Forgive Me

Previously. . .

Upon his return home, Dan slumped against his front door. He breathed heavily, catching his breath. It was going to be okay. He got the files, he got home, and no one heard him.

"And where have you been?" asked a voice from the darkness. Dan's head shot up, and the lights turned on. Right before him stood Mr. Howell, and to make matters worse, Rebecca was right there by his father's side.

Chapter 3:

"Um…I-I-I…I uhh… went for a nightly walk…" stuttered Dan struggling to form a coherent thought. His body was exhausted, and his mind was scrambled from fear.

Mr. Howell wrapped his arm around Rebecca and rubbed her shoulder. "Rebecca here tells me you two had a very big argument. So, what I understand is that you had a fight with your beloved fiancée, and your first resolution idea was to take a walk and leave her alone?"

Dan suddenly realized that either way he was going to get in a lot of trouble. However, if his father only thought that he had left to ignore Rebecca, the consequences would be much less severe. "I just needed to clear my head so that I could speak with her rationally. I don't want to hurt her." Dan watched his father's face for signs of belief.

"Well, I'm glad you've made the decision to come back and fix things. However, before you do that, I would like to speak with you alone." Mr. Howell gestured for Dan to follow him. Dan reluctantly followed his father. He felt sick to his stomach. Once they had reached a different room, Mr. Howell turned to face Dan. "Rebecca tells me that you're refusing intimacy."

"I…I…" Dan didn't know what to say. He felt equally scared and embarrassed. What the hell was wrong with Rebecca? Had she seriously run off to complain to his father that he was refusing sex? Dan took a deep breath, and forced himself to look his father in the eye. "I'm just not ready. It's a big step, especially considering she and I have always been friends."

Mr. Howell chuckled, "I think you and I both know that you're feeding me lies, Daniel." Dan's face dropped from calm to scared in an instant. "Now, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I am going to suggest that you take whatever problem you have and fix it. You better fix it soon. I won't have this marriage fall apart. You will marry Rebecca, she will bear your children whom will someday take the throne, and you will follow through with all of it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," replied Dan, trying his hardest to seem fully collected and willing. Mr. Howell didn't say another word. He left the room, switching off the light on the way out, leaving Dan by himself in the dark. A few moments later, Rebecca walked through the entryway, and clicked on the light.

"Let's go to your room and talk," she said. Her tone indicated it was an order, not an invitation. Dan knew he was in no position to argue, so he simply nodded and led the way to his room. After they stepped inside his bedroom, Dan went to his closet to change into sleepwear. Though he did change, his real objective was to hide the files. He walked to the very back of the closet, where his least worn clothes were collecting dust, and slipped the file underneath several pairs of shoes.

Dan quickly went back to his bed to find Rebecca lying down, clearly waiting for him. He took a deep, silent breath, and climbed into bed. "Hi, Becky," he whispered.

"You're going to have to let me touch you sometime," was all Rebecca had to say in return. Her statement made Dan's heart race. He knew her words were true, and it was a terrible feeling. "You'll feel better if you get used to it." She leaned down and started pecking kisses along Dan's neck. Dan had to stop himself form squirming.

"You're right." The words burned Dan's throat. He felt Rebecca smile against his skin. His eyes shut tight when he felt her reach into his pajama pants again. Trying to relax, he attempted to let himself feel pleasure from her touches, but nothing worked. All he felt was unpleasantness. He soon realized that it wouldn't take Rebecca long to catch on that something wasn't right, so he tried thinking of someone else. Eventually, he settled on an image. It didn't make everything better, but it helped.

Eventually things came to a close. Dan waited, hoping Rebecca wasn't going to ask for anything in return. Rebecca lay next to Dan. She gently cupped his face and ran her thumb along his cheek. "How was it?"

"It felt nice," replied Dan just wishing it would all be over. Rebecca smiled and closed her eyes. She appeared to be falling asleep. Dan lay still, not daring to disturb her. Soon enough, her hand fell limp, and her breathing softened. Dan rolled over to face away from her and tried to get comfortable. He wanted to get up and change into something clean, but he feared waking her from leaving the bed. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep and forget anything ever happened.

