A castle infirmary is a quiet place.

There is only one bed in the big room, bandaged boy sleeps in it. Other beds are crammed in the corners. Near the boy sits a young man, his eyes are red and his hair is messy.

Mael sits on the chair near the body of his brother, his armor is dirty and stained with blood. The blood of his father and brother. He listens to the quiet breathing of Lorcan.

It's been a day since he brought Lorcan here. Since he.... killed his father. A day of constant vigil over his brother's body.

A day full of doubts and guilt.

Mael stands up from a chair and goes to the door. He opens it as sunlight greets him, the sight that made him wince and cover his eyes.

"Lo- Your excellency?" the knight that guards the door says, his armor creaks as he stands up from the stool.

Mael glares at him, as the knight shudders and falls back to his stool, his armor creaks louder.

"Tell servants to bring warm water and clean cloth here. Some food as well, I expect my brother to wake up soon. Leave it at the door." a young man says.

Poor knight only nods as he sees the Duke close the door.

Mael goes back to his brother, his steps are light and quiet as always. The only sound in the empty room is breathing. The sound that Mael is delighted to hear.

He sits near his brother, resuming his vigil.

People approach the infirmary, their steps heavy and loud. Mael frowns as he hears them come closer. His orders were clear to not disturb them, who would have the gall to break it? They open the door and reveal themselves.

Mael frowns as he sees the intruders. Castellan Patrick brought two knights with him. Ser Conal, a knight-commander of the castle. Mael didn't see him at yesterday's event. An old man that served to Duke Senan for years. He is wearing light leather armor, a short sword on his belt. Accompanying him is Ser Marcus, an experienced knight-captain. While his colleague wears heavy iron armor, with a mace on his hip. Ser Conal carries a small wooden bucket and a clean cloth, while Ser Marcus holds an enormous plate filled with food.

Their steps break the quiet comfort of the infirmary. Knights leave the supplies on the floor near Mael, they are calm and collected. As if they act as servants every day and not ashamed to do their work.

The castellan approaches and stands near a young man, sweaty, and short of breath. His silk clothes try to disguise his figure but they can't hide his massive belly. It's a miracle he even manages to walk. The overpowering sweetness of his perfume hangs heavy about him, an attempt to hide his odor that only enhances it.

The knights stand near, their breaths are even and quiets as they freeze in the place. They are not even sweating while wearing the armor.

"Y-your excellency!" the castellan says but the glare that Mael gave him shuts him up. He whispers, "The whole castle is still in shock after the earlier display. You should address the denizens and explain to them what happened."

Mael shakes his head. Funny. Castellan comes here, ordering to take action, after ignoring orders to leave them be. Mael looks at him, still sweating through his rich clothes. The Castellan ruled the dukedom while Duke Senan lost himself in madness. He managed to do the job but even Mael heard whispers about his corruption.

Mael whispers at him, annoyed by his disobedience, "I ordered to not disturb us, and yet I see you do exactly that."

His palms glisten with sweat as he waves them around, "But your excellency. People are confused, they don't know what to think about yesterday's event. There are rumors going around-"

Ser Marcus snorts hearing that, "Ha! Rumors he says, half of the castle is saying that your excellency plotted to kill his father for years."

"Most of the knights know the circumstances behind the accident," Ser Conal remarks. The old knight clenches the hilt of his sword as his face twists in disgust, "But lord castellan is right. I heard servants telling this story to each other."

The fat man continues with a newfound zeal, "See, we can't allow this talk spread. They are saying that the new Duke is a kinslayer and traitor."

Kinslaying is an accursed crime, and killing your ruler, your better is even worse. People watched brothers fight against each other. They watched son drive Gae Bolg through his father's heart.

Shaking his head Mael says to them, "Can you blame them for all rumors? Father was a madman, but I still killed my own blood."

The castellan is trying to find words but he can't. Mael looks at Ser Conal who is strangely silent. His brows furrowed and he avoids looking at his liege.

Then Ser Marcus tells the truth, "Some of them are saying that you rebelled against your own father. That you planned for all of this to happen. That you already killed your brother."

The fat man flinches at the bluntness of the knight and looks at the young man. Seeing that he is not angry castellan continues, "They either don't know the circumstances behind the situation or deliberately chose to forget them. Either way, we need you to address them, to stop these rumors at once."

Mael doesn't even know if he wants to be the duke, will the people accept him as their ruler? How could they trust someone who killed his own flesh and blood?

There is a more important issue right now. Mael dismisses the castellan and his worries, "I heard your concerns. I'll think about this once my brother wakes up."

He turns to the knights and orders them "Escort castellan out of here, and put more guards at the door. I don't want anyone disturbing us."

The castellan tries to say something but the iron arm on his shoulder silences him. "His excellency ordered not to disturb him, again," Ser Marcus says with a mischievous grin, "Or do you want to disobey yet another order, lord castellan?" Ser Conal shakes his head as he sees the castellan turns pale and nod. They both lift the fat man up and leave the infirmary.

Mael sighs as he sees the door close. He takes the cloth that knights brought and tears it down to pieces. He tosses the pieces into a bucket of water, takes them out, and squeezes them. He takes some of the water and washes his face, water dripping as he approaches his brother.

With the wet cloth in hand Mael changes his bandages, slowly and with care, regretting that he never made an effort to learn medicine or the usage of herbs. The bandages look a little sloppy but Mael ordered the old healer to leave yesterday. It is his responsibility, his brother's wounds are his doing.

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Mael checks him over as he finishes replacing the bandages...

