Prince Farley [BL]

Chapter 4

Kade's POV

I was five years old when my sister was born.

I was seven years old when my brother was born.

I was nine years old when we heard of the raid that was to come on Weben.

All these things seemed insignificant when I turned ten. There weren't just rumors of the raid, it was actually happening. I remember the flames, the screams, the pounding of feet running, swords clashing with swords. I remember it all.

I remember watching my father swing his sword as he yelled for us to run. I remember him falling to his death and my mother's sob that followed. I remember her picking up his sword with shaking hands as she told me to take my siblings and run.

We ran. We ran with our heads turned back to watch a man stab her through her chest. We ran with our eyes wide in terror.

I was only ten, my siblings even younger.

We ran and ran until we could run no more. It cost us dearly. I could hear people screaming for me but I ignored them. "Please help us! Please don't abandon us!"

I was ten years old. What could I possibly do?

I wasn't given the luxury to care about others at the moment. I grabbed my siblings hands and dragged them as they cried.

We should've ran some more.

I lost my brother that day, along with my mother and father. We should've ran more, then maybe they wouldn't have caught up with us.

At ten years old, I killed a man. It was pointless, my brother was already dead but I stabbed the man who killed him over and over until my sister was afraid of me. But because we had nobody else, she clung to me.

At ten years old, I lost everything I had and ran.

We ran for days with no food and hardly any water. I carried my sister, Julia, for almost all of it. She was only five, there was no way she could keep up.

Eventually, I collapsed. I could run no more. I believed I should've died that day. Part of me wishes I had. It would be heartbreaking, wouldn't it? All of the Sandoval line wiped out together.

I didn't die.

Collapsed on the side of a trail, a man trotting by on his horse stopped and stared at me. I was covered in blood that wasn't mine and barely recognizable through all the dirt.

I mustered the last of my energy and stared back at him. Perhaps he'll be the one to kill me, I thought. My sister was sleeping, at least- I hoped she was. She hadn't moved in hours so I wasn't sure.

He spit off to the side and chewed on a piece of hay. "What's your name, boy?"

"Hamol."

His eyebrows raised in recognition. "Hamol, huh? Thought you were dead. Is that your sister?"

"Don't look at her."

"She's dead."

"Don't look at her!" It hurt to talk, the lack of water made my throat dry but I still yelled.

He spit again and continued to chew his hay. "Are you angry? You should be." Just leave me here to die, I wanted to cry. Instead, I kept silent. "You got blood all over you, is that yours?"

My entire family is dead. I wanted to die too, why won't this man leave me alone? "You kill someone?" He was joking, he was joking but I stared at him blankly and he quickly stopped laughing.

I hated him, I decided that day.

As much as I hated him, I was a ten year old boy with nothing to his name. I wanted to die yet I was scared to, so when he threw a thumb behind him and told me to get on his horse, I couldn't refuse.

"You just gonna leave her there?" He asked, eyeing my dead sisters body.

"Where would I put her?"

He sighed loudly, heaved himself off the horse and went to pick up her body. "You don't just leave the dead if you have a choice." He told me after pulling himself back on. Her stiff body laid across his lap. "We'll bury her properly later."

"Where are we going?"

"Rerian."

At eleven years old, I was now Kade. Just Kade- no Sandoval.

I hated that old man more than ever. I hated Rerian. They spoke an unfamiliar language that I didn't understand. And I hated myself.

At eleven years old, after running away for the third time, I met a boy. A prince, to be exact.

He spoke a language I didn't understand and talked to me like I was a baby. Somehow, it was comforting. He was royalty, and that scared me. It scared me so much, I almost didn't go back.

But I did.

I saw that boy again and again until he was part of my routine. If the old man knew I was friends with a prince, he would laugh in my face. "A prince, huh?" Is what he'd say.

He'd laugh and call this an opportunity.

And because of this, I never told him. Instead, I snuck out to see Farley day after day and faced the consequences when I came back.

At sixteen years old, I regretted nothing.

Farley's POV        

I could see Father's carriage.

All my siblings and I were lined outside to greet him. Along with Quinton, there was Oslin, our youngest and only sister. She was barely seven years old and stood quite short next to us.

When he stepped out of the carriage, Mother greeted him first. With his arm around her waist, he walked tall and proud over to us, like a king should. "Welcome back, Father." Our heads bowed, acknowledging his higher rank.

Oslin stumbled forward when she bowed her head and ran into his leg. Instead of scolding her, he patted her on the head and asked my mother if anything happened while he was gone.

