As I walked back to the boys' dorms, worries assailed my mind. What if Millia didn't agree to a sleepover with Augusta? What if she wasn't good at comforting her? Did I even have the right to recommend Augusta to her? I tried to avoid being controlling, but I might have just wandered into another unethical action.

  A thought came to my mind. If Augusta didn't want to sneak into my dorm, maybe I could sneak into her dorm? Then, I could comfort her and...

  I shook my head. That idea was wrong on so many levels. I'm not intruding on Augusta like that. Even she had the sense to ask me about sneaking in first.

  And what about Janek? He said he would be okay, but was he telling the truth? This world didn't have therapists. I doubted they had any idea what PTSD was. He'd had an untreated mental illness for years.

  Of course, Augusta was, is, and will always be my highest priority. But I couldn't neglect my friends either. I'd have to talk to him...what if he didn't say anything? What if Janek refused to talk or just said he was fine again? And what if he wasn't lying? What if Janek was as fine as he could possibly be, and anything I did would just make things worse?

  What if Augusta was lying about asking Millia to sleep over with her? Knowing Millia, asking her might make things worse, not better. And what if Millia agreed, but then didn't know how to help Augusta through her nightmares?

  As I stepped into the boys' dorm, an incredible feeling of guilt weighed down on me. In my attempts to help Augusta, I might have messed things up horribly. I didn't know what I could possibly do now, and that made me feel like shit.

  "Is there a problem?" Prince Boleslaw's voice came into my ears.

  I turned to face him. He was sitting on a large red chair by the fireplace, a contemplative expression on his face. Boleslaw's eyes gazed at the flickering flames. Though his head was turned just enough to look at me.

  "A few..." I nodded.

  "Come, sit down," Prince Boleslaw gestured to another chair. "Talk a moment."

  After a second of hesitation, I did as he commanded.

  "Your Highness, you don't need to worry about my affairs," I said.

  "Nonsense. You are a guest in Katow. As the crown prince, it is my duty to be a good host," Boleslaw replied.

  He then flashed me a slight grin.

  "Besides, you might be the king of our neighbor someday, even if you are a commoner now. It'd be best if we got along."

  King...that was something I definitely wasn't ready for. Hopefully, Augusta could prepare me for that. Then again, I doubted her parents prepared her to be queen. What the hell was wrong with them anyway?

  I rubbed the back of my head with incredible awkwardness.

  "I'm surprised you're okay with a commoner like me possibly marrying Augusta," I said.

  "It is a slight upon the noble class to marry a commoner," Prince Boleslaw replied. "However, if you have no other option, it is the duty of a noble to produce an heir. And since no nobles wish to marry their sons to Princess Augusta, no one should blame her if she marries you."

  I noticed that Prince Boleslaw was being careful to not call Augusta the Bloodbath Princess. This must be the tact he was trained in as the future ruler of Katow.

  "What about you? Do you have a lover or a fiancé?" I asked.

  "I have two lovers and a fiancé," Prince Boleslaw answered.

  My disappointment with him increased massively.

  "You're already cheating on her and you're not even married?" I groaned.

  "Almost every king in the world sleeps outside of marriage," Prince Boleslaw replied. "And most noblemen do too."

  I folded my arms with a grimace.

  "Just because something is common practice doesn't mean it's right," I said.

  Boleslaw chuckled. It was a dark noise, and his eyes didn't smile with his mouth.

  "Arguing with a prince so easily? I honestly can't see what Augusta likes about you," he shook his head.

  I shrugged.

  "If she didn't spell it out for me, I wouldn't see it either," I said. "I still have doubts."

  "We can at least agree that you are an unconventional choice, to put things politely," Boleslaw stated.

  "Yes, we can," I nodded.

  It was obvious to me that Prince Boleslaw did not like me very much. But he was being nice for the sake of diplomacy. I was going to have a hard time if and when I got to his bonding event. Just thinking about it gave me a headache.

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  "Now, say your problem. Perhaps I can help you solve it?" Boleslaw suggested.

  I wondered if I should trust him to help. Telling someone who didn't like me anything could backfire in the future. Plus, I really didn't want to bother him with things I should resolve on my own. But if he could help with Janek and Augusta, I should do what's best for them. At the same time, he might be trying to sabotage me. Not knowing Prince Boleslaw's agenda or much about him from the Duke's Duplicity was really biting me in the ass.

  In the end, I came up with this logic: Prince Boleslaw couldn't be trusted regarding Augusta. She was a foreign princess whom he might try to weaken to strengthen his own kingdom. I couldn't blame him for that if it was his intention. He was just doing his job.

  However, I might be able to trust him regarding Janek. Not only was Janek one of Prince Boleslaw's subjects, but he was also a noble. That meant that building up good relations with him would greatly benefit Boleslaw. And the prince might see it as his duty to help him.

  "Janek took me to a graveyard today," I said.

  Prince Boleslaw's expression turned grim. He fixed his eyes entirely on the fire.

  "No one who was part of that war likes talking about it," Boleslaw said. "I did not fight or command, but I was brought to observe the battlefield. My father thought it would be good for my future education. It taught me many things. I would have preferred to remain ignorant. And I despise ignorance."

  Sadness entered the prince's voice.

  "It is no wonder that Janek took you to that graveyard. It is important to everyone in Katow, for all the wrong reasons," he stated.

