian was relieved that he didn’t ask any questions. There were some perks to being the crown prince.

He waited until Harry closed the door behind him and then turned toward Iris again, crossing the rest of the way to her bed and wrapping his good arm around her tightly. After spending the night apart, not knowing what had happened to her, he was relieved to be able to hold her again. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured, his voice muffled against her long hair as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. “I had no idea—I thought when we got to the border, I would be able to keep you safe… I didn’t know my dad had already put out a warrant for your arrest.” He shook his head, drawing her in as close as he could and hoping she wouldn’t push him away. “I’m sorry they did this to you… I love you, and I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

It was strange, Iris didn’t know how to feel as she saw him walk inside commanding an air of authority about him. Split between her emotions of wanting to hold him, to just be in his arms and forget about everything the other part, the fearful part of her instantly thinking that maybe he was here to tell her about her death. Or maybe he was here to tell her how he had used her to get back home, all ludicrous thoughts of course but with everything that had happened she knew she would deserve that kind of betrayal considering what she had done. It would be karma coming back to bite her.

Though the way he tried to get rid of Harry didn’t match with her thoughts of him coming to announce her death, the security guard could be present for such news after all they probably knew about her fate before she would find out. Watching the exchange as Cas changed tactic as the guard had said how Jacob knew which room she was in she felt nervous, the idea of being alone with Cas in the room made her feel light headed because she knew she had to keep her emotions in check. Iris had to be strong, make him think she was okay because then he wouldn’t be angry, because ultimately even though his father had ordered her arrest his father was in the right. She was a traitor to the crown, part of the rebellion that had hurt the crown Prince.

Seeing Harry leave the room she heard the door close behind him and before she even had time to think she felt Caspains arm around her. Comforting her. Apologising when it wasn’t his fault, it was her fault and he shouldn’t take the blame for any of it. Hesitating to return the hug she knew she was feeling overwhelmed, but she tried to make her voice sound strong. “I’m fine, honestly. Nothing happened.” He didn’t know what could have happened to her, she had hoped Jacob wouldn’t tell and maybe he didn’t. Maybe she could get away with pretending to be fine, though her heartbeat quickened as she tried to calm her emotions and keep them in check. “D-Don’t worry about it.”

Iris’ breath hitched in her throat as she stumbled over her words, feeling him pull her in closer and the familiar scent of him caught her off guard breaking through the cracked walls she was trying to keep up. Within an instant her walls came crumbling down and she couldn’t kid herself anymore, she couldn’t keep up the act as she finally returned his hug, her own grip weaker than it should be as her body shook gently. A barrage of emotions flooded out of her, first came the tears and then the sobs as she was unable to stop the gate that opened of her emotions. Iris wasn’t stable and as much as she had wanted to appear like she was fine she was far from it; she was a mess and she didn’t want him to see her like this. Not when he had been through hell because of her, not when it could have an impact on his relationships in his life because she was just one person and he had an entire nation to think about.

“Iris, don’t lie to me,” Cas chided her in a murmur when she tried to tell him that nothing had happened. He knew that was complete and utter bullshit. Jacob had filled him in on everything regarding the arrest, the interrogations, and even her seizure, so there was no way she could convince him that she was fine. He was a little stung that she even tried to mislead him. Didn’t she trust him to be there for her? He wanted her to see him as someone she could rely on during hard times, but it seemed like she was still reluctant to confide in him. That she was quicker to deceive him about her condition than she was to accept his sympathy and allow him to comfort her was proof that she either didn’t think he could do anything to help or thought he wasn’t strong enough to handle it.

Tangling his fingers in her thick, blonde hair, he let out a soft sigh, wishing she would stop pushing him away. He loved all of her, so he wanted to be there for her through everything—the good and the bad; the beautiful and the ugly. He’d fallen for the woman behind the walls she put up to make herself appear strong. When she showed him vulnerability, he wasn’t disappointed or disgusted that she couldn’t handle everything life threw at her. To him, those moments were just glimpses into the other shades of who she really was, and they made his affection for her grow deeper. He didn’t understand why she seemed to feel like she always had to put on a tough face for him and hide her messes as if they would cause him to think she was too much of a burden to tolerate.

