To Be King (CleverFox)

[LadyLoki]

“You mean just like you have no way of knowing if something wouldn’t have happened?” Victor responded with a raised brow. “There are no certainties in anything. But just because there is a chance that something won’t happen, does not mean you should put your life in danger.” He scolded sternly. Killian looked like he had the faintest hint of regret, though whether that was from true remorse or just the pain in his bottom, Victor couldn’t say.

At the apology, Victor’s brow arched upward as he considered the slender form currently settled across his knee. “Are you sorry that I’m spanking you, or are you sorry for putting yourself in danger?” He asked pointedly, since that was the most important question of all. There wasn’t any point if Killian just said what Victor wanted to hear.

The little prince was crying now.

Killian was trying to hide it, but Victor could hear the tears in the prince’s voice. He felt a little bad honestly, but Victor held firm. “That depends on you, your highness. Are you going to admit that what you did was dangerous?” Victor asked, the arm wrapped around the small waist loosening just a bit.

Not enough to let the smaller male squirm away, but Victor was going to start winding down. He didn’t want to actually hurt the little prince, not more than a sore backside anyway. “I don’t want this to happen every time I tell you not to do something.”

Victor patted down slightly with the brush, not enough to sting but as a caution. “You could have gotten hurt. Regardless of how our relationship began, I don’t want something bad to happen to you.”

[CleverFox]

"...sorry that something could have happened to you," Killian choked out in a quiet voice when Victor questioned him about the motives for the apologies that he had offered. The words were likely surprising but they were sincere, the redhead really didn't want to think of anything happening to his companion because of his actions.

Despite how their relationship had started.

It had been less than ideal after all.

The next thing that Killian said was a request for this to be over and he almost groaned when he heard what Victor had to say. But the fact that the brush was still touching his very sore skin was enough to keep his mouth in check and prevent him from saying something bratty that would probably only escalate an already bad situation.

Which was the last thing that he wanted to do.

"...fine...it was dangerous..." Killian said in the same choked voice, realizing that this was the only way that he was going to get out of this position. Victor seemed very insistent about this, much to his chagrin.

[LadyLoki]

The genuineness in Killian’s tone took Victor aback slightly, but his demeanor softened a little bit. “I was a little more worried about something happening to you, but thank you, your highness.” He said quietly, as he waited to see if Killian was going to push his luck. The brush though was en effective enough deterrent from any other commentary that might have returned the redhead to hot water.

At Killian’s admission, Victor nodded before setting the brush down on the nightstand and helping the prince back up onto his own two feet.

The younger male looked so miserable, Victor felt a flash of guilt for spanking Killian to tears. “It’s done with, your highness. Just don’t pull another stunt like that again.” He offered gently, placing a hand on Killian’s shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Victor didn’t know how comfortable the prince was with touch, and certainly it would be improper to overstep his bounds more than he already had.

As ridiculous at it might have seemed, an actual hug was more intimate than tanning the little brat’s rear.

Victor stepped away from Killian with a small smile, before nodding to the bags of supplies. “I brought back some fruit, actual fruit, not the dried kind...I was going to suggest we go out and find dinner, but...” Killian probably wasn’t in a state to sit on a wooden booth, honestly.

[CleverFox]

It was a relief when he was finally allowed up, the redhead getting to his feet when he was released and he immediately moved to fix his clothes. Which gained a soft hiss from the young prince as the feel of the fabric rubbing against his sore flesh only aggravated the situation. He heard the words that Victor offered, about not pulling a similar stunt, but he didn't really respond and instead just stood there and tried to get his tears under control.

While at the same time reaching back to rub at his sore backside.

He was trying to get the burning and the throbbing to subside.

His gaze again shifted to Victor as the noble mentioned that he'd gotten fruit but that wasn't something that Killian was really all that interested in right now. "I'm not really hungry," the little redheaded prince said quietly as he gave his bottom one final rub and then moved to lay down on the bed.

He ended up on his side since that was one of the few comfortable positions that was currently possible.

[LadyLoki]

Victor didn’t say much else as Ariston tried to stop crying. The little prince had his pride certainly, and Victor wasn’t going to make a big deal of him tearing up. Anyone would, considering how red the younger man’s bottom was currently. “You still need to eat.” Victor said, but he wasn’t going to be particularly demanding about it. Hell, the kid probably needed sleep more than he needed food right now. Victor settled into the armchair in the corner, letting Killian take the bed.

“Get some sleep…you could use it.” Victor said, snagging an apple for himself.

Hopefully the single bed wouldn’t be much of an issue later on.

He had no intention of curling up in this stupid chair for an entire night and give him some weird strain in his back that would make riding tomorrow hell. For now, Killian could snooze uninterrupted if he so chose. Victor had grabbed a newspaper while he’d been out, and now seemed like a good time to read it.

