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“You coddle him. It’s inappropriate.” Aleron says without preamble, without even looking up from the parchment on his desk, as soon as Auguste closes the office door behind him. Auguste pauses his step and is as at sudden loss for words, glancing behind himself at the closed door in confusion. He turns back and clears his throat lightly.
“Pardon, father?” He asks and walks closer to the desk, cautiously.
“Laurent has been moved out of the nursery for a week now, and I’ve been told that six of the seven nights he’s been in your rooms.” Aleron finally looks up from the parchment in front of him, his eyes hard. “It’s inappropriate, he learns nothing by you coddling him.”
“Father, he was scared,” Auguste says and he can’t help the laugh of exasperation. It earns him another hard look “He’s six, and in a new environment. I’m his older brother, his family, I really don’t see the problem with being there for him.”
“It’s not just these occurrences,” Aleron continues, without truly acknowledging Auguste’s statement. “You spend too much time indulging his wild imagination— “
“You mean treating him as a six-year-old child.” Cutting off the king is a dangerous game, even for the crown prince, but Auguste feels his anger building. It’s always been obvious that Aleron doesn’t understand his younger son, while clearly favoring his older, but this line of conversation is bordering on cruel to Auguste. And he will always be willing to risk even the king’s wrath to protect Laurent from cruelty. “You can’t be suggesting I leave him to be scared and alone.”
“What I’m suggesting is that you return to your duties as the Crown Prince and leave the care-giving to his staff. Further, this is a growing point for him, moving from the nursery to the princes’ quarters signifies that it’s time for him to start learning to be a Prince. For him to start learning the Princes’ duties. And your coddling is hindering that, he’s not just any Veretian child.” Auguste opens his mouth to reply but Aleron is done allowing to be cut off. He holds up a firm hand and continues, “You’re eighteen Auguste, and its high time I put you back on track. You will be riding out to the border, doing your duty by touring the forts and letting the country see their Prince, their future king. You will also be working with the soldiers by running traditional military maneuvers.” He sets another hard stare on to Auguste, waiting to confirm his understanding and nothing else.
“Yes, your majesty.” Auguste responds, his entire body tense.
Aleron nods “You leave in a week’s time. You will be permitted to say your goodbyes to your mother and brother tonight at dinner, but starting tomorrow you will be staying in the soldiers’ barracks to make sure you are practiced for the tour. And I mean it that tonight will be it,” he says firmly, eyes still locked with Auguste’s “Laurent’s guard will be instructed that he is not to be permitted to exit his rooms in the night. He must learn. That is all.” Aleron finishes, looking back down to the documents in front of him. His tone allowing no room for response, let alone an argument. August gives a shallow bow.
“Yes, your majesty.”
…..
Laurent is sitting on a couch in the front receiving room of his chambers with a large book opened on his lap. He doesn’t notice Auguste walk in and is startled when he plops down rather dramatically next to him.
“What are you reading about now, little brother?” Auguste asks with an easy smile on his face, trying not to let any of the previous tension and anger show through.
“About Dragons.” Laurent responds with his own smile, but it’s not as wide and bright as normal. “What’s wrong Auguste?” He asks bluntly, closing the book. Auguste’s smile falters. Laurent is incredibly perceptive, especially for his age; Auguste should have known he couldn’t hide a thing.
Auguste takes the book from Laurent and sets it on the low table in front of the couch. He pulls Laurent in to his lap, and Laurent relaxes against him, resting his small hands atop Auguste’s arms. “Father is sending me to tour the border,” Auguste answers honestly and he can feel Laurent tense up immediately. “I leave in a week, but starting tomorrow I’ll be staying in the soldiers’ barracks.” He tightens his hug a bit and smiles “You’ll be sure to keep things in order while I’m gone, right?”
Laurent nods, but is otherwise unresponsive. He’s looking down at his lap, and Auguste waits patiently to allow him to process. “For long?” Laurent finally asks in a quiet voice.
“No,” Auguste responds lightly, “Three months or so, depending on the travel to and from Arles.” He says and gives Laurent another squeeze. “Before you know it I’ll be back in your hair. And I mean it—You’ll be the prince of the castle while I’m gone. It’s a very important position.” He rests his chin on top of Laurent’s soft blonde head. Laurent’s fingers are fidgeting against his arms, and he’s still uncharacteristically silent. Auguste knows he must be feeling a bit scared, Laurent is very attached to him, and this will be the first time they are apart for a long period of time. Auguste’s mind flashes back to their father’s cold temperament and words regarding Laurent. Maybe this will be harder for Auguste himself than he first thought.
