Nilo listened to her story in silence, but the man became upset himself and extremely so. His frustration came from a place of fear and concern. He gritted his teeth and everything about him was tense. She tracked his assailant through the city before challenging him in the alley, which only vexed the prince further and the man wished he hadn’t even found out, but he knew at some point it would have all come to light. It didn’t mean receiving the news now was any better.

Nilo pinched the bridge of his nose before sliding his hand over his face, displeasure evident. “Something had to be done, but you did not need to be the one to do it!” The prince pointed out in his exasperation, “How could you be so reckless Gennadius? You had absolutely no clue how skilled he was or if he would even be alone when you found him. You had no clue who your target was or of his abilities, yet you ran in blind!” He exclaimed, running a frazzled hand through his hair.

“And don’t use the fact you “thought I might be dead”. If you had stuck around, you would have found out my condition had stabilized. I don’t care that you left, I had to be treated anyways, but I care that you went after a dangerous individual alone without a plan. I understand you are a soldier and a fine one at that, but that plan was thoughtless! It was a damn revenge plot and you could have gravely injured or even died. You had absolutely no clue what you were walking into!”

He sighed, letting his head thump back against the headboard. How could she be so brash? Nilo understood her anger, but going after the man? That was just foolhardy and asking for grave consequences. “You are lucky you succeeded, but how am I supposed to leave you alone and not worry about what you’re doing?” He asked, face softening briefly with worry, “Three years ago you recklessly tried to salvage your injured pride and I carried you to the infirmary, don’t you remember that? These situations are different, yet the trait remains the same. I’m the one in the one injured and in the infirmary, yet I’m more worried about your safety.” Nilo told her, eyes falling into his lap as he took a breath, trying to calm himself. It was clear she was upset herself and the man was doing nothing but making it worse.

“It never scared me that you were selfless, brave, or the fact you’ve always wanted to save everyone you could, but what’s scared me is that you never know when to back down or step aside.” Nilo spoke again, but with much softer tones, “I fear that one day there will be a day when that trait brings you more harm than a few cuts and bruises. This time it worked out, but what if it hadn’t Gennadius? What if your leg had cramped up? Hell, what if you had just misstepped and he took advantage of that? What would have happened if I had woken up to find out you were in the same condition as me or worse? I needed you here more than I needed you out seeking revenge, Gennadius.” His concern took a stronger stance than his original exasperation, which had been the real reason for his outburst in the first place. He was worried about her.

“I am honored that someone is willing to risk their lives for me, but I don’t want you to, nor do I need you to. I understand that at the end of the day you are a grown woman who makes her own decisions, but I am begging you to think before letting your anger take the reins,” Nilo implored her, eyes raising to meet hers again, “because just like you don’t want to lose me, I don’t want to lose you. I might still have my father and I am extremely grateful for him, but you mean everything to me Gennadius, and some risks are okay to take, but that was not.”

It wasn’t the first time the prince had asked her to be more careful in the future, nor would it be the last. “That being said, as a prince I must say you have done your kingdom a great service and have assisted in removing a criminal from the streets. For that, I thank you.” Nilo was honestly relieved the man was in custody and he was safe from the assassin's vicious antics. His gaze drifted back to her wounds. “You should have the nurse bandage them properly and look at the bruise when she comes in, I’m sure they’ll have a salve to make it feel better and heal faster.” He added after a moment.

Gennadius lifted her head after a moment, and gods she wished she hadn’t, seeing that the man was very stressed and tense. And it was because of her. Nilo was supposed to be relaxing and that’s all she wanted now. She was exhausted, her arms hurt, her head was hurting, and she had released way more emotions than were typical for her, and probably unhealthy. There had been the terror, anger, frustration... the deep adrenaline that had made her too calm in her hunt, the fight itself, the heavy amounts of relief, the tears... she was drained.

And then he began berating her, and no amount of understanding that this was coming from his concern lightened the blow. Her own shoulders tensed, feeling it even in her back as her hands came to tangle in with her hair, one on each side of her head. But she said nothing, letting him tell her how reckless she was... thoughtless... impatient... Even the thump of his head against the headboard hit her deep in the soul.

