"Shhh... it will be okay..." //OxO, CLOSED//

In a few short minutes, the maid knocked on the door. "You ready?"

He turned around and nodded, “Yeah.” He walked towards the door, glad to be getting out of the room.

Guards were waiting outside the door, of course, and with Jack int eh center of them, they marched toward the dining area.

When they got there, Kade was already seated, popping a grape into his mouth as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Jack, my man," he said, smiling, opening his arms as if to hug him, although the two were on separate sides of the room. "How are you? Hungry, I hope?"

Gathered around the table were several nobles, who all looked at Kade as if he was a god.

Jack was intimidated to say the least, though he didn't show it. All of… this, the nobles, the enormous amount of food was something he was far from used to. He rolled his eyes, "All right yeah sure, fine, I'm a lil' hungry. But why are you being nice to me? You hate me, I hate you, so what's the deal?"

"That's not nice," Kade said, looking hurt. Not really hurt, more as if this was a game to him. "I'm just being the kind and amazing and wonderful person that I am, and giving you food. I'm not completely evil, you know."

"Kind, amazing and wonderful aren't the words that come to mind when I think of you," Jack crossed his arms, shuffling his feet slightly, "But whatever you say I guess. I'm not in the position to fight."

"You really aren't." Kade waved a hand lazily and a guard nearly shoved Jack to a nearby seat, across from Kade.

Jack stumbled sightly, glaring at the guard. He took the seat anyway, sighing through his nose as he did so. He tried not to look so nervous.

Kade looked… different. I mean yes, he wore nicer clothes, and was no longer covered in blood, but it was something more than that. He had enormous bags under his eyes, and his entire energy seemed dimmed somehow, though no one but the most observant person would be able to tell. His typical arrogant smirk was plastered to his face, but it was almost fake.

Jack gave Kade a once over, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. From the distance they were at, he looked and sounded like the Kade from the battlefield. But the small male wasn't an idiot, nor blind and he saw the bags, ones he might not have seen on anyone else. The others demeanor just felt off to him.

Kade gave Jack a hard stare. "You're not eating."

Jack shrugged a shoulder, "Can't I take my time?" He looked away.

"Well, I mean, I guess you could, but being asleep for that long takes energy."

"Why are you so pushy on trying to get me to eat? Do you have a problem with me not?"

"I do." Kade looked him straight in the eyes and had the nerve to grin. "I absolutely do. This food is amazing, and if you don't eat, Mini will be offended. And you never want the cook offended."

Jack tried not to snort in disbelief, "Right, sure, because that's totally the reason you want me to eat." He mumbled, "Okay, if you say so then. I've always been my own cook so I wouldn't know."

"No, I really wouldn't," Kade said calmly. "Because I have better things to do than burn food."

“I’m a great cook thank you very much,” Jack picked up a grape, twisting in his fingers and contemplating throwing it at Kade, “It’s a fact.”

"Whatever you say." Once Jack had picked up something food-y, Kade lost all interest and urned to talk to one of the nobles.

Jack sighed, placing the grape in his mouth. He rested his chin in his hand, leaning against the end of the table as he picked a few more grapes and ate those, too.

Finally, Kade grumbled in his head. Then he blinked in confusion. Wait… why was he concerned for this asshat again?

Jack ended up just picking at certain fruits, mainly grapes and strawberries. He looked around, taking note of who was in the room. His eyes landed on Kade for a moment, though he looked away quickly.

There were three old men who looked so ancient that they might collapse any minute. There were actually a few women as well, and several handsome men.

And then a boom echoed through the room as a man burst through the doors.

Jack jumped, looking from Kade to the man that had burst in to Kade again. His face conveyed a silent question of Who the fuck?

Kade shrugged.

The man, who looked about Kade's age, was tall, and very handsome. He had a warrior-type look to him. Kade gave him a slow once-over, before his lazy, blood-boiling, flirty smirk crept onto his face.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a lazy drawl.

"I'm here to collect the boy. The one you fought earlier."

"And why should I give him to you?" Kade leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up. "I declared victor rights."

"Um, okay so I'm… confused. You know I'm sitting here, right?" Jack looked to the man, raising a brow, "Do I even get a say in any of this or are you two just gonna discuss it while I sit here?"

Both of the men ignored him.

"Yes, I do know that you'd like to claim victor rights," the stranger said, staring at Kade stoically. "But you didn't actually fight to the death."

"I know," Kade said smoothly. "I took him here to kill him. I didn't say where I had to kill him, or how long it had to take."

"The Accords say otherwise," the man said, crossing his arms. "You have a week to kill him, then we claim him."

Jack blinked a few times. He hadn’t actually ever read The Accords but he hadn’t had thought that was even a rule, “Great, cool yeah so I don’t get a say in this. Wonderful.”

"Do you ever stop talking?" Kade asked mildly. "Or do you just talk when it annoys everyone else?"

“Oh so now you can hear me? Funny how you only acknowledge me when it suits you.” He shrugged.