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Well, ouch, that certainly hurt. He could actually feel a bit of stinging from that wound. He supposed he was right though. He certainly was no prize. He wasn't particularly good-looking, his intelligence was less than average, his choices were less than ideal and perfect, and his fighting skills were less than spectacular..

Someone better than him deserved such a postion. Someone smarter and wiser, someone selfless and brave.... Crinkling his nose he buttered the last slice before sighing and looking for something else to do. "I suppose you are right. My father certainly deserves it though, I think... He's a very good man. Extraordinary really... Selfless and brave. Caring and compassionate. Strong and steadfast. Even during his time in the barricade he was revered.. It's weird you know... How that works sometimes..."

"Was there anything else that needs doing?"

Cringing some as the slings flew through the air, the prince was forced to stand in silence as the man went off, shooting him down in every way possible. His words stung and as he went on, he, too, actually became rather mad. He understood the many perks that came with being being a royal, but for him to insult him by saying that it came with no sort of burden... He hated that. He hated that more that all else. "First off, Francis was a liar and a cheat. Secondly, I agree the benefit to burden ratio is off. But, you can ******** yourself if you honestly believe that everything is rainbows and kittens. You are right, we have a large staff, dozens of homes. But those homes are empty, honestly getting better use by the staff than by us, who merely feel largely alone in such a house. Speaking of staff, you are right, royals have staff that wait on them hand and foot. Including children who are raised by their staff, a staff which cannot look them in the eyes from an early age, a staff who cares for them, but only so much as they are designated to, a staff who replaces their parents, but often do not have the same feel for them, who would leave them completely alone and defenseless if it wasn't for wages."

"Oh and yes parties. Where we pretend that we are gathering with friends, when really we are merely entertaining a mixture of mostly strangers and greedy businessmen with who we have to appease so that we can put food on our peoples plates and receive wood for our people's fireplaces. And you are right, there are no relatives a the barricade. No, they wait for your dear old pa or ma to die then send you to the barricade, alone with only memories of your recently deceased filling your mind, deceased that more often than not die younger rather than older."

"Royals stay up late in the night, weighing on matters that don't affect them personally, but on their people. They take every matter that affects their people from the smallest to the largest and are set to fix them, not given much more than mere minutes to make the perfect fix."

"And freedom!" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Freedom is only an illusion. From the day you are born to the day you die. You are always property of your people and property of the church. I devoted so much of my life to my people, so many hours spent studying so I could be best trained to help them, so many hours addressing their problems personally, so many hours helping them build houses and sow gardens, so many hours speaking with crooks and thieves so that I could assure that they got a life a good as could be provided. And I've spent so many years with that d@mn church, it looming over my head and watching my every action, reprimanding me. I stayed celibate for that church and to uphold the honor of my family and my people. I forced myself to the studies, did every thing they asked and pretended to believe everything they ever said even after my mother's death and the death of close friends bittered their words."

"They both held such a power over me, restricted me more than even the poorest beggar could. I had myself exiled for them. I exiled myself from the people I love so dearly, people I've known since my youth... I can never see them again, can never go back home. so you can tell me I didn't deserve it and I'll agree. I never deserved all that was given to me, but don't you dare say that royalty doesnt work and that royalty does jack," he said as he put his hand down on the table, making a loud thudding noise as he looked over. It seemed for once it had not been Geth who managed to find someone's trigger, but instead Nathan.

"No! D@mn it! I never said I deserved it. Do you listen or do you have butter in your d@mn ears. I never said that I deserved it and repeated that I didn't! So don't go twisting my words to look like some ignorant fool! I'm not some blind aristocrat sitting at the top of a throne blind to the woes of my people and their struggles," he insisted, face actually growing a bit red as he dare insinuate such a thing," I'm not complaining about imperfections of perks, saying that my problems are worse. I'm not saying that just because I things, means that life was hard and rough and grueling. I've insinuated none of those things, but instead have merely said that you were wrong in saying that royals do NOTHING.