The woman kept her head down, tensing further (if possible) when he brought up the night she defended her pride. Yes, they were very different situations, not even in the same league. But even those thoughts didn’t have time to tarry since she was then hit with how she was the one causing him to stress. Gods, couldn’t she do a damn thing right today? Just one damn thing... And now it was about he wanted her there? She wanted to be there too but didn’t he get she was kicked out? Didn’t he get that they didn’t want her there? Granted it was coming to her, but the point was...

There was no real point considering she hadn’t said a word, just grown more distressed with every passing moment. Gennadius dared to raise her eyes, in time to meet his own gaze, hearing as his entire speech gentled, softening to how much she meant to him. Which did eventually turn into how she had done a service... but she couldn’t give a damn about that compliment anymore, feeling more guilty about what she had done than someone who had just dragged an assassin of the streets should.

“I don’t need the nurses to bandage my arms...” she murmured, looking away as she pulled the defensively closer to her chest. “If I wanted them bandaged right, I would do it myself.” Her gaze had fallen from his again as she stood, moving to walk to the other side of the room, back to him as she stared at the wall for a moment, as if she was staring through a window. But a window would be silly in the winter and they weren’t exactly looking to add a draft to the room. “And the bruise is fine... let the damn thing hurt.”

Yet none of her words were said with bitterness or anger, just carrying the weight of exhaustion. Slowly she turned back to face him, her dark eyes seeming rather pale... everything about her was pale. “You must be tired... I should call one of the nurses in. I can go get your father... he’ll want to sit with you, you know. He’ll be so happy to see you up and talking.” Gennadius gave a soft tired smile, not addressing anything that Nilo had said about what she had done, nor going into how much his admonishment had hurt, how much it felt like she was being rejected, when she knew that it was not the case. But she was hurting in so many ways.

The woman stepped over to the bed, reaching out, finger barely brushing against his cheek before she pulled her hand back, starting to back towards the door. “Damien is going to want to say hi, for sure. And I know Theodore and Theophilus will want to pop their heads in. I can have someone go get Flower too... poor dog has never been this long away from you and she is probably having a conniption.” She gave a soft chuckle, though there really was no humor in it, her fingers moving to tangle with her hair again.

“Augustus will want to check up on you too. He’ll be furious if he finds out you’ve been awake this long.” Her nose crinkled for a moment, the motion barely visible and one of the physical signs that she was truly upset and shaken. But she felt like she was only stressing him and she was terrified to stay and continue to upset him. Leonel would be able to keep him calm... Flower would be a comfort... and she... she would just go to the barracks or somewhere to be alone.

“I.. I’ve got things to do and all... soldier stuff...” she murmured, trying to come up with an excuse as her hand rested on the handle. “Paperwork...” Gennadius was trying to be more specific to make it sound authentic, even though she had no idea what she was going to do. I’m sorry Nilo... I am so so sorry... I wanted to help, not worry you. I wanted to do right by you... I wanted to fix it. I’m sorry.

Nilo felt her recede and the man knew he should have seen it coming, given the fact he had reprimanded her for something she had most likely been proud of. He knew she had deftly delivered justice and taken the criminal into custody, which was extremely brave of her. If the two had not been involved, he probably would have commended her for taking such a risk. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have done so if they weren’t together. Even so, the man did feel bad for bursting her bubble so harshly.

Nilo would have liked to see the others, even if he would be a little sheepish after the infirmary visit, but a part of him just wanted to sit with her. Conversation was easy and she was comforting, but the man knew she probably wanted to leave after he had stomped on her mood, even if just for a bit to fetch the others to have the buffer of a few people. Although, Nilo didn’t want to be left alone, even if it was a little selfish of him after he had nearly torn her apart.

He went back to her comment on her injuries for a moment, deciding to speak after his unusually long silence. “I’m just worried about infection… I don’t like seeing you hurt.” Nilo admitted, though there was a growing anxiety at the thought of being left by himself, “And I’d just leave Flower with the stablehands or whoever has her at the moment. I can’t get up to take her out if she needs to go outside.” His admission came out as a sad one, because the man just wanted his dog and sleep, especially now that he felt a small barrier between him and Gennadius, even if it was a temporary one.

Nilo glanced over into the shadowy corners, knowing the sun would be setting in a few hours and his room would become the color of pitch. Eyes darted towards one of them as they seemed to shift, but he knew deep down nothing had happened. The assassin was in custody and he was okay. But how many more people were out there that wanted to kill him? Gods… how many other times had he been followed? Was he really not safe in his own city?

