Title: The Lucky Unlucky Situation
Summary: Of all the things life could throw at you I'd say being slave to Prince Kheel himself is of the worst found luck. Mello/Matt
Chapter One: The Prince is a Whiny Bitch
The funny thing about last meals with your family is nobody actually enjoys them. Maybe it's the obsolete finality of the situation or the depressing title "Last Meal" itself but in any case Mom's crying endless tears into the stew and Dad hasn't even picked up his spoon.
"Are you sure you have to go?" I gave her a sad smile and turned my eyes towards the chunks of beef and carrot.
"Yup, either I serve them inside the castle or I rot inside the dungeon." It wasn't much of a choice any sane person would choose the first. I gave a last once over to the small room lit dimly by shortened candle sticks and sighed.
"How could they just rip a family apart over something so, so trivial?" She sobbed into my Dad's shoulder and he gave me a sad smile.
"He's almost seventeen m'dear, almost a legs distance from becoming a man. Better this than becoming a poor old farmer like his Dad." Moms tear soaked blue eyes narrowed into a glare.
"He'll work there for life! There's not enough labor in a man's lifetime that can compensate for the price they threw at us." The longer they talked the more depressed I became. It wasn't like I asked to owe all that money to the royal family it sort of just, happened.
The town was bustling with energy like it always was in the afternoon. Common things I find in the town square—for future reference of course-:peddlers trying to woe you, girls batting their eyes at you from every corner and kids running around with wooden swords pretending to be the brave knights from Kheel Castle. All three of these things combined epically screwed my whole life in minutes.
"This is a rare ornate cloth from overseas that you can only buy from me, feel its soft texture?"I caressed the tiny sample of material with the pad of my index and thumb and smiled. Well I'll be damned it is amazingly soft.
"How much is it for half a bundles worth sir?" That material would make a killer blanket no longer sleeping in covers that feel like potato sacks!
"25 Gold for only half a bundle and 50 gold for a full bundle." We can't really afford this but once mom gets her hands on this fabric she'll be thanking me. I reached into my satchel and pulled 25's gold worth of nuggets out of a small pocket.
"Here you- AHHHH!" Pain erupted in the back of my leg causing me to howl in pain. I whipped around to see the source of the unexpected blow only to come face to face with a fat little pint. He was red faced and cheesing from plump little cheek to cheek.
"I am Sir Alan and you are an enemy to our land!"I would've have kicked the stupid kid but it would have simply taken too much energy from me. I handed the man the gold and placed my purchase into our quilted shopping bag.
"Aye you are listenin' to me?" The poorly cut wooden sword was pointed in my face and I nearly rolled my eyes. I just wanted to get home and play cards. I wonder if dad finished pulling up all of Wednesday's harvest. I doubt it lazy bastard's probably on another ale break. I was so lost in thought that I barely recognized the white haired boy go up to the fabric peddler. He had walked out of an unnecessarily fancy carriage adorned with two white horses and a very tired looking coach.
"I am Near, royal servant to Prince Kheel himself and am in need of your services." His voice came out emotionless and he too had very tired looking eyes.
"Oh really?" The peddler nearly had gold for eyes, a too eager smile graced his features as he began to explain the origins and features of several fine fabrics. I would have left then and there if it wasn't for a group of girls a few paces away bubbling in excitement. I raised a brow as they adjusted their dresses to assent their busts and curves while powdering themselves until they looked like ghosts. Alright then time to go h-
"Near what is taking so long!" Jesus, are my ears bleeding? I cringed at the loud voice that erupted through the square.
"My lord I am just trying to make sure I select the absolute best material to suit your chamber needs." The white haired guy replied calmly as he hastened his choosing process.
"Are you selecting bed sheets for me or the whole damn castle!" The doors of the carriage burst open the hinges protesting at the rough treatment. My eyes met a blonde with very angry blue eyes. One thought then occurred to me "time to go". As I turned to make my hasty exit I tripped over something or rather a part of some one. The little fat pint from earlier had stuck his leg out and tripped me at precisely the same moment the angry blonde was coming the same way at full force. I being slightly more muscled from the strenuous work of being a farm boy sent his skinny ass flying across the dirt. Not to give myself too much credit I'm legally a border line string bean as well. During the collision I too had fallen into the dirt. I quickly scrambled to my feet to help up the disgruntled blonde who glared at me even more heatedly than before. In comparison to his mood new found mood from before he was smiling rainbows and talking out rays of sunshine. I offered a hand to help him up but he slapped it away in disgust. He was shaking in anger or should I say lividness.
"You ruin my robes then offer a hand!" I shouldn't have made the mistake bending down to offer him a hand because his hand found its way around my throat. Why me?
"Its courtesy, I made you fall so I'm helping you up."I let out a nervous smile. He quickly got into a standing position followed by a resounding RIIIIPPPPP that caused a few snickers. God kill me now! My foot had been standing on the corner of his "royal pants" resulting in a gaping hole from his calf to his mid thigh. Not only had I soiled his robes I had ruined them. The hand around my throat tightened menacingly and I nearly choked. I better do something quick!
"H-hey I can get them fixed. M-my mom is an excellent seamstress!" His eyes narrowed further but his grip loosened.
"Sorry commoner this is an exclusive ensemble maid in Persia of only the finest fabrics and you wouldn't have the right material or thread to mend it."