"They don't just sit on a throne and have everything handed to us. Or at least my father and I didn't. We worked and we worked hard. And you are right, the ability to choose where we work and the ability to choose to do things that helped our people was afforded to us by the free time that came with being royal. I knew this, I saw these perks and I tried my hardest to make life better for those who were not as well of as myself. I did not just sit there and do nothing and that, that is what I despise about your argument."

"As for not having the option to be a good person, that's bullshit and you know it. Other's may not have had the time to go out proactively to support and work hands on to solve problems, but that does not mean they are incapable of being good people. People live good, honest lives everyday. They can choose to be kind to their fellows, to help people who are placed in a similar position to them or dedicate their lives to helping people. If everyone but a royal was incapable of kindness and of being a good person, then you wouldn't exist, nor would Judath nor Marie nor Wrech," he said simply as he finally washed his hands in the water, as if the conversation itself had put the grime there.

"Anyways, you don't have to agree with me. You can think I'm ignorant and ignore that I was not defending a privilege, but merely denying a claim of laziness. Since I've finished, however, I'm going to go check on Judath and make sure still alright in the head," he said as he headed to the door," see you later this evening."

And with that he parted, making his way out of the kitchen and towards Judath's room. With a slight tap, he waited for only a moment before entering and looking in the room to his captain, who was writing something or another. "So, I heard Marie wants you to be the baby's everfather. That exciting..."

Geth could never remember a time he'd seen him so.. quiet. Most always he was at least making noise with the tools, but not he was just silent. It was kind of eerie honestly, especially considering he'd had a few hours now to deal with the fact that Alexander was really gone. The man couldn't really have been that important, right?

Striding across the room, he took a seat on the bed and then proceeded to lightly tug on the chair, easily gliding it to face him, whether or not Judath wanted him too.

"I don't think so. I mean sure Carnifex is her watchdog, but, well, you're the only one who can understand her mechanic babble. Not to mention you're also the only one who humors her pacifism. So, I wouldn't cut yourself short," he said, a soft smile on his features, only to realize his unintentional pun just a moment to late. "I er- sorry. I didn't mean to. You know I didn't- Sorry," he repeated, face also becoming a little red from humiliation

"Anyways, do you maybe want to talk about it, or something? I mean we don't have to talk, but I'd be lying if I said I felt comfortable leaving you alone like this..."

Frowning softly as he was denied entrance into his lover's strained mind, the prince sighed and shook his head some. "Can't practice without you. No one else is close enough in height, not to mention there's no way to test the magnetic attraction without your socket," he said as he looked over to him, concern in his eyes as he watched him going back into his invisible bubble. "No, I'd rather stay here, if it's alright. Just in case, you know, you do need me. It's better than sitting around up top..."

He was being shut out again. He knew that much. After all, it wasn't as if this were the first time. Judath had done this quite a few times already, though perhaps not quite exactly like this.. He was so quiet, so still.

Anyways, he'd prepped himself for this, but this time he was not prepared to just leave. No, he'd be staying, even if it meant it agitated Judath... He owed it to him to be by his side in his moment of need, just as Judath had been by him time and time again.... Now if only he could bandage it with words just like he had....

And so Geth sat there, an odd mix of exhaustion and fascination mingling on his face. Today had been long and grueling, with surprises at each turn. And it wasn't even close to being over, especially since Judath seemed to be making no progress in means of coping.

He seemed lost in his inventions, eyes glazed over as he put the little gears and such into place. Fingers twitched as he adjusted things and tested them, but otherwise he hardly moved. It was unnerving really. He hated seeing his lively, brave, and boisterous captain so quiet and reserved. It was a face only elicited by death before this and even then it had hardly been so... soo..

"I'm scared."

