32

Victor was fuming with pent-up anger when he came back to the house. Victor came back a few hours later and stood in the middle of the living room. 

"Listen, everyone," Victor said, body strung tight with fury. "There is a meeting at the warehouse at 7 AM and I want everyone to be present. Kyle, you too," he said, looking at Kyle. 

"Who will look after Nina?"

"Ask Lily to come over."

Robin saw Kyle's face contort with distress but he didn't protest. 

"Why the sudden meeting?" Arthur asked.

"You will know when you attend it."

Robin had a bad feeling about this. If Victor was planning on calling off the war he would never forgive him for it. 

When Victor walked off, Robin followed behind. Robin pushed his way inside Victor's room just as he was entering the room. 

"Is the meeting about calling off the war?" Robin asked. 

"Yes."

"And what's the alternative?" Robin asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We will stay in hiding until I have made sure my child is safe from the consequences of the war."

"Like a coward?" Robin spat.

"Like a fucking father and a mate," Victor growled. 

"What about the people who do not have a hiding place? What about their children? What about the children who would die under King Marcella's cruel rule? You can not be selfish, Victor."

"I have decided…"

"You can't do this…" Robin yelled, gripping the collar of his shirt with brute force. "I forbid you."

"I don't care."

Robin clenched his fist around the material of his Collar so hard, he felt his nail bite into the skin of his palm. His face heated, and his body shook with rage. He had never felt so angry in his life. Never. "You will care when I leave you."

Victor frowned. "What?"

"You might not care about the people of your country but I do. And I can not be with a man who has failed his nation."

"You care about people more than me…more than your child?"

"Yes, Victor…and I don't how you can't, being a King."

"Where are you going to go?" Victor asked, looking down at Robin with disgust.

"Anywhere but here with you."

Victor stayed quiet, his eyes searching mine. "I won't let you."

"What are you going to do? Chain me to your floor? Or lock me in your closet?" 

"Do whatever it takes."

"If you want to do whatever it takes then stop being an asshole and keep training the soldiers."

"I won't…"

"Sh.." Robin placed a finger on his lips. "I will stay with you forever, Victor. Love you with all my heart if you do this for me. Please, I beg you…don't call off the war."

Victor looked tormented. "You can't dangle your love in front of me like a bait."

"I can and I am. Take it or leave it," Robin went on his tiptoes and gave a chaste kiss on Victor's lips before leaving his room.

When everyone showed up to the meeting the next morning at the warehouse, including Lawrence, Victor didn't make an appearance. It annoyed the hell out of everyone but for Robin it was victory.

The following days Victor trained for long excruciating hours. He left at the crack of dawn before Robin woke up and came back when Robin was already in bed. Robin only saw him fleetingly when he was either leaving or when Robin visited the warehouse to check the training progress. Robin didn't make a move to confront him about the things he said at the warehouse backroom. Everyone could tell things were tense between the two of them but they didn't probe more into it. 

Victor's chosen Commander was supposed to lead the first batch of soldiers in Marcella in three months. Victor was supposed to go with the second batch and in the final batch when they breach the Marcella palace, Robin was supposed to accompany the troops. It was Lawrences' plan but Victor hadn't approved it yet.

Robin stood in the shadows watching Victor swim in the pool in the dead of the night. He looked like the king he was, the training had given him more muscles, and his usually short hair had grown slightly longer. The way his muscles bunched and relaxed as he swum had Robin's heart fluttering but he couldn't go to Victor. Not before the fucker realized his mistake and came to him to apologize for the things he said. Robin wasn't going to make it easy for him. 

"He swims when he is stressed," Arthur said, coming to stand beside Robin. Robin straightened, looking away as if caught with a fist full of candies. He had to remind himself it was completely fine to gawk at his mate and think dirty thoughts about him. 

"We are all stressed but that doesn't mean we will make the lives of people around us difficult."

"Who is making your life difficult?" Arthur asked, turning to him and looking at him with curiosity. 

"Your brother, of course."

"What did he do now?"

"I can't discuss it with you."

Arthur sighed. "I never said it's going to be easy for you here," Arthur said. "You are the son of our enemy after all."

"Son of the enemy yet you guys begged for my help." Robin's patience was running thin with these Thrall brothers who had no mouth filters. 

"Oh, she has claws," Arthur smirked. "A smart king knows how to use the people around him."

"Are you implying your brother used me, Arthur?" Robin asked, challenging him with the question. 

"What I am saying is don't blame him if he did. You are not above the citizens of his country," he said.

"Oh, you would be wrong if you were how he feels." Robin chose not to elaborate further but for a smart man like Arthur, the hint was enough.

Arthur frowned. The smile disappeared right off his face. "You are lying," he said.

"Why would I lie about such a thing?" 

"So are you pregnant?" Arthur asked, sounding panicked.

"It's too early to tell. But according to your theory, I am one hundred percent pregnant?" 

Arthur brushed his fingers through his hair. "He can't be so selfish."

"Then you don't know your brother at all," Robin said just to spite Arthur further. If Arthur could deliberately say things to anger Robin so could he. 

Arthur walked out of there, without speaking another word. It wasn't Robin's intention to build a feud between two brothers but RObin wanted them to confront his brother about the apparent betrayal he was going to commit. He should be answerable to his family who wanted justice for the crimes committed against them. 

***

Lawrence had asked Robin to confirm his plan with Victor. He had built a detailed plan on how the three batches of Troops would leave. Robin had gone through it and he thought it was perfect but he wasn't a Military commander and he had no idea about the challenges they might face to execute the plan. He needed to get it approved by Victor but talking to him meant Robin was caving. Robin decided to get help from Nina. He sat opposite Nina on the dining table where she was coloring her books. 

"Drawing?" Robin asked with a smile. Nina nodded.

"Have you seen Uncle Victor?" 

"He is in his room," Nina said. "Why?"

"I need you to go tell him that Uncle Robin wants to talk to him." 

"Why can't you go talk to him directly?" Nina asked, looking confused. 

The small girl was too smart. Robin had no way to explain why he couldn't go talk to him. Kyle must have heard the conversation. He came and placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. 

"I will go talk to him about the war plan," Kyle said. With how snappy Victor was nowadays Robin was surprised Kyle agreed to do it. Robin gave her a sad smile and hugged her tight. This family was amazing. 

"Thank you," Robin said.

Later that night Robin heard Victor yelling. Robin got out of his room and peeked down the hallway to see Kyle and Victor standing in the living room. 

"If he wants to inform me about the war, ask him to come talk to me directly," Victor yelled. 

Kyle said something in a low voice to which Victor replied, "He is not a prince here. If he is going to act all offended because I said something in the rage of rut I am not going to apologise for it."

Robin gritted his teeth at Victor's arrogance. Range of rut? Fuck him. His rut didn't give him the right to be mean to Robin. Robin wanted to sprint down and give him a piece of his mind but he restrained. He didn't want to waste his energy in arguing with Victor when he hadn't yet realized that he was at the wrong.