Waking up during the night, Marcus overhears a conversation

Marcus stirred, his eyes fluttering slowly open. He was lying on his back in his sister's bed, naked under the comfy blankets. The young prince smiled faintly as his bleary gaze flickered over the shadowy shapes of Jenny's room, the faint shadows of furniture just about visible in the gloom. Where once this place had seemed unfamiliar, now it felt safer and warmer than his own bed ever had. It was only proper though, since he was sharing it with his wife...and sister. He smiled to himself at the thought. That still took a bit of getting used to, but...it felt really good.

Marcus shuffled onto his side under the blankets, meaning to snuggle into his sleeping sister and get a good night's rest nestled in her chest. Only...instead of Jenny lying beside him, he saw only an empty space, the blankets mussed up where she must have pulled them aside to slip away. She...wasn't here. Had something happened? The young prince bit his lip uncertainly. He knew he shouldn't be nervous. She was the queen now after all, she'd probably been called away on some important business and made sure not to wake him, but finding her gone still made him feel a little twinge of worry. He reached out a hand, running it over the blankets where she'd lain. They were still a little warm. With a soft whimper, Marcus buried his face where his sister had lain, hoping she'd come back soon and wrap him in her strong, muscled arms again.

His head darted up at the muffled sound of voices from nearby. The noise was coming from the other side of the room, through the slightly open doorway, along with the warm glow of flickering firelight. Marcus listened carefully to the hushed sounds. Jenny...that was definitely her, but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Her voice sounded a bit strained, was she okay? He wriggled out from under the blankets and sat on the side of the bed, wondering if he should go and see what was going on. Then a man answered her, his words muffled by the door as well to just a low murmur. He sounded...so familiar. Marcus awkwardly slid off the end of the bed, standing there a moment with his bare skin tingling. Deciding he'd better put something on at least, he scrabbled around on the floor until he found the sheer little gown he'd been wearing under his wedding dress. It didn't cover too much, but it was something at least.

As he straightened back up, he heard the man speak again and froze in shock. That sounded like their father! Jenny was talking to the king? Gasping softly, the young prince darted for the doorway. He hadn't seen his father since Jenny had taken over the castle, everything had just happened so fast he'd hardly even thought to try. He'd just assumed the king would be okay, he was a brave strong hero after all! Now that made his belly clench in guilt. He should have done something, talked to Jenny and had her free their father! At least she seemed to have done that now. Marcus stepped up to the door, leaning in close to listen. The pair sounded like they were having a serious conversation, of course they were after everything that had happened, so he decided he'd better wait for the right time to interrupt them.

"So...this is what you've decided?" Their father was saying, sounding tense.

"It is." Jenny replied sharply. "In case you've forgotten, you did the same to me."

"I hadn't, I could never forget what I did to you, my own daughter. I've questioned it for years." He sighed, exhaustion in his words. Marcus shifted closer to the door, pressing his ear against the opening. He'd never heard their father sound so...tired. "I didn't want to exile you but I didn't have much of a choice. You **** my hand. What was I supposed to do when the entire court found out you'd tried to take over? It was treason what you did back then, most of my advisors wanted you executed. Exile was the only way I could spare your life."

"You let things come to that!" Jenny snapped, before continuing in a hushed voice. "Our whole lives you did nothing for me or Marcus! Spending all your time hunting or whoring while you let mother do as she pleased! You allowed her to smother him and lock him away from the world to be her little prize, and then just when I was finally prying him away from her, you tried to marry me to some stranger half the kingdom away! I had to do something! It was that or lose him forever! Lose everything!"

"I thought getting you away from court might be helpful." The king explained hurriedly. "You were never happy here, even I could see that. And getting married, starting a family, Annabelle told me it would be good for you, that it was just what you needed. I...know I wasn't the best father, to either of you, but I just wanted to do what was right for my family."

"Well, you failed." Jenny growled. The young prince felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the rough sound. In the bliss of having her so happy with him, of being married, he'd almost forgotten how scary she'd been when she'd first returned to the castle.

"I know I did, I'm sorry, Jenny." Their father sighed. Marcus leaned closer, his hand resting flat on the door which separated them. He'd never even known their father called her Jenny too. "I let myself be distracted by...other matters when you were young, and by the time I realized my mistake it felt too late to fix things. Annabelle, she's your mother, so I thought I could leave everything to her. I...told myself she was supposed to know what to do. It never occurred to me then, but I don't...think she ever did either."

