Chapter 3 - Familiarity

Revised Edition: 4/18/2015 10:42 am GMT+8

Hiccup was startled. Rock, the size of a watermelon, tumbled down from the mouth of the cove's passageway.

Hastily, he stood, hiding behind Toothless.

"Who's there!?"

There's no way that rock moved on its own. The earth is dry and the rock formation is solidly formed. It could only be the fault of a thing that moves. But knowing how secluded his secret cove was, Hiccup suspected the only person who knew of this place other than him.

"M-Merida? Is that you?"

For only Merida would get a kick of laughter from scaring him. And he hoped he was right. The princess' presence is more favourable than a murderous bandit.

While he waited for the perpetrator to surrender, Hiccup dressed briskly. The moment he was completely dressed, albeit drenched, Toothless walked away and inspected the mouth of the passageway.

"Who's there, bud?" Hiccup asked, loud enough for the horse to hear.

Toothless galloped lightly, shaking its snout.

"No one?"

And Toothless walked back to him, nuzzling his cheek in comfort.

In return, Hiccup rubbed his friend's snout. "Haha, I think too much, don't I?" He glanced back at the water, thoughts of going back for a swim felt unfavorable. Hiccup surveyed for something else to do and saw the stick nearby. Grabbing the wooden stick, he sat on a big rock and began scribbling on the soil.

Toothless watched from behind, eyes following each stroke.

When the image was close to completion, the warhorse neighed.

"You recognize it, bud?" Hiccup glanced back, meeting eyes with his bestfriend.

The horse neighed more vigorously, galloping his hooves in the process.

"Yep! It's home." Down the soil, the simplistic sketch of Haddock's fortress was shown. Although Hiccup was gifted with the ability to draw, the image he made of their former castle puts the real architecture to shame. "… It looks a bit… lame, huh?"

Shamelessly, Toothless nodded.

"Wow, thanks. You're so honest."

The horse snorted, making Hiccup roll his eyes.

"Bud, do you miss it?"

The sadness in Hiccup's eyes was blatantly shone. Toothless, sensitive of his master's grief, comforted the boy the way he knew –a tail whip to the back of his head.

"OW!" Hiccup rubbed to soothe the nonexistent pain. "What was THAT for?"

Noise, close to laughter, was the horse's reply.

"Oh, I see…" Hiccup took on a condescending tone. "THAT made you happy."

Toothless didn't even feel the slightest bit of remorse. Worse, his laughter turned louder which to Hiccup's dismay, was rather infectious. Soon enough, the freckled boy was laughing along.

Hiccup hoped moments like this lasts. Unfortunately, everything has to pass, for the reminder of his bitter past was close to the gates of the place he now called home.

Pitch wasted no second in chastising the newly-arrived prince.

Everyone is surprised. Not because of the words Pitch threw on the troublesome young man but more on the uncharacteristic obedience that the young prince was showing.

And by obedience, it meant standing still with lips tight shut.

Once the Lord had enough, he maneuvered his horse to the front of their troupe, signalling the start of their run.

Jack rode beside his twin and friend, who were looking at him in disbelief.

"What?"

Jackson decided to speak for him and Jamie. "Are you alright? You're awfully quiet, Jack."

"… I'm alright. I was just thinking."

"Thinking!?" The two brown-haired men chorused.

"Did my brother hit his head?"

Jamie blinked, holding his chin in thought. "I didn't see any injury when I found him in the woods. But if he's acting this … weird then something wrong must've happened to him."

"What's so weird about me?" Jack asked with his jaw hanging open.

The two looked at him; as if saying he's pretty dumb.

"You are thinking!" Jamie shrugged.

"HEY!" Jack realized the insult. "I do think!"

"Then, the end of the world must be near." The brown-haired men chorused.

Jack dangled his tongue, pulling the bags of his eyes with a finger; a perfect mimic of a kid's taunt. At least, that action was something the two were used to.

