Breaking out

III. Chapter 9

"Hit me again," Aki said.

"What?! No!" Yeran protested.

"If we need to sell this, you have to," the Prince consort stepped closer, eyes burning.

"You..!"

"Being coward will not conquer the world Yeran," the smile was teasing, provocative.

Yeran's eyes narrowed. Hand clenching. The next second Aki was sent sprawling down the floor, and Yeran realized he had put more strength behind the fist than either of them expected.

He followed after, the words coming out his month unable to be any more different from the concern flashing across his face.

"Is that what you wanted? Is that why you tried to kill him?" He asked, kneeling over the prone form and gently touching the chin to see the damage.

Aki winked, a smirk adoring his bloody lips.

Aki froze, attention shifting.

"Someone's here," he whispered.

"What are you doing! Kill...?! Who?!" He was an actor more suited on the stage than a killer hidden in shadows, letting such surprise and bewilderment color his words all the while his eyes were still twinkling with unmasked mischief.

Yeran felt a chill run down his spine. There was crimson spreading over Aki's snowy white sleep garments.

'How? Where? How did he got injured?' He panicked, trying to ask a million questions by eyes alone.

He changed his lines, "Did you thought that if Zeke died I would come crawling to you? Is that it? Is that what this is about? well let me show you what you were begging for!" He asked, pulling on Aki's lapels.

'Let me see, how can I help?'

Aki shook his head, "later, later,"

"Your highness!"

Ruth must have come in without either of them realizing, for Yeran was pulled back with far too violence than necessary and was rewarded with a full blown glare.

"Ruth! Let me go! Let go!" Yeran shouted.

Ruth's grip was bruising on Yeran's arms. "Not until you calm down, your highness,", which clearly translated to 'like fucking hell,' if his attempt at setting Yeran on fire with sheer force of gaze alone.

"If you do this, you are going to regret it for a long time your highness,", translation, 'You will die'

"He...he...he almost killed Zeke!"

"He's injured," Yeran hissed under his breath.

Ruth's attention shifted from Yeran to Aki and his expression downgraded from murderous to resigned at Aki's bloodied robes and sheepish smile.

"You do not know for certain that it was him your highness, you cannot start a war on just a suspicion." Ruth said, frowning at Aki, but voice clam.

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"You really ought to stop sneaking into my room brother dearest," Aki teased, not looking up from his book.

"Why, must you be the only one who can?" Ruth slid down the windowsill, closing the shutters with nary a click.

"Well, we must be careful," Aki looked up.

"Please..., for how long have we been doing this for? I did learned my skills from the best after all," Ruth paused, coming closer to lean against the table.