MOIRAI (Man*Man)

Chapter 22

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A knock sounded on the door, Hattie told whoever it was to come in as she patted her skin softly for the jelly to get in. Her skin takes a lot of time to look as it does in the morning and every night it needs attention, she glanced at the door to find her son's valet "How may I help you tonight Samuel?" She asked glancing back in the mirror.

"Am sorry your majesty but it is about the prince" Hattie stopped applying jelly on her skin turning around to give Samuel her full attention "He has told me to give out all of his clothes to the flower boy"

"Maybe he was tired of them" Hattie replied not seeing an issue, she gets tired of things quiet easily and they go to servants.

"He gave away the shirt you gifted him on his twentieth birthday" Samuel added getting Hattie's attention. Hattie barely sew but she did when it came to her son, on his twentieth birthday Hattie wanted her son to have something special that she made, not something she bought from outside as she usually did, she spent time in that shirt "I asked him if he wanted me to give it away and he said yes"

"He can't do that" Hattie denied getting up from her chair, she put on a gown on top of her night dress.

"The prince is gone my queen"

"Where?"

"Pearl island my queen, he doesn't want anyone to know" Samuel added, he had already said goodbye to the prince with their future queen and some guards that prince Ernest took with him.

"Why wasn't I informed that my own son was leaving" Hattie asked in anger, it feels like a battle to keep up with her son these days. She never knows what his son is about all the time and now he is gone without informing her. She sat back down a hand on her chest "Have I become a bad mother?" Hattie asked herself, her relationship with her son used to be good, he used to be informed in things like this.

"It's not my queen I just think..." Samuel cut himself off.

"Just think what?" Hattie's voices was hostile, she needs to know what she is doing wrong for the change in her son's behavior.

"That flower boy is the problem my queen" Samuel finished what he thinks "He is taking all the attention from you my queen" Hattie thought about it and it made sense, ever since Elmer joined the castle it has been like this, her son has been up and down. He even got injured because if that flower boy, Ernest cares more about Elmer than he does his own mother "What should I do my queen?" Samuel asked

Hattie turned around, if she needs her son's attention on her again. She knows she has to take Elmer out of the picture forever and to do that she has... "Give him the clothes" Hattie said turning around as Samuel nodded dying inside, he wants those clothes to be going to him and not the flower boy.

"Yes my queen" This isn't what he had wanted in the first place but his queen has said "Excuse-"

"I need you to do one more thing" Hattie added right before Samuel could leave her bedroom. She gave birth to her son and if she needs her son to come to her when he gets a problem she knows she has to take Elmer out of the picture. Hattie has been the number one woman in Ernest's life, she makes all the decisions in Ernest's life and it will stay like that forever.

****

Elmer hummed his favorite song lucky while feeding his fish, feeding the fish is the only thing he does all day long and it calms his nerves. He smiled thinking about how Bert was so stupid, he thought that a flower had finally given him a fruit. They were seated outside enjoying each other's company when Bert noticed something round up in one flower, he got up picking it as he said it was a fruit.

Yet it was just a seed, Elmer has had so much fun with Bert and he has come to enjoy Bert's stupidity quiet often. The care he gives Elmer 'Even though he is tough with it' it just makes Elmer's heart swell in happiness. Elmer has never been taken care of by anyone outside his house, everyone is always against him or hates him and the fact that Bert has been around through his injury just makes Elmer feel like he is lucky for a friend like that. He held the pendant that Bert bought for him, he knows it will never leave his neck ever. He gave it a peck covering up the fish food, he had named his fish red as it's colour, it sounds weird but that is the name it got and it is only ever getting that. Someone cleared their throat behind him and Elmer turned around to find Samuel, Ernest's valet with clothes in a basket.

"This is for you from the prince" Elmer got off of the chair making his way to Samuel who has expensive clothes in the basket.

"The prince gave me this"

"That is exactly what I have just said" Samuel snapped throwing the basket on the bed "I hope you enjoy them" The venom and hate in Samuel's eyes was noticed by Elmer. Samuel turned around but Elmer caught his hand "What?"

"I can't take this"

"Are you denying our prince"

"No, it's just I don't deserve them-"

"I know, you don't deserve them" Samuel sneered, Elmer asked himself why he even brought the clothes if he hates him "And don't think I want to give them to you, someone who has worked hard deserves those clothes not some piece of shit who has just arrived to take care of the flowers now thinks he is above us, getting all the attention. Elmer got beat up, the prince has to find out who did it" Samuel mocked with so much anger that Elmer took a step back "You're just a useless, nobody"

Elmer didn't know what to say, he has faced a lot of hate from the village but even after so much hate he doesn't know how to cope with it all. Like right now, he doesn't know what he did to deserve those harsh words, he didn't tell the prince to go search for the man who beat him, he actually was against it. He didn't tell Ernest to give him the clothes, he was fine with what he has and the fact that his valet is so angry with him just doesn't make sense "You can have the clothes if you want" Elmer picked it up handing it over to him, he doesn't want the clothes and he knows he doesn't deserve them but Samuel seems like he wants the clothes.

"I don't want them" Samuel rolled his eyes folding his arms over his chest, like he will accept anything from a poor flower boy.

"Then take them back to the prince and tell him I appreciate the clothes but I don't want them"

"Tell him that when he comes back" Samuel scrunched his face "Low life" he sneered walking out of the room leaving Elmer with the basket in hand with the clothes. Elmer doesn't even want to touch any just in case he makes them dirty, he rested it back on the bed wondering what he is going to do. He knows one thing that he isn't going to do and that is wear them, how will that look, wearing clothes for nobles that he isn't.

Elmer doesn't know where Ernest got the idea to send him clothes, he is still asking himself why Ernest would send him the clothes. Does he still feel bad for what happened to Elmer that he is trying to apologise, Elmer knows he has to take those clothes back, it is not like he doesn't want them, he just doesn't deserve them and they should go to someone who does.