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Chapter Text

“No!” screamed the blond-haired man.

The shout ran through the castle and seemed to reverberate off the walls. A few servants grimaced, making sure not to look towards the private chambers; it was happening again – the young prince and his father arguing.

“Enough, Ronald,” his father’s voice booming as he stared down at his son in disapproval, “You knew this day would come one day!”

“And I never wanted it to!”

“I don’t care; you are going through with this!”

With that, the king slammed the doors shut and motioned for a servant to lock the doors. Fine. If Ronald wanted to argue, he could pay the consequences. Ronald yelled and slammed his fists into the doors, but they didn’t budge. Ronald walked over to his mirror, stared at his reflection, and then slammed his fists into it.
“AH!” he knelt down, holding his fists close as blood spattered on the floor.
Ronald knew his father was going to be even more angry when he realized what happened, but Ronald didn’t care. He needed out of this castle. He didn’t want to go through with this – getting married. He was still young and loved partying, which his father hated. He and his buddies would buy the best wine and beer they could and would have so many beautiful men and women there because, hey, Ronald was an equal opportunist.

Ronald wrapped his hands up in some of the gauze from his private bathroom before going over to his bedroom window and opening it; his father didn’t even know that this window opened. The prince slipped out into the night, cloak over his head. He’d be back in the morning, maybe.

“An arranged marriage, psh,” the man grumbled as he walked along the sidewalk, “How embarrassing… and to Princess Grell..”

The princess in question was definitely an odd one; no one quite ever understood her. Ronald and she got along great, but they were just friends. The idea of marrying her and being intimate with her was not it for Ronald, and he knew she felt the same. In fact, the princess had her own crush on a duke in another country. The two were to be wed and unite their kingdoms, but neither of them cared about that; they just wanted to live their lives and be happy – marry someone they actually loved.
“Hurry! We have to find him!” Shouted a voice off in the distance.

The hairs on the back of Ronald’s neck stood up. Shit. He took off heading towards the town; maybe he could get lost in the buildings. Suddenly, the barking of dogs could be heard. This meant business. As Ronald ran into the town, he heard doors locking. The town knew the royal’s people were here. Ronald tried to pull on doors, but no one would come to them; he felt doomed.

“Find the prince!” The head guard shouted to his team and over the barking of dogs.

With the dogs, Ronald knew he was going to get caught, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t going back to the castle tonight. His father would make sure this was his last night of freedom. Ronald took off down an alleyway, not paying attention to where he was going before colliding with someone.

“Hey!” hissed the man, “Watch it! Don’t you see the king’s men are out and about?!”

“S-sorry..” Ronald muttered, “I was tryna get out of their sight ‘cause you know how they are.”

“Tch, you’re telling me. Where are you off to?”

Ronald was trying to think of a lie before another dog bark was heard. The mysterious man’s eyes widened. He grabbed Ronald’s hand and began to run.

“Come on! Before they think we had something to do with the prince’s disappearance.”

Gulping, Ronald followed closely behind. He didn’t know who this man was, but he was so grateful; might as well have some adventure on his last day of freedom. The two ran until the barking faded off into the distance.

“Wh-where are we goin’?” Ronald was beginning to pant; he never had to move this much or this quickly.

The other man finally stopped. “Here. This is my house. Come on in.” He figured he would let this man sit for a moment to recuperate then be on his way.

Ronald quietly followed him in. This ‘house’ was really rather quiet small. How did this man live like this? Did everyone do this? The kitchen had a basin, a stove and oven while also having a few chairs by a bookshelf. The man’s bedroom would’ve also been in this room had it not been for the privacy curtain hung up around the bed.

“You can sit down,” The man said, keeping that same unimpressed look from earlier. “Would you like some water?”

Ronald looked up from his thoughts. “Yes, please. That sounds great.”

He took the glass from the other and sipped it. Ronald’s eyes widened at the nasty taste, a small cough escaping him.
“What’s wrong with this water?”

“What do you mean? It tastes like the water from the stream.”

“The stream?”

The other shot Ronald a quizzical look before motioning to the water in a bucket to show Ronald what he meant. The young prince just looked more confused.

“Why would you drink water out of that?”

By now, the dark-haired man was beginning to feel suspicious about this man; who was he? Why was he so unsure of water from the stream? How else would you get water?

“Who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does. You act like I’m offering you poison with that water.”

“I mean, everyone drinks it outta a bottle.”

A snort left the other. “You are not from around here, are you? Only the wealthy drink bottled water; as you can see, this town is not that kind of place.”

Ronald bit his lip; great… his wealth was showing. “I might just be passing through.”

