Emergency Landing Campsite

Alfred was inspecting the spacious interior with raised brows, not sure whether this was awesome or simply ridiculous. But it looked comfy enough for the two of them, so he decided not to tease...even though the words were already hanging around his tongue.

"Aren't you going to stay here...with me?" Alfred asked whilst he was patting the pillows on his bed, feeling the softness of the fabric. And suddenly he felt a strong urge of sleep. His eyes were longingly staring at the inviting bed. "You aren't going to go see the others, right?"

Who knew what would happen if Arthur went out to see the rest of the group. Arthur might ask for the others' help in order to overpower him while he wasn't conscious. He had to consider every possibility.

As for now...he really needed some rest. Without care he simply let himself flop down, feeling the soft bedspread tickling his face. It didn't take long until his eyes gave up on staying awake.

Arthur observed as Alfred looked around the tent. It almost looked as though he would make a comment about it, so the king was almost ready to tell the other to sleep outside.

But instead, only blinked as Alfred patted down his pillows. He couldn't quite place the tone in which he spoke, but as Arthur watched Alfred flop onto his bed to sleep, he felt himself smile and mumble a quiet 'I'll be right here.'

He knew that if he went outside right now, the others would be demanding answers. All of them were tired, he was sure of that, and rest was what they all needed.

So, with a last tired smile directed at the now asleep Alfred, he leant down and briefly ran his hand through the others blonde hair, then gently removed his glasses and placed them to the side.

"Goodnight!" He whispered, before making his way over to his own bed and fell onto it in a similar fashion as Alfred. Sleep didn't take long to follow.

He fell into a dreamless slumber, so it felt like a long time of sleeping when he was suddenly wide awake where it had only been a few hours. He suddenly felt his chest tighten, making breathing difficult and painful. His throat was dry. Staring down at his pillow he could see that it was damp because of sweat. He felt at his forehead, it was practically wet.

Of course...the drugs. Alfred laughed without humour, mocking his own situation. The regular time of refilling the drugs was long overdue, so he figured that his body would react to that. However, he had no idea what would happen...it felt...like dying. Strange, he didn't mind. Thinking back, he knew that his old self would never have been willing to give up on life but his current self was...indifferent.

The pain though was unbearable, it felt like needles that were torturing every single inch of his body and Alfred panted in exhaustion. Alfred bit on his lips until it was beginning to bleed. He waited. Waited for the pain to ebb away or his life to end. It made no difference, really.

It was just...

He turned his head to glance at where Arthur was sleeping, he looked so peaceful. Yes...it was just...he somehow regretted that he wouldn't be able to see him again.

Strange, for a moment he felt like he was his old self.
He allowed himself to smile. It was strange, indeed.

Slowly, he rose from his bed and tumbled to where Arhur was lying. Sitting on the edge of the other's bed, he hovered his body over Arthur's sleeping form, observing him from this close. Trembling fingers gently ran over Arthur's soft hair.

Arthur had fallen into a pleasant, dreamless sleep. For once. So much so, that when he was awoken, it felt like he had slept an entire night. Such a difference it made, sleeping on a soft bed again.

Now that he was focussing on what had actually woken him up, he saw Alfred hovering above him and was aware of his hand running over and through his hair. Arthur had sat up immediately, his expression serious as he tried to take in the state that Alfred was in. He could make out the blood on his lip and a few beads of sweat that have dripped down his face.

The immediate thought that Alfred was going to kill him disappeared quickly, as he reached up to lay his hand on Alfred forehead. But immediately withdrew it, his eyes wide. "Alfred, you're burning up! What's wrong? You should be lying down!"

Through the scolding and the questions, concern was most prominent. But the fact that Alfred had only continued to look at him throughout, only seemed to unnerve him.

It was no use, his body was under extreme withdrawal. His skin was burning but his blood lost temperature, making it hard for him to breathe. The drops of sweat were icy cold. And he felt cold.

Without thinking he had wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck and both fell back heavily against the soft bed. Alfred desperately seeked for more warmth, he felt so fucking cold even though his skin was burning. Arthur's heat, he needed it. "I feel so cold, Arthur..." he whispered with his hands clenching around Arthur.

He felt that the area around Arthur's neck and nape was the warmest, so he pressed his forehead against it, the collar was partially pulled down to reveal more of Arthur's neck and the beginning of his chest to have more warmth accessible for him.

