Matthew, Mat, let out a bitter growl as he looked for the prince, Mark. Going through the court yard of the Palace, pass the garden, Mat strolled into the horse stables where Jack, the stable boy, was working, feeding the King's prized horse.
"Jackson!" Mat barked, gaining the man's attention.
"Jack. We've been over this Mat." Jack spoke, his Irish accent a tad strained as he lifted up the heavy hay to give to the brown horse.
"Jack, where is Mark." Mat demanded, Jack shrugged as he pick up the bucket to give the rest of the feed to the horse.
"Like hell if I know."
"Jackson. Where is Mark? You know it's his study time." Mat started, Jack moved passed him to get some water for the animal, Mat paused and watched as the farm boy bent down fill the bucket, once Jack was back up, bucket of water in his hands, Mat continued, "He needs to study."
"He's not here. C'mon Matpat. Mark isn't stupid enough to hide here for two days in a row." Jack responded, making Mat roll his eyes at the terrible nickname he was given. Jack leaned against an empty stable and waited patiently for Mat's response. Mat pursed his lips and let out a bitter sigh before dropping his arms.
"Fine. If you see him, please send him to me." Mat growled and slowly stormed out of the stables. Once Mat was gone, Jack smiled and kicked the stable he was leaning against.
"You're good." Jack smiled, there was a pause before Mark popped up from a pile of hay, straw and grass sticking all out of his hair and some stuck to his beard as well. The prince smiled brightly at Jack.
"You're dad is going to whip my hide if he finds you hiding with me. Again." Jack laughed as Mark came out from behind the stable. The prince wiped off his clothing trying to get all of the straw and hay off. Mark let out a low familiar laugh.
"Thanks for hiding me, Jack."
Jack tsked and sighed out softly, the farm boy picked up the pitch fork and started to stab at the hay blissfully.
"I'll tell you this, if I could get the sort of education you get. I wouldn't be wasting it." Jack simply told him, Mark snorted at this,
"You would not be saying that if you had boring ol' Matpat for a teacher, trust me."
"Oh, he can't be that bad. At least he tries to make it interesting."
"Key word is 'tries'. and he does, he just doesn't do it right, he likes to try and put his own spin on history and literature by adding theories...Oh god there are so many theories..." Mark rolled his eyes and leaned against the stable with Jack.
"So, Mr. Jack..." Mark started his voice had a very clear flirty tone to it, Mark got closer to Jack and gently caressed the stable boy's arm.
"Mark, not now. I have to work, if I get caught...Especially if I get caught with you, it'll be my hide and probably my head as well."
"Jack, we've been doing this for almost two years now..." Mark pointed out as he gently grabbed Jack's arm now.
"I know we have...Mark, if we ever get caught, you know the consequence."
Mark frowned and gently moved his hand down to Jack's own callused hand, he then interlocked his fingers between Jack's.
"I know...I know...What if I told you I could get us out of here? We could leave together...Be together, just me and you." The prince whispered softly, Jack smiled sweetly at Mark, shyly, Jack looked left then he looked right, once the coast was clear, he pecked Mark on the lips.
"You know I would, in a heartbeat."
"MARK!"
"Meet me in my room tonight, after the sun falls."
The two broke away as Mat came storming back into the stables.
"I KNEW YOU WERE HIDING HIM!" Mat roared out, without another word, he proceeded to grab Mark by the ear and drag the prince away.
"He wasn't hiding me! Really I just made it there when you came back. Seriously...We don't have to tell dad about this." Mark tried to explain as Mat stormed a head of him, Jack shook his head and laughed as Mat was now clearly giving Mark a piece of his mind as he now yelled at the prince sternly.
Jack then walked up to the king's horse known simply as Jay, The dark brown horse snorted at Jack as the man patted his snout.
"Easy there boy..." Jack breathed out, calming the horse down as he pulled a carrot out of his pocket, he fed Jay the treat before looking up towards the outside sky. The bright blue sky hung above them there were a few scattered clouds about, it definitely wasn't going to rain. That made Jack frown, it hasn't rained for a good while now, looking into the water well Jack let out a soft sigh, it was getting rather low...Too low.
Before he could dwell too long on the water situation, Jack suddenly felt something hard hit the side of his head.
"OW! FUCKIN' HELL!" Jack cried clutching the part of his head where it hit him.
"Oh, geez...I didn't mean to hit you that hard...C'mere." Hearing someone urge him out of the stables, Jack sighed when he saw Wade and Bob hiding, both of them beckoning for the Irish man to come over. Carefully looking around, Once the coast was clear, Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled over to the two.
"You two are going to get me in trouble." Jack huffed at the two of them, Wade carefully looked around before asking,
"We were thinking of going to pub, you down?" Wade asked, Jack pursed his lips to the side.
"Not at the moment, no, I have to finish up with Jay." Jack told them, Bob frowned at this.
"It's urgent. It's about Mark."
Jack's head snapped at that.
"What about-"
"At the pub, when you finish..."
With that, the two of them sauntered off trying to look inconspicuous as they both walked. Jack frowned at this, he shouldn't let his emotions for Mark get in the way of his job, but that didn't stop him from rushing through the rest of his work and ran off towards the pub in town. Holding on to his hat, Jack kept his head down once inside the pub.
He could hear the normal patrons, Doug Walker and his brother Rob, their two friends Malcom and Tamera. All sitting at the same table, there was James Rolfe sitting by himself just away from them, he looked like he was getting ready to bash one of their heads in with his mug, his face sour. It would of been the first time he hurt one of them for their rather boisterous behavior. Over in the corner of the pub was Toby sipping his drink silently.
"Jack." Turning Jack saw in the other corner, Bob and Wade where sitting, three mugs in front of them, they continued to wave Jack urgently over to them. He gave Cry, the bartender, a friendly smile as he sat down next to his friends.
"What's going on?" Jack asked the moment he sat down. Bob and Wade looked at one another before sighing out.
"Jack, you're one of our best friends." Bob started in which Wade responded with,
"Who's banging the Prince..."
Jack sipped his ale, Wade and Bob knew of his relationship with the prince, they were the only ones to know about their secret. Jack was going to respond, before he could, there was a loud scream followed by a dull 'thud' everyone turned and looked over to see Doug on the floor, James standing over him, mug upside down in his hands.
"James, Out. you've had enough for the day." Cry ordered, pointing towards the door.
"Go fuck your mother..." James bitterly spat as he stormed out.
Rob ran to help his unconscious brother up, Jack and the others just shook their heads and then went back to their conversation at hand.
"Jack...They plan on marrying Mark off." Bob finally said, Jack almost spat out his drink at those words.
"What?! They can't do that!" He yelled shocked. Bob and Wade shushed him before Bob continued,
"His father already sanctioned it...I head that he's giving Mark a choice though...Something about some sort of dance or ball filled with nothing but royals from all around..."
Jack sat there for a moment, a bit shell shocked at the sudden news. Finally Jack stood and rushed away from them,
"...I have to talk to him!" Jack yelled to them as he ran out of the pub. Running back towards the palace, Jack's mind raced a thousand miles per hour.
Mark's father wouldn't marry Mark off.
Would he?
Alright, chapter one, done. Let me tell you finding a fitting first chapter was hard I must of went through five different scenario's but it's done. Please leave a review if you liked it =D
P.S I feel like I should mention, the horse, Jay, is another youtuber (obviously) called Kubzscouts I love him so much W And if you don't know Mat/Matpat is the game theorist. I felt it was fitting he'd be a teacher.
Edit. Wow, I must of confused some of you, I realized I called Jay, Kubz twice and then called him James in the start! Wow! I fixed that little issue. XD