Axel just shook his head slightly as Duncan ushered him into his room again. "I'm a prisoner of war, Duncan," he huffed, letting himself drop into the chair nearby wearily. "If you weren't stopping by on a daily basis they'd have killed me a long time ago," he added. "You can't keep me alive forever," he pointed out. "Besides, if they catch me trying to escape....it would a quicker death than them stringing me up with a noose somewhere or beating me to death, which are the two options here," he added bluntly, flicking his braid over his shoulder so it hung over the back of the chair rather than on him. It didn't seem like his family held his opinions very high....they wouldn't care if he begged to spare him. They wouldn't. Axel was sure of that

"You don't know that," he said bluntly, locking the door behind them. "I raised a stray kitten in here for 14 years who was constantly meowing," he explained, turning to him. Duncan cocked his head. "We don't do that here anymore," he said, a little confused. They hadn't done any sort of torture or slow deaths here and they rarely put anyone to death anyway. At least not since his father died, which was over a decade ago. But he guessed that news like that didn't really reach anemy barracks. And his family would listen if he was caught with him. It wasn't that his family didn't care about his opinion, it was that they were always so busy with the kids, and Duncan didn't want to get in the way.

Axel let out a heavy breath when Duncan argued he didn't know for sure. "I'm a little harder to hide than a cat," he half grumbled, though he did know Duncan was trying to help. He was beginning to understand that. "You....don't," he asked, a little confused. "What do you do then? Put them in a cell and hope they don't get out again?" The winter Kingdom had always dealt with enemy soldiers....quickly. Axel had killed plenty of prisoners in the past few years, going to lengths Duncans kingdom didn't seem to use. He let out a soft sigh, slumping in his chair, suddenly exhausted. "I can't stay here forever," he added softly. "I appreciate what you're doing....but living here the rest of my life isn't an option. And, if I'm being honest, the officers will know I was taken captive by now. More than likely, if I go home, they'll get rid of me." He ran his hands over his face, trying to stay calm, but something cold was burning in his chest ...a familiar feeling. Some anger, yes, but mostly just sadness. He wished his father had loved him, wished his mother was alive. Wished he had better options than what he'd been given. Wished he had someone he could talk to. Duncan was nice ...but he barely knew him. It didn't really count.

"No, if you're caught trying to get out they'll kill you, but it'll be quick," he said. "If you don't try to get out, you'll get a hearing from the king and a sentence depending on the serverity of your crime," he explained. Duncan sighed, giving up. "Well, its your decision what you want to do then, I can't stop you," he muttered and then wandered off to the bathroom.

Axel just sighed in response to Duncan's comments, mind whirling about a million miles an hour. He really wasn't sure what to do. He didn't see many options here. He rested his arms on the table in front of him tiredly, trying to figure something out, and wound up falling asleep there, head falling to rest on his arms there. He probably should have just gotten up and gone to the bed when he realized he was so tired, but he'd wanted to at least try to figure something out first.

Duncan took a bath, resting in the warm water happily. When he wandered out, simply in a towel, he found Axel there at the table, still asleep. He sighed, getting dressed and curling up in bed, still leaving him enough space in the bed incase Axel woke and wanted to actually sleep in a bed. Duncan drifted off slowly.

Axel hadn't moved for most of the night, though when he did wake up very early in the morning and he realized he was at the desk, he groaned softly and moved over towards the bed. He crawled up onto it and under the blankets slowly, trying not to wake Duncan, who was fast asleep in his own spot. It didn't take him long to fall asleep again once he was settled in and comfortable.... admittedly, the bed was much nicer than the ones at the barracks, and definitely better than a cell, so he slept rather well on it.

Duncan remained fast asleep for a long while before he got up and got ready for breakfast. He wandered down to the dining hall, sitting with his family, eating silently while they all spoke. (How do u want them to get together?)

When Axel woke, Duncan was already gone, so he took the opportunity to just lay around like that for a while, flopping over the entire bed. He normally didn't sprawl out like that, but Duncan was gone, and it felt nice, so whatever. He did force himself up and off the bed though, to get ready for the day... Not that he had much to do.

(Hmmm.....we could always have someone catch them together or something and Duncan needs to explain things to his brother and whatnot, and that's sort of when Axel realizes how much he likes him and wants to help? So he kind of latches on way more? Idk)

Duncan ate silently, slipping food for Axel every now and then. (That could work. I did want to have kind of a thing where they're already in love and his brother catches them kissing and now Duncan has to explain who Axel was and that he loves him)