"Kidding aside, something's up with you. I'm sure of it." Jackson informed.

Jamie nodded, supporting the crown prince's claim. "The way you allowed yourself to be scolded by the Lord is highly suspicious too."

"Scolded? Me? By who?" Jack raised a brow in disbelief. He was not scolded. There's no way he'd allow himself in such a spot with Pitch as the disciplinarian, no less.

The two shared another look. This time, it was genuinely out of concern.

"… seriously, what's the matter with you?" Jamie waited for his answer.

Jack only replied with a wave of dismissal. The answer would have to wait, then. The two thought.

Pregnant silence took over the rest of the trip and the moment they stepped foot inside Dunbroch's territory, the spell was broken and the joy showered in.

Lively, the crowd greeted them. Curtsies and bows were done as they passed. Most ladies swooned upon seeing the princes and blushed furiously when their greetings were returned with blinding smiles.

Jamie got attention as well. If he donned a crown atop his head, more would've swooned for him.

But as thrilled as they were upon seeing three good-looking men, the townsfolk were a bit stumped with Pitch. The Lord's annoyance showed as bright as day, making the townspeople feel unease.

Secretly, Pitch appreciated the welcome despite receiving the same from the other kingdoms he visited. However, the colourful tapestries and decorations the town had, placed a temporary scowl on his face for the cheery atmosphere was never up to his impeccable tastes.

The hype died down when they reached the castle's gates. They trotted in and stopped when they see the royal family of Dunbroch approach them by feet.

As a show of respect, the riders went down their horses. The fearlings bowed while the royals of Overland approached them unhurriedly.

"It's a pleasure to have you accepted our sudden presence, your Majesties." Pitch nodded to the King and kissed the hand of the Queen and Princess.

Merida hid her disdain when the twin princes followed suit.

"As it is our pleasure tah have yers." The Queen's voice was thick with accent.

Tension arose in the air and Jamie seemed to be the only one who noticed it. Perhaps, it had something to do with being an outsider for the royals had eyes full of challenge and understanding.

The Lord and Queen weighed each other's strengths and weaknesses. The twins and triplets shared the look of camaraderie and mischief. The Princess had a scowl on her face, intentionally ignoring her visitors. The only relaxed member of the royal circle would be the King, who seemed completely oblivious of the tension between his and the visitor's family.

"A' believe rest is in proper. Please, allow our maids tah lead ye tah yer rooms."

Signs of relief etched their way on the princes' faces for rest was what they exactly needed.

"That would be most welcome, your Majesty." Pitch smiled.

On cue, the maids appeared, herding them inside the castle and leading them to their respected rooms. The twins were told to share the same bedchamber for their room would be the largest guestroom in the castle. Pitch's room was located on the opposite wing which was close to the master's bedroom while Jamie's was located a floor below the same wing as the princes' bedchamber.

The maids opened their luggage, tucking their items properly in wooden drawers and cabinets. A bath was prepared and the princes were asked if they needed anything else. Deadly tired, the twins shook their heads and were left by the maids, closing the door with a light thump.

Jack plopped his back on the soft mattress, slowly removing his garments. Jackson, on the other hand, stood in front of the cabinets.

"This castle looks rather … old." Jack commented offhanded-ly as he sat up to remove his shoes.

Jackson was in the process of removing his cuffs when he replied. "In appearance, yes. But, this castle is just as old as the princess. The Dunbrochs originated from the Northeast, wherein the architectural design of castles and fortresses were rather bricklike and earthly." Tossing his coat on a nearby hamper, Jackson sat on the other side of the bed and removed his shoes. "I believe they were just keeping up to what they were used to."

"So, there's no need for me to travel up north to see this kind of structure?" Jack wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt and blue silk pants. "That sounds admirable."

