Cassius:
All their plans had quickly unraveled, his careful scheming all for nothing. He supposed this is what he deserved for being dishonest in the face of the gods, in being dishonest to his father. He was doing a good thing, he truly believed he was, but maybe that did not excuse his methods. Still, he would stay strong, he would not be allowed to leave the palace otherwise, so he had do this, even if it meant he had to suffer through the Gods' punishments. He had not expected Jules to have an episode, but sometimes it could not be helped, his condition had been deteriorating rapidly, it was only a matter of time it struck at an important moment, at least it had not been a fight.
"Cas, what do we do? Elaine whispered, slipping her hand into his and squeezing.
He knew he should not allow that, not here, not with so many wandering eyes, but he could not pull away. She had been knocked to the ground by the throng of people, yet was still offering him reassurance, still worried for him. He would have to push through, if not for himself, then for her. This tender side of her rarely presented itself, manifesting in soft brushes of hands and easy smiles flashed only for him. Every time she still managed to light his heart on fire.
"Meet up with Alexei and tell him I will catch up after I deal with this, take Aspen with you," he ordered.
Elaine hesitated for a moment, looking like she wished to say more, like she would demand to stay with him, but she only turned away, his hand feeling suddenly cold without hers there.
"Clear the way!" he shouted, walking calmly back towards the palace, one hand clasping the small silver ring around his neck, the only sign of his nerves, of the storm raging inside his head, the fear.
He did not bother to await his father's summons, heading straight towards the throne room. He took a deep breath before entering, his footsteps echoing in the expansive room. Every inch was crafted to display their power, the floors inlaid with gold, massive stained glass windows bathing the room in all sorts of shades, the statues of their three gods standing tall to guard the five thrones.
As soon as he got to the base of the steps he knelt. A guard was speaking in a hushed voice to his father, but he could not make out what they were saying. By Ptolemus's growing grin, Cassius assumed it was about him, about his careless blunder.
"Cassius, what is the meaning of this?" his father bellowed, voice quivering with rage, not even bothering to allow him to stand.
"I was taking a tour of the city when one of my guards fainted," he explained, voice even and clear. His grip around the ring tightened.
"One of your criminal dogs?" he questioned, dangerously quiet this time.
"Of course it was, I'm telling you father, they are nothing but trouble-" Ptolemus started.
"Quiet, boy!" he snapped.
"Yes, it was, your majesty," Cassius stated, head bowed.
Ptolemus had the sense to stay silent this time, despite the obvious joy coursing through him. Any trouble for Ptolemus was the most wondrous of occasions for him.
"Rise, boy," the king commanded.
Cassius did as he was told, walking forward until he stood right in front of the thrones. He could not keep his gaze from flitting to the one on the right, the one that would always be empty.
"Stop fiddling with that ring, it's a bad habit."
Cassius's fingers stilled and he forced his arms to his side, back straight, the perfect picture of a prince.
"Honey," the queen whispered, but he knew it was only for show. He did not blame her for her contempt, he was the only thing in the way of her obtaining true power, of her son sitting on the throne. She was never outright disrespectful towards him, so he had no complaints. She had even pretended to be motherly at times, a kind sentiment, but one that had proved quite unnecessary. He had long stopped wanting for a mother.
"Turn around," the king whispered.
Cassius barely had time to brace himself before the soft sound of a sword being unsheathed and a burst of agony struck him, another swiftling following as the familiar blade bit into his back. It would be his too one day. He clenched his teeth, but did not dare cry out, did not dare move an inch, letting his father's wrath wash over him until he was satisfied.
"You are dismissed," he whispered.
Cassius bowed deeply before walking slowly towards the door, trying not to look like he was in as much pain as he felt.
"Cas!" Elaine cried out, rushing towards him as soon as he was in the hallway.
"I thought I told you to inform Alexei," he muttered, leaning against her more heavily than he would have liked to admit. He was glad she was there despite the obvious disobedience of his order.
"Aspen went to do that," she explained hurriedly.
