A/N: Note this chapter replaces one where K.C. had a much darker back story. But he's only here because I can't take him out completely without losing a couple of chapters or causing a major plot hole. So while not a bright and cheery back story no sex or sexual abuse. It is if you wish a skippable chapter. But it does tell what pages and squires do. Although I changed it up slightly from what history says.
K.C. will make brief appearances in future chapters but that's in. I did originally intend for him to have a bigger role but decided against it.
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Not long after Yami left K.C. decided to at the very least talk to Mokuba. Maybe this could score brownie points for him and he'll get to choose who's page he will be and whose squire he'll be. He knew that when you became a squire you normally just remain with the one you served with as a page. But pages sometimes wanted to change, especially if their knight never acknowledged they're no longer pages and ignored their new page. If it's worth it he could continue to talk to the boy. Maybe he could use it to his or others advantage.
He had to ask several maids to find where he was. He hoped this was the right door. Varon was surprised as he didn't think anyone would disturb them.
"Hello, can I help you?"
"My name is K.C. Master Atemu had asked me to talk to Master Mokuba. But at the time I refused. The other page's told me I should have agreed. After thinking it over I decided it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to him."
Varon debated for a moment then said "Okay he is taking a nap. I'll wake him then let you in."
K.C. nodded and waited. A moment later Varon opened the door. "You may go in. I have something to attend to. I'll be back shortly."
K.C. walked over and sat down next to Mokuba. "I'm K.C. Master Atemu said he wanted us to be friends. I'm a page. Do you know what pages do?"
Mokuba just stared at the ground holding his cat toy in one hand and Anzu in the other. But shook his head no. He never knew kids his age worked in the castle much less what their job was.
"Well, the normal age to start is about 7. I didn't get started till I was almost 9, I almost wasn't accepted. But this butler told me his story and told me not to give up, to try again. Make my family proud. Have you ever met the butler Ruben Patel?"
Mokuba just shrugged, there were lots of people in the castle, he couldn't be expected to know everyone.
"He wanted to be a guard and someday a knight. I was told he was on his way to another day of tryouts when his horse was spooked by a rattlesnake and he fell off his horse. He broke his arm and his horse was so spooked it ran off with his leg still in the stirrup."
Mokuba looked at him with wide eyes. 'That's terrible. Poor guy.'
"Yeah it's sad." K.C. said, reading Mokuba's expression. "He can barely walk now and one arm can barely hold a tray. Anyway life as a page is a bit dull. You run messages, serve your knight. Not all knights want their pages to get their food and drink and deliver it to them. Others take full advantage especially at night when they drink alcohol. They are rude and nasty and just thrust the cup into your hands and scream for more. We also have to wash their clothes and clean their weapons, and if we have time and the knight is kind we learn the basics of combat. We might be required to arm or dress the knight we're assigned in case of battle. We don't go to the battlefield until we're fifteen. Then a page becomes a squire. As a squire, we have a new set of tasks. We are now having to take care of the knight's horse, clean his armor and weapons, and accompany the knight to the battlefield. Although I have heard that some pages and squires are sometimes forced to service the knight's sexual needs as well, mostly when on the battlefield but in general as well. I've heard that if caught the knight could be killed but I don't know if any of that is really true or not. From what little I saw and heard in my kingdom and limited time I spent in Breena Carr it wouldn't surprise me if while not condoned they turn a blind eye to it. Here even under the former king. I think anyone caught doing it would be executed."
Mokuba listened and was shocked. If what he said about the knights is true it sounded a little like what Mr. Hermàn used to do to Noah, but with more people involved. He did vaguely remember seeing him bring friends over and announcing that they were there to have sex with them. He couldn't really remember much after that though. He's not really sure why. He remembered Noah's condition had worsened that week and it made him weaker than normal. He had been too sick to really move much. His mother had reluctantly left him to go to another country to get some new medicines said to help if not cure elinoreus. Of course no one believed that. The doctors told her she was wasting her energy that Noah's illness couldn't be cured! But she never listened and asked Mr. Hermàn to baby-sit them. Despite both Noah and Asana's protest!
"So what's your story?" He frowned when Mokuba refused to say anything and just stared at his cat toy. "Look whatever abuse you suffered at your old place I get it, it was bad. I can relate. But you got to get over it. My old man was a dirtbag. He'd drink till the bar kicked him out. After hanging on to women all night he'd sometimes come home and start beating my mother because he claimed he was hungry and should have dinner on the stove. But if she does that he gets angry that she's wasting food as he's not hungry and she should know that. Sometimes he starts beating her because of the way she looked at him. He only smacked me around when I tried to defend my mom. I begged her to leave him. She always refused until one day she told me she was pregnant. I looked my mother square in the eyes and asked, where should we bury it?"
Mokuba was shocked that he'd have the guts to say that. Even now he'd never have the courage to say something like that.
"She was shocked and asked why I would say such a horrible thing. I asked what pa would do when he comes home after a bender and having stayed out all night with one of those bar girls and coming in with a hangover. How long before he kills it? She didn't want to believe it at first. She wanted to believe the man she married was still in there somewhere. But when she told him she was pregnant. She thought he'd be happy but instead he punched her in the stomach and said in a cold voice I'll never forget, not anymore. That he didn't even want me but then he decided he liked the idea of an heir. But he doesn't want any more kids. That if that doesn't get rid of it, then either she finds another way or he will.
