He's worried and angry

"Where is he?" The King's voice snapped from the cage, bitterly furious. Crawling at Irena's feet where he couldn't be seen over the edge of the wagon, Marcus glanced up anxiously. He guessed the huntress wasn't going to be any happier about his Father talking than she was him. "Where is my son, you treacherous bitch?!"

"Careful, Castor." Irena smirked, like she found the King's bitter rage nothing more than amusing. "I know you're injured right now, but I still have plenty of ways to teach you to keep that naughty mouth shut." There was a slamming noise, like something striking the metal bars of the cage.

"Tell me what you've done with my boy, or I swear I'll kill you slow when the time comes." The King snarled, his voice a low growl that seemed to shake the air. Irena's smile vanished, and suddenly her eyes went as cold as ice. Staring up at her, the young prince shivered at the awful look on her face. She was really mad now! His Father was going to get hurt again if he didn't do something! "You think you can hold me forever, you vicious cunt! Give me my son back or I'll..." The raw anguish in the King's voice was too much to bear, Marcus found his mouth opening before he could stop it.

"I'm here, Father!" The young prince yelped quickly.

"Marcus?" The King gasped. There was a rustling noise as he moved across the straw, and suddenly he was looking out through the bars. Marcus shrank back, not sure he wanted his Father to see him like this, on all fours at Irena's feet with a tail shoved in his butt. The King just gasped frantically in relief though, his injured body trembling against the bars. The young prince stared back. His Father looked much better, the bruises on his face fading and his eyes sharper. But by the way he leant limply against the bars of the cage, he still didn't have the strength to fight Irena or run away. Suddenly a vicious hand grabbed the young prince by the hair, pulling his head painfully up. "Let him go!" The King snarled, slamming a fist against the cage.

"And you were being so very good." Irena yanked him round so that she was glaring down at him, her lips curled into a furious scowl. "I'm very disappointed in you." She growled coldly. "I thought you were smarter than this. A little chattering I can forgive when I'm not here to listen to it, since you're both still untrained, but blatant disobedience right in front of my face? You are going to be punished for this, severely." Marcus whimpered softly, terrified of the furious look in her eyes. There was no trace of the woman who'd fed him tenderly from her hand last night. "You've just made me very angry indeed." The huntress snapped, raising her head to glare up at the King while still holding Marcus viciously by the hair. "I don't have time to deal with this now, but when we make it back to Kapria tonight you are both going to learn that male animals don't speak, the hard way."

"You crazy bitch!" The King snarled. Marcus gasped in pain as Irena's grip on his hair got even tighter. Why couldn't his Father just keep quiet? He was making things worse for both of them! Dragging the young prince with her, Irena strode up to the back of the cage and slipped open the door with a key from her belt. Before Marcus could squeak in shock, she'd grabbed him by the waist, her callused fingers digging into his skin. As his Father struggled to move towards them, the huntress lifted the young prince up in her arms, then tossed him through into the cage. He landed on the straw inside with a yelp, followed moments later by the door slamming shut behind him.

"I hope you realize, Castor, that you've just earned your precious son a whole lot of pain." Irena snapped furiously. "I'm going to make sure you watch before I punish you too." With that, she turned and strode away, her shoulders tense with bitter rage. Lying on the straw on his belly, Marcus just sniffled wetly. He really didn't want to get punished again, just the thought made him shudder in terror...but what was he supposed to do?

"Marcus." The King shuffled awkwardly over on his knees, gasping with relief. "I'm so glad you're safe. When she took you away last night I..." His voice broke into a hoarse, trembling gasp. Hearing that, the young prince hurriedly squirmed back up, suddenly understanding just how worried his Father had been about him.

"Father..." He whimpered, throwing himself forward to hug the King tight. As soon as he had his little arms wrapped around his Father's muscled shoulders, he started sobbing hoarsely. It was all too much. His terror of what Irena meant to do with him, his fears for the future, and all his worries about what had happened last night and how he'd somehow enjoyed it burst free in a flood of painful tears. He was so ashamed and scared, it was just too much to bear. Marcus buried his face in the King's chest, twitching and crying.

"Oh Marcus." His Father rubbed his back gently with one big, strong hand. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry." For a long time, the young prince just lay there sobbing, until the wagon underneath them rumbled away back down the road to Kapria and whatever awaited him there.