He nodded, allowing her to lead him down the hallway. Guards glanced their way, but quickly bowed their heads, not daring to whisper a word about the crown prince. They walked the rest of the way to his room in silence, the only sound their footsteps against the floor and his pained breathing.
He stumbled his way through the antechamber, ignoring Abraxos and half collapsing onto his bed. These sheets had been soft, not the usual texture he hated so much, it was a shame to ruin them with his blood. Abraxos would take care of it after they left, making sure the maids didn't notice anything off. He had long determined most were spies for his father. Elaine helped him pull off the tattered remains of his shirt, still not speaking as she assessed the damage. She was used to this by now, used to taking care of him after his inevitable punishment. He was never quite enough for his father no matter how hard he tried.
A sharp sting ran through him, but he did not complain, did not flinch as she cleaned the cuts efficiently. She knew all his scars better than he knew them himself, knew how to treat his wounds in the gentlest, yet most efficient way possible.
"Are you sure you want to go with us to Sirion? It's not too late to stay back, surely we can just take Abraxos to negotiate," she whispered, tightly wrapping the bandages around him.
"I have to go myself, I would be shirking my duties as crown prince if I sent Abraxos," he replied.
"We should at least postpone this until your wounds are healed," she insisted.
"El, they won't affect me, don't worry." He glanced towards the window, watching as the sun moved lower in the sky, dusk closing in on them quickly.
"I know," she whispered, sighing.
Elaine softly turned his face back towards her, pressing her lips against his for a moment. When she broke away, she wrapped her arms around him, carefully avoiding the worst of his wounds. Cassius hesitated for a moment before relaxing, resting his chin against her shoulder.
"You can cry," she murmured.
"I know," he answered, not even trembling.
Elaine did not say anything else, but he could feel her frustration, he knew how badly she wanted to burn the palace and everyone in it to the ground, but she held it back, held it back for him. When he finally leaned back he found her eyes closed, breathing steady, her head propped against his shoulder. Elaine had never trusted easily, not after the way she was raised, what she had been through. Even this small moment of vulnerability with him was rare, it was enough to make his heart sing.
He brushed a strand of her fiery red hair to the side, it matched her gift perfectly, matched her personality perfectly. But that was only a coincidence, she had not been blessed because she was special, nor because she was destined for some sort of greatness. Like everyone in their group, her gift had been born from a desperate all consuming necessity.
Cassius had saved all of them, used them like pawns on a chessboard, but the more he tried not to care, the closer he found himself with them, the more he smiled, the more he began to truly lean against them as he had with no others. He had always hated things he could not control, things that did not fit into the perfectly organized boxes in his head, the schemes he had tirelessly created for every situation he could possibly encounter, yet, he could not bring himself to hate these feelings, could not bring himself to resist this pull. He was an idiot for that, no great leader would harbor such an obvious weakness. They would be his death, he knew it, but for now, he stubbornly resisted, wishing for a few more weeks of peace. Of moments like this.
If someone had told him years ago that the only thing keeping him sane was a group of criminals, he would have laughed so hard he cried. Yet now, those four from the lowest levels of hell were the only thing keeping the Crown Prince of Prynn from piercing his heart with his own blade. He was weak, but he could not stand to fix it, not yet.
Cassius gently laid Elaine on the bed, getting up as quietly as possible before joining Abraxos in the antechamber.
"The ship is leaving–"
"In an hour, I know," he muttered.
It was hard to get used to speaking to something that resembled himself, to seeing his own pale face and unnerving stare from an outsiders perspective. Cassius had always been told he resembled his mother, but all he could see was his father's ice blue eyes.
"Would you like me to get someone to fetch a real healer? I am sure it could be dealt with quite quickly," Abraxos offered.
"No, I deserve this pain, it is a sign of failure. My father is teaching me, and I must listen," he replied.
Abraxos sighed, but did not push the subject.
"Shall I wake her then?" he asked, gesturing to Elaine slumbering peacefully.
"I'll let her sleep a bit longer," he answered.
Abraxos nodded.
"Are you positive you don't mind doing this? I cannot guarantee my father won't…Punish you for my actions, plus, won't your absence raise questions in your own territories?"
