I was woken by a sudden gasp followed by a cry in pain. I quickly sat up in my chair, the room pitch black, but I knew who it was.

"Mykie?!" I wanted to be happy that he was awake. Instead, I panicked as he began to freak out. "Mykie, it's me, Victor. You're okay." I didn't even know if he was comprehending anything I was saying. He looked sho shaken up and not all there. I pushed my chair out of my way then wrapped my arms around him to make him stop thrashing. "It's okay, I got you," I whispered. "No one is going to hurt you, I'm here." I hugged him tighter and tighter until he was no longer making sudden movements. I only pulled away when I knew he was calm, but his eyes immediately welled you with tears.

"Victor?" His voice came out raspy and forced.

"Yeah, I'm here." I didn't exactly know what to do. He was still crying and I didn't know how to console him.

"Victor, I—" his words got caught in his throat as he searched my face. "I'm sorry." I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.

"Why are you apologizing?" I sat next to him on the bed watching as he looked away from me. "You didn't do anything—"

"I lied to you. I kept this a secret and I didn't tell you. I know I said I wasn't going to keep secrets from you but—" I pulled him into a hug, my heart hurting as he cried up against my shoulder.

"It's okay," I soothed. "I'm not mad at you. I promise I'm not." Mykie slowly wrapped his arms around my stomach, desperately clinging onto my shirt. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not upset." I told him, but that didn't stop him from worrying. "Lay back down, Mykie. You don't want to hurt yourself anymore." I softly pushed him back on the bed, then moved his red waves out of his face to kiss him on the forehead.

After a minute of silence, Mykie moved his slender hand and softly grabbed hold of mine.

"I'm not mad at you," I softly laughed. "Don't give me that face." Mykie's face was full of guilt making me sigh. "I'm going to go tell everyone you're awake." Mykie opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but nothing came out. "I'll be back."

I slowly left the room, watching Mykie as I did so. As soon as I left, I began to run. My father and Charles were sitting in his office, talking about God knows what, and as soon as they saw me... they immediately understood. The three of us left the cherry wood room and back to the room Mykie was in. As soon as we approached the door, I stopped with my hand hovering above the handle.

"Hey, um, don't get offended if he's scared of you," I said while turning around to look at the two men. "Because he definitely will be scared of you." The two slowly nodded their heads then followed me inside the room. "I'm back," I told Mykie, who had been laying in bed, looking like he was going to fall asleep again. "I brought Charles...and my dad." And like that he was awake. His eyes shot towards me with a mix of anger and confusion.

"Good afternoon, Mykie. I'm glad to see you awake." Charles said, introducing himself. "I'm Charles, Victor's personal guard." Mykie sat straight up, letting out an uncomfortable groan.

"Don't get up, weirdo, you're going to hurt yourself," I said, my eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Yes, be careful, we don't want you to get hurt again." My father chimed in. "King Eugene, the king of Indixous. Victor's father," he added like it wasn't obvious.

Mykie simply nodded his head, not sure what to say.

"How are you feeling?" Charles asked.

"Not good." The two men shared a chuckle like he told a joke earning a confused look from Mykie.

"Yes, I assume so. Silly question for me to ask." The room was filled with silence which Mykie seemed to enjoy. "I'll call in the doctor and nurses," Charles said before exiting out of the room. I sat on the edge of Mykie's bed while my father took the chair that I had been sitting on. Mykie grabbed the back of my shirt hinting how uncomfortable he was. I simply turned around with a smile letting him know he will be okay.

"It's a good thing your awake," my dad started. "I was starting to think Victor would never come out of this room."

"Dad," I whined with a roll of my eyes.

"I'm just joking. But in all seriousness, I'm relieved you are awake." Charles walked in followed by the doctor and a nurse with a first aid kit.

"Hello, Red, you're finally awake." I shot the orange-haired doctor a glare making my dad shake his head with a sigh. "How are you feeling? Any sharp pains? Notice any blood? How is your head, does it hurt?"

"Uh, yes," Mykie answered with his eyebrows knitted together.

"Okay, Let's have a look." The doctor and the nurse walked to the bed then stopped. "Can we have the Prince leave the room?" The man asked. "I think it would be best if he did." I looked at everyone with confusion.

"Yes, I agree. Victor, why don't you wait outside." My dad nodded his head with a smile.

"Wait, why do I have to?"

"I think, for the sake of everyone, you shouldn't see." The nurse softly chimed in, then walked me out of the room. I waited outside, pouting like a child.

"No fair, I shouldn't have to leave the room. He's my friend, I deserve to stay." I muttered to myself, waiting to be called back into the room. When I was able to, I watched as the nurse walked by holding bandages and wraps, a majority of them covered in Mykie's blood. She smiled then left the room with everything. I finally understood why they wouldn't let me stay. For a second I was kind of happy that I didn't.

"Give him a few days, he should be independent by then. For now, he will need to limit his movement and make sure you're gentle with him." The doctor said, directing the last part towards me.

"Thank you, Doctor Williams. We are thankful you can help," Charles smiled.

"Why, of course. I never thought I would be handling a Red, but I would do anything for your majesty." The olive-skin man left the room with a smile leaving the four of us alone once again.

I walked back to Mykie's bed, sitting on it with my arms crossed. Still upset over the fact that the doctor called him a Red. He has a name.

"Well, kiddo, it was nice chatting with you. We'll make sure to check up on you every so often. The king and I must attend to some important material."

