Just a Servant |{ Wilbur Soot x Female Oc}| Royalty Au

|{1}|

Wilbur swore he never got sick. It just simply did not happen. And yet here he was. Laying in bed. With a fever. He was partially delirious and it wasn't doing him any favors. His father had summoned for the doctor, and the doctor had given him some medicine. He refused to cooperate with his Valet, to the point where he had just up and left. So instead, his mother had ordered the daughter of one of her lady's maids to look after him and make sure he got better.

His door creaked open and he peered around his thick curls to see who it was. A young girl who looked about his age (8) had entered the room with a tray balanced in one hand as she closed the door with the other. She looked over to find him watching her and she smiled softly. "Hello, your highness." Her voice was soft and silvery, flowing like water over stones.

She set the tray down on his bedside table. "I brought you a chocolate croissant, fresh from the bakery. It was actually on the house because Niki says she knows you." Wilbur enjoyed listening to her voice, it was pretty. "...And some strawberry jam." He must have zoned out. "Would you like some of the strawberry jam your highness?" Wilbur nodded eagerly. He liked strawberries.

She stared at him for a brief pause before sighing and agreeing to feed the prince the strawberry jam.

She held the spoonful to his lips and he ate it all. Something was off though, the jam tasted powdery. "What was that-"

"Relax your highness," She lay a hand on his arm, "It's just the medicine you needed to take in order to get better." Wilbur frowned.

"You betrayed me-"

"I didn't betray you-"

"You did. I didn't want medicine."

"You won't get better if you don't have the stupid medicine!"

"You aren't allowed to talk to me like that." The girl froze at his words and clasped her hands as she let a blank look go over her face. She bowed to Wilbur.

"I'm very sorry your highness, please forgive me."

"Fine. What else did you bring?" Wilbur's curiosity got the better of him as he looked at the tray beside him.

"Orange juice to drink," She started as she straightened up. "A chocolate croissant from the baker's daughter, Niki, and some fresh fruit picked from the gardens this morning."

Wilbur sat up in bed as she spoke, subconsciously relaxing once again to her smooth voice. "What would you like to eat first, your highness?"

"What would you like to eat first, your highness?" Aster asked the question she had been asking him nearly every day since she was eight. Wilbur yawned as he sat up properly, swinging his legs to the side, letting his bare feet hit the cold stone floor.

"I'm not hopeless Aster, I can feed myself." He shivered at the cold.

Aster bowed, "Yes your highness." She walked over to the vanity and took a comb from a drawer on the side. As Wilbur ate the fruit from the tray he shifted to have his back to the edge of the bed and Aster started combing through his curls, making them look neater than the mess they were when he woke up.

Aster finished and put his comb back on the vanity as he turned back to face the edge of the bed again. She pulled out his clothes for the day and lay them gently on the bed behind Wilbur. "Would you like me to go fetch someone to help you-"

"Aster."

"Yes, your highness?"

"Would you like some fruit?" He offered the bowl of strawberries up to the young woman. He wished she would be more relaxed around him and less stiff and formal. They had known each other since they were eight and the entire time she had spoken to him formally which he wasn't too fond of from her. She had snapped at him a couple of times when they were younger but by ten she kept her thoughts to herself and pulled inwards, away from a friendship.

"I'll have to decline your highness." She bowed. "I will step out of the room so that you can change." Wilbur sighed at her response but nodded.

"Thanks." He mumbled as she stepped outside, closing the doors behind her.

He changed quickly into the clothes Aster had laid out for him and draped his sleepwear over the back of one of the chairs in his room. He opened the doors to find Aster standing off to the side, staring off into space. He admired her hazel eyes and raven hair that was twisted in an elegantly braided knot atop her head. She snapped her gaze back to him and bowed, murmuring an apology before sweeping inside his room and cleaning up the tray and dishes that came with it. She balanced it on one hand as she closed the doors.

She seemed surprised to find Wilbur still standing there. He smiled at her and gestured for her to walk, she did and he joined her as they walked down the halls towards the kitchens. They walked in silence until Wilbur got up the courage to say something but was interrupted by a shout.

"Aster!" His son, Fundy came running up behind them with a wide smile on his face. "Hi, dad!" He said cheerily before barreling into Aster who held the tray out of reach of his head before holding it in one hand and ruffling his orange and white hair with a smile.

"Hello, little prince." She patted his back and he released the fabrics of her skirt from his hug. "Shouldn't you be with Puffy right now?" Puffy was co-captain of the guard, along with Sam. Puffy often took charge of training children as she was quite fond of them.

"I snuck off." Fundy snickered as his father frowned and Aster let out a soft sigh.

"Of course you did."

"Can I have a strawberry?"

Aster shook her head. "You ran away from Puffy, no strawberries for you." She booped his nose and he wrinkled it, backing up. "Go back to Puffy little prince, I'm sure she's worried."

Fundy nodded then gave his dad a quick hug. "Bye, dad!"

"Bye Fundy." The two watched him race around a corner before Aster started to walk again and Wilbur caught up to her quickly. "He likes you more than me." He grumbled. "Not fair at all..." He peeked at Aster out of the corner of his eye and saw her lips twitching upwards in a smile. He smiled at that, proud of his mini accomplishment of making Aster smile.

They split off at the door into the kitchens. Wilbur went towards the throne room where his father would be expecting him to discuss plans for the ball coming up. It was tradition to have at least one every year as a celebration for the founding of the kingdom. Aster ducked into the kitchens to put the breakfast dishes away before joining them should Wilbur need anything.

Technically Aster was one of his mother, the Queens, Lady's Maids but the Queen always instructed the young woman to accompany Wilbur rather than herself. Wilbur pushed open the doors to the throne room, head still wrapped up in thoughts of Aster until he was dragged back to Earth by his father calling his name.

"Wilbur!"

"Good morning father, how are you?"

Phil chuckled, "Been better, these ball plans are always stressful." Wilbur nodded and joined his father at the table with notes and samples laid out before them.

They discussed themes for a while and by the time they moved onto decorations Aster along with Paris, Phil's valet, entered the room. "Paris!" Phil called. "C'mere I need your opinion on the two colours we have picked so far." Paris nodded respectfully.

"Of course your majesty." He approached the table as Wilbur left it to go to Aster.

"Why don't you come to look too?" He asked her with a gentle smile as she held her clasped hands tightly together.

"If you wish me too I can." She nodded to him before he walked back to the table, her following him. She looked at the colours and a smile graced her features.

Paris nudged her and pointed to the deep blue swath of fabric. She nodded. "We think the dark navy would be a good colour choice if your majesty's think it is." Phil hummed and nodded.

"We can make that work, we had a couple of ideas for a theme for each of them, so it's just a matter of selecting one." Phil looked to Aster. "Aster what would you have the theme be with that colour."

"A secret garden." She responded smoothly as Paris stood back a bit.