Misunderstandings

The prince returned to camp to find Ryker and Zaugustus scouting the area for clues as to who could have taken Landon.

"What happened?" he asked them.

"We were talking when suddenly he vanished from before my eyes," Ryker reported.

"Where were you while all this happened?" he asked Zaugustus who just stared at him offering no reply to his question. "What is wrong with him?"

"He got into a fight with Lady Lara and now he wants nothing more than to have Sly rip Lara's head off," Ryker replied to him.

Theo shook his head in amazement at his bride's ability to make enemies so quickly. At his rate, he was going to be pronounced dead way before his time.

"What do we know of who took her?" he asked.

"We have checked the area. Whoever it was left no trail or scent for us to follow," Zaugustus reported.

"How do we find him and rescue him. Suggestions," he demanded and sat down with his eyes closed to listen to them and see whether or not their plans would work.

He waited for a while hearing nothing. Opening his eyes, he caught the two of them staring at him silently.

"What?"

"With no record of what exists in this place. We can't say for sure what took him or how to get him back. Truth is for him to have been taken so easily without us knowing of it, id says we were being followed. Whoever it was wanted him for a reason, perhaps to get to you," Zaugustus reported analyzing the situation.

"I see but I still don't hear a plan to get him back," the prince said.

"We can only plan an extraction if we know what we are up against. Until we find out who has him no plans we make will work," Ryker said.

"Then what are we up against?" Theo asked in annoyance. The two remained silent with no answer to give to him.

"A spider," Sly's voice was heard from behind.

"A spider took him and from the looks of it a dangerous one," he added waving his hand in the wind.

"A spider. Why would a spider be after Lady Lara?" Theo asked.

"They aren't, they are after you," Ryker informed. "From what I know of the spiders that lived here once, their homes were destroyed when you were seeking vengeance on those that harmed you. A record of thousands of spiders died that year."

"Revenge, that's the motive," Theo muttered.

"A life for a life, I hope they kill her to get their vengeance," Sly said his lips stretching into a beautiful smile.

Theo found himself mesmerized by his smile, he wished to see that smile every day. More than anything he wanted to be the reason the male smiled like that. But sadly the smile was for the little wolf, he hated that Sly paid attention to anything else but himself even though it was going according to his plan.

"What's wrong?" Sly asked him with a mischievous smile on his face. "Can't look away from me?" Sly asked in his ear making the prince shudder a bit. He got out of his trance state and noticed that Sly now stood with his arms wrapped around his neck.

He nervously backed away from him but Sly's movements followed his until the prince was backed up to the tree. "What is it?" he asked the prince with a knowing smile on his lips.

"I hate you," the prince said shoving him away. Not expecting that move Sly stumbled and fell to the ground.

Sly shot a hurt look at the prince, his blue eyes tearing up while his blue hair was scattered. "I shouldn't have forgotten that you prefer another's the company now," he spoke getting up from the ground. The smile on his face was completely gone, the prince's heart sank on seeing this.

He had not meant to react like that, it was just that he felt uncomfortable with the way Sly made him feel. With the time he spent with Landon, he had started to enjoy being the one to tease and provoke others. It felt strange having Sly provoke emotions out of him like that with him being helpless to stop it. The way he shudders when with him was something he was not proud of. The make was his weakness.

"Sly, lis..." he tried to apologize but Sly had already walked away. He felt so humiliated to have been rejected by the prince right in front of the others. He went and hugged Zaugustus and lay his head on his shoulder.

"Should we go look for Lady Lara?" Ryker asked trying to clear the air. The tension in the group had risen, Ryker could see Zaug's anger towards the human increasing with the way the prince was behaving.

Even he was surprised fat the prince dared to push Sly away so harshly. He even went ahead to tell him he hated him but he was not one to point fingers even though the cause of all the problems they face pointed to the male human.

"Yes," the prince said his eyes trying to meet Sly's. The merman let the buying carry him on the journey not giving any attention to the prince.

"We have been friends since we were young right?" Zaugustus asked them. The others replied by bidding their heads. "Then why are you allowing a human to come between us?" he questions directly facing the prince.

"It is the prince's right who he chooses to make his life partner what right do you have to question him?" Ryker asked angrily.

"I am not asking a prince this question but my friend. Since the human has arrived he does not care about our friendship anymore. He is merely concerned for the human who only ever says bad things about him," Zaugustus said to them."While the one who always supports him gets hurt repeatedly all thanks to him. Unless he has forgotten the past completely and we mean nothing to him anymore," he added.

The prince glanced at his friend, he wanted to say something to refute his words but he couldn't. He knew that the man wasn't speaking about their friendship in general but was complaining about the way he was treating Sly.

The things he had done were only to get revenge on Landon, he didn't think that it would affect his relationship with Sly. His merphix has always been beside him no matter what situation he was in. He felt bad as the guilt of his actions sank in.

"I didn't mean to," he said in a soft almost non-existing voice.

"If that were the case then it wouldn't have happened," Zaugustus remarked.

"That's enough," Ryker intervened. "Mind your business and stop interfering in his private affairs," he added.

"Whose side are you on?" Zaugustus asked him. "From the look of things you seem to be in support of the human. I guess it's not just the prince that has forgotten," he added.

His words silenced Ryker, he couldn't say anything as it would only make matters worse. He wouldn't make the mistake of admitting that Zaugustus was being unreasonable and emotional. Due to his anger, he was creating so many unnecessary misunderstandings.

Whatever words he would choose to say, it would only act to fuel Zaugustus's anger. Not to ignore the Merman pretending to sleep when in fact he was just listening to their conversation.

He also didn't want to remain silent as it would act as a confirmation of the accusations that Zaug had raised against him.

"Nothing can ever break the bond the prince has with Sly even the prince can attest to that," he said playing it safe.

"Is that true?" Zaugustus asked him.

"Yes," he replied. "Nothing would ever break the bond we share not even Lady Lara," he said making the buying smile.

"I pray for your sake that nothing ever does," he said to the prince his eyes glistening evilly. "If the truth turns out to be the opposite of what you say then the consequences won't be pleasing," he added.

The rest of the way went on silently as no one made an effort to talk to the other. There was so much negative energy towards them all that they thought it best to keep to themselves as they searched for the spider village among the trees.