Arthur had yelped as Alfred had pulled him back onto his bed.

Now Alfred had his arms tightly wrapped around him, muttering of being cold and needing warmth. Arthur didn't get what was wrong, the other was burning up to the point that the heat was becoming unbearable. Had he really fallen ill so quickly or was it something else?

Arthur tried wriggling out of Alfred's hold on him, which had caused his shirt to become ruffled, the top button had come undone and the collar pushed aside. Arthur could feel Alfred lay his head at his neck, he clenched his eyes shut for a moment.. it was becoming way too warm.

At that point, Alfred seemed to loosen his grip, so Arthur moved back and reached up with his now free hand. Running his hand through the damp blonde hair, Arthur sighed.

"I wish you would tell me what's causing this!" He whispered, positive that Alfred could not be in this state so quickly from any illness.

((The Talk was done in Google Docs, so these posts include both Luddy and Gil.)

Ludwig looked up at his brother. “I can’t leave him like this. What is it that you have been trying to tell me?” He wondered if it could honestly be more important than everything they’d just been through. He didn’t want to be rude to his brother, but honestly, he didn’t need another distraction. This whole thing with Feliciano was bad enough.


The albino shook his head, then released his nose as he began. “Look, there are some thing you don’t really know about mating...” He looked down at his knees as if he were at a loss for what to say. He’d been preparing for this since he’d learned of his brother’s interest in Feli, but he seemed to have no right way to start.


“Beyond the whole, having sex, nip the mate’s shoulder and put up with them for life?” Ludwig remembered his father’s definition of the mating ritual, almost verbatim. It had been as vague as one could expect from a man who had never experienced it, despite producing two sons. He supposed if mating wasn’t required when it came to having sex, it could be true of the other way around.


“Well, it doesn’t have to be a sex thing...” He rolled his eyes as he looked away. God...he was talking about this for real now.


“Obviously,” Ludwig said, remembering all too well the way he’d felt Feliciano’s fear and pain -- the way he still felt the lingering ache. He looked up at his brother and grimaced. “Are we really going to have this talk? Right now?” He hoped he kept the whine out of his voice. He’d felt it naturally starting, a symptom of being the younger brother, regardless of how strong or tall he’d become.


Gilbert blinked in utter surprise. “Wait...you know what this talk is about?” He couldn’t fathom that his brother knew half the facts, let alone the whole story.


“I think the humans call it the birds and the bees...” Ludwig could feel his face growing red. Of all of his childhood traits, why had it been this one that stuck around into adulthood?


“Huh...” Gilbert felt confused, but that wasn’t really abnormal. “Humans call it...would that be because birds and bees are...eh different with different parts?” The albino felt himself scratching at the back of hit neck. This was a strange way to talk about mating with his brother.


“I have no idea. And I really don’t want to, either.” He looked down at Feliciano a moment. Surely birds and bees had nothing to do with the actual act. Right? He had heard enough in the past to assume it wasn’t, but he could be wrong. He shook his head to stop his mind from going down a very odd and very disturbing path.


Gilbert dropped his hand and winced at the turn in the conversation. “Look, West. Do you know anyone else who has done this before?” Maybe he was wrong about his brother, and someone else had taught him so he wouldn’t have to. That way he wouldn’t have to get personally involved.


“I have traveled as a mercenary for the last decade,” he said, indignantly. “I’ve heard enough from the humans I worked for to get the basics of it. I’ve had enough …” He nearly said friends, but realized that wasn’t true. That was a very sad state of affairs; he couldn’t have even called his relationships with the people he traveled with as friendly. “...acquaintances who have done that before. I know what goes where and how not to make it hurt when it does.” He also reminded himself that none of it involved stingers or beaks, which was a relief to his own mind. He face blood red now, he knew it.


White eyebrows cocked themselves at odd angles. “Uh...” He wasn’t sure what to say to his brother in response. He ran a hand through his hair slowly and let the mess of bangs fall back into his eyes. “Ludwig, I don’t think I understand. You know that many humans who have this sort of knowledge? And furthermore, you know many who have done it?” He felt his eyebrows draw up towards his hairline.


“Well, yes,” Ludwig said, looking at his older sibling like he was honestly quite stupid, or very ill. “Any of them who have ever procreated, and probably several who haven’t.” He frowned and looked at Gilbert, genuinely concerned now.


