The Rebel didn't hear the Prince 's apology. Actually they didn't hear anything after they found out. Their mother did that to the Prince . His boyfriend, his betrothed, his star. This was outrageous, unthinkable, unacceptable. He was pulled out of his anger by a cry from the Prince . He was trying to keep it together but failing miserably as the shock and pain were in full affect.


It probably hurt like hell. It looked like a bruise that had been caused by the breaking of a bone. The Rebel quickly ran through all the things that they were going to need. They jumped right into medic mode. A few tips and tricks they learned a long time ago from a friend. First was water making sure that bruise was just that.


They were both out in the ash today it could be making it look worse then it is. When it was clear that was how bad the bruise was they needed to go and find the physician. Maybe they had all the necessary liquids and plants to help calm the bruise down. They searched for a while before they found the physician's office.


"Hello?" They asked peaking in.


"Hello dear fellow." The medic said. He was on the older side and gave off the feeling of a warm autem day.


"I need a few things for the Prince . He had a big bruise that we need to deal with." The physician looked around his office before finding what he was looking for.


"I think I have just the thing for you. Essences of witch hazel." He pulled off the shelf a small brown bottle. "And a bit of chamomile tea." He brough a small bag of leaves over to the rebel. "Just apply the hazel to the area and let him drink the tea. A good nights rest to round it off and their should be no pain in the morning. It should also stop all the major colouring." He said with a warm smile pushing both things into the rebels hands.


"Thank you so much." The Rebel said before quickly leaving the room. On the way back he requested a tea pot with two cups to be brough up to the Prince s room. They would need to make up the fire in the room after the witch-hazel. Something that was more effective when it was applied right after getting the bruise.


Hopefully it will be enough to not make it an ugly mark. They got back to the room to find the Prince was passed out again in bed. There was tear lines down the front of his face and a big wet spot on the edge of the blanket. That was when the Rebel realised that they just up and left the Prince .


"Shit." They said walking into the room. They left the Prince crying feeling like this was somehow his fault. The Rebel walked up to the side of the bed sitting down. "Star, Love?" They said waking him up.


The first thing the Prince said after opening his eyes was "I'm sorry for this, all of this. I didn't think she would get like this otherwise I would have done more to stop it." The rebels heart broke. There was no way that this was his fault. Not in any way shape or form.


"Don't be sorry love. It's not your fault." The Rebel took a small piece of cloth and dipped it in the bottle of liquid. They had to wipe it all the way down the side of his face. The entire left side of his face would be covered in purple and yellow in a couple of days. Hopefully it wasn't bad enough to turn green.


"I never wanted to make you choose. I thought she would come around by tonight. Ace, what are we going to do?" The Prince mad eye contact with the Rebel for the first time since they walked into the room. They could see him still being sorry, there was also fear and sadness that swirled together.


It made the Rebel feel sick that they didn't see anything wrong before. Their job was to protect the Prince . It had been a couple of days, and they were already failing being a good partner. "I am going to nurse you back to health. You are not going to leave my side. I want you to stay here or beside me. I don't want her anywhere near you; especially alone."


The Rebel pressed lightly on the bruise causing the Prince to flinch. "The feeling under the skin is bearable at least. Should go away in a few weeks." One of the serving girl came into the room and put a teapot by the fireplace before leaving without a word. The Rebel put the cloth on the bruise again, "Hold this here."


The Prince did as told while the Rebel started a fire and placed the pot on top of it. "I'm going to make you some tea that should help with the healing prosses as well. It might not taste very good though." The Rebel looked back at the fire sheepishly. It was silent for a long time before the Rebel spoke again.


"If I knew. If I knew that this was going to happen I wouldn't have let her split us up. I knew she still had a vendetta against you but time plus showing my trust in you; I hoped that would do something about it. Instead I just put you in harms way." They turned to face the Prince that was still in bed with the cloth pressed to his face.


"I failed at my job, for that I am sorry." They walked over to the bed extending a hand. "I'm not letting her get away with something like this. I will not let my future husband be treated like this." The Prince in haled sharply at the title, everything between them was going to be ok. The Rebel wasn't mad at them.


"What we should do is announce not only the coronation of us taking the throne but the royal wedding. It would put us in the spotlight sure, but it would also mean that she can't get rid of us quietly."


