Tristan's P.O.V
"You're in a rather foul mood today," Alex comments about an hour in as we're riding down the tree lined path. The trees are various colors of green. You can hear the wildlife around us and the horses trotting through the dirt covered path.
"I'm with Alex," I say but Leo doesn't respond to either of us.
Even after Alex throws a playful insult at him, he doesn't even react. The two of us look at each other and exchange a look of concern over Leo.
"Did we do something to make you angry with us?" Alex asks. Leo shakes his head but doesn't say anything.
"Is this about what father said?" Alex asks while glancing at me.
Leo inhales deeply before saying, "No. I didn't want to worry mother but I didn't sleep much last night. I'm just tired."
We continue to ride down the path when suddenly a crossbow bolt hits Leo's shoulder, knocking him off of Storm, his horse. Three men rush Leo, ignoring me and Alex. Alex reaches for his sword but before he can get it he slumps forward. A sleeping enchantment? I look around to find the magic user and see her behind a tree.
"Forb fleoghe! / Fly forth!" I say softly to myself. She flies back into another tree and falls to the floor so I turn to help Leo who is being restrained by three men.
"Get them both! Kill the servant!" I hear a man, who I assume is the leader, yell. ["Remember that no one can know of your gift Tristan," father says.] What do I do?! If I use my magic then Leo will definitely see it. If I don't, then Leo and Alex will be taken. I'll be killed. I don't have a choice! I'm supposed to protect them!
"Get my brother out of here!" Leo shouts. He kicks back the fourth man who tries to restrain him. He gets loose and punches the man on his right. "Tristan!" Leo shouts again. He can handle himself. He'll be right behind me.
Following his orders I grab the reins to Alex's horse and turn back towards Camelot. I swallow back the lump in my throat and ride back to Camelot as fast as I possibly can. Storm is the fastest horse in the kingdom and Leo can handle himself. He'll catch up in no time. Alex moans groggily as he starts to wake up.
"What happened...?" he asks. I pull back on the reins so he can sit up correctly. He gets off his horse and I do the same before asking how he's feeling and if he remembers what happened. I'm relatively sure that it was just a sleeping enchantment but I need to be sure. "I'm fine and I remember. Where's Leo?" he asks while looking around.
"He... I had to leave him behind..." I explain with regret.
"What?! Why?!" I tell him how Leo asked me to get him safe.
"So you left him?! Why didn't you help him?!" he asks angrily.
"What was I supposed to do?" I ask in return. He doesn't answer and instead turns in the direction where we left Leo. I grab his shoulder but he tells me not to touch him. I tell him that I know he's worried, as am I but all Leo asked of me was to make sure he was safe. I suggest that we go back to Camelot for help.
"Fine..." he says and climbs back on his horse, Thor.
As soon as we get back to Camelot we inform the king and queen about what had happened. King Soren immediately orders the knights to go find Leo.
"I want him found, now. You," he says darkly while looking at me, "You never should've left him alone. Not for any reason." When he says the last part he glances at Alex.
"Soren. Tristan did what Leo asked of him and saved Alex," Queen Elena says. She thanks me for my actions. I nod even though I don't feel I deserve any thanks. After all, I did leave Leo behind.
"Alexander. Are you alright?" King Soren asks. He doesn't seem sincere though. Alex says he's fine and says that he's going with the knights to get Leo.
"I understand you are worried for your brother but you can't go. Not when there are people who want to hurt you. I'm sorry Alex," Queen Elena says while walking over to him.
Alex tries to argue but the king tells him he's staying in the castle. He turns and storms out of the throne room. I follow him back to his chambers to make sure that he's really alright. Alex sits down on his bed and looks over at me. He lets out a heavy sigh before saying,
"I'm fine. Just annoyed. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I wasn't even mad at you. I was mad at Leo. He's a reckless idiot." Can't argue there.