He took a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. His gaze flickered back to hers as she mentioned leaving and by the sounds of it… not coming back. Crap! He had pushed her too far away when he needed her. Dammit dammit dammit. Couldn’t he just admit he didn’t want to be alone and wanted her company? His mouth parted to speak, but the man didn’t want to seem like a child who needed his mother to reassure him that there were no monsters beneath the bed.

Not to mention her reasons for leaving seemed painfully like excuses, which hurt him some, although he figured he deserved it. It was clear he had made her feel much worse. Nilo hung his head for a bit, having fallen silent again for what was probably an awkward amount of time. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from your work…” Nilo trailed, “I know what it’s like to be busy.” He offered a smile, but it was fake, his eyes crinkling a bit too much than usual.

She was upset with him and he understood that, but at the moment, Nilo didn’t really know what he could do to resolve the situation. Perhaps it was just better to leave her alone. Sometimes, except now, the prince appreciated his alone time. Nilo gnawed on the inside of his lip before deciding he should let her go, not wanting to keep her any longer than she wanted to be there. Hopefully, someone else would come in soon, even if it was just a nurse or Augustus. “I love you.” The man added quietly, “I just thought you should know.” He told her, somewhat apologetic, eyes meeting hers briefly before they returned to his lap.

There was another awkward silence as Gennadius hovered at the door for what felt like years, Nilo watching her out of the corner of his eye as he stared at his lap, his fingers running over the splint contraption that covered his forearm. When he finally looked up again she had returned to standing next to him, the man giving a light flinch at her sudden appearance. For several seconds he stared up at her, no doubt looking vulnerable as he waited for her to break the silence.

When she finally did, the man could not be more grateful, leaning into her touch as his eyes fluttered shut, a sigh of relief escaping him. Nilo knew he should have just told her he wanted her to stay, but he was more than grateful she had decided to stay with him, even if the man didn’t particularly deserve it after biting her head off. Fingers wrapped around the cool band of her ring and their gazes crossed, her eyes tired but filled with the promise she spoke of. The man's eyes warmed and a soft, but genuine smile upturning his lips.

Nilo leaned into her hand again as it found his hair, the gesture a comfort that distracted him from his aching body. She was staying. She was staying with him and that was all that mattered. He loved his friends and father, but there was a comfort only she could offer him, though he couldn’t explain it. There was just something about her that brought him peace, knowing that the woman who knew him inside out and would always be there for him. He believed every word she said without a second thought. She was the love of his life, how could he not? She was pushing everything aside to stay with him, which melted him. He had just blown up, yet now she said she wasn’t leaving him? How could he have ever gotten so lucky?

Nilo gave a soft chuckle as she asked him to move, but just as he was about to shift a nurse entered, which Gennadius thankfully handled rather quickly, leaving them alone again. The man wasn't looking forward to when his bandages had to be changed, although he was determined to keep a steady head the next time, not wanting to be sedated again. As she walked back over to him, the man moved with a quiet groan, his wounds not appreciating the pressure he put on them, nor did his arm appreciate his muscles moving. Another smile crossed his features as she mentioned her arms, but the man shook his head. “You don’t have to, you’re more of an expert on injuries than I. If you think you’re fine, I won’t push.” He reassured, shifting to get comfortable against the headboard before relaxing.

“Thank you,” Nilo murmured after a moment, “For everything, really. For staying, for being my knight in shining armor, and hell, even agreeing to be my wife one day,” A gentle hand reached out and took her own, fingers fitting neatly between hers. “I shouldn’t have snapped, I’m sorry,” The man finally apologized, light eyes showing the honesty behind his words, “You were already frazzled and I made it worse. I am genuinely grateful for what you did, even if I wasn’t happy about the circumstances. Now I don’t have to worry about a second attempt.” Nilo told her, no longer wanting to have dashed her spirits. She had been so happy when he woke up and the man had just scolded her.

Nilo gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. “I shouldn’t have treated you so harshly when you’d just done something amazing for me. It caught me off-guard and I’m not in a great state of mind so I reacted rather violently and I apologize for that.” He told her, the man wanting to make amends. He still wasn’t happy with what she had done, but he knew he had handled it incorrectly, “I do worry about you sometimes, but I don’t want you thinking I’m stressed out about you constantly, that’s not the case. I do think about you a lot, but I promise it’s all good things.” He laughed quietly, clearly happy she had decided to stick around.

