"Come join me! The water is perfect!" Keith, THE KING, called from the water. Lance could only gape at the scene before him. Keith, in only his unders, with his hair slicked back with water and way too handsome for this world. Lance reddened slightly realizing where his mind had gone. He's the King and you're a nobody.
"Your highness.." but he trailed off seeing Keith coming towards him a small smirk playing on his lips. Once he was standing in front of the other boy he stopped. Lance could feel the water dripping off Keith and swallowed hard. Did he offend him?!
"What did I tell you about not using my name?" Keith's smirk grew and before Lance knew it he was being hoisted upon the King's shoulder and carried into the water.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!" He shrieked knowing his impending watery doom. "You shall put me down this instant!" Keith smiled a bit with a small shrug.
"Very well." Keith let go sending the other boy tumbling into the water. Keith laughed loudly when the soaked boy resurfaced. His facial expression sent Keith into an even harder laughing fit. Lance was fuming but it quickly bubbled into laughter. This was ridiculous. He was soaking wet with a half naked King. He had just planned on getting a cow that day.
The two boys spent a while longer splashing around before finally making their way up the bank where their amused animals stood watching the whole scene.
"I feel as if Red is judging us." Keith said shaking out his hair sending droplets everywhere. Lance smiled a bit stroking the cow's soft nose. Keith started getting into his clothes again.
"They were just envious." Lance's clothes were soaked thoroughly as he tried wringing out his top.
"I apologize. I should have allowed you to undress." Keith watched in amusement as Lance just reddened and turned into a stammering mess.
"I-I I-" He stopped and glared playfully at the King. He was laughing at how flustered he had gotten.
"Yeah, You should apologize. For now I have my long journey home and I am soaked. So thank you. " Then he bowed dramatically. "Your Highness." He smirked a bit at Keith's flare of anger.
"Your tongue has grown sharp. Have you forgotten who you are talking to?" Lance's smile fell hearing his tone. He really was angry. Lance dropped to his knees placing his forehead in his hands.
"I'm greatly apologize you highness. I overstepped." Lance waited for a response or a whipping or anything really. But nothing came and moments passed. He slowly looked up to see Keith silently chuckling in front of him. As they made eye contact Keith's silent chuckles broke out into loud bellows of laughter. Lance looked back down at the ground a pit growing in his stomach. He stood up wiping his now muddy hands on his overalls. He marched over to Kaltenecker and grabbed his robe before leading the cow and his belongings back onto the road.
"Woah woah! Lance! Come now!" Keith scrambled to gather his horse and hurry after the boy. "I was just playing around. Surely you didn't take offense?"
Lance ignored him and just kept walking. Keith frowned at his silence and quickly stepped in front stopping the boy and his cow.
"Lance. What did I do?" Lance averted his gaze. He felt so stupid. He had let himself get so comfortable with the King that he had forgotten all manners and then he had been made fun of. He was not a fan of the King's games.
"Please, let me through. I've been away long enough." He pulled Kaltenecker around Keith and continued on his way. Keith stood and watched them go before throwing his reins over Red's neck and swinging himself into the saddle. Him and Red trotted after the boy but didn't say anything. Keith had obviously offended him in some way.
"I do apologize for whatever I have done. I did not mean to-" He stopped and Red jerked to a halt when Lance spun on them suddenly.
"You didn't mean to offend me? Yeah. That's why you laugh at me. You have the power to literally bend people to your will and then you laugh as you look down on us? Let me tell you something, your Highness." He spat his words full of acid. Keith frowned evermore seeing how truly upset he was. " I work hard every day yet my family still goes hungry. I have five other mouths to feed and sometimes go without for days. Yet you have the audacity to ride in here and pass judgment on us lesser folk. Well, we are not lesser than you. You just happened to have been born within the walls of that damned castle! You have no right to look down upon the people who were not as fortunate. Good day to you." He spun back around and started walking again. Keith watched him completely stunned at the outburst. He watched Lance's figure disappear over the hill and felt his stomach turn. He had no idea he had made the boy feel so low. He had not meant it.
"Come on Red. Let's go home." He turned the horse and they headed the opposite direction. Towards his damned castle.
Lance had to stop under a tree to finish crying not wanting to upset his family. He wasn't sure why he had gotten so emotional. He just hated how his people were looked at yet they worked harder than anyone within the walls of the castle. It was not fair. Once his tears were dry he looked over at Kaltenecker grazing in the tall grass. He smiled a bit, he was happy. He did not wish to be anywhere else. Keith could keep his dumb castle and his dumb stale water. Lance was free and he was happy.
"Let's go buddy. You have friends waiting to meet you."
Once home Lance introduced his family and flock to the newest addition. Everyone loved him and he even took his younger brother Marco on some cow rides around the field, Kaltenecker seeming to enjoy the attention. Lance left his siblings putting ribbons on his ears and tails as he carried the sacks of gifts inside.
"Oh Lance! I was getting worried." his Mama brought him into a tight hug leaving kisses on both cheeks. "How was your journey? You look..extra filthy. Did you fall in that mud hole again?" Lance hadn't realized how muddy he had gotten.
"No Mama. Just took a quick swim in the stream is all. Sorry for worrying you." He smiled and opened up one of the bags. "I do have a gift for you." His mom stopped kneading the dough she had continued working on and looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Lance.. you know we can't afford gifts right now." Lance just grinned and pulled out the dress letting it unfurl in front of his Mama. Her eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth leaving flour across it.
"Oh Lance! It's beautiful!" She quickly wiped her hands upon her apron before feeling the dress.
"This is beautiful! How did you afford this?" She asked bewildered, surely his must have been a fortune. Lance just smiled wide and handed it off to her.
"There's more!" He left his mom admiring her new dress and went to call the younger kids inside. Once all 5 were gathered around the table Lance dug through the second bag pulling out the new shoes he had purchased. The kids yelled in excitement and bounced around happily gripping their new shoes. It had been two winters since they had gotten new ones. Lance quickly had to comfort his now crying mother.
Keith was sitting in his chambers staring into the crackling flames of the fire deep in thought.
"Your Highness. Surely you should sleep. It is well past the Midnight hour." Thomas had come up beside him with a quick bow.
"I am not tired." Keith replied not moving from his spot. He was still thinking of Lance and how he had hurt him. "Can you summon Shiro to me? He surely is still awake as well. I would like to console in him." Thomas bowed once more before hurrying out leaving Keith alone with his thoughts once more.
"So that is where you have been sneaking of to? A commoners village?" Shiro asked sitting back in his chair. Keith nodded and swirled his cup gazing into the deep red contents. Wine always helped settle his nerves. He had told Shiro everything off his past adventures and the meeting of Lance. Shiro did not seem upset only concerned.
"Well, It sounds like you may have hurt his feelings. If he is a man like any his pride may have been hurt. He shall get over it. He had no right to snap at you though. Shall we take his head?" Shiro asked tilting his head a bit. Keith immediately looked up wide eyed.
"What?! Absolutely not!" He said his voice louder than it should have been .Keith noticed the light amusement on the other man's face and settled down. "It is not funny to joke of such matters. It was my fault anyways. I did not mean him any harm." Keith rested his head on his hands with a sigh
"He is far too gentle and kind to have to feel like that. Shiro.. I. I feel for him. I wish I could just bring him here and show him how great life can be." Shiro smiled over at him softly.
"Then why don't you?"