Chapter 8 - Slave Plague (Posted 1 April 2011)

A/N: This speedy update is to say "thank you" to all you wonderful reviewers! I'm thrilled to have such an immediate response to a chapter so here is chapter 8! And to address the age/romance issue, they should be around 8 or 9 by now, somewhere around there because i haven't outlined an exact timeline. It's been a few months or so since Kendall was forced to become James's teacher. And even though there might be some sweetness, they're not forming any kind of romantic relationship yet. They're strictly in the friendship stage at this point lol. The romance will come when they're older (about a chapter or two in the future). Hope that helped :D

It's been a little over a week since Kendall's visit with his family and he was missing them badly. James had insisted that he still needed Kendall, but he hadn't done anything close to wrong since then. Sure, he pouted a little bit and complained about his lessons, but those were normal. Kendall accepted them without worry and assured James that he should be fine on his own now. But James was adamant so Kendall had agreed to stay a little while longer just to be completely sure.

They had just spent the morning in the courtyard being entertained by the Gustavo the Jester. He juggled and told jokes and the boys laughed with him until he was summoned by the King and Queen.

They were talking in the garden when they were approached by a messenger. "Prince James and Kendall Knight, carrier Bitters requesting permission to approach."

"Permission granted." James said. "What message do you have for us?"

"The healer Hollywood has requested Kendall's presence at the Knight residence immediately."

"Healer? What's going on?" Kendall stood and asked the messenger.

"I know not the nature of his call, but he has been there since last night." the carrier replied.

"Oh no..." Kendall looked over at James, who was also staring worriedly at Kendall. "James... can we please go see what's happening?"

"Of course..." He put a hand on Kendall's shoulder. Then he looked at the message carrier. "You are dismissed."

The messenger bowed his head and trudged away.

James expected Kendall to start running towards the servant quarters, but he just stood still.

"Kendall... I thought you wanted to go..."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared. You won't know how bad it is until you get there. We need to hurry!" James knew that Kendall's fear for his family was probably paralyzing him, so he took it upon himself to get his friend moving. He grabbed both his hands and started pulling him desperately into the castle. He ran as fast as he could, pulling Kendall behind him. "Here, you go inside."

"I can't!" Kendall was crying now, big tears were plopping onto the stone floor.

"You have to! Whoever is sick wanted you to be there! You have to go in!

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone. This is your family, they want to see you!" James tried to push Kendall into the room, but he wouldn't budge.

"I won't go in unless you come with me!"

"But... but... they're not my family..."

"So? I don't want to go in there all by myself, James. Please! Are you my friend or not!"

I don't know! "Fine. Go, I'm right behind you."

Kendall nodded sadly and entered his family's dwelling. He was ambushed by his brothers.

"Kendall!" Logan ran to him frantically. "We've been waiting for you!"

"Yeah," Carlos panted, "Mom and Katie are really sick. We don't know what to do. We called the healer and he's been here trying to treat them but they're not getting any better!"

"Where's the healer?"

"In Mom and Katie's room."

"Come on, James." Kendall said, forcing James to come with him as they walked further into the home. They walked through what appeared to be a tiny living room and into an even tinier bedroom. Mrs. Knight was laying on an undersized hay mat, sweating and barely breathing, while the healer was bent over a cradle where James assumed Katie was laying.

"Healer Hollywood!" Kendall cried. "What's wrong with them?"

"I'm not sure." the healer said, not looking up from the cradle. Healer Hollywood was the resident medical expert who treated the servants. "I think it might be Slave Plague."

"What is that?" the three brothers asked.

James surprised everyone by answering before the doctor. "It's an unexplainable sickness that infects servants. Mostly women and children. Nobody knows what it comes from, but if that is what it is, we all risk catching it."

"How do you know that?" the healer asked the Prince.

"It was my science lesson not too long ago." James answered.

"Well, you're exactly right. The exposed children should leave these quarters immediately. I'm putting this room under quarantine."

"We don't have anywhere to go!" Logan protested.

"The other families won't let us near them." Carlos said, scared.

"You can come with me." James offered. He would do anything to protect Kendall, and by extension, his brothers as well.

"I'm not leaving them!" Kendall said stubbornly.

"Kendall, you have to!" James shouted. Since when have I become the voice of reason in this relationship?

"No!" Kendall yelled at him. "You made me come here! I can't leave now!"

