Threat to the Throne (BxB)

7 | Conversations with the Prince

Prince "Robert's" POV

My heart pounds against my rib cage the entire way to my old house.

My head was spinning, trying to wrap itself around the idea of someone seeing fit to hurt such a harmless boy - target, literally the sweetest person I've ever met. 

What goes on in people's heads when they do such stuff...

"Where are we, Your Majesty?" the soft-spoken boy beside me questions, interrupting my mental battle.

"We're at my old house, I used to come here when things got a little bit too real for my liking."

"Oh," he nods "I see."

I divert my gaze to him and analyze his every move. From the way he kept his eyes to the floor, to the way he fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt, to how he wouldn't stop biting his poor lip...

"Are you going to tell me who did this to you?" I ask quickly, choosing to just rip the band-aid off than to beat around the bush.

"What?" he raises his gaze momentarily, before it goes back to the floor.

"I can see your neck Nathaniel," I explain carefully "I know someone did this to you."

He lifts his eyes to look at me once again - and the minute my eyes meet his, I can see his internal turmoil. I can see him contemplating whether or not to tell me...

"I can't...it'll just make things worse" he whispers, his shoulders sagging.

"Then please allow me to make them better" I confess, taking a bold step towards him and placing my hand on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry" he expresses, his voice cracking - and I couldn't stand the sight before me, so I acted on instinct and engulfed the hazel-eyed boy in the biggest bear hug known to man. 

I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if it sucked because I'm not that much of a hugger - but I wasn't about to let Nathaniel break even more when I'm here to hold him.

His tears soak my shirt, as he cries quietly in my embrace, "I'm gonna kill whoever did this to you."

He chuckles a bit at my words, "Please, don't."

"Well, can you at least tell me how long they've been doing this to you?" I enquire, unable to keep my questions to myself. 

"Since I arrived here" he fills in.

"When did you arrive at this settlement?"

"Two and a half-years ago" he hiccups.

"What?!" I exclaim, startling him witless. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...I-I'm just shocked" I explain, my embrace immediately tightening over him protectively.

I feel my fury multiply as each second ticks by. How many more injuries has he sustained over these years? How many times does he cry like this after every encounter that he has with his bully?

"Why do they do it?" I ask, keeping a stoic face - whilst every fiber of my being is begging me to hunt whoever hurt him and make them pay.

"Because I'm poor," he states "defenseless...and gay" he adds, wriggling himself out of my tight hold. "I'm really not trying to make a big deal out of this, I'll be done with high school soon, and I'll leave Quinnston once and for all..."