I held my breath as her eyes trailed over to me. She hesitated before, "Let's discuss things over dinner. You've just gotten back."

He agreed and led her inside.

It wasn't until Quinton nudged me that I released my breath. "Looks like he doesn't know."

"For now, yes."

"What're you going to do?" He asked. "If you decide to beg, let me know in advance."

"Shouldn't you be on your way to training?"

He turned on his heel with a bright laugh. "As should you~"

He was right, so I followed after him. "What would you do in my situation?"

"Didn't I already tell you? I would make sure they were set free."

"Yes, but how?" I asked. "I can hardly even see him in the cells."

"That's because the knights don't respect you." Once we were at the training grounds, he unsheathed a sword and pointed it at me. "You follow Mother's and Father's orders like a little kid so they don't listen to you."

"I don't." I denied but he was right.

"You do. You are the crown prince yet you hardly act like it. Your coming of age ceremony is in less than two years, where you'll be named a proper man." He got into his stance. "Stop letting them make every decision for you."

"You'd want me to disobey the king?"

"Our father, not the king." Cautiously, I grabbed my own sword and got into stance. "He is allowed to be our father at times."

It's easy for you to say that, I wanted to tell him. Father sees you as Quinton, his second son. Not Farley, the crown prince.

Instead, our swords clashed and my thoughts went unheard.

___

As promised, I visited Kade again.

It might've been from our close display yesterday or they just had a change of heart, but I did not have to negotiate my way in this time. The two knights let me pass after a polite greeting. I was grateful and thanked them for it.

Kade's cell looked just as dirty and cold as it did yesterday. I'll tell them to clean it before I leave. I regretted not bringing him a cloak- or even just a robe.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come."

"I promised I would. I'm the prince, remember?"

Kade laughed, something soft yet low, and sat behind the bars. "How could I forget?"

After mimicking his position, I handed him two slices of bread and an apple. "This is all there was available."

"You're a prince, no? Surely you could get more."

He was jesting but I still huffed softly. "It's not as easy to sneak around as you think." Kade grabbed the bread and set it to the side with his other untouched food. The apple rested in his palm, unmoving. "I brought you a book too. Just one."

Just as I went to slide it through the bars, I was stopped. Not by Kade- but the bars themselves. Silently, I tried again and met resistance. The book was too big. "It's quite a thick book." He commented.

I tried again, even if it was pointless.

He laughed and I quickly grew embarrassed.

"I picked the largest one so you wouldn't be bored. You said not to bring anything but it didn't feel right.." I trailed off, feeling my ears warm.

His laugh quieted down until only a smile remained. "Read it to me."

"Right now?" I blinked.

"When else would we?"

"Well-" My words died in my throat. "Later." I finally managed. "Before I leave."

He hummed softly. "Are you not tired? I doubt you've been resting."

I haven't. "I could say the same for you."

"Quite the opposite." He denied. "I sleep most of the day and talk with Phillip and Marcus at times. They're quite serious at their jobs. I've learned a lot."

"Still want to be a knight?" I asked. "This comes with the job. Standing around for hours to protect a mere cell."

"I had considered giving up after realizing this." He admitted. "But I assume a personal knight doesn't have to do these tedious jobs."

Personal knight- my personal knight. "No, they don't." I uttered softly, knowing his dream would stay as one. Just a dream.

Even if I were to convince Father to let him go with no consequences, he would never be allowed in the palace again. With no schooling, no title, and nothing to his name, it would be almost impossible to become a knight.

And still, I hoped. 

"I heard the king returned earlier today."

"Yes." I nodded slowly, trying to pick out my words carefully. "He had a long journey and is resting for now. Later, I will.. speak with him."

"It's unnecessary-"

"I will speak with him." I interrupted. "Mother- She did this as a precaution. She couldn't just let you go until Father returned." I was lying. I was lying and he knew I was lying but he still hummed softly.

"Is that so? Then I thank you."

I wanted to tell him to take it back, don't thank me for not wanting you dead, but I didn't.

Kade was the same as usual. He laughed when he wanted, grew silent when he wanted, and smiled at the oddest times. It was like any other day in Mother's garden but instead, he was locked in a cell.

"That day you were caught, what were you doing here so late?"

He was silent for a moment. "I visit at night sometimes. Not all the time, just now and then."

My eyebrows raised, feeling surprised. "For how long? How come you've never told me?"

"It was supposed to be a secret. I didn't come to see you, I just like it there." He explained. "I didn't expect to see the queen, she usually never goes. At least, not at night."