“Obviously.”

The prince crossed his arms and huffed. “What is your name anyways?”

“I asked you first.”

“Ronald…”

“Interesting. That is the same name of the prince those guards were looking for.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. My name is William T. Spears by the way.”

“Nice to meet ya, Will.”

“William,” he firmly corrected the other.

“William, sorry.” Ronald rubbed the back of his neck.

“What did you say your last name was?” William asked.

“Ah, I didn’t..”

“Are you going to share with the class?”

Ronald shook his head and looked to the ground; his cover was going to be blown, and this man was going to turn him into his father and then collect the prize money his father would most likely offer because money motivated people heavily. As he watched William, he took in the other’s features: dark, slicked back hair, green-yellow eyes, and tall as well. Overall, he was a very nice-looking man, even for a commoner. He could also see the other piece together who he was.

William walked up to Ronald. “You would not happen to be Prince Ronald Knox of Declan, would you?”

Ronald’s silence told William everything he needed to know. “You need to leave,” William said suddenly.

“Wait what?!”

“I am not getting accused of kidnapping royalty, no thank you. I like my head between my shoulders.”

“Please don’t make me go..”

“Get out. You will cause me nothing but trouble.”

“No, please. I can’t go back.”

William snarled. “Oh no, the pretty rich boy does not want to go back to his huge castle where every desire of his is met. Whatever will he do?”

Ronald then huffed as he glared at William. “You wouldn’t like an arranged marriage if you were in my place.”

“You just do not get it do you?”

“What does that mean?” Ronald snarled then. This man was getting on his nerves.

“You have it perfect; you’re royalty. You will always have food and shelter. Hell, you don’t even have to think about those things. Life does not get much better than that, and you’re running from an arranged marriage? You will never have to worry about where your next meal comes from or if you have the right clothes for winter while many villagers die of weather every year because we do not have the means to protect ourselves.”

“I want to marry for love..”

“God, you’re such a spoiled brat. No one marries for love; we all have to survive somehow, and that includes making marriages a business contract.”

“Well, why aren’t ya married then, Will?” Ronald purposely was going to get under this man’s skin.

“William,” he retorted, “And I was.. many years ago. She has since passed because of consumption.”

Ronald’s eyes widened. Oh great.

“Oh… I’m sorry, but I still can’t go back. I’ll never be able to leave again.”

William only partially heard him as he looked at the photo on his bookshelf; the photo was a woman with chubby cheeks, long dirty brown hair, and the bluest eyes Ronald had ever seen. That must’ve been her.

“She was gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” William murmured, “She was one of my dear friends since we were kids so it made sense to get married. I would at least be with someone I tolerated.”
That made Ronald laugh. “Guess ya don’t tolerate many people?”

“No, not at all; people are quite a bore really.”

Before Ronald got a chance to say anything, fists began pounding at the door. “Open up!” boomed a voice.

Ronald’s face paled. ‘Oh shit.’

William turned and glared at Ronald, “See what you have done?!” He hissed.

Ronald went to object when the voice yelled again, “Open up by orders of King Jason of Declan!”

William grabbed Ronald’s arm in a tight squeeze, causing the prince to yelp, but he didn’t get a chance to object as William pulled him further into the kitchen and lifted a rug to reveal a trap door.

“Get in there,” William demanded.

“Ew, what? No-“

“Now!”

Ronald grumbled but opened the door and climbed down the ladder. He shuddered as he stepped off the ladder; this place was cold, dark, and overall unpleasant. The room didn’t smell or anything – it was just dark. He then heard the door open as William greeted the royal guards. The sounds were muffled, but he tried to listen.

“Good evening gentlemen,” William spoke so cordially, “What brings you to my place of residence today?”

“We suspect the prince has been kidnapped.”

“Oh, really? That is simply awful.”

The lead guard glared at William; something about this commoner just wasn’t right. How did he speak so well? He shoved William out of the way so his men could come running in.

“It is, yes, now step aside as my men search.”

“You cannot think I know anything about the prince’s whereabouts.”

“Simply procedure.”

William wasn’t even getting a chance to fight that before guards began searching his house. ‘Fuck, today is simply the day I lose my head.’ The king was known to be ruthless to those he deemed a danger to his only son, especially since the queen’s disappearance. William so regretted not just running when he heard the guards the first time outside. He should have just left Ronald there, but he hadn’t known he was the prince.

Meanwhile, Ronald was trying to stay as still as possible. This commoner had been so kind to him when he didn’t have to; he didn’t want his losing his head! Ronald froze as he heard a staff tap the door.

“Hmm, no one here,” the head guard remarked. Thanks gods William put the carpet back over.