Dan tossed and turned as silently as he could. He couldn't sleep. The gears in his brain were on full speed. Between finding the files, his talk with his father, and Rebecca's persistence to start being intimate, sleep was something he could only wish for from the deepest wants of his heart. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to forget. He wanted to escape.

He thought about the files hidden under his shoes. What information was in there? Had he managed to grab anything useful or relevant, or had he picked up something worthless?

His father's words echoed in his mind, each time seeming more frightening and threatening. He wondered what he had done to cause his parents to care so little for his wellbeing. Certainly his father knew how upset Dan was about the situation, but he simply didn't care. Dan wondered what was so important that his father would go to such lengths to marry him off to Rebecca, and that his mother would do nothing to help him.

Lastly, his mind sent him to dark places that sent shivers down his spine. Being intimate with Rebecca had been awful. He felt violated. He made it clear that he didn't want to be touched, and she didn't listen. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt, to where he was almost tearing up. He wanted to be left alone; he didn't want to be touched by her again, but he knew it was only going to get worse. The wedding was rapidly approaching, and things between him and Rebecca were going to be forced to go as far as possible. Dan wiped away a tear that was rolling down his cheek. He then turned over, making sure to be as far away from Rebecca as possible. Taking deep breaths, he tried to think about the possibility of the files having something to help him. He prayed that the place called "Tuarium" might be his saving grace.

Morning came, pulling Dan from his dark bliss that kept him hidden from the harsh truth of reality. The sun shined through his large windows, waking both him and Rebecca from their slumbers. Rebecca immediately noticed the large amount of space between her and Dan, and she was not happy about it. Dan could practically feel the irritation, so he closed his eyes and pretended to still be sleeping.

"Daaaaan," whispered Rebecca as she crawled over to her fiancé. She gently nudged his shoulder. "Wake up, love."

"Hm?" Dan made a faux groan and opened his eyes slowly, hoping to sell his act. "Good morning, love."

Rebecca smiled as she draped her arms over Dan and pulled him close. "You seem to move a lot in your sleep. I'll just have to hold on tighter next time." Dan knew she meant it as a cute, couple-like gesture, but it felt almost like a threat. "I should be heading home soon…"

"That's a shame…" whispered Dan sounding disappointed. Thank God! "I guess I'll see you soon though."

"Yeah," Rebecca kissed Dan as she pulled him up to a seated position. "I'll see you soon." She climbed out of bed, grabbed her clothes, and left his room. Dan fell back onto his pillows and threw his fist in the air in triumph. At last, he was alone.

Dan still felt disgusted with the previous night's events, so he quickly got up to take a shower. He finished cleansing himself, and then he sat down, pressing his back to the cold tile wall, and just breathed. Knowing that his time bathing was probably going to be his only alone time for a while, he didn't bother caring about the time or the day's events. He needed to be by himself.

He wasn't sure how much time has passed. All he knew was that he had to escape. There had to be a way to get out. More than that, all he could think about was that he wanted to take Phil and Tracey with him. There was no way he could go and leave them behind. Despite wanting to be locked away in his sanctuary, he knew he wasn't going to make any progress just sitting there.

Slowly, Dan got out of the shower and dressed himself in comfortable clothes. He went to his door, locked it, and then went into his closet. After pulling out the file, he began to read. He couldn't believe his eyes. He read that in 2164 a place called Tuarium was created for those who were made into slaves. The location was a home for the elderly that were kicked to the streets, young children that managed to escape, etc. There was no information regarding its destruction. Dan hoped deeply that it still existed. It would be the perfect place to escape to. Dan decided that when Tracey would arrive, he would tell her all about it.

Dan slipped the file under his shoes just in time. There was a knock at his bedroom door, which caused his heart to pound. Quickly, he got up and ran to the door. Alex was standing in the doorway, which confused Dan immensely.

"Hey, Dan!" she chirped.

Dan blinked a few times, making sure he was seeing things correctly. "Alex? What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you. It's gorgeous out, and Rebecca's hosting a pool party. You should come."

"Uh," Dan bit his bottom lip. "I'm kinda tired. And I—."

