I woke up the next morning, smiling as I got out of bed. I had a plan for what I wanted to do today. Mykie didn't want to leave his apartment. We would spend hours in the same room, and I was starting to feel trapped.

I understood how he didn't like all the attention he would get when we were out together, but I felt like we needed to do something.

I had my outfit planned the night before so one of my maids could get it prepared and a bath was also ready for when I woke up.

As I left my room, dressed and bathed, there was my father and Charles staring at me like I had done something wrong.

"Victor, it's time we had a talk." My father sat at the big table where importing meetings were always held. Charles stood, like a bird perched on my father's shoulder. The faces the two were expressing made me guess that something was wrong.

"What is it about?" I asked, taking a seat next to my dad.

My father looked around the room like he was trying to find the right words to say. "There is a problem that I was made aware of, and I think it's best that you stay in here for the day." My heart suddenly picked up its pace with my leg bouncing off the floor. It's not—

"Problem? What type of problem?"

"We don't want to scare you," Charles said.

"I'm going to be 18, what could possibly scare me?" My voice said otherwise. I clearly sounded like a scared child. Charles nodded to my dad like he was allowing him to say the rest.

"We wanted to keep it from you because you looked like you were enjoying yourself." My dad said, really trying to prolong the conversation. "It's just, I was told that a Red has infiltrated the kingdom." Suddenly, I felt like everything just stopped. My heart, my breath, the conversation. Everything was quick to stop.

"A Red?" I questioned. "You mean like an actual Red?" Charles nodded clearly upset. "And this isn't some rumor?" I questioned while starting to stand up from my seat. My toes already pointing to the nearest exit.

"Not that I know of. Apparently, there is evidence that a Red is here. He was seen leaving his apartment a few days ago. When looking at new citizenship, there was evidence of only one person just recently joining. It's just an assumption, but that's who the culprit might be. We are thinking of starting a case or even doing a search around the kingdom," Charles said.

"I—I think I got to go," I mumbled. Their words were just jumbling up in my head only causing more anxiety.

"Victor, I said you can't leave." My dad said, his voice turning hard as I started to back away. "Victor Beverly, you better not leave this god damn estate!"

"I can't, I really have to go." Immediately, I started to run. My father and Charles were calling for me, standing up from their seats. but I wasn't going to stop. All I could think about was Mykie.

I need to make sure he is okay. I can't have anything happen to him. I need to protect him.

It seemed like the car ride lasted for hours. The driver, who knew I shouldn't be leaving, looked at me with curiosity. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he didn't. He never talked to me, and seeing how upset I looked, he wasn't going to start today.

As soon as the car stopped, I immediately jumped out of the vehicle and began to run. A few people looked at me, confused, but no one was going to stop me. I wasn't going to let them.

Everything looked so different. My mind started to play with my head, nothing looked familiar and I didn't know where to go. I began to run forward, but abruptly stopped when I viewed a big crowd.

So many things were going through my head. The first thing I thought of was a riot. The kingdom started to start a riot over the news that a Red has broken in. My second thought was the crowd was a simple showcase, and that some luxury items were being sold. But when the crowd erupted with cheers and laughter, I knew that wasn't the case.

I walked up to the crowd. An Orange lady saw me, making her cruel smile grow.

"What's going on here?" I asked the lady, who seemed very happy. She looked at me, then to the crowd, then back to me.

"I thought the royals already found out," she said, a little confused. "Someone caught the Red." Trying to keep my composure, I simply raised my eyebrows in shock.

To keep me from saying anything unnecessary, I walked away from the lady.

I moved forward, going deeper into the crowd. The farther I went, the more nervous I began to grow. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on my forehead and as soon as another wave of cheers erupted, I began to push the whole rainbow out of the way. There I saw it, more like him.

Mykie laid on his knees, tears mixed with blood began to roll down his cheeks, his clothes—torn and tattered. It was a horrendous sight to see.

"Prince Victor, ain't it?" I looked at a big, broad-shouldered, Purple man who held—what looked like— a rod.

"You're jus' n' time!" My eyes darted to an identical man sharing the same crooked expression.

"In time for what?" I questioned, looking down at Mykie, who refused to look at me.

"Just n' time to punish this Red." It already looked like he got punished enough. Mykie's skin was starting to turn purple, in other places there were big gashes spilling dark red blood. He looked like he was still in his nightclothes, light gray shorts with a simple blue top. It hurt to look at him.

"What do you mean punish?"

"Well, Prince Victor, you know better than anyone here the rules about Reds. Reds are not allowed here, and if you find one, you must report it so they can be deeply punished." I gulped.

"He's just a kid! Do you think he has done anything wrong in his life!? Ever!?" The crowd broke out into murmurs. I was causing controversy, but at that point, I didn't even care.

"Being a child doesn't mean you are free from being punished. He came to this kingdom against the law n' he should be punished!" One of the Purples raised their voice at me. "Now, if you don't mind we are gonna continue."

"You better not touch him," I growled. The two men looked at me, not sure what they should actually do. He's just a kid, what could he do? I knew that's what they were thinking. The whole kingdom was probably thinking that!

