Kylian returned to his quarters with a heavy sense of purpose, determined to ensure Marius's safety. As he entered the quarters, he found Marius lying on the cold stone floor, the palace doctor kneeling beside him, tending to his wounds. Rem stood close by, his posture tense, watching the doctor's every move with a protective intensity that didn't escape Kylian's notice.
Kylian's gaze swept over the scene, his expression darkening. "Why isn't the boy in a bed?" he asked, his tone laced with irritation.
Rem turned to him, his face tight with frustration. "The servants wouldn't let us in, Your Highness. They laughed at the idea of an Omega servant entering the Crown Prince's chambers."
Kylian sighed, a mix of exasperation and weariness flooding through him. "Well, carry the boy and come with me," he ordered.
Without hesitation, Rem bent down and carefully lifted Marius into his arms. The boy was limp, his breathing shallow, and the sight of him in such a state sent a sharp pang through Kylian's chest. He led the way into his private chambers, pushing open the heavy doors with a firm hand.
Inside, the head servant, identifiable by the ornate brooch on his tunic, stepped forward, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Your Highness," he began, his voice wavering slightly, "your new guard brought in this bleeding Omega and had the effrontery to suggest that the Prince wanted the boy here."
Kylian met the servant's gaze, his expression cold and unyielding. "That is true," he said, his voice carrying the weight of his authority. "The boy will be my attending servant."
The head servant's face paled, and he stammered, his words stumbling over each other. "But, Your Highness… that is my job…"
Kylian's eyes flicked to the other servants in the room, noting their exchanged glances and the barely audible murmurs that rippled through them. The tension was palpable, a silent protest hanging in the air.
Kylian's gaze returned to the head servant, his tone steady and calm. "It is my job to give… or to take," he said, each word precise and deliberate. "And I am taking this role to give it to another."
The servant fell to his knees, desperation etched into his features. "Whatever I have done to offend the Prince, I am deeply sorry," he pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.
Kylian's expression softened slightly, though his resolve remained firm. "You have done nothing wrong," he said, his voice almost gentle. "I simply believe the boy is the right fit for me."
Tears welled in the head servant's eyes as he nodded, his voice choked with emotion. "I understand, Your Highness."
With that, Kylian turned his attention back to Marius, who was now being carried into one of the chambers. The room was elegant and warm, with soft poster beds draped in silk white sheets, red clay walls that glowed softly in the afternoon light, and a large window that let in a gentle breeze. Rem laid Marius down on the bed, handling him with the utmost care.
The doctor approached, his face serious as he examined Marius. "He has a fever from the beating and blood loss," the doctor explained, his tone clinical. "I'll need to stitch up the wounds and give him some medicine to bring the fever down. He might not wake until nightfall."
Kylian nodded, his voice calm and steady. "Do what you must."
As the doctor set to work, Kylian turned his attention to Rem, who stood by the bed, his body tense and his eyes filled with a mix of emotions that Kylian could only guess at. The prince studied him for a moment, the silence between them thick with unspoken words.
"It's hard to believe you have so much care in your heart for a stranger," Kylian remarked, his tone neutral but probing. "Are you intent on keeping to the lie that you do not know this boy?"
Rem's jaw tightened, his gaze shifting from Marius to Kylian. For a moment, he seemed to wrestle with himself, as though weighing the consequences of his next words. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and resigned. "Maybe I'll come clean, Your Highness," he admitted, his eyes dark with something akin to sorrow. "Yes, I know Marius."
Kylian remained silent, waiting for Rem to continue.
"He was a good person," Rem said, his voice heavy with regret. "He didn't deserve the hell that Onalith has put him through."
There was a raw honesty in Rem's words, an emotion that Kylian hadn't expected. It wasn't just concern for a fellow Omega—there was something deeper, something more personal that Kylian couldn't quite place.
Kylian watched Rem closely, his mind working through the implications of this revelation.
"So, he's the one you want to protect?" he asked, his tone devoid of judgment.
Rem nodded, his eyes briefly flickering with vulnerability.
Kylian's gaze shifted to Marius, lying unconscious on the bed, his body battered and bruised. "Then you've wasted your life," Kylian said flatly. "Marius isn't in any real danger. His parents broke the law, and the kingdom was kind enough to spare his life and give it new meaning."
Rem's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "No," he said, his voice low but firm. "The nobles break the law all the time, and there are no consequences for them."
Kylian turned to him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "No noble has broken the law. Those who do are punished, just like your friend's parents. Or do you know of someone who has escaped justice?" His gaze was sharp, almost challenging, as he studied Rem's reaction.
Rem scoffed, a bitter sound escaping him. "And speak treason, Your Highness?" he replied, his voice tinged with irony.
Kylian chuckled, a dark, humorless sound, before turning his attention back to the doctor stitching up Marius's wounds. "So, this is about my father," he mused, his tone thoughtful. "You should know my mother is still queen, and I am still his legal child. The Omega with her child is still an Omega with a child. A Bedni that is simply favored. Nothing more, nothing less."
Kylian's voice was steady, as if he were discussing something mundane, but there was a coldness in his words that couldn't be ignored. "If a Duke and his wife had done what they did, no one would care. But they didn't. They chose to forge papers and deceive the King and his subjects." He paused, his gaze drifting back to Rem. "Even you, Rem, could have had that life. Does it not make you angry to know you once respected someone beneath you?"
Rem's face twisted with a mix of emotions—anger, sorrow, and something deeper, something that gnawed at him from the inside. "It's my fault it came to this," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "None of this would have happened if I wasn't so scared and weak."
Rem's eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill over. He dipped his head in a quick bow, his voice barely audible. "Excuse me, Your Highness."
Kylian's face remained impassive as he gave a slight nod. Rem's shoulders slumped as he turned away, his feet dragging across the floor as he left the room.
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving only the soft sounds of Marius's breathing and the doctor's quiet movements. The needle dipped in and out of skin as the doctor finished his stitches. Finally, he straightened up, his joints creaking slightly.
"I will be taking my leave now, Your Highness," the doctor said, his tone respectful.
Kylian nodded in acknowledgment, watching as the man gathered his things and quietly left the room. Once the door closed behind him, Kylian was alone with Marius.
The prince walked over to the bed, his footsteps slow and deliberate. He stood over Marius, his gaze sweeping over the boy's bruised face, the dark locks of hair that fell across his forehead. There was a strange, almost inexplicable feeling stirring within Kylian—a mix of curiosity, pity, and something else, something he wasn't quite ready to name.
Gently, Kylian reached out, brushing the hair away from Marius's face. The boy's skin was warm to the touch, feverish from the beating and the blood loss. Kylian's fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, tracing the contours of Marius's face, the delicate curve of his cheek, the softness of his lips.
He exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "We finally meet, Omega."