“But West,” Gilbert couldn’t believe he had to spell it out for his younger brother. He wanted to chew on his lip but he resisted. “West, they can’t procreate. No matter how hard they may try.”


“Well, yes, not when you’re the same gender, but good god, Gilbert. All humans have sex at some point. You’re acting like it’s some mystical art known only to griffins.”


Gilbert simply looked at his brother, mouth gaping open. Humans? Sex? The albino griffin suddenly closed his eyes and ran a hand heavily down his face. Good lord, Ludwig thought he was giving him the sex talk. And not only the sex talk, but the gay sex talk. “If only...” he muttered under his breath.


“West, I’m talking about griffins mating with humans, arschgesicht. It is clear to me that you two, “he waved at his brother and the young prince leaning on his arm, “are already bonded.”


“So... I am lucky enough to have this happen without actually performing the act? Wonderful,” he said dryly. He didn’t feel entirely lucky. Feliciano could easily reject him, and his instincts would not like it one bit. At least the sobering tone his thoughts were taking made the blush fade a bit.


He sighed “Yes, yes, yes…” He waved his brother off. “So lucky you are going to make yourself sick.” He looked up to his brother then down the line of his shoulder at the brunet prince. His eyes looked even more red than normal.


“Because we’re connected?” Ludwig asked, confused. “Or because he could still turn me down?” Considering the prince’s interest in women and not those of the male persuasion, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he did, even if the thought tore Ludwig up inside.


Gilbert looked back up to Ludwig and snorted. “Nothing so adolescent, brother.” He chuckled as he kicked at a random pebble. “Next thing you know, you’ll be playing a lute and growing out your hair so that it may hang in your eyes.” His smile was light, but the expression on his face was still heavy.


Ludwig laughed at the image. “My singing voice isn’t quite up to the quality that I could make a living that way. More likely to get me killed.”

He tilted his head to the side. “I know that Feliciano is not the typical first choice of mates for me. They are usually … not so easily frightened.” That was probably kinder than calling Feliciano a bit cowardly. “He isn’t like anyone I have felt the pull toward before. They all seemed more natural fits, I think. Is that your problem?”


Gilbert sighed and kept eye contact with his brother. “No West, I don’t have a problem with Feliciano. In fact, I think he’s perfect for you.” He groaned slightly as he looked back to his boots. “Do you know why I fainted while flying today, brother?”


Ludwig shook his head. “I wanted to ask you about that, but I didn’t think you would want to discuss it with others around.” Speaking of others, he took a quick look to where Matthew was. He seemed to still be at enough of a distance for some privacy.


He scuffed his pale palms against each other and looked out to where Ludwig indicated Matthew. “I think he is trustworthy enough, and Feli will be family soon right?” He smiled but kept his gaze away from his younger sibling. “When I fell, I changed into my human form if you recall. Brother, look at me.” He shifted his gaze back to meet the blond, his red eyes catching the lowered light of evening. “This is now my true form.”


Ludwig at first wanted to smile at the thought of Feliciano being family. The simple fact that the thought of smiling passed through his head proved what this … thing was doing to him. “What do you mean this is your true form? How would that even be possible? You’re a griffin. Born a griffin, raised one.” His brows furrowed in confusion.


“I was born a griffin, yes.” He laughed darkly. “Look in my eyes. I am no longer griffin.” He once more waved his brother off. “But I’m probably getting ahead of myself. Do you remember when I left the manor and struck out on my own?”


Ludwig nodded. “Father wasn’t pleased, but he knew it was better than trying to keep you near the castle during that time.” He watched his brother carefully, looking for a sign of truth in what Gilbert was saying. “I should thank you for that. When I wanted to work as a mercenary, he did not object nearly as much as he did when you left.”


“I’ve always been a trend setter.” He smiled. He patted Ludwig on the shoulder affectionately. His hand lingered for a fraction longer than it needed to, then dropped into Gilbert’s lap. He looked at the human leaning on his brother.


“Father ever tell you about my mate?”


“Your mate?” Ludwig asked, surely looking as shocked as he felt at the revelation. “No. Another ‘trend’ you are setting?” If they were discussing mating with humans, Ludwig had a fairly good indication that his brother had mated a human. He might be fighting an instinctual fog when it came to Feliciano, but he wasn’t quite that dense. Yet.