William nodded. “Well, if I cannot help you gentlemen any further, I would like to retire for the night.”

“Yes, yes, all right.”

As soon as the guards left, and William was sure they were gone, the door to where Ronald was opened. Ronald quickly climbed out.

“T-thanks, William..”

“Please, I was simply saving my own neck. You need to leave, Prince Ronald.”

“Ah, just Ronald please or Ron.”

The look Ronald received from the other told him that William would certainly not be addressing him that way.

“..or not.”

William began walking towards the door. Panic jutted down Ronald’s spine; he had to find a way to convince William to let him stay just for the night. He then sprinted towards the older male, tackling him.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

Truthfully, Ronald didn’t know what he was doing.

“Please! I can’t go out there. I promise I’ll leave tomorrow.”

William pushed off the ground, causing Ronald to fall backwards – a soft thud could be heard.

“If you don’t leave tomorrow, I will be alerting the palace where you are. That is a promise, Prince Ronald.”

The young prince pouted and crossed his arms. “Fine.”

“Good.”

Ronald then looked around the little house; there really wasn’t anywhere for him to sleep. Surely he wasn’t sleeping on the floor! He then looked over when it sounded like William might have laughed.

“Calm down your highness,” He seemed to tease. “I am going to let you sleep in my bed tonight. I will take the floor.”

William walked over to the closet and pulled out a few blankets; his back would hate him in the morning, but he also was not going to force the next in line for the throne to sleep on the floor. Ronald slowly stood up and walked towards the bed; the bed was small – he would barely have any room. Ronald felt the sheets. How the hell did William sleep like this every night?

“My bedding isn’t that bad, Prince Ronald.”

Ronald jumped. “S-sorry.. this is all new to me.”

He just saw William roll his eyes. Ronald truly was spoiled – not that it was his fault. Ronald just happened to be handed the right cards and was born into royalty. The prince climbed into the bed and laid down. He was not going to sleep well tonight.

“Thank you..” he murmured.

William curtly nodded before laying a blanket on the floor and then using another as an actual blanket. Tomorrow, this would all be over with.

Chapter Text

As the sun shined through the window, Ronald groaned and threw the blanket over his eyes. It was too early. Back at the castle, he had heavy shades over the windows and was able to sleep in complete darkness.

‘Ugh’ Ronald thought as he pulled the blanket down; he could still see the sun through the blanket. The young prince looked around and saw William over his tiny stove. When Ronald got out of bed, the creak of the floor boards could be heard, causing William to turn his head.

“Ah, the prince arises.” While William probably meant to be joking with him, he spoke in such a dry manner that he just sounded condescending.

Ronald raised an eyebrow. “Should I have been up sooner?”

“Ah, no. I don’t think you would have been much help in preparing breakfast.”

“Ah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “No, ‘fraid not. Probably not a surprise, Will, but I can’t cook.”

The older man just shook his head. “I am not surprised at all, Prince Ronald. Royalty do nothing for themselves.”

This earned him a huff from Ronald, but he couldn’t really defend himself. The one thing he was supposed to do for himself, he was running from. Gods, he just really did not want to be married to Grell - his best friend! Ronald was then snapped out of his thoughts by William handing a plate with some eggs, a dry-appearing piece of meat, and some beans.

“Eat up,” chided William, “As promised, you would leave, but I won’t let you go hungry either.”

Ronald eyed the food and began to force it down; somehow, everything was dry. He didn’t want William to make fun of him though for being used to castle food; however, Ronald had a terrible poker face.

“Oh, I am not that bad of a cook. Am I, Prince Ronald?”

“S-sorry, Will, er, William,” he corrected himself after the glare he received. “No, it’s fine. Just used to the palace, y’know?”

Ronald saw that eye roll.

“I am sure, Prince Ronald. Your meals are cooked by the best in the land.”

Ronald didn’t even answer that one; that was true. World class chefs made every single meal he ate, and they would keep snacks prepared for when he was partying. But he knew this was William’s normal. It was probably not that bad. Ronald continued quietly eating, not making eye contact with the other. Ronald also really didn’t want to leave; the prince had nowhere to go, and he certainly couldn’t face his father.

William had a hunch the other would try to argue with on staying, but he just couldn’t agree to it. This was dangerous as is. He would not even entertain the young prince’s whining. William would simply make him leave. Besides, he thought it was ridiculous why the prince didn’t want to go home. So he had to marry someone he didn’t particularly like. It’s not like Ronald was bound to her faithfully. He knew royalty had many escorts. This marriage was just for political reasons. Ronald was being so selfish. William then looked over to Ronald and noticed his plate becoming empty.

