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Leo clung to Elliot, shaking hard, unable to stop. he'd killed. he was a healer and he'd taken life. it didn't matter what kind of person Istavia had been or what he'd done, Leo had killed him. Istavia's words rang through Leo's head, the gentle healer turned killer. you are a child of Reta after all! it was true. he was just like the rest of these monsters, worse, he'd killed Istavia in one of the worst ways possible, taking the water from his body drop by drop. he'd suffered until the very end. "Child of Reta, child of murderers." he whispered, pulled away from Elliot, looking as broken as the day they had first met, though in a completely different way.

Tsume got up, but for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do for Leo. how could he help his little master, how could he make this right? he saw the remaining nobles staring at their group in horror, even the guards afraid of taking action after what they had just seen. Tsume knew what he could do. he drew himself to his full height and looked down on each and every one of them, "let is be known what has been done this night," he growled, his eyes flashing wolf yellow and causing those left to whimper in terror as he stalked nearer, "tell them that the Reta Empire is no more. All slaves and bentiens shall be freed immediately, any who protest shall answer to me." he shiver and raised his hackles as the men gathered, growling deeply in the back of his throat. only those closest to Istavia would have remained, his most loyal subjects. if he could terrorize them into obedience then war would be avoided. "Reta now falls under Falian rule, gentlemen, and things are going to change." he smirked shifting back and noting one noble had wet himself. "Go, and tell your people of the changes. and remember..." he leaned in close, getting in the man's face, "i have your scent now. disobey and i shall take pleasure in hunting you down myself. now go." he stepped back and watched them scrambling away, knowing it would be a short fix, but that was all they needed for now. "we should go check on Kashi. they might have attacked him too."

Oliver sat up, looking around confused. he wasn't dead? but-he saw leo crying and stood, hurrying to him, but something in Leo's eyes kept him away.

Heather met Adi's eyes and stood, "W-what can we do?" she whispered, moving closer to the king, staying clear of the others. "how can we help?"

Leo closed his eyes, the tears finally stopping, "Tsume, get Kashi, we're safe now." he slowly, ever so slowly, turned to look at his father, almost scared to see the man's face. the cut on his cheek hadn't healed, Leo didn't know why, but instead of becoming smooth skin, it had turned into a scar. "i-" what did he say? to this man, to this stranger? was he eve his father anymore? Leo didn't know, he didn't know what to think anymore.

Tsume didn't need to be told twice, he ran to their rooms, yelling out "Come on out you waskoly wabbit," as soon as he was inside. he was running to their room when he found it open with two bodies just inside. "Come on out you waskoly wabbit." he repeated, just be safe as he looked at Kashi sobbing on the bed. "it's ok, it's ok now. it's me. i said the line, you remember that, right?" he held up his arms, but didn't approach, not until he was sure KAshi knew he was for real.

Leo stared at the man, his words ringing in his ears before Leo nodded, "you are right. i'm to feminine. i made the perfect bentien." he gave a tiny smile before turning away, "i'm sorry, i wish i was more like you." if he'd been like his father, would he have been forced to become a bentien? maybe if he'd been stronger none of this would have happened. how much pain and grief could he have saved the both of them if he'd just killed Istavia all those years ago. a sharp stabbing pain ripped across his stomach, causing him to gasp softly as he pressed his hand against the spot. the twins had been still for a little while now, since the party started, but he could still feel their life force. they were safe and that was all that mattered.

Lewis shook his head, slowly standing, having been forgotten in all that was happening. he walked to the pile of dust and saw something shiny burried in the pile. he pushed it around with his shoe until a crystal came into view. it was blood red and perfectly round. when he picked it up, it had a sort of warmth to it. it was all that was left of Istavia, the largest part of him left created by Leo from his own blood. "Reta's too big for just Falia." he looked at Alvaro, "we should have a combined rule over it. it will make things easier, but the countries that have been conquered should be given the choice of breaking free. it's only right."

the three bentiens looked at then in confusion before nodding and hurrying to the harems. the guards there knew how to activate and deactivate the marks, almost every male in the palace did. they would have heard about everything by now as well, the question was would they listen? Adi squared his shoulders, he'd just make them. it was an order from the king after all.

Tsume slowly put his hand on the gun and pushed it away before pulling Kashi into his arms. "Shhhh, it's ok now. You didn't shoot me, Kashi. that wasn't me, it wasn't Leo. you're safe, Kashi. you did very good, i'm so proud of you." a least the hare had been untouched. Tsume might have gone a bit mad with rage had they hurt the hare.