“It would seem so.” Gilbert took in a deep breath slowly. He wished he’d been able to speak with his baby brother before, when his mind was a bit more clear.

“Yes, I mated a human. She was…” he trailed off. He wasn’t sure he was able to talk about her yet with his brother. Not about what made her who she was to him at any rate. “She was my mate for several years, Ludwig.” A small shudder raced through his chest as he remembered what came at the end of the years with her.


“But still such a short time for us,” Ludwig said. He didn’t need to ask what had happened to her in the end. He could assume that when Gilbert said “was,” the woman he’d fallen in love with was no longer with him. “And because you mated her, you are now human?” Ludwig didn’t think that was necessarily true for all griffins, but it was amazing what losing a mate could do to their kind. That thought brought back memories of his uncle, still waiting for them to return.


“Yes.” Gilbert agreed. “So very short.” He cleared his throat, then sat up straighter.

“No I am not human, Ludwig.” He sighed. “Mating with a human does not make you such. But it…there was something else.” He ground his teeth together slowly, creating a high-pitched sound before ending it.


“She was human, yes, so I knew I would lose her eventually. But, when we found she…” He shook his head and screwed his eyes shut for a moment. “She was sick, Ludwig. Very, very sick. My already short time with her was going to be cut even shorter. And she was in so much pain…” His eyes looked wet, but no tears fell.


“I am so sorry, Brother,” he said. Ludwig looked down at Feliciano, knowing the measures he would have gone to if he had been in such grave danger. And they were not yet even mated. He could not imagine what his brother must have suffered. “You tried to alleviate the pain?” he asked. He didn’t know what their connection was capable of, but he remembered trying to do that when Feliciano was being tortured. Was this a consequence his actions could have if he were not careful?


“She…I took measures into my own hands.” He looked at Ludwig suddenly, nearly pleading with him. “I found something I thought,” he paused for a moment as if searching for the words. “I thought it would save her and lengthen her life to that of a griffin’s. You understand?”


“I can guess,” Ludwig said. He could imagine a person going to great lengths for a mate, do anything to avoid the empty feeling that he’d seen in his uncle’s eyes. “So … this has made you human? Did it do what you thought it would, even just a bit?”


“It has made me somewhere between human and griffin. I…conserve energy while in this form, and I am...often not at my best.” He touched Ludwig’s shoulder once more, nearly massaging the muscle absently as thoughts flew through his head. There was just so much more. So much more he wanted to tell his brother, but probably never would.

He squeezed the shoulder hard, then pulled his hand back as if bit by a snake. “West, it made her die horribly. Much more horribly than any human sickness could have.” His eyes raked over Feliciano.

“I am not against you mating a human. Not at all. I don’t regret my time with—” his throat closed slightly and he coughed to clear it. “It was well worth the pain now. Just don’t…attempt to change that. Don’t try to lengthen that time, brother. Feli will be the one to suffer the most, but so will you.”


Ludwig looked at his brother, surprised at the open honesty he saw in those reddish eyes. He looked back down at Feliciano. “After he dies, though, I will not want to go on. I have always heard such stories, seen the widows and widowers, but we haven’t shared so much as a kiss and the thought of him dying pains me.”

He looked to Gilbert and patted the hand that was absently rubbing at his shoulder. “I am so sorry you lost her. I think, for you to have found someone you cared about so much, I would have liked to have met this woman.” He offered his brother a sad smile. “I am grateful, in whatever form, you are still here to warn me.”


Gilbert nodded. “And that’s how it should be if you mate.” He chuckled, then wiped a hand across his mouth in thought. “You know, I had the bond before the bite too.”

He looked at his fingernails and picked a piece of dirt from under one. “I don’t know if it is the human in me, but I am still alive even without her. Yet…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

The albino griffin stood up at that time and adjusted his coat sleeves. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I didn’t think it was necessary until a few days ago.” He looked at the two males sitting together. “Feliciano is very young. He has years ahead of him to be with you if he chooses that.” He stopped fidgeting with his coat, then pulled out a small flask. He tossed it to his brother, the silver catching light as it flew.

Pointing to the flask as he buttoned his coat back up, Gilbert smirked. The crooked smile returned to his flawless skin. “That is my special brew. Even you will want to go easy with it.” He turned to look across the clearing to check on the human he’d flown with who still seemed a bit out of it.


