Two Sides of a Story (SBI AU)

Chapter 15- Accused Of Treason

Tommy POV

"Oh Tommy are you alright? Did they hurt you?" his mother demanded, cupping his cheek gently. She studied him, searching for any signs of the slightest mark.

Tommy shook his head, keeping his head down. "I'm unharmed." he murmured. He couldn't help but get lost in his own thoughts after his own words. It was strange really. Weren't outlaws vicious with no mercy? Shouldn't he be dead? Between what he had been told and what he had experienced, something didn't line up.

"You're lucky. The outlaws must have taken pity on you." the king commented, not even sparing a glance in his direction.

Tommy nodded, knowing better than to use his voice. But it didn't make any sense. The outlaws never even attempted to lay a hand on him. They even offered food and water... even company. They were intimidating sure, but strangely not ruthless.

His mother tightened her grip on the boy, kissing him on the forehead. "We were so worried about you darling."

"She was." the king corrected.

The queen glared at her husband, murmuring into his ear. "He was too."

But Tommy knew better. Don't lie to me, he thought. He knew his father wouldn't have even noticed he was gone. His father didn't care, he was used to that. There was no point in pretending. He was so sick of pretending.

A group of guards raced in, skidding to a halt before the king. They quickly bowed, trying to hide their panting.

"Report." the king growled.

A smaller guard stepped forward, dread written all over his face. Clearly he had been forced to volunteer. "Th-they got away-" he gulped.

"GOT AWAY?!" the man roared.

The guard flinched back, attempting to stand strong. But it was hard not to fear his eyes. The anger... the hate. Fear was the only reaction to it. The guard swallowed, finally looking away. "And-"

"There's more?" he said in a low voice.

"The gold is gone..." There was a pause. Then like ripping off a band-aid, the words struck. 

The king froze, fury overtaking every inch of his face. He approached the guard slowly, taking one step at a time. "How much?" he dared, his voice surprisingly calm. Tommy watched, a pit beginning to form in his stomach. The king was never calm, even a fool would know that.

The guard bit his lip, gathering any ounce of courage he had left. "20,000..."

The king closed his eyes, slowly taking a deep breath. As soon as his eyes opened, a new beast had awoken. "If you don't find those outlaws... there's going to be hell to pay."

The group scurried out of the room, scrambling over each other to get out of the king's sight.

The crowned man paused, taking a deep breath. But his wrath wasn't over. Not yet. "Were you in on it Thomas?"

Tommy froze at his words. Was he accusing him of treason? To betray his family... it was something he could never live with. "N-no! I had no idea they were planning on stealing!" They had kept him out of every conversation, careful to make sure he was out of earshot.

The king turned towards him. One footstep after another, he approached the blonde. Tommy gulped, wanting nothing more than to run out of the room. The king grabbed him by the collar, holding him against the wall.

"Oliver!" the queen shrieked, racing towards him. "You're going to hurt him!" 

"I want to know if my son is a traitor!" Oliver screamed, his eyes locked into Tommy's. "Did. You. Help." he repeated.

Tommy closed his eyes, attempting to force air into his lungs. He slowly shook his head, praying that answer would suffice. Thankfully the king seemed to come to his senses, allowing the boy to drop to his knees.

"Go to your room boy." he spat, ignoring his wife's protests.

Tommy didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling to his feet, he raced past his parents. Tears clouded his visions, but he didn't even bother to wipe them away. All that mattered was getting to his room. He sprinted past groups of guards, all smirking as he disappeared out of sight.

He knew what they always said about him. He wasn't deaf. He just knew not to make a big deal about it. His mother would be the only one who cared and she had enough on her plate without him becoming a burden.

He slammed open his door, quickly locking it behind him. Holding in a sob, he collapsed on his bed. Why was his father so cruel?

What had he done to deserve it?

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Hope you liked it!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

-Snowy