"At this point I might as well assign a second guard to your post."

"That sounds very unnecessary and a waste of resources. It wouldn't look right either."

"Having one of my guards absent for half the day doesn't look right either!" Herval snapped. He had pulled Nikkol away during morning training to talk, something he'd been meaning to do for a while but things kept coming up. His absence once again the night before had finally made Herval do something. "I don't know what you're up to and it's not like I can punish you because it's Prince Setial himself that's taking you from your duty, but I need to do something! Takkoria has the best security and soldiers and even one not being there makes us all look bad!"

Nikkol knew that his situation was hard on the head guard, but he really couldn't do much to change it. Well, he probably could if he asked Setial if they could stop, but he really didn't want to. "I apologize for any stress you're put under, but it's not like I can disobey the prince." Nikkol said, trying his hardest to sound understanding and apologetic.

Herval nodded. "Well now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with you. If I moved you then that might anger the prince and I can't have too many guards at your post..." he sighed, bringing his fingers up to rub the crease between his eyebrows, "problems I'll have to figure out later. I have to give the announcements."

The announcements consisted of Herval getting everyone's attention and passing reminders and any information that affects most or all of the guards. Mostly it was him telling them to have a good day or any big announcements the King would give. He'd also give updates on the war, which was good because most of the guards didn't have the time or resources to keep up with that stuff.

There had actually been a lot of really big updates recently. There was the one about a group of knights being sent of to Nobera of all places for undisclosed reasons and then the one a few months later when they came back with the newly found out King's bastard son.

Herval moved to the head of the large group and loudly called for attention. The guards took a few minutes to crowd themselves into a half-circle around him.

"Today King Pythal is giving a supposedly very important royal announcement. That means that a lot of people are going to be in the castle, although the actual announcement is taking place in the courtyard. So stand extra tall today and keep alert for any suspicious behavior." He didn't say his usual but about having a good day or making him proud, but he really only did that when not much was going on. "Dismissed." With that all the guards marched off to their posts, no words being exchanged as they were officially on duty.

Nikkol went back to his exact same post, mind still reeling from how nice Setial had been to him the previous day. And night too.

Still, the mind can only run for so long. Nikkol found the same deep boredom creeping up to him before long. He tried remembering some of the games he'd sometime play in his head to pass the time.

There was one where he'd try and come up with a story and background for every person that passed him, but remembering the royal announcement, he knew that would be exhausting to try and keep up.

There was another where'd he pretend it was a game to run along the cracks between the stones on the wall in front of him and he'd try and find the fastest way down.

There was another where he'd try and create a tune in his mind, more often than not the song a bard had played, and he'd try and subtly move a single finger or the tip of his toe to the beat.

He ended up deciding on none of these, mind too active yet tired for any of those. So he settled on staring at the wall like normal, forcing himself into stillness as he tried to think of nothing at all.

People of all sorts passed through his line of sight. There were so many and if Nikkol paid any attention, he'd see many people of the kingdom he hadn't before and might've found himself entertained.

Instead he pushed every emotion down, strangled every thought, just staring blankly at the stone wall, mind and eyes unfocused. It almost felt like he was asleep.

Whatever it was, he was quickly alert when loud and angry footsteps sounded through the halls.

He hadn't even noticed Setial passing him, mind too out of it, but his dramatic return jolted him into the present.

He watched, treacherous eyes moving from their required position, as the man stormed down the hall, a furious expression on his face. He didn't even spare a glance towards the guard.

Barely aware of his movements, Nikkol began to follow him unprompted. His movements were as stiff and proper as always, making his following seem intentional, like he was told to do as he was doing, but his thoughts which were pressed down moments ago were now all about the prince.

What could he be so upset about?

Why was he returning from the announcement so soon?

Nikkol was sure that this was earlier than it should've been for returning from such a big and royal announcement. People hadn't started coming back in and hanging around yet. Gossip hadn't spread through the many servants and people who passed through yet. He wasn't even sure if the King had finished his announcement.

Before he even realized it, he was standing outside the prince's closed bedroom door.

He hadn't meant to follow him, but he knew at this point he couldn't go back. The other guards would think things and he'd have to pass back by Herval's study which meant questions he didn't have a good answer to.

Steeling himself, Nikkol pushed open the door, only a second later wondering if he should've knocked, and stepped right in.

Setial was angrily muttering to himself as he paced angrily around the room, fingers harshly tugging on his hair.

Nikkol couldn't make out exactly what the prince was saying, only that whatever it was he was incredibly upset about it, his words coming out from behind clenched teeth and nearly shaking with rage.

The closing of the door was enough to bring Setial to reality.

