The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter Forty Eight

[A/N] Got a flight tonight so I'll be back up and at 'em in a couple hours. In other news, this is a pretty tame chapter, but don't worry, it picks up pace in the next one.

"Who are you?" He asked me.

The little boy looked young, maybe eight or nine, I was never good at guessing the years of a child, with brown hair and dark brown eyes. He had good posture, and wore nice clothes. The way he stared at me I sensed something familiar in his gaze.

"I- I am a joker, and who are you?"

He shook his head from side to side and tugged at my shirt again. "What's your name?"

I looked at the tiny chubby hand, moving slightly it seemed his grip on my shirt was strong. It wasn't tied no properly, though, and I feared that if he pulled at the wrong part of it, it would come undone, the evidence of the night before visible in fresh lines on my skin. Surely, such a thing would petrify a young boy.

I gently tried to pull his hand off of my shirt. "I am called Elpis, young one, and what is your name?"

He looked down at the ground for a second before meeting my gaze again. "Nikator." He told me proudly. "You look strange."

I nodded.

"You aren't dressed as Joker ought to be."

I shrugged. "I suppose not, I must leave now." I told him, attempting to brush his hand away, but his grip was stronger than I gave him credit.

"Do you like playing budall?"

I shook my head as I smiled at him. "You must let go of my shirt, Nikator, I am very late and must go."

"But why are you here?" He asked me.

I started slightly at the blunt question, heart racing for no real reason, I felt guilty even though I had no reason to. Perhaps it was the part of me that recognised that he must be the son of someone powerful, since he resided in the palace grounds... but someone who wasn't powerful enough that he was under careful watch, because the boy ought not to be wondering about like this the day after an intruder made it's way up to the King's bedchambers.

"I am just passing by." I told him. A vague excuse was much easier to tell than one with complicated details, besides, whatever his parents position I was older, a child could ask a man any number of questions but must not expect any number of replies.

He screwed up his face, his fist still holding a bunch of the fabric of my shirt, his short stature causing me to lean slightly in an effort not to drag him towards me.

"Why are you naked?" He asked me.

I flushed, looking down at my dishevelled attire. I was by no means naked, but I was also not at all appropriately dressed as I was walking from the King's bedchambers. Even in friendly company the way I was dressed would be perceived as odd, flirtatious even. Though a child had no business worrying about such things, in my world at least.

"I am not naked." I told him firmly. "What I wear should not bother you, little one, you must let go of my shirt." I hurried him, trying to pull the little fingers from my shirt. I worried that if I tried too hard he would wail for his mother and cause much unwanted commotion.

He shook his head. "You aren't dressed. Kuria will tell you off, you know?" He honestly looked a little worried.

Just as he finished speaking I heard footsteps a little way away. I jumped slightly and backed away quickly and he was pulled forwards some paces before he let go of me.