So, when she suddenly cracked and wrapped her arms around him, he blinked in surprise before he began gently running his hand down and up her back. Seeing her openly weep drove a knife through his heart, but he didn’t say anything. There wasn’t much he could say after all she’d endured, so the best he could offer was his shoulder for her to cry on. If it was possible, he wouldn’t have hesitated to promise her that he would make things right. He would have had everyone who’d tormented her fired on the spot for their gross misconduct, and he would have brought her back into his home to be treated as a royal guest. However, he still had his father to contend with, so it wouldn’t be that simple.

He was still planning to get her away from the soldiers, of course, but if Atlas wasn’t willing to compromise with him, he had a feeling he was going to have to sneak her out outside the law. Now that he was back in the public eye, it was going to be difficult for him to do anything without getting caught too. He had no idea how he was going to pull it off, but he knew he had to do it in order to make sure she would be safe. Even if that means helping her escape from the capital and never seeing her again, he thought, his throat tightening at the prospect of losing touch with her forever. As much as he wanted to keep her close, he was willing to let her go back to the other districts if it was what he had to do to keep her from being executed.

Clinging to her tightly, he pressed his lips to her neck as she sobbed on his shoulder, showering her with kisses from her collar up to her cheek. “I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure this never happens again,” he assured her in a whisper, lifting his hand to her face to brush away the tears that streaked her cheeks. “You mean too much to me. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you anymore.”

Once she had opened up her emotions it was hard to stop it, the tears wouldn’t stop coming as she held onto Cas who was trying to soothe her through her sobs. Already her mind was racing from the fact she had tried to conceal it, the fact she wasn’t as strong as he may have thought she was to other thoughts how pathetic she must look right now and what an absolute mess she had to be. That she couldn’t handle being interrogated by the soldiers or being in a prison locked away for her crimes like she should be. It was all ridiculous thoughts but with all the pressure and emotional turmoil her mind was unforgiving making her truly believe she was not worth it.

I committed treason; how can you make that better? Words she desperately wanted to ask him, but she couldn’t find the courage because neither of them would really like the answer to it. Death was the most common answer, but perhaps they would pardon her and allow her back into the districts as she had helped him home. It was funny, they had spent so much time on an adventure in the districts breaking him back into the Capital and now roles were reversed, she was the captive but she felt like their options for breaking her free were very limited. Security in the Capital was vastly different to the districts.

Iris was calming down slowly, and she was trying to control her tremors, his gentle touch and kisses made her feel loved by him and of course gave her a brief feeling of joy. The way he brushed away her tear stained cheeks confirming to her just how much she meant to him prompted a slightly smile from her as she looked at him with puffy red eyes. “I don’t think it will be that simple Cas.” As much as she wished it could all be over, that with a snap of his fingers everything would be normal, and they could just live some sort of life together, but that would never be possible.

Reaching up with her pale hand she touched his cheek gently as her smile wavered on her face looking at Cas, “You know the crimes I have against me. I’ll never be able to take back what I did to you and that’s something I have to live with.” Rubbing her fingers against his cheek she let her hand drop to her side before looking down at her lap, eyes downcast in shame.

“I love you Cas, but… I. I’m not strong enough to go through that again, the questions… the interrogation.” Already she could feel the tears well up in her eyes again as she tried not to remember the questioning, but the imprint it had left on her was hard to forget. “I’d rather…" Hesitating before she said the next part. [color]=f49ac2] "I’d rather they just kill me already, let’s not pretend that’s not the punishment.” [/color] It was something that she had been thinking about, she had accepted the fact she was most likely to die. What’s the point in me living anymore anyway? Thoughts she didn’t dare to voice out loud to Cas.

