I'm back! As makeup for the long wait, I'm going to try to give you guys a long chapter.
(Arte's POV)
"Wow, Arte. Your brioche is the best I've ever tasted. Better than any of the royal bakers, chefs, or cooks. You should make a lot more of it." Xerxes commented.
Arte smiled at her friend, watching him devour the snack. Brioche was her favorite snack as well, and she'd introduced it to the prince. It had immediately grown on him, much to her delight. She loved seeing that smile brighten his face. The maid had thought, in her childhood, that a smile suited her friend best. That had not changed, she noticed. A smile always went so well with her Xer.
Besides, it contented her, just to be alone with him again. It'd been a week and a half since she came to serve Xerxes, and even over the span of ten years, their bond had not weakened. He was still Xerxes, her best friend, her closest friend, and also...
"Your Highness."
Arte looked up, startled. Standing at the entrance to Xerxes's personal balcony was Mariam Futapie, Head of Maids. Arte stood quickly, curtsying. "Lady Mariam." Mariam nodded in acknowledgement.
An annoyed sigh came from Xerxes. "You'd better have a good reason for this, Mariam." he grumbled. "It's my snack time, for heaven's sake. Just when I thought I could have a long, private talk with Arte. We've been estranged for ten years."
Said girl blinked, slightly surprised. That was part of why he was annoyed? He truly hadn't changed.
The Head of Maids dipped her head courteously. "I apologize, my prince," she said, "but there is another court case you must deal with."
Xerxes groaned, sounding so much like his old self that Arte's breathing faltered for a moment. He still made the exact same gestures, expressions, and sounds. It comforted her. "Can't it wait?" the prince grumbled. Mariam shook her head, eliciting another sigh of protest. "All right, I'm coming."
The prince heaved himself out of the chair, glancing at Arte.
She froze.
His eyes...
They had gone ice cold.
Unfeeling.
Hard.
Uncaring.
"You'll accompany me on this one, Arte." Xerxes ordered. His voice, too, had changed. It was no longer carefree, kind, and casual. Like his eyes, it had become stony.
Xer...xes...?
It's my imagination. Arte told herself firmly. Xerxes was still Xerxes. He had not changed. He could not have changed.
She curtsied deeply, like a proper maid should do. "Yes, my prince."
Xerxes led the way to the court, his body language making it apparent that he was not looking forward to the meeting. Arte frowned slightly, worried. He was going to be the king of Pandora when he was old enough. Her friend had to learn to enjoy or at least cope with these court gatherings without looking so bored and disinterested.
Then again, she was just a maid. What did she know? Don't get ahead of yourself, Arte. You are a maid. Your place is to serve the prince, protect him with your life. Nothing more.
Still...
No.
Squashing the rebellious thoughts in her head, Arte swallowed nervously as she entered the throne hall. Already, whispers had begun to circulate about her, the strange commoner girl who'd shown up less than two weeks ago and already grown so close to the prince, and was allowed in his personal chambers. Some even said she'd seduced Xerxes, for God's sake. Her? Seduce Xerxes? She'd never heard such a ridiculous thing in her life. A peasant girl like her never compare to the beautiful, glamorous aristocrat girls that were standing in the hall right now, arms bedecked in jewelry, slender, perfect frames clothed in silk, satin, and velvet dresses.
Shooting her venomous, disdainful, jealous looks.
Arte gulped, avoiding their piercing eyes. The last thing she wanted was to meet the eyes of one of these aristocrat girls, have them get the wrong idea, and cause a scene. She wasn't sure if Xerxes would be willing to defend her from penalty, and besides, even if he was, him siding with a commoner would leave a black stain on his reputation. It would be talked about for weeks, if not months.
The gazes didn't seem to affect Xerxes. Of course not - he was the prince, the highest authority in the kingdom. Anyone who dared to anger him would face punishment. Obviously the nobles weren't willing to take that chance, so they directed all their anger on the pathetic, powerless commoner.
Reaching his throne, Xerxes took a seat, his formidable gaze sweeping over the court. The aristocrats respectfully averted their eyes, practically radiating uneasiness. Arte wasn't sure why, but she stood behind his throne as he directed.
After a fair bit of icy looks, Xerxes spoke, startling everyone except Arte. She couldn't understand why everyone seemed so nervous. "Bring in the commoner." he ordered. The word commoner made Arte wince slightly. It reminded her all too well of her separation from Xerxes. Still, she let it go. She was with him again, so it didn't matter.
The doors at the end of the hall opened, revealing two guards escorting in a girl with short silver hair, a blue dress, and gray eyes. Though lacking the regal air of the nobles, she was rather pretty, Arte noted.
"Who is this?" Xerxes sounded utterly bored.
One guard bowed. "Her name is Echo Nightray, my prince. She has come to bring an important matter to your attention.