The words were quiet. So quiet he almost wondered if it had merely been in his head, a thought to himself. But, then they continued, Judath's voice explaining the statement. Honestly, for a moment, his words scared him too, uncovering hidden fears that had been dancing silently in the back of his mind. After all, he was right, now that he was free, what would stop him from coming back here to kill the lot of them...?

Geth shook it off though, finding strength as his will urged him to solve his lover's qualms. Rising he moved from his spot and over to Judath chair, where he crouched down a bit, wrapping his arms loosely around his neck and moving his head to the crook of it. Kissing it softly, he lightly shook his head. "Molly and Matthew are fine. They are still in my father's care and there is no safer a place. as for your fears...," he paused, as if pondering," well, I would like to say you are wrong in them , that he'll never come back, but that would be a lie. I'm sure he will...."

"But you won't be alone. I'll be here, right beside you, through Heavens gates and beyond. I know it's not much of a reassurance. But if you do have to face him again, I'll be right there by your side. And I will always have your back or I guess. your arm....."

Running his fingers through his hair, he held him close, giving him small kisses here and there as he comforted him.

When dinner rolled around, he retrieved the plates for the two of them and brought them back to the room to eat, so as to keep Judath from glancing up the stairs to the deck, a sight that made him noticeably paler. There they ate together, Geth stealing a potato from Judath's bowl and some point, which resulted in the redhead stuffing half of Geth's bread in his mouth as retaliation.

Eventually dinner ended and, with a bit of coaxing, Judath and Geth settled in bed, both plates and inventions temporarily forgotten at his desk. There Geth softly pet him and held him close and tried his hardest to comfort him. And, as he did so, he slowly drifted off, eyes closing and grip loosening around the smaller man.

There Geth slept peacefully, any worries from his mind having been shoved away as it embraced the release of sleep. And he stayed there for hours, when suddenly something alerted him awake and broke his slumber. There was a noise... a quiet one, one that he barely had caught.

Sitting up, he looked around the room for the source, but all he could see was darkness around him, the only light available leaking from the window onto the bed.

Creak.

Geth's breath hitched and he turned to Judath in a panic to attempt to wake him. "Judath." He stayed motionless, not even a stir at the words. "Judath." Still nothing.. Reaching forward he moved to nudge him, only to snap his hand back as he felt something warm and wet. Bringing his fingers to his view , he gasped as he saw red. In a panick, he immediately moved to get up, completely forgetting about the unseen force in the shadows. Out of bed, he moved into the darkness only to feel a blade dig into his stomach.

Yelling in pain, he tried to rip himself away from his assailant, only to feel his assailant push further into him, twisting the blade in the process. Eyes wide, he swung at the being, trying to get it to release him. Over and over he did this, only to fall to his knees when it finally did. Looking up, he saw a man. In his blurry gaze, he could not see who, however. No, before he even got a chance, a gunshot went off and the man was gone. And everything went darker and then his eyes closed as death embraced him.

Waking with a jolt, the prince found himself just where he had been in his dream, on the ground. Pressing his hand to his gut, however, he found no wound, only slightly scarred skin. He was shivering now, the fear and adrenaline coursing through his body as he sat there.

Clutching the bed, he lifted himself up and looked over to Judath, who had more than likely woken up to the thud and the yells.. "S-sorry."

"Yeah. I think my nerves are just tugging at me in my sleep. You know what with Heaven an all," he said as he rubbed his sleeve some, looking rather sorry that he'd made the redhead jump so much," I...dunno."

Sitting own on the edge of the bed, the prince took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was so scared, he couldn't seem to get himself to stop shaking. The color from his face was drained as well, almost giving him the appearance of a startled ghost.

Breathing deeply and clasping his hands, he looked back to Judath. Eyes scanned him over for a moment, as if to make sure he really was okay. Upon seeing he was, he reached over and lightly tugged on him, hoping he'd get the hint and sit back down with him."I'm sorry.. I just.. It seemed so real. In it you had died and I..," he mumbled before taking a deep breath and leaning his head upon the other. "Do you think we're going to be okay...after all this?"