this will be a shorter chapter but it's kind of really important so yeah um hope you like this one. very much cannon.
Dan lifted the princess from where she was curled up in front of the candle and carried her out of the room. He wasn't worried about putting out any of the lights; the night servants would do that later.
He stepped outside, stopping to let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the corridor.
The regular hubbub of the castle had been replaced with a smooth silence. Though shadows danced across the walls, Dan was smart enough to recognize that they simply came from the lights.
Few were awake at this hour, besides the night guards. Most days one would be expected to carry a single candle for light, so as not to waste wax. Dan suspected Phil had told the servants to keep the candles lit so that it would be easier to see.
He dropped the princess off in her room, where the nanny put her to bed. Somehow, they managed not to wake Daniella up during the transfer.
Dan made his way through the castle, knowing which way to go only by which passageways were filled with candles. The ones that weren't lit were eerily dark. The moon was covered by clouds, leaving the empty spaces filled with an inky blackness so thick that even glancing at it sent shivers down Dan's spine.
Normally he considered himself to be more logical than average, too knowledgeable to believe in the silly myths of devils and witches. And yet, when the lights were dimmed and the sun slept...it was hard not to worry about what might be hidden around the corner.
The wind started to bite at Dan's face the moment he stepped out the door. He shivered, wishing he had thought to grab the cloak Phil had given him.
Outside, the stars gave off a faint light. The moon came out from behind the cloud and pooled around the garden, illuminating the frost-covered flowers and giving everything a strange sort of glow.
Dan could see the outline of a tall, skinny figure standing under a leafless tree. The figure raised his hand in acknowledgement, beckoning Dan to his side.
He couldn't help but feel uneasy as he made his way over. They were in plain view of the bedrooms; if anyone looked out and saw them, it would be hard to explain what the prince was doing in the garden past nightfall. Even harder to explain why the prince was joined by his butler.
Phil's smile was barely visible in the dark. He seemed nervous, hands tapping against his leg nervously. "Hello, Dan," he greeted, "I was wondering if you'd actually come."
The prince had changed into a simple black tunic and pants. Dan supposed it was a wise move; that way, anyone would be hard-pressed to see him. He only wished he had thought to do that same.
He was sure it wouldn't matter any; the lights were beginning to go out, as visible through the windows. Only a few servants could be seen moving about inside. Any sane person, much less a member or guest of the royal family, would be long asleep by now.
"I said I would."
The words fell into the air. Dan could almost imagine the crash as they hit the grass booming through the silence.
Phil coughed into his fist. "I suppose," he said, drawing out the vowel, "you'd like to know what I was talking about earlier. And why I asked you here tonight."
"That would be nice."
"Dan..." The prince shook his head, running a hand through his dark hair. "Do you know why my father ordered my last butler to be killed?"
Dan guessed the question to be rhetoric. After all, no one had so much as been allowed to attend the execution.
Sure enough, Phil didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "His name was Carlton. He had sun-blond hair and eyes so blue that when I looked in them I felt like I was drowning."
Dan knew the feeling.
"He had been my butler since we were both thirteen. He was also my best friend. Servants...well, we aren't supposed to get close to them. That's always been my worst mistake. My father's, too; just look at Daniella. So when he saw how much I cared for Carlton..."
"He killed him." Dan whispered, barely able to breath through the sudden pain in his chest.
The king wasn't well known for his kindness and generosity. He rarely left his study, instead choosing to take his meals in his room. There were legends as to why, of course. Some said his face was horribly deformed from a hunting accident, leaving him too ashamed to be see by anyone other than his usual butlers and servants. Others thought he was so paranoid of being assassinated that he was glued to his bed with fear.
Whatever the reason, it was commonly known that the kingdom was run mainly by a group of corrupt advisers. All the king did was order or sign orders for needless executions and host balls he didn't even attend.
Phil nodded. "Since then, you may have noticed, many have avoided the position as my butler. I didn't expect them to find anyone new for the job that I would actually enjoy the company of. The few men that did try out the job I pushed away to the point where they all quit. I think a week was the longest any could hold out for.
"And then, one day you pop into my life, with your little brown curls and ironic comments and I find myself drowning again. Not in blue, but in brown. In mud that makes me cough and cry and unable to breath because I just know how this is going to end. But, through it all, I just want you to stay. Since Carlton, you're the first person I've ever wanted to stay."
"I would never leave you."
The words were out before Dan could think to stop them.
Now, knowing Phil's history, he knew what he should do. What he had to do, really-turn away. End this conversation where it lay and let all the unsaid words die. They needn't be spoken. He should go to the head butler and resign. Leave this palace and Daniella and his house, because of that goddamn tavern next to it, and everything that would ever remind him of the prince and run. Take his siblings, and run.
That had always been his reason for living. His reason for being able to gather up the will to go on. He had to keep his siblings alive.
But he didn't, because Dan saw how much pain was in Phil's eyes, and felt how much pain he carried himself. Because he couldn't imagine a life without this boy in it, even after only two short months. Because all of a sudden Phil was kissing him, they way a boy should kiss a girl and a girl should kiss a boy, but also how a boy now kissed him. And because in that moment, Phil wasn't the prince and Dan wasn't the butler. They were just two boys together on the lawn, where ice was turning their ears red and dew was soaking through their boots. Boys who just so happened to have a relationship that went past server and servee.
They pulled apart with wide grins, forgetting for a moment just how horrible this situation truly was. Both were blissfully unaware of the man who had been watching them through it all.