The prince took off down the hallway at a dead run. He dodged around servants and nobles, many of whom were gathered in nervous, whispering pockets along the way. He ignored them, but threads of conversation caught in his mind, the same as the message he was running from. The courier had reached him in the company of his knights, laughing and chattering. It was hard to believe that the news had already spread so far, when he had just found out himself.

The crowd that had gathered by the front door parted as he approached, and he ran through without stopping. Guards at the door pushed it open for him without his bidding. He emerged into a bright afternoon, leaping down the steps with wide, graceful strides and landing neatly in front of a grim assembly of lesser soldiers and older knights, the commanders. When rumors of invaders reached the palace, they had been chosen by the king and queen themselves as an escort. There was one exception. Lohengrin stepped forward to meet him. The broad-shouldered knight could wear a smile with surprising ease; he had trained with the prince personally in swordplay; he had been his companion since they were children. Now, he bowed deeply, and when he straightened, it was almost frightening sight. There was thunder behind his eyes, backed up by the low rumble of the soldiers murmuring. The knight, however, waved them all into silence. Even those above him  in rank complied.

The prince looked over their number, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He seemed to be taking his time, counting each one twice, then once more when it still came up short. He seemed quite calm, despite his earlier urgency, when he asked, “What is there to report?”

“Your highness...” Lohengrin began, removing his helmet and closing his eyes. “We found the cause of the rumors, and they were... true, but worse. The enemy we face is not an army, but a beast!”

When he did not continue immediately after that proclamation, the prince stepped forward, as if eager to challenge the word itself. “What sort of beast? Go on.”

“A Raven. He was impudent, and refused to speak to the king and queen as they wished, but said he would meet with them at sunset...”

“And did they?” This time, the prince cut in.

Lohengrin grew pale at that. He lifted his chin, however, fixing his gaze beyond the prince. “They did. They insisted that we remain behind. They wouldn't listen, whatever we said, and... at nightfall, they went. They said they wanted peace, and it would be wrong to bring soldiers to talk of peace.”

“That sounds... true to my father.”

The knight's breath caught, and he fumbled with his words.“Yes... Yes, and we could not refuse them! So they left, and...”

“And..?”

“They did not return. When we went to find them, at the meeting place, the king and queen were... There were only... crows...” The memory made him ill and angry. It was nothing short of desecration, but he could not bring himself to say more.

“Ah.” The prince turned, and began to pace back and forth in front of them. Each step was measured, heel meeting the ground first, but perhaps he could not have walked less elegantly if he wanted. Still, he seemed more intrigued by the story than anything. “Only crows. And a Raven. A beast. What did you do when you found him?”

Growing more uneasy, Lohengrin answered, “We were not able to find him, Your Highness. We could not track him. It was as if he had vanished.”

“Or flown.” The prince nodded as if he had expected that much. His cape fluttered as the urgency of his steps increased. He was plainly deep in thought, merely giving them a glimpse of his reaction to the knight's report.

“Yes... Or flown. We do not know where he has gone, and he gave no indication that we heard.”

“So now he could be... anywhere.”

“That is true, Your Highness.”

“This beast, who you say has slain my parents, or perhaps these crows with him...”

“I am sorry, Your Highness.”

“...Is still, no doubt, tearing apart the countryside! As you said the rumors were true!”

By the time the prince finished, he had gained a dreadful frown, slight and cold. He had quickened to almost a marching pace, but he came to a sharp halt in front of Lohengrin. “What we have heard. Is it true?”

“Yes, your highness,” he said. Though the prince stood before him, his eyes had not moved from the distance.

“And you were not able to return with my parents. So you have failed, then,” the prince snapped.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Even if he had wanted to say anything in his fellows' defense, or his own, the chance was knocked away. A pair of slim, soft hands gripped the front of his tunic and pulled him forward. Shocked, the knight found himself staring into the prince's face as he shouted, “Can this be true? You were supposed to protect them! What foolishness is this?”

Steeling himself, the knight took hold of the prince's wrists, though he didn't follow through on any attempt to remove his grasp. “I wish it were not true, Your Highness...”