"Kendall, you can't get sick!" James was so worried. The Slave Plague was deadly not only to servants, anyone could catch it.

"Why not? It's probably better if I do!"

"Don't say that!" James shouted.

"Kendall, come on!" Carlos pleaded.

"Mom would want us to go! We're not leaving without you." Logan said as he tried to pull him.

Kendall grabbed onto the frame of the door. "No! Just go! I wanna stay!"

James looked to Kendall's brothers. "Come on," he told them, "if we all pull him, we can carry him out."

"Right." Logan and Carlos agreed.

All three boys grabbed Kendall's arms and legs and pried him off the door. They ran as they carried him away, hoping to give him no chance of getting back.

"No! Put me down! Please put me down!" Kendall cried loudly.

"We can go to my room and wait for the healer to come talk to us." James said as he lead the way. Kendall kicked and screamed the whole way.

When they finally made it to James's room, they put Kendall on the floor and held him down. He tried to fight them off, but he wasn't strong enough to overpower the three of them.

Finally, he gave up. He laid back on the hard floor and let out loud cries that echoed throughout the room.

"Kendall, we'll let go of you if you promise not to run away." Logan offered.

Kendall just whimpered and nodded. The three boys took their weight off of him and he sat up, putting his head between his knees. He continued to sob.

"Kendall please don't cry." Carlos said, wrapping his arms around him.

"When you cry, everyone starts to cry." Logan said through his own tears.

Even James was busy wiping the salty drops out of his eyes.

"Aren't you worried about them?" Kendall asked softly.

"Of course we are." Logan said. "But healer Hollywood is taking care of them. They're going to be ok."

"Yeah, he'll fix them right up." Carlos said. "Right, James?"

"Um..." What should I tell them? James didn't know what was the right thing to do. He knew lying was bad, but for a time like this, was it ok? He never really paid attention in his lessons, but the Slave Plague story had been scary. Horrible images had been etched into his brain, so he knew how the sickness worked. He knew that there was no way a servant healer would have the means to cure such a violent disease. Their mother and sister were as good as dead. But should he tell them that? Should he tell them what to expect or let them have some hope? He didn't want to see any of them hurt, but no matter what he said, they were going to be hurt anyway.

"James?" Kendall looked up and silently begged for an answer.

"I... I'm sorry... but there isn't anything your healer can do for them..." James said sadly.

"What?" All three brothers asked with eyes full of horror.

"Please don't be mad at me." James cried. "I wish I could tell you that they're going to be fine but... I don't want to lie to you and have you be more hurt later... I..."

Kendall looked down and stayed silent while the other boys just watched him. What were they to do?

James was the only one who thought to get down on his knees and hug Kendall. "I'm sorry."

"You're not supposed to be sorry for things you didn't do." Kendall said, his teacher-mode kicking in.

"But I am. I'm sorry this is hurting you."

Kendall relented and wrapped his arms around James as well. He cried on James's shoulder for a few minutes until he fell asleep.

"He's asleep." James whispered. "Someone help me grab him and lift him onto the bed."

Both Carlos and Logan helped James lift Kendall's slack body onto the big bed.

"James... are Mom and Katie really..." Carlos couldn't finish.

"I'm sorry." James said again. "If there was anything I could do..." James froze. Of course there was something he could do! He was the Prince! "I might be able to help..."

"How?" Logan said, looking for any shred of hope he could hold onto.

"We'll have to go talk to my mother and father."

"How is that going to help?" Logan asked.

"Just come with me." James said, not waiting for them to follow.

The two boys caught up to him and followed James into the throne room.

"James, darling!" the Queen squealed with delight. When she saw her son come closer with his face streaked with tears, she gasped. "James, what's going on?"

"Mother, please... you have to help..."

"James," the King bellowed, "we told you, you are to do things on your own! We will not help you with anything!"

"It's not me!" James said. "It's Kendall... his mother and sister are deathly ill. They have Slave Plague! The self-proclaimed healer is doing his best, but his skills and supplies are insufficient. They're going to die!"

"What do you expect us to do about it?" the Queen asked lightly.

"Have the Royal Medicine Man treat them! Please! I'm begging you." James fell to his knees and clasped his hands above his head. "These are his brothers. You don't want them to lose their mother, do you? And their sister is just an infant! Besides, you promised Kendall you would take care of his family if he promised to teach me how to be a better person. You have to honor your word!"