"Exactly, I think we would look really good in a spotlight. Are you ready for that though?" The Rebel sat the Prince down in one of the chairs at the water was done boiling. They went over to the bed to grab the herbs for the tea.


"I am, I mean I was introduced through the executions. So was your protect for me. This would just be confirming rumors." The Prince shrugged accepting the tea that was presented to him.


"If you say so love. Why don't you write something up tonight and tomorrow we will take it to the printers when we go out to help." The Rebel took the chair on the other side of the fire across from him.


"Right, I should also write something up for the kings that will be visiting this week." The Rebel put their hand to their head.


"I forgot about that. What are they going to think when they see your face. I know how scary it is to be around my mum, but I don't really want to be in the room when they think that I did that." They pointed to the bruise that was maturing on their boyfriends face.


"They won't think that. I won't let them. I have make up that I can use to cover up the worst of it. It will made it look less bad and I can always blame it on the attack before you got me to safety."


Ok that sounded fine but, "Wouldn't that be covering it up?" the Rebel asked now unable to sit down.


"This is something we need to deal with a couple. They do not need to intervene unless something more happens. I have never met these men before so I don't even know how they will react at anything we tell them. I want to keep this under wraps as much as possible." The Prince finished his tea. "This is between you and your mother." He said setting down the cup by the chair leg.


"Now can we please go to bed. We are both in desperate need of good and long rests. Tomorrow that is what I will catch up on since I have a couple days. That and one of us needs to be at full capabilities during the coronations." The Prince took the rebels hand leading them to the bed.


They both managed to climb in without injury and feat that happened far less than either would admit. Both were to tired to start something that would raise the likelihood of damage. The night was quiet to deal with. The only noise in the room was the synchronised breathing of the lovers.


The Rebel holding the Prince as close as possible like they were scared to lose him. The Prince curled up in the rebels embrace in a silent show of trust and safety. That is exactly how the two woke up. The Rebel woke up first a little later then normal. That was to say if they didn't get out of bed right now they were going to be late for their workday.


They extracted themself from the bed as carefully as possible before running around the room getting ready quickly. The Prince woke up during the frenzy just watching. The Rebel ran out of the room without even saying goodbye. Something that they wished they did as the Prince was struggling.


Fuck, what were they going to do. What were they both going to do. What was their mother planning on doing. The whole walk to the work site they were trying to figure out what was going to happen next. They knew their mother disapproved of their interaction with someone in the castle but to hit their boyfriend was. Unbelievable.


They were going to have a conversation about it tonight. The couple was going to get married in a weeks time. During the whole workday the Rebel took a much more hands on approach to keep their mind off of things. There was a lot of things to keep of their mind. Before they knew it the day was done. Everyone was going home; Sir Theodor thankfully knew something was up.


"Everything ok in paradise?" He asked walking up to the rebel.


"It is no where near paradise." The Rebel rolled their eyes as they finished washing off all the ash.


"Your shacking up with the next king of the whole kingdom. Anyone would take your place in a second."


"I'm taking the throne because of my mothers rampage. He will just help get the people on our side since it would be keeping the blood line."


"What can I do to help then? I can tell something happened, but I think you both will do great. Stress can get to us all so if you need a little help to fix something I will be at your call." The Rebel turned this offer over in their head. They would need a personal guard for the king at some point. They were to be a consort not a guard. They couldn't be beside him every second of the day.


"I will keep that in mind. I want you to go right to the Prince 's room as soon as you get back to the castle. I need to have a very long conversation with my mother, and I don't want anything else getting back to him."


"What happened?"


"That will be for the Prince to say. Good night Theo." The Rebel said walking away from the conversation before they got themself any more worked up.


"Night sir." They heard as the lieutenant wrapped things up with some of his knights. It was a long walk back to the castle. The Rebel Leader was not to be messed with or questioned. That was why she was so good in the position she was in. She had always been fair in her actions.


Just because the Rebel was her child would not mean they get any lenience either. If just meant they knew the consequences if this went badly. They took a few paces outside of the door to the throne room before pushing their way in. There was a few people that were in there already. They quickly left leaving the Rebel Leader and her child in a very much stand off situation.