Xerxes raised a defined eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be, Echo-san?" Though he'd added the polite honorific san, Arte could hear - they could all hear - the displeasure in his voice. In fact, the added san seemed like it was meant to intimidate. Out of the corner of her eye, the maid noticed several aristocrats flinch slightly at the frigid note in the prince's voice. For her part, Arte was confused. Why was Xer being so...cold? He'd never held prejudice against commoners, and his heart was so warm and caring. What was wrong with her friend today?
To her credit, the girl didn't show her vexation, and simply curtsied. "My prince." she intoned in a flat, monotone voice, "There is a famine going on in Pandora." the girl stated bluntly. "My family is starving because there is nothing to eat."
"Hm." Xerxes sneered. "And what does the state of your family have to do with me, peasant?"
This time, Arte inwardly cringed in horror. Her friend's voice - and his words - were so cruel! How could and why was he acting like this? This was not Xerxes, her best friend since childhood. He would never talk like this...would he?
This time, there was a flicker of emotion in Echo's eyes, though it vanished quickly, to her credit. This girl was respectable, Arte decided.
"My prince...while your country starves, the nobles, aristocrats, royalty...they are all surrounded by luxuries. To add, you have an impressive amount of wealth. Surely you can spend some for the sake of the people?"
A laugh echoed through the hall. Though no one made a sound, the effect was like a collective gasp of shock being sucked in.
Arte shivered.
Xerxes.
He was laughing.
"What makes you think I care how the people are living?" Xerxes giggled, his voice saturated with pure amusement. "Let the peasants take care of themselves. I am this country's prince, and soon to be its king - dreary matters like that are not worth my time."
Arte could see that Echo was struggling to control her anger, and she could understand perfectly well. A ruler was supposed to put his kingdom and people above himself, and do everything for their sake. And here was Xerxes, blatantly admitting that he cared nothing for either one.
"But my prince!" Echo hissed. She seemed to realize her mistake when Xerxes's eyes narrowed, but courageously, the girl did not back down. "As you say, you are the country's ruler. And that means that you must put your people and your kingdom above yourself. That is what an honorable king does!"
"You dare tell me how to govern my kingdom?" Xerxes's voice was so steely, so frigid, so full of icy rage that Arte physically recoiled slightly from the throne. Thankfully, none of the aristocrats noticed, so focused they were on the angry prince and the daring peasant girl. Fear rose in the maid - fear for Echo's life. She'd never thought her Xer would be capable of such a dark tone, and she never imagined in a thousand years that she'd be worried about him killing someone. And yet, his voice was so deadly.
He wouldn't...would he?
Echo opened her mouth to speak again, but Xerxes, without warning, slammed a hand down onto his throne's, eyes burning with disdain. Everyone jumped.
"I've had quite enough of your whining, peasant." the prince sneered. "I would order you executed right here and right now, but I am in a good mood today."
Arte's brow furrowed. A good mood? He certainly didn't seem to be in a good mood.
The girl was still pondering her prince's words, when, to her confusion and horror, said prince gestured to her. Arte felt the eyes of the court members, as well as the fierce gaze of Echo, land on her. She swallowed and attempted to appear confident.
It probably didn't work.
"You can thank my maid Arte for my generosity," Xerxes continued, the declaration sending a palpable mist of surprise settling in on the great hall. "She has saved your life today. Go on. Thank her."
Echo did not move. Her gray eyes were filled with defiance and will. If not for the dilemma Arte had found herself in, she might have commended the girl's spirit. As it was, she silently begged the girl to obey Xerxes, not because she wanted the recognition, but because she feared that her friend would have Echo executed if she didn't give in.
"Thank her!" Xerxes shouted, his piercing voice echoing around the throne room.
Arte nearly sagged with relief when Echo finally turned to her, and with gritted teeth, said, "Thank you for saving my life, Lady Arte." She nodded in response, finding herself unable to properly respond.
"Guards," Xerxes spoke up again. "Escort this insolent peasant away. And never let me see her face again."
Echo's eyes widened. "Wait!" she cried. "My prince, I haven't finished - "
The girl was cut off as two guards came forward, seizing her by the arms. Echo struggled valiantly, but was no match for the two, fully-grown, burly men. Watching the commoner struggle, Arte was suddenly reminded of her own five-year-old self, fighting desperately against the guards as they hauled her away from Xerxes.
Xerxes.
Xerxes, whom she'd believed hadn't changed in the slightest.
Xerxes, whom she'd been wrong about.
He had changed.
He'd changed so much that Arte couldn't find her Xer anywhere inside him.
"My prince, wait!" Echo called frantically, but a guard slapped his hand roughly over her mouth and dragged her, straining and fighting, away from the throne and out of the great hall. Arte watched the giant doors close, shaken.
Xerxes...
She was wrong.
He'd changed.
He'd changed immeasurably.
This was not...
The Xer she'd known ten years ago.