"Don't!" Jenny replied, a shrill edge to her voice. "Don't you dare make excuses for her! You always took her side, my entire life you just stood by and let her destroy our family! And you're still doing it now! Why? Why are you defending her?" She almost sounded tearful, gasping for air between her words. Marcus froze against the door, his throat suddenly tight. He'd...chosen this, he'd decided to favor staying with Jenny over their parents. Only now his sister was still upset! Of course he'd known this would tear apart their family, he'd seen it with their mother already, but...he still hated it so much.

"Please, it isn't like that." The king stammered out, sounding shocked. "I know Anabelle treated you poorly. It was my fault too for never letting myself see that. I should have spent more time with all of you, I should have...done something."

"You're right, you should have! Instead you went around fucking whores and abandoned me and Marcus to her!" Jenny snarled. Marcus flinched back at the vicious sound, tears stinging his eyes. "This was all a mistake." His sister continued, softer now, her voice a low hiss the young prince could only just about hear. "I thought...I owed you at least this much, I thought I could make you understand before I had to exile you, but I should have just cast you out of the kingdom without ever seeing your face again."

"If that's your decision, so be it." Their father murmured, sounding broken. Marcus sniffled wetly, tears dribbling down his cheeks. This was...just so awful, but he didn't know what to do! If he interrupted now, he knew he'd just make things worse for his family, again! That's all he'd ever done! "You're the queen now after all, and I have nothing, just what I deserve. By your order, I'll take your mother and leave this kingdom behind. I'll look after her how I can, I owe her that much, and I swear neither of us will return." He paused for a long moment, letting those awful words hang in the air, then continued hoarsely. "Just...please, Jenny, let me see my son again, just once."

"You think I'd let you see him after this?" Jenny snapped. "So...what, you can pour poison in his ear like mother tried? So you can plot to steal him away from me? He chose me! He's mine and I'm his! Forever!" Marcus sobbed wetly behind the door, shocked at the venom in her words. He'd thought they'd worked past this! He'd...thought Jenny was getting better!

"Jenny, he's my son, my only son." Their father pleaded. "I know...you think I never cared about either of you, but I do. I love you both! And I just want...to speak to him once, just to say goodbye. Please..." His voice broke at that last word, the sound making the young prince sob.

"No!" There was the dull thud of a chair hitting the ground, like she'd leapt to her feet, her shrill voice echoing through the room. "You'll go back to the dungeons. And tomorrow I'll have you thrown out of this castle in chains! That's all you and mother deserve!" In an instant, Marcus knew he couldn't stand here one second longer. Jenny was his wife, his sister and his love, but that didn't mean he could just stand by! He had to fix this before it got any worse! If he didn't, he'd never get to see his father again! Before he got too afraid and let this one chance slip through his fingers, the young prince darted for the door and pushed it open, stumbling into the room beyond.

He found himself facing both his father and sister across a small lounge, the fire burning in the corner casting it's flickering light over the pair of them. Jenny was standing beside a table, shivering under a plain white robe. Her blue eyes were wide and tear-filled as she gazed at him in stunned surprise, as if it hadn't even occurred to her that he'd wake despite how loud she'd been. Then, sitting at the other end and hunched over in his chair, was their father. The former king was dressed in a simple brown tunic and looked rough and unshaven, a hollowness to his cheeks Marcus had never seen before. Yet as he saw his son, his dark eyes lit with shining relief, and the straining tension eased from his muscled body.

"Marcus..." He breathed hoarsely. "You're here...I thought I'd never..." His voice died in a **** gasp. A few glistening tears dripped down his cheeks, the first time the young prince had ever seen his brave father cry.

"Father!" Marcus sobbed, and suddenly he was darting across the room. Jenny's mouth was open, but before she could say anything more he threw himself on to their father, wrapping his arms around the older man's waist and hugging him tight. "I...I'm so glad..." The young prince sniffled, burying his face in their father's muscled shoulder. His heart soared with relief, the awful tension of what he'd heard starting to ease away as he clung to the older man who he'd just about started to fear he'd never get to see again.

"My son..." The king gasped, shuddering in his chair. His arm wrapped gently around Marcus, holding the young prince like he was made of glass. One large hand brushed over his son's back. It had been...so very long since they'd hugged like this, but to Marcus his father felt just as warm and solid as the last time, like a rock he could cling to no matter what happened. And he couldn't let that slip away!

"Marcus?" Jenny gasped from behind them. The young prince turned his head, staring at his beautiful older sister and wife while still holding on to his father as tight as he could. He blinked away the last few tears clinging to his lashes, giving her as firm a look as he could manage. His heart ached at how shocked and upset she looked, but his mind was made up. He couldn't...let Jenny keep hating their father like this, it wasn't right! Yes, the former king had made mistakes, but now Jenny had done bad things too. They had to forgive each other and make up! And he was going to be the one to talk them into it!