My Prince

Chapter Seventeen

Gilen was lucky enough to not have been home when Gilbert was attacked. Roland had been working on something, a personal project that he couldn't give many details about, and Gilen had decided to see the town, having been feeling good enough to be out and about.

And when he came home to a trashed house, he couldn't have felt more horrible.

He had found Gilbert and Ludwig in a back room, the door broken down with bloody handprints on it.

Gilbert was barely breathing, bruised and crumpled up in a corner. Ludwig was half dressed and covered in all sorts of marks, crying softly over his brother's unconscious body.

Gilen didn't understand why any of this was happening, but he swore to whatever god out there that he would kill the bastard that did this. He may not have know Gilbert long but he was like family! And nobody messes with his family.

He watched as Roderich and Roland helped a barely awake Gilbert through the door, carrying him upstairs and putting him to bed. Roderich didn't leave the room for the rest of the night.

Roland held Gilen close, brushing a hand through his hair. "There's nothing you could've done. Gilen, you need to calm down before you have a panic attack... " He whispered, rocking the smaller man in his arms. "I'm so sorry, but you need to know this isn't your fault. "

Gilen couldn't do anything but cry softly, breathing heavily. He knew it wasn't his fault, that if he was there he would gotten hurt too, but his mind nagged at him, screaming curses about how worthless he was and how he brought all this horrible pain with him.

Roland sighed, thinking for a moment before whispering in his ear. "Remember our first date?"

Gilen sniffled and nodded. How could he forget? Roland taught him how to dance a few basic steps. They laughed and sang the whole time, talking about their dreams of a happy life. It looks like that wasn't really coming true.

"You told me that you wanted to have a long and happy life with me. That one day, you wanted a big wedding and you wanted all your friends to be there. " Roland sighed. "I know there aren't many of us now and that some of our friends are long gone, but we have family now.... Good friends... So... "

Gilen looked up at him, eyes wide as he processed what Roland was saying. "Ro.... "

"Gilen, I don't want to lose you again. I know we've already promised to protect each other, but I want to do something more... Official. " Roland held his hands tightly, kneeling in front of him on the floor.

"Will you marry me?"