So the two men continued their movements winding up their rods getting the crowd all riled up. I couldn't stand there and watch. I couldn't just stand there and not do anything.

Mykie no longer had the ability to shield himself. It looked like he lost that long ago. So the teen sat on the ground, squeezing his eyes shut so this could just be over with.

"I said not to touch him," I barked, holding back the urge to just pounce the guys.

"Prince Victor, I am only following the law," one of the Purples murmured.

"I am the law and as your Prince, I demand you to step away from him!" It's like I waved a magic wand because the two men immediately took three steps back giving me the chance to dive to Mykie where he limply fell into my arms. He looked like he was trying to fight back all of the whimpers and cries. I cradled his body, trying not to get lost in the number of injuries that were currently placed upon him.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to call. Everyone around me was against Mykie, and I had no one to help me. My heart was racing as his was slowly disappearing.

"It's okay, Mykie. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." I was throwing empty promises at him. I didn't even know how I was going to defend Mykie against two guys, let alone a whole crowd of people.

"Victor." My name came out harsh and cold, from the tone of his voice, I knew my dad was upset.

"Is that Mykie?" Charles muttered, his orange eyebrows being knitted together.

"Charles, please help him," I begged. "I don't know what to do." I sounded weak, I hate how I sounded weak. During the moment in time where the person I care about most was in trouble, and I couldn't do anything but beg. I hated that.

"Charles," my father called, jerking his head towards Mykie and me.

"Yes, sir." Charles loomed over me, then squatted so I could see his gentle eyes. "I'll take him, Victor, and I won't let anything happen to him. I promise." I let him take Mykie. No matter where he went, he was better off there than with me.

My father ordered his guards to clear everyone from the perimeter, but held eye contact with the two Purples standing next to me.

"Gentleman," he started. "You caught the Red." Their mouths began to grow as my dad spoke. "But no one said you could go to such extent. And to raise your voice at my son— at the Prince— and go against what he ordered! This is truly unacceptable." My dad's bright blue eyes glared at me. "Victor, go to the car, I'll be there in a little bit." A guard guided me to the black car while my father began to speak his mind.

I waited, impatiently. It felt like hours and I couldn't stop worrying about Mykie. I was covered in his blood like a reminder that I could have prevented it. As soon as my dad came he sat in front of me, rubbing his temples showing how stressed he was.

"Victor, I'm not mad at you," he started even though I didn't care to listen. "I'm just upset that I was not aware of this situation beforehand." I turned my head away from my dad showing I didn't want to talk. He took the hint and sighed.

"Prince Victor, right this way." A curly orange-haired maid attempted to guide me to my room, but I just quickened my stride and closed the door with a slam.

I was quick to take off every article of clothing and jump into the warm shower that was already set for me. I simply watched the water mix with the blood then fall down the drain.

I could have prevented this. I know I could have. If I just would have known. Why didn't I know? Why did no one tell me?

Out of my whole 17 years of living, that was the most un-princely I have ever felt.

After the shower, I sat on my floor with my knees up against my chest like I was a child again. I couldn't help but blame myself. I sat on the ground for what felt like hours, tearing myself up, until there was a knock at my door and then Charles's voice.

With a swift movement, I opened the door letting me see him, in a new outfit, and a man in a white coat.

"He's okay," the Doctor, I assumed, reassured me. "Right now it's best if he gets lots of rest. We have nurses on watch, and I'll come to do check-ins to make sure he is okay."

"Can I see him?" The orange-haired doctor looked at Charles who nodded his head knowing I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Right this way." I followed the male, my heart picking up pace as we approached an unused part of the estate. He stopped at the door letting me go in. There standing beside Mykie was my father. He looked like he was in deep thought, contemplating a lot of things. I walked up to my dad and stood beside him, the two of us staring down at the sleeping Mykie.

"Why didn't he tell me?" I asked my dad. "He had to have known, so why didn't he tell me?" My dad looked at me with a hint of pity.

"He probably didn't want to worry you." My dad whispered. "Or he didn't want to cause trouble." I had so many follow up questions that I knew my dad didn't know the answer to.

"I could have helped. I could have done something."

"Victor, this task is not fit for the prince. Not for someone your age. You did everything you could, but you're still the prince." I clenched my jaw at his words. It was true, I was still a kid and even though I wanted to help him, I was powerless against everyone. "Don't beat yourself up over it. He's here. He's okay. Everything will be fine." I sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I thought I could protect him on my own. I should have told you, but he was scared. I was scared. I didn't want to lose him."

"Don't worry about that, son. The more I thought about it the more I realized that no matter when you told me, you wouldn't let me do anything to him. Even if your life depended on it." My dad rubbed my shoulder. "Charles already told me, it's just a shame that I wasn't the first to know. I am your father and all. And while I always thought my son was going to marry a woman, I wouldn't be upset if you weren't," my dad laughed.

"It's just rough how that one person—"

"Is a Red." My dad finished. "I know. Once he wakes up and is able to be independent we can talk more. But for right now he needs rest." My father smiled then left the room, his boots echoing as he did so.

"I'm sorry, Mykie," I whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." I laid my head down on the bed while I stared up at him. "I'm sorry."