Kave, silent in the corner, had watched it all. The king—his childhood friend, his grace incarnate—vomiting in a dungeon he didn't belong in. Carlos towering like a shadow, carrying him as if he weighed nothing.
So that's what loyalty looks like when it burns.
Kave had always thought Erevan was...tough. Strong behind that calm, regal mask. But seeing the way his face crumpled at the smell of rot and blood? The way he collapsed? It hit him hard.
"He's too kind for this," Kave muttered under his breath. "And fragile as glass."
He clenched his fists. Not because the king was weak—but because he'd been fooled by the smiles, the composure. His friend had suffered alone, bleeding quietly beneath silk and gold.
---
Interrogation:
Kave stared at the prisoner bound to the chair. The man was trembling now, his eyes wide and darting.
"Funny," Kave said, leaning back. "You thought you were smart. Poison and flowers. No blade work, no traces."
"N–no! I swear—"
Kave's fist connected to the man's jaw so fast he barely saw it move.
"I don't need swearing." Kave smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I need names."
The man spat blood. "It was... the queen's chef... The wine, the lilies... I was just—"
Kave's eyes narrowed.
The chef.
The queen's own appointment. The palace was rotten from the inside.
---
Later, with Carlos & Lumira:
Carlos sat on the edge of Erevan's bed, arms crossed, completely unamused.
The king lay unconscious, still too sick to argue. He looked even younger like that—face relaxed, lips parted slightly. Innocent.
Carlos scowled. "He's pathetic."
Lumira looked at Carlos, eyebrow raised. "He nearly died."
"He nearly puked his lungs out in a dungeon he decided to visit."
She smirked. "Sounds familiar."
Carlos didn't answer. Just reached down, flicked his brother's forehead gently.
Erevan groaned in his sleep.
"Stupid," Carlos muttered—too quiet for anyone but Lumira to hear.
Lumira's smile softened. "You do realize every time you call him that, you're talking about yourself."
Carlos glared half-heartedly. "...No."
But his hand stayed resting on Erevan's arm just a little too long.