"Your mom is in a really bad mood today, by the way," whispered Alex.

"I'll get my swimming trunks."

Alex smiled and walked away. Dan closed his door, locked it, and proceeded to search for swimming trunks in his closet. He settled on a black pair, and changed into them. Then, he selected a white tank, despite his mental protests, and put it on. He would have rather stuck with black, or even grey, but he knew the heat wasn't worth it today. There was a digital clock/thermometer on his wall, which showed it was already getting close to 32 degrees Celsius.

Dan left his home and headed to Rebecca's house. He could already hear the music blasting from her backyard. He walked into her backyard through the gate, and he was immediately greeted by a lot of other young adults that lived nearby. Names played in his head as he said hello to all the familiar faces. Alex, Johnathan, Helen, Joseph, Maria, Brian. . . Dan suddenly realized that though he wasn't close with any of those people, he would still find himself feeling strange not being around them anymore. They had always been kind to him, with the occasional playful banter. He had no reason to dislike any of them.

Dan joined Rebecca, Alex, Johnathan, Helen, and Brian by the side of the pool. Everyone was dipping their feet to keep cool. Dan discarded his tank top, as it was just too damn hot out.

"Watch out everyone!" shouted Brian. He was a built young man with sandy blond hair that was scruffy and always in his eyes, and blue eyes. He had swept Helen off of her feet since age 15. "Howell's showing skin!" Dan reached over and lightly shoved Brian.

"Hey, shut up," he said. "I like my concealing dark clothes."

"A little too much," teased Helen. She had platinum blonde hair that shaped around her face in a nearly perfect pixie cut. Her eyes were hazel and changed color depending on the sunlight. Today, her eyes were as blue as the ocean. "How do you not burn to death in the sun?"

"Because, despite popular belief, I am not in fact a vampire," sassed Dan. Everyone laughed.

"Shut up!" said Helen as she got to her feet. She was about to attempt to push Dan in the pool, but Dan knew what she was up to. Dan swerved the side and stuck out his arm, tripping Helen. She lost her balance and fell into the pool, splashing everyone nearby. Everyone had a good laugh. Dan stopped laughing when he realized his feet were no longer touching the ground. Brian had scooped Dan up into his arms.

"Brian, put me down!" shouted Dan.

"Payback's a bitch!" yelled Brian as he tossed Dan into the water. At that point, Alex, Johnathan, Rebecca, and Brian all jumped in as well. Laughter filled the air as everyone splashed and attempted to get revenge on each other.

Rebecca swam over to the edge of the pool and flagged down a servant. "You! Bring us the water gloves!" she shouted. The servant gave Rebecca a nod and swiftly went to the shed full of outdoor equipment. The server came back with a few gloves that were somewhat robotic. There was an opening at the palm, where water would shoot out. No one was certain where the inspiration for the device came from. They only knew it had been based on a popular media character from centuries in the past. Dan had a love hate relationship with the water gloves. He loved shooting people, and hated being shot. As he put on the glove he felt the side of his face get hit harshly with water. Turning around he spotted Helen, whom had a smirk on her face. Dan retaliated, and shot her right in between the eyes.

An all-out water war broke out, which last about fifteen minutes before everyone started getting tired. They all remained in the pool to keep cool, but Rebecca had one of her servers bring out floating chairs for everyone. The chairs had cup holders, so those who were of drinking age had martinis. Dan was thankful that drinking age was 18.

Rebecca floated over to Dan and held his free hand. Dan did his best to return the gesture and not protest. His thoughts were interrupted by shouting. Helen had hopped on stage and setting up to sing karaoke. The music was turned up, and everyone cheered louder in response.

Dan's smile faded. To any observer, his life was beyond perfect. He had friends, a beautiful fiancée, and he didn't have to have a care in the world. So, why had he been cursed to not be able to love it all? Why was it that he had to care about the servers, and be aware of the wrongness surrounding his home? Most of all, he wondered why he had to be gay.

The pool party lasted long into the night. Alex insisted that they light some fireworks in celebration of Dan and Rebecca's wedding, as it was only roughly two weeks away. Dan's heart raced at the mention of it, but he decided to just try to enjoy the rest of the night.