Seeing Iris smile again gave Caspian a brief flicker of hope that she was coming around. He knew he couldn’t erase the trauma that the soldiers had put her through with words alone, but he was glad that she seemed to be comforted by him for the moment. With any luck, he would be able to do even more to help her aside from just holding her in his arms and making promises. Everything he said to her was empty until he actually thought of a way to get her away from the penitentiary, after all. As determined as he was to protect her, he knew it was going to be an uphill battle when everyone else in the capital was against her. He doubted they would find allies like Maisie or the man who had helped them escape from Ethan’s prison this time.

“I know it won’t,” he agreed with her when she said it wouldn’t be simple. Well aware of the obstacles they were going to face, he didn’t expect that he would be able to come up with a foolproof plan to help her get away that same day. He didn’t expect that he would be able to help her without facing any consequences. The chances of getting away with it without his father finding out were slim to none, so he would just have to hope that the king wouldn’t be too severe with his punishment when that time came. No matter what happened to him, though, he felt like it was worth the trouble as long as he knew she would be safe from harm.

As Iris lifted her hand to touch his cheek, he leaned into her fingers, frowning as she spoke about her past wrongs as if they were impossible to overcome. He didn’t care that she had been involved in the rebellion’s plans to kill him. At one point, he’d held a grudge against her, but since then, he’d realized just how much she regretted what she’d done. He couldn’t hold it against her when he knew she felt genuine remorse. Besides, he also knew that Ethan and the others had manipulated her into going through with it. She had been a victim through it all, just like he had.

So, when she confessed that she wished the soldiers would just kill her, he inhaled sharply and pulled her into a firm embrace, pained by the knowledge that she felt like death was her only option. “They’re not going to kill you,” he told her sternly. “I’m not going to let that happen.” Pulling back just slightly, he pressed a fervent kiss to her lips and then met her gaze earnestly. “I’ve already forgiven you for what happened in the woods, Iris. It isn’t something you have to live with. Your mistakes aren’t what define you either. You’re an amazing, incredible, beautiful woman, and you deserve to be seen for that, not the things you’re ashamed of.”

Before he could add more, a knock sounded on the door followed by Jacob’s voice, “Your Highness, is everything alright in there?”

Cas swore under his breath. For a few minutes, he’d forgotten that the guards were outside the room. He glanced at the door and then back at Iris, wishing they could have more time alone. However, he knew that if he delayed letting Jacob and Harry into the room for much longer, they would start to seem suspicious. Reluctantly, he called back, “Just give me one more minute.”

“Okay, Your Highness,” Jacob replied.

With a sigh, Cas touched one more swift kiss to Iris’s lips and met her gaze again, offering a halfhearted smile, “I love you, and I know you’re strong. Please just trust that I’ll find a way to get you out of here, okay? I promise you’re going to be alright.”

But I haven’t forgiven myself for what I did. Iris couldn’t help but think to herself even as Cas tried to steer her away from that notion, with not much luck but she had already spiralled when it came to her thoughts and feelings. Even when he said how they wouldn’t kill her she wanted to believe him, trust him, but she didn’t trust his father. Feeling his lips against hers still made her heart flutter, it was still just as amazing the first time to even now when things seemed bleak. It still gave her a slither of hope that things could be okay, no matter how far fetched it seemed. The words he spoke, the compliments from his lips did offer some comfort. It made her feel good if only for a second, to know that he thought she was amazing, incredible and beautiful. It was enough to bring a smile to her face if only for a second, but the brief glimmers of hope were not enough to pull her out of her inner turmoil.

Looking down again as there was a knock at the door, she flinched hearing Jacobs voice at the other side of the door reminding her of her place here. Though he had done nothing to her the security team still struck fear because of their close connection to the King and he was someone she still feared to this day. The smile dropped from her face as she focused her attention to the hands on her lap trying to stay positive for him, but she couldn’t. “I just don’t think it will work Cas.” Whispering as she felt herself shake gently, “They know Cas. They know.” Biting her lip as she shook her head blinking away the tears, so she didn’t cry again, “They… asked about you in questioning. I… I-I couldn’t lie. They know I love you.”