“Are you still hungry, Prince Ronald, or would you like more?”

“N-no, I am fine, William. Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome. It is time for you to head back though.”

Ronald hung his head. “Please don’t make me leave.”

“Prince Ronald,” he chided, “You are being so childish about all of this.”

“Well, I don’t wanna marry her.”

“Why does it matter so much? It’s not life ending. You get intimate with her a few times for heirs then you are free to party however much you like.”
Ronald then laughed. “You don’t know anything about royals do you?”

“Why don’t you explain, your highness?”

“Everyone knows Princess Grell can’t bear children.”

William scrunched his nose. “Princess Grell? I have heard she’s rather strange.”

This made Ronald chuckled. “She is, but she is one of my best friend’s. She’s also sweet if she likes you.”

“And I suppose she does not wish to marry you?”

“Ah, no. There’s a duke that has caught her eye.”

“That poor soul,” he chuckled.

Truthfully, William would never even to think to speak about the royals like that to anyone, but it felt okay with Ronald. Ronald wouldn’t punish him for speaking ill. William took Ronald’s plate from him and to a basket he had. He then looked back to the prince. William did think he was handsome.

“Before you leave, Prince Ronald, to get the full peasant experience, would you like to accompany me to the stream?”

Ronald raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to make me bathe in that dirty water? Tryna see me naked?” He teased.

William rolled his eyes but felt his cheeks blush. “Nonsense. I need to wash my dishes.”

Ronald laughed awkwardly and looked away. “I always did wonder how the servants at the castle always had clean dishes.”

“Oh, they probably have soap.”

“You’re not using soap?”

“Do I look like I’m made of money, Prince Ronald?”

Ronald didn’t even look at William; he just wanted to stop speaking forever. Everything he thought wasn’t expensive or a big deal was apparently. Ronald didn’t know life without items like soap. He then stood to follow William. William led him out the backdoor and down a gravel path. There was a stream at the end. Ronald made a face – sure this wasn’t the dirtiest water ever, but he also didn’t want to wash his dishes in this and with no soap too!

‘I’m not meant to be a commoner’ he thought.

Ronald stood while the older man knelt down and began washing the dishes. William would run water over them a few times.

“How do you know those are actually clean, William?”

“I don’t.”

“Then how-“

“Prince Ronald, things are different here. We just have to do the best we can with what we have. My dishes are not perfectly clean, but this stream is all I have. I do not have the income for soap all the time. That is a treat, which I am sure is ridiculous for you.”

It sure was, but Ronald wasn’t going to say that out loud.

“Sorry…”

William just shook his head and finished up the dishes.

“But William, do you also bathe in this stream?”

“Yes,” he sighed.

Ronald nodded and followed behind like a lost puppy back up to the house. This meant he was going to have to go now. Ronald was already mentally preparing for never being able to be by himself ever again. There would be guards watching his every move. Ronald had to find some way to prolong going back. William was not the chattiest, but he had to try.

“Uh, Will. I have a question.”

“William, and what is it, Prince Ronald?”

“What do you do for work then?”

“I am a woodworker.”

“Ah, good with your hands then?” He teased.

“You could say that. I make a majority of the coffins.”

Ronald stopped in his tracks. Maybe this commoner was just really weird.

“That doesn’t creep ya out?”

“No. Someone has to do it. Besides, I do not have the luxury of choosing a job I like, but I also do not mind working with the dead. They aren’t brats.”

Ronald’s jaw dropped, and he swore he saw William laugh behind his hand. “Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.”

“Rude.”

William shrugged and opened the door to his home.

“So this is goodbye then, Prince Ronald. I do hope you have a safe journey back.”

“Wait. I have more questions.”

“Do you really care about commoner life? Or are you prolonging the inevitable?”

Ronald looked down and sighed. He really didn’t want to go. Sure, he didn’t like being in the village either, but at least he wasn’t being forced to marry a very close friend of his. When he looked back up, William was staring at him expectantly.

“Will ya at least walk me back to the castle?”

“Excuse me-“

“Please, William. It’s just to make sure I am safe.”

“Oh, so I can walk home alone after?”

“No, I. That’s uh no,” Ronald spluttered. Shit, he didn’t think about that.

William just rolled his eyes. “Come on.”

“Thank you…”

“I swear though if any of the guards spot me and accuse me of harming you, that will not be a false accusation. Am I clear?”

Ronald’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “Y-yes.”

