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Victor and Robin were brought to the Capital City Stadium. The stadium was exclusively used to hold public events like games, races, and public speeches but public execution for dire crimes was also one of the things that happened there. Robin had a feeling his father was going to make an example out of him.They were made to sit in the middle of the ground with their hands tied above their head and legs barely touching the ground. Robin's father, his mother, and sisters, along with all other royal family members sat at the balcony. High above the ground. A gathering of people was standing before them, stones in their hands. Marco stood at the podium before them and shouted. "My brother has betrayed our nation by helping the enemy. The only punishment for people like him is to have the most brutal death possible. You have been given stones to throw at the traitor and his lover. Make sure each one hits them."They started to throw stones at them. Robin felt one hit him on the head, the next one on his shoulder and then he lost count. They were like pallets hitting one after another."STOP!" Victor said in a deep voice that stunned the crowd for a few seconds. "I, King of Dhasur, did not come here to hurt you guys. Name a single civilian I have harmed and I will accept this death with a bowed head. I came here to free the people of Marcella, the people of my mate's country from the King's tyranny.""Why did you stop? Keep throwing the stone!" Marco yelled but his voice was nothing compared to the booming echo of Victor's voice."Harold Marcella and his predecessors have exploited their people to fill their royal treasures. When the whole world was changing, uplifting for the betterment of their citizens Harold Marcella kept his backward laws. Keep using the outdated judicial system to kill innocent people. Only a cruel man will stone his pregnant omega son."Marco hit Victor with his fist. It did nothing to stop Victor. "This man can't be loyal to his own family, how can he be loyal to his countrymen? If you want to support such a monster, go ahead and stone me."The people standing people them as well as the ones sitting on the bleachers went eerily quiet. "I am not your enemy. I am your friend..." Victor didn't get to finish before two soldiers gagged him.Robin's father was fuming. He snatched a gun from one of the soldiers and walked down the stairs towards Victor and Robin angrily. He trained the gun on Victor but before he could fire a gunshot landed right on his shoulder throwing him off the podium and on the ground. There was chaos on the fighting ground when a group of Marcella soldiers entered the ground and started firing at the armed guards around Robin and Victor."Surrender your weapons if you don't want to die," one of the Marcella commanders warned, standing before the Marcella Army."Is this how you're going to save the people of Capital City?" King Marcella mocked, holding onto his shoulder."It's better to die than to live another day under your kingship," the commander said. "Ask your guards to drop their weapons.""Never," King Marcella announced."Have it your way then," he instructed his soldiers to fire at the guards. The guards scrambled around, running for their lives."Nike, stop!" Robin screamed, "Don't hurt my sisters," he demanded.The commander couldn't hear Robin's cries over the screams of the people who were running everywhere to save their lives."Victor ask him to stop," Robin pleaded, turning to Victor. Victor looked hesitant as if he didn't want the man to stop. Robin frowned feeling betrayal creep up his heart."Victor," he prompted. Something must have snapped Victor out of the trance because yelled at the commander to stop firing at the royal members."Take my sisters and mother to a safe place," Robin demanded.The commander looked annoyed at his request but instructed one of his subordinates to do the task. One of the soldiers climbed the gallows and untied Victor and Robin. He handed over a Lazer beam sword to Victor and escorted Robin to safety.Robin was asked to stay in one of one of Dhasur's safety pods while the war raged on. Every part of Robin wanted to run out of the Pod to make sure his sisters, mother, and Victor were alright but he knew it was not safe out there. Around his five soldiers were appointed to keep him safe. Every second dragged on like hours. Night fell and morning came without any update of what was happening. It wasn't until after Victor opened the door of Robin's chariot that he took a calming breath."Oh God," Robin exclaimed, rushing outside and hugging Victor."Your family is fine," Victor announced. "We have captured your father and brother. The palace is in our control."Robin pulled back and looked into Victor's eyes. "Are you alright?""I am fine.""How many people died?" Robin asked with dread."A lot," Victor replied. "We haven't counted the bodies. It is going to take time to identify the dead soldiers."Robin gulped down a painful knot in his throat. "Can I see my sisters?" Robin asked, his voice shaky.Victor nodded and took him towards the palace. Robin halted at the sight of the sea of dead men on the way to the palace. When they reached the palace there were more dead bodies there. Robin paused, not having the ability to take another step. Was this the price of freedom? This bloodbath. Did human life mean so little?"Don't look down," Victor said as he directed him towards the south wing."There are so many," Robin said in disbelief. He recognized a few of the female guard faces lying bloodied on the ground. He shuddered, sadness engulfing him. He did this. He was the cause of all of their deaths."Come, your family is waiting," Victor said, pulling him away from the bloodshed.No matter how much Robin tried he couldn't get the images of the dead people out of his mind. He had never seen so many dead people before, people he knew. When he entered the room where his mother and sisters were kept. They were all huddled up together in one corner, crying and scared. He crouched down and hugged all of them, trying to make them feel better. But somehow he felt like an outsider in his own family. They didn't seem to accept his reassurance."Everything is going to be alright," Robin said."You destroyed everything and you are telling us that everything is going to be alright?" his mother cried out.Robin