To her them knowing that she loved him was dangerous, his father would be told about the information from the interrogation and if he knew she loved him it would only make things worse. It would spell out trouble and he would probably claim how it was all fake, how she led him on from the beginning which wasn’t true, but she felt like his father would make sure they’d never be able to see each other. That coupled with the fact she was from the Scourge, had aided in kidnapping the prince and her father was the leader of the rebellion he had more than enough reason to have her killed. That would end any sort of relationship they had, even if she was sent back to the districts to lead whatever sort of life there was to be had there.

“I’ll try… to stay strong. For you.” Whispering as she glanced back at Cas offering a pitiful smile as she was unable to bring a true one to her face. Pulling away from him she nodded to the door knowing it had to have been a minute and she didn’t want him getting into trouble, not with this security team who would report directly to the King.

When Iris insisted that nothing he did would work, Cas furrowed his brows, perplexed by her pessimistic attitude. He didn’t understand why she was so cynical about it. Yes, it was going to be difficult, but it was still worth trying if it meant she would be safe. Even if they failed, the consequences wouldn’t be worse than what she would face if she didn’t leave. In his mind, there was no reason not to take the plunge and do their best to save her from the soldiers and his father if there was even a hair of a chance that they could succeed.

Her acceptance of her own death was concerning to him as well. When he’d been trapped as the rebels’ captive, he’d had the opposite response: He’d been desperate to do whatever it took to save his own life. His will to live had prompted him to spend all of his waking hours in Regis’s basement prodding about until he found a way out of the makeshift cell. He’d loosened the bars and tried to climb out the window, and even when he’d been caught, he’d fought back to keep the rebel leader from killing him with his knife. Later on, he’d also defended himself and Iris against Ethan and Thomas in the street and at the prison. When staring death in the face, he’d refused to give up every time. Only when he’d been so beaten and battered that he could barely breathe had he changed his outlook on dying, and even then, when a chance to escape had presented itself, he’d still taken it without a second thought. Comparatively, Iris’s certainty that she was going to lose her life was disconcerting to him.

As she admitted that she’d told the interrogators that she had feelings for him, he shifted his weight, somewhat worried about what would happen when that bit of information found its way to his father. Given how protective Atlas was of him, he was sure the king would be furious to find out that a member of the rebellion had developed feelings for him. It wasn’t the end of the world though. Judging by the way she phrased it, it sounded like the soldiers only knew that she loved him, not that the feelings were mutual. If it meant keeping her safe, he could always lie and tell his father that he’d had no idea that she’d fallen for him and that he had no such affection for her. Hopefully that would be enough to throw the monarch off their scent long enough for him to get her away from the soldiers.

With no time to discuss escape plans with her while the guards were waiting to come into the room, he decided to keep them to himself until he could secure another moment alone with her. “I know you can do it,” he assured her with a more genuine smile, stepping back to put some distance between them. “And don’t worry about what you might have said during the interrogation. I’ll take care of it.” With that, he turned his head toward the door and called to Jacob, “You can come in now.”

The latch on the door clicked, and Cas slipped his good hand into his pocket, taking on a casual posture to mask the serious conversation he’d just had with Iris. Jacob stepped into the room first, glancing between the two with subtle curiosity. Unfortunately for the prince, he was more aware of the taboo romance that had developed than he let on. Although he still had no solid evidence, he could read Caspian well enough to know that he was hiding something, and the passion that entered his voice every time they discussed the rebel girl filled in the gaps.

“How long did you intend to stay here, Your Highness?” he asked rigidly, still on edge around the royal after their argument in the car. “You need your own rest too.”

“I don’t know,” Cas replied with a shrug. “You don’t have to wait here with me. If you have other things to do, you can go. I’ll just have someone pick me up later.”

Now he’s just being unreasonable, the guard fought the urge to roll his eyes at the prince’s obvious attempt to get rid of him. “That’s alright, Your Highness,” he said with forced politeness, ambling over to the chair by the door and sitting down. “I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll wait for you right here until you’re ready to leave.”