Locking his door, William began to lead Ronald back to the castle. They would be walking for a few hours; he hoped the Prince could handle that kind of physical exercise. He did not want to take too many stops. The sooner the prince was back home, the sooner he could forget this nightmare ever happened.
However, the hunch William had about the prince walking long distances seemed to be true. They were about an hour in, and Ronald wanted to stop already. He seemed to be quite out of breath.

“Already, Prince Ronald?”

“Shut up, Will.”

“William.”

Ronald rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I am tired. I don’t usually gotta walk this far.”

“I suppose you do have people to carry you.”

“We have a carriage,” he pouted.

“Oh, my bad,” William put his hands up. “It is a shame the guy who makes coffins does not have one of those for you.”

“You really are hateful. Do ya know that, Will?” Ronald chuckled when he received another glare.

“I admit it is hard to be nice to someone when they are behaving like a brat.”

Ronald sighed and crossed his arms before sitting down. The prince truly didn’t think he was being that unreasonable. He wanted to stop and take a break after an hour, and he didn’t want to get married. Why was William acting like he was the worst person in the world? William decided he may as well sit. As he did, Ronald couldn’t help but look at him. He was attractive, especially for a commoner. Ronald almost wished they could’ve gotten to know each other better. William was probably a decent guy. Ronald decided he was a nice guy but had a tough exterior; the prince kind of liked that.

However, their break would not last long. Both men’s heads snapped up when they heard dog barking coming from the direction they were meant to go. The sounds of trumpets could be heard too.

“Shit,” Ronald gasped.

He didn’t have time to think because William grabbed his hand and sprinted towards the woods.

“Will!”

“Shut up, your highness! We are not getting found.”

Ronald gulped but didn’t say anything. He knew if he was found by the guards that he would get home safely, but William would not. Ronald could have vouched for William all he wanted, and he knew his dad wouldn’t believe him. He never took Ronald’s word for anything. Once they were deep enough in the woods, William leaned against a tree and took a deep breath.

“The king will stop at nothing, will he?”

Ronald rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, no. Dad is pretty stubborn, and he’s especially protective because I am his only heir, y’know?”

“Yes, yes, and I know it got worse when the queen, her highness, disappeared.”

Ronald sighed and looked to his feet; he missed his mom every day. He knew things would be better if she were here.

William’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Prince Ronald. I did not mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay, William. I just miss her a lot. Dad really hardened up after he realized she was never going to be found.”

“I remember.”

“Y-you do?”

“Of course. The king took out his anger on the village.”

Ronald looked taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“You really do not know what your father did, Prince Ronald?”

“I-I guess not. I know he had his men search the village, but I thought that was all…”

William couldn’t believe this. “Your highness, he burned down the village.”

“W-what? Dad wouldn’t…”

“He did, though. He became convinced someone was hiding her here so he ordered his men to burn it to the ground. The only thing he spared was the church. We all lost our homes for a while.”

William watched Ronald take this in; he could tell by the prince’s body language that he truly did not know any of this had happened.

“Even you lost your home?”

“I did. We all had to take shelter at the church at night. Our homes obviously did not look great to begin with but with everyone having to build so quickly, our homes became worse.”

“Why did you have to work so fast? Why couldn’t you ensure sturdy housing?” This all felt like a nightmare to Ronald.

“Winter was coming.”

Ronald gasped; that’s right. “You would’ve all, all…” he couldn’t even finish it.

“Died,” William finished. “We would have frozen, and he didn’t care.”

Ronald leaned against a tree and wrapped his arms around his stomach; he felt like he could throw up. He didn’t understand. Why did his dad do that? And then just continue to not do anything. All Ronald’s father had told him was that his mom was not in that village, and the search parties were no longer going there. Burning the village to the ground though? He never would have thought his dad would do that. Ronald understood why William didn’t want him around now and why he wanted Ronald back at the castle. His dad would unleash wrath down on them like no other if he didn’t return.

“Let’s move,” Ronald demanded.

“Excuse me?”

“We need to get to the castle. I-I can’t be the reason he may do that again.”

“Of course, Prince Ronald.”

“You really can call me Ronald or Ron.”

“I will not.”

From then on, Ronald didn’t care how tired he was. He was determined to get back home. He would accept all the punishments his dad would dish out; he knew it would be better than what the village would face. The thought of them dying because of his father made him feel so guilty and sick. William could see the huffing and puffing prince and would offer to stop, but Ronald wouldn’t take it.

“Your highness, please. You look so exhausted.”

“I can’t, Will! I-I can’t be the reason he sets your home on fire again.”

“Please just sit a moment to at least catch your breath.”

