Later that evening...

"The nerve of that man!" fumed the angry young prince hurling his wine goblet across the room where the metal sounded sharply against the stone wall. It's contents splashed, the good French vintage hitting the fire with the expectant roar of flame that was accompanied by a womanly shriek of surprise and fear. "Now we're to wait on him at his beck and call.. no better than.. than squires to his whim!"

Staring at his older brother for a moment, Argorian rolled his eyes and threw back his bed sheet to climb out of his bed. Alfred barging into his chambers was hardly a new occurrence however, at the moment he had much more agreeable company as evidenced by the half naked figure that was so startled. He stood up giving his shoulder length hair a brush back with his hands, dipped in a water basin kept full beside his bed by the castle servants and then walked over to the table picking up a piece of fruit before settling down into a chair to watch Alfred pace across the room like a horse who had not gotten it's exercise.

"My... you are in a mood aren't you, brother?"

"Half!" Alfred spit and then gestured to the younger man and then over to the bed, "and what's this... a bastard making more bastards?"

Argorian smirked ever so slightly. Until recently he'd been the youngest of Charles' sons, the fruits of his marriage to Lady Rowan having since born Prince Vincent Hart... the legitimate son and heir of Charles himself. It had been born better by Argorian, who had never really had a claim, than it had been by Alfred who once stood to gain all his father's land and titles by right of being the eldest. They also had two sisters, Mary and Rachel a precious 12 and 10 respectively in addition to the very recent birth of another princess... Charles and Rowan's second. Six children and still a relatively young man... people were beginning to talk.

"Yes, I am a bastard... figuratively and literally," the youth laughed around a bite of fruit, "While you my friend are just an ass tonight. Sit down and stop bedeviling my guest... not all of us can live a life half priest as you seem to."

A dark scowl creased Alfred's brow as he sat heavily down across from his brother and poured himself another goblet. Argorian had gotten his father's humor... Alfred his anger... in many ways they were images of what Charles could have been... the former if he'd never had responsibility thrust upon him, and the latter if he had turned out bitter and jaded.

"Are you saying you're happy with this arrangement?"

Argorian gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "And why shouldn't I be? I've wanted an opportunity to prove myself in a contest of arms since we were barely strong enough to hold stick, now I have that chance.. One day I'll have land of my own and when I ride people will tremble at the sound of my name... just as they do my God-Father's."

Alfred muttered to himself.

"Your mood does you no credit. If you feel hate in your heart you must bury it and not let our Father see it."

"And why shouldn't he? He... he replaces ME with a babe who can barely talk? And that... that.. WOMAN he parades around with.."

"You mean... the Queen?"

Alfred had the grace to blush faintly. "Yes.. that one. It is her fault!"

"Oh don't be so foolish Alfred... he's legitimate.. we're not."

"Easy for you to say. Your mother lives in the city and has never wanted for anything including your company! Mine is buried in a land I have never even seen."

"A point. But you still don't understand what I'm getting at."

"Oh then get on with it why don't you and quit boring me with your rhetoric!" Alfred huffed gulping down a few more mouthfuls of wine, pausing for a moment while the half naked serving girl patted on bare feet across the room and disappeared out of the chamber door. Argorian watched as well, with a sigh,

"I suppose I might as well since you've ruined my evening... Say you continue to rail at Father this way. What will be the result? As you say you've been disinherited by the birth of Vincent yes? Any future you have to land or title depends on your ability to prove yourself... become a knight... and swear vassalage to the throne. An avowed enemy will never be so blessed... Here you are given a chance to prove both your loyalty and your fitness for greater things and you piss on it. No offense brother, but I think you really just need a woman."

Alfred scowled again but he did not refute what his brother had said, he could not, for there was sense to it.

"Or perhaps.... accidents happen to small children?"

There was a sound like that of a tree breaking in a strong wind, here it was the sound of Alfred being kicked back out of his chair by the smaller Argorian and the wood of the chair itself shattering on impact with the stone floor.

"That.. dear brother... would be treason. Besides, he is our brother."

"Half!"

"Whatever. You're drunk. Go sleep it off, yes?"

Alfred looked mutinous for a moment and then heaved himself back up straight on his feet, with some difficulty and shuffled towards the door.

"And if you see that girl send her back in will you?" The young man called and was answered by a stream of explicative language that raised his eyebrows. "Is that a no?"

Argorian tossed the remains of his fruit into the fire, he'd lost his taste for it after that confrontation with his brother. Alfred was becoming more and more unstable, and now talking about murder.. of a child? Sure he'd been drunk but..... the young man shook his head to banish the thoughts. Perhaps he was drunk too, the morrow would surely bring better things.