Leon sat beside the unconscious Antoine. He looked at the bedside and saw the herbal wash that Kayden prepared for his second brother.
Without a word, he took the soft towel and soaked it in the warm medicinal bath. Then after wringing it gently, he, without regard for his status and gender, bent to wipe his second brother's unconscious body.
Antoine's body was no longer pale and his wounds were already completely healed. His sleeping face is peaceful and serene, contrary to the unwilling expression he had during the time Leon rescued him.
Looking at his face, Leon was reminded of the time when he was about to turn five years old.
While all the adults inside the palace showed contempt for him, it was only his second brother who took him by the hand and played with him. Everyone was saying how lowly his origins were, how unfitting he was to be the prince, and how unnecessary his presence was in the palace.
So at a young age, he understood his position in the palace. Among his father's children, it was only his first and second brother whom the adults wanted to see. His mother was also someone who was viewed lowly by the outsiders.
He understood that his existence was unwanted, at least not by his mother and father, but by the adults around.
And so he learned how to diminish his presence around the adults in the palace and would only ever act like a child in front of his mother.
He never demanded anything from the servants assigned to him, nor he did not even ask them to care for him like every Imperial Prince.
He just lowered his head and hid in a secluded imperial garden, where no adults visit. He turned that place into his very own haven - a place where he was free to exist, free to breathe, free to smile, and free to live.
The time he spent in the secret garden was probably one of the most cherished childhood memories that he had.
It was until one time, that the servants were tasked to do their annual cleaning of the secluded places in the palace.
They saw the young prince, happily playing with the field of light blue wildflowers, unaware of their presence.
"Hey… Isn't that his Highness the Third Prince?" His peace and bliss were disturbed by the frightening voice of a maid. It was not even that loud, but he had always heard everything clearly at a young age.
"Yes! It's that prince! The son of the Second Queen who was formerly a bard!" Another maid answered with a hushed tone.
"Aww… how poor he was! I thought that the Emperor marrying the Second Queen would be something that would take away the gap between the nobles and common people! A fairytale that has finally come true! But who would have thought that he and even his mother would be neglected in the palace!" The other maid continued the gossip.
"Hush! Although we do not directly speak ill of His Highness, this will still be considered an insult. Shut your mouth and do your task." A more senior maid reprimanded the gossipy maids.
"Yes yes! We should…" The maids awkwardly took their tools and started their tasks, they embarrassedly looked at the third prince who had already long escaped from their presence.
He ran and ran, not minding the direction took.
All he wanted to do was to make himself vanish in front of their eyes. The words they said, he no longer wanted to hear, for he had already heard them a thousand times.
He heard it from someone who was saying it with disgust, another with contempt, on lucky days such as this, it would be with pity or sympathy.
But he did not want it all. He only wanted to be him- his mother and father's son.
He closed his eyes and ran until he felt his little body bump into something.
"Awwp…" Another young childish voice reached his ears and made him shudder.
He realized that he has reached the edge of the Solace Garden, the garden where his elder brothers frequently spend their break time after class. He panicked and struggled to get up from the violent fall but a stinging pain invaded his knees and ankle.
His legs were bleeding, full of wild thorns and wounds. His young body could not tolerate the pain and the bloody sight that he sustained, effectively allowing his mind to go blank.
"Hmm?" The childish voice immediately recovered and noticed the tiny one that had caused him to fall.
"Red hair, crystal blue eyes… just like mine and my elder brother's?" He bent his chubby legs and squatted in front of the shivering young Leon, touching his blood-red hair, then cupping his cheeks which were already wet with frightened tears.
"Hey, don't cry! I'm your Big Brother!" Antoine was quick-witted, he had already taken classes like his elder brother Kazimir and knew upon seeing Leon's features that he was his youngest brother.
"I'm sorry… I will leave… Please don't be angry…" Leon's puffy cheeks were red with embarrassment, fear, and panic. Especially upon hearing that the child that he bumped into was one of his favored elder brothers.
"Why are you apologizing? It was an accident!!! Ahhhh! Look at your feet!!! It's so bloody!" Young Antoine was trying his best to appease the frightened Little Leon until he saw his injury.
He immediately panicked, for he had just recently learned that an Imperial Prince must take care of all the people of the Empire.
Now his brother, who belongs to the people of the Empire was hurt and injured, he was even crying! So he had to help him!
He clumsily took his clean white handkerchief and wiped Little Leon's face.
While he was doing this, he tried to appease him by saying, "Do not cry, Big Brother will help you! I'll bring you to the doctor so he can heal your wounds! The doctor is great and kind too!"
But Leon was still shivering in fright especially when he heard that he would still be meeting another adult in the palace. "No… I'll go home… People don't like to see my face… I have to hide, Second Prince."
Hearing Little Leon's words, Young Antoine became extremely angry for multiple reasons.
One, because his little brother was so cowardly!
Two, because there were people in the palace who must have bullied his brother for him to act this way!
And three, because his little brother didn't call him big brother even after introducing himself to him clearly!
But Young Antoine only aggrievedly pouted his chubby cheeks and hid his anger, for he knew that if he had gotten angry, his little brother would cry again.
Therefore, after he wiped Little Leon's face, he turned around and waved his hands, gesturing to Little Leon to get on his back.
Startled, Little Leon blinked at the squatting Young Antoine. He was confused about his actions.
Young Antoine saw that Little Leon had not yet moved and was even puzzled at what he was doing.
He had once again found another reason to be angry at his little brother - he was a little dumb!
'But still patience, patience! He is a little dumb because he was still young. He was not yet attending class, that's why!' Antoine still kept his thoughts inside and remembered his responsibilities.
"Come! I'll give you a piggyback ride! I cannot leave you here because what if it rained? What if assassins suddenly come into the palace and you cannot run?" With his naturally prideful and haughty tone, he tried to coax Leon to be carried on his back.
"B-but… I am heavy… and dirty…" Little Leon hesitated as he looked at himself.
His brother was so clean and really looked like a prince, but he was dirty because of the blood and dirt on the ground.
"Are you saying your big brother is weak?!" Antoine angrily asked him.
Little Leon was frightened by his angry tone so he shivered and replied meekly, "N-no…"
"Then go hop on my back! We have to cure your wounds fast!" Young Antoine was about to explode again from Little Leon's dilly-dallying.
"Ok…" Slightly blushing in embarrassment, Leon stretched out his hands, while Antoine carried him on his back.
On the way to the palace, the two didn't say much.
It was not until Leon felt that the beads of sweat were already rolling furiously on Antoine's forehead and back. He also noticed that Antoine was probably gritting his teeth as he felt the tremble on his body.
Antoine's pace was visibly slowing down and was almost turning wobbly.
"I think you have to put me dow-" Little Leon felt guilty for having made his favored elder brother do this kind of laborious thing.
But he was interrupted by Young Antoine's aggressive reply, "Don't talk too much and stay still! I will bring you to the palace with my own strength!"
Little Leon could see the blushing on his big brother's face. Finally deciding not to distract his brother, he stayed silent.
And for the first time in his young life, he prayed that an adult would be around and see them so that his big brother would not struggle anymore.