Jackson changed as well, joining his brother in bed. Now that it's quiet, his mind ran wild. He peeked at Jack, whose eyes were deep in thought and looked way too far from reality.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jack snapped out of his trance; the thoughts of that particular scene he saw in the woods faded away. He craned his head, looking at his brother's dark brown eyes.

"Don't keep things from me." Jackson's eyes shone plea. "Tell me what bothers you."

Jack sighed, groaning, for he could not deny his brother anything. Not when his twin looked like he could read him down to his very soul. "… I don't know how to put this into words."

"Speak. I'll follow."

And Jack narrated the event in the simplest way he could, but from time to time, the word beautiful would pass his mouth. If it weren't for the obvious glee in his brother's eyes, Jackson would've believed Jack when he denied his further interest of the two fascinating creatures he found hidden in the woods.

When the story ended, Jackson could only blurt the thought that became prominent in his mind. "To put it simply, you stood there, peeping at her as she bathe and didn't even have the decency to give her privacy until you gave away your position? My, my. Very naughty, brother."

The little side comment in the end turned the impossibly pale prince into a blubbering mess of beet red cheeks and dishevelled hair (a result from him pulling his hair in shame).

"You didn't have to slap it on my face!"

Jackson laughed heartily. "Oho~ I wonder what Jamie would say?" He further teased, earning him a fluffy pillow on his handsome face.

In retaliation, he grabbed his head pillow and commenced an all-out pillow war with his twin.

"Don't you dare tell him!" The white-haired prince already imagined how the two would team up and tease him for it.

Raising his hands up in surrender, Jackson stilled his breath. "I won't promise." And dodged another pillow from his brother. "However, why do I have this feeling that you want to see her again?"

"No way!" Jack blushed another thirty shades of red.

"But your face says it all!"

And another pillow fight began. Unbeknownst to the two, Jamie entered their room without a knock.

"Wow. I can't believe this!" Jamie huffed while crossing his arms, making the bickering twins stop and look at him. "You girls started a pillow fight without me!? This is an outrag –" But, he never got to finish his sentence for two pillows were thrown his way, hitting him straight on the face.

"There's your invitation." The twins chorused with fleetly bouts of laughter.

"Ye really didn't bother tah see the parade." Gobber stated, looking at his mug thoughtfully.

The sun was close to setting when Hiccup decided to head back home, intentionally missing the royal's arrival. Granted, his evasion had been fruitful for not a single fearling was seen in the streets. However, people were still talking about the day's event which Hiccup tried to single out.

He succeeded, not until he got home.

"Ye missed out! Ye should've seen their troupe. Their armors are great! It would've motivated ye if ye had seen it. A' mean, A' was inspired tah create better armors than theirs! A'm sure ye would be as well, seein' as ye are young and full of ideas."

Great… even he is happy. Hiccup rolled his eyes and prepared dinner.

"The Lord looks intimidatin' as expected, tho'. But, the princes –"

Oh Gods, Gobber… Hiccup tried to shut out his adoptive father's elated chats, to no avail.

"Dey look nice and friendly. Those boys got all the ladies swoonin'." With a wink, Gobber leaned closer to Hiccup whose busy chopping string beans. "Ye could've learned a thing or two from them."

But Hiccup only stared, far from amused.

Gobber laughed heartily and gave the boy a fatherly pat, which in Hiccup's case was an unwanted push that caused him to collide on their wooden table.

"But Heccup," the blond blacksmith turned serious. "Do ye have a problem with the Overlands? Because whenever we mention them, ye'r spacin' out, if not, ye'r scowlin'."

The lanky boy stopped in mid-chop. "W-what? Haha…no…"

"Der's nothin' tah worry abou'. The house is free of eavesdroppers." Gobber reassured. Fearling bashing had always been punishable by flogging.

They met eyes. Hiccup gave the older man a smile, showing he was more than okay.

Giving his cup a little squeeze, Gobber asked a question he wasn't sure should he ever ask. "Did ye remember somethin'from before –?"

