Despite his princely training and lessons, Zephen couldn't help but let out a quiet whimper as Hollis continued to egg him on. The way Magnus laughed made him think the other boy was probably just teasing, but Hollis sounded so serious he just wasn't quite sure what to think. If only he had one of his servants here. His father and mother always had a taste tester to make sure their food wasn't poisoned. Zephen needed to have one to make sure he wouldn't become a boy lover if he ate the soup. Unfortunately, his parents had already told him he was on his own here. That meant no servants. And that also meant no taste tester. As the minutes ticked by, he couldn't stand it anymore and needed to swallow. After gulping down the soup in his mouth, he put the spoon back in the half finished soup bowl, too unsure to feel safe enough to continue eating.

.

As Hollis continued his little charade, Zephen huffed at him, a frown on his lips. He was done getting pushed around like a nobody. He was done playing the boy's game. He wouldn't let this go on for any longer. "If anyone needs guidance it's you." He shot back, sitting pencil straight as he caught Hollis's eyes with a piercing look. "Your so lost and confused it's almost sad. You have to put others down to feel good about yourself. It's pitiful, really. I also happen to be generous, so if you ever get tired of the little box you've put yourself in, I will be happy to help you fix your ways. And if there's a reason you feel so insecure, I've been known to be able to do anything, so I'm sure I could help you out with that as well." Zephen said, his tone holding a slight melodic lilt to it as a charming smile played on his face. To any outsider it would've seemed as though Zephen was being kind and caring, but the proud look in his eyes suggested something eles.

.

Now feeling confident because of his own words, Zephen took another bite of soup, silently emphasizing that he wasn't scared of Hollis. It held the message that he wouldn't let the other boy walk over him while also showing his satisfaction at supposedly taking control of the situation. The prince then grabbed his bread, diping it into his soup with a proud air to his actions, his princely attitude shining through. He stirred the bread around for a second before bringing it to his lips and chewing. The look in his eyes practically dared Hollis to try and come up with a comeback. He was so confident he had won he didn't think anyone would be capable of coming up with a good retort. A downfall to his personality, no doubt, since he wasn't used to getting talked back to. Normally his word was law, so he wasn't expecting that anyone could truly fight him on subjects he was sure on.

Hollis's puppy like expression only annoyed Zephen. But that was mostly because he was upset with himself that he had forgotten his decision to treat the other boy like a kid. Hollis's reaction only solidified the fact that the prince had made a mistake. Still... as Hollis touched on the things he had done last year, Zephen paused. That... Was that true? He had... protested for the environment? He tried to protect all the innocent animals out there? For a moment, Zephen actually felt... bad. And it was weird, because the prince had never once regretted his words or actions before. He had never once questioned himself on if he was really right or not. But then the moment was ruined as Hollis spoke about the things he believed in. Zephen glared at the other boy, his earlier feelings forgotten in his anger. "Tsk. You really are set in your ways. Treason is the way you talk and act." The prince growled as Hollis went off to go get some desert.

.

Too upset to talk with Magnus, Zephen quickly stood up, his body tense with frustration. He abandoned the rest of his soup in favor of stalking off to his room, gloom and doom radiating from his whole existence. Instead of weaving through the crowd like he had done previously, he just kept walking straight, expecting them to move. The look on his face said he wasn't afraid to trample anyone who got in his way, so for the most part, people reluctantly moved out of the way for the prince. The ones who didn't, well, they got plowed through. When he got to his room, he expected to find a bathroom with a bathtub waiting for him. But he quickly realized the room didn't have a bathroom. Tears pricking his eyes, the prince started taking his anger out on his luggage. He threw his backpack across the room and also knocked over a few of his suitcases. He then decided it was a good idea to *kick* one of his suitcases. Of course, by doing that, he just ended up hurting hurting his toes.

.

Absolutely miserable, Zephen plopped onto his bed and curled up like a little puppy as he just cried. Normally he would never be caught dead crying, but, as it turns out, sometimes tears are necessary to get your emotions out. The prince hadn't even gotten his sheets on the bed yet, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He had tried to ignore it, but between the very annoying Hollis, moving out of his home to go stay in a whole different country and the death threat on his sister, Zephen felt utterly alone and overwhelmed. He just wanted things to go back to normal. And yet... somewhere deep down, he found he couldn't exactly hate Hollis. Although he didn't realize it, Hollis actually intrigued him. Perhaps that's why, if he let his mind wander for long enough, Hollis's midsection would always pop up in his mind.