The maid started as the boy that was dominating her current thoughts stood up from the throne, an irritated expression on his face. "This meeting is adjourned." he said in a voice that brooked to argument. The nobles all bowed respectfully, murmuring praise and scraping like champion grovelers, but Xerxes ignored them all and turned to Arte. She met his eyes, desperately trying to conceal the uneasiness in her own orbs.
"Come with me." the prince commanded shortly. He stepped down from the throat, Arte at his heels. Despite her calm facade, her mind was racing.
Xer wasn't here anymore.
He'd been replaced with this...this...
This tyrant.
Arte winced, wanting to snatch back the thought. The idea of Xerxes - her childhood friend - being a tyrant was too painful, too horrible to bear. He'd never been this cold before. Never.
When she'd arrived at the palace, Arte had thought she'd be serving a kind, magnanimous, generous ruler who'd put his people before himself. That was the kind of king she'd thought her Xer would make. She'd thought that she'd serve him with pure devotion, heart and soul.
But now...
Her loyalty was wavering.
How, how, could Xerxes act like...like that?
Her loyalty was to the Xerxes from ten years ago. Not the one walking in front of her right now. He was a complete stranger to her. She didn't know him. She didn't recognize him.
This Xerxes is not the person I looked forward to seeing again so much. He's changed. He's different. He's not the same anymore...not in the least. her fists clenched. I can't give him my loyalty. I can't give him my devotion. Not when he's not that Xerxes. He said...he promised me he'd always be Xerxes.
The maid and the prince passed by a large, clear window with an impressive view of the sun. It almost seemed close enough to reach out and touch. Arte squinted her eyes as it's bright lights hit her full in the face, blinding her. She glanced at Xerxes, wondering what her friend's...no, not her friend's. Xerxes, her friend, was gone. All that remained was Xerxes, Prince of Pandora. Her ruler. Her future king.
This stranger that she did not know.
Arte refocused her eyes on Xerxes. She wasn't sure what expression she'd been expecting, but what she saw was certainly not it.
He was staring at the sun, face completely transfixed in its brilliance.
Arte blinked. That face was filled with such...
"The sun...the sun is always alone, isn't it?" Xerxes murmured so quietly, Arte almost didn't hear his next words.
"Just like...me..."
The maid stiffened upon hearing those words.
He'd said something similar before.
(Flashback: 11 years ago)
"Xer?" Arte asked, watching her friend carefully. Despite being a mere four-year-old, she was quite observant and liked to examine the world from her own perspective. If someone said something and many other people agreed, Arte would wonder about it. Why did so many people agree? What was the reasoning behind their decision?
Right now, she noted her friend's face. His eyes were wistful as he stared down at a few aristocratic boys running around, playing in the gardens. Their faces were laced with glee and happiness.
"Xer?" the girl repeated.
"Huh?" As if broken from a trance, Xerxes's head snapped towards her. "What is it?"
Arte frowned. "Are you okay? You look...sad."
She could tell that her words had hit a nerve. Xerxes's face darkened, and he looked at his feet, his silver hair falling forward to curtain his red eyes. "I..." the young boy muttered. "I'm just..." he looked back up, eyes clouded with a thin sheet of misery. "Arte, you can't...laugh at me for this, okay?"
Said girl smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Xer. Won't tell or laugh!" she confirmed in a childish tone befitting that of someone her age. Xerxes smiled slightly. "Alright. I know this may sound weird, coming from royalty, but I..." the prince hesitated. Arte put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Xerxes covered it with his own, admitting what had been on his mind for the past few days.
"I feel lonely."
(End of Flashback)
I feel lonely.
Arte stared at Xerxes's face, filled with sadness. She longed to reach forward, take his hand, and comfort him, but she restrained herself. She was a mere maid - it was not in her place.
Even so...
He didn't change. He's still...still my Xer.
He was just...
He was just lonely. Just a lonely, miserable young boy.
Xerxes...
She'd heard the whispers while she was growing up. She'd heard about how the young prince was becoming increasingly cruel and despotic. How he would heavily tax his citizens, order them to grovel in his presence, and even threaten to execute them if their bow or curtsy was the slightest bit improper. They said that perhaps he wasn't human - that he was a demon, come to cause the ruin of Pandora.
But Arte knew the truth.
Xerxes was not cruel.
He was not despotic.
He was not a demon.
He was just...
All alone.
He was not evil.
But the people thought he was.
Arte, though...
She might just have to become a demon to protect Xerxes.
Her unchanged, afraid, lonely childhood friend.
Her prince.
Even so, she was willing.
Even if everyone in this world would point a sword at him, none of them, not one, would so much as touch Xerxes.
Because Arte would always protect him. She would always protect that beautiful smile of his.
Even if it meant becoming evil.
Even if it meant becoming a demon.
Even if it meant becoming the Devil itself.
Even if the entire world
Should become your enemy
I will protect you, so
You just be there smiling
There we have it.
Again, I apologize for the delay.
To make up for it, I'm giving you this extra-long chapter.
As usual, thank you so much for reading.
See you guys soon.