"… remember? Remember what?"

The blacksmith cursed his ale. " … Nothin', lad! A' was just … ye know! Worried, thinkin' Dey remind ye of somethin'." He had sworn to keep himself from mentioning anything from five years ago.

He swore.

They swore.

"How did you come up with that thought, Gobber?"

Gobber sweated profusely, feeling the warmth from the hearth's fire rose. "Uhh … just … a thought tha' entered mah mind?"

Incredulous, Hiccup contemplated whether he should pry further for the answer. However, he chose to refrain for he was afraid the conversation would turn unfavourable on his side.

Feigning a yawn, Gobber stood and rubbed his large tummy. "A'm … a …goin' tah bed." Then slinked off to escape, not wanting to be questioned.

And Hiccup stood there, filled with questions, wondering whether Gobber had connected the dots or the question was purely coincidental.

Either way, none of them have the plans to talk. And best it stayed that way.

"And then A' crouched down, takin' the beast head on with mah sword –"

From the start of their royal dinner, King Fergus narrated his great battle against the ferocious and massive bear, Mordu. The twins found his jovial and vigorous way of story-telling entertaining. Therefore, they bestowed his Majesty their undivided attention. Occasionally, the twins would provide side comments regarding their amazement of the King's marvellous strength and courage.

"A' wasn't able tah kill the beast and A' lost a leg from our battle, but A' knew, Mordu will be back, and when he do, A' will slay him!"

The twins clapped at the ending and the King playfully bowed.

The other royals just rolled their eyes. Pitch thought the story was exaggerated, while the Dunbroch family members heard the story a thousand times.

Jamie, on the other hand, smiled at the story. However, he didn't hear all of it (not that he won't have another chance) for he was busy stealing glances at the oblivious princess. The triplets, however, noticed these glances, and the three decided they don't like the brown-haired companion.

And their hostility was made known when threats of agonizing pain and torture were thrown Jamie's way. One of them gestured to slit his throat, another one acted like he was being hanged and the last prince pointed at his own eyes then motioned it towards Jamie's as if to say, "I'll be watching you."

For the first time, Jamie feared for his life.

The dinner ended with the Queen informing the two Princes that they will be given a tour around the kingdom tomorrow with Merida as their guide. The two princes nodded while Merida gave an irritated scowl but never said anything against it.

The royals retreated to their rooms. And the twins went straight to theirs after bidding Jamie a good night, as well as a forewarning of, "Don't sleep too deep, your future brothers could be waiting a chance to kill you with their cuteness," much to the dismay and horror of their sole friend.

Back to their simple sleeping clothes of white shirt and brown pants, Jack went to the bed while Jackson sat by the table, taking out parchments he brought with him.

"You're working at this damn hour? Let the papers go and sleep, Jackson. It could wait."

Jackson shook his head. "On the contrary, this could not wait. I have to lay out the plan or else the open trade with three other kingdoms won't happen."

"Why are you handling this matter? Isn't it uncle's responsibility at this moment?" Jack tucked himself down. "He's the stand-in for a reason."

"But I am to be King, brother." Jackson brushed his hair with his hand, massaging his scalp in the hopes to relieve his head from an impending headache. "These are matters that I would handle soon enough and the earlier I learn to deal with these, the better I'll be to lead. I can't just leave everything in uncle's hands. Or else, people won't trust me with their lives."

Jack just shrugged, thoughts whirring in his head. "Then rest when you're done. Good night, brother."

"Good night."

And the discussion was over. Jackson began writing letters relaying his terms and conditions addressed to the three kingdoms. He was just adding last few details when a loud thump outside their bedroom door caught his attention. The second loud thump had him on his feet and he went and opened his door lightly, inspecting the commotion outside.

He had several guesses; a careless maid, an animal on the loose or a clumsy guard. He also thought of some bizarre scenarios such as Jamie being killed by the triplets (as he had told the two of them earlier after dinner) but he had never thought he would see the only princess of the castle dressed in strolling attire, looking left and right and acting every bit of someone who was planning to sneak out of their house.

