Prince Farley [BL]

Chapter 2

surprise i rewrote this whole story

QOTD: dream job?

🍃🍂

Three days passed quickly for the servants of the palace. His Majesty was to arrive in another three days time—followed by a banquet in his honor. Farley's watched the servants run around preparing for Father's return, but it were as though they ran in slow motion.

Three days passed slowly for Farley— though he wished they'd drag on longer. Right now, Kade was alive.

Farley didn't know if he could claim the same when Father returned. And if not death, then what? Cut hands? Years of imprisonment?

As the crown prince, Farley still attended his lessons, trained with the knights, and studied with his teachers. His princely duties were conducted as normally as ever, because that's how a prince should act. Yet, he remembered almost nothing of the past three days.

He found himself wandering out to the gardens at times, almost expecting, wishing, for Kade to jump the wall and appear right before him. He didn't, of course, but Farley still clung to false hope.

He couldn't bring himself to ask Mother what happened that night. How did she find him? Was he there first? How did she react to seeing him? Did he look shocked? Scared? These questions went unasked—though a moment didn't go by where Farley didn't wonder how he could've prevented this.

It was pointless, truly. Kade was still imprisoned while Farley was still here, living as though it were any other day. The realization made him nauseous.

Will I really never see him again— living on only in my memories? When Farley grows older, long after Kade is but a distant memory, Farley might think he made Kade up. Perhaps he'll think he's gone crazy. I couldn't possibly have had a friend.

I was so lonely I made him up. That's what he'll convince himself of, just to soothe his guilt.

Guilt continued to consume his thoughts even as he trained. Farley's younger brother, by only a year, lowered his sword and breathed heavily. Mirroring his actions, Farley wiped at the sweat on his brow.

"Father will be back in three days."

"I know," Farley said.

Quinton and him looked scarily similar. The same dark hair that tickled their necks, similar heights, and identical skin tones. But unlike Farley, Quinton had freckles scattering his cheeks.

Mother loved them. Father didn't.

Farley didn't know what Quinton thought of them. I don't think he minds them. Quinton doesn't mind much, in fact. Fighting was one of the few things he was actually passionate about. Although a year younger, he would far surpass Farley's skills in the future. He probably already has.

Quinton greedily drank the water a pair of servants brought and went on to drink Farley's. Farley let him. "What happened the other night? With the intruder."

"You already know."

"Yes, but I'd like to hear it from you."

I'm not sure myself, he'd like to say. "My friend, he was taken to the cells."

"They'll probably kill him." Quinton paused, then added, "Depends how old he is."

"I know." Farley then quietly added, "He's just a boy."

"He's your friend, isn't he?" Quinton wasn't the crown prince, he was allowed friends. Granted, majority of them were knights or knights in training themselves. "Are you not going to do anything?"