A sigh escaped him as his gaze fell back to the bandages, not really looking forward to seeing what lay beneath. The man could only see about half of his chest, the rest covered in bandages that even went up and over one of his shoulders. Nilo was clearly a mess, not to mention his arm. He still didn’t know all of what happened to him, given as he had been asleep and the fight was a blur, so he would have to wait to see it for himself. That was, if he could bring himself to look at it. Nilo didn’t even want to think about the scars. At least he never saw his back one… these were front and center.

“I wonder how long I’ll be here. I haven’t even been in my own room for too long and I’m already back in the infirmary.” Nilo complained, letting his head thump against the headboard once more before gently moving his bad arm back into his lap lest one of them accidentally hurt it. "I'd certainly rather be in my bed, but I know I couldn't walk there, no would Augustus let me out of his sight. The man would have me wrapped in evenmore bandages by the time he was done with me."

Gennadius stayed in her spot sitting for a moment, hand in his as her thumb moved over the back of his hand. “I don’t mind if they look, if it reassures you. They can’t do any harm.” Dark eyes were complacent and gentle as she listened to him speak, softly shaking her head now and again at his apology, “It’s alright, Nilo. It’s alright...” She spoke it intermittently, the more time she had with him, the more relaxed she was becoming again and understanding that neither of them had been in the right state of mind.

“We can talk about it when you are doing better, how about that?” she offered, easing to lay on her side and pulling her legs onto the bed. As she did so, she watched his gaze fall on his bandaging, which gave an impression of what was beneath, but she knew some areas were more thickly wrapped and there was much more to tell beneath. For just a moment, she had reached out, one finger very lightly touching one of the red areas. Oh her darling Nilo...

“You’ll be up and out of here in no time. You have to be,” Gennadius explained, moving to gently snuggle into his side, aware of where she was so as not to hurt him. Wiggling up some, she made sure that her head was in line with his, propping it up on her arm so she could gaze at him. “We’ll just have to tell Augustus you still have an announcement to make and a ball to prepare and we want the people to see your face, not bandages,” she teased, referring to the doctor going overboard in his protectiveness.

“I don’t think your wounds are too much worse than mine so you won’t be here more than three months. But if Augustus decides to kidnap you down here, at least you now have beautiful halls and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get Damien and Theophilus to switch out the mattresses. I’ll make them change the whole beds even, so we can fit better because I refuse to let you get into any mischief without me.” While her words were animated, they still carried the weight of how tired she was, though she was doing her best to cheer the man up.

Easing her head down, she tipped her face against him, arm moving to rest right below his bad one on his torso. A soft sigh escaped her, feeling his warmth and smelling his scent, knowing for a fact that he was going to be okay. “You should rest. I’ll be right here the whole time,” she murmured against his skin, tilting her head to gently kiss him where her head rested. “Consider it practice so you know what you are getting into. I’m moving into your room, remember?”

Of course she knew he remembered it, but she said it anyway. The idea was comforting for her, and she wondered if it did the same for him. Leaning up, she moved to plant another gentle kiss against his lips, pushing his hair back before nuzzling her face into his neck. “Ever scare me like that again and I’ll finish the job,” she huffed gently, relaxing to the side as she moved her head to the pillow. “I do want to get my new ring,” she smiled as her eyes placidly closed, tucking herself against him in a way that he could feel her warmth without her accidently hurting him.

2 Weeks Later…

Nilo ended up back on his feet in a few days, though the man needed a crutch in the beginning due to his hip injury, which left him with an odd limp. It was only temporary and would go away when the wound healed. For now, though, the prince walked with an uneven gait, which was much different than his usual elegant walk. In general, his appearance was much different, the man was disheveled and looked rather like a homeless man, in his infirmary grade clothing and with hair that he didn’t bother to do.

Flower stayed with him in the infirmary once he could walk again, the dog laying on a pile of sheets next to his bed. Nilo knew Augustus had issues with the canine in his infirmary, but the man made it very clear this was something he wasn’t giving in one. If he was going to live the next few weeks of his life in discomfort, he was going to have his dog with him. How could one be depressed when they had a fluffy, grumpy faced dog staring up at them demanding affection.