And for one obvious reason, Jackson's attention was piqued. Sneaking a quick glance to his brother, Jackson grabbed a coat to provide him warmth as he left the room, tracing the steps the princess took to escape.

It didn't take long for him to catch up to her and he followed her silently. Several stairs and floors later, the princess took another quick skim of her surroundings. When she thought herself clear of any followers, she pushed a door, leading downstairs.

Jackson followed suit and stopped on a wall, taking a peek on the room's interior. What he saw killed the curiosity in him.

A kitchen!? She's sneaking to the kitchen? He wanted to groan, thinking that he wasted time just to see the princess scrounge for a midnight snack. Dejectedly, he began to walk back the stairs until voices stopped him in his wake.

"But, it's already deep in the nigh', prencess! A lady like ye shouldn't be out!"

"Maudie…!" Merida whined audibly. "A' really need tah see him righ' now! Please!"

Jackson's large ears made an obvious twitch. Him…? His thoughts ran wild, guessing who this guy was to the princess, and stopped when he made a conclusion. A lover, perhaps?

"A'm goin' tah burst if A' don't see him. Maudie…!"

The maid, named Maudie, shook her head. "Ye'r a prencess, milady. Ye can't leave. Can't tha' wait fer tomorrow?"

"A' can't. A'm stuck tourin' the damn princ –"

"Princess!"

Merida rolled her eyes. It's not like those brats could hear it anyway. "Fine, the vi-si-tors. A'll be stuck tourin' those two fer the whole day. Ye've got tah let me go."

Maudie bit her lip, reluctant to let the princess go. "A' don't know, prencess…How abou' A' call him out fer ye?"

"No!" Merida shook her head vehemently. "There's no way he would go…please, Maudie? Help me out?"

But, Maudie only shook her head, covering the door that leads outside.

"How abou' this..!" Merida chose a different tactic. If pleas won't work, perhaps bribing would. "If ye help me out, A'll make sure the triplets don't bother ye fer….fer a day!"

And sure, that got Maudie's interest piqued. A day free of the triplets had been her unreachable dream from the day the triplets were born. To taste a day freedom would be heaven sent. But…still she was reluctant to let her go.

"…uhm…a week?" Merida smiled meekly and Maudie clapped her hands, stepping aside to unblock the door.

"Better keep yer word, prencess!"

Merida smiled smugly, saluting the maid. "A'm a man of my word. See ye! Thanks, Maudie!" And she quickly grabbed the brown coat which was hanging by the coat's rack, and left the room before Maudie could change her mind.

Jackson, on the other hand, smirked. It seems my friend has competition…What should a friend like me do?

Know thy enemy, of course!

He walked out of the shadows, revealing himself to Maudie who was surprised as she curtsied. He waved his hand for her to relax, and decided to take a coat similar to the princess'.

"Y-yer Highness, where are ye goin'?"

Jackson looked at her and placed a finger to the front of his lip and nose, telling her to keep quiet. "We wouldn't want to leave the princess all on her own now, would we?" He finished with a wink, making the old maiden blush.

"Y-yea, yer righ', yer Highness…P-please accompany her."

Jackson nodded his head before he went out the streets, looking like any normal citizen with his ordinary attire.

Left alone in the kitchen, Maudie swooned. Ah, the foreign prince seems tah be interested with our prencess already! "Ohhh~ the Queen will be thrilled!" She harrumphed up the stairs, planning to tell her Majesty the story first thing tomorrow.

Jackson followed Merida throughout the dimly-lit town like a night predator stalking its prey. Only that his objective wasn't to kill, but to observe. When Princess Merida halted in front of a double-story house made of cheap wood and tapered leaves, Jackson quickly hid himself in the shadows. Silently, he watched the Princess grab a handful of pebbles, taking one with her free hand and throwing it to the closed window located at the second floor.