Don’t worry? I can’t help but worry. He has such faith in me, I should have faith in him that he will get me out of here… but I can’t. Why can’t I focus on the positive? Why can’t I just believe that it will be okay? Iris nibbled the bottom of her lip try desperately to cling to hope, but it seemed impossible for her. The idea of everything being fine was just not feasible for her. Sure, she had Cas fighting for her and she believed he would fight until her last breath to free her, but it felt different this time with their roles reversed. Whilst Cas was in their stronghold, she believed that his father would rescue him with the military. Of course, it didn’t happen, but he had found a way to try and escape until her father had caught him.

It was easy to try and break him out, he wasn’t exactly in some top-notch high security prison. My father was also passed out drunk most of the time and it’s not like he had guards. I wouldn’t have been able to break him out of the prison had it not been for help. Lost in her own thoughts she tuned out to the conversation between the security team and Caspain. Iris was focused on how the hell he would break her out, the Capital had far better high tech and security to keep her locked away until her fate was decided. No, I need to have faith in him, I should have faith… but.

Sighing softly as she kept her eyes downcast, she didn’t want to engage in conversation with the people around her. Engaging conversation with Caspain could be dangerous, they could report anything back and she didn’t want to get him in any trouble with what she assumed was already a troubled relationship.

“Well not to be too bold but, maybe we should all get some rest? Jacob is right your highness; you’ve only just started to recover, and rest is needed.” Harry spoke up trying to ease any sort of tension because they were both quite stubborn and he knew it. “I’m sure the prisoner also needs rest too. It’s not been too long since she come around.” Coughing as he looked between the three, the girl was not engaging in conversation and didn’t even look up when he spoke, but he couldn’t blame her.

“I have nothing scheduled for the day, I can stay here and keep watch. From what I gather the doctor has said to keep her in for a minimum of two days to ensure it doesn’t happen again and monitor it. My schedule can be cleared for the two days until she is moved back to the penitentiary.” Harry smiled looking from Jacob to Caspain in hopes they would just agree, it gave the Prince time to go home and rest and in two days the girl should be fine enough to go back to the Prison. To him it was a win situation until her fate was decided.

When Harry spoke up, Cas glanced at him and then back at Iris. He wanted to stay by her side all day if it was possible, but realistically, he knew he wouldn’t be able to visit her for much longer. His father had been avoiding him since their fight, but if he didn’t return home before the evening, he was sure the king would search for him. The last thing he needed was to cue Atlas in to his closeness with her by allowing him to find out that he’d insisted on staying by her side at the expense of his own health. If he was going to build a case for himself and pretend like he wasn’t in love with her, he was going to have to behave like he only saw her as the person who had rescued him and nothing more. He let out his breath in a quiet sigh.

“I guess that’s fine,” he relented, casting Iris a subtle, wistful glance. “I just want to make sure she won’t be sentenced prematurely. She saved my life, after all.” It was the best excuse he could come up with that wouldn’t give away how much he actually cared about her. Fortunately, it seemed to be believable enough for Harry.

“I’ll pass on the word if anyone asks,” the guard assured him in his usual friendly manner. “You get some rest, and I’ll stay here to make sure she’s treated fairly.”

“Thanks,” Cas nodded, feeling a little relieved that there would be someone keeping an eye on Iris while he was gone. He supposed this worked out for the better anyway. He couldn’t speak to her openly as long as the guards were around, so he would be able to get more accomplished in the privacy of his own bedroom. As long as the soldiers abided by the doctor’s orders, he had at least two days to come up with a plan to get her away from them. It wasn’t a whole lot of time, but it was enough for him to start working on something before they sent her back to the penitentiary.

Breaking her out of the hospital will be a lot easier than trying to get her out of a maximum security prison, he thought, stepping over to the door where Jacob was already waiting. He would have liked to say goodbye to her before he left, but he didn’t want to come across as too friendly with her, so he merely glanced at her over his shoulder one more time before he headed into the hallway with his bodyguard.