Most of his wounds are already healed, not even a scar left to remind him of that accursed day. Mael nods, Lorcan's body is strong and should recover soon. The Duke then says with a smile on his face, "You can stop pretending to be asleep, Lorcan."

Lorcan shifts his legs, as he opens his eyes. He looks a little pale but healthy. His bright red hair is in mess after being soaked in the rain, the same as his brother. He sits up on the bed, turning his back to Mael, and asks with a coarse voice

"How long?"

"One day."

"I see..."

The awkward silence takes place. How would Mael even start this conversation? Father is dead? Sorry for piercing you with my spear?

Mael doesn't even know if Lorcan was conscious enough to remember what happened in the first place.

"Thank you," his voice is weak and quiet, the opposite of his usual self. He trembles as he starts to ramble, his words start weak but slowly gather strength, "I remember being overjoyed when father came for me after the duel ended, pulling me up off the ground. Surely it indicated that he loved me after all, that I was not wrong in my faith in him...

"But I was wrong and even worse. I am a fool."

Mael can only watch as his brother continues his monologue, his anger is clear as he clenches his fists on the wooden bed.

"All that he did to me. Barring me from meeting you? I thought he did it to make me feel better. I always lost to you and I envied you so much." He admits, the words pouring out of him. "So much so, that it almost changed who I was. But father's order snapped me out of it, no more did I lose a spar in the training yard, no more I was always second. No more I was just your brother..."

Lorcan looks at Mael, tears falling from his brown eyes. Brown eyes so full of life, twins to the eyes whose light was extinguished. His voice is strong and clear as his anger gives him zeal, "Did you know that the sword that I used against you was gifted by father? I used it as a symbol of pride. Something that makes me different than you. Something that makes me unique. All Scions of Setanta are trained with spears in hope and fear that one day they will use Gae Bolg."

He chuckles and shakes his head, "and there I was, the second son using a short sword. How foolish I was."

That's why he brought a sword against the spear in the first place. Something to remind him that his father loved him. Mael feels his anger is rising again, but there's no use in raging at the dead. He calms down and lets Lorcan voice his rage.

Lorcan stands up and circles the room aimlessly, his voice gets louder and clearer, "Now when I think about all of this, I can't help but wonder. Did he forbid me from mingling with you so I would not be familiar with your fighting style or you would forget our bond?

Lorcan continues to ramble, his tirade reaches its peak, "Did he gift me that accursed sword so I would be at a disadvantage! As if cards were not stacked against me already!" He punches the stone wall, leaving a crack on it. He breathes rapidly as tears pour from his eyes.

He turns back to Mael with fists closed and a bitterly angry expression on his face, "The "duel" we had. I thought it was a gift, a blessing, a chance for me to become a duke!" Lorcan sits back on the bed and looks at the stone floor, holding his head, "But I was nothing more than a sacrifice for some obscene ritual."

Brothers sit there for a minute contemplating the future, with a silence that feels more natural. Lorcan seems to have calmed down, tears stopped flowing as his face lost that twisted expression of anger.

It would be good to give a younger brother time to rest and reflect, but Mael has the last offer to his brother.

Mael stands up from the chair and goes to the corner of the infirmary. The corner that was buried in beds and chairs, he clears them and there it was. The spear that left just a husk from his previous wielder. Taking it in his hand Mael feels an emotion that was alien to him. Something that he noticed yesterday, the spear has his own mind, or at least able to feel and communicate it to his wielder. He emanates satisfaction now, something akin to glutton filled himself and is for once satisfied. Mael winces as the spear sends him another wave of emotions.

Mael approaches his brother with a spear in hand. Lorcan looks at him and he feels another stab of guilt. It just affirms his decision. He takes a knee and offers the ancestral weapon. He declares with all gravity he could muster, "I Duke Mael of Galicia, Wielder of Gae Bolg, offer my abdication and right to wield this spear to you, Lorcan son of Senan."

"Brother?" he says as he looks at the spear that's offered to him. His hand almost touches it but stops at the last second. He shakes his head and declines, "This is your right. You are the first son and winner of our duel."

"I am a kinslayer, the most accursed of them all," Mael says raising his head, but still avoiding locking eyes with his brother. "I will not bear this sin unpunished or wield this spear while another worthy heir is alive."

"You saved my life. It was a choice between me and father, and you chose me. My life is indebted to you brother!" Lorcan exclaims and offers his hand, "You are burdened by this crime because of me! You stood against father, went against his orders!"

Lorcan continues with surprising fervor, "I'd say you are more worthy than me. A weakling who stood idle while his life was judged."

"I insist that you think about this further. Didn't you want to become a duke since we were young?" Mael continues to insist, surprised by sudden resistance.

"I wanted to deserve the title, not get it thrown it to me like a pittance!" Lorcan almost spits on the floor saying that, "Now stand up! The Duke should not kneel before his subject!"

He almost pulls his older brother into the air entirely when he forces Mael to stand up. Mael frowns as he looks into brown eyes. Lorcan's words strike an odd accord within him as his brother asks him "If you think that your crime should be punished. Focus your life on protecting your people. Promise me that you will protect your subjects from anyone. That you will not rest while their deaths are unavenged."

Brothers hug each other, the only family they have.

"I promise," Mael says confidently, "I promise on this accursed spear that I will protect and avenge my people by my own hands. Even if it costs my life."

He smiles, and Mael sees his old self came back for a second, "Then let's go your excellency, your people are waiting for you."

Lorcan winces as he realizes something, "You should probably bathe first, and change your clothes."

Mael smiles, "I should."