Brian lit some fireworks by the pool. The sparks shot in all directions and reached roughly eight feet high, illuminating the area with purple and blue hues. As Brian was lighting another firework, a brunet named Joseph started to chase him with a sparking wand. Brian faked a cry of help and ran away. He snatched his own sparkler, lit it, and started sword fighting with Joseph.

The surrounding people laughed, including Dan. Dan wasn't sure why he was so easily enjoying being surrounded by so many people. Normally, he always felt confined and under pressure. He assumed that the constant threats and pent up anxiety were taking their toll, and his mind was actually allowing him to enjoy the company of others for a change.

"Dan!" Rebecca shouted over the music. Dan turned his attention to Rebecca. "Here!" she handed him a white colored sparking wand. "It's a sparkler that will leave a glow in the air. Look!" Rebecca lit a white sparkler and reached out. She then drew a smiling face in the air. The white, glowing face stayed for several seconds before disappearing.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Dan raising his voice to be heard over the music.

Rebecca lightly guided Dan's left arm up, and then she raised her right arm. "Start from the top and draw a heart with me!" Dan lit his sparkler. He really couldn't say no despite feeling awkward. "One, two, three!" Dan and Rebecca moved their arms, creating a half heart shape that met to make a full heart. Rebecca then turned to Dan wrapped her arms around him. She kissed him, happy to know that the heart was above their heads. A few nearby people cheered, making Rebecca blush. Dan pulled away and tried to keep his smile. He felt full of self-hatred. Why couldn't he just be normal?

It was about 2:00 a.m. before Tracey showed up. She didn't bother checking Dan's bed; she went straight out to the balcony. Dan was sat waiting for her. "There you are. I was getting worried."

"Sorry. I wasn't even sure if I would be requested to check on you tonight. Your mother has been frazzled, and with the party at Rebecca's she figured that you would sleep through the night, but I insisted." Tracey bounced in her seat. "Anything with Phil today?"

Dan shook his head, "No, I didn't even see him today."

"Boring! Why am I here then?" Tracey was about to get up when Dan grabbed her arm.

"You're here because I found something," whispered Dan as he handed Tracey the files.

Tracey read through the information. Dan watched her face for signs. She looked equally intrigued, scared, and hopeful. She handed Dan back the files, "It's like chasing a fairy tale…"

"But we have a chance! We can escape. We can go to Tuarium where we'll be safe. We can be free, Tracey. You, me, and…" Dan stopped. He felt strange saying it out loud.

Tracey smiled, "And Phil. Look, Dan, I know you want to help us, but what if there's nothing out there. Then what can we do?"

"There's something there," stated Dan firmly. "They were going to burn this. These men at Becky's house were going to burn all the information about the wars, and this was in the pile to be destroyed. It may be like chasing a fairy tale, but we have one chance. One. I don't know about you, but I have to take it. My wedding is in two weeks, and I can't take it anymore." Dan felt himself on the brink of tears.

Tracey looked sad and concerned. Her eyebrows knit as she sighed. "I'll think about it. And, look, if I decide against it, don't let that stop you. Get Phil, and get out."

"I'm not leaving you here! If you don't go than neither do I."

"So you'd stay here? Marry that assaulting wench and make Phil stay here?"

Dan was taken aback. "H-how do you know about what happened last night?"

"I came from a pretty rough family. I know the look on someone's face when they've been through that. To be honest I wanted to trip her on her way out your house this morning."

"But I haven't seen you all day."

"When you were talking to your dad last night I was on my way to check on you. I caught a glimpse of you and I knew right away." Tracey embraced Dan. "No matter what I decide, you have to leave."

Dan shook his head, "I can't leave the one true friend I have."

Tracey pulled away and huffed. "How would we even escape? I mean someone is almost always awake or busy at some point of the night in this place."

Dan thought for a moment. When would everyone in the community be busy or distracted at the same time? He gasped quietly. "That's it." Tracey looked at Dan with hopefulness. "My wedding! Every person in this whole community will be here in my home in either the ballrooms or guest bedrooms. All we'd have to do is walk out!"