Leo smiled, "the baby is ok. a little girl. Nix. she's a powerful mind reader, but she's learned from me to not look into minds freely, so you should be safe too. Mama-" he paused, trying to figure out how to best word it, "she's alive. the trees took her in, she's asleep. we don't know how to bring her out again. she's in her child form, that why you are younger as well. i'm sorry." he felt guilty for all that had happened, like it was somehow his fault. "I'm sorry, father. if-if i had known that-that you weren't doing it willingly, that he was controlling you...i would have never said..." but how could he take back what he'd done? for the way he'd hurt his father? he looked at Elliot, but pain shot through him again, braking his eye contact as they squinted in shut, "i think i've done too much. i feel sick..."

Oliver hurried to Leo's side and gave him a glass of water, looking scared, but not of Leo, of everything that had changed so quickly. "here, please drink." Leo accepted the glass and he smiled as the man drank deeply. his eyes turned to the man that had been in the cage, but he quickly looked down. this man was the first prince of Reta, did that make him king now? Oliver didn't dare met his eyes for fear of punishment, he'd just keep them down.

Lewis nodded, "that would be best." he looked over at Leo and George and bit his bottom lip, "do you think they will be alright?" he whispered to Al, slipping over and resting his head on the man's shoulder. "After all that's happened, i don't know if they will be able to-" but he shook his head, "Henry, sorry but could you go oversee the bentien's being freed? guards might be shaken up, but they are still asses. don't want them giving the boys a hard time. Megan, Leo needs to sit down. you've been pregnant, he might listen to you better than the rest of us. could you-?"

Tsume stroked the long hair, letting Kashi cry as much as he liked, "shh, shh, it's ok. really, it is. Kashi, look at them. it's not me or Leo, see? you didn't kill us, you protected yourself from a man who was going to hurt you." he pulled away and wiped Kashi's tears away, "you did a very good job, Kashi. let's get out of here, we'll have someone else clean up, but you need to get out of this room." he stood and lifted Kashi into hi arms, carrying him past the bodies and to the hallway, only putting him down once they were far from their suite of rooms. "there, it's ok see? do you want to go and see Leo so you can be sure you didn't kill him?"

Leo let himself be guided too a chair, sitting down heavily. "thank you Megan." he nodded a little when she asked if he wanted something to eat. he'd done well about snacking throughout the day, but he'd used too much energy. it was probably why his stomach kept hurting the way that it was. he didn't know what to say to his father, he didn't know what to do at all. there was a pitcher near where he'd sat and he snagged it, refilling his glass to he could drink deeply. he lay his head down on the table and closed his eyes. "I knew today was going to be a bad day, but i didn't know how bad."

Oliver blushed that he'd been caught and looked around quickly before carefully taking the man's offered hand. "O-Oliver," he whispered. "you-he said you were his brother. does that make you the king, now?"

Lewis nodded, "they are going to both need a lot of help. he's been at the mercy of that madman for 6 years now, who knows what all was done to him." Lewis ran a hand through his hair before taking Al's hand and walking to where George was talking to Oliver, hearing the boy's question. "that's something we should talk about, sir..." he looked at the man shyly, and hid a little behind Al. "You probably don't-don't remember me. i've changed-um, but you..." he fell to his knees and bowed so low his forehead touched the ground, a pose he hadn't taken in a long, long time, "you freed me, a lot time ago and i was never able to say thank you. i-i have made a life for myself, i'm prime minister and i've found someone who accepts me, but none of that would have happened if you hadn't saved me." he felt himself starting to cry and fought against it, "i'm sorry, i'm being an idiot, but i just-thank you. thank you so much."

Tsume slipped his hand into Kashi's and lead the way, "come on, i'll show you. you didn't kill Leo, he's fine. we'll all fine now. Istavia's dead and we're freeing all the slaves and bentiens. everything's alright now."

Leo opened an eye and looked at Elliot at he sat down and gave a small nod. "you are right, i should be happy that it's over." but it didn't feel over, it felt like there was something more. he looked over at his father and Lewis, longing to be the one in hsi arms for a second before closing his eyes and making himself sit up. he'd never be held like that again, not by his father. he wouldn't be surprised if George hated him now. if he'd never been born, this might not have ever happened. he pulled the plate Elliot had brought closer to himself and began to eat small bites, his stomach hurting too much to eat a lot at once. "Elliot?" he asked softly, looking at the man, "i-" he couldn't do it, couldn't ask if Elliot still loved him, even after everything that had happened. he looked down at his plate and whispered, "thank you. you're always supporting me, i don't know what i would do if i had to face this alone."

Oliver's eyes shined with wonder, "such a place surely is a land of dreams, Mr. George." the man's attention was taken away when the nice king and prime minister came closer so Oliver took a step back and quietly watched, not wanting to interrupt.