Their walk back to the lobby was quiet, as both men were still tense after their earlier argument. They dropped off their guest passes at the reception desk and made their way to the parking garage in further silence. On the way, Cas idly rubbed his chest, where his fractured ribs had begun to pain him again after he’d been off his painkillers for a while. The injections he’d received would speed up the duration of his healing from six weeks to just one, but he was still going to be sore for a few days while he was recovering. As soon as he got home, he planned to have a light meal and take the prescription pills they’d picked up at the pharmacy to ease the pain.

Looking up to watch Caspain leave Iris felt a pang of guilt, she was putting him in a ridiculously hard situation. It would have been better had we just ignored each other, not let ourselves get tangled up with one another. It was stupid thinking we could freely love one another, that kind of stuff happens in stories not real life. Berating herself she settled back down on the bed to get some rest feeling defeated and like she had lost already, but the one thing she hadn’t lost was the fact that through it all Caspain was still alive and had made it back home.

He will be a fair ruler, I’m sure. Cas has experienced so many new things in a very short amount of time, he won’t forget the people that helped in the districts. At least if I die, I know their fate will improve, if not now then in time because he won’t sit idly by letting it continue. I believe in him. Closing her eyes, she turned on her side grimacing as she still felt sore, the pain was still there but hopefully with some rest it would subside. Plus, she was in a hospital, not the prison right now so she was in the best place. Even if she was a prisoner, they had kept her alive, they could have left her to die in that cell and a part of her wondered what would have happened if they had? Would it have been swept under the rug, she wouldn’t have had a funeral, no one would be able to collect her.

What would have happened to my body? A rather grim thought crossed her mind as she thought on what would have happened if she had died in that cell. It’s not like she had an affair, any more or land. No will, but then only rich people had wills because they had items and belongings to pass down in life. There wouldn’t be a funeral because there was no one to attend, Maisie would have of course, but they wouldn’t tell her she was dead. Would it even get announce of her death? It’s not like anyone cared about her, well Cas did of course but her death was nothing to the Capital. Nor the rebels after she had betrayed them.

It doesn’t matter, I need to shut my brain off and get some sleep. It was hard to just turn her thoughts off, they continued to plague her as she fell into an uneasy sleep with a frown on her face.

--

“Ethan, I’ve managed to pull in some favours, and I’ve got some painkillers. I’ll have to clean out that wound again, it will hurt.”

Ethan growled in response, his hand smacking away the tiny bottle of pills from the others hand. White skin covered in bruises, blood stained in various places and gashes adorned his body. They had just barely made it out of the prison with a lot of lives lost, one of them had been his fathers and he would never forgive the Crown. Ethan would never forgive Iris. Grabbing a broken shard of mirror from the table he raised it to his face once more, anger seethed through him as he looked at his reflection. Streaks of blood covered the left half of his face with a blood stained eyepatch over his left eye, an injury that he had received from the fight with the military.

On the drive back to the mansion, Caspian’s thoughts were occupied with fledgling plans to get Iris away from the soldiers before they could throw her back into a cell. He wasn’t used to coming up with schemes like this, since he’d always had the power to command Aspiria’s armed forces, but apparently things had changed. Now that he and his father no longer aligned in what they believed was best for their prisoner, he no longer had the authority to tell anyone what to do. If he even tried, his father would just negate the order and probably have her killed before he could try to free her again.

He shuddered at the thought, keeping his eyes fixed on the side window as they approached the wrought-iron gate at the edge of the Maydestone estate. Even if he had no prior experience with arranging rescue missions, he’d watched enough movies to get creative. He just hoped that whatever he ended up trying would be enough to keep her safe. Messing up would most likely have fatal consequences, so he had to make sure that he got away with it and didn’t leave any trails behind that would point back to him as the one who had taken her from the hospital.

Mulling it over for the entirety of the drive, he didn’t come out of his thoughts until the mansion came into sight around the bend. Like everything else he’d returned to, it felt like a dream to be home. He stared absently at the massive building as Jacob pulled the car around to the back and put it in park by the rear entrance, somewhat dazed that after everything he’d been through, he was finally back.