"I have to admit that it sounds like a decent plan," mumbled Tracey. "Again, I'll think about it. Give me one week, and in the meantime, convince Phil."

"Alright, you have a deal."

The next day, Dan was trying to figure out how he was going to convince Phil to escape with him and Tracey. He was also trying to figure out how he was even going to run into Phil. It seemed that Phil had just disappeared. Suddenly dread and worry set in for Dan. What if something happened? Had something happened? Where was Phil? Was he okay?

Dan's head shot up when he heard his door creaking open. As if his prayers had been answered, Phil stepped into the room. Phil closed the door behind him, after pulling in a cart with cleaning supplies, and turned to look at Dan, whom was smiling widely.

"Phil! Oh thank god!" expressed Dan as he walked over to Phil. He wasn't sure what he was going to do or say. He wanted to hug Phil if he was honest with himself, but he knew he couldn't. He was just so relieved. "You can talk, don't worry. I'm glad you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Phil in a dry, neutral tone.

"I don't know…" said Dan now feeling embarrassed and stupid. "Things haven't been right lately."

"Lately?" sassed Phil as he made his way to Dan's bed. He began pulling all of the sheets off of the bed. "Things haven't been right for a very long time."

Dan followed Phil and stood by him, as if trying to show his sincerity. "I know that. I've been finding out more about this country and it's awful. That's why we…"

Phil turned to look at Dan. His expression was curious yet harsh. "We? What's this we? Why do you care about me? I'm a damn slave!"

"Listen to me!" exclaimed Dan as he grabbed Phil's shoulders. Phil flinched and cowered away. Dan was then aware of his intensity. He loosened his grip, but he didn't move. Lowering his voice, he said, "We have a chance to get out of here."

"What are you bloody talking about?" questioned Phil in an almost inaudible whisper.

"I found information at Becky's house that they were going to burn. There's a sanctuary. It's called Tuarium. It's a place for servants that escaped or were kicked to the streets with nowhere to go. We can get out of here."

"You and me?" Phil looked at Dan as if he was insane. Dan frantically nodded yes. Phil shoved Dan's arms away and went back to making Dan's bed, but he moved to the other side. "You're mad."

Dan marched back to Phil, now determined. "Phil!" Dan placed his hand on Phil's shoulder, stopping Phil's actions and making the server look him in the eye. "I'm not mad. It would be me, you, and Tracey." Phil looked at Dan with a confused expression. "The redhead."

"Oh, right. I lose track. I'm too busy remembering the names of the people that can end my life with a snap of their fingers." Phil shoved Dan away and went back to his work. "Now if you could let me do my work before I'm beheaded by your batshit crazy parents, that would be nice."

"I know they're batshit crazy! It seems they're not the only ones either! Becky's parents are also hiding something, and the worst part is that no one even knows something is wrong! I was at a pool party yesterday—."

Phil rolled his eyes. "You make it sound like I care."

Dan narrowed his eyes, "You know I could have anything I want done to you."

"But you won't," stated Phil firmly. "I don't know why, but I know you won't."

"Anyway—."

"No, not anyway! I don't want to hear about your perfect life while I'm stuck here cleaning these sheets, which is disgusting by the way."

"You think I wanted that!" snapped Dan now getting angry. "I was practically assaulted in those sheets! I didn't want her to touch me! I didn't even want her in this room, but between my parents and her not caring, I had to nearly have sex with that woman, and there was no consent, believe me!"

Phil stopped. He looked up at Dan, his expression filled with sorrow. "I…I…"

"Forget it. Just do me a favor and tell the staff I said to burn those sheets." Dan ordered Phil harshly, but it was only because he was fighting back tears. He stormed out of his room, slamming the door behind him, leaving Phil alone. Phil looked down at the sheets in his hands, and he felt horrible. Hearing Dan speak like that actually hurt him and caused him to feel emotional pain…and that scared him.

Dan had spent a few hours out in the garden. He had managed to find a little nook in the garden where he couldn't be easily seen. He hoped that Rebecca wouldn't see him; therefore he'd be left alone. His cheeks were stained with dried tears. Reaching into a pond he splashed water on his face, attempting to wash away the sadness and pain.

