Royal

The Jewels of Jealousy

I finish dressing and notice Peter admiring my new outfit. "What is it? Did I accidentally tuck something in the wrong place?" I say trying to see what he is staring at.

"No your tucked in all the right places." He laughs and I smile " You just look really good in all these outfits, they make you look like some forbidden fruit all dressed up and shining to seduce people to take a bite." I blush furiously at his words and try to hide my face.

"Th-thank you." I say shyly and Peter comes and places a chaste kiss on my cheek.

"How I wish I could court you like a proper gentleman. Hold your hand as we walk around the town, buy you pastries at the bakery. I wish we could just be two love birds." Peter admits a slight pink tint on his cheeks now as well. I pull him into a hug and he lets out a small sigh.

"Its okay. I just enjoy having you here with me." I say giving Peter a genuine smile. He smiles back and I feel my heart melt a little. "Now I have to tend to the prisoner but I will be back later. Stay here this is where you will be safest." Peter nods understanding and I kiss his cheek again before exiting the room.

As soon as I exit I feel the need to enter again, already missing Peter. I brush the thoughts away knowing I have duties to attend. Not even half way down the hall way Brendon comes out of nowhere and matches my strides.

"So you and Peter?" He asks his eyebrow raising. I look at the floor and shrug biting my lip.

"Im not sure what we are. More than friends but not quite lovers? We have only kissed nothing more." Brendon nods in understanding his brow furrowing in thought. What he must pause to think about I have no idea.

We make our way past the great hall and into the dimmer windowless hallway that holds the door down into the dungeon.

It has been a long time since I last had to enter the dampened stone hold that winds deep under the castle. There is still men in there from when my father was in charge sentanced to life within the damp cells. Brendon grabs a torch as we decend the narrow stairwell. A guard joins us with another torch half way down.

By the time we reach the bottom I feel like taking a nap my breath coming a little heavy under all the layers of cloth I have on. The air down here is moist and humid the only light coming from the sparsly placed torches on the walls.

We pass a few guards on duty who all bow slightly at my presence. Brendon keeps an air of dignity much better than I can in the moldy atmosphere. I cringe when we pass prisoners cells all of them in terrible condition. The prisoners all thin, their hair turned white and their eyes larger than normal trying to adjust to the darkness. I walk a little closer to Brendon than what is proper but he doesn't seem to mind.

In fact Brendon has a stance to protect me if anything happens which makes me smile. He is the best right hand man a king could ask for. We wind deeper into the maze of cells and the air gets colder the further we go the only heat and light coming from the flickering torches.

I scream when rats scurry past our feet and Brendon grabs onto my arm to steady me. I calm down and hear the echo of my voice bouncing down the long stone corridors. "You alrlight?" Brendon asks and I nod.

Brendon keeps his hold on my arm as we continue. Finally we stop and Brendon holsters the torch in a hold on the wall. It illuminates the cell with the man who attacked Pete. His face is swollen and bloody and it hits me that I did that to this man.

His eyes trail from the wall and toward us. His eyes narrow into a glare when he sees me. He spits a gob of spit and blood toward us and Brendon dodges it as it lands on the stone of the hallway.

"You best be more respectful to your king! You dirty criminal, he can have you killed for what you have done." Brendon grits out as the man in the cell looks back to the wall blocