[Elias' POV]
It had been decided that I would leave. In this life, I am weary and weak. I need to leave the castle and the royal family behind... but I cannot bear to leave Victor.
If only there was a possible way to sneak both Victor and I out without being seen... then we could run away together, past the mountains... just like my dream.
Maybe I was being selfish, but Victor was the only one that cared for me, and I wouldn't let him go so easily. I needed him in my life; that much was certain.
Snapping out of my trance, I looked around. I was going to be late for the riding lesson if I didn't hurry. I carefully ran down the spiral stairs of the tall turret to the ground level of the castle. This castle was odd, both in structure and in character.
On the outside of the castle, blue paint lined the spires and rooftop, complementing the beautiful grey-blue stone of the walls. The structure was
Simply magnificent.
The inside of the castle was much different. Gold lay in every room, lining the halls, furniture, and even the inside of the rooftops. My favorite room was the library, though. The gorgeous baroque style painting on the roof was interesting to look at; not to mention the thousands of books that lined the large, dogwood bookcases.
I continued walking through the long corridor on the left side of the castle until I reached the entrance to the stables. I could hear horse whinnies on the other side of the thick wood. As I opened the door, I could see Victor in his dark riding breeches and a white tunic. He wore healed, leather boots, which was a part of typical riding attire.
My outfit was similar, just a little less glorious. It certainly looked much more dashing on him.
"Hello, Elias. Care to explain why you're late?" Victor chuckled. "I-I'm only late by five minutes!" I cried. The Prince laughed loudly as he began mounting his dark, noble steed. A stable boy helped him keep his balance. The other blond boy and I exchanged kind glances.
"Come now; mount your horse so we can race!" Victor shouted as he brought his horse to a walk. I shook my head slowly and smiled. The stable boy brought another horse out with a shy smile. "Thank you." I practically whispered. I knew that he was a mute, but he was a good person. He simply nodded and went back to his duties in the stalls.
I mounted the cream and brown painted horse. It was beautiful, yet quite small... perhaps it was a good thing. Eventually, I'd caught up to Victor, who was waiting for me just around the corner. "There you are. I was starting to think you had died... do you take this long to do everything?" He asked with a giggle. My cheeks felt hot. "Erm- I mean... no."
"It's alright, Elias. I was only joking." He said, moving his horse up next to mine. I smiled as a silent gesture of gratitude. "Shall we race then?" He asked. "But Mister Albert said not to bring the horses any faster than a trot..." I reminded him.
Victor smirked. "Who said we had to listen to that fat bastard? He probably couldn't even ride a horse with all that extra weight!" He cackled. "Victor, that's not very nice. He's done a good job teaching us. You shouldn't make fun of someone's body, even if they are fat..." I said, trying not to laugh, myself.
"Whatever, try and catch me if you can!" Victor called as he bolted across the green landscape. His horse had brought it's legs up off the ground every few seconds, galloping wildly. I began racing after him, not caring if we got caught.
"I've almost got you!" I shouted, reaching out towards the Prince. He sped up even more and maneuvered out of my reach. "Come on Princess, you can go faster than that!" He teased. "Shut up, you... you ass!" I couldn't believe I called the Crown Prince an ass...
"Oi, you two! What do you think you're doing?!" Mister Albert had spotted us. We both slowed to a canter and then a trot. "Sorry... it was my fault. I told him to do it." Victor said as we got closer. "I don't give a damn who's fault it is! Get off that horse, now!" He shouted at me. I wanted to cry at that moment, because I knew I was going to get a good whipping out of this.
"Please, sir! Whip me instead! Please don't take him away!" I was already off of my horse. Victor tried to pull my hand towards him, but Mister Albert was stronger. "Shut up, the both of you! You've just doubled his whippings, you brats!" He yanked me harshly, and I began to cry.
Victor's eyes widened and that was the last image I saw before the door closed. After that, I was dragged to the whipping room... or so I assumed. I had passed out from an anxiety attack.
Crack! Snap! Thwack!
