Chapter Text
"Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just a street rat"
"No but, what's your name?"
"Rhett, my name is Rhett"
I felt the light of the sun hit my eyelids, hearing my door getting unlocked and opened I knew I had to get up soon. Another day of doing nothing but sit in my bed for endless hours.
"Prince Charles, it’s time to wake up. The King asked me to call you down for breakfast" I heard what seemed to be the maid that took care of cleaning my room; though I always feel bad when she has to clean up my mess whenever I have a fight with my father, which has been happening more often lately.
Groaning, I stretched my entire body and let out a small noise when I felt the bones on my shoulders crack.
"Morning, Prince" the maid sweetly said as she came up to me and placed a new outfit next to me.
"Abigail, I said not to call me that," I reminded her, annoyed by that name.
Abigail is the maid in the house, she's been here ever since I was born. Witnessed the worst and the best in this castle. Ever since my father looked me up in my room and prohibited me from being outside; Abigail has always been there for me.
"I apologize, it's just a habit", she apologized. Her thick British accent felt like music to my ears. It was thicker than mine, and I liked that about her.
"Please get dressed up and hurry down. The King doesn't seem so happy this morning, I'm afraid.”
Of course.
"Alright, I will.”
Abigail left the room, locking it up again. As I heard her footsteps slowly fade away, I stood up from my bed.
Seems like today will be another day where I fight with my father. Why does he even want me around when all I do is stay locked up in my room? I thought about my choices of activities possible while locked up today as I got dressed with the outfit Abigail gave me.
Perhaps I can write something interesting, I started writing poetry as a way to cope with what I am feeling about my current situation. Of course I keep it hidden from my father and the knight that checks my room now and then.
I keep them underneath my bed in a box with all my special belongings.
I honestly feel like I am living in a dungeon; although i'd prefer that than this because at least then i would have other prisoners to talk to.
"Are you finished?" I heard Abigail's muffled voice from the other side of the wooden door.
"Yes, I'm ready. You can open the door now."
I heard Abigail unlock and open the big doors. Before I headed out Abigail whispered, “The knight is going to be checking your room tonight”
Nodding my head, I started heading downstairs, two guards following right behind me as I entered the familiar massive room that housed to the dining table.
"Good Morning father" I spoke, the emotion in my voice drained out every time I spoke with him.
"Good morning son. Please sit down as we wait for our food" Father exclaimed. He's always so hungry. I've been losing appetite recently, not eating everything on my plate. Sometimes I only drink the cup of wine they provide me with.
"How did you wake up this morning, Charles?" my father asked with feigned enthusiasm. He and I both knew he didn't care about what I do. He only cares about me being up there unable to do anything. My only source of the outside world is my window and he makes me close it every night.
"I woke up wonderfully father, I loved the smell of the morning breeze!" I sarcastically answered. He knew that I wasn't being my best this morning and by the expression on his face, he wasn't going to put up with it.
"Why are you acting this way?"
I snorted as the chef came into the table and laid a plate full of food that would have been delicious if I was actually hungry. The chef quickly went back to the kitchen after serving me and my father some white wine.
Looking down at the glass, I closed my eyes and smiled. "What do you mean?"
"This attitude recently, I shouldn't be putting up with it!" My father told me as he ate some food off his plate.
Rolling my eyes, I stood up from my seat and chugged my glass of wine. My father stood from his seat ready to yell at me. Before he could say anything however, I spoke first.
"What do you expect me to be? I'm going to be 22 this year and I'm locked up in a room as if I was some sort of prisoner!" I screamed. My father breathed in deeply as if he was trying to stop himself from getting more angry than what he already was.
"Charles, you know that-" before he could then continue that sentence, I spoke first.
"Father, if you want me to stop acting this way, then give me the freedom I deserve!"
The room went silent. My father walked up to me slowly, but as he approached I walked back at the same pace.
"You know I did this because of your mother.”
"Yes, but mother would have not wanted me to be locked up every single day of my miserable life!" I answered him with anger in my eyes. "I'm leaving back to my room. I have nothing to do here anyway. Abigail! Come with me!" I yelled, walking quickly up the stairs to the top where my room was, making my anger lessen.
"Charles, please calm down! I can't run fast enough!" Abigail pleaded. I stopped walking so she could catch up to me. "Thank you.”
"I don't know why I even bother going down every morning.” I wondered out loud once we started walking up again. "All he does is deny my freedom and blame it on my mother."
Abigail didn't say anything when I mentioned my mother. She never did.
"I hid the key to your box under the bed. It's between your mattresses where they can't find it" the small brunette told me as we finally reached my room.
"Honestly, I think they just gave up on that box. They don't even check under my bed anymore,” I told her as she opened the doors. They were unlocked, which was odd. They're always locked.
"Ah, I must've forgotten to lock the doors! I'm sorry! Silly me." Abigail hurriedly apologized. I see no reason for her to apologize when it was just a mistake.
"Don't worry about that, you're human. We make mistakes" I said as I placed my hand on her head, messing with her hair. "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to be doing what a Prince does."
The maid chuckled and nodded. She went to the door and said, "This time I'll lock it~!"
"Sure wish you didn't~!" I mocked in a sing song voice. Though she knew how I was, I always joke with her. She's my only friend.
Unlike my father, I didn't see her as a broom, I saw her as a person.
Once I heard both doors being locked, I went to my desk and sat there. I wanted to come up with something new. I've been working on the same piece for weeks now. It's time to move on.
As I grabbed my pen, I heard a loud noise as if something had dropped. Turning around, I didn't see that anything was out of place. Perhaps something inside my closet fell.
Walking towards the closet, I grabbed the small knob and twisted it. The door went flying when an unfamiliar man leapt forward and covered my mouth.
"Shhh, I won't hurt ya. I'm just trying to escape. Ya won't scream right?" the man whispered. He has a wild blond beard and messy dirty blond hair.
His huge hand slowly pulled away from my mouth before I covered it with my own in shock. I looked at the man, terrified for my own safety. Where are those useless guards when you need them?
"I'm not gonna hurt ya, I just need to hide for a while. I promise I won't do you any harm" the man said, slowly stepping away from me. He was wearing dirty white pants with a peach color shirt that seemed too big for him. The man carried a satchel over his shoulder that I guessed contained goods from this castle.
"How did you get in here?" I asked, not moving from my place. The bearded man stepped away a bit more and looked at my window.
"Your servant left her keys on the door and I came in to hide." He answers truthfully. The man went up to my window and opened it.
"I can escape through here. I just need some sort of rope,” the tall man said. I noticed his accent wasn't British but a Scottish one. He must not be from here.
I laughed at his statement. "As if I'm gonna have some sort of rope here."
The man looked at me for a while, then closed the windows and approached me. Naturally, I got scared by how quick his movements were, and backed away until the back of my knees hit my bed and made me fall.
"Calm down, Prince, I'm not gonna hurt you," the thief said. He walked slowly towards the bed and sat down. "Please, if you let me hide here for a while I'll leave you alone and return what I have stolen.”
Sitting up from my bed, I looked at him and grinned. "I don't care if you take that stuff. As long as you leave soon. I'm fine"
"Alright, I'll be out of your hair by tonight!"