Ludwig looked at the flask being offered to him. “So becoming more human did nothing to change your ability to guzzle alcohol, I see,” he said as he took the “special brew.” A single drink could not hurt him at the moment.

His attention went to the man currently using him as a pillow. “What troubles me, not simply because I have such a connection with Feliciano, is that people are trying to use him as nothing more than a pawn, but no one seems to know to what end. And most of those want to do him harm or kill him.” Ludwig knew that no matter how much he dreaded the idea of Feliciano rejecting him, he could not withstand the idea that people wanted the prince dead.

He had agreed to be Feliciano’s protector, and that commitment came long before his animal instincts decided that he needed to lay claim to the auburn-haired man.


Gilbert fished out another flask and turned back to his brother as he sloshed down some of the clear liquid. He winced slightly at the end of it, and sighed as he spoke. “You know that if you mate with him, you will be able to protect him more efficiently?” He took another gulp of the burning fluid.


Ludwig looked down at Feliciano. “I don’t know if he would agree to just mating with me for the sake of protection.” He knew that he truly did not want the only reason he was mating with Feliciano to be the added protection. “But I’m guessing you mean that the bond will get stronger once -- if we are.”


The white hair bobbed up and down as he nodded. “That’s it, yes.” He took one last swallow before stashing his flask back into his coat. He kicked at the grassy ground, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Say Ludwig? I think I’m going to take a bit of a walk. Just around the clearing.”



“Gilbert,” Ludwig said, looking at his brother, “be careful. And … thank you for warning me.”


“Sure,” he smirked at his brother. The albino turned and walked away, batting at just emerging fireflies in annoyance. “I need to kill something.”

Feliciano had been fast asleep for the whole time the two brothers had been talking. Weak as he was, he had no conscience of their words, even though their voices were just next to him; he had fallen into a black, thick sleep, where the pain that still gnawed his body was left in the background.

The gusts of cold wind that started blowing a couple of minutes after Gilbert left, though, were enough to bring him back to waking. It was getting darker and darker, and for a moment Feliciano feared they were back in the cave.

Then the wind blew again, colder, and he squeezed against the person who was holding him, searching for some warmth. Right, Ludwig was still next to him, just as he had promised.
Shivering lightly, he looked around and then up at the man, confused after the brief sleep.
"Did something happen?" he whispered, as he feared that some enemy could be hidden in the darkness of the woods around.

Ludwig felt some movement from the prince and helped him to move closer. He assumed he was seeking warmth, and Ludwig certainly wasn't going to complain about that if it meant added closeness.

When the other man awoke, he could not help the feeling of relief that spread through him. At least he seemed undamaged, but Ludwig could still feel the pain in the background. "Gilbert and I were just talking. He's off to kill fireflies, I think."

He glanced up at his brother and then back down at Feliciano. "How are you feeling?"

Feliciano gasped. "Poor fireflies!"
Useless to say, he was fond of them, given that those small insects were the only source of light in the woods during the night - and also his only company in the lonely nights he had spent before meeting Ludwig and Alfred.

He tried to sit up, managing to remain straight on his own, but still leaning against Ludwig. It wasn't only because of his warmth, though, he feared that, had he left the griffin's side, he would have been swallowed by the night, leaving him alone.

"Well..." he paused, trying to focus on the mess that were his senses right now. "I think I'm sore. And cold. And... a bit hungry, I'd say." he ranted quietly. "But safe."

"I know. But Gilbert had to express kind emotions just a moment ago, and he's going to have to take it out on something," Ludwig said, trying to keep his tone lighthearted, despite the fact he was worried about his brother.

"We can definitely do something about the cold, and possibly the hunger. I think I have some food still in my pack, as well as a blanket." He didn't dare move Feliciano very much, but he had to a bit as he shifted slightly to the side and took off his pack. He carefully pulled out the blanket and found a bit of cured ham from the inn.

He wrapped the blanket around Feliciano and offered him the ham. "It isn't much."

Feliciano grabbed the blanket and tightened it around his shoulders. He took a piece of the ham that was offered to him, and then took a bite of it. It didn't take long after he swallowed, that his stomach started rebelling painfully against the food.
Grimacing, he put the rest down, and tried to hide a bit more inside the blanket.

He was going to ask if they still had a tent - the idea of spending the night outside wasn't really appealing to him, even though he had longed for seeing the sky above him once again, when he was still prisoner underground - then realized that Ludwig wasn't fully dressed yet.
He held out a corner of the blanket, to invite him underneath.
"You must be cold too." he said simply.