"My wife is handling everything, you know how she is."
Cassius shivered at the thought of Elandra Abyssal, she was possibly the most intimidating woman he had ever met. Even after only exchanging a few words with her, Cassius had decided it was a miracle Abraxos was still intact after all these years.
"Cas?" a sleepy voice called.
Abraxos bowed, leaving the room hurriedly as Elaine stepped out of the bedroom rubbing her eyes, hair mussed from sleep.
"We need to get going, the ship is leaving soon," he stated, smiling softly.
"Mmmm," she replied, running her fingers through her hair hurriedly.
"Do you want me to cut it before we leave? It's starting to grow out again," he observed.
"I might just dye it a new color when we're back," she answered.
"Alright, let's get ready then."
Cassius stepped to the side, grabbing his cloak, adjusting it so the hood obscured most of his face in the dim light. Before Elaine could grab her own a sharp pounding on the door rang out.
"Cassius, I'm coming in if you don't open the door in ten seconds!" Ptolemus shouted in an annoyingly cheery voice.
Elaine dove under his bed, the banging loud enough to wake anyone in the next five miles as he struggled to remove his cloak, tossing it quickly into the corner. Ptolemus would hopefully be too focused on gloating to notice anything amiss.
"Why are you standing there so awkwardly? Have I interrupted something?" he asked, slamming the door loudly behind him.
Ptolemus was selfish, Cassius had allowed his own guilt to interfere with his teachings for too long.
"What would you like, brother?" he questioned, barely keeping his words civil.
Yelling would solve nothing, he must remain calm. This was his brother, it was his responsibility to be mature, to show him the way to act.
"Oh, I just wanted to check up on you. I mean, that was quite a beating father gave you today!" he explained, grinning broadly.
Cassius's back ached at the memory, but he clenched his teeth, pushing the pain down. Ptolemus could hate him all he wanted, it would not change anything. Cassius would still remain the perfect prince, the perfect model. One day Ptolemus would realize just how much he did for him.
"How generous of you. Thankfully I am quite alright, you can take your leave," he said coldly.
He glanced around, eyes pausing on the cloak heaped in the corner, at odds with Cassius's usually neat room.
"Not planning anything, are you, brother?" he questioned.
Ptolemus may have been a brat, but he was far from stupid.
"I am going away for official business. I was originally planning on leaving in secret, but I am willing to allow you to accompany me on one condition," he stated, spinning the lie in his head quickly, silently apologizing for the extra trouble this would cause for everyone else. Ptolemus would not keep quiet about his absence, especially if he noticed Abraxos parading around wearing his face, there was nothing else that could be done.
"What's the condition?" he demanded eagerly, looking excited to be included for once.
Cassius still vaguely remembered when Ptolemus looked at him that way when they were young, when he still looked up to him, loved him even. Those feelings had long soured.
"You aren't allowed to complain and you aren't allowed to tell your friends anything even once we're back. You will tell anyone who asks that you were on a hunting trip," he instructed.
Ptolemus nodded quickly, looking quite pleased with himself to have stumbled across this opportunity. Cassius could only thank the gods he had not already passed Abraxos disguised in the hallway.
"Go get a cloak, something inconspicuous, the rest of your necessities will be taken care of upon our arrival," he ordered.
Ptolemus scurried away, leaving Cassius with a swiftly growing headache. Elaine rolled out from under the bed, laughing.
"Don't laugh, I'm actually taking him with us," he stated.
"You're joking, why the fuck would you do that?" she exclaimed, smile dropping in an instant.
"Unfortunately, I am not. It's a good opportunity for him anyways. Father is wrong to ignore him and allow him to run amok. He's smart, just in need of a little guidance," Cassius insisted.
"It's not your job to save everyone, Cas," Elaine murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"He's my brother, it's my duty."
Cassius wondered if that was truly the only reason. He had tried his best to keep his brother out of the kings wrath while still raising him as properly as he could manage, yet he still felt guilty, guilty for making Ptolemus feel unloved. Maybe, somewhere he knew he simply wanted to help his brother just for the sake of their fractured family and twisted version of love.