7 Overwhelmed with guilt.

Tacito signed to Garrick asking him what's wrong, and Garrick replied that he doesn't really know.

"Go after him, I'm watching over Mom." Tacito signed, the little boy moved his chair closer to where Muriel slept and sat down.

So Garrick signed him a goodbye and gave Yurei a hug before he left the room, and found Ned outside, few steps away from the room.

"Is everything ok?" Garrick asked smiling, he was trying to sound cheerful, but the sudden whimpering noise that came out of Ned took him off guard.

"Please stay back...Don't look at me." Ned said faintly while doing his best to hide his face behind his hands, "I'm sorry."

"Are you crying? why are you crying Neddie?... please, if it's about what happened inside, I am telling you I'm not hurt!

in fact I should apologize, I undermined your struggle because of mine..." Garrick said apologetically.

But No answer came back, Ned just crouched down to the floor with his face still buried in his hands.

"Ned...hey."

Still no answer, so Garrick leaned on the wall waiting for Ned to finish.

But Garrick ended up feeling more and more helpless with each moment Ned cried in, he hates it when people cry and he can't do something about it.

And he hates it more, when he doesn't know why.

So Garrick just stood by, watching over the doctor as he cried.

...Few minutes later...

It seemed like Ned has finally calmed down as he stopped covering his face, Garrick noticed him and walked to the crouched down doctor, handing him a handkerchief.

"Huh?...Thanks."

"No problem, you look like you needed that, mushroom."

Ned smiled slightly at the nicknames, "Do I look this swollen from crying, you had to Call me 'mushroom'?" he said, "More like because you're crouched down...Makes You look small like a Mushroom." Garrick replied, smiling as he teased Ned.

"Thanks for not doing anything to make me stop crying Garrick, I know it's weird but I prefer people not interfering with me when I'm feeling down."

"You gave me no choice Ned, besides you seemed like you needed that, all that crying I mean...like seriously, when was the last time you shed a tear? you cried for quite a while."

"15 years ago at least..."

" 15 YEARS AGO!"

"Yeah?"

"Ned, you didn't cry not even when your head hurts, you stub your toe or when you get stung by a bee?"

"WHY ARE YOU SO SURPRISED?!" Ned suddenly shouted.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT NOT CRYING HAS ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?!" Garrick shouted back.

"LIKE I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT MY MENTAL HEALTH!"

Sighting, "I'm sorry but you should give a shit Ned, you're a doctor." Garrick said in a calmer tone.

Suddenly, Silence fell on the two again, Garrick was pissed off and so was Ned, but for two different reasons.

"You two should really learn how to communicate like adults, are you not ashamed that a little guy like me is telling you that?" a smiling Yurei said appearing out of no where.

It startled the soon to be commander of knights, Making the poor Garrick take a step back out of fear, "Did you just get jump-scared by a kid?" Ned said teasing Garrick.

"HEY! what am I supposed to do?! he just appeared out of nowhere, I don't like people doing that! Everyone knows sudden movements are scary." Garrick replied pouting.

"Anyways Little Prince Yurei, why did you leave the playroom? is there something wrong? should we call one of the servants?" Ned asked the little boy, "Not at all, mother started snoring so loud, I couldn't focus anymore." Yurei replied truthfully.

Hearing that, Ned tried his best to hold his laughter, the thought of Muriel snoring was so hilarious to him.

"Mister Neddie, if you laugh at my mother for snoring I shall use your blood as red paint.

I am worse than my brother Tacito when it comes to protecting my mother." said the little prince.

Ned got sweaty all of the sudden from the unexpected gory threat, why does Muriel's kids want to finish him off all of the sudden?

"Uh, don't worry! I'm not laughing, no one is laughing!" Ned nervously replied.

"YUREI! I will tell your mother you were threatening people again!" Garrick interfered, "just kidding sir! no need to tell Mother!" Yurei replied smiling sheepishly, a satisfied Garrick patted the little boy's head.

"Good, is there anything else you need your highness?" Garrick asked Yurei, "Nothing, I'm just bored, can we play together Garrick?" the boy Asked.

"I'm actually busy right now, I came earlier to just say Hi to you and your brother! but I promise I'll take you and Tacito to play Football with the other knights, later though." Garrick replied.

"Okay deal!" Yurei instantly smiled at the promise, he rushed back to the playroom leaving Garrick and Ned, alone together again.