Ronald sighed but did as he was asked. William sat next to him, and Ronald laid his head on William’s shoulder. William didn’t know what to do; on one hand, he couldn’t shake the next in line’s head off his shoulder, but on the other hand this was the next in line. Why was he doing this? This behavior was surely not appropriate. After a few minutes, Ronald scooted closer and curled up to William and mumbled something.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch that, Prince Ronald.”

“I’m just sorry… I know life hasn’t been easy for any of the commoners but after hearing that about my dad…”

“I probably should not have told you, sir.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m sick thinking about it, but I am not surprised. That sounds like my dad.”

“You make him out to be a cruel father, your highness.”

“He is. He’s always ruled and been a father with an iron fist. Mom softened him up though. She was the reason he would dole out less harsh punishments on me and the village.” He sniffled as he held William tighter.

“She sounds like she was lovely.”

“She was the best, William. Even the royals from neighboring kingdoms have told me how they miss her so, and I have heard our staff say the same.”

While William wasn’t very comfortable, he let the prince hold onto him and be sad about his mother. William did often forget that Ronald was still a young man; he should have more grace with him. William even lifted his hand and patted Ronald’s back. The prince appreciated this and nuzzled him.

William allowed this for another couple minutes before gently moving the prince’s arms so he knew it was time to stand. Ronald pouted at him but nodded; he was comfortable like that. Despite William’s cold exterior, something about that made Ronald feel very safe. The two walked in silence up the path and in no time were at the gate at the back of the castle. This was safest for William. Ronald would walk around on his own to the front.

Ronald spoke first, “I guess this is goodbye then.”

“So it seems to be, Prince Ronald.”

“Thank you for everything. You were much nicer than I deserved.”

“I cannot exactly totally neglect the prince, now can I?”

Ronald chuckled. “No, but I would have deserved it.”

“That is the most insightful thing you have said at all,” he lightly teased.

Ronald gasped and blushed. “Oh hush.” He could’ve swore he saw a smile then.

“Well, than you again, Will. I’ve got it from here. Please get home safe.”

“No need to be concerned for me, Prince Ronald. I will be just fine.”

Ronald nodded and turned so he could walk to the front of the gate. However, he quickly turned back around and was surprised to see William hadn’t started walking back yet.

“Yes, Prince Ronald?”

“I-I, um, uh I was just. I, um.”

“I am just making sure you get to the front of the gate. Then I am leaving.”

Ronald took a step toward William, and the other raised an eyebrow. What was he doing? Ronald then closed the space between them and hugged William.

“Just thank you, again.”

William’s eyes widened; he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the prince but didn’t really hug back. This made Ronald chuckle quietly. He then quickly kissed William’s cheek before letting go from the hug. It was kind of amusing to fluster the other over such small things, and it did indeed. William blushed bright red as he watched the prince walk towards the gate. Once William saw the gate open, he quickly retreated into the woods. He didn’t know what just happened, but whatever did, it was over now.

Chapter Text

Once the gates opened, Ronald didn’t make it very far in before he was grabbed from both sides.

“H-Hey!”

“My apologies, sir,” one guard mumbled, “strict orders from King Jason.”

Ronald nodded solemnly and went with the guards to his father’s chambers; he took a deep breath when they reached the doors, preparing for the wrath he was about to face. Ronald knew it would never compare to what the village would have faced if he’d not come back. The doors swung open. Ronald walked in, and a guard shut a door behind him. The prince knew they would be waiting outside for him once his dad was finished with him.

“Prince Ronald,” the king boomed as he sat in his golden chair.

Ronald lowered his head, sighing sadly. “Dad, I-”

“Enough! I have had enough of your excuses, son. Arguing with me about your upcoming marriage is common and just an accepted part of my life. The same when you party. This though? Running away?!”

“Dad, please-”

“Hush!” He screamed.

Ronald nodded and lowered his head. The worst hadn’t even happened yet; his dad was just warming up. The king stood and like a flash of light, Ronald fell to the floor, cheek stinging.

“D-Dad, please…”

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense, Prince Ronald. Honestly, when are you going to learn?”

“I just..”

“You just what, son? Spit it out.”

“I just don’t wanna marry Princess Grell!”

“I don’t care. You two are betrothed. This will unite our kingdoms, and peace will come for us and our surrounding villages.”

“Since when do you care about the villages?”

Though, as soon as that sentence left Ronald’s mouth, he immediately regretted it. Jason’s face turned so cold it was like stone. Ronald gulped.
“What did you say?”

“N-Nothing..”

“No, no, speak up now. What. Did. You. Say?”

Ronald took a deep breath. He was already in this far. “I know what you did to the nearby village when Mom disappeared…”

The king walked up to Ronald and hiked him up by his shirt collar.

