Yeran was barely quick enough to stop the next blow, catching the blade with his own, the assiliant recovering quickly.

The door crashed open, two guards came running in, probably alerted by the sound. One of them carried a torch, giving enough light for Yeran to catch a glimpse of his would be assassin. 

The bed sheets were crumpled, still warm to the touch as Yeran felt earlier, but empty.

Yeran pushed off the blade stuck into his, letting one of the guards distract the assassin and slipped off the bed while the assassin made a quick work out of the guard, knocking him off with a heavy blow to the back of the head.

More guards came pouring in, the thuds and slashes of a fight being unmistakable in silent night.

The attacker moved as if the wind, passing from guard to guard, leaving a crumpled body behind. Yeran joined the fray, knocking him back a few paces with a heavy blow which did nothing in detouring the enemy.

The attacker snarled, dodging the next blow, only to almost lose his head from Ruth's sword, who had appeared just as silently behind him.

Ruth must have been a light sleeper, Yeran could only assume with the appearance of his guard with a messy bed head and creased night wear.

Yeran shared a glance with Ruth, nodding. They joined forces, fending off the attacks and giving good as they get. The damned assassin was flexible and fast, but two high trained martial officers proved to be too strong for even him, soon found himself backing into a corner.

Ruth knocked the dagger out of his hand while Yeran parried off a sword, which also skidded along the floor with a metallic clash.

He turned in defense at Yeran, catching the blade in between two fingers, giving a kick that caught Yeran at stomach. He almost slipped, winded with the air being pushed out of chest, which also gave more than enough distraction for Ruth to sneak in with a blow to the back of his neck.

Ruth caught assassin before he hit the floor, and Yeran caughed, bending to pick a fallen torch, thankfully still blazing.

"Your highness?!" Ruth hushed out in surprise.

"I know," Yeran slipped a bar against the door handles, effectively closing it off from the sound of clanging armour, quickly approaching.

"Get in there, go, quick! And, whatever I say, just go along with it." Yeran ordered, pointing at the bathing room.

"But, your highness!" Ruth protested.

"We don't have time! Go!" Yeran barked.

Ruth picked the fallen body and quickly followed his order.

The guards had already started banging the doors, the bar not holding for long.

Yeran dashed to the balcony window, throwing them open and appeared to be peering down, hands against the railing as soon as the door crashed inward for the second time of the day.

"Your highness!" It was the head of the home guard, General Damian.

"I'm fine, the assassin fled, raise the alarms and find him! I want that man alive!" Yeran was quick to give both an assurance and an order.

"You, go raise the alarms, you, give the orders to arrange more guards for the king and queen, and you!Get a the physician!" General Damian barked at soldiers, following Yeran's command. The guards well trained in formation leaving with no hesitation.

"Your highness you are bleeding." Damian called to his notice.

Yeran glanced down, having almost forgotten the wound, now burning when it won his attention.

"Your highness, the Prince Consort?" Damian asked, doing a quick sweep through the room, cataloging the unconscious soldiers and blood on the bedding.

"In there, he was knocked out, Prince Ruth is on guard." Yeran inclined his head at the closed doors, pressing the cloth presented by the General to his hand, intending to stop the bleeding.

"Go! Get out of here and bring me that assassin. He dared to not even enter the palace but to harm my husband as well!"

"But your highness,"

"I am perfectly safe Genaral Damian, and Prince Ruth is here with me," Yeran nodded at the figure, now leaning against the door frame, sword still unsheathed and dripping blood.

"Get out, you can guard me from outside the door, and only let a physician through." General nodded, convinced by Ruth's presence.

"As you wish, your highness," the Genaral bowed. Doors falling shut behind him, the injured soldiers already carried off to the infirmary.

Ruth turned around, trudging back into the bathing room to come back carrying a limp body.

"Is he safe?" Yeran asked.

"Just unconscious your highness." Ruth replied.

Though Yeran could see from his eyes that he was confused, Ruth kept a good guard over his face, revealing nothing amiss.

Ruth lay him on the bed, arranging the hands over his chest.

"What are you going to do your highness?"

Ruth met Yeran's eyes, who brushed a lock of black hair away from the pale face of his would have been murderer.

"Before that, is there anything you want to tell me, Prince Ruth?"

"If your highness is questioning my loyalty,"

"No, I'm not, you convinced me pretty well when you almost beheaded him in my defense. And I'm certain that is also from you." Yeran asked, eyeing a darkening crimson patch against the assaulter's side.

"Then I hope your highness is aware that I am not part of any of this," Ruth inclined his head.

"We still need to figure out what is to be done," Yeran said.

"Hmm...."

Neither of them got time to think before a knock came from the door.

"Your highness, it's me,"

"Come in," Yeran gave permission at the voice of the physician.

"Your highness," the physician looked back and to from Yeran to Aki, trying to figure out who to be treated first.

He turned his head, nodding to a junior physician, who deviated to the bed.

"Please sit your highness, let me see your hand," the head physician said.

Yeran sat, indicating Ruth by his eyes to keep watch over his darling husband who still lay unconscious, looking so very innocent.

Ruth nodded, barely noticeable.

"Your highness, I need to remove his highness' clothes." The junior physician bowed, asking permission.

"Go ahead. Ruth," Yeran gave permission, addressing Ruth.

"Yes your highness," Ruth reached down to unwind the ties that held Aki's robe together.

¤

Ruth lowered the body back into the bed, where he had been holding the torso up for the physician to bandage the cut lying over the ribs.

"His highness is fine your highness, no need of worry, the cut is quite deep, but he will be fine within a few days. Your highness must be careful not to let his highness do anything strenuous for a month or so at least though." The junior physician said with a respectful bow.

"I will keep that in mind." Yeran accepted.

"It would be the same for you as well your highness, be careful of your hand, though the blade only pierced the flesh, if you are not careful it might turn out to be worse." Head physician added, tying the final knot on the bandage that lay around Yeran's hand.

Yeran nodded, again,

"What of the hunting next week? Will I be able to participate? Will either of us be?" He asked.

"We will let the wounds heal and see at the end of the week your highness, I cannot say in certain," physician bowed in apology.

"It's fine, you may go," Yeran dismissed them with a wave.

Ruth followed after them, firmly closing the door and walked straight to yank a curtain tie back. A sturdy cord of woven threads, and had no hesitation in wounding it up around his own brother's wrists, tight enough to almost cut off blood circulation.

Yeran stayed silent.

"What is your highness going to do?" Ruth asked.

"When I called him a doll Ruth, I did not expected him to be a cursed one." Yeran replied, still unable to grasp what exactly had happened.
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Hey,

Well, the shoe dropped, watchu think? Oh wait, did it? Did the shoe dropped? Or is there more? 😉😉

Stay tuned.

Arkhane.