Sleep was difficult, usually because the man would try and roll over in the middle of the night and would wake up in intense pain, not to mention the man had a couple of nightmares which resulted in a painful thrashing. Overall, the man was constantly exhausted as he could never seem to get comfortable, but Nilo didn’t lose his optimism. No, the man greeted every day with a smile and although he wasn’t allowed to leave the infirmary for a while, his positivity didn’t waver.

As for his injuries… Nilo wouldn’t even look at himself in the mirror. Gennadius was there for the first time his wounds were redressed, which was a decision he regretted. Not that she hadn’t been supportive because the woman had been the equivalent of a saint, but on top of the pain from alcohol on his wounds, the man was embarrassed by the state of his torso and nauseous from the sight of his wounds. Not to mention the man practically had to coax the nurse into treating him, for the woman was afraid of another violent outburst. Nilo had been immensely uncomfortable for the entirety of it all, in a state of immense pain as his wounds were clean and an embarrassment that Gennadius could see his state.

So, for the next couple weeks, the man had his dressings changed whenever she would leave, the man far too conscious of his marred body. Whenever the woman would pop out for a bit, he would hurry to have the nurse change his bandages before she returned, lest she see his injuries again. Even as the bandaging became less, the man was left with horrific scars in their place, fat, angry lines that showed exactly where the dagger had struck him. Nilo didn’t have to see his back scar. These he simply could not avoid and he hated it. He hated the fact he had these ugly, cruel lines that covered him and made him look like damaged goods. Call it silly, but the man felt hideous. He kept himself completely covered at all times and wouldn’t even sleep shirtless like he used to.

Nilo was due to be released in a week, given as they wanted his torso wounds completely closed and his arm in a good spot. Physical activity would still be limited for another month and a half due to his fractures, but the man was looking forward to returning to his duties and sleeping in his own bed. As much as he loved having Gennadius with him all the time, Nilo felt bad for taking up her days, given as he knew the woman had a life outside of him.

So that left Nilo where he was now, standing out in the snow while Flower was allowed to frolic about, wrapped in one of his coats. His pants were bunched awkwardly around his boots, the man still not allowed to wear his usual slacks due to his hip wound, his pants putting too much pressure on the tender wound. His breath came out in puffs of white as he leaned against one of the castle's many hidden doors outside, arms crossed over his chest. That was... until Flower got ahold of a rat.

Nilo called her name, running over to her, which was much to his hips displeasure, and nearly tackled her into the snow, the two going down in a flurry of white and a groan of pain from the prince. “Dammit Flower,” The prince hissed, ignoring the shrieks of the tiny creature she was squeezing to death. “Flower, it will give you diseases. The plague Flower, remember the plague?!” It was obviously a question she couldn’t answer, given as she hadn’t been alive during the plague. With a grunt, the man shoved his fingers into her mouth and pried her jaw open, the creature falling into the snow.

It took a few bloody steps before it collapsed in the white and he looked at his dog in disdain, despite the fact the canine's tail was wagging, clearly exhilarated from her Nilo was about to get back to his feet when she pinned him to the snow, covering his face in a series of licks. “FLOWER!” Nilo exclaimed, attempting to roll away from her assault, “You just had a RAT in your mouth!” He got into a sitting position and held her at arm's length with a glare, using one of his sleeves to wipe his face. “Gods I think it went in my mouth…” He trailed, “You are supposed to be a princess Flower! A princess! Gods I have failed you…”

Every moment that Gennadius could be by his side, she was. The woman wanted nothing more than to try and make him comfortable and be there for him when he wasn’t. That being said, he was making impressive progress and she was pleased with how far he was coming. And the better he was getting, the more time she was able to try and do a few extra things for her job as colonel or get a small breather.

Not that she didn’t notice he seemed to be struggling. Not in his recovery, but more in a mental capacity it seemed. At least, that’s what she thought. There was just something about him, from the way he always seemed to wait for her to leave to get his bandages redone, to the fact that he hadn’t even been seeming to bother with his appearance much at all. Which might seem small, but she knew how careful he was about the way he looked, until now. It was almost as if he was embarrassed of himself, though she had not pushed it in any way. Not yet at least.

