Dead prince(ss) [bl]

Heretical sun 05

Chapter 5. Racquas.
It turned out that the wounds I received were not serious, but for safety reasons, in case there were any internal injuries, I could not travel or generally leave Dnardia, where I somehow found myself. I was actually sure I was on a ship at some point, so it's interesting that I'm still in this country.
Personally, this moment of respite doesn't bother me at all. I am simply a patient of the clinic, although actually the only one. I lie all day with my eyes closed and think or maybe walk around the building.
But my companion could be destroyed. He runs around the hospital from one side to the other, which I would consider funny and eccentric in a good way, if it weren't for the fact that:
a) every now and then he runs into my room, opens the curtains, asks if I'm sleeping, and then leaves before I answer,
b) eats my cookies,
c) generally eats everything that comes into its sight,
d) shouts at everything that moves,
e) Well, I don't know exactly, but I'll definitely think of something else.
As you can see in the attached picture, you must have some idea of what was going on in my head when, for the third day in a row, he kept coming in and out of my room for 15 minutes. I exploded.
In short? I covered it from top to bottom. Aside from the swearing? I didn't actually say anything. To be honest, I regretted being so impulsive and calculating when Erick made the face of the Cat from "Shrek"... and wait, they haven't made Shrek yet. Okay, the face of a six-year-old child whose older brother didn't want to give him a lollipop, but in the pro, extra, fancy, handsome, dollar version, and certainly not the six-year-old version.
"You don't have to be so rude... " He said reproachfully.
"You've been haunting me for three days now. What do you want anyway?! "I asked, in a slightly gentler tone and language definitely more suited to a prince.
"I'm bored. I have nothing to do here. I have no one to lead, I'm useless" he sat down on the bed next to me and started wailing, soaking my shirt on my shoulder. I petted him clumsily because I've never been good at comforting him. " I can't stand it any longer in this hole..." he pushed away the hand I tried to pet him with. He let out a groan of dissatisfaction. "You have a rough hand."
"What did you expect?"  I got irritated. "That it will be velvety?"
"Yes."
"Ughhh."
"Do you practice fighting?"
"Fighting, no, but using weapons, yes."
" It's the same" he started whining.
"NO."
"I see. " He wasn't convinced. "We're going to do something together."
"No thanks"
"It wasn't a question, we're going to do as I say" he said and looked at me with a look that could make a blind man wipe his glasses and start seeing, just because he wants it.
"I have no more questions."
The blonde smiled brightly and took me by the arm and began to drag me down the hall.
"Okay, first I'll show you the kitchen " he decided.  "Wait until you meet Maria. A funny woman."
"Are you telling me that you had constant access to the kitchen and still ate MY food?"
" Is this a trap? Because that's what it sounds like." I raised an eyebrow and looked at him significantly."Mariia said that until she gets your autograph, I have no chance of getting any cookies."
-"Oh?! You say you wanted to make friends, but in fact you are using me perfidiously?! " I said it half jokingly, half seriously, but still a little disappointed. Nobody likes the feeling of being unwanted.
"Everyone takes advantage of someone in some way. It's natural in our world. There are better and worse. We just use some first before someone else uses them. We're not doing any harm to them!"
"I would never take advantage of anyone " I said clearly and glared at him.
Erick hunched over as if to crouch down and protect himself from confronting me. He bit his lip and looked into my eyes hesitantly. It was a bit scary. It was as if he saw through me completely with that brief glance and was drilling into my soul, looking for a crack in the perfect shell. But he said in a thin voice:
"Then that's... very noble of you."
And he gripped my arm tighter while almost cowering completely. He seemed tense, and all his good humor and energy seemed to have evaporated. I'm not good at reading people, so I didn't know what to do to lighten the mood. I would have cracked a joke, but my head was as empty as ever. That is, assuming there was once something in it. Ha, ha...
I raised my hand in a gesture of comfort, but Erick jumped back as if he had been scalded when I did so. He took a step back and looked at me expectantly. There were clouds in his eyes, full of... something... disturbing. I immediately withdrew my hand.
"I'm sorry," I started awkwardly, "for...scaring you?" 

"Sorry, I don't know what it looks like from your perspective, but I tried you somehow... because I know? Comfort? Convince me that I don't judge people superficially and that you can talk to me honestly? That I don't segregate people, based on beliefs and status, only actions? I can't express my feelings very well; I apologize for the misunderstanding. My Dnardian is also far from perfect."
I watched Erick's reaction. The Tsarevich was... specific. I thought he was spoiled, which is probably partly true, but I didn't notice what was behind his behavior. I didn't pay attention to the fact that something was probably provoking his behavior. He got scared when I made a sudden move. Bad memories from the attack? Lesson? Relationships with others? Something completely different?
His eyes were still full of storm and hesitation. His perfect features were twisted with a grimace of dissatisfaction or anticipation. He wasn't sure what to say - I guessed.
"Then... maybe let's go", I said. Erick nodded and followed me (literally, because one step of mine is one and a half steps of that dwarf). He hadn't regained his usual good humor, but most of the clouds of his indecision had dissipated. I allowed myself to treat it as a victory. Maybe I have a hidden talent for psychology after all? Nope, definitely not.

***

Indeed, our appearance in the kitchen caused quite a stir in the kitchen. To be clear, Racquas is not particularly attractive. His skin is sallow and pale in color due to the numerous exercises that take place only in closed spaces and usually occupy the entire days of male aristocrats in the North. Only a few moles decorate his nose. His eyes are brown and yellow and I would generally call them hazel, because they always evoke pleasant associations, just like beer. His nose is slightly crooked, probably due to frequent fractures. I made a mental note to ask about it at some point. There's a scar running across part of his forehead, which he usually hides under his fringe, but it's already long, so he tucks it behind his ear. In general, his hair is now very long. They reach to the end of his neck and curl slightly at the sides. Determining their color is a bit problematic. I would say - dark brown, but they have a different colored glow when in contact with the sun, so I'm not sure.
The servants actually attacked him (as befits true fans). I pulled him aside and started negotiating with them about exchanging the signature and the gobbler. Of course, the deal was hugely unprofitable from the servants' side, but if they love Racquas so much, why not? The prince signed a few pieces of paper mechanically (it's strange that he didn't check if they were adoption papers, but since he trusts people so much, I didn't interfere). I totally interfered. I tore up the unsigned suspicious papers, for which, of course, no one thanked me, but I allowed myself to refrain from commenting this time. And this idiot almost allowed the construction of a crooked tower on some dump. He won't even notice! But I admit, he had very elegant handwriting. He could easily write manuscripts of sad ballads or tragedies or dramas.
Today we received glass containers with mysterious contents. We left the kitchen. Racquas was still red from the earlier incident of a crowd of loving fans rushing at him. To be sure, he looked behind him every few minutes to see if he was safe.
We sat on the balcony overlooking the garden of the infirmary of the royal capital of Dnardia. We opened our boxes in silence. They turned out to be full of the now fashionable dessert - tiramisu. I let out a sigh of dissatisfaction. I got the pistachio flavor and the Racquas - cocoa or chocolate, I wasn't sure.
"Something's wrong?",  Racquas asked.
"No, no," I assured, but watched with envy as he dipped his spoon into the dessert and popped it into his mouth. He seemed to like it.
 Hmm... if you want to try, you could have spoken earlier. We could have switched or something, said the prince.
I smiled brightly and took the dessert from his hand and gave him mine. Its had already been started, so I was at a loss, but I decided to pay the dues another time. What? I really don't like pistachios.
''You will still be people '' I said.
- Pfft.