Chapter Sixteen: Castle Silhouettes
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Even though the castle sat on the edge of the island, it was still visible from the old farmhouse.
Leveret leaned against the window sill, his head still vaguely throbbing from his intrusion with the fae.
Clouds had begun to drift over and cover the soft glow of the stars in inky blackness.
Leveret shuddered as he leaned his head on his arms.
His hands stung, his joints ached.
“Virelai would not have let this occur. She loves me.”
He grumbled miserably, clutching his head.
His stomach growled furiously.
He had refused all offers of food or drink due to the fear of being poisoned, which is how his grandfather, Ringad, was murdered during his own dinner party.
He roused himself before he could drift off to sleep.
“I cannot… fall asleep now… I must… save Virelai…! I need to repay my debt to her…! She took care of me for… my entire life in place of Mother, so now I should take care of her. All in the name of love.”
For a moment, he thought it was rather ironic that he was plotting against his sister’s loveless marriage.
He had never felt romantic love.
Almost everyone in the castle was either old, related to him, or worst of all: both.
On the other hand, he could barely name the ones he had felt, never mind the ones he hadn’t.
He tapped his foot on the floor, making a sharp, echoing sound.
He was suddenly aware that he could very possibly wake someone, unlike in the castle, where sleeping quarters were entire towers apart.
His thoughts were interrupted by a folded paper being slid under his door.
“What in the name of the Hallowed Braken…?”
He muttered, picking up the paper and unfolding it.
The note read ‘I can here you dear’ in messy cursive, which would have been more ominous if the grammar wasn’t so poor.
He had an inkling it was Marty who wrote it since most don’t use the word ‘dear’ in almost every sentence.
Leveret sighed, rummaging through drawers and pulling out a nearly empty bottle of ink and a frayed quill.
He dunked the quill into the ink, swiftly correcting the grammar with his own squirreling calligraphy before sliding it back under the door.
There was a soft, almost pitying chuckle followed by the scratching of a pen scrawling over paper before the paper was slid under the door again, the ink still wet.
Leveret crouched down, squinting down at the words ‘you alright?’.
He pulled open the door and laid eyes upon Marty, crouched next to the door.
“Hiya, dear!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzLz3NeEw8
Marty chirped, grinning up at him.
“Pardon my manners, but what in the name of all that is holy do you want?”
Leveret growled.
Marty laughed and stood up.
“You’re an amusin’ dear, ain’t ya?”
Leveret rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples.
“Why are you like this?”
Marty ignored him and ruffled his hair.
“You should be asleep, y’know.”
“So should you! Besides, you started the conversation.”
Leveret half-whispered, stomping his foot.
“I started the conversation because I wanna know why you can’t sleep, deary.”
Leveret crossed his arms, blinking rapidly.
“This is all terribly confusing, if I am quite honest… and Virelai… the wedding… Goodnight, Martellus.”
He mumbled, closing the door.
Marty shoved his foot into the doorway before the door could fully close.
“I told you to call me Marty, dear.”
Leveret stared at him for a moment.
“...That looked like it hurt.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJpsxqNDGD
“It did. Very much.”
“J-Just… Be gone, peasant!”
Marty shoved himself into the room through the crack between the slightly opened door and the wall.
“Well, you’re a peasant too now, dear! Now, let me in! I can… help! It’s better to talk ‘bout it than deal with it by yourself, y’know!”
“No I do not because I shall not let you in and I most certainly will not talk about it!”
“Leveret- Oh my Mogshade- it’s alright! It’ll make both of our lives easier if you jus’ talk ‘bout it!”
Marty called before tumbling into the room with a thud.
“Have you never heard of boundaries?!”
Leveret yelped in horror.
Marty stood up, dusting himself off.
“Let’s jus’ say no, I haven’t, dear.”
“Of course not.”
Leveret scoffed with a huff.
Marty threw himself down on the bed.
“Now, how can I help?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ998dGK8axQ
“There is no way to help since there is no problem in the first place. If there was, I could fix it myself since I actually know what I am doing.”
Marty leaned his chin on his hands.
“Oh, can you now, dear?”
Leveret huffed.
“Yes, I can, Marty. Mogshade shall educate the next great ruler and according to the holy book that would be me. No-one else.”
He snapped.
Marty smirked.
“Proud much?”
He asked with a tone of mock innocence.
Leveret blinked, caught off guard by the question.
“...Pardon you?”
“Face it, dear. Being humble was never your strongest personality trait.”
Leveret rolled his eyes.
“Leave your twity riddles out of this. I have been overwhelmed enough.”
He hissed, leaning against the window sill again.
Marty sighed.
“Y’know most people would cry if they were in your situation, deary.”
Leveret let out a chuckle before he could stop himself.
“Now that is funny.”
Marty paused for a moment.
“I was serious, Princy.”
He replied.
Leveret colored slightly.
“O-Oh my.”
He cleared his throat, trying to hide the crack in his voice.
“Well, tears are twitful. They solve nothing, are unprofessional, and messy.”
“Who in their right mind told you that?!”
Marty cried with what Leveret thought was an excessive amount of concern.
Leveret watched Marty out of the corner of his eye, hiding a ghost of a smile behind his hand.
“Marty, tears are quite literally fluids falling out of your eye sockets due to a feeling of distress.”
Marty contemplated his companion’s response thoughtfully for a moment.
“I suppose you’re right, dear.”
Marty stood up and walked over to Leveret.
“Whatchya lookin’ at…?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGR6lm8mIIY
He tilted his face to the window pane and spotted the tall, winding towers of the distant castle.
The window in Virelai’s room glowed softly with the soft light of a candle.
He patted Leveret’s shoulder and smiled softly.
“If it helps anything I’ll help ya stop that weddin’. No side quests.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLekaNCDuZ
Marty chirped reassuringly.
Leveret turned his head to look up at him with wide eyes.
“Do you swear it?”
He managed to mumble after a moment.
Marty grinned.
“You’re a sceptical dear, ain’t ya?”
Leveret blinked slowly at Marty’s comment.
“Was that supposed to be another ‘jest’ of yours?”
Marty snorted.
“No. It's not, dear.”
Leveret ran a hand through his hair.
“Anyhow…”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVZhFNt9iL
He muttered with a dismissive gesture.
“Now, back to the important matter and hand. Doth thee, Martellus of Phallowskleft, solemnly swear to assist I, Prince Leveret of Phallowskelft, in relieving Princess Virelai of Phallowskleft of her poorly matched union of fate without the complications of unrelated quests, tasks, and occupations?”
He announced, his hand hovering in the air over Marty’s shoulder.
Marty nodded quickly.
“I solemnly swear in the name of Mogshade and all of his court that shall assist you. Without side quests.”
He responded eagerly.
Leveret sighed, pinching his nose bridge.
“Good enough… I suppose.”
He grumbled reluctantly before turning to face Marty.
“Good night, Marty. I shall see you in the morrow.”
“G’night, deary. Please do attempt to sleep tonight, though. My room’s right across the hall and I don’ wanna hear your nervous tappin’ all night.”
Marty said, leaning down to remove Leveret’s crooked crown to ruffle his hair before placing it back on his head.
Leveret’s chest felt tight and warm as he watched Marty close the door as he left the room.
He should have scolded him for touching the prince so casually, but he had to admit Marty was right.
He was no longer a prince.
Of course, if he admitted this it would put their oath in a detrimental position.
Leveret’s face grew hot and flushed as his mind raced.
He concluded, for the sake of his dignity, that he just needed sleep.
He needn’t worry so much about his emotions, especially towards a servant.
Right?
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and then Add to home screen.