Lohengrin respectfully lowered his eyes as best he could. He saw the prince's white knuckles on his collar. They stood locked together, the prince and his knight, and for a moment, it almost seemed as if they were holding each other up. The knight spoke.

“The king and queen met bravely with the foe,” he said steadily, but his voice grew more distant as he went on. “I know the Raven is a cruel beast, though I only saw him. I could feel it. He was as black as night, with burning eyes. It is he who has been ravaging the countryside, all the trouble we've been hearing about, and more. But your parents did as they believed was best, though they could see what he was.”

Even after he finished, he kept his eyes low to avoid looking at his friend.

The prince disentangled his hands from the fabric and let them fall, only to clench at his sides. Tears threatened on the edges of his vision, but he felt that they might drown him if he did not hold them back. “Isn't it your duty to protect them? Wasn't it? And you couldn't even bring them back from where they fell!

“And now this... this monster has been left free to ruin the kingdom... My kingdom! I won't let it be, do you understand me?” He raised a bold fist to the sky. “I will avenge them! I will destroy this beast, and nothing will stop me! That is [i]my[/i] duty.”

He swept his gaze over the knights, then he spun around, sending his cape flaring behind him. Over his shoulder, he said, “You may join this cause if you wish. But that is my will.”

Without looking back at them, he stalked inside. The soldiers left in his wake stood in absolute silence, and no one dared to move, until without a word, Lohengrin marched into the palace after him.

Once he was inside the palace, the prince didn't run anymore. He just kept moving. There was nothing to run away from, or rather, however much he might have wished he could run, it would serve no purpose.

This time, as he walked, people called out to him. He heard his title and name called over and over, but he never acknowledged it. A soft twinge of guilt reminded him that they only meant well, that they only wanted to help their beloved prince. He had already been placed in charge while his parents were away, and he was quickly proving himself to be a gracious ruler. They had been fond of him before that, too; fond of the boy who always went out of their way to help others. What a good prince, they said. What a kind prince he was. What a good king he would be. He was all they had to guide them now, but they trusted him.

He kept his eyes to the ground as he walked, grimacing bitterly. To think that his first act in power had been to accost his knights. He knew better than that. The king and queen had raised him better than that. Yet he couldn't turn back now. The thought of facing anyone made him faintly ill. He knew one place where he could be left alone.

Up two flights of stairs, down the corridor, past the tapestry with dancing swans embroidered upon it. The door was white, and the frame was molded into flowers. He hesitated as he placed his hand upon the door; his stomach twisted with the knob as he turned it. Pushing it open slowly, as if to avoid disturbing anyone resting inside, he quietly slid through a gap that was just large enough for him. Then he quickly shut it behind him. A [i]click[/i] reluctantly spread through the silence.

He didn't stop there. The outer chamber was for relaxing in the day, spending time with guests and friends, of whom his parents had many. He kept going, into the bedroom. The curtains were drawn, leaving the room dark. Had they returned during the day, his mother would have thrown them wide to let in the light. Today would have been perfect for that.

They were only going to investigate, to learn what they could about the trouble in their kingdom. The rumors had been terrible, and they wanted to find out the truth firsthand. He supposed they had been successful in that. They had not failed, at least there was that consolation, he told himself. They may not come back, but they had learned of the monster plaguing their land, and now he would use that knowledge. Because they could not. They were gone, and he had to make sure that they did not die in vain. That, more than anything else, more than revenge, was his duty. To protect the kingdom, not in their stead, but on his own. They were gone. He had to be sure everyone, every subject in every village, was safe. They were gone. The shock alone would threaten the kingdom, and he would hold it together. But they were still gone.

His knees felt weak, and he allowed himself to half-fall forward, just barely catching the bedpost. He clung to it, with his other hand clenched tightly in the sheets. There was no sound, but dark spots appeared on the bedding, one after another. His shoulders shook, lending him an air of fragility, but no one was there to see him on the edge of collapse.

How long he stood there that way, he didn't know. Time passed strangely as he cried; it felt like hours, but surely if it had been, someone would have come looking for him. Even in here, someone would have thought to check. He had to go now and see them. A knot in the pit of his stomach told him that this had been a luxury he could not afford. He needed to be offering comfort to his people. As he crossed back through the sitting room again, he roughly scrubbed the tears from his face, but he could do nothing to erase the redness from his eyes.