Jacob opened the passenger-side door for him, and he climbed out of the vehicle with the paper bag from the pharmacy in hand, heading inside the massive solid-core doors and pausing in the foyer to look around. Everything was comfortingly familiar. The sight of the plush furniture; the elaborate, Victorian-style decorations; even the homey smells in the air. Although he still had trouble to deal with in regard to Iris’s fate, for that moment, he felt a sense of peace wash over him, glad to be back in the place where he’d grown up.

“Tell the cooks to bring lunch to my room,” he said to Jacob, who had stepped inside after him. “I’m gonna lay down.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard bowed, striding off down the hall that led to the kitchen.

Cas turned and made his way to the stairs, climbing them carefully as he still tried to favor his injured left leg. While he really was getting tired and sore as the intravenous medications were wearing off, he wanted to eat lunch in his bedroom to avoid crossing paths with his father. Since the king had made no effort to reconcile with him yet, he didn’t want to bump into him in the kitchen and made awkward small talk or end up in another heated fight. He was willing to make amends on his end, but until Atlas was willing to do so as well, he felt like it was better for them to keep their distance from each other unless there was something important for them to discuss.

With that thought in mind, he limped up to his room and closed the door behind him, thankful that he’d managed to get there without running into any of the servants. As he stood with his back against the wooden panel, he paused to take a look around. Everything was exactly where he’d left it the day he’d been abducted, aside from some obvious tidying up that the maids had performed while he was gone. It seemed like even though everyone had thought he was dead, they hadn’t felt the need to go through his belongings so soon after his “demise.”

Relieved by that, he ambled over to his bed and sat down on the edge, resting his legs as he slipped off the sandals he’d borrowed from the hospital. While he did, he noticed something else about the room that caught his attention: His cell phone was laying on the bedside table, fully charged on its wireless station. He picked it up, curiously soothed by the feeling of the cool, aluminum device resting in his hand, and tapped the screen to turn it on.

“Jesus,” he murmured with a grimace as an obscenely long list of notifications appeared before his eyes. Apparently not everyone had gotten the memo that he’d lost his phone when he’d been knocked out in the woods. He had dozens of texts from all sorts of different people. Most were from Jay and Miles, but there were also some from others whom he hadn’t spoken to in a long time. It was funny how everyone came out of the woodworks to express their “concern” only after something newsworthy had happened to him. They never cared this much when he was just going through his day-to-day life.

Aside from the texts, he had literally thousands of tags on various social media platforms in the form of miniature obituaries. It seemed like every high born in the capital had written something to the effect of “rest in peace, Caspian Maydestone” on their pages. He was shocked that his supposed death had gotten so much attention, but, then again, he wasn’t sure how many of the posts were genuine and how many were just the result of people who wanted to feel like they were part of his life in some way, when they never really were in reality.

Leaning back against the pillows on his bed, he continued to scroll through social media accounts, blogs, news articles, and everything else he could find that was tied to his name. There were a few recent posts about how he had come back to the capital alive—he decided to read those later—but most were about a memorial that had been held for him in the town square a few days ago. There was even a video recording of his father, who had given a speech during the service. He hovered over the square with his thumb, tempted to watch it and see what the king had said about him when he’d thought he was gone. However, after wavering for a few seconds, he closed the tab with a sigh. He wanted to see the clip—after all, how many people had the chance to watch their own memorial services?—but he couldn’t let himself get too distracted when he had to focus on freeing Iris.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door, and he looked up from the phone, “Come in.”

“Your Highness, I’ve brought lunch for you,” a maid said as she entered the room and bowed politely. When she righted her posture, he saw a bright smile on her face, giving away her delight to see him. She stepped over to the bed and handed him a tray with a steel dome on top to keep the food warm. “It’s tomato soup with a chicken cordon bleu sandwich.”

