Simon walked into the room that was supposedly the worst in the entire quarters with a smile on his face. He could barely remember the last time he had a soft mattress to sleep on. Or the last time he closed his eyes without having to fight bugs and rats. This was supposed to be a punishment?
He chuckled softly to himself as he surveyed the small, dimly lit space. The bed, though lumpy and covered with a threadbare blanket, was a vast improvement over the hard ground he'd been accustomed to. The walls, though cracked and peeling, were at least solid and provided a semblance of privacy.
"Better than a cell," he muttered, tossing the meager belongings he had gotten from the prince onto the bed. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and took a deep breath, savoring the relative peace of the room. After a minute, he turned to the oversized clothes that had been handed to him. He could probably get at least fifty gold coins from selling one of these clothes. It probably cost more than all the clothes he had combined, but to these people it was mere rag?
Folding the clothes neatly, he laid them down by the bedside, before laying down on the little haven he had been given. Although he was comfortable, he still couldn't sleep. It wasn't because of the noise from the party, he had slept in worse conditions. It was about his family. He had no idea how long it was going to take for him to finish paying the debts he owed the prince, and he had no idea how long two hundred gold coins were going to last for the children he had left behind.
With him around, it would definitely feed them well for at least a month. However, there was no telling how they would use the money in his absence. The majority of them were teenagers who were going through the phase of life called puberty. They were wild, and would probably spend everything on something stupid. Those kids weren't going to survive too long without him. He needed to find a way to at least send something to them on a regular basis. It wouldn't be difficult for him, he was surrounded by wealthy people, and stealing a couple of coins off them wouldn't hurt.
A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. Simon quickly rose from where he laid, alert and ready for whatever might come next.
The door creaked open, revealing a tall, imposing figure. It was Mark, and he had come with a maid who carried a little tray of food with her. While the prince was intimidating in his own right, Simon feared the guard before him a lot more. There was something off about this man, his eyes weren't like the others, and Simon could tell the very second he caught sight of him.
"Eat up, since you're a staff now, I guess we can't starve you anymore." Mark grunted, his voice devoid of any warmth or humor.
Simon nodded, his eyes flickering to the tray of food. It looked simple but hearty, and his stomach growled in response. He hadn't had a proper meal in days, and the little he had managed to eat at the party had been drained away by fear.
"Thank you," he said cautiously, taking the tray from the maid. She offered him a timid smile before quickly retreating behind Mark.
Mark stood there for a moment, arms crossed over his broad chest. "The prince will have tasks for you starting tomorrow. Be ready at dawn."
Simon nodded again, trying to gauge the guard's intentions. "Understood."
Mark lingered for a moment longer, his gaze intense and scrutinizing. "And one more thing," he added, lowering his voice. "The prince might have taken an interest in you, but don't think for a second that it gives you the right to act like you please. Move one muscle out of line, and you're dead meat!"
With that, Mark turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Simon let out a slow breath, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders. He knew that he wasn't exactly welcomed here, but he wasn't expecting this level of hostility. But at the same time it couldn't be helped. He was a thief, of course they would treat him this way.
And what exactly was this about the prince taking interest in him? What could he possibly be interested in? Thievery? People had told him that he had commendable talent as pickpocket, so it wasn't exactly shocking to hear that his skills had left the prince fascinated.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, picking at the food on the tray. It was the best thing he had ever put in his mouth, and he was moved to tears almost immediately. How could he sit and eat such good food while his family was hungry? He wished he could share it with them, but those wishes were impossible at the moment.
Simon forced himself to focus on the meal, each bite a reminder of the stark contrast between his current situation and the one he had just left behind. He needed to gather his strength for whatever lay ahead. Tomorrow was the beginning of something new, and he had to be ready.
As he ate, his thoughts wandered back to the prince. What did this man really want from him? Was he merely a tool to be used and discarded, or was there something more? Simon knew better than to trust anyone in this world of wealth and power, but he couldn't afford to turn down any opportunity that might lead to a better life for him and his family.
At first being the squire to someone as bratty as the prince seemed like torture, but now he couldn't help but see the countless number of opportunities that it presented. If he served the prince well, he could be hired permanently, get paid, and from there he could save his family from the slums.
Getting along with prince Lucian was going to be difficult, Simon could tell. The prince was proud, and clearly wanted everything to go his way. He wasn't a fan of such people, but he was willing to make accommodations for those bad characters for his future and his family's.