Robert and Albrecht stood up, both nodding to the Pope: "We will take our leave then." before walking off to the old castle. Only as they where deep into the bowels of the castle, Robert turned heel and barked at Albrecht:
"What in the Underworld did you try to pull there?"
"Proving a point." Albrecht said, tilting his head: "And giving two children with more responsibility on their shoulders than they can handle a lesson."
"Be glad i think you where right, next time, don't get the young ones mixed up in politics again." Robert added, before making his way off, hobbling away with his cane.
Albrecht had made a detour to the gardens before climbing up the stairs of the old central Tower. the lower parts used to be Alexandras knitting rooms. now simply disused. what was important was the old dungeon on top. What had been used in ages long past to hold prisoners, held captives of a different kind these days. Albrechts heart felt like it sank deeper as he could hear Augustin still sobbing from outside the door, before he entered.
The room was sparely furnished. A single bed, white blank sheets. Blank walls. no toys, only the clothes for the next day in the drawer. No Toys, nothing to make the time pass by. Every Royal child and adult remembered the place with dread, the boredom. The inability to escape, alone with only your own thoughts and the sounds from the castle below. And then there where the dooming footsteps of an adult approaching. It used to never end well.
He slowly creaked the door open, put a small package to the side as he started walking over to Augustin. Curled up like a Yarn ball, wet stains all over the sheets he had dried his tears with. His breathing nonrhythmic as his broken whimpers still held the little one gripped. Albrecht walked over slowly, yet he shuddered in shock as he noticed Augustin holding his hands over his own head, cowering in fear as Albrecht had come closer.
"I am not here to punish you, Augustin." Albrecht said, regret filling his voice: "I even understand that you got mad at our guests."
Albrecht tried to put a hand on Augustins shoulder, whom brushed him off, trying to scuttle away: "I won't hit you. Promise." Albrecht said, before pulling his hand back: "You have to understand i tried to make you understand why it's important to do your duties Augustin. You hadn't cleaned up your room, you had skipped homework, you even didn't clean out Schnuffelchens pen."
"Not that it matters anymore" the little one whimpered, before crying loudly again, his speech broken by several breaks where he had to gasp for air: "I just want my friend back! I didn't want him to get hurt!"
"But, that's the whole point Augustin. Whenever we do not do our duties, it falls on someone else. If i don't pick up behind me, someone else has to, if i do not learn about the street rules, someone else gets hurt when i crash into them. If you do not clean your bunnies stable, it will fall ill and could die." Albrecht slowly pulled Augustin up, untangling the knot the little boy made himself into: "I really didn't wan't to have to hit you there, i get why you where angry. Peter has been an ass. You thought you just had to eat your little furry companion, had gotten a royal reminder to get your act straight, and he asks if you had a nice day. Like hell you could have. That's still not a reason to throw cutlery at someone. You could have hurt them."
"I wanted to" Augustin sobbed, by now allowing Albrecht to hold him tight. "I know, but that man is the pope. Head of a Nation. Not anything like our Glorious Empire, but still, there's a whole lot of people thinking of him almost a god on earth. Sometimes we all need to think if the consequences are really worth following our emotions."
"They would have been." Augustin retorted: "I Miss Schnuffelchen..."
"About that. I think you might want to make sure to keep his pen clean from now on." Albrecht said, seating Augustin back up onto the bed, before taking the package he brought back up again:
"He is sleeping, and needs rest. The trip to the Veterinarian was exhausting, but he is getting better now." Slowly pulling the cloth from the cage, revealing a sleeping fluffy bunny with several black dots in it's else white fur: "Come look, but be quiet." Handing Augustin a small bunny sized collar with a bell: "you can give it back to Schnuffelchen tomorrow. Also, you only stay here for tonight, i expect you back doing your chores tomorrow. Do we have a deal?"
Augustin, after inspecting with his teary eyes if it was truly his pet, just whimpered to the cage: "I'll take more care now! Promise!"
Albrecht slowly moved out of the room, leaving the door unlocked. "Sleep well Augustin."