Gennadius had decided to take a trip to the barracks that morning, slipping out after Nilo was awake to see if she could get some work done with her battalion. Making her way to her room, she had changed into a fresh set of clothes, throwing on Nilo’s black overcoat before heading out to the training grounds. She had no shame in wearing it, since everyone knew that her and the prince were officially engaged. At least everyone in her battalion and in the castle. It was news that could not be contained. So, it was expected now that she wore it, there barely being a time that she was out that she didn’t.

However, when she came to the training grounds, she found one of the newer recruits clutching his hand, blood between his fingers. Sighing, she strode over, pulling off the coat and handing it to the closest soldier who took it a little surprised. However, the woman refused to take a chance of getting blood on it so she braved the frigid temperature in her long sleeve shirt as she grabbed the man’s hand to inspect the damage and find out what happened.

It wasn’t that bad, just the youth messing with a dagger and trying to show off, accidently cutting his hand. It was easily bandaged and after a short lecture, he was sent on his way. It had taken longer than she wanted so she decided to make her way back to check on Nilo. The woman was aware that she had left her coat, but knew it would be returned to her room. It was faster to just dash through the cold into the castle over getting the coat and then going.

However, she didn’t get that far when she heard Nilo yelling out Flower and found the man on the ground with his dog, admonishing the over excited beast. That and the dead rat. Sighing, she stepped over, grabbing the dog by the collar and pulling her off her owner. “You, good sir, should not be taking this big animal out without someone with you, you know that?” But there was a slight smile on her lips as she reached out her other hand to offer him some support to get up, sure his hip would not be overly open to the idea.

“But, I do believe Flower has done her duty as a princess. Shouldn’t a princess protect her own? Hmmm...?” Gennadius slowly released the dog, glancing at the rat again which it seemed the dog had more of enjoyed killing than really doing it for a reason. It was then, that she caught sight of the blood on her sleeves. Not much, but enough to ruin the fabric, tainting the edges where she had accidently picked it up from helping the soldier.

“Ah damnit... I got blood on my sleeves. And this was one of my good shirts...” she grumbled, shaking her head. “Blood just gets everywhere, you know that. Daggers are the most annoying weapon...” Gennadius was still shaking her head, inspecting the sleeve more closely as if staring at it long enough would make her magically come up with a way to get the red stain out of the white fabric. She really didn’t care for daggers... she lost the taste for them after the attempt on Nilo and now she only seemed to find people getting hurt with the smaller weapons. Though she still kept hers in case they came in handy.

She had been about to go into detail about her morning when Damien and Theophilus came stalking forward, trudging through the snow with looks that were all to unhappy. “They look like they’ve had a bad morning,” the woman commented, raising a brow, wondering what on earth could have happened to put them what seemed to be rather fowl moods, especially Theophilus. That and it seemed they were carrying something, which they were, up until they arrived in front of the two.

“Would you care to explain yourself?” Theophilus growled, tossing a bloody dagger into the snow at her feet. His green gaze landed to her sleeves and his expression darkened.

Gennadius stood dumbfounded for a moment, recognizing her dagger almost instantly. It was one of her own handcrafted ones, and it was colored crimson, tip to hilt. Where had it been found and why was it covered in blood. And what was she explaining? Whatever it was, it sounded like she was being accused and her own expression darkened, not liking wherever this was headed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Theophilus. What are you doing with one of my daggers?”

“The question is, what was your dagger doing in the assassin’s chest,” the man snarled. “You are out of control Colonel... and you just murdered our only lead.”

The woman took a step back, finally making the connection. Her dagger had been used to kill the assassin, and now apparently, they thought she had done it. Her dark gaze fell back to her sleeves before bouncing between the three men and down to the dagger again. And all the evidence pointed directly towards her... She had been frustrated about Nilo’s health and had mentioned to Damien her concerns about the man’s mental state, rather empathically. There was motive there... and the fact that she had dragged the man in with broken ribs. Her personal dagger was found in the man’s chest and her sleeves were covered in blood. It couldn’t get much more incriminating than that. Not to mention, she was fully capable of murder, and they all knew it.

“I have done nothing wrong,” was all she managed out in a growl, too shocked and stunned to know what else to say other than trying to claim innocence, though as was her unfortunate way of things, could be taken multiple ways.

