Lost and Found

35: A deal

Peter took a deep, shaky breath. "You have absolutely no idea where he's gone?" He asked.

"I'm afraid not." The man replied, before frowning hard. "Why's he so important anyway?"

Peter hesitated, before glancing at Orious who only stared back at him, clearly hesitating as well. "He-" Peter swallowed hard and turned back to the man. "He's my brother."

Everyone, even the servants, froze. The room went silent, no one made a sound or moved a muscle for a very long time.

"Your brother?" The man eventually asked, sounding shocked.

Peter took another deep breath. "Yes." He said firmly. "King Edmund the Just was sold to you, and has been working as a slave to you for the last 2 or so weeks."

The man looked almost terrified. "He never said anything." He muttered.

"No, because someone here would've either killed him or held him for ransom." Peter replied, not sounding happy at all.

The man stared at him, before taking a deep breath. "All I can do is apologise, I had no idea who he was." He said. "And the last thing I want is to cause an unnecessary war between our two countries." He added quickly at seeing the anger in Peter's eyes.

Peter sighed, calming himself down a little. "Yeah I know." He mumbled. "I do not blame you."

"But-"

Everyone turned to Orious as the centaur stepped forward. "If you could help us find him, we would be forever grateful, and would leave you in peace, no grudge held." He said slowly.

The man was silent for a very long while, in which Peter's heart pounded in his chest, before he nodded. "I will help you find him, I'm sure we can figure out who I sold him to and where he went."

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He said. "And we will keep our word, if you can help us find him, we will not bother you any more."

"It's a deal." The man said, and Peter could tell he'd been rather terrified at the news that he'd had King Edmund the Just basically tortured under his roof.

Although Peter had no doubt that if it hadn't been for him and Orious being there, he wouldn't of cared much and just killed him on the spot, or more likely held him for ransom.

"Good." Peter muttered. "Now, where is my brother."

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Edmund swallowed hard as he wandered back towards the stables with a bucket of water, breathing a little heavy because of how hot it was.

The work he had to do was pretty much the same as it was at the other place, although here there were quite a few more horses to take care of, and quite a few more guards watching his every move.

He was almost back at the stables when he tripped over something, sending him to the floor where he landed with a loud thud, grazing his chin on the ground and spilling the bucket of water all over the floor.

He groaned, his chin throbbing as blood dripped down onto the floor, but he frowned when he heard laughing, and glancing up found a guard stood beside him.

"Better go and get another bucket." He laughed. "Or I'll have to punish you."

Edmund swallowed hard and hesitantly stood up, wiping the blood from his chin and shuddering, before turning back and heading back towards the well, leaving the guard laughing behind him.

He avoided anything and everyone on his way there, and struggled with the bucket when it was once again filled with water.

This time he made it back to the stables, but the second he'd placed the bucket down and turned back around, he felt a hand collide with his cheek and he once again hit the floor.

He was dazed for a while, his cheek stinging from the harsh slap, before glancing up through half closed eyes.

"Perhaps you'll think twice before spilling another bucket of water." The guard spat, before walking out.

Edmund swallowed hard. It wasn't his fault! He wanted to call after the guard, but he knew it would be no use, he knew he'd only get into more trouble, so instead he just sighed, hesitantly sat up before slowly standing.

He steadied himself, before grabbing the bucket and walking slowly over to one of the horses, where he gave the horse the water and sighed, leaning his forehead against the animals neck.

He swallowed hard, ignoring the pain from both cheek and chin before standing up straight, turning away from the horse and grabbing the rake from where it was leant against the wall.

"Oi, you!"

Edmund looked up, frowning at the guard who'd walked in.

"Go and get some apples from the kitchens for the horses." He told him. "And hurry up about it."

Edmund nodded before dropping the rake and heading off towards the house, glad once he was inside in the cool, seeming as it had been absolutely boiling even in the shelter of the wooden stables.

He walked for a little while before he stopped dead, realising that he had absolutely no idea where the kitchens were.

He'd have to ask someone, but the very thought of going anywhere near anyone made him panic and his heart pound, so he decided that he'd just find it himself... after all, there wasn't many people around and it couldn't be that hard... right?

Wrong. It certainly was hard, and after fifteen minutes he was still wondering around, although he had this strange, strange feeling that he wasn't supposed to be wherever he was.

So he turned back around and headed back in the direction he'd come, only to stop dead two seconds later.

"What an earth are you doing down here?"

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