  "I didn't say which graveyard he took me to," I pointed out.

  "There is no other graveyard Janek would take anyone to. At least, not here. His relatives are all buried in his family's crypts, which are leagues from King Casimir Academy."

  That was a very good point.

  "Is there anything I can do to help him?" I asked.

  Boleslaw turned his gaze back to me. There were tears in his eyes.

  "Did you listen to what he had to say?" the prince questioned.

  "Yes," I said.

  "Did you interrupt him?"

  "Not until he was shaking so hard that it looked like he was having a seizure."

  I almost did before, but Janek stopped me.

  "That is the right time to interrupt," Boleslaw said. "Did you make fun of him?"

  "No."

  "Criticize him?"

  "No."

  "Are you his friend?"

  "Yes."

  Boleslaw turned his attention back to the fire.

  "Then, you have done all you can," he said.

  I shook my head.

  "There must be something else I can do," I stated.

  "If there is, no one in the world knows what it is," Boleslaw replied. "By just being Lord Janek's friend, you have helped him more than you know."

  That brought some small relief, but not enough. And Boleslaw was right. I wasn't a therapist. Well, I'm pretty sure I wasn't one in my last life. If I was, I was a terrible therapist because I knew nothing about therapy.

  "Thank you," I said.

  "Do not worry about it," Boleslaw responded.

  I stood up and started going towards the stairs, making my way to my room.

  "That's all I needed your help with," I stated.

  "Are you sure?" Boleslaw asked.

  "Yes, I'm sure," I answered.

  It wasn't until I reached the lowest step that I heard his voice again.

  "Was Princess Augusta with you when you went to the graveyard?"

  I stopped dead in my tracks. Then, Boleslaw's voice flowed into my ears.

  "Your halt was all the answer I needed. Now, let me ask you another question."

  Swerving around, I faced him. Prince Boleslaw was still gazing into the fireplace.

  "Do I have a choice in answering it, Your Highness?" I asked.

  Sweat poured from my brow. Worry flowed through me.

  "You do not," Boleslaw answered. "Tell me, Dante, is there another problem? And does it involve Princess Augusta of Calavon?"

  For a moment, I considered lying to him. But he already knew I lied once. Talking to Prince Boleslaw the way I do to anyone else had already made him not like me. I'd pushed my luck too far already. Clenching my fists and taking a deep breath, I spoke.

  "Augusta might have nightmares tonight, and I can't be there for her. She doesn't want to go here since it would get me in trouble. And no, I'm not going to break into the girls' dorm. That would infringe on Augusta's privacy, among other things," I said.

  The chair swerved around. Prince Boleslaw gazed at me with an expression of utter shock on his face.

  "Nightmares? You're worried about the Bloo...Princess Augusta having nightmares?" he asked.

  "Yes," I answered. "She's a far more troubled person than a lot of people think. Augusta is also the strongest person I know, but that doesn't mean she's invincible."

  I dared not say anything else. Prince Boleslaw could use any weakness of Augusta's against her.

  "Now, Dante, I understand why Princess Augusta likes you," Boleslaw said.

  It was my turn to be surprised.

  "You do?" I asked.

  "Yes. You are this worried over her having nightmares. You are more protective of her than Sir Mardeaux was for Queen Ilvaine."

  I had no idea who those people were. This was probably a reference to some chivalric romance that you'd find out about later in the game.

  Still, Boleslaw's words made me look down. Guilt and shame flowed through me.

  "I might worry about Augusta, but I'm a terrible boyfriend. I haven't been able to get her anything, and I can't be with her now, when she really needs me. She also had to come in and save me twice. She shouldn't have bothered."

  The moment I realized just how much I let slip, I felt like kicking myself in the balls. But Boleslaw just seemed even more confused than before. He shook his head.

  "Dante, I think you think too little of yourself," he said.

  "That's better than letting my ego rule over me. Pride is the worst of all sins," I replied. "Ultimately, it's for the best."

  Boleslaw shook his head.

  "There is a difference between being humble and thinking that someone who easily saved you shouldn't have," the prince stated. "I agree that arrogance can be a bad thing. But you are taking humility too far."

  I didn't want to push my luck any further with Boleslaw, so I kept my mouth shut. His expression changed to one of mild concern.

  "Or maybe you just have a low opinion of yourself? I think you should be more deferential to people of higher station, but even I do not think Augusta should not have saved you," Boleslaw sounded as if he thought I deserved a beating, but nothing more.

  "Could we please focus on Augusta, Your Highness?" I asked. "She's the one I'm failing."

  Prince Boleslaw shrugged and folded her arms.

  "The way I see it, there is not much you can do. Just be there for her in the morning," he answered.

  "But perhaps I could find a woman to talk to her and..." I pondered.

  "Aside from Princess Augusta, Millia, and a few faculty members, you do not talk to any women. And Princess Augusta barely talks to anyone aside from you."

  Prince Boleslaw was paying more attention than I gave him credit for. He was probably keeping an eye on all the students in his class, and likely outside of it, too.

  "Dammit," I sighed.

  "Just go to bed," Prince Boleslaw turned the chair back around. "You can apologize to your lover tomorrow if you really must."

  I couldn't get to sleep that night. All of it was spent worrying about Augusta. And what right do I have to sleep when my girlfriend is being wracked by nightmares because of my neglect?

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