"I-I'm afraid I can't do that, brother Juno," said Simon, feeling a bit bolder with the little bit of alcohol he drank in the banquet. "Nell is not merely a healer to me, he is my friend, and a companion the Stone Temple High Priest left in my protection! How can I treat him as just another servant in the castle?"
"W-well, it is just a suggestion, after all," said Juno who quickly took back his words. "If you plan to be a respectable noble, and a part of the royal family, you should learn to discern who is high borne from the low."
"B-but I prefer to treat people equally, brother," said Simon, "particularly when they are friends who have done me favors I can't just repay. I owe him my life, after all."
Juno glared at his younger brother.
Simon looked back at him, his eyes clear, though his face looked flushed with the rush of talking back to his older brother.
"Hmph. Suit yourself, then."
He faced one of the aids trailing behind them and harrumphed.
"Show my brother, Prince Simon, his room in my palace," he told a young looking gentleman. "Let him take his healer to the room with him."
"Yes, your highness, Prince Juno," replied the manservant. "This way, your highness, Prince Simon," he said, facing the two guests.
The manservant introduced himself as Rode.
"I shall be your butler as long as you stay in Prince Juno's palace. Please tell me if there is anything you need."
"Thank you, Rode," Simon replied with a grin. "You may leave us, I would like to rest now."
"Do you not wish to clean yourself first before you retire for the night, your highness?" Rode asked.
"Oh, I do, but..."
"Then I shall call for the servants to prepare you a bath," said Rode before leaving the room.
"Woah, I get a butler and servants to bathe me!" Simon said with a small laugh. "Back in the old dormitory where I used to stay with the rest of the insignificant princes, we don't have servants of our own, and we can only take a bath in the day time, in the common bathroom on the ground floor!"
He looked at Nell who simply nodded at him.
"Oh, Nell, I'm telling you, all of these still seem like such a dream to me! And best of all, is that I'm sharing it with you! My very first friend!" he gave a merry laugh as he dropped face first on the feathery soft canopy bed.
"I hope you have a lot of fun here as well, Nell!"
Again, the healer gave another nod.
"Hmm..." Simon frowned at his friend. "Let's see now..."
He went to a long desk at the corner of the room and rummaged through its drawers.
"Perfect! Just what I was looking for!"
He went back to the bed where Nell was standing, and handed him some paper and a quill pen.
"Here! Now, we can talk properly!"
Nell stared at the pen and paper.
"Go, on, take it!"
Nell shook his head.
"What's the matter? Does your vow of silence include words in writing?"
Nell shook his head once more.
"Oh... don't you know how to read and write?"
This time, Nell gave him a nod.
"Oh, I just thought that since the priests copy scriptures, then... well, it doesn't matter, I would just need to teach you!" said Simon. "Anyway, is there anything you want to know about me or this place?" he asked Nell once more. "You can use signs and gestures if you like."
Nell stared at him, gave a sigh, and took the paper. There, he drew a picture of a frowning man with straight hair that fell to his shoulders.
"Oh, what a nice drawing! Is that my brother Juno?" Simon asked with a grin.
Nell nodded and then proceeded to draw an 'X' next to the image.
"Huh?"
He then drew another image, this time, the face was rounder, and hair shorter, like a bowl around its head.
"Oh, it's brother Largos!"
Nell drew another 'X' beside that drawing as well.
"You're good at drawing!" Simon laughed.
Nell pointed at the two drawings.
"Ah... do you mean... you don't like my two brothers?" he asked his friend.
Nell nodded, then shook his head, and draw bigger 'X's over the two faces he drew.
Then he pointed at Simon and shook his head again.
"Are you saying I shouldn't like them too?"
Nell moves his hand in a rolling motion.
"Or... you don't want me to... trust them?"
Now, Nell nods his head repetitively.
"Well, I guess those two are not really that trustworthy..." Simon said with a sad sigh. "But I would like to think that I could still count on them, even just for a bit. We are siblings after all..."
Nell was about to draw something more, when they heard a knock on the door.
"Your bath has been prepared, your highness," said Rode with a bow.
"Don't worry, Nell," Simon assured him, "everything will be just fine!" and he left the room with the butler, leaving Nell behind who gave a deep sigh.
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Continue to Part 24
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