Under My Protection

Chapter 1

Rain felt the morning light hitting his face, groaned, and shoved his bruised face under his pillow. He was dreading the day ahead and ignored the first knock on his door, but the knocking continued.

"Master Rain, it is time for you to get up. You have a meeting with your father in an hour," came the voice outside.

"Thank you Bun Ma! I'll get up now," Rain yelled back in reply, hearing footsteps heading down the hallway, away from his room. He had to get up now. Had to head down and face his father. Rain wondered if there was a way to sneak past his parents and escape to Sky's house. He could hide there until, well, until what exactly? Rain had no idea what he would do after that. Besides, the likelihood that Sky would offer him cover to escape his dad was nonexistent. Sky wasn't afraid of much, but even he was afraid of Rain's dad.

Rain opened the door and leaned down, picking up the tray on the floor that held his breakfast. He carried it in and set it on his sitting area table. There was no way his stomach would tolerate food this morning. Both because of the amount of alcohol he had ingested the night before and the prospect of meeting with his father. The coffee was probably out too.

Sighing in resignation, he sipped a bit of water, and headed to the shower.

*********************************************

Rain shuffled his slippered feet along the floor as he entered his father's study, noting that his parents were both already there along with Channarong, his father's bodyguard. Bowing, he opened his mouth to greet them good morning but was stopped by his father.

"Sit down, no need to exchange pleasantries," his father said, pointing towards the chair across from his desk. Rain looked briefly at his mother, standing behind his father, noting a small smile directed at him that just as quickly left her face. He sat down, bowing his head slightly to look at his clasped hands. Never look father in the eyes unless prompted. A hard-earned lesson that he tried hard not to break. But sometimes his father said things that he so badly wanted to respond to, argue with. He worked hard to keep those thoughts to himself, zipped behind his closed lips. But, sometimes, unfortunate times, those things came flying out and were never received well. Far better to only speak when spoken to and keep those things inside instead of circulating in the air around them.

"I'm sure you are aware why you are here today. I don't have much time to spend on this matter and am required at a meeting shortly. So, let's get this over with shall we?" his father asked. Rain knew his father didn't actually want a response so he kept his gaze cemented on his hands.

"As is typical for you, poor decisions were made last night, injuries occurred, and now we are subject to unnecessary, negative publicity. I'm not even going to lecture you about dragging Narong to a party. You are well aware that not only are you not supposed to be attending parties but that it is not your bodyguard's job to babysit you while you move about recklessly through life. We hire you protection to keep you safe, not to allow you to sneak away from home to engage in activities that are explicitly forbidden." Rain was pretty sure his father was glaring at him with an otherwise expressionless face but Rain refused to look up, focusing instead on picking at a hangnail.

"Your mother and I are, once again, extremely disappointed in you. I question whether you are even capable of making mature, sensible decisions that don't negatively impact everyone around you."

"Rain, honey, we've talked about...." Rain's mother started causing Rain to look up at his mother who had a soft, sad look on her face.

"No. You will not baby him right now. He does not need to be coddled. He needs to learn responsibility and that his decisions have consequences," his father interrupted, turning slightly to point his finger towards Rain's mother.

Rain wanted nothing more than to hurl himself across the desk and bury himself in his mother's arms. To cry about how unfair his life was. How cruel his father was. How much he hated the majority of his waking hours. To have her hug him tight. Pet his head. Kiss his cheeks. Wipe his tears.

He wanted to go back to when he was young and she would read stories to him before bed. To the days when he ate his meals with her. To the days of bubble baths, cupcake baking, and hide-and-seek around the house with the staff.

But now, they barely interacted since Rain's father felt she made him too soft and had begun limiting their time together. Rain looked at his mother's sad face with a crushing longing to feel her love again. He swallowed it down and returned his gaze to his lap.

"I have decided that before I send you to school abroad, you will be given one final chance." Unable to stop himself, Rain's eyes trained onto his father's face disbelieving the words he had just said. School overseas? Did he say school abroad? When did that become an option? Rain felt conflicted. That would mean leaving Sky, his mom, the staff. But it would also mean escaping his father. Did he even want another chance? Should he ask to just be sent away?

"So, here is what is going to happen. First, you are banned from leaving this house." Rain opened his mouth to argue but stopped when his mother shook her head gently at him.

"You will have to slowly earn going places by following the rules and keeping out of trouble. You will continue your studies here at home with tutors instead of going to school."

No school? No school meant no Sky. How would he survive without Sky? He could manage the house arrest but not seeing Sky at school each day was not okay. Sky was pretty much the only thing that kept him tethered to life and was currently the single good thing he experienced each day.

Unable to keep his worries to himself, Rain blurted out, "What about Sky? Can he come see me here?"

"Do I need to remind you to not speak unless asked to? Breaking rules already?" Rain chewed the inside of his cheek, intertwined his shaking fingers, and shut up.

"Yes, you will be allowed visits from Sky. But only Sky. None of those other ridiculous students you refer to as friends. So, the second thing that is going to happen is that Narong is being replaced as your bodyguard. Channarong has done extensive research, searching for an appropriate person to fit our needs. Someone highly recommended and capable of protecting a brat like you." Rain saw his father nod at Channarong who moved towards the study door.

After several minutes, Rain could sense that Channarong was back in the room but did not look up yet.

"Rain, meet your new bodyguard, Phayu."