“What are you speaking of?”

“I know you burned it down to try and find her.”

“That’s a lie. Where did you even hear that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Jason growled before throwing Ronald back on the floor. If Ronald wasn’t his only heir, he would’ve been jailed or thrown out of the castle long ago. Ronald groaned as he sat up, glaring into his dad’s eyes. He was tired of being so afraid of him. Ronald knew, though, this was going to get him majorly; he would not be partying for sometime.

“How did you even survive the night, Ronald? I know you didn’t stay in those woods. You have no skills.”

Ronald growled. “Well, I did. I got to town by the time you sent the dogs out so no one was opening their doors for me.”

“Hm.” His father answered.

He didn’t believe Ronald, but he also knew that his son wouldn’t say anything in this situation. No matter though. The king had men everywhere. One way or another, he would discover who housed the runaway prince and make that villager pay with their head. Jason then waved Ronald off and headed towards his closet to change for the night for bed. Ronald stood and walked to the doors. When he opened them, there were guards waiting for him as he suspected. The same ones from earlier took his arms and began to lead him back to his chambers. Ronald felt so childish like this, but he would not argue; he knew the men were just doing as his father commanded.

As they approached Ronald’s room, the guard leading the party opened the doors. Ronald’s eyes widened. Bars were on his windows, and they’d been sealed with cement. His dad was angry no doubt. Ronald sat on his bed and put his head between his legs.

“I’m going to die here.”

One guard patted Ronald’s shoulder before they left; he heard the keys lock several locks. The young prince laid on his back and stared at the ceiling; he began to think about William and the last day. At least he got to have an adventure during his last day of freedom. However, he spent less time thinking about his adventure and more time thinking about the handsome villager he was with. Ronald thought about William being a little flustered when he hugged him. While the prince knew William was flustered because Ronald was royalty, it still made him smile. It was a shame they were never going to see each other again. Ronald knew his father would keep him in the castle at all times. He was never going to see anyone his father didn’t let in again.
Sometime during his thinking, Ronald had fallen asleep. He awoke hearing loud knocking on his door.

“Come in…” he groaned.

A few servants came in. One woman held a tray.

“I can’t even eat in the dining area?”

“King Jason’s orders, sir.”

“Right…”

Ronald stood and was dressed by the remaining servants. He sat down at the little table in the corner of the room and accepted the tray. At least his father was permitting him to have a hearty breakfast with tea.

“Oh, sir,” the woman who’d handed him the tray said, “The king is having me relay to you that Princess Grell is coming today so please, in his words, look alive.”

“Thank you, Celia.” The prince sighed and put his face in his hands. How was he going to do this?

The servants left the room, locking the numerous locks. The servants shared William’s opinion - Ronald’s life seemed ideal to them, and arranged marriage is extremely normal anyways. The Royals were truly just out of touch.

Ronald quietly ate his meal, feeling too bummed out to even enjoy it. The chef was truly amazing, but Ronald didn’t care. He hated it here more and more. Ronald normally loved to see Grell; they were good friends, but they were both unhappy with the arrangement. Ronald also knew Grell couldn’t have her own children so not only was he expected to have illegitimate children and pretend they were Grell’s (which he knew would be heartbreaking for her. She’d mourned this frequently), but on the night of their wedding, everyone would assure their marriage was consummated. Ronald shuddered at the thought.

Sometime before lunch, there was another knock before the locks were undone. Celia from earlier walked in and smiled softly towards him.

“Ready, Prince Ronald?”

“No..” he mumbled but stood anyway.

He followed her down the hallway, thankful his dad didn’t force the guards to basically carry him. The two entered the throne room. Jason was on his throne, the queen’s throne had dust on it. Ronald smiled when he saw Grell. She was being escorted by her burly bodyguard Eric. He’d been working for the Sutcliff’s for ages. She smiled her toothy smile and waved. Ronald sat next to his father.

“Look alive, Ronald” his father growled.

Ronald sat up a little straighter and placed his hands in his lap. Eric and Grell approached. Ronald then stood and took her hand and kissed it.

“Good afternoon, Grell-“

His dad made a sound.

“Er, Princess Grell”

She giggled. “Good afternoon, Prince Ronald.”

Ronald then said “Would you please accompany me to the gardens for a walk?”

Grell knew what this meant: they needed to talk. It was the only place guards weren’t on both of them so close. Eric kept his distance.

“Of course. That sounds delightful.”

Eric escorted the two royals out to the garden but kept his distance. To the Scotsman, this was courting.

“What do you need to talk about?” Grell asked once they were far enough away.