Ludwig hesitated a moment, unsure if doing this would just make matters worse for him. The connection was there, but if he kept getting closer to Feliciano and the prince rejected him, would it end up killing him? He had heard and felt his uncle's despair at the death of his other uncle. Did he want to go through that, ever?

He looked down at the prince, bundled under the blanket and knew that those questions, those doubts, they didn't matter. The connection was already present and far too strong to deny it now. He slid beneath the blanket willingly and held Feliciano close.

Almost immediately, his cheeks flushed and he knew he needed to justify that action. "If we are close, our body heat will keep us warm." That was true, and it almost sounded like that was the reason he was doing this. At least, the sole reason.

Feliciano let out a happy sigh as he felt Ludwig holding him. He let his arm wrap around the other's waist, just because it felt like the most natural thing to him.
Unaware of the blush on the other's cheeks (he was too busy in leaning his head on his chest and in finding that the position was really comfortable, despite his own pain and the whole situation), he nodded.
"Indeed it will." he whispered.

He was still feeling a bit cold, but it didn't take long until he felt his body surrounded and filled by a sweet and reassuring warmth. "It's better, now, isn't it?" he asked, looking up at him.

Then he frowned. For how much Ludwig's closeness was making him feel better, Feliciano's mind was far from forgetting the troubles they were still in.
"What are we going to do now?"

"We can go back to my uncles' castle ..." Ludwig felt a tightening in his throat at that. It was his castle, technically, now. His blood uncle had died, leaving him as the new king of his lands, though it wouldn't be official until there was a ceremony. But he'd never cared about position or titles. He cared even less that he'd gotten this due to his uncle's early death.

"We will go back and regroup. Get you treated. Interrogate Alfred." He pressed his cheek to the top of Feliciano's head. "And we will find out exactly what happened.

Feliciano lowered his head as Ludwig mentioned the castle. Due to the last events, he had almost forgotten about what had happened back there.
Now, he couldn't help but feeling guilty since he had doubted that Ludwig would come to his rescue. The prince had come, leaving behind his family and the mourning for his loss, just to help him, even if he was so useless.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to your uncle." he whispered, letting his other arm wrap around the griffin prince, trying to comfort him. It had to be a very poor comfort, he thought, given by this poor human prince, still shaking with fear and pain. Still, even though it was so little to offer, Feliciano couldn't not offer it.

"...and you still came to save me." he added quietly, talking more to himself rather then Ludwig.

"I said I would," Ludwig said. "There was nothing more I could actually do at the castle other than let my uncle mourn, and I couldn't possibly leave you to god-knows-what." It didn't help the stinging of tears at his eyes, knowing his uncle was gone and the other was likely to follow him in the next few days if he couldn't find another reason to live.

"I want you to be safe," he said, tightening his hold around Feliciano just a bit. "That was what was important at that moment."

It was what was still important even now. The hold Feliciano had on him was not weakening in the slightest. And that had nothing to do with the physical embrace.

Alfred was not in the mood to answer anything, all he cared about was getting enough warmth. So he shot Arthur a scowl, showing his disapproval though it did come out more like a pout rather than a threatening stare. He snuggled himself closer, ignoring Arthur's pushing. After making himself comfortable over the king's torso he smirked, deciding to kiss the man's collarbone.

Arthur's skin was so warm. Alfred sneakily let his hand wander under the king's shirt, tracing tha shape of his waist. His bout of withdrawal wasn't really getting better but touching Arthur was distraction enough.

And he remembered, this was probably what he had been longing for.

Feliciano couldn't help a small smile, even if he knew that wasn't the time to smile.
"You never give up what your promises, do you?" he asked. Unlike himself, he thought. Unlike all the things he had given up in his life, so far. There were quite a few of them, he thought.
No surprise they wanted to get rid of him, such a useless prince, such a useless lead for his Realm.
He wasn't questioning Ludwig, back in the castle underground; he was questioning himself, whether if it was worth saving him for someone who was not his family, and who had only known him for a brief time. And he was almost surprised to discover, now, that it was.

"I thought nobody was going to save me, back there." he confessed, head resting on the other's chest "But then there was a moment in which... well, I just knew you were coming. I don't know how to describe it, just... I knew you were. I felt it. Like I was hearing you coming, even though I couldn't hear you at all." he rubbed his forehead against Ludwig, as if he was trying to clear his mind.

