Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ LX. ALEXEI ❆ ❆

"You're no king!"

King Korol whirls around in surprise, as does Jae, best as he can, from where he's been strapped down to a table.

Alexei gulps. He feels just as surprised from the shout that had ripped through his throat as the other two looked.

He should've stayed quiet... Should've stayed quiet and waited to help Jae secretly.

But that wouldn't have worked, would it have? Because surely Korol wouldn't have left until Jae... Until he—

"Alexei. What are you doing here?"

"F-father," Alexei finds himself stuttering, uncertain. "Father. I... I'm here to— "

"You're not here, Alexei. Go. Now. Before it's too late."

And it's hard for Alexei to resist his father's orders, a king's orders... It's so very hard. But just as he's turning away, Jae's the one who speaks...

"Alexei," he says. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm..." He turns around to face him, blue eyes on blue eyes in turn. "I came here to save... To save you."

Jae's eyes widen. But he says nothing, Korol talks instead.

"Save him? Alexei, don't be ridiculous. I'm giving you one last chance — you leave now, quietly, and I'll forget you were ever here in the first place."

Alexei puffs out his chest, "And if I stay?"

"Then you join Jae, here, on the table, lying beneath my blade."

Alexei slumps.

"Well then, little prince? What shall your decision be?"

Alexei looks at his father. He looks at Jae. His father. Jae. His father... Jae. Back and forth, back and forth between the two. His father. His brother. His father. His brother...

The little prince, tall and strong but feeling so small and weak, sighs, and with that sigh he heads to exit the way he came.

"That's it," his father says. "Good boy."

Perhaps that was what spurred Alexei into action. Or perhaps it wasn't that his father said something, but rather that Jae didn't say anything. No beg of help, no demand that he stay... Nothing. As if, of course, Alexei was expected to follow orders, to do as his father said, to leave his brother behind.

Because that was what Alexei was, wasn't he? The cold-hearted ice prince, who wouldn't stop to help anyone but himself.

Whatever the reason may be, Alexei did not walk back into the passageway.

Instead, he grabbed a sword from the wall, and leapt over his father to land at Jae's side.

And now Jae says something, surprised and delighted, "Woahoho!"

Alexei quickly gets to work, twirling his sword and already cutting Jae's bonds free.

Piano lessons were useless. But at least my father's study selection was good for one thing...

He doesn't get very far, however, as there's a loud CLANG of his father's sword being brought down against his own.

"Oh," Alexei squeaks.

"You had your chance," his father — Alexei doesn't feel comfortable calling him that, not anymore — snarls. "You think you can best your old man at a sword fight, boy?"

"Well," Alexei grits his teeth and pushes back with his sword against Korol's with all his force and all his might, sending the old man sprawling. "You did make the mistake of teaching me everything you know."