“I’m officially locked away in my room by several locks. There’s bars on my windows.”

“W-what?!”

“I got mad about our arrangement. I took off in the night.”

Grell’s eyes were wide. She got curious about outside the palace walls, but she’d never do that. She’d heard so much bad about the surrounding villages. She listened to Ronald talk about the villager who aided him and made sure he got back safely. She noticed Ronald’s cheeks turn pink when he spoke of this man named William. After a few more minutes, his face sunk.

“There’s more..”

“What’s wrong, dear? Please don’t tell me your dad found him..”

“No, no. But remember when my mom went missing? Grell, he - he burned down the village.”

Grell’s hand slapped over her mouth. No… it couldn’t be.

“Oh god..” she whispered. She was horrified.

Ronald sighed sadly. “I know. So even if I wasn’t trapped, I can never go back. I’ll think about William and his kindness, but I can’t risk being why someone gets hurt.”

Grell nodded and held his arm tighter. She didn’t want to marry him, but this was motivating to do her princess duties. This was for the best.. Even if she’d heard less than savory things about the village, she knew it wasn’t their fault the queen had gone missing.

Meanwhile, back in the village, William was going about his day. He was still processing that the previous night had happened; he really did go against the king by hiding his son. He learned Ronald knew nothing of the village being burned to the ground when the queen went missing. The prince had kissed him on the cheek. It was all exciting, but William was not known for being an exciting person so it was good he was getting back to his regular life. He walked into the mortuary and politely said hello to his coworker Alan. Alan was the face of the mortuary; he was always so kind and empathetic with people. He saw his boss Mr Craven working on a body as he walked into the back where all the wood and tools were. By the looks of the body being worked on, William figured he would need to start working on a standard coffin so he got to work. This was his life almost everyday.
About midday, he looked up when the door squeaked. It was Alan.

“How are you today, William?” He asked softly. William figured Alan was bored.

“I am fine. Thank you. Just doing my usual work.”

“It’s been fairly slow up front. What did you think of the king’s men out in the village the other night?”

William’s mallet stopped mid-air, not hitting the next nail. Of course Alan wanted to talk about this; it was a big deal after all.

“It was quite stressful. The last time they were here, we lost our homes.”

Alan sighed and nodded. “I know. I thought I saw them knock on your door.”

William felt himself tense. “They did, but it did not last long as there was obviously nothing to find.”

“Right. I heard the prince made it back safely.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear-”

“But King Jason is upset with his son and whichever villager housed him.”

“Perhaps the prince managed to survive one day in the woods.”

“Maybe. I guess he isn’t convinced though.”

William nodded and took a deep breath; he so badly wanted this conversation to end. William just wanted to forget it ever happened.

“I am sure his majesty is taking measures to assure his son won’t escape again.”

Alan nodded in agreement and walked back up to the front when the door opened. William shuddered and got back to work. He really hoped Alan hadn’t seen him when he brought the prince inside.

“No, I don’t know anything,” Alan said, which made William look up.

His stomach dropped. No, no, no, no! Two royal guards stood at the front door, proudly bearing the coat of arms of the royal family. This could not be happening. Before he could think any further, the door where his boss worked creaked open. His long silver hair fell over his eyes as normal.

“Well, well, well,” Adrian chuckled, “What honor do I have to see you gentlemen?”

The older man opened the cookie jar he kept off to the side and offered it to the men. One rolled his eyes, clearly used to this. The other just seemed confused.

“We aren’t here for pleasantries, Undertaker.”

“Okay…” he put the jar down. “How can I help you two then?”

“As you are aware, the prince went missing and then came back to the castle. The king knows he was helped by a villager; we are trying to see who knows what. There will be a reward.”

William felt ice cold and rubbed the back of his neck as if to assure himself everything was still attached.
Adrian chuckled. “I see no one believes the young prince survived just a few hours in the woods. I’d love prize money, but I know nothing gentlemen.”

One guard nodded and turned to speak to Alan. The other one who’d been annoyed by the Undertaker’s antics went for William. William quickly looked down and went back to his woodworking.

“Ahem.”

William looked up. “Yes sir?”

“Aye, I remember you. I came to your house the night of.”

William nodded. “I remember. I, unfortunately, do not know anything about
the disappearance either just as I did not know the other day.”

“Hm. There was a supposed sighting of him out your way.”

William truly thought he was going to have a heart attack. Why couldn’t everyone just let this go?

“I must have missed him then.”

The guard couldn’t place it, but he just did not believe this villager for some reason, but he had no reason not to believe him. He made it back to the front, and they both went on their way. William wiped some sweat from his brow and went back to work; please let this die down soon.