Francis leaned back a little at the comment. Out of all the possibilities of things he'd expected to spew from this man, that wasn't one of them. He rose his brow and frowned.

"You know, you hear a lot about rich types like yourself. Never expected something like that. " He shook his head as he muttered something about carringtons and rich sorts.

"If you want people to like you, never ever say that again." Finally was said towards him , as Francis scooted away looking weirded out by Roderick. "You might not know this , but people shouldn't want the dead or their brother. Being both doesn't make it better."

Ew! What a perverted sodomite. He meant that in a purely aesthetic respect, clearly.

Wait. He backed off. He backed off! It was working!

Roderick leaned forward in his seat, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

“I want him!” he howled, rolling his neck in bizarre ways. “I want him, and the rest of my family, lined up in caskets with rouged cheeks and closed eyes!”

He breathed heavily for good measure.

“You look like my cousin.”

That’s what royalty did, right? Kill and, ahem, marry each other?

What had happened? It was going well! Now..

He flattened himself against the other side of the carriage, staring at him wide eyed. Why did he have to pick the crazy one? It had been going so well.

"Come closer, and I'll slap you! You've gone mad!" he said quickly as he swore the buggy was going faster. Maybe it just felt that way in his panic, knowing he wouldn't try to escape it like this.

"I'm not your wretched cousin, and you shouldn't want people dead!" If the guy got closer, he was going to kick him in the face. This was quickly becoming a disaster.

This was weirdly exciting. He’d have to take a cold bath and have some bland tea when he returned.

Roderick flared his fingers at the fake prince, but remained seated (and wild-eyed).

The cart slowed down to take a turn … then sped back up!

“All dead! All in caskets!” he growled, shaking his head and upper body wildly, with his gaze staying as locked on the fake prince as he could manage mid-shake. “All my cousins!”

His voice was going to hurt something awful at this rate.

Francis was pressed back as he watched him wordlessly. He shook his head slowly. "Well, you better get to taking them out, if you want that. I mean, how many people did that guy take out before he was caught? And was he caught only after he died?" He honestly had no idea. And he was thinking maybe he will run off as soon as the stupid carriage stopped.

This felt weird. What if Robert found out he was playing mad? He’d probably convince him he was mad.

But madness, imitated or otherwise, had a strange sort of freedom in it.

Roderick sunk back against the seat, rocking back and forth with his head cast down. Magnus had been a nasty … could he really call it a shock? He supposed it was, but he still felt more foolish than shocked.

“Cousin, my cousin,” he hissed as he rocked, looking up with wide eyes once more.

The cart began to slow down again …

Francis wanted to look out the window, to see if he could call for help if need be. Or hop out if they were stopping. He was too fearful to turn from the mad man before him though.

"You'll end up in bedlam!" he said to him. How often had they threatened him with such a thing? He was mostly harmless, at least. He didn't wish to see people in coffins. Where had his wonderful plan gone so wrong.

"They'll tie you up and lock you away forever in a tiny dark room with the screams of others to keep you company!"

The cart was beginning to slow …

“Bedlam!” Roderick howled nonsensically, rolling his head and gaping at the sealing.

He crossed his arm and half-threw his torso side-to-side, doing his best to look ghoulish.

“Screams!” he repeated in the same fashion.

Then, as though taking it as a suggestion, he threw his head back and screamed! Horrifically, he hoped! (It sounded rather pathetic, truly.)

Francis was hoping it would stop, but felt he might not live if the man before him went rabid. He thought hard on it as his body was flattened against the other side but then moved closer and attempted to slap the man across the cheek. "Snap out of it!"

EW! EW EW EW EW EW! The peasant touched him! Never mind slapped, he touched him! Roderick clutched his face with watery eyes and let out a genuine sob.

The cart, on the bright side, seemed to be stopped now.