Leo tends to put other people's well being over his own. Especially Alex, who he can be overprotective of sometimes. More so than even their parents.
We start to share our stories of Leo and how reckless he can be at times. It's all we can do not to worry too much.
"When you two get married do try to help me keep him from doing anything too dumb," Alex says with a smirk.
"You're not going to let this go are you?" I ask and he shakes his head.
He explains that it will happen one day and it's only a matter of time. I tell him that as much as I want to believe that, I can't. Not just because I'm a servant either. It's my magic.
"The knights are likely about to head out," Alex says, going to look out of his window. When he does his face lights up.
"He's back!" he exclaims and runs out of his chambers. I make my way over to the window and look outside just in time to see Leo pass out. Leon catches him before he hits the floor and they start to bring him into the castle. I leave Alex's chambers and make my way to Leo's where he will most likely be taken.
When I reach his chambers the king, queen, Alex, Leon and Vincent are surrounding Leo who is laying on his bed.
"I've cleaned his wound and from what I can tell he was poisoned. I don't know the exact poison but this should work. He'll awaken soon," Vincent explains as he gives Leo the antidote.
We wait around for about half an hour before Leo starts to move. He seems troubled, like he's having a nightmare.
"No... You promised... Alex..." he mumbles.
Alex looks over at his parents and then at me before looking back at Leo.
"Alex!" he yells as he shoots up.
"Hey! I'm here! I'm here," Alex says while grabbing his shoulder. Leo looks around and then back at Alex. He apologizes and says that it was just a bad dream.
"Are you alright dear?" Queen Elena asks. She sits on his bed before asking him different questions. She and Alex ask about his dream but he says that he can't remember anything about it.
"What happened?" he asks after Vincent comes in and checks on him.
"You don't remember?" Alex asks. He explains that he remembers getting back to Camelot but nothing after that. Vincent explains how he was poisoned but should be okay.
"Are you alright?" Leo asks Alex.
"I'm fine," Alex assures him. He tells everyone that he wants to be alone so we all start to leave.
"Tristan. Can you stay for a minute?" Leo calls when I start to close the door. I walk back inside and shut the door.
"About what happened yesterday... I'm really sorry if I made things weird between us," he says.
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. It's not like it meant anything," I say back. Instantly I wish that I could take it back. Especially when I see his reaction.
"I didn't mean that how it sounded," I say hoping he wouldn't take that the wrong way.
"It's fine," he says with a fake smile. Not knowing what to say I just nod so he tells me that I can go. How could I say something so stupid?
Leo's P.O.V
Once I finally get free from their grasps I quickly climb onto Storm and ride off. I'm sure I gave Tristan enough time to get my brother to a safe distance. When I saw Alex slump forward I wasn't sure what happened but I knew he was in danger. I'm grateful that Tristan did as I asked. Who were those people who attacked us? They didn't seem like usual bandits because they were clearly after me and my brother. I'm sure that they meant to capture us. My shoulder hurts like hell but I need to get further away. However I do pull the bolt out.
I'll reach Camelot soon enough but I think that bolt was poisoned. It takes all of my strength not to fall asleep. My surroundings are beginning to blur so I shake my head in an attempt to clear my head. Storm neighs loudly and pulls back, almost making me fall off.
"Calm down boy," I say and run my hand down his mane. I manage to calm him down and continue on my way back to Camelot. My eyes begin to feel heavy and despite my best efforts they eventually close but I can still feel and hear everything. The breeze on my skin, the wind through the trees, the sound of hooves stomping over the ground. I'm not sure how long has passed but I do eventually hear the bustling of the lower town as I get closer. I pry open my eyes as Storm crosses the drawbridge. In the main square I can see multiple knights getting ready to head out.
"Looking for someone?" I ask. Leon and the other knights laugh as they welcome me back. I climb down but before I can do much else I fall into darkness.
My door opens, closes and then locks. He's here...
