The Royal Thief

Today.

Tommy had just woken up from when he passed out yesterday, the blankets loosely draped on top of him, only one thought on his mind.

Phil was coming today, and he might take Tommy back.

He couldn't run anymore, it's too late, he got farther than he thought he would, there's no way he could go further.

Phil's coming today.

Phil's coming today and he's lost in his mind.

Someone knocks on the door.

Somebody's knocking on Tommy's door and he pays no mind.

Somebody's knocking on his door and he's inside his head.

They knock once more, calling his name hesitantly.

Pay attention Tommy.

Look towards the noise.

You don't have to trust it, you just need to look.

Come on Tommy.

Tommy.

Tommy.

''Tommy!''

The person behind the door is now inside and desperately shaking him.

His eyes focus and then he's aware, the dull room he was staying in coming into focus.

White marble walls, red velvet curtains, a stiff canopy bed with soft pillows and scratchy blankets, a clothes chest in the corner, a bookshelf with colour-coded books against the wall.

Red books on the top shelf, orange on the next, then yellow, green, blue, purple..

''Tommy!''

They're panicking now, just as Tommy had started to yesterday.

''Come on! Snap out of whatever this is that you're in!''

They're shaking him more aggressively now, and he's actually coming back.

He makes eye contact with them.

It's Wilbur.

Tommy smiled.

''Hey there, big man! How've you been?''

Wilbur looked concerned, his brows were furrowed and his eyes focused on Tommy's.

''How have I been? How have you been? What happened just then? Why'd you have a complete personality change since we last talked? 'Big man'? What's that mean?''

Questions spewed out of the worried prince's mouth, his grip on the younger boy's shoulders only tightened.

''I figured that I might as well accept fate and let anything and everything happen to me! Just like what Eret told me."

Wilbur looked him up and down before letting go of his shoulders.

''You're acting weird, I'm getting Phil..''

With that, Wilbur left, and Tommy let go of his smile, a scowl taking its place.

He was pretending, pretending to be okay, pretending to be happy, pretending, pretending..

Tommy sighed.

He figured pretending that he wanted to go back and that he was okay with all this would earn him enough trust to be left alone.

Plus, he could use the time his foot didn't work to plan an escape route.

Tommy eyed the crutches that were still leaning on his bed, thoughts still racing.