As soon as his cloudy grey eyes met Nikkol's, the guard tensed. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here. He knew the prince must know that too.

Setial's surprised eyes turned quickly back into anger. "What are you doing here?" He angrily said, his voice nearly a shout. He started walking with a purpose now, towards Nikkol, fire burning in his eyes. His hands gripped Nikkol's arms viciously. "You can't just-" He couldn't get anymore out, for within those few words he had pulled Nikkol in close and started crying into his metal-clad shoulder.

Nikkol felt that all too familiar feeling of not knowing what to do. Despite the prince crying being somewhat common, the guard was unfortunately not blessed with the skill of knowing what to do when someone was upset. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around the shaking prince, not knowing what else he should do.

Setial didn't move for several minutes.

Nikkol had no idea why he was so upset.

When he finally did pull away, Setial just quietly walked to his bed and sat down, bringing his legs up to hug them to his chest.

Nikkol felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu looking at him. Not too long ago, he had brought Nikkol to his room and ended up crying in the exact same position.

Knowing he might be used as a giant tissue again, Nikkol removed the armor on the top half of his body as quietly as he could. "What happened?" Nikkol asked, not being able to take the curiosity.

Setial buried his head in his knees for a few seconds then completely unwrapped himself and started pacing the room, this time with a distressed and sad look on his face with his arms hugging his body. Nikkol waited patiently for him to start speaking, using the time to remove the uncomfortable armor from the lower half of his body too, setting it down slowly as to not disturb the prince.

Patience quickly ran out after Setial changed his direction for what must be the hundredth time. Just as Nikkol was about to ask again, Setial started speaking. "My father, he just..." His voice was chocked and rough. "He tosses my mother aside like she was nothing!"

Nikkol scooted closer, interested. "What do you mean?"

One of Setial's arms slid out of the other and started tugging at his hair again. "To the whole kingdom he announces that Kaythia, or whatever her name was, was the absolute love of his life and how special that makes her child and how that excuses the fact that they weren't married!" Nikkol could barely make sense of what Setial was saying, but knew he couldn't interrupt yet. The sadness had quickly turned back into anger. "Just acts like I wasn't even there, like he had no children and this bright new son was the answer to everything! Gives him my title and everything without even telling me or anyone else, including him! He doesn't even want it I'll bet! I knew it was likely that he'd do that, after all the first second this new kid comes into the castle he's been put on a pedestal.

"And the one thing, the one thing that I thought he'd need me for since that bastard decided that he was special and would take a male lover, gets ruined too! Now I'll bet my father really believes that I'm good for absolutely nothing!"

Nikkol finally put it together. The King had named his other son, he believed his name to be Ezorah, heir to the kingdom. And he already heard from the various rumors and overheard conversations that Ezorah had found his happiness in the arms of a knight and wasn't looking to change that and the King was okay with that. Setial himself had told him that he was expected to provide the next heir after Ezorah but didn't like that and that was why Nikkol himself had entered the picture. But there was one thing he couldn't understand.

"Why was that ruined, why doesn't he need you anymore?"

"At first I was supposed to do all that, but when I decided to confront the little bastard and fight him for what's mine, he reveals that he has a sister!"

"A sister!" Nikkol exclaimed. He hadn't been expecting that. The confronting Ezorah, however, seemed very in character for Setial.

All the energy seemed to drain out of the prince. "A twin sister." He muttered as he dejectedly sat down on the bed next to Nikkol. "She ran off when they were kids and now my father is sending out knights and soldiers to go find her. Tensions have never been thicker with Avaviles, yet he sends out half our force to go try to find someone who's most likely dead and says that she'll be the one who's kids rule after Ezorah."

With all the information given, it was probably inappropriate that the first thing that went through Nikkol's head was he had gotten Ezorah's name right. But after that thought, there was a lot of concern over what was said. "Where are the knights being sent?"

Setial sighed and Nikkol on instinct wrapped his arm around him in comfort. Surprisingly, Setial leaned into the touch and rested his head on Nikkol's shoulder. "That's the worst part. They're being sent to Caben based on something she said to the bastard once."

Nikkol had heard of Caben. It was unclaimed by any kingdom yet not quite one itself. It was an area of lawlessness, was dirty, and was full of criminals and crime. It also happened to ally more with Avaviles. "But if they're sent there with rising tensions then Avaviles might see that as means for an attack!"

"Exactly." Setial sounded so tired, but Nikkol's mind was elsewhere.

"And if half of our forces are to be elsewhere then Takkoria will be especially vulnerable!"

"My father is beyond reason at this point."

Nikkol's heart pounded and his eyes widened, he could've just heard plans that would lead to the end of his kingdom.