"Heccup!" Merida whispered, loud enough for the spy to hear.

Heckup? Jackson frowned, confused with the heavy accented word she just uttered.

"Hey, Heccup…" another pebble was thrown, which would be the sixth throw if he counted correctly. "Heccup, come down!"

And Jackson furrowed his brow, thinking Heckup was a name. How it was spelled was lost to him, though. It sounded too foreign to his ears. However, he found it mildly amusing how the name could easily be confused as hiccup. I doubt anyone would name their child that, though…unless, they hate them. He shrugged.

The Princess huffed and Jackson chuckled.

Whoever this Heckup was, must have a death wish. The Princess looked infuriated. The princess isn't the most patient frog in the pond, I see. Jackson mused.

Seemingly tired of waiting, Merida abandoned the pebbles in favour of a bigger rock which was huge enough to be enclosed in her athletic hand. She swung her arm back, feet formed in a stance, ready to let go of the rock at the next second.

One…

Two…

"You're not planning to break my window, are you, Mer?"

So, he made an appearance, I see. Jackson raised his brow; his eyes were glued to the back of the newcomer.

Merida dropped the rock and crossed her arms. Her foot tapped absentmindedly, showing her impatience. "Why are ye out at this time of nigh'?"

Hiccup raised a brow, throwing the question back at her. "Why are you out at this time of night, princess?" And before he knew it, Merida had his arm in a tight hold, pulling him inside Toothless' shed.

Jackson watched the exchange. In his mind, he was carefully assessing the newcomer. If the young man he saw was indeed a secret lover of the Princess, Jackson was quite disappointed. He viewed Merida as a lady who liked men of strength and valor. The kid he saw just now was far from it. Given, he only saw the young man's back; the lithe body, hunched posture, and squeaky voice he just heard were far from the muscular, proud stance and deep voice that men of strength usually sport. One more thing, he was quite young, probably younger than the princess herself.

Who knew the princess liked someone rather … soft?

As Merida closed the door, Jackson followed in the quietest way possible. With his big left ear pressed against the thin, wooden wall, Jackson focused his attention to eavesdrop the conversation the two were having.

"–oing on? Why are you here? It's dark outside!"

"Do ye have any idea what my mom made me do today!?" Without even seeing it, Jackson knew Merida was fuming.

"Oh boy, here we go again." Hiccup sighed. Merida didn't seem to notice. If by any chance she have, she chose to ignore him and went on with her story – which sounded more like a rant about her mother than an actual story of her day.

"Do ye know how hard it was tah wear tha' stifflin' dress!?"

Hiccup snorted. "Trust me, I wouldn't want to know."

"It suffocated me the whole day!" Merida kept on. "And mother went, do this! Do tha'! She even went so far as tah assign me in tourin' those, those … GAH!"

Although Hiccup was uninterested, he still listened, waiting for his cue to speak. Once Merida ranted everything, her steam left her and she decided to plop beside Hiccup.

"That's all?"

"What? Ye wanted more?" Because trust her, she could do this the whole night.

Hiccup shrugged. "You ranted more about your mother. I expected rants about the royal visitors."

Merida looked at her friend, "Surprisin'ly, they were much behaved. A' almost forgot tha' they were the same princes who threw eggs at mah hair before…"

Jackson snickered but not loud enough to be heard.

"You met them before?"

"Yep, and it's not one of the moments A' want tah remember," replied the red-head.

"Err, where did you meet them?"

"At a royal wedding, somewhere in the Far East, A' don't remember the exact kingdom, tho'. A' was like eight at tha' time," Merida replied.

"Oh … so, what are they like?" Hiccup played with the hay scattered close to him, curling and folding them.

Merida fiddled with her curly, red locks as she spoke. "Err, jerks? Pranksters, total brats! Wee devils, A' tell ya. They can get away with murder."