Dan's head whipped around when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He sighed in relief when he saw it was just Phil. However, his emotions flared up, and he turned away bitterly. "What?" Phil practically shrunk, but said nothing. "You can fucking talk! For God's sake just speak when you want to around me. As you clearly stated, I won't do anything to hurt you."

"I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have said those things back there. It's not like I know you. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

With a sigh, Dan patted the ground next to him, signaling Phil to sit. Phil sat down next to Dan and waited for a response. Dan took a deep breath, calming his nerves. He knew he couldn't stay angry. "I went to a pool party yesterday, and I noticed that no one seems to have a care in the world."

"Okay?"

Dan bounced his leg, which was draped over the edge of the pond, trying to figure out how to get his message across. "You look at me, and what do you see?"

"The prince?" Phil was only becoming more confused.

Dan chuckled, "Besides my status. As in, what do you see when you see me on a daily basis?"

"A skin sack of stress and anxiety?"

"Thanks…"

Phil then felt guilty, "You asked—!"

"No, no, you're right. And that's the thing. I'm the only one here that is stressed and concerned. What does that tell you?"

"That you're the only person that knows something's wrong?"

"Exactly! Literally every other person around my age acts like the freaking stars are aligned. No one shows any signs of being even remotely concerned about anything. I'm in constant fear of my parents and playing into what they need this world to be. Why isn't anyone else?"

Phil started piecing things together in his mind, which caused his heart beat to quicken. "It's because no one else knows they're playing into what the older generation needs this world to be."

"Right."

"Okay…" Phil trailed off trying to think of what to say. "So what? What can we do?"

"We get the hell out of here; that's what we do!" exclaimed Dan as if the answer was obvious. Phil was about to speak, but Dan cut him off, "No, hear me out. My wedding night, every person in the community will be in my home, and they'll stay there through the night. All we'll have to do is meet up at one of the more isolated exits, and leave."

Phil licked his lips unconsciously, pondering the idea. "What if that place…uh…"

"Tuarium."

"Tuarium. What if that place doesn't exist anymore?"

"Then we'll figure something out. It's better than staying here."

"For you maybe. You can't stay here and be used your whole life, but for someone like me, leaving is dangerous."

"You're being used too! Don't you want to be free from this place?"

"Of course I do! I've been working as a slave here for six years. I want to leave more than anything, but I don't know if it's worth the risk."

"So you'd rather stay here and die a used human being, rather than take a chance at actually getting the hell out of here?"

Phil huffed. "When you put it like that you make me sound insane."

"There may or may not be a reason for that." Dan scooted closer to Phil. "Please?" His next instinct was to take Phil's hand, but he resisted. He didn't know why he felt the need to be close to Phil. Perhaps it was to show that he was being honest. He wanted Phil to see. "Tracey will be on board if you are, and it's in less than two weeks."

Phil looked down and stared at his reflection in the pond. All of a sudden he began having flashbacks of his childhood. He remembered shopping with his mother and Martyn. Memories of the few good days played in his mind. He remembered building a fort of snow in the backyard when he was a child. He and Martyn had created a fortress to hide behind while attacking their father, whom played the evil abominable snowman. Mr. Lester had always played the bad guy for Phil and Martyn when they played pretend. Phil missed his father.

Slowly, more memories came to Phil. He recalled the time that he was sick, and Martyn took care of him while their mother was working overtime to earn extra points. Phil had forgotten how much he truly missed Martyn. Then, he realized how hard his mother had taken losing his brother, which is why she worked so hard to keep Phil safe. Phil felt tears pricking at his eyes. His mother had worked so hard just to have Phil taken away only a few years later…just like Martyn. Phil realized that if he had a chance to escape, he owed it to his whole family to take it.

"Okay," he said.

"Now just—wait," Dan turned to Phil with a look of shock. "What?"

"Okay. I'll go. When will we leave?"

Dan had to take a moment to reorganize his thoughts, which had been scrambled by Phil's unexpected response. "Uh. The ceremony starts at 6:00 p.m. and the reception is at 8:00 p.m."