"It couldn't have been that great if it ripped so easily." He smirked and freed my neck.
"Sometimes the finer things are the delicate ones but a rude, idiotic waste of space commoner like you wouldn't know any of that." Lucky for him I was more of the passive type and not as dim witted as he accused. I knew mouthing off to royalty was like putting my head into the guillotine hole.
"May I leave your gracious presence your highness?" I said in the most respectful tone I could muster from my body.
"Not without paying for it… plus an irritation fee!" He's adding an irritation fee what a bastard.
"I have chosen a lovely silver silk for your sheets my lord." The emotionless servant had returned and was making his way back to the carriage.
"Fine what's the price I don't come from a family with a lot of gold-"he snickered.
"Of course you don't…"
"But I can pay for the damages over a period of time…" I can't believe I'm negotiating the payments of one set of robes like a cottage.
"500,000 gold, 500,000 gold will be the price." My stomach dropped. With the currency of our farm business we couldn't make that much money if we worked without sleep for the rest of our lives. If we managed by some miracle to do it I would have worked my life away.
"That's obscene for robes!"
"That's my conjoined price. Robes fee, Annoyance fee, Time wasted fee!" Ok now I was angry I never really got angry but that's exactly the emotion that threatened to come out.
"So, can you pay it?" That mocking smirk transformed into a shit eating grin and I openly glared.
"You know the answer." If we even tried to pay it would put a decline in our necessities that we need to live somewhat comfortably.
"Well then I'll be nice. Near!" The white haired servant handed him a small golden cup that littered the air around us with the smell of chocolate. The blonde titled it to his pink lips and took a slow swig. I've never tried chocolate before but I have smelled it.
"Name commoner. And don't bother lying to me you'll find out that I'm unreasonably patient." His smile died from his lips.
"Mail Jeevas." My eyes were now staring downcast towards the floor.
"Well then Matt-" I interrupted him with the proper pronunciation of my name and he rolled his eyes.
"Seeing as you'll be my new slave boy I get to choose what I wish to call you. Unless you prefer to be incarcerated in the dungeon until your poor little farm family can pay for your release." Don't insult my family.
"You can throw names at me all day but don't belittle my family." I gave him a cold look, clutched my satchel and knit bag tightly and began the short trot home.
"I'll send for you tomorrow! Oh and tell your daddy I absolutely love his butternut squash it truly is exquisite."I wanted to yell.
Now lets go back to the dining table. We finally got down to actually eating the stew after a few more minutes of uncontrollable tears and arguing. We settled into a somewhat understanding silence that was only interrupted by the clinks and clanks of silverware and glasses.
"This may not be such a bad thing." My mom glared at my father and he put his hands up in a hold-on gesture.
"If you get on the royal's good side they may let you become a knight when you're of age and you'll be making gold plenty. You'll be able to pay back the gold in no time and be set free." I smiled and nodded. The idea wasn't half bad. Though becoming a Knight was the last thing on my list of things to do. We were all finishing dinner and our warm slice of apple pie when my Dad clapped his hands together.
"So who wants to play some cards! Mail here won't be winning this time and neither will you m'dear!" We had an intricate mix of German, Italian and English playing cards to make the game more interesting and humorous. We all laughed as my Dad began to deal out our cards to each of us. I engraved this scene into my memory because part of me already knew that I wouldn't be experiencing any happy moments like this for quite a while if the whiny bitch of a prince had anything to do with it. Then a thought dawned on me.
"Wait you bastard you didn't shuffle the deck!" My Dad's cackling laughter echoed throughout the small room.
"We are here under order of King Lukas Kheel to bring Mail Jeevas back to the castle." There were only three shiny armors outside of the cottage I guess they really didn't expect us to put up a fight.
"Goodbye sweetie!" I was embraced by my mom tightly and tears began to pour down my cheeks. I breathed in her comforting scent and ran my fingers through her beautiful wavy red hair. She kissed my left cheek then my right then my forehead for extra luck. She began doing this when I was little she would send me off to the town square with three kisses. They were simple one for protection, one for guidance and one out of love. She released me and I was met with the much more rigid embrace of my father. His scent was more of a musky smell but still just as comforting as my mom's.
"Don't cry you're a man now Mail." He slapped me hard on the back and gave me a smile that couldn't mask his sadness no matter how hard he willed it to. I returned the sad smile and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Maybe I'll draw out an ace of spades." He laughed sad heartedly and waved me off wrapping one arm around my mother. I was then escorted into a carriage stationed right between two shiny armors. The door closing was like finality and the sound of the lashing whip nearly ripped a hole in my chest. After a few minutes of nothing but hooves earnestly touching ground I spoke up.
"Is the Prince that bad?" It was a pitiful desperate attempt to try and brighten my mood. Maybe he was just in a bad mood today and I irked him? He couldn't possibly be that horrible.
"How old are you son?" One of the knights asked.
"I'll be seventeen in four day's time." What does my age have to do with anything?
"Matthias get this boy here a drink!" I frowned as a gauntlet hand patted my shoulder in pity and handed me a goblet of ale.
I couldn't help myself ! Review if you deem it worthy and see you with another update real soon. I've rekindled my writers block and strangely feel like working on my other creations as well.