When Iris pointed out that calling attention to themselves might not be the best idea, Cas frowned. He supposed he hadn’t really thought the plan through, but he also wasn’t used to seeing the soldiers in Aspirian colors as his enemies. As the crown prince of the kingdom, they had been on his side for his entire life. Even as a child, he’d been around soldiers who were stationed to guard the capital, and he’d grown accustomed to seeking them out if he needed something or had a task for them to do. It was their duty to serve the royal family.

However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Iris was probably right. Under normal circumstances the soldiers around them now would have leapt to his defense, whisking him back to the capital to be protected from the rebellion and given medical attention. If they thought he was dead, though, they probably wouldn’t wait long enough to hear him out or allow him to get close enough that someone might recognize his face. They would assume he was another rebel and shoot him before they could see the whites of his eyes.

Knowing that the people he’d relied on before couldn’t be expected to save him now stung, but he knew there was nothing to argue about. Trying to confront them anyway would most likely just get them both killed. [color=#b97703]“Okay,”[/color] he murmured in resignation, allowing her to lead him away from the prison. Until now, he’d oscillated between going back to the capital and leaving for good, but now that he knew his father had been under the impression that he was dead, he felt like he had to go back. It was all a big misunderstanding that needed to be corrected. He didn’t expect every high born to be thrilled to see him again—though they would act like it—but he still had the people who were closest to him in his life. His family and friends had to know he wasn’t dead.

[color=#b97703][i]Not yet, anyway,[/i][/color] he thought as he peered over his shoulder, watching the building collapse behind them. Yet again, they had narrowly escaped being crushed by an imploding structure. At least when they got to the capital, they would no longer have to worry about getting caught up in the civil war. That was one benefit of leaving the other districts, even thought they would have other problems to worry about when they got there.

For one thing, he still had no idea what was going to happen to Iris when they arrived. He didn’t want to part ways with her, so he intended to do whatever he could to bring her inside the walls of the city with him, but she wasn’t going to be received well by the high borns or his father. It would be an uphill battle just to get her settled in, let alone convince the king to let them be together. He just hoped Atlas would be a little more receptive to the idea since she was the one helping him get home.

For a while, Cas didn’t talk as he focused on trying to keep up with Iris as they headed away from the rebels’ base. However, it didn’t take more than half an hour before his pain escalated enough that he couldn’t carry himself any further. His injured leg felt like it was on fire and his chest mirrored the sensation. He breathed heavily and had to lean more of his weight into her side to hold himself upright. [color=#b97703]“I have to stop,”[/color] he panted, sagging against her shoulder. As much as he wanted to get to their destination and be done with it all, he was reaching his limit and needed to take a break before they continued.

With a groan, he pulled away from her and dropped clumsily to the ground, trying to keep his weight on his right side to avoid putting pressure on his left. [color=#b97703]“Sorry,”[/color] he mumbled, dragging his left hand across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. Speaking was still painful, but he managed to string together something somewhat meaningful as he added between breaths, [color=#b97703]“Hurts too much… I need to sit.”[/color]