"A two hour ceremony?" Phil laughed. "That sucks, mate."

"You have no idea," said Dan with a shake of his head. "Though it's mainly because Rebecca will probably be late, so the actual ceremony will probably be closer to an hour."

"Still, you have to just stand there and look at her happily waiting to be wedded. That's a real shitty day."

"It's going to be a very shitty day, which is why the second it's over we'll leave. The reception starts at 8:00 p.m., and I'll probably have to stay until at least midnight or 1:00 a.m. I'm going to assume a good time to meet you and Tracey would be around 3:00 a.m., just to be safe."

"Alright," Phil tried to imagine the layout of Dan's home in his mind. "Which exit?"

Dan huffed. "Damn, that's actually a hard decision. I'm trying to think of which exit would be the safest get away."

"Oh!" Phil almost jumped, causing Dan to actually jump. "The kitchen exit!" Dan looked confused, making Phil roll his eyes. "In the kitchen there's a back door where we take out the garbage. We can get out through there. It's dark, nobody goes out there, and it leads to plenty of back roads that we can use to get the hell out of here without being seen."

Dan started to smile. "Phil, you're a genius!" Without thinking he embraced Phil. Phil was stunned for a moment, but he returned the gesture for a moment before pulling away. "Okay, I'll talk to Tracey tonight and fill her in on everything."

"Sounds good." Phil glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. "I have got to go. I'm going to be late to clean the west wing's toilets." Phil stood to his feet and straightened his uniform.

Dan stood up as well. "If they ask, just say I asked you to bring me a drink and then sent it back because I changed my mind and wanted something different."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm the prince. They're not going to get angry with me for wanting the right drink for my hankering."

"Good point. Okay, let me know tomorrow what we're going to do for sure."

"Will do."

Phil took off jogging towards his destination. Dan plopped back down into a seated position and sighed heavily. He didn't know how he did it, but he had actually convinced Phil to leave with him and Tracey. Now all he had to do was let Tracey know that everything was set in stone.

The entire night passed by, and Tracey never showed up. Dan's stomach was in knots. He thought he might vomit. Pacing in his room, he was contemplating what to do. It was early morning, which meant his father was probably golfing down the road. Dan decided to just go ask his father what happened to Tracey. All he had to do was make it sound like he was upset that a servant hadn't done her job.

Dan walked down the road and entered the golf course through a steel gate. The gate moaned loudly, catching a couple of people's attention. Dan smiled awkwardly and swiftly fled. Eventually he found his father and approached him.

"Daniel," said Mr. Howell as he swung his club, sending a golf ball flying into the air. "Hook shot. Damn." He turned to face Dan. "What brings you out here?"

"Um," Dan could hear his heart beat in his ears. "Normally a servant comes in my room in the middle of the night. Red hair, Tracey, I think, and I was wondering why she didn't show last night. I usually have her bring me something to drink, since I don't feel like getting up, and I was just a bit irritated that she never showed."

Mr. Howell looked Dan dead in the eyes without flinching. Something in Dan's gut told him that his father wasn't buying into a single piece of his story.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," said Mr. Howell with a sigh. "But you'll have to assign someone else to do that for you from now on."

Now Dan was certain he was going to hurl. "What? What happened?" he asked trying to sound curious.

"We discovered that she was a…I don't know what your generation calls it. A dyke?" Mr. Howell rolled his eyes. "Either way. She's a homosexual, and we don't take lightly to that kind of sickness. She clearly wasn't going to do anything to benefit society, and we don't really need her here. She's gone."

Dan's entire world came crashing down. He knew that almost everything that Mr. Howell had said was a lie. They didn't get rid of her solely because of her sexuality. Yes, that was part of it, but Dan knew that they were searching for servants left and right, which is why they cut her time short in the first place. They didn't discard her because she served no purpose. Mr. Howell was sending Dan a very real, very clear message.

"Is something wrong, Daniel?" asked Mr. Howell sounding genuinely concerned.

"Nothing," replied Dan nonchalantly. "I don't have a care in the world."