Nilo chuckled as Gennadius approached, pulling Flower away before helping him up, a boyish grin dancing on his face as he got to his feet with a wince. With a playfully haughty air, the man began to speak. “As a princess…” Nilo trailed, dusting snow off of himself, “she should act properly. Princesses do not kill rats for sport and make me pry it out of her mouth. How are we ever to find you a suitable husband now?” He questioned the canine jokingly, leaning over to ruffle her thick fur.

Light eyes swept in her direction at the mention of blood, the man straightening and looking at the sleeve. He looked her over for any injuries, but it seemed the woman was okay. His brow furrowed in confusion at the sight. “What…” Nilo trailed as the two men approached wearing stormy expressions, “happened?” But his question was all but lost as Damien and Theophilus stopped before them, throwing a dagger into the snow and spitting out harsh words.

The dagger… it was certainly hers. The blood on her sleeve… it seemed to be someone else's. The situation only worsened as the military advisor accused her of murdering him and for several moments Nilo was torn. He was torn because although there was evidence, Gennadius had claimed innocence. She had seemed genuinely confused and acted rather offended by the accusation. Not to mention that when she walked out she didn’t look like a woman who had just murdered a man in his cell.

It all seemed wrong. Nilo reached over, hand finding hers in a gesture that was both a display support and protectiveness, icy orbs growing sharp as he eyed their company. “Personally, I don’t believe it.” He spoke, releasing her hand to pick up the weapon. Yes, the man looked like hell, his hair flat and hanging across his forehead and clothes in disarray from his tumble with Flower, but no one could deny the authority he spoke with.

“Now I understand both the circumstances and…” Nilo paused, “past behavior point to there being truth behind your assumptions, but there is so much more you are failing to look at.” The prince looked over the crimson coated weapon, which did look awfully incriminating. It all did. “Granted, I am very biased, but that does not mean I can’t think clearly. Plus, we are all more than colleagues so listen to me before tearing her head off.” The man had phrased it rather nicely, but it was clear the two were going to be stuck listening to his side, whether they wanted to or not.

Nilo looked over the blade for a few moments in a thoughtful silence, which provided him with a rather valid point. “First of all, this dagger. You found it inside the man, correct?” Damien nodded stiffly, arms crossed over his chest, “I want you two to think really hard about that, then tell me if you think she would be stupid enough to leave her dagger, which we all know belongs to her, in the man's chest.” He pointed out before setting it back down in the snow, ever not a fan of sharp weapons.

“I get this deed would be easy for her and a motive would be clear, but she’s not foolish enough to leave clear evidence behind,” Now that fact was what made Nilo firm in his belief, as odd as it might seem. Yes, she was fully capable of murdering a man, but she wasn’t dumb enough to leave behind evidence. Nilo had chosen to marry a smart woman, even if she was a tad scary.

Nilo glanced back at her, unsure of her take on the whole affair, although the man was sure the accusation had unsettled her. “If she wanted him dead, she wouldn’t have brought him back alive in the first place. She’s not going to let him sit in a cell and take the objectively harder route when she could have just killed him on the street. She was street-savvy and cunning, not some fool who would charge into the cell to satisfy some lingering vendetta. “There should have been guards outside the cell,” Nilo remembered suddenly, “What did they have to say about this? Did they see her entering?” The prince inquired.

Damien shook his head. “There were no reports of her being there, but there’s also the case that the night crew could have been napping instead of keeping track of their post. We had to go with what we found.” Damien, thankfully, didn’t sound convinced either, which was rather nice, even if he was clearly unhappy and tense regarding the whole situation.

Nilo gave a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair, though it only fell flat again. It was clear his weeks of not doing it had forced it to lose its shape. Not to mention it was growing long again and would soon need to be cut, but who knew if he would get around to that. “You’re her friends too,” He reminded them, shoving his hands in his pockets as he began to grow cold, “you should be looking for ways to save her case, not make it worse. I want an investigation. This doesn’t feel right.” Nilo told the pair, not budging on the matter, “She wouldn’t do this, especially to your only lead. Why would she want to prevent you from finding the ones who orchestrated this attempt? She’s only had my best interests in mind from the beginning, I trust her.” The man’s eyes narrowed for a moment before they softened, “And honestly, after all the time we’ve spent together, you guys should as well.”