"Please... Not again..." I plead as he pulls down my covers. Father didn't like that. He grabs my throat tight enough to scare but not hurt me.
"You will not speak. Would you prefer I visited your brother, Leonardo?" he says in a sickeningly sweet tone.
Although afraid, I shake my head so he lets go. He runs his hand down the side of my face, down my chest, stops at my belly button for a moment and then down my inner thigh. My nine year old body. I hate it. It makes me feel gross and unclean. He takes off my shirt first and then my bottoms. It seems like it will never end. Like he'll never get off of me but eventually he does. When he leaves my chambers I finally let my tears fall. It hurts...
"I wish I was never born..." I say to myself. Everything around me goes black and I can't see anything. After looking around I notice a door with a torch on both sides of it. This is Alex's chambers... Why am I here? I look down at myself and notice that I'm around eleven years old now.
"Please! Leave me alone! Get off of me it hurts! Father please! Leo help me!" I hear a younger version of Alex scream from inside. I try to open the door but it's not moving. I bang on the door, screaming Alex's name.
"You promised! You said you wouldn't hurt him!" I scream as I bang on the door.
"Why did you let him hurt me Leo? You were meant to protect me..." Alex says from behind me. I turn around but I don't see him anywhere.
"Alex? Alex, where are you?! I'm sorry! I tried! Alex!"
"Alex!" I scream as I shoot up.
"Hey! I'm here! I'm here," Alex says from the chair beside me while grabbing my shoulder. It was just a dream... Looking around I notice Tristan, my mother and my father standing around me. I'm in my chambers. Why the hell is he here?
"I'm sorry. It was merely a bad dream," I say looking at Alex.
"Are you alright dear?" my mother asks. She sits on my bed, opposite of Alex, before asking me so many questions that I can't keep up.
"I want them found. Now," my father says darkly to Leon who nods. Both my mother and Alex question me about my dream. I lie and tell them that I can't remember anything about it. Mother seems to buy it but Alex still looks unsure. Vincent, the court physician, walks over and makes sure I'm alright.
"What happened?" I ask when he's finished.
"You don't remember?" Alex asks. I explain that I remember getting back to Camelot but then nothing.
"You were poisoned. I gave you the antidote in time so you should be alright," Vincent says. Guess that's a good thing.
"Are you alright?" I ask looking at Alex.
He assures me that he's fine so I tell everyone that I want to be alone. My mother kisses my forehead before leaving with my father. Vincent leaves after them, followed by Alex and Tristan.
"Tristan. Can you stay for a minute?" I call out right as he starts to close the door. He comes back inside and shuts the door behind him. I stand so I can meet him halfway. It's time to apologize for almost kissing him.
"About what happened yesterday... I'm really sorry if I made things weird between us," I tell him.
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. It's not like it meant anything," he responds. Wow. That hurts. How else did I expect him to react?
"I didn't mean that how it sounded," he says.
"It's fine," I say with a fake smile. He only nods so I tell him that he can go now. To be honest I was hoping that something more would happen between us. At least I know for sure now that he doesn't feel the same way about me. I need to let this go but I can't. What I should be doing is focus on my duties of being a prince and protecting my brother. I'm to be knighted this month. After that I can start going out on patrol with the other knights. Unfortunately my father will be bestowing that honor onto me. I really hate that man. Sometimes I wish he would just drop dead. Wait... Maybe I could...
"No. I'm not going to do that. He's a monster but I won't kill him. No matter how badly I may want to," I say out loud to myself.
"Kill who?" Alex asks from behind me. I turn to see him standing near my door.
"Do you ever knock?" I ask. He shrugs and says that he was just wondering what I talked about with Tristan.
"I'd rather not talk about it," I say while sitting at my table.
"Fair enough. So, who exactly are you not going to kill?" he questions.
"Not talking about that either Alex. As much as I enjoy your company I really want to be alone," I tell him but he just sits across from me. I'm not getting rid of him anytime soon.