Never Good Enough (PHAN)

Cold

A/N: I'm so sorry for the update taking forever, I've just been really busy. Also, I've changed the last chapters because I think they were moving too quickly so I'd recommend you re-read them, though if you don't want to you don't have to as the main storyline has remained the same really. Anyway enjoy the next chapter!

Trigger warnings: Death threats. (Mild)

Phil's evening, however, wasn't quite as pleasant. He walked into his room in the hope of complete peace but he was greeted instead with his mother, waiting for him.

'Philip.' she said intimidatingly.

'Mother...' he replied nervously.

'Where the hell were you all this time? We've had people looking for you. You're not allowed to stay out this late. You know that. So why did you?' she said. The sentence sounded as if she actually cared for her son, however her tone of voice implied otherwise.

His blood grew cold - she couldn't know about what had happened.

She opened her mouth again before he had a chance to reply.

'Surely you weren't hanging around with a peasant, were you?'

Phil gulped and prayed that she was simply assuming. He decided lying would keep him out of trouble in this situation.

'No, of course not. That would be ridiculous.' He replied.

She smiled smugly and got up to walk off.

'Good, because we don't hang around those people.'

Phil breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her leaving, but she turned around before she left.

'But we're not lying, are we Philip?'

He shook his head, trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince his mother.

She smiled once again. 'I'm glad, because you know very well - if you were lying to me about hanging out with a peasant, they'd be dead before I could snap my fingers.' She said it as if it was everyday small talk and left as if it was a typical goodbye.

Phil was deep in thought when his door flung open and in Toby.

'BITCH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING STAYING OUT ALL NIGHT? I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO DO MY JOB FOR ONCE, BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO BE SELFISH AND LEAVE ME.'

Phil laughed. 'Who let you in?' he said jokily.

'Err.. I don't know, maybe the guards who you told to let me in whenever?'

'Oh yeah... You know one of these days I'm gonna tell them that I've changed my mind.'

Toby had been Phil's personal servant since they were both 12. Toby was the closest friend Phil had ever had in a world full of people who were there to 'help' him.

Toby was much more outgoing than Phil, but Phil didn't mind. He actually cared about his wellbeing, not on a royalty level but on a friend level. This was something Phil barely ever experienced, and their friendship was something special.

Toby settled himself on the bed next to Phil.

'So, what took you so long?' he asked.

Phil was afraid of telling Toby anything that had happened. After all, what if it made Toby jealous that he had another friend?

'Oh, nothing. I was just dawdling back home.'

'Yeah right, tell me what really happened.' Said Toby.

'Fine. I met a friend.'

'A friend? Who isn't me?' Toby tried his best to look angry, but he couldn't and he burst into fits of laughter. 'I'm joking obviously. What's he like?'

'Umm.. tall.'

Toby sniggered. 'Wow that's descriptive.'

'I don't know really. He's a breath of fresh air I guess, from all this.'

'Okay, I think I understand.' Toby said, and with that he left to let Phil go to sleep.

---------

Phil woke up that morning feeling refreshed despite the fact he didn't get much sleep. He decided as soon as he woke up that he needed to go into the village. He got up, told the guards outside that he was going to go back, and got dressed eagerly. Knowing it would take a while to get the carriage ready he decided to have a lie down on his bed. That's when Toby walked in.

'You're going back again?'

Phil nodded, the only thoughts on his mind of Dan.

'That means I'll have to do my job again though!' Toby said, rolling his eyes. When Phil wasn't there Toby's job turned into one of just a normal servant.

'Look I'm sorry for leaving you to do what we pay you to, but I have to go back and talk to Dan again.'

Toby winked at this.

'For God's sake Toby!' Phil replied.

They were both laughing when they heard someone start to walk through the corridors of Phil's chambers. Toby sat up from Phil's bed and stood a few steps away to look respectful.

In walked Phil's mother. An air of evil surrounded her every step she took.

'Toby, leave.' She said.

'Yes, your highness.' He said, bowing and leaving. Phil held in a giggle as he barely ever saw his friend be formal.

Toby walked down the corridors and out of the door to Phil's room. He heard shouting so he knew whatever conversation was happening in there, it wasn't a positive one.

He was wandering around aimlessly for what felt like hours, when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around to see one of Phil's guards stood in front of him.

'The prince has asked me to go get you.' he said.

'Has his mother gone?' he asked and the guard nodded in response. They started their descent down the corridors and Toby walked in to Phil crying on his bed.

'What's wrong?' He said, sympathetically, giving his friend a hug.

Phil explained that his mum had told him that no way was he going into the village again that day and that she didn't want him spending too much time with 'people like that'. Phil didn't even understand what that meant really.

Toby let his friend cry on his shoulder for a while before trying to comfort him a bit more.

'I wish there was something I could do.' he said.

Phil looked up at him. 'Well... there is something you could do.' he said, a slight grin coming on his face.

Toby chuckled. 'And what would that be?'

'Take a letter into the village for me.'