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

|{4}|

The next morning Wilbur awoke around his usual time but something was off. Aster hadn't come to wake him up. She was always here. She never wasn't here. Even when she was sick and he had to send her off to bed with an order to get her to rest. He quickly scrambled to change, nerves setting in. This wasn't like Aster, something had to have happened.

Getting ready in record time, he swiftly walked to his son's room, cracking the door open, no Aster and an asleep son. He went next to his parent's room. Knocking he entered without waiting for an answer. Inside, Paris was helping his father select an outfit while his mother and Kailani, his mother's lady's maid, laughed at his father's pickiness.

"Mother?" Wilbur asked as the trio turned to face him. "Have you seen Aster this morning?"

"No Wil, I haven't, why?"

"She didn't come to wake me with breakfast like she always does, and she never misses a day, something is wrong." Paris and Kailaini frowned deeply, Aster was a dear friend to them and they didn't want anything to happen to her.

His parents looked equally worried. "Have you checked with Fundy-"

"Yes. She's not there."

"Alright. She wouldn't have left the castle, let's go find her." Phil quickly had Paris select an outfit for him then everyone left while he got changed hurriedly. The group set off as soon as he was done, heading for the great hall to see if she was there helping with decoration takedown.

Upon arrival, she was not there, just some more very confused butlers and maids. His mother suggested the throne room for lack of a better spot to pick after they checked the kitchens and laundry house. They made their way there and Phil pushed open the doors, Wilbur nervously waiting just behind him. Upon pushing into the large room Wilbur's heart stopped dead.

A masked man held a knife to the throat of a young woman that was held against him, she wore a sky blue gown, stained red and purple with blood. A blindfold covered her eyes and she was shaking. Wilbur had recognized Aster in a heartbeat and he drew his sword, anger filling his mind.

"Careful there lover boy, she might have a sword deeper in her throat if you take another step."

"Don't you hurt a single hair on her head!" Wilbur shouted, pointing his sword at the man.

A sadistic smile plastered the man's face as Phil placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "Or what? What'll you do? I have all the power here." The man's grin widened as he pushed Aster to the floor. She hit the ground with a thud and a sharp hiss of pain as she clutched a tear in her dress. She was badly wounded and Wilbur was seething-

"What're you doing-" The man had knelt next to Aster and yanked her arm away from her stomach, the woman thrashed a bit until she heard him draw a knife from his belt. She stilled, sharp breathing filling the air.

And then Aster was screaming as her body convulsed while the man used the knife to trace words into her skin, and Wilbur could do nothing as he watched, helpless, as Aster screamed and screamed and blood seeped onto the floor around the two. Phil held Wilbur back whispering quietly "Paris has gone for help, don't do anything or she'll die." Wilbur still strained against his father, despite the rationale side of him knowing he couldn't do anything.

Kailani was crying as she and the queen grasped each other's hands as they watched the scene unfold. Wilbur could feel his own tears and Phil had a few running down his cheeks as the young woman's screams filled the hall, no doubt gaining the attention of the whole palace, Wilbur subconsciously hoped someone was keeping Fundy away from here.

The man finally threw the knife to the side as Aster lay, shaking and sobbing on the floor as he stood, hands and knees covered in blood. He was grinning maniacally as he looked at the group, it soon turned to a frown when he realized one of them was missing. He didn't have much time to think about it though as an arrow entered his thigh and he fell to one knee before being tackled to the ground by Sam. Puffy tied him up, knocking him unconscious a second later.

Wilbur ran forward as soon as Phil relaxed his grasp, he skidded to the floor by Aster, cradling her head in his hands as he dried her tears. "Don't ever leave my sight again." He whispered hoarsely as he touched his forehead to her own. He glanced briefly at her arm and his heart shattered as he read the word engraved on her arm.

'Worthless'

Kailani and Niki came up to him along with other nurses and they shooed him away, Paris and Phil moving him away when he resisted.

Later that evening Wilbur was finally allowed into the Hospital ward to see Aster. She was asleep they told him but he didn't care. He sat down in a chair next to her bed and observed her features. Her long dark hair was no longer in its braided knot but was draped around her head and shoulders. She was dressed in a simple white dress so as to make it easier to treat her. A bandage was wrapped around her torso, another on her arm where the word had been carved into it, and a smaller one around her neck where the knife had broken the skin.

He buried his head in his hands, blaming himself for not doing something, anything, sooner to help her. If he had found her sooner maybe she wouldn't be hurt, if he had attacked the man before he could hurt her she might not be hurt. If he had asked her to stay with him maybe she wouldn't be hurt and laying in here but rather with him and Fundy in the gardens, playing in the creek or helping Fundy make flower crowns with the wildflowers.

A gentle hand was placed on one of his hands that covered his face. He quickly opened his eyes to find Aster with her eyes wide open and a small smile on her face. Her eyes grimaced in pain before she spoke quietly, "I can tell you're blaming yourself. Please don't."

"But it is my-"

"Stop arguing. I don't have the energy to tell you to stop blaming yourself more than twice." Wilbur sighed with a smile on his face as he shook his head at Aster before taking her raised hand in his own and just holding it until he felt her breathing even out again as she fell asleep.

Fundy was let in to see Aster and his father later in the day. He approached the bed where Aster was sitting upright with her eyes closed and a placid look on her face. Wilbur looked to his son who looked scared and gave him a reassuring smile. Aster opened her eyes to find Fundy looking at her with fear in his eyes. She smiled at him before shifting sideways a little bit. "Come sit with me." She told the boy.

Wilbur lifted his son up to the bed and Fundy crawled over to sit next to Aster in the bed, small legs stretched out next to Aster's longer ones. "Are you going to die?" Fundy asked in a small voice as Aster pulled him closer to her side.

"No, of course, I won't little Prince, I've got to make sure your father can still put his shirt on the right way in the morning." Fundy giggled as Aster smiled and Wilbur pouted playfully.

"So mean." He grumbled.

"Dad can't put his shirt on right!" Fundy teased, giggling hysterically.

"Yes, I can..." Wilbur crossed his arm, giving his son a pouty look that made the little boy laugh harder. Aster was smiling widely and Wilbur felt warmth in his heart as he watched her interact with his son.

She was perfect and he loved her dearly.