reeled back, feeling shocked at his mother's anger."Robin, come," Victor said, tugging Robin away. "They need to come to terms with reality.""No!" Robin snapped. "I am going to stay with them.""You need to rest Robin. You have been through a lot of stress," Victor said, standing at the threshold of the room."I am fine," Robin protested."Robin," Victor warned. "I am going to make sure your family is comfortable but you need to come with me."Robin shook his head. "I am going to stay here with my family.""You should go with him, Robin," Joyce said. "You belong to him now.""I don't belong to anyone," Robin prompted. "And I am not going anywhere."Victor huffed, clenching his jaw. "Can I talk to you for a second?"Robin didn't move."Just a few seconds, Robin, then you can do whatever the heck you want."Robin walked outside the room and stood in the hallway."You need to rest. You need to eat and you need to get some sleep," Victor said."My family needs me," Robin said."They do not deserve you!" Victor snapped.Robin clenched his jaw. "You wanted to kill them, didn't you? At the stadium. I hesitated."Victor looked frustrated. "It doesn't matter. I promised to keep them safe and they are safe. A moment of hesitation doesn't mean anything. They are not in the headspace to differentiate right from wrong. They think you are one of the bad guys. You need to give them space to understand what is happening. Right now they think their kingdom has been invaded and we are the enemy.""They need me right now," Robin protested."They don't need you. What they need is some time. And you need rest," Victor said.Deep down Robin knew Victor was right but conscience wouldn't allow him to leave his family. In the end, after a lot of thinking, he decided to go with Victor.He went back to his family to say goodbye."Mother, Gloria, Joyce, Lily, don't be scared. I am making sure you all are fine. If you need me at any time just tell those guards and I will be here. Is that okay?"No one responded. Feeling a little dejected he stood up and left with Victor."Keep your eye on the path, don't look at the ground," Victor said as they walked to his old room. His words only made Robin more curious. He couldn't help but look down and find more dead soldiers. Victor's soldiers were removing the dead bodies and taking away injured people."What are you going to do with them?" Robin asked, looking at one of the injured Capital City Soldiers."We will treat them before deciding their fate," Victor said. That did not sound very reassuring. Robin got to his old room where his old servants were waiting for him, scared to death, towel and a new robe in hand. They bowed in respect. But Robin had a feeling it was more out of fear than respect."They will help you if you need anything," Victor said."I don't need anything," Robin snapped. "Let them go. I can take care of myself."Victor shook his head. "You two can leave," he said, turning to the servants. They nodded and scurried out of the room."What are you angry about?" Victor asked once the servants had left."What am I angry about?" Robin snapped. "How are we any different than my father if we killed so many people, brought destruction to this place the same way he brought destruction to your Kingdom?""We are nothing like your father." Victor gritted. "Your family is still alive, aren't they?""What about all the servants and guards you have killed?""They were collateral damage. We have not killed anyone who did not come to attack us first.""Don't lie. The servants didn't come to attack you."Victor frowned. "How do you propose we fire a canon and kill the bad guys and save the good guys who are standing with them?""By not firing the cannon in the first place," Robin retorted."Then you and I wouldn't have made it alive today.""It pains me to see the darkness in the palace of my birth. I knew so many of them. They had families. I feel like I did something wrong."Victor huffed."If I did not do what I did today then your countrymen would have suffered hundreds of years of tyranny under your father. Millions of innocent lives would have been lost when your father would conquer more land. Be thankful for the lives lost today because this would save thousands of lives in the future."Robin wasn't convinced. His anger towards Victor didn't diminish. The images of those bloodied faces wouldn't leave his mind. He turned around, ready to bolt away from Victo when he felt Victor's arms circle his waist and pull him closer."Let go of me," Robin gritted, struggling to get free."Sweet," Victor breathed in Robin's ears, his voice pained. "I know you are upset. I am sorry it had to take an ugly turn. I didn't mean it to happen like this. I didn't anticipate getting captured. I wanted to keep it minimally invasive but the moment he put his hands on you and threatened to hurt you...I...I," Victor breathed heavily. "I should have been smarter."Robin didn't want to melt at his words but a small part of him was already melting."We should think about what you did and the consequences it will have on their families who lost their loved ones," Robin said, still struggling to get free."I will compensate them. Tell me how to repent and I will do it," Victor said, burying his face in the crook of Robin's neck and breathing him in."You are going to apologize to their family members....on your knees," Robin said. Victor went still behind him. Robin knew the Alpha in him wouldn't allow him to bow his head in front of anyone. Alpha egos were bigger than Mt. Everest and what Robin was asking was next to impossible."It wouldn't make a difference," Victor started to say."If you think that then the problem lies with you," Robin said. "Let go of me." Robin tried to pry Victor's arms open but he only tightened his hold."Fine. I will do it. I will apologize to all of them. Even the ones that came to kill me.""They were doing their duty."He felt Victor nod. "But I need you to do something for me too."Robin frowned. "What?""Let me take care of you."A few minutes later Victor was sitting with Robin in his bathtub, just like the day of Robin's first heat. Victor cleaned him thoroughly, being extra careful on the wounds on his forehead and all over the body from the stones, while his lips kissed a trail along his shoulders."I love you," Victor said. "I will never let anyone harm you ever again."Robin bit his tongue from saying that he loved him too.