"Wake up, you dumb bastard!" The Thrasher shouted, beating me with his hand. I opened my eyes... but my vision was blurred. "P-please..." I whimpered. That got me nowhere. I was whipped twice as hard. "Ahh!" I shrieked. It was hard to believe the whip could strike me any harder.
I was given at least fifteen more than I would normally get. I couldn't keep count anymore...
I couldn't do it anymore. I had to escape...Tonight.
***
I lay up in my chambers on the bed. I had to lay on my stomach to avoid the new wounds upon my backside. These were deeper than the other ones. I wanted to cry again, but I couldn't feel the pain anymore. My back was numb.
knock, knock.
"Come in." There was a brief pause. "I've brought you some bandages and water..." Victor said almost silently. I slowly sat up, flinching as the skin on my back pinched slightly. "Thank you." I muttered as he sat on the edge of my bed. I couldn't bare to look at him.
"Can you remove your shirt?" The Prince asked in a hushed tone. I responded by pulling my white linen shirt over my head and folding my arms across my chest. Without warning, Victor applied a piece of cotton with water on it onto my backside. "Eep! Cold!"
Victor chuckled. "Sorry, Elias. I've got to clean them somehow." I frowned, but let him clean my wounds anyways. He had good intentions, but it hurt like the crucifixion of Jesus! I wish I could shout at him, but I didn't wish to be rude to the one helping me.
"I'm sorry I always put you through this. I should've just listened to you..." He said with an angered expression. "It's alright... like I've said before, it is my duty. I am a whipping boy." I repeated like a broken record. It was the most used phrase within my vocabulary...
Victor was quiet as he padded my wounds with cotton and wrapped them in gauze. With a sigh, he stood up and went to the door. I stared at his backside until he turned around. "What is it, Elias?" He asked. "Will you stay with me tonight?" I muttered almost silently.
Victor looked petrified. "You'll only be whipped for it if the maids find out." He reasoned. "I don't care. I will take the whippings. I want to be close to my best friend." I whimpered, as tears began welling up in my eyes.
I was leaving tonight, and Victor would be alone. I would be alone. I would no longer have my best friend. I needed him here with me tonight.
"Fine." He replied quietly. "I will be back in a minute." He said, before exiting the room. I sighed and changed into my nightclothes as I waited for the Prince.
Quietly, I stared out of the criss-cross patterned window, where I would make my escape tonight. I hadn't heard Victor enter the room again.
"What are you doing?" "N-nothing!" I quickly turned with a faint blush spread across my cheeks. "Alright then. Where am I sleeping?" He asked. "Y-you can sleep on my bed. It's large. We'll both fit." I said plainly. He shrugged and threw himself onto my bed.
"Your bed isn't as comfortable as mine." Victor pointed out. I frowned at him as he chuckled. He hugged one of the lace-trimmed pillows to his chest as he stared at me.
"What is it?" I asked in my usual light tone. "Aren't you coming to bed?" He asked. I nodded and slowly crawled onto the soft, down-filled mattress. I put out the flame that danced upon the top of the candle near the bedside, and laid to sleep.
I turned to face the far wall and closed my eyes. I couldn't bear facing Victor. He might just change my mind on the subject of leaving if I looked at him.
"Elias?" "Yes, Victor?" I replied without turning. "Can you sing me something?" The brunette Prince asked. I hadn't sang anything in quite some time. The maids always said that singing was for girls, and that I sounded like an old raven... except for Agatha of course. She was the one that taught me to sing.
"I-I suppose." I muttered. "Turn towards me. I can't hear you well if you're faced away from me." I sighed and turned towards him. 'This would not affect my decision', I had to tell myself.
"What would you like me to sing?" I asked. "Anything at all." He smiled softly. It was as if he knew I was going to leave... but how?