As he was sleeping his hangover off mom realized I was right. She hoped he didn't hurt the baby. She told me later that they had discussed kids before marriage and she wanted as many as they could afford. She said pa agreed. She herself basically raised herself as her folks were killed in a wagon accident when she was young. Her relatives didn't want her. She never did tell me why they didn't just throw her into an orphanage or something. She was passed between relatives. She said he changed after they got married and said he didn't want kids. Anyway, while pa was passed out. She told me to pack my things quietly. After that we went to the bank and pulled the little money mom was able to save. When she'd get a raise which she said wasn't often. She'd never tell pa. Just deposit the extra, buy a few groceries and give him the rest to drink away or give to the bar girls.
My mother sold what she could. Then in a way to get back at my father she forged his name giving me the house. She said women couldn't own property. But since I was only 7 my mom was able to do the deal. I only had to sign my name. She sold the house to the bank out from under pa and took all the money. She knew if she left him any he'd just spend it on more booze or bar girls. We took what money we had gotten, boarded a train and it got us as far as the kingdom of Breena Carr.
It was a long journey. I'm from Tyris Quintago and it's about 15 train stops from here. My mother got a job when we lived in Breena Carr but for some reason she was never happy. After my sister was born mom became even more depressed. I tried to become a page there but everyone there seemed nice on the surface but willing to stab you if you got in their way. But things got bad for both of us when they found out my mother didn't have a husband and 2 children, one a newborn they all started to hate us. They made up nasty rumors about why. I tried to tell them but they'd laugh and say my mother should have tried harder and stayed with her man. They shunned my mother who was already depressed after my sister Annabelle was born. Soon after Annabelle was 6 months old I begged mom for us to leave. I told her that this place wasn't home. The rent was due soon so we should just go now. She was reluctant at first but something happened at work. She refused to tell me what. She never told me anything about why she hated her job. But after a particularly bad day at work she came home and told me to pack. We took what little we had and barely had enough to get us here to Draglor. We finally felt at home. The people are so welcoming. I doubt pa cares we're gone except now he's got no one supplying him drinking money and no home to go back to. My little sister is a happy 6 year old. I only get to visit weekends if I'm lucky. My mom keeps job hopping hoping to find one she likes and can still keep an eye on Annabelle. I keep telling her to come and apply at the castle and I could visit more often but for some reason she won't. So come on tell me what happened? I told you my story. There are a lot of rumors and such about what happened but no one except the king and Master Atemu seem to know."
Mokuba really didn't want to relive it by talking about it. It was hard enough telling Ryo, Seto and Yami. He didn't think he could tell K.C.
"Fine, whatever. You're not that special you know. I met a couple of royals in Breena Carr. They didn't have children yet and with luck never will. They're not that nice." K.C. looked up as Varon returned, "Can I go? I can't do anything with his refusal to speak."
"Master Atemu I think wanted someone closer to Master Mokuba's age to help him. He's still a little shaken from what happened. You have to give him time to warm up to you."
K.C. huffed and crossed his arms. 'So what, I'm supposed to sit here all day and talk. I know a couple of guys that could sit here all day and talk about anything and everything. I'm not one!' he thought. "I'm sorry Sir Varon, I'd like to stay and help," K.C. lied, "But I have my assignments to still do. May I go?"
Varon sighed, he knew it'd be wrong to try to force someone to stay and talk without telling them why the kid won't speak. But when the king and Master Atemu told him, Mai and Isis. It was in confidence. He wasn't going to break that confidence by telling anyone without permission. If Mokuba had told himself that was his story to share.
Varon nodded and opened the door. Then he encouraged Mokuba to finish his nap. Varon wondered what happened. He didn't want to be gone so long. But he knows now to never trust Alister again when he asks him to try some of his mild sauce.
While laying there Mokuba sighed he didn't mean to upset K.C. but he just didn't feel up to telling what happened. He never had friends growing up and now he likes having them. Although he did want to at least apologize to K.C. he knew that they didn't think they could be friends. He never claimed to be 'special' as K.C. said. Noah always used to think so, but he never did. Seto and Yami thought he was special. He was happy to learn that not everyone was like Noah or Mr. Hermàn. Mr. Hermàn was the only real male adult he'd ever known, not counting his stepfather. He always feared Mr. Hermàn would do to him what he did to Noah. He wasn't entirely sure why he didn't. He knew his stepfather didn't trust him either. He vaguely remembered his stepmother and stepfather were planning to go away for the weekend and his stepfather didn't want Mr. Hermàn to baby-sit for all 4 kids, but reluctantly agreed in the end.
He'd been scared and nervous when he first met Ryo, then even more so when he met Seto. Unsure if they too wanted to take advantage of him like Noah did. He was surprised and happy when they didn't. He never told Seto, but when he told him he was taking him home he was slightly nervous, but when he said they were going to the castle he was confused. Then when it became clear that they were going to live in the castle he became terrified, terrified of getting more beatings and yelling from more people. He'd honestly thought that all households were like his. That there was always yelling and beatings going on. The slaves were always beaten. He never felt that he was a part of the family. Even with his stepfather around. His stepfather from what he remembered was always nice and kind to him and tried to make him feel at home, but he was the only one. Asana sometimes made him feel wanted, but rarely.
Now that he thought over what K.C. had told him. Lots of people have had bad lives but rose above it. His mother and from what he's heard Seto's life wasn't perfect. That it was a normal part of life. It happened to everyone everywhere. He decided to think about that more. Before falling asleep.
K.C. decided that despite the fact things didn't work out with Mokuba, maybe he could ask Master Atemu to at least talk to his mother if he could get her to the castle. He'd never ask him to go to her. But maybe he'd let her work in the laundry room or something until Annabelle is older and can get part time work in the castle.