The prince turned, calling back a wandering Flower, not wanting the dog to leave his sight. Another soft sigh escaped him at the new situation and the man felt a headache coming on. Not to mention the man hadn’t expected to be outside for more than a few minutes. He may have worn a coat, but it was a lighter one and the thin cloth pants definitely weren’t helping his case. “I am not saying to abandon the prospect of her murdering him, I’m saying I want us to look deeper.” Nilo clarified, turning back to Gennadius for her input.

When her hand was taken, dark eyes flashed towards Nilo, feeling the warmth of his fingers around hers, the man protecting her. The prince was defending her, and Gennadius couldn’t have been more grateful, because she hadn’t done it, nor would she have. But also for the reason that he had such faith in her, that even without her explanation of where she had been, he trusted her to not have. He even went as far as to pick up the weapon to investigate it to help him prove his point.

And the man made many valid points that could lead the investigation away from her. There would he no way she would leave one of her weapons in a body, not in a million years. They were her pride and joy and she took care of them meticulously. And no, she wouldn’t have been dumb enough to leave it there to be found anyway. Though she felt it wasn’t too hard to believe that she wouldn’t be dumb enough to kill him in the first place.

But she had the prince on her side, and he was putting up a good fight on her behalf. The mention of the guards was another good point, though there was always the chance that she could have slipped in that night when Nilo had been sleeping. Though she was sure the nurses could vouch for her being there, as she often tried to either sleep in the chair, next to him, or one room down.

It really was unsettling, but not because she could get in trouble for the murder. No, it was because she was fully capable of it, and while no one seemed to want to believe she did it, even Theophilus softening, not one of them doubted she could. It was a painful dose of reality that hit hard, knowing that everyone there could have reason to fear her abilities. At one time, she would have taken pride in that, but now? Now… now she didn’t know what it did but she no longer liked it.

As he came to the end of what he had to say, Gennadius glanced his way again and found that he looked miserably cold. Much in the same way she too felt cold, not having her coat either. “I say why don’t we take this inside,” she offered, but her voice portrayed that she was deeply disturbed by all this. Reaching down, she picked the dagger back up and handed it to Theophilus who nodded, taking the evidence as the group started inside before they all caught hypothermia. At least Gennadius and Nilo, since the two advisors were wearing proper coats.

“I will reiterate, for the record, I did not kill that assassin,” Gennadius finally spoke again, making it clear she was claiming innocence. “I can’t fault either of you for doing your job though and following what you have. But give me a chance to defend myself.” Her gaze fell back to her sleeves and she knew it would be wise to explain that first, the others no doubt wondering if it came from the assassin. “I went to do some work at the barracks this morning. No, no one saw me there but I met the soldiers on the training ground. One of them had been messing with a dagger and cut himself. I wrapped up his hand, hence the blood on my sleeves.”

A hand ran through her hair as the entered the building and she looked to Nilo, as if wanting his gaze to confirm that he really thought her innocent. “I swear I never went down there and I haven’t even interacted with him since I brought him in. And I spent the whole night in the infirmary.” Her hand moved to reach down to touch Flower, finding comfort in the dog’s warm fur, as if the grumpy animal could take away all the cares in the world. Oh how she wished she could…

Sighing, she looked between Damien and Theophilus, trying to find something else to prove her case. “Did you ever think that maybe I’m being framed? I’m with Nilo almost all day and night now… if I was wanted out of the way, it would be easier to get me out of the picture that way than killing me. Whoever is behind this probably knew the assassin was going to talk and knew I would protect Nilo or avenge him at whatever the cost.” She immediately regretted the use of avenge but it was too late to go back on that.

“You need to find someone who had access to both the barracks and the cell,” she concluded. “I’m not getting involved. I plan on staying by Nilo.” Gennadius looked at him, hoping that was okay. He hadn’t minded before, but now she was feeling overly self conscious about herself and her abilities. Her hands had moved to link behind her back, though her fingers were fidgeting. “I do not fault you if you continue to look into me doing it, I just ask you consider other options. I’m not sure what else I can tell you really.”

Her steps had brought her closer to Nilo to the point where she was basically touching him. “Can I borrow one of your shirts?” she asked softly for just his ears, glancing back at her sleeves. She didn’t want to have to go back to the barracks and was looking to find peace from Theophilus and Damien, who were just doing their job but left her questioning nonetheless. She needed time to wrap her head around it all and maybe just talk things over with Nilo.