Chapter 9 - The Royal Mark (Posted 2 April 2011)

A/N: Again, thank you for so many reviews! And I know this might seem a little random, but if you're looking for a roommate and you live in Pennsylvania or knows someone who does, let me know.

James woke up as the bright sun shined through the windows. He never even realized he fell asleep. He thought Kendall would still be asleep beside him, but he didn't feel anyone there. He looked and felt around but after a few minutes he admitted to himself that Kendall had left.

He's probably back with his family, he thought. Should I go see how they're doing? James nodded to himself and quickly went to the servant quarters.

"Kendall?" He asked, peering inside their room. "Logan? Carlos? Hello?"

"James!" Kendall came running from the back of the home and barreled into James, hugging him tightly. "Your father paid to have my mother and sister treated! They're already doing so much better!"

"They are? That's wonderful." James said happily. "I'm so glad they're going to be ok."

Suddenly the two other brothers also came running and joined in the hug.

"James, we were hoping you'd come!" Carlos shouted.

"Yeah, how can we ever thank you?" Logan asked.

"Don't worry about it. Just knowing I was able to help is enough." James barely choked the words out as the three brothers squished him.

Kendall pulled away and stared at James. "You... you did this?"

"I wasn't going to mention it..." James said shyly. He'd wanted to just let Kendall think it was some kind of miracle. But seeing the smile that made its way across Kendall's face put his mind at ease.

"Why not? James... I don't know what to say..."

"That's why. I didn't want to take the attention away from your family."

"You know what..." Kendall said proudly. "I don't think you really changed, James."

"What?" How could he say a thing like that about me?

"I don't think you were ever a bad kid." Kendall explained. "I think this caring person was in there this whole time, you just needed someone to help you realize it."

"I don't know... I was pretty bad..."

"You were, but I think if you were truly a brat you wouldn't have learned so quickly. It's like you haven't really learned anything new except for how to access your caring nature."

"Even if that's true..." James said, even though he doubted it, "I still couldn't have done it without you, Kendall. You're the first friend I ever had. And thanks to you, I get to be the King one day."

"Really?" Kendall asked with a little sadness in his voice. "I'm happy for you, James..."

"Hey... if you're happy, why do you sound so sad?"

"Um, I'd rather answer that question in private." Kendall whispered.

James looked at Kendall's brothers. "Would you mind if I took him away for a few minutes?"

They shook their heads.

James brought Kendall back to his room. "Now, tell me why you're sad. It's true what your brothers said; when you cry, everyone around you starts crying."

"Because they pity me. But that's not what I want to talk about. James... when this all started, I knew that our friendship was pretend. I accepted it, thinking everything could just go back to normal once it was over. But it can't. I've come to care about you a lot, James. I have lots of friends, but you showed me a friendship beyond casual acquaintanceships. I... I don't know if you're thinking the same thing or not but... I don't want to stop being your friend. I mean, of course there isn't anything I can do if you'd rather have me never speak to you again..."

"I don't want that." James said. "I've been worrying about the same thing. I know we were just thrown together but... this friendship is real. It feels that way, anyway. But I wouldn't know since I've never had a friend before..."

"You'd really like to keep me as a friend?"

"Absolutely."

"Wow. That makes it that much harder..."

"What?"

"I didn't plan for this. I convinced myself you would rather forget about me once your parents gave you what you wanted." Kendall said softly.

"Kendall... that kind of hurts. I wouldn't do anything so selfish. It's true that that's what I wanted in the beginning... but you changed me. I would never..."

"Please stop." Kendall begged as he started crying wildly. "I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"I... I never planned on staying..."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." James lied.

"Well... all this time I thought you would just want to forget about me. So I worked out this plan... to escape. I knew I'd be sent to the Far Village..."

"Oh, Kendall please don't cry. There's something I have to tell you. Mother and Father said they'll take you wherever you want! They won't force you to go to the Far Village..."

"So? Whether it's to the Far Village or to the Orphan Village, they're still going to exile me from the castle! And I don't want that!"

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

"I do. But don't you understand? I don't want to be sent there. I want to go there. On my own terms. I want to make it there by my own sweat. It won't mean anything if I'm just sent there. That's why I'm going to run away."

"Run away? You can't run away! You have to stay here. I won't let you leave! I'll have the guards watch every exit. I'll..."

"James. Do you care about me?"

"What a stupid question..."

"Just answer it." Kendall insisted.

"Yes, I do. So will you please..."

"If you care about me, you'll let me go!"

"That doesn't make any sense at all. I want you here, by my side, throwing mud at me and hugging me."

"But if I stay here... people will only be unhappy. It'd be so much easier for everyone if I wasn't here. One less kid to keep track of. One less mouth to feed. I don't earn my keep, so it's not like they'd be losing a valuable worker."

"Kendall, that isn't true!"

"But it is! Face it, I'm hopeless here, James. Even if I would discover a useful skill, it's too late. Everyone already expects me to fail, so no one will give me a chance. But it's different out there. Outside the castle, no one knows me! I can learn a skill and build a reputation. I can have a life I can be proud of. No one will know I was just a servant or that I was destined for the Far Village. No one will know I have no father. It's an opportunity I just can't pass up."

"I can't let you go."

"What do you expect me to do?" Kendall pleaded. "Sit around and watch while everyone but me lives a meaningful life?"

"You're just a kid! The meaning of your life is just to be happy."

"But I'm not happy."

"You're not?"

"No. But I would be if I ran away."

"You're not going to change your mind?" James asked through his own tears.

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Ok. I won't stop you. I'll even help you make it safely to the outside. But on two conditions."

"Which are?"

"Let me give you some money. Not enough to draw attention to yourself, just enough to get you through the first few weeks."

"I guess I can't object to that." Kendall said absently. "What's the second one?"

"Let me put my royal mark on your arm."

"Royal mark?" Kendall looked doubtful.

"It's a crest designed specifically to mark my reign. See, I have it on my wrist." James pulled back the sleeve on his left arm to reveal a raised image. "It hurts for a while, but it goes away."

"How do you put it on?"

"There's a branding rod with a stamp on the end of it. The stamp has hundreds of tiny spikes on it in the shape of the crest. They get it really hot and dip it in the ink quick, and then they press it into your skin." James unconsciously rubbed his mark. "The ink is permanently imbedded into your skin. And the heat burns your skin so much and so rapidly that it scars it, leaving a raised area to amplify the crest."

"Why do you want to do that to me?"

"In case you would ever decide to come back. Kendall, once you're out there, I can't guarantee I'll be able to get you back in, even if you tell us who you are. If you escape... it's like you don't exist anymore. If you would ever want to come back to... to visit your family or friends... all you'd need to do is show your mark to any soldier or member of the guard and you will be escorted inside immediately."

"It sounds really painful."

"It is. But if you don't do it, I'll make sure you never make it past the gates. I'm serious, Kendall. I don't want you to leave, but if you do this, it'll be easier for me."

"Ok. If it'll make you happy, I'll do it."