It was oddly peaceful, considering they were on the run from some very dangerous people. “Just make sure you don’t sleep too late or you’ll be up again tonight.”

[CleverFox]

"Not going to starve to death if I don't," Killian replied when he was told that he needed to eat in response to his statement about his lack of appetite. He didn't further argue the point and instead just sighed when Victor told him to get some sleep and added that he could use it. That simply served as a reminder of the incident from the previous night and he wasn't really thrilled about that either but he didn't bother to say anything about it.

And instead just closed his eyes with a sigh.

Even though Killian was upset and still in pain from the spanking that he'd just been forced to endure the young prince actually drifted off to sleep fairly quickly. That was of course due to the fact that he hadn't slept the night before and was now dealing with the exhaustion that came along with that decision.

His breathing was quiet and he didn't even register the words that Victor spoke to him when the man told him not to sleep too long.

It would likely be up to the noble himself to prevent the redhead from oversleeping.

Because Killian was out like a light.

[LadyLoki]

Victor sighed when the younger noble didn’t even stir in response to his voice. Killian was probably exhausted, so Victor wasn’t going to disturb the little prince for a few hours at the very least. As the evening wore on though, Victor hauled himself out of the chair and over to the sleeping redhead. Hopefully Killian wasn’t going to be in a bad mood once his newfound bodyguard began attempting to wake him up. Wouldn’t go to sleep, and now probably wouldn’t wake up.

The irony was absolutely astounding.

He placed a hand on Killian’s shoulder, giving the prince a gentle shake to try and rouse him. “You can’t sleep too much more, your highness. You’re not going to sleep tonight, and I’m just going to end up with an irritable version of you tomorrow.” Victor said, giving Killian another nudge. He did feel slightly bad, but the prince could sleep more tonight.

“I’ll carry you out of bed if I have to.” It was slightly a bluff, because Victor had really no desire to breach the level of propriety he was supposed to maintain.

But at the same time, Victor did not want to deal with an overtired teenager who already didn’t want to listen to him.

[CleverFox]

Killian was completely dead to the world as he slept but he was actually a fairly light sleeper so when Victor came over and nudged him it didn't take too much effort on the elder noble's part to rouse the sleeping redhead. He stirred and then gradually pushed himself to a sitting position, the half joking threat that Victor issued not even really necessary as Killian didn't make a fuss about being woken and told to get up.

Which was probably at least somewhat shocking to Victor given the level of disagreement he'd been given earlier by the young prince.

Still somewhat disoriented from sleep Killian rubbed at his eyes briefly before looking around and then focusing his gaze on Victor, as if trying to remember where they were and what was going on. It only took a moment for the memories to return to him and he groaned softly as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Manhandling me won't be necessary, I'm up," Killian said as he stretched his arms up over his head and arched his back, listening to the resulting pops that elicited.

[LadyLoki]

It was indeed surprising how little protesting he got when he went to wake Killian up, considering how much of an argument getting him to sleep had been. “Manhandling is such an undignified way of saying it, your highness. I prefer calling it…a hands on effort.” Victor responded with a slight smile on his face, taking a step back and glancing outside. There were fewer people out now in the late afternoon, but it wasn’t like they could go out for an evening stroll.

“There’s still some food if you’re hungry.” Victor said idly, settling back into his comfy chair. “Unfortunately, I’d rather not go out if we don’t have to.”

They were making decent time at least. If they could keep up this pace, then hopefully they would reach the capitol in a week or less. Victor didn’t like staying in one place for so long, but it wasn’t like they had much of a choice. “Once we get to the Capitol…are you planning on going to war for your throne, Prince Killian?”

Victor was curious. That was normally what people did, if there had been an uprising. You went to war with your enemies and hoped that you came out on top.

[CleverFox]

"Oh really? Is that what you prefer?" Killian questioned with a slightly arched brow when he heard what Victor had to say. "Well I still call it manhandling." Even as he said that however he didn't really sound upset any longer so he was probably at least partially teasing with this insistence. When his captor turned bodyguard mentioned food the little redheaded prince nodded and then moved over to the table where Victor had left the food he had procured earlier.

"Thanks," he said quietly, rummaging around until he found something to nibble on that was appealing to him.

As he nibbled he turned his gaze back to Victor and listened to what the man had to say to him, the youth looking thoughtful when he was asked about going to war. "I would hope that wouldn't be necessary but... I am willing and I have those that are loyal." Granted learning to lead an army would probably be a task in and of itself but Killian had determination if nothing else.

"It's not like the ones fighting over it really have the qualities of a good leader anyway," Killian said with a frown. "I may not exactly either but... at least I'm not bloodthirsty."

Which seemed an improvement over the ones that were killing everyone in the hopes of attaining the crown.