“Well,” Auguste clears his throat and gives Laurent a tight squeeze before reaching for the book Laurent had been reading before he came in. “Tell me about your dragons here, so I know what to look out for while I’m out there.” He says and Laurent gives a soft gasp, his young imagination easily able to take back control from the fear, at least temporarily.
“Do you really think you could find one?” Laurent asks hopefully, quickly reopening the book on his lap. Auguste smiles and brings his head to look over Laurent’s small shoulder so he can see the illustrations.
“Well we have a few hours until dinner, so in that time, instruct me all you know and I’ll see what I can find.”
……
A soft thud wakes Auguste. He lifts his head from his pillow and looks around with narrows eyes. Just as he thinks he may have imagined it he hears it again, coming from the wall by his wardrobe. Shaking away the sleep he slowly slides out of the bed and cautiously makes his way over. There’s another bang, and Auguste can see a panel in the wall budging in time with the sound. It leads to a secret passage that leads out of the room, under the castle and ultimately out of it. All the royal chambers are connected, and are from a time when castle sieges were much more common and a royal escape was a needed possibility. As it stands, they haven’t been used in a hundred years and are mostly forgotten, as evident by the wardrobe placed without thought in front of the door. Or so he thought.
Auguste presses his should firmly against the wardrobe and puts all his strength in to shoving it aside. It screeches something awful and scratches up the mahogany floor. He puts his hand to the latch that locks the panel but doesn’t flip it yet.
“Hello?” Auguste tries stupidly. Its answered promptly by a loud, familiar sob and Auguste curses under his breath. He flips the latch quickly and the panel bursts open, a dusty, sobbing Laurent flinging himself in to Auguste’s arms. He’s almost knocked off his feet but quickly recovers, locking his arms around Laurent and lifting him up. Laurent cries loudly in to his shoulder.
“Laurent, Laurent,” Auguste says softly, bringing a hand up to rest on the back of Laurent’s blond head as a comforting gesture. “What were you doing in there? What’s wrong?” He walks back over to his bed and sits on the edge, holding Laurent close and sitting him across his lap.
Auguste could tell Laurent had still been uncomfortable at dinner, despite their hours spent together before hand. He knew Laurent was still rationalizing Auguste’s trip, but he had genuinely thought he had adjusted well to the idea of it. Other than a few curious glances around the King and Queen to Auguste, Laurent had seemed to be chatting as cheerfully as normal with their mother. Laurent’s goodbye had been typically formal, especially under the watchful eye of their father, but he had given his usual sweet smile before his nurse lead him out from the meal to go to bed. Even their uncle, sitting on Auguste’s other side, had commented what lovely spirits Laurent seemed to be in. But now, with a sobbing child in his arms and a large wet spot accumulating on his shoulder, Auguste thought that he may not be as perceptive as he should be.
“You were— They wouldn’t let— “Laurent tried to speak but was interrupted by more sobs.
“Shh, Shh, it’s ok,” Auguste says as he feels his heart breaking with the sound. He pets Laurent’s head soothingly “It’s ok, I’ve got you. You’re ok.” Auguste is quiet after that and lets Laurent cry out the worst of it, offering comfort where he can.
“I…you were dead. I had a dream you left and you didn’t come back and…and…” Laurent lifts his head and starts to explain after the sobs finally tapered off, but they threaten to return just as quickly and Auguste can still feel his small body trembling. Auguste stays silent, allowing Laurent to gather himself and think about what he wants to say.
“And I came here and your room was empty and I couldn’t find you. I…You were dead.” Laurent says quickly and his little hands grip the front of Auguste’s night shirt without mercy. “I woke up and I asked my guard to bring me here to check and they said no. They wouldn’t let me go and…” He stops there and instead buries his face again in to Auguste’s shoulder.
“You decided to trek dusty, unused tunnels by yourself in the dark?” Auguste asks lightly with a smile, trying to sooth the tension. “That sure sounds like you little brother. Always looking for an adventure. But as you can see,” He nudges Laurent’s head with his shoulder so that he’ll look up at him “I’m alive and here, as I always will be.” Auguste pauses for a moment, thinking that over “Give or take a couple months, I suppose.” He chuckles and stands up again, taking Laurent up with him. He turns to face the bed and sits Laurent down out it. He walks over to a small table with a pitcher and pours a cup of water, bringing it back and handing it over to little, waiting hands.
Auguste lays back down on the other side of the bed, back under the covers. Laurent quietly drinks from the shallow cup and then sets it on the side table and Auguste lifts the covers again, allowing him to shuffle underneath and snuggle up close.
“You promise?” Laurent says after a while, a whisper in to the quiet of the room.
“I do,” Auguste responds, “I will always be here for you, my dear Laurent, and when I do ever have to leave, I will always come back.”