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Khanin takes a bite from the raspberry flavoured macaron, dusting the crumbs off his shirt as he waits for his tea to cool down just a little more.
They are having a quiet night in, Charan banning any more late night adventures for the time being due to the clubbing incident in Davichmetha.
Khanin lets his eyes wander over Charan, who is perched on the armchair a little further away, after refusing to sit next to Khanin on the couch. He sits with his always perfect posture, staring down into his own teacup. They've only been back home for a few days, but they still haven't spoken about the kiss.
He takes the final bite of his macaron, hoping to see if he can goad Charan into talking about what transpired between them, when Chakri bursts through the doors.
"Your Highness," he squeaks out between huge gasps of air. "Prince Ramil is here to speak with you."
Annoyance bubbles through him. After the rude and standoffish behaviour the entire trip, why the Bhuchongpisut Prince would suddenly show up here late at night....ruining his alone time with Charan....
"Chakri, can you just tell him to come back in the morning?"
His butler gulps. "I did, Your Highness. He insisted....and...." Khanin waves his hand slightly to get him to continue. "I think you need to see him, he doesn't look so good."
Khanin lets out an audible sigh. "Fine. Bring him here then."
Charan rises from his seat and shifts into a protective stance, as if Ramil was going to burst through the doors and attack. Great. Now he won't be able to get Charan to sit back down with him for the rest of the night.
He adjusts his shirt in an attempt to look presentable for the guy who left him in a cave. This interruption better be good.
The doors open once more, and Khanin readies himself to spew false pleasantries, but the words die in his throat. Prince Ramil enters the room first, Chakri scurrying in behind, forgoing his usual official guest announcement.
Khanin can't take his eyes off the man who moves across the room to stand before him. Ramil's tall frame usually dominates the space he's in, but here right now, in front of Khanin, he seems small and afraid, hunched over and staring down at the carpet. Ramil isn't dressed properly, not even wearing a jacket despite the night’s cold weather. His shirt buttons are askew and his hair is sticking out like he was caught in a storm on the way here.
Even Charan takes a step back, his posture relaxing slightly at the sight of the dishevelled man in front of them, clearly posing no threat in his current state.
To Khanin he almost looks...downtrodden. Resembling nothing of the obnoxious man they saw only a few days earlier, whose head was held high, and had a constant sneer on his face.
The silence in the room drags on, no one quite sure who should make the first move. Khanin's tea sits there, now forgotten.
"Your Highness." It comes out raspy, like someone who has screamed for hours.
Ramil’s head stays down as he speaks, and Khanin thinks back to his time at the Bhuchongpisut Castle. "Our time in Davichmetha, my father found out."
Khanin tilts his head slightly, confused. Prince Rachata knew they were all in Davichmetha together, it wasn't a secret. And aside from that small incident outside the nightclub, but Ramil and Paytai weren't there....so what could he possibly find out?
Ramil continues to stare holes into the carpet, his body starting to tremble.
"He said I'm too distracted, and not focused enough on preparing for the competition."
He quickly glances behind his right shoulder... as if to look for someone... before turning back just as fast.
"There were photos of us." His voice cracks on the last word.
Khanin is well and truly lost at this point.
"Prince Ramil, I don't understand..."
The Prince finally raises his head up to look directly at Khanin.
His eyes are red rimmed and bloodshot.
"He took him."
There's a soft inhale of air next to him. Charan. If Khanin wasn't hyper focused on every move that man made, it would have gone unnoticed. Charan must know what that statement means.
Khanin gets up from the couch to make his way slowly toward Ramil, Charan in step with him right by his side. “Took who?”
Ramil's watery eyes track him until he's standing in front of him. Khanin feels like he's approaching an injured animal, wary and cautious.
"My father. He took him from me as punishment."
Now that he’s closer, he can see just how badly the trembles are wracking the Prince’s body, his chest rising and falling quickly.
“Who did he take, Ramil?”
Ramil gasps wetly. “Paytai.”
Oh.
Ramil’s legs give out, collapsing to the floor with a dull thud as he hits the carpet.
Khanin stares down in shock, then quickly crouches down, his hands hovering over Ramil, uncertain. How do you comfort a sobbing prince who up until this point you thought couldn't bear the sight of you?
He finally puts his hand on Ramil's shoulder. His skin is icy to the touch.
"Chakri get a blanket." He doesn’t look away as he gives the order. Instead he looks up at Charan, who stands over the both of them looking just as shocked by how the night's events have changed.
The sound of strangled words pulls his focus back. “I don't know what my father has done with Paytai. No one knows where he is."
A soft cream blanket appears in his vision, Chakri holding it out with one hand, trying to stand as far away from Ramil as possible.
Khanin nods a quick thanks, before taking it and unfurling it around Ramil, who doesn’t even notice, his eyes are unfocused, as if staring off to somewhere that isn’t here. “Please help me. I don’t know what to do.”
Khanin rubs his hand across Ramil’s back, trying to comfort him. It feels a little awkward and unfamiliar, but he isn’t sure what else to do.
“We will help you get him back.” He finds Charan’s eyes, and can see the concern written across his face.
He needs to call Ava.