A frown pulled at my lips. "That was dangerous."

He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't I be the danger in this situation?"

"Well- yes." I thought about it. "But it's too risky when I'm not there. Look what happened."

"I'm aware." He nodded, seeming completely unaffected. "I was quite surprised when I saw her. I expected her to look like you."

"When you're out of here, promise not to do that again." I urged. "It's too dangerous."

He watched me for several, long seconds. "Are you asking not to see me again?"

"No-" I immediately denied. "You're my only friend but we can't meet like that again. Mother has even placed guards in the garden now."

His eyes fell to the apple in his palm. Slowly, he squeezed it. "I see." Was that the wrong thing to say? He didn't promise me and there were countless reasons why. "Read to me."

I did.

For the next hour, I read to him while he leaned against the bars silently. Every now and then, he chimed in with something he thought was interesting or he'd ask me to repeat something but for the most part, he was silent.

I didn't remember anything I read. They were just words on a page, completely useless and unimportant. But because he told me to read, I read and read until my mouth grew dry.

I read as his eyes slipped shut and the apple fell from his hand. And even then, I kept reading.

I read until I could read no more and I had to leave.

I wanted to wake him but the dark circles under his eyes told me he hasn't been sleeping, even if he claimed otherwise. So I watched him sleep for a few minutes and prayed he was having a good dream.

As I got I got up, I left the book outside the cell. He wouldn't be able to read it but I brought it for him, so there it stayed, remaining as his.

I wanted to tell him I'd be back tomorrow with more food, a new book, and a robe this time but I could not. I have lied to him many times, but I would not lie about this.

So I climbed the stairs slowly without a goodbye, unsure if I'd regret it or not. He's fed, he's sleeping, I gave him as much company as I could. I could only hope it was enough.

I don't remember how long it took me to reach the top of the stairs, too lost in thought, but when I opened the door, my heart thudded in my chest.

"Mother." I breathed out.

She looked just as surprised as me but quickly calmed her expression, like a queen should. Her eyed watched me carefully before trailing past me and down to the cells.

I was waiting for her to scold me, tell me off, reprimand me for not acting like a prince, but it never came. "Go to sleep." She instructed softly, sounding tired herself.

Her perfume washed over me in a light breeze as she walked by. "Wait!" I quickly turned on my heel. She stopped and turned her head back. "What are you doing? Does Father..?"

"No." She denied. "I haven't told him yet. I was going to speak with the boy first."

Kade- His name is Kade. "What will you say?"

"Nothing you need to know, Farley. Off to bed." She waved her hand in a shooing motion. I stayed, rooted in my spot. We stared at each other until she sighed softly. "I will speak to your Father. It is ultimately up to him about what happens to the boy. He committed a grave crime, trespassing on royal grounds, apparently more than once too. I could not simply let him go."

I knew this, I knew she couldn't. With so many witnesses, it would be impossible unless she wanted to tarnish our family name. "I know." Still, I stayed rooted in my spot.

Try harder, Quinton's words echoed in my head. "I will beg, if I need to. I will get down on my knees in front of Father and beg."

"A prince does not beg."

"But I will."

The lantern in her hand swayed softly as she turned around to face me. "A prince does not beg, Farley. You are a king in the making. Do you think a king begs? Does your father beg for what he wants?" My silence was deafening. "He takes what he wants because he is a king."

I am a mere prince with no authority in this household, I wanted to tell her. "I tried but was refused."

"You begged." She corrected. "And I said no. A royal does not beg."

I felt helpless as I stared at her. I could still smell her perfume and it was comforting. She's worn it since I was a child. I wanted her to tell me what to do as a mother, not as the queen. "What do I do then?"

The lantern swayed again.

Mother didn't look like she belonged down here. She was everything a queen was supposed to look like. Her elegant nightgown, perfectly brushed hair, and soft spoken words. She belonged in a ballroom, not a dust filled cell.

"You stand tall like the prince you are and tell your father that boy is yours."

My heart thumped in my chest. One, two, three times. "And if he refuses?"

"Then you stand tall and repeat yourself until he doesn't."

I didn't think I could. My father was everything I wanted to be when I was older. How could I stand up to him and refuse his words? I've never done it before.

"He is a king." I told her, feeling utterly helplessly. I couldn't help but think of the worst case scenario. If he were to refuse again and again, what more could I do?

"And you are a king in the making."

But he is a king, I wanted to repeat over and over. And Kade is seen as a criminal. My thoughts stayed as thoughts as she turned around and took another step down. "Off to bed."

"..Yes, Mother."