The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter One Hundred and Six

[Elpis's POV]  

"You have to take me." He said stubbornly, looking up at me with eyes that were a mixture of shy, all-know-it and demanding.

"Your Majesty!" Kuria shouted, running after him.

I stared at the boy and then laughed nervously. "Your minder is here, come, go with here."

"I won't." He hid behind me, and suddenly I was facing a rather horrified lady in some sort of blend between royal garb and sophisticated maids attire.

"You'll return at once, you mustn't run away like that. Who is this? Why do you cling to him! Come back immediately!"

But he didn't let go, instead a small crowd formed of three or four, including Kuria, joined soon by Ophelos who nodded, bowed and removed himself with a sense of purpose. Perhaps they had a large net prepared for these sorts of occasions. 

"You should go with them..." I whispered. "They will be pleased to take you to the lake."

He glared slightly and turned his nose up at me. "You have to take me."

The fact that, that face reminded me as much of Demos as it did was something that threatened to bring about uncontrollable chuckles.

"Someone will take you, Your Majesty," I crouched in front of him and watched the horrified faces of the older woman who must have been his minder and several others who I did not know of but knew they were were just a little lower in hierarchy to the likes of people such as Verius.

He was stubborn and refused to return. I waited about awkwardly with the little boy at my hip. I was intending on heading for the lake already, in a sense it seemed like good timing, if he wasn't the King's son, that is.

Really, there were several people Amun was entrusted with, some select servants and minders and Lady Thera had taken care of him, however the job of a joker was not normally one that gauged much prestige, nor said much in favour for your character, so the idea of myself taking care of him would be quite intolerable to someone like Kuria.

He spoke very maturely, I listened carefully as I expected one of them to suddenly storm back and force him back to them, so far they only stood afar and looked worried.

"And I want to touch the mud and play about." He told me brightly, reaching out and grabbing my hand as I stood amongst the trees where I was caught by him. I accepted it without thinking, only happily observing how much his face brightened when he looked at me. Very much like my littlest brother, it made me want to ruffle his hair.

"Mud?" I asked him.

He nodded, moved his feet about so the mud under his feat squelched, slowly swelling over the leather shoes with small gems sewn into the toes and along the ankle line. "I saw someone jump down into it. I wish to do that too."

I chuckled. "I'm sure they didn't jump, Amun, they must have slipped."

Then Ophelos returned, saw the two of us and I expected him to approach with Kuria but she gave me a blithering look and left instead. It was a look I remembered when I first set foot inside the insider walls of Euphranor looking for a job, strict distaste and mistrust. Though that had come in fair part to knowing where I came from, surely she couldn't know that herself.

He crossed over to us. Stood silent with pursed lips for a moment, looking down on me, possibly hesitating. "He has a mind for you to take care of Amun, if you are...not too, ah, wearied to do so."

My face burned as I looked at him, I unintentionally tightened my grip on Amun's hand. "I am very well." I replied hurriedly. "I would be happy to look after him."