Sundown

think about me

"Have you been able to solve the recruits problem, Hawklin?" The King asked.

"I did some reshuffling Your Grace and the situation is stable at least, if not good."

"Make it good. The best. We simply cannot afford to risk the kingdom in these tender times."

"Yes, Your Grace." Hawklin replied.

The King approached the Great Hall, where all his esteemed guests had assembled for dinner. There was chatter and mirth all around and for a moment, the King felt as if all the peril in the world was only his. The gods did not give these men and women any part of it.

The royalties greeted him as he made his way to the head of the table, stopping on the way to ruffle the hair of a few young princes and princesses nestled in the laps of their mothers.

He found his son sitting on the seat nearest to his on the table, in conversation with his mother and from the looks of it- the Queen was not being too gentle on him. He was aware of just how much his son might feel the heaviness of this situation, what with the anxieties that come with coronation magnified by the threat of enemies but that was what his life was going to look like after he graced the crown.

Kings were never at peace.

As he took his place, his wife smiled at him and serving maids readied his plate- oysters and spiced mushrooms making him realise how hungry he had been.

Beside him, Timothee sipped on wine, his cheeks a pleasant blush, physically declaring that he was not entirely sober.

"What are you chiding our son about?" He asked the Queen.

"I had asked him to meet with some lovely ladies in the Ballroom tonight, but proving he is your son, he absolutely did not listen to me." She declared, a mocking glint in her tone as Timothee tried to zone them out by politely nodding and smiling at anyone who greeted him from across the table.

"He is a man grown now, he can do as he likes. If he fancies someone I am sure you would not need to push him to talk to the fortunate princess." The King spoke and Timothee flinched.

"Does it have to be a princess?" He asked, speaking for the first time since entering the hall.

"What do you mean? Of course it has to be a lady of high birth at least!" The Queen replied as though stating something as obvious as the direction of sunrise.

Up until this moment, he had not even considered the fact that Saoirse not being a high-born would be a problem for them. He had thought that once this was all over and he had been crowned, he could freely be with her, the taint of being a traitor's blood washed away from her conscience.

Suddenly, he slammed his glass on the table, but not loud enough to draw everyone's attention and getting up, he strode out of the hall.

The King and Queen were as puzzled as ever upon his sudden departure and sensing Timothee's distress and that of her own parents, Pauline took leave of them from across the table, promising to calm her brother down and bring him back to the hall.

She ran after him, calling out his name but he seemed to not hear her. His steps staggered a bit as the alcohol in his system made itself known. He rushed inside his own chamber and before he could order the guards to not let anyone in, Pauline clambered inside.

She took in her brother's dishevelled form, his curls falling into his eyes and touching the corner of his lips as he sprawled out on a turquoise velvet diwan.

"Go away." He told her but she only walked up to him and sat near the edge of the diwan, taking his feet into her lap and removing his shoes.

"I won't. Why did you run back here?"

"None of your business, Pauline. I really do not want to say things I do not mean. Just go." He almost pleaded but his sister would not budge.

"When you were younger, you used to tell me everything. All your childish fantasies and sorrows... You would always run up to me whenever you were hurt or a toy of yours broke. You always believed I would make it all better. I am still your big sister, Timmy. You can talk to me." She said gently and it was all it took for something in Timothee to break as he sat up, only to lie down with his head in his sister's lap while she stroked his lush hair in comfort.

"You've always been the perfect child. You did everything mother and father asked of you. I could never do it. I always diverged. You even love the right person, someone they approve of." He said almost in a whisper and Pauline's heart stopped.

Never had it once occurred to her that Timothee, who everyone seemed to love so much that they worshipped the very ground he walked on, would be comparing himself with her. He always seemed to have it all together and looked so comfortable in his skin that she never doubted the fact that he was in a place of great self esteem, but she had been stupidly ignorant and wrong.

"Well you can marry Ansel if that's what you think the right thing to do is." She joked and earned a chuckle from him as he playfully slapped her leg.

"But in all seriousness, what is this about? Have you fallen for someone?" She asked.

"As if you don't know." Timothee spoke and felt heat surge all through him, just even thinking about Saoirse.

This was the first time he was even talking about it in the open and as scary as it was, he knew he could trust Pauline.

"Oh Timmy," She sighed and planted a kiss on his head.

"Saoirse is one of finest women out there." She declared.

"I know. But our parents wouldn't approve of her, she's not high born. How is that even supposed to be related to whether she is good for me?"

"You know they cannot think about your good. They have to think about the kingdom's first. That is our sad reality, dear brother." She replied.

Timothee felt tears prick his eyes but he wiped them on the sleeve of his cloak before one could fall.

"She always thinks about my good first." He whispered.

"I know, Saoirse is lovely in that way. She always thinks about others first. Especially you."

"And also you." Timothee said, smiling softly.

"And also me."

They did not speak anything for a while, just sitting there, letting the reality of things hit them both- Timothee more brutally than Pauline.

It was strange how Timothee had never had to worry about falling for somebody before. He slept around with the choicest women to his heart's content but his heart wouldn't even so much as notice them and their charms.

But with Saoirse, everything felt infinitely different. It seemed as though she had been born only to be the living, breathing personification of the defiance of everything Timothee was made to believe as true. But at the same time, she also embodied every single desire of his that he dared not voice out loud.

That night he dreamt of her clear, blue eyes and slender fingers, entwined with his own and when he woke up in the dead of darkness, his breeches felt tighter than usual.

a/n: how are you all holding up? Let me know how you liked the chapter in the comments and do not forget to vote! Bless every single one of you <3

Smriti.