“Thank you,” Cas said appreciatively, already salivating at the aroma of the hot meal. It had been a while since the last time he’d had a dish prepared by the royal chefs, and even though this one was simpler than most, he was excited to taste it.

“You’re welcome,” she bowed again. Leaving him to dine in peace, she turned and strode back over to the door, only pausing once on her way out to say, “It’s good to have you back, Your Highness” before she disappeared into the hallway.

Setting his phone aside, Cas dug hungrily into the food. He had to remind himself of the doctor’s warning that his stomach might still be sensitive, otherwise he would have wolfed it all down in just a few minutes. The rich spices in the soup were heavenly, and the sandwich practically melted in his mouth. He finished it all and pushed the empty tray aside, sinking down on the mattress with a contented exhale. With something solid in his belly to keep him from getting sick, he also took the first dose of pills from his prescription to ease his pain.

While he waited for the medicine to kick in, he picked up the phone again and studied the black screen contemplatively. Reaching out to anyone felt strange after he’d lost touch with them for a whole week, but he didn’t know if he could help Iris alone. Even if he was able to come up with a plan, he wasn’t in any condition to move her—or even move quickly, for that matter—while he was still recovering from his wounds. I’m going to need muscle to pull this off, he mused, taking a deep breath as he unlocked the device and opened his contacts. Hoping that he wasn’t about to overreach with his request, he called Jay’s number and brought the phone to his ear.

“Ethan, you should take the painkillers.”

Scoffing Ethan could hear the audible sigh of Thomas who by now was probably getting sick of him and his anger that he couldn’t let go. Who could blame him though? He had been betrayed on several occasions by someone he thought he could love all for the crown which had destroyed the districts. “I. Am. Fine.” Cold words left his lips as he drummed his fingers against the table, his other hand gripping the mirror so hard blood started to run down the mirror dripping to the floor.

“Ethan! Pay attention, acting this way you will kill what’s last of the rebellion.” Thomas snapped forcing Ethan to uncurl his hand and reveal the shard of mirror he had gripped so tight. Tutting to himself as he shook his head, he threw it to the floor and got some tissue to clean up the wound. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, but you need to man the fuck up. I get it, they killed your dad, but they also killed most of the rebellion in the attack against that prison. The prince is probably dead along with that whore who betrayed you.”

“NO THEY DIDN’T!” Ethan raged as he pulled out a phone, he had swiped it from one of the security team members he had shot in the fight. It had no classified information on it, but it did have contacts and personal information about the guard. “Idiot brought his personal phone along.” Muttering under his breath as he unlocked the device and showed it to Thomas, the latest headline reading Prince returns safe and sound. “HE. IS. SAFE.”

Shaking his head Thomas snatched the phone and began to read the article sighing heavily, “Well. I didn’t expect them to get it out alive, or for him to make it. You did quite the number on him. Iris is probably being executed as we speak, there’s no way they’ll let her off the hook.”

“Oh, I bet they will. I bet HE will. That stupid Prince will find a way. They are both alive and need to pay. They caused my father’s death and they will pay for it.”

“Alright Ethan, they will pay for it. You know the rebellion is still behind you. We can regroup, reform and get some more members? There is only a dozen of us now. Think though Ethan, they’ve probably questioned her, she knows certain locations and has probably given them up.” Thomas frowned as he picked up the bottle of pills and pushed them into Ethans hands. “We can’t move on out of Tonseng, I bet that’s compromised. We will have to start thinking of new places.”

“Where? Bel Bicis is in a state beyond repair, like the prison now.” Ethan hissed as he begrudgingly took the bottle of pills opening it up and pouring a load into his mouth. The pain for his lost eye was intense, he couldn’t handle it without feeling angry and wanting to punch someone. Crunching the painkillers in his mouth he took a glass of water washing out the awful taste of the medicine.

“Tonseng has plenty of empty shops we can use for base, no one is going to buy a building there. Not with everything going on. I say we use that as a base for now. There’s only a few of us so it will be perfect.” Thomas offered a smile as he looked at Ethan who was mulling the idea over.