The Unseen Prince

Just Listen to my Body

A gentle knock at the door lures a pair of green eyes away from the dancing flame cradled between a gloved hand and a piece of metal, looking over at the outline of a figure who stood in the door's frame. "I worry for Bennett..... Smells burnt every time Razor sees you...", The boy explained as he welcomed himself into the bedroom. Bennett awkwardly chuckled at his friend's concerned comment over his work with fire. "I've only burnt down the house once, calm down- Hey! I'm joking, I'm joking!" Bennett gently rubbed his arm, quickly retracting his playful remark once he had received a punch in the arm. Razor sighed with a hint of relief before he went onto explain his plans for the night sounding annoyed but his attitude completely changed once he extended an offer to his dear friend.

"...Hmm..... How about Bennett is guest of Razor to party? I provide clothing to Bennett.", Offered the Prince. The offer was tempting, getting to attend a party with expensive food and get to take home some clothes his family could sell for money- of course, if Razor would allow him to do so. His interest was peaked and before Bennett could even process his response he was already asking his fathers for permission to have a sleepover with his friend. With a nod of their heads and a few parting hugs, The farmer now found himself being dragged along the dirt road by a tight grip around his wrist belonging to his majesty.

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After some dreadful climbing over castle walls and hiding in some unused castle rooms the pair were now in Razor's room where the prince himself was no longer in Bennett's line of sight, rather he was rummaging through his closet for some clothes that would fit the slightly taller male. The poor farmer was helpless to the soft embrace of Razor's bed so he was perfectly fine with waiting for as long as it took for the prince to find an outfit. He found a few outfits and walked out to explain how to put them on but with one look at his now filthy bed under the even filthier farmer he just now noticed that he had never seen his hair without those charred ends so maybe he hasn't bathed, was that normal is what he would ask himself constantly but this time it actually sunk in that Bennett probably couldn't afford to use water on bathing with how strict he and his family are about how much water each crop even receives.

Guilt drove his typical smile into a short-lived frown, concealing his pitiful demeanor with an offer, "Benny..... Razor would like to..... Can Bennett allow me to help wash dirt off..? You can use warm water- Razor can help wash hair!" Bennett furrowed his brows at the brokenly structured offer as he struggled for a moment to restructure the sentence in his mind. Once the offer to help bathe him was actually processed through Bennett's mind he felt his face immediately fluster up in embarrassment. Razor was concerned about the coloring in his friend's face but realized it might have been embarrassing to hear since it was most definitely rude. So here were two males, one embarrassed of the thought of being bathed by a literal prince he seemed to have some unwanted attachment to whereas the other was embarrassed for being so rude and blunt which led to his friend's discolored face.

"I'll just... get water ready for you.... Okay? Take as long as you need.. when bathing.", Razor quietly told the red-faced boy as he exited the room to go start the bathwater which left Bennett alone with his conflicting thoughts on his confusing feelings. He laid in the bed silently, pondering his thoughts and slowly dissecting them one by one. Bennett didn't understand why he felt this odd attachment to the prince he had only grown to see as a friend in three weeks so why did his heart ache when it was time for the boy had to go back to the castle every day? It was an odd thing to feel for someone who was supposed to hate the royal family. The queen feared the people outside of the kingdom and when she declined a few children offered to her by people from the farming village it only heightened her fear of people who felt like they deserved more without working towards it. The queen does wish to one day address the economic struggles of the local villages but in the midst of many wars, she simply turns a blind eye to it leaving people like Bennett's family and the farming village to suffer. Even though his upbringing of hatred towards the royals while staying within the lines of being publicly respectful he somehow couldn't muster up enough hate to want to take advantage of when the prince leaves himself exposed. His back turned there, his eyes are focused on something else, His mind is elsewhere so take your chance.... but he never does, instead, he joins in or follows the oblivious prince around.