"I don't know if I was just desperate, or if it was the poison's fault." he went on in a whisper. He didn't even know if what he was saying made sense or not.

"I certainly try not to," he assured him. "At least, not the important promises."

He gently rubbed Feliciano's back, trying to contain his own shock at the fact the other man had heard him as well. "I do not think think it was the poison." His voice was quiet as his cheek pressed against Feliciano's hair.

He turned his head to press his nose to the man's scalp. The man had a distinctive scent, one Ludwig already felt he'd memorized. His brother was quite right, it seemed. He was already far gone when it came to Feliciano. Ludwig wondered if it wasn't to the point he'd have no hope of surviving if rejected now.

He turned his head again. "It is a conversation for another time, I think, but this happens ... on a rare occasion ... with my kind." He supposed if he was going to make this sort of an admission, he might as well tell a bit more of the rest of it. "I could hear you, too. You were hurting."

Feliciano found himself blushing, as he felt Ludwig's nose on his hair. The gesture of smelling his scent was unexpected, and Feliciano was suddenly aware of how close they were.
His heartbeat fastened, but instead of pulling away (which he really didn't want to), he leant closer. He felt a sudden weakness, and he couldn't know whether it was the poison's fault again - but he could guess that, this time, the cause was entirely different.

"Oh, so... is it a sort of magic that happens?" he asked. He really didn't know anything about griffins, and he regretted not having paid more attention when his teachers came to talk about the topic.

"I was hurting, and hoping that you would come soon."
He wondered whether that worked in the sense that the griffin could hear him calling. The idea was... rather romantic, he admitted.

"It is sort of like that," Ludwig told him as he felt Feliciano shift closer. It felt incredible, just to have the man that his instincts had decided was his mate this close to him.

"It is a sort of magic. It's complicated, so I should wait a while to explain it." He tried to comfortingly rub Feliciano's back.

"All that matters now is that you're safe and I don't plan on letting you go anywhere that you don't want to go." It would take Feliciano's direct order or a someone killing Ludwig to pry the prince away from him again.

Feliciano closed his eyes; Ludwig's hand's movements on his back were soothing and comforting, and yet making his heart feel weird and fluttering.
He nodded at what the other prince said.
"It's fine. I don't think I'll be able to understand anything complicated, right now..." he replied slowly, aware of the fact that his mind was in a state of confusion - and that it wasn't due to the poison only.

"I'll be fine just staying here, right beside you." he whispered. Now, his family, his palace, his own realm, they all seemed far away. He had plenty of questions, he wanted to go back, to see if everyone was safe, but for now, everything seemed unreal, distant.
The only real thing was Ludwig, who was holding him close in the warmth of his embrace.

Arthur almost laughed at the supposed threatening scowl, wanting to comment that Alfred was rather losing his evil aura with such an adorable pout. But that may just send him back into his former rage. But instead chose to settle down, it was strange that Alfred seemed so calm around him. Or so he had thought.

Again, his heartbeat sped up as he felt the other’s lips on his collarbone. The hands on his waist caused a shiver throughout his body. It was at this point that maybe Alfred was pushing it a little too far right now ,so without knowing how he achieved it, Arthur managed to flip them around so he was on top.

He leant down so Alfred could see him properly, his expression only slightly serious, “I believe you are over stepping your boundaries currently, Mr. Jones. Here was me thinking you were ill!” He shook his head before leaning to give Alfred a brief kiss.

He then moved off to the side, but not completely away, instead he stayed close and looked at Alfred with an odd expression. Arthur knew he had teased Alfred about not being ill, but as he rested his hand against his forehead again, he knew this was not the case. “You may not tell me what’s wrong, but please… sleep for now!” He said with a small smile, his heart just now slowing down again. “I’ll stay here with you if you want?”

Ludwig closed his own eyes as he felt Feliciano relaxing against him. He couldn't help it as the faintest sound, nearly a purr, escaped his throat. His instincts were both content that his mate was in his arms, but still seeking to sooth the prince.

"I will be here. No matter what happens." He continued to rub Feliciano's back, committing what his hands felt to memory. "You can go to sleep if you need to."

Even if Ludwig himself drifted off to sleep, he was a light enough sleeper that he would rouse if anything happened through the night.