Shortage Part 2

"I agree to your terms." Mathew surprised himself by saying. A ringing started in his ears, a chill settled in his skin, and he couldn't see his surroundings clearly as he retreated into his thoughts.

Why would he ever want to stay with this man? To show him the secret art that all witches are born with and is coveted around the world by everyone else? He didn't want to stay, but if it helped his province…

Well…

Mathew resigned himself to his fate. It needed to be done. Simple as that. And he had been the one that was asked to do it. No matter how demeaning he felt doing this, no matter what ANY of his feelings were, he would accomplish this task. Because he was a witch. And witches did not go back on their words. Nor did they abandon their own. And to refuse this would leave his province, and the witches under his protection there, at the king's mercy.

And he could never do that.

Mathew nodded, and said again. "I agree to your terms. I will stay here until you ask me to leave."

Over the next few weeks, Mathew forced himself to feel right at home. He even took to having little arguments with the king.

King Arthur brings in someone claiming to be a witch to perform their magic in front of his court and sitting on the throne with Mathew beside him, his anger rises to see how unimpressed Mathew is with the show. When he asks Mathew why, Mathew replies simply that the witch is a fake and everything they've done so far has been merely a hoax with some cheap parlor tricks scattered in to give it a bit more flavour. He says the entire act is likely merely to trick him into being impressed by it and granting the "witch" performing it some favour.

"The man's probably only after your money for his common tricks." Mathew then sighed. "Could I just go back to my bedchambers right now, please? This has only served to bore me."

Arthur turned to him, furious.

"Leave then." he spit out. "And you," he points to the captain of the guards a young blond man named Alfred to give his command. "Throw that man into the dungeons." Arthur was livid, furious, and could hardly believe tha he had been made a fool of, again. Could he not do anything right in front of the witch Mathew?

*Later*

Mathew gets mad at him for needlessly harming the man. "You could have just told him off and hauled him out of the castle! You didn't have to hang him up by his arms and deny him meals!"

"You do not tell a king what he should and should not do. Now leave!" Arthur yelled back at him.

"As long as you want me to stay here I can and I will tell you what I think! And, on that note, I think it's absolutely sinful what you are doing to the people of this realm!"

"Fancy that, a witch calling a king sinful. Doesn't that seem ironic to you?"

Why was nothing he did to make the man happy working?

Arthur thought, scowling. 'Why wasn't any of it working?'

Mathew was sorely tempted to spit on Arthur's shoes, but he knew that that was childish. So instead he just sniffed and looked away. He knew that with that last comment, he had lost this fight, but he knew he could bring it up again and until then he would just need to think up a suitable reply to anything Arthur might say to shoot his words down.

For now, though, he just watched the fake magic show, and sneered inside. He would never let this man buy his affection or loyalty with gifts and entertainment. He was a monster who had withheld aid for his people and forced Mathew to come to his castle. Mathew owed him nothing. Not a single kind word, a single kind glance. Nothing. Arthur himself was nothing to Mathew.

In fact, he could almost say that Arthur was the first person he had ever hated.

Shortly after that, he excused himself from the dungeons. He couldn't bear to see the blood streaking its way down the poor man's face. Even if he was a con man, he didn't deserve this treatment. No one did.

This now seemed to be how their daily lives went. Both of them angry with the other. Ever. Single. Day.

Mathew just wanted to go back home, so badly. He hated it here, with the stifling castle walls enclosing him, being denied flight practice on his broom, being threatened that he would be shot down and tortured should he even dare to try to run away, the blatant looks Arthur kept giving him...

Mathew shivered.

If it weren't for the confirmed reports stating how his people were finally receiving aid from the kingdoms stores, Mathew would have left long ago.