The next week went by painfully slowly to Caspian. Trapped at home with no way to escape or properly blow off steam, he often found himself in front of the TV, watching basketball game reruns, or at the in-home gym attempting to rebuild his strength after all the injuries he’d sustained had left him feeling withered and weak. His broken wrist and ribs had all but fully healed a little more than halfway into the lockdown, thanks to the advanced medicine he’d received at the hospital, and even his wounded leg was well on the mend. His limp had disappeared, and the limb only pained him if he was on his feet too much during the day. Aside from a few developing scars on his bicep, thigh and cheek, he was almost as good as new.
However, his physical state was the only one that was recovering in any positive way. Internally, he was still stressed about a number of different things. His relationship with his father was still rocky, and they did their best to avoid each other in the mansion. The few times they had crossed paths, all Atlas had been interested in talking about had been whether or not Cas still believed Iris was innocent when she was now ‘evading the law.’ The prince had stood his ground and told the king that he was glad she’d gotten away while she had the chance, which had only convinced the reigning Maydestone that his Stockholm Syndrome hadn’t been cured and that he needed another therapy session with Dr. Foster as soon as the lockdown was lifted.
In addition to the unending tension with his father, Caspian was also worried about Iris. Rationally, he knew she was safe with Miles, but he still checked in with his friend once every morning to make sure nothing had happened to her overnight. Fortunately, that stressor was short-lived though. As each day went by and she was still safe, he felt more and more confident that she was going to be okay. Jacob had convinced the military that she had been taken away by other rebels, so the soldiers had only searched the streets of the capital and a few of the public buildings. They didn’t believe any of the high borns in the city had been accomplices in the crime, so they had left private residences untouched.
By the time the lockdown was over, the military came to the conclusion that Iris and her rescuers were long gone, and they could focus their efforts on matters beyond the walls of the capital. The orders were repealed, and the city was free to resume activities as normal. It also meant that Cas was free to leave his home and pay Iris a visit in person.
Having waited for this moment for seven days, he was understandably enthusiastic when he got up in the morning and readied himself to go to the Kinders’ house. He’d already texted Miles to let him know that he would be on his way, had showered and dressed himself and was heading to the garage when he bumped into Jacob, who was going the same direction.
The guard bowed his head politely and fell in step at his side. “You’re in an awfully good mood today,” he mused, glancing over the prince’s ensemble. “Where are you going?”
“I’m just visiting my friends,” Cas replied vaguely. “I need to get out of the house, you know?”
“Mhm,” Jacob grunted knowingly. “And do you have a plan… when you get to your ‘friend’s’ place?”
Cas faltered slightly. He knew the guard was asking him if he had a plan to deal with Iris now that things were finally calming down in the capital, but he didn’t have an answer. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought this far ahead. When he’d rescued her, he had just been trying to keep her out of the hands of the soldiers, and he’d succeeded. Now, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to send her back to the other districts, but with everyone on the lookout for her, the capital couldn’t be her home either. There was no right solution.
And Jacob knew it too. “If you don’t have one yet, I’d suggest coming up with something soon, Your Highness,” he advised, casting the prince a sideways glance. “You only have so much time for your visit, after all.”
“I know,” Cas murmured. While it was unlikely that anyone would catch Iris now that it was assumed she’d fled the city, he couldn’t hide her with Miles forever. The plan they had come up with before was temporary at best.
When they got to the garage, Cas parted ways with Jacob, heading to his car while the guard walked off to inspect the newly fixed wiring on the side door. He climbed into the driver’s seat, feeling eager to be behind the wheel for the first time in far too long, and turned the engine. Luckily, Miles’ neighborhood was only a short trip away, so he could be there in fifteen minutes or less. Excited to check on Iris, he backed the car out of the garage and headed down the long private road at the side of the estate.
--
For Miles, the lockdown went about as well as it possibly could have. He found that he enjoyed spending time with Iris, watching movies and shows and playing games to pass the time. There was something melancholic about her, but it wasn’t difficult for him to pull her out of her off-and-on moods with a bit of well-place humor. He also felt more and more drawn to her as the days went by. She had a sweet and thoughtful disposition that attracted him like a bee to honey, and he woke up each morning looking forward to the activities they would do together.
He was also feeling good about how their escape had gone overall. Following Jay’s instructions, he had called the police station to report his car as stolen, and the officers had bought the lie hook, line and sinker. Unfortunately, his car had been impounded as evidence, but it was better than being arrested, so he couldn’t complain. As long as the police didn’t see him as a suspect, he would happily let them keep his car until they were ready to return it to him.
By the time the lockdown had ended, he was almost upset about it. He would no longer have the joy of keeping Iris all to himself, but at least he would be able to see his friends again and get out of the house. Cas had already texted him not too long ago that he would be coming over for a visit. Jay hadn’t said anything yet, but he was sure he would be stopping by sometime later in the day as well to catch up with them.
Stepping out of his closet, where he had just finished getting dressed, he glanced at Iris with an amused expression. “No way. I could never get bored of keeping you entertained,” he denied, smoothing down his shirt over his torso. “It’s been like having a live-in audience for all the stupid shit I do. Making you laugh is the ego boost I’ve needed.” He paused. “Well, need is a strong word, but I definitely liked it.”
Striding over to the bedside table, he picked up his phone and slipped it into his pocket, “By the way, Cas said he’s gonna be here soon. Sounds like he got sick of being cooped up a lot faster than I did.” He turned back to her with a lopsided smile. “How someone gets sick of a royal palace, I’ll never know. That place is a dream to live in.”
sukikyoufu,
Rapture,
Knight 7,
Red Schuhart,
Damycles,
Dion,
shylarah,
nachonacho