For a long time, Caspian had known that he would have to bury his father while he was still young, but to actually start taking steps toward that end was the most difficult task he’d been given in a long time. After his phone call with Jacob, he raced back home as quickly as he could, fighting past the reporters at the gate until one of the security guards spotted his car and escorted him inside. Being back was a surreal experience after everything that had happened too. The mansion felt empty in spite of the lavish décor, and when he traipsed up the stairs to his room, it seemed like all the guards and servants he passed were watching him with bated breaths and unspoken questions hanging from their lips. He hadn’t told any of them where he had gone the night before, so it was only natural for everyone to be curious, but he still disliked all the eyes on his back. He wanted nothing more than to be alone to process what was going on. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to get the chance until everything was over, it appeared.

Just minutes after he closed the door behind him, there was a knock on the panel followed by the sound of Jacob’s voice. Cas gave him permission to enter, and the head of security stepped inside. “Your Highness,” he greeted him with a curt bow. “I’m here to give you your itinerary and offer my assistance with your speech… for the funeral.”

At the word ‘funeral,’ Cas’s stomach knotted, and he sat up on his bed. [color=#b97703]“Alright, just give it to me,”[/color] he sighed, running a hand over his hair. The sooner everything was over and done with, the better. If going through the motions would hasten that process, then he would gladly be Aspiria’s puppet for the day.

Jacob pursed his lips. After the phone call they’d exchanged earlier, he’d looked up the prince’s location and pinned him down at the Sunset Veil near the edge of the city. He didn’t know exactly what Caspian had been doing there, but the resort had been close enough to border to make him uneasy. If Atlas’s son had been planning to abdicate his title, he could still be flighty, and their country was in no position to handle the loss of a second ruler at that moment. He cleared his throat, “Before we get into the details, I’d like to ask you… How are you doing?”

Cas blinked, caught off guard by the question. Jacob had always been kinder to him than most of the other guards, but he hadn’t expected the older man to ask about his wellbeing. [color=#b97703]“Honestly? I don’t know,”[/color] he shook his head. [color=#b97703]“I mean, I just had a fight with my dad last night and then found out this morning that he died and I’m supposed to take over as king. How am I supposed to be doing?”[/color]

Jacob hovered in the doorway for a moment before quietly closing it behind him and walking over to sit down next to the prince. “You aren’t ‘supposed’ to feel anything,” he replied. “Loss is difficult, and everyone experiences it differently. I may not have lost a member of my own family yet, but I did serve in the military for years. During that time, I saw many of my brothers fall in combat. I wish I’d had time to properly honor their memory and grieve for them, but we’re in the middle of a civil war. I had to bury them and move on every time.” He patted the younger man on the shoulder. “I don’t have any words to make this easier, but I can tell you one thing… All of that confusion and sadness and even anger you’re feeling? Use it. Let it drive you forward and fuel your sense of purpose until you’re able to breathe again. Even though it’s hard, Aspiria needs you, Prince Caspian. You lost your father, but they lost their king. Show them that they still have someone they can turn to for guidance in this uncertain time.”

Cas chewed on the inside of his lip. Jacob had a point. Whether he liked it or not, he was obligated to become the next monarch. He still had a lot of thoughts and emotions to sort through, but maybe he [i]could[/i] try using them to bolster him through to the end of his coronation. Take all the pressure and let it force him to be productive. Of course, it didn’t sound easy, and he doubted it would be, but the only other option was holing away and making the entirety of the kingdom wait on him to finish mourning before they had a new king. He couldn’t do that when everyone needed him right now.

[color=#b97703]“Thanks,”[/color] he exhaled. [color=#b97703]“I think I’ll try that.”[/color]

“I’m glad to hear it, Your Highness,” Jacob smiled. “And when you finally have a moment to yourself, I’ll bring you a flask… with whiskey this time. Not water.”

Cas laughed softly, [color=#b97703]“Whiskey sounds incredible right now.”[/color] With another shake of his head, he looked up to meet the other man’s gaze. [color=#b97703]“So, what’s my itinerary for today?”[/color]

Jacob nodded, relieved that the prince didn’t seem keen on bolting anytime soon. Taking his phone from his pocket, he pulled up a text file to share, “I’ve got a schedule for you to go over first. It would be most efficient if you arrive at the square at seventeen hundred…”