Lewis shivered at the hug, but after a second of hesitation, he slowly began to hug George back. "i'm so sorry," he sobbed softly, "you-this is my fault. you would have become king and everything would have been right if you hadn't saved me. i'm sorry, i'm so sorry." the thoughts that had been plaguing him since he'd learned just who Leo's father was all came rushing out. George would have become king had he never saved Lewis. he could have set this country to rights all those years ago and made things better for so many people and yet because of Lewis thousands had suffered. "you saved me, but you payed such a price...i'm sorry, i'm so sorry."

Tsume lead Kashi to the main room and stopped just inside, "see/ Leo's right there, you didn't kill him, Kashi. you killed a fake. if they had taken you, they could have used you against us. you stopped them and saved us all, Kashi. you didn't do anything wrong, not one thing."

Leo smiled, his heart warming at Elliot's words, "Thank you. you have no idea how much i needed to hear that." he leaned forward to kiss his fiance, "i love you too. more than anything else in this world." he ate with a little bit more gusto now, feeling better. "i think i just am having a hard time believing that it's really over. i mean-he's gone. after all that's happened, he's just-gone." it was impossible to believe.

Lewis blushed, looking down, "i was just a boy back then. i'm an adult now, of course i've grown." he looked the man over once more before glancing towards Leo and lowering his voice, "give it time. you are both hurt and afraid, but you're family. Leo is a good boy, amazingly so and you are strong, your majesty. it will take a little while, but you will both be able to be together the way you were before. he still loves you, that much is true. his goal in coming here was to save you, he's never given up on you. i just-thought you should know that."

Tsume pulled Kashi in against his chest and hugged him close, "thank you, Kashi. you did so well today, i'm proud of you." right now he was the only person Kashi had, Leo had Elliot, George had Lewis and Alvaro, but Kashi was alone and he'd happily stand by Kashi's side as long as he was needed.

Leo gasped softly and pressed his hand to his stomach, grimacing as pain shot through him. they were getting worse, too much to hide now. "i think i need to lay down," he said softly, closing his eyes, "my body's not too happy with the amount of power i used today"

Leo shook his head a little at Elliot, "really, it's nothing. i'm just tired. it's too soon for me to go into labor, so stop thinking it." he lifted an eyebrow at his future husband, knowing the man well enough to know that labor was the exact thing he was thinking of at the moment. "i just need to go to our rooms and lay down." he stood, holding onto the chair for a moment to keep his balance before heading for the door, "Will you come and lay with me, Elliot?"

Oliver was watching Leo, worried about how pale he was. but the man said he was going to lay down and that was a good thing...Oliver notices something trickling down Leo's front, staining it red and his eyes widened. "Blood!" he yelled, pointing as chaos hit the room.

Tsume held Kashi close, but something was off. he smelled blood, fresh blood. he looked up just as he heard a cry from Oliver. the lower half of Leo's dress was stained red. it took a moment to register what he was seeing before Tsume was running across the room. Leo's eyes fluttered and he fell, Tsume knew he wouldn't make it in time, but there were another pair of arms to catch him in his place.

Hasta materialized in Leo's shadow just in time to catch him. "s**t!" he growled when he saw his prince. "s**t, s**t, s**t, i was too late." he didn't even look around the room, one instant they were there and the next they had disappeared into the shadows.

Tsume stopped just inches from where Leo hd been, staring at the floor he'd vanished into, "We have to get to Falia!" he yellled, looking around wildly, "there's no were else he would have taken him. we have to go!"

Lewis smiled at George, patting his shoulder, "it'll be ok. you both just have to start from a clean slate-" he turned when he heard the commotion and saw just a flash of red, a curse and then Leo and the visitor were gone. "What?" he gasped, looking to Al, "what just happened?"

Hasta wasn't the one who answered the call. a blue haired demon appeared and looked at the group a little curiously before smiling at George, "welcome back, my Lord." he bowed before looking over the group a bit dreamily, "is this all of you? Hasta's not coming, he's under orders from the trees. was taking a lovely nap and well, now i have to clean up after my brother...again." he cocked his head as he surveyed the group, "mmm, need to make sure it's all of you before i go. be tired after this many, can't come back for a bit..."

Tsume shook his head, "all save one, Henry's not with us. he's with the slaves and bentiens. we need to hurry, can you jump us to him and then to home?"

the blue haired boy thought for a moment before nodded, "i can do that. every thing hold hands, i'll take you home." he hummed softly as he waited and then nodded his head when everyone was ready. i'm Pasa by the way;. jknice to meet you." their shadows ate them as he spoke and they appeared in front of Henry, Pasa looking at him curiously.

Lewis wasn't sure what to do. Leo was bleeding, bleeding and now gone. and now there was another strange boy, this one with blue hair, and he expected them to hold each other's hands and be ok? how could he be so calm? that's what Leo wondered.