ㅤㅤNeo had since regained his composure, but he he had been locked in a cell - the same cell he had been in before. He was pacing, having long since disposed of his jacket with a flurry of annoyance. He was mumbling frantically, practising what in the hells he was going to say to Christopher and Quilliene, but none of it made sense as far as he was concerned.
ㅤㅤThen a chill entered the air - far colder than when Christopher typically liked to announce himself - as Neo heard the footsteps travelling towards his cell. When he was within Neo's line of sight, he saw he was busy wiping away at his eyes, dark blue tears having previously coated his face. It seemed that he went through some type of magickally induced mourning. Neo looked away, staring at the floor when Christopher had turned his attention upon him, hearing him usher off the guards quietly.
ㅤㅤWhen they were gone, he turned to Neo. "I'm sure we can get through this little conversation together easily, if I don't hear anything that even remotely sounds like bullshit."
ㅤㅤNeo scoffed lightly. "Yeah, that'll be easy." He mumbled under his breath, shaking his head as he finally looked up. "Is Liene safe?" He asked, genuinely concerned.
ㅤㅤ"That is none of your concern, given your position," He seethed, then recollected himself. "But yes, she is safe. All that excitement seems to have conjured up only a nearly sprained ankle. Then someone killed one of the Nameless while we were scrambling to clean up that mess."
ㅤㅤThe prince scowled at the ceiling. "Even with all the warnings I gave you, you still pulled that display on the dance floor earlier. I'm not quite sure anymore if it's just me who doesn't like you or if you truly are just an arse."
ㅤㅤMillions of thoughts raced through the body-guard's head, but he simply sighed with a dismissive wave as he turned away. "Yeah, whatever, we'll settle for both." He muttered, before speaking up. "I guess you expect me to explain why the hells I did that thing with the bomb, but... I'm gonna take a leap of faith and say that wasn't me."
ㅤㅤChristopher narrowed his eyes. "Is that all you have to say?" He seethed. "I know it wasn't you who committed that disaster of an explosion on the floor. I'm talking about you making a spectacle of yourself and absolutely embarrassing my sister." He grimaced. "What the hells was that? How dare you? I wouldn't be surprised if the people call for your head on a spike."
ㅤㅤ"What are you talking about?" Neo looked at him finally. "Are you really fixating on that instead of the fact Axelius is back?"
ㅤㅤChristopher flared up. "I'm talking about the avoidance!" He yelled, stepping towards the bars as icicles spread across the stone, cracking it. "The nonchalance! The utter disregard! That is what I'm talking about! You don't listen to a word anyone says, but somehow you feel the need to make it known about your own feelings! Be lucky I haven't further told you to back off from my sister!"
ㅤㅤNeo looked down at the frost spreading up one of his shoes, and he stepped back, only to look up and glare at Christopher. "You know what?" Neo said, squinting. "Yeah, I guess I'm in love with her. But she's not just your sister - she's the queen, she's her majesty, she's pure royalty.
ㅤㅤ"So guess what?" He slapped himself in the chest. "I don't have a fucking chance! And it wouldn't matter if I did anyway, because I'm dying! It's obvious I don't have time to fall in love. Look at this!" He pulled his shirt to reveal multiple black veins spreading to his neck, letting it go as it popped back into place. "It won't be long before I'm gone, so don't worry your britches, Frosty."
ㅤㅤNeo felt like he was about to start crying - and he never cried. He tried to hold them back, but he felt so close to breaking, and he so badly wanted to... but not in front of Christopher. The prince continued to stare at him for a few moments with nothing but anger and what Neo assumed was hatred. Utter hatred that seemed to soften and slip away as he looked down.
ㅤㅤ"You're right." The prince said slowly. "You're dying... and you don't quite understand how every day, I'm constantly looking for another cure. I've tried, so many times. Asking around, getting too curious, but there's... nothing."
ㅤㅤHe took a deep sigh as he leaned against the cell door, back to Neo. "I thought things would be different when you suddenly wanted to show her you cared, but... you still didn't care about the most important thing. I guess that's the aggravating part."
ㅤㅤHe paused. "Y'know what upsets me most about about you being in love with Quilliene? She's... in love with you, too... and you don't understand how losing you would make her feel. We've already lost so much. Losing something else... the cruel part of it all is that I barely know you, and her? She knows so much more that I'll never be able to comfort her for."
ㅤㅤNeo watched Christopher's back as he spoke. As he did, he slowly ground his teeth, looking at the floor and then glancing at the prince again. He stepped back, finding himself wiping his tears as he collapsed to a sitting position. He hated that Christopher was right - about so much - but wrong about one simple thing.
ㅤㅤ"You have no idea how much I care." He said softly, staring at his lap. "Just because I act like it - pretend I don't...." He buried his face in his knees, crossing his arms over his head as if to hide. "I'd hate to hurt you two more by something I can't even control. I'd rather have you hate me... than have you miss me when I'm gone."
ㅤㅤNeo heard silence. Then, he looked up as he heard a laugh, seeing Christopher chuckling. "We're both idiots." He said, touching his beard. "I think that's why I disliked you at first. We're... so similar, and I never picked up on that."
ㅤㅤHe turned, pulling out a key and unlocked the door as he swung it open, showing a forlorn expression. "Hurry on upstairs and do all that caring with my sister before you give her something else to cry about."
ㅤㅤNeo hesitated before he stood up, walking forward in a daze. Standing at the door as Christopher went to the side to let him through, he watched himself take the first step outside of it. Then, he raised his head, holding it up higher than he had before. A small nod, with a knowing look, Christopher proceeded to wait patiently.
ㅤㅤ"Thanks." Neo said, before bursting out into a run for the stairs.