"Oh, okay." Mykie tipped his head as the two older men left the room.

"Would you look at that. It wasn't so bad." I chuckled giving Mykie's flushed cheeks a pinch.

"I didn't like that," Mykie mumbled making me sigh.

"I know you didn't like that. I figure any interaction you'll ever have with them, you won't like. But they are just regular old people." I said while facing Mykie.

"They aren't regular old people, Victor. He's the king. He could kill me with a snap of his fingers. I can make you upset somehow and, poof, I won't be here." I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I'm sorry, Victor. I'm just scared." My heart slowly started to break. I could hear it shattering as it did so.

"I know you're scared. But you have to trust me, Mykie. Nothing bad will happen. He's a nice guy."

"I know, but Blues are what ruined my life," he whispered. "They make these rules and look where I'm at. Look where my family is at. I don't belong."

"Stop, Mykie. Don't say that." I engulfed the boy in a hug, my lips being pulled downwards. I hated hearing him say that.

"Don't you think I'll be better off with my family?" He mumbled softly, his tears holding back his words.

My body wanted to react in so many different ways. I wanted to yell, I wanted to cry. I wanted to just hole myself in this room and never let this boy out of my arms. I couldn't stand to hear him talk like that. He deserved so much more than he has been given. And it hurts me to hear him talk like that.

"No," I said while biting the insides of my cheeks. "You're better off here, safe, with me. No one can hurt you, I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise, Mykie. I won't let the guards, the chefs, maids, butlers, I won't even let my dad hurt you. So please, don't talk like that." I pulled him closer and closer, hoping that the proximity would make my tears disappear.

He didn't say anything for a moment. The red-headed boy stayed in my arms, his sniffles gently drowning out the world around us. "Are you okay now?" I pulled away to look at his blotchy flushed face. He simply nodded his head. "Okay." I pushed away any stray strands of red before gently kissing him on his cheek. "Lay back down, Mykie," I said while getting up.

"Wait, where are you going?" He questioned, his voice with panic. I just simply stood up, but it still filled him with fear.

"Nowhere. I'll stay here." I stayed sitting on the edge of the white-sheeted bed, softly stroking Mykie's hair until he fell fast asleep. After that, I left the room and walked to my dad's office where I knew he would be.

"Oh, you finally left," Charles joked.

"Yeah, he, uh, he fell asleep." My dad and Charles shot each other a glance with a grimace on their face. "He's okay," I said trying to erase anything they were thinking. "Just not feeling good," I whispered.

"I would imagine. After everything that happened to that kid, I don't understand how he could do anything," I sighed.

"I know," I sat down on one of the sofas with a sigh.

"Why are you making that face?" My father questioned. "What happened in there?"

"Nothing bad," I said, trying to reassure my father. "It's just, hard," I mumbled. "You know it was so hard to make him open up to me. I mean after everything that happened with his family, I could only imagine that he didn't want anything to do with me. Dad, Mykie even asked me if he was better off with his family. Better off dead. Do you know how hurtful that was to hear? It's just everything around him is crashing down, and I can't do anything about it! I'm just a stupid ol prince. I can't do anything to protect him!" All of a sudden, I had a pair of strong arms wrap around me.

"It's okay, Victor. Calm down." I clenched my jaw as a tear trickled down my cheek.

"I just want him to be happy."

"I know you do, and unfortunately we cannot undo the past, so we must work with the future. He's not saying these things to make you upset, he's not trying to be insensitive, he's just scared. You can't expect him not to be. I don't know what happened to his family, but it must be truly horrifying. Victor, you must work with him. Take it slow because we don't know what he is thinking and how he is feeling."

"Prince Victor, I know you're upset because of what he is saying, but just know he doesn't mean harm. He's trying just as hard as you are."

"And you're not some stupid prince. You're my son. And you've protected him quite well. Without you, who knows where he will be." My dad let go of me, then patted my head like I was a child. "Don't beat yourself up too much, okay?" I nodded. "Now go freshen up, we'll be here if something comes up."

I left the room and went straight to my bedroom where I completely let everything out. My mixed emotions all began to pour out of me at once.

A prince shouldn't cry, the future king shouldn't cry. But I needed to cry. Every little piece of haunting detail drifted out of me and down the drain of my shower.

It could have been thirty minutes later, maybe even more, but I finally made my way back into Mykie's room. He still laid asleep, his cheeks red with the brim of his eyes swollen. Yet he looked so peaceful. I kissed him goodnight before exiting the room.

While walking to my own room, I stopped by my dad's office to say I was retiring for the night. When I looked in, the two looked very stressed. I stood by the door listening to them share their anxieties.

"You're going to have to make a statement about this," Charles muttered. "And no matter what you say, there will be a mix of responses."

"I know. But what am I supposed to say, Chars? I'm not allowing Reds into my kingdom. I can't go out there and say that everything is controlled and he's taken care of. News will start to spread that the King of Indixous is letting a Red stay in their kingdom and who knows what is to follow." My dad sighed. "And we can't kick the poor kid out. Even if we had the option, there would be no way Victor will let us lay a hand on him."

"One day at a time, Eugene. We just need to think about what we are planning on saying. Once we get that settled, we will figure out the rest." Charles placed a reassuring hand on my father's shoulder while I walked away from the door.

I didn't think about that. I didn't think about the countless emails and letters my father received over the situation. I never wanted to make it a big deal. I just wanted it to be fixed. But it felt like only be a dream could make things turn out so perfectly.