"We were totally about to have a big fight, if the little guy didn't pop out of nowhere!" Ned stated making the knight besides him smile and chuckle.

"I guess you're right, lovely~"

"OH MY GOSH! stop calling me lovely!"

"But you are Lovely! do you want me to lie?"

"Yes please."

"You're no fun at all Neddie."

"I'm a doctor remember? I'm not supposed to be fun?"

"Who the hell said that doctors can't be fun?!"

" I did, now move your ass! didn't you tell Yurei you were 'busy'? get the hell out! sir Delun!"

"Okay I'll listen to you! After all, happy wife happy life or so they say." Garrick spoke winking at the doctor.

Embarrassed, "WHY YOU!" Ned's face flushed shades of red, he took off and grabbed his shoes as he began chasing Garrick around the palace, the athletic knight easily escaped the doctor's grasps.

As they ran, They passed by a confused Matilda and Socorro, the two women watched as the two men disappeared from their field of view, with Ned screaming that he'll beat the crap out of the escaping knight, and Garrick laughing hysterically at the doctor's failed attempt to do just that.

"I'm betting you ten Derora Golds, those two are going to start dating each other real soon." Matilda spoke up.

"Matilda, you can't just bet on people's personal lives like that!

One hundred Derora Golds, I'm betting you that they're going to end up in the same bed, this week." Socorro replied.

"DAMN COCO! You had me in the first half! I didn't take for the wild type!"

"I didn't take you for the innocent type either, Mati."

"I'm a womanizer no lies, but I still prefer wholesome dates over one night stands, in the end I wanna marry and have kids ya know." Matilda said.

"And I would prefer to live free, single life is underrated." Socorro replied.

"Maybe if you let me take you out on a date, you would change your mind CoCo."

"Not a chance, what if things actually worked out and we fell in love? I'm a beta woman and you're an alpha...in the long run, we cannot have kids together, don't you want kids?"

"Statistically speaking, there is possibility, it's rare but it still is existent that betas and alphas can have kids together."

"Matilda, it's a little percentage, like a one in a million thing, and like I said I'm not ready for the commitment a relationship requires, nor I want to be a mother yet."

"I thought you said you love kids earlier, so you don't want kids at all? Ned is Also not so keen on the baby subject... I can't blame ya guys, child birth is a bitch."

"I love kids, that doesn't mean I want to be a mother Matilda."

"You're right, sorry I'm an idiot sometimes." Matilda said nervously smiling.

"No need to apologize Mati, Now go back to your place, I'm going to check on his Majesty first, I have to tell him the News anyways." Socorro replied as she walked away leaving Matilda behind.

Sighing, "What should I do for you to finally realize I wasn't joking about taking you out on a date, Coco." Matilda whispered to herself as she watched the king's assistant walk away.

...Few minutes later...

Socorro walked inside the playroom, Tacito and Yurei instantly greeted her, and as she got closer to them, Socorro patted Tacito's head gently.

"Coco!' Yurei jumped on the woman hugging her, so she picked him up in her arms twirling him in the process.

Yurei's giggles grew louder, waking up Muriel who was laying on the sofa where Ned has left him earlier.

"Coco...is that you?" a sleepy Muriel asked as he rose up from his sleeping position, he noticed he was on the sofa with a white coat on his body, covering him.

"Yes your majesty, I came with news to tell... is that the doctor's coat?"

"I suppose so, Ned came with me here earlier, oh Poor thing...it seems that I have fallen asleep outside in the balcony, and at some point Ned must have carried me here and used his coat to cover me.

I should order the servants later to bring blankets to this room..."

"I'll take care of the blankets issue Your majesty, and may I have the coat as well? I'd like to return it to Doctor Valentino myself."

"Yes and Thank you CoCo." Muriel replied handing her the doctor's coat.

Deciding that it was time for him to leave the playroom, Muriel tried but struggled to get up, he was so tired he could barely stand anymore.

But after few attempts, Muriel was up on his feet and standing by Socorro's side, even though he could feel a headache coming.

The two Adults then said goodbye to the little boys as they headed to leave the room, but suddenly, Tacito signed something that made Muriel Smile.

"Do not worry Taci, mommy is fine, I am just lightheaded that is all...I will try to come again once I finish working."

And with that, the king and his assistant left the playroom, closing the door behind them.