Wow, harsh, we really must have pissed off this girl, thought Jackson.

"Must be in the blood, huh?" Hiccup whispered, thinking the other wouldn't hear. Merida did, unfortunately.

And quite quick to defend the deceased King. "Nah, the King is way different from his sons. He is kind, gentle, sincere, almost like an angel on earth if ye ask me. It's a shame his sons didn't come after him."

Hiccup felt like throwing up as he heard his friend praise the man he hates. Angel? He ordered bloody slaughter! Is that what anyone would call an angel!?

For once, Hiccup felt scorn against his friend which didn't last long.

He could forgive her ignorance. She's young, so is he. Their only difference, Hiccup experienced the deceased King's cruelty. Merida, on the other hand, only heard of it. Her only fault was that she chose to glorify the King's treachery as a normal strategy for expansion, which frankly surprised Hiccup since Dunbroch was formed under unity of four clans –a reason that made him expect Merida to be against such acts of cruel conquer for she was raised upon values that respects established morals.

"Ye alrigh'? Ye look like ye just ate a fish raw."

With a dismissing wave, Hiccup stood. "Yeah. I think I should get you home now, though. It's reall–" The words died on his throat when their attention was caught by the loud crash outside.

"What was tha'?" Merida stood, not bothering to pat her dirtied skirt. "A' think somethin' broke."

Hiccup nodded and approached the door cautiously. When he opened it, the cold breeze blasted in, chilling the two. Hiccup surveyed the area quickly and found the scattered pieces of his three broken jars.

"Oh, what a mess!" Merida exclaimed from behind him.

And a mess it was indeed. Hiccup sighed, a hand placed to his forehead. "I bet it's those kids again." For some unknown reason, kids just love to prank him. Ohh, Hiccup couldn't wait for those kids to grow up and realize how wrong and childish they were for doing these things.

"No matter. I'll fix this later."

Merida huffed. "Since, A'm here. A'll help ye."

Hiccup shook his head but Merida started picking up the pieces.

"Start workin', Heccup. We don't have all nigh'." For Merida knew, Hiccup would clean this mess up before he sleeps. It was also deep in the night and it would take Hiccup awhile before he even got to rest.

A smile crept to Hiccup's face. Well, all help is appreciated, he thought.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator of the mess was busy atop a tree. Slightly, he was guilty. He didn't mean to leave a mess neither did he plan to make a sound. For once, this wasn't a prank, this was purely accidental.

Left to silence, Jackson did what kind of information gathering he could do –this was solely a spying job he unconditionally made to help his friend Jamie out, mind you– and that is to observe.

On closer inspection, the young man was pretty short, probably two inches short of the tall princess. He has auburn hair that reached to his chin. Still, the young man stood with his back on Jackson. Dumb luck. He needed to see the face. So, he wasted his time looking the boy from head to feet.

More like, foot.

What kind of idiot was he for not noticing something so crucial? The boy was a cripple! He's missing his left leg. Jackson could pat the young man though. He hid it quite well by wearing his pants long enough to reach his ankles. If the boy didn't struggle to kneel down and if the metal didn't shine slightly from reflecting the nearby fire, Jackson wouldn't have seen it.

"Was that all?"

"Yea."

Jackson listened to their exchange and watched as the princess placed her pieces to the sack offered to her by the young man named, Heckup.

"Thanks," said the young man and knotted the sack's mouth. He hefted it to his back and spun, flicking his hair to the side to stop it from obstructing his view.

And Jackson was dumbfounded once more.

That face...

He completely froze. His chocolate brown eyes saw the other's forest green irises; a feature he felt he had seen before, but for some reason, neither name nor place appeared out of the depths of his memory.

Who is he? He thought. He doesn't know him that's what he was sure of. But why does it feel like I have seen you before?

This Heckup. Who are you?

Pitch is a struggle. It's so hard to write him. Damn it!