Yet he could delay no longer. Only once he was certain he could at least carry himself well did he open the door to the corridor, and find his way blocked. The man in front of the door pivoted neatly as he heard it swing back.

“Lohengrin?” The prince exclaimed.

The knight bowed, making no remarks about his disheveled state. “Your highness. I made sure people understood that you didn't want to be disturbed. Now that you are here... May I speak with you alone?”

“I... I see,” replied the prince. Touched  by the knight's kindness, he swept backwards, beckoning into the room. “Of course.”

Lohengrin entered, standing just past the doorway. He eyed the chairs awkwardly, but it didn't feel right to sit there. He had been invited often enough by the room's owners that it felt wrong to do so without permission. Clearing his throat, he began before Siegfried could divert the discussion.

“Tell me what you need, and it will be done.”

The prince caught his gaze and realized, looking around him with a start as if he had just remembered where he was. “I'm sorry...”

“You don't need to apologize, Siegfried-”

“No, I do,” he continued more forcefully. He clasped his hands in front of himself, pleading, “For what I said earlier. I know your position and that of your fellows, and I will apologize to them all. But I want you to know that I am sorry. I said things I should not have, and my accusations were terrible. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes,” said Lohengrin. He was still of a mind that the prince did not need to be forgiven, but he could see that Siegfried needed to hear it. Then, in an action that could have gotten him in a great deal of trouble, he closed the distance between himself and the prince to rest his hand on the younger man's shoulders. His hold was gentle, brotherly, and would not be shaken off by an angry stallion.“But you didn't answer me.”

“I... what I need is...” If anything, however, the young prince only grew sadder, staring up at the ceiling as he traced whatever thoughts were in his head to their conclusion. He did not linger long. “There is much I must ask of you now, Sir Lohengrin.”

The knight straightened to attention, and nodded once. “Ask anything of me, and I will do it gladly.”

Again, Siegfried kept silent before answering. His hand still hovered on the knight's shoulder, and he felt as if he was weighing the life there. He owed the other man that much consideration, at least. “I did mean some of what I said. If the Raven will not stop, then I will stop him. Not for my mother, not for my father, but for my kingdom. Will you stay by my side?”

“Yes,” Lohengrin replied, again without hesitating. He said it like he was making a solemn oath, though Siegfried had not asked that of him. He takes a step backward from the prince and settles onto one knee, bringing a hand to his heart. “I will stay by your side.”

The prince draws in a breath sharply, but otherwise, he takes the man bowing before him graciously. “I will do whatever I must to [i]destroy[/i] this Raven. Are you certain?”

“You mean, we will, Siegfried.” The knight looked up at Siegfried with a sad smile, offering a more formal answer, “Yes, your highness. You know I will.”

The prince stood silently, his lips parted, until he knelt down on the floor in front of Lohengrin. Sinking back onto his ankles, he braced his hands over his knees. His neck bent, and it took Lohengrin to realize that beneath the prince's silvery hair, his eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

“I swear... I swear I'll defeat this monster. I won't let him take anyone else from the kingdom. Lord or lady, subject and servant... They are all too precious to lose. Do you understand?”

The knight slid down to the floor himself, and in a low voice, said, “You love them as you did your parents.”

The prince can only nod, and try to swallow around the burning in his throat. His efforts proved useless, however, as he found himself crying once again. The tears rushed out, spilling down his face faster than he can stop them. It seemed that there is nothing to conceal any longer. “Of course... how could I not? And I never thought... never...”

He curled a hand over his mouth, gasping. “I was foolish. But I won't... not anymore... And I won't let anyone else be taken from me!”

“No one will take anything else from you, Siegfried. I won't let them.”
The promise carried an aggressive note. He leaned forward, and with some difficulty, arranged his arms around the young prince. There was a moment where the prince's breath caught. Wavering, he lifted his own arms around the knight, holding tightly to him. He didn't know if it was alright, and he couldn't think about it.
Soon, he would go forth and be the prince who loved everyone. But for now, he was the boy who had lost his family.