"Very well." the King said quickly. "Guards, fetch the Royal Medicine Man and escort him to the servant quarters. Tell him we will pay whatever amount he asks in order to save the woman and her daughter. And have him check every other tenant and treat them if they show signs of having caught the disease."

"Thank you, Father!" James shouted.

"Thank you, sir!" the brothers bowed.

"No need to thank me, children. It is my job as your master to make sure you are all happy and healthy. Please, go back to your family when the medicine man arrives." the King told them.

Carlos and Logan bowed their heads and ran from the room, eager to go back to their mother and sister.

"James," the Queen addressed him, "could we have a word?"

"Yes, Mother." James answered quietly.

"You know, impulsiveness is not a good trait in a ruler."

"Yes, Mother, I know, but..."

"However," the Queen smiled, "being able to make decisions in pressing times is very a very rare and honorable quality."

"And," the King declared proudly, "putting the needs of your people ahead of yourself will earn you much respect and trust. Caring about your subjects, including those who live to serve you, is a necessity."

"What are you saying...?" James asked.

The King beamed. "We're saying, you've become quite a charming heir to my throne."

"You mean it? I get to be King?" James said excitedly. There were still traces of tears on his face, but they made his eyes sparkle.

"Yes. When you come of age, you will become the King." his mother told him happily.

"This is wonderful!" James jumped. "But... what about Kendall?"

"He'll be allowed to go back with his family." the King said.

James pursed his lips and stared at his parents. "Is it true that you plan to send him to the Far Village?"

"I'm afraid that is what the other servants have recommended." the Queen answered sadly.

"Please don't send him there."

"What? Why not?" the King asked. "You question my authority?"

"No... but yes... Father, please! Kendall doesn't want to go to the Far Village!"

"But... he won't do well as a servant..." the King said pensively. "No one will take him as an apprentice, and we hear he's not very smart..."

"Why does everyone say that? Kendall is just as intelligent as anyone! He just... he doesn't know his place... I mean... he doesn't know what he's good at. But, I've been teaching him how to read, and he's really taken to it. Though... I don't know how much he'll be able to learn once he goes back to his family."

"James, you've really grown." his mother said fondly. "It's obvious you care about this boy. We don't want to send him to the Far Village if you don't think that's best. And we certainly don't want to see you lose a friend. What would you like us to do?"

"We could offer to let him stay as a guest." the King suggested. "That way he could stay as long as he likes and..."

"No." James sighed. "He doesn't want to stay here either."

"He doesn't?" the Queen was confused. "I thought you were friends?"

"Well... we are... but he wants to go to the Orphan Village."

"And you'd let him?" the Queen asked. "Wouldn't you rather have him stay here?"

"Obviously. But he wants to go to the Orphan Village. Will you please take him there instead of sending him to the Far Village?"

"If you think that would be better for him, then of course we will." The Queen was so happy that her son had finally found a friend. "You're a good little boy, James. You and Kendall are both very lucky to have each other as friends."

"Yeah." James was sad. He still wasn't sure if Kendall was really his friend or not. He was pretty sure he was just afraid to admit it because James was the Prince, but James didn't care about that anymore. Kendall had shown him that status didn't matter when it came to friendship. "Um... Mother?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You're friends with Kendall's mother, right?"

"I most certainly am."

"Is that why you wanted me to have one of her sons help me?"

"It is. I try to maintain friendly relationships with all the servants, but Mrs. Knight has become a dear friend of mine. And I thank you for informing me of her illness, it was very noble of you and saved me much grief."

"You're welcome, Mother. Mrs. Knight is very kind. I hope they can save her..."

"I'm sure they're doing all they can, son." the King assured him. "Now, you've had a very tiring day, I assume. Why don't you go rest? I'll have someone inform you of the result as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Father." James bowed and left the throne room. He returned to his own bedroom and noticed Kendall was still asleep on his bed. He figured his brothers must have been in such a hurry to check on the girls that they forgot to wake him. But he was glad. This meant he had a little more time with him.

He climbed up into the bed and laid next to his sleeping friend. What would happen after he was allowed to go back to his family? Would he want to stay James's friend? Would they still play together? Would he still want James to teach him to read? Or would it just stop? Would Kendall continue to say that this was just for the sake of changing James? He didn't want that. Kendall was the only one who'd ever taken the time to get to know him. And he'd done the same for Kendall. That's what friends do, right? And once they've helped each other, it doesn't just end there. Does it?