I cleared my throat and began singing my favorite lullaby. Perhaps if I got him to sleep, I could escape without him realizing. But in the end I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"*Days seem sometimes as if they'll never end
Sun digs its heels to taunt you
But after sunlit days, one thing stays the same
Rises the moon
Days fade into a watercolour blur
Memories swim and haunt you
But look into the lake, shimmering like smoke
Rises the moon
Oh close your weary eyes
I promise you that soon the autumn comes
To darken fading summer skies
Breathe, breathe, breathe
Days pull you down just like a sinking ship
Floating is getting harder
But tread the water child, and know that meanwhile
Rises the moon
Days pull you up just like a daffodil
Uprooted from its garden
They'll tell you what you owe, but know even so
Rises the moon
You'll be visited by sleep
I promise you that soon the autumn comes
To steal away each dream you keep
Breathe, breathe, breathe*"
Victor had closed his eyes... finally. He breathing was slow and shallow. I poked his shoulder to test the waters, but he didn't budge. I took a deep breath and slowly peeled myself away from the Prince.
Oh, how I would miss him. But I could not continue this life as a whipping boy. It would simply drive me to the edge.
Cautiously, I tip-toed to the window and opened the metal latch. The night air was cool and refreshing, but at the same time it made my stomach churn with grief. I slipped on a pair of day pants and grabbed the locket Victor gave me, sliding it over my head and around my neck. Then, I put on a pair of boots and stepped onto the rather large windowsill.
Quickly and discretely, I gave Victor a quick kiss on the head. He would never know, so I assumed it wouldn't mean anything. But at that very moment... I realized I loved Victor as more than just my best friend. I always had, and now I would never be able to tell him.
Without another thought, I began climbing down the tall, stone tower. I couldn't close the window due to hanging onto the stone bricks underneath it for dear life. Some of them stuck out farther than others, but most were laid neatly together like the axels and wheels of a carriage.
I was nearly half way down when the wind started to pick up. It was cold, and I hadn't remembered to bring a coat or cloak, so I shivered relentlessly as I kept climbing downward.
After almost falling several times, I had made it down to the bottom. My arms felt as gelatinous as the soggy bread pudding we'd been served after lunch. Though, almost nothing could compare to the aching of my heart, my arms felt as if they would fall off.
I began jogging towards the village, which had grown quiet and dark under the presence of nightfall. I had to be wary of wolves and coyotes at this hour, so I was thankful that the only sound present was that of the crickets playing their melodies in the grass.
The village was about a mile and a half away from the castle, so I had a decent walk ahead of me. It took me a little less than an hour, I presumed, to reach the small, wood-roofed homes of the village people. Some homes had thatched roofs, and some houses looked more like shacks, but I was not going to complain about things of such little importance.
I found a small, cozy-looking, wood barn upon a hill that looked promising, and quietly stepped through the fence of the property. There was no light in the barn, so I took it upon myself to open the door of the old building and take a look around.
A few animals, including a cow, and three sheep, lie inside the stalls. I silently closed the doors as the sheep mewled a few quiet bleats. "Shhhh." I shushed them. I did not wish to be caught so early in my escape.
It was fairly dark, but the faint light of the moon shone through the cracks of the wood building, giving enough light for me to see an unused stall with a pile of clean hay in it. I slipped inside of the gated stall and silently curled up in the itchy pile of hay.
Suddenly, I heard the smallest 'baa' of a young lamb. I peeked through the planks of wood to see it fumbling around outside of its stall. "Here little one, come here." I whispered. The lamb turned its head to meet my eyes.
The small animal moved closer, and wiggled through the gap in the two wood planks of the fence. "Hello." I whispered. The lamb laid down in the hay next to me, seemingly without fear. I gave a tiny smile, as I had made a new friend.
The problem was remembering my old friend. It was too late to turn back now. I would surely be whipped to death, had anyone figured out I left. I would have to have a death wish to return now.
Tears began falling down my cheeks as I clutched the small locket given to me by Victor. I turned towards the small lamb, which had moved closer to me. It was close enough to touch now. I stroked it's wool lightly, as if it would cure my tears. Of course, I knew it would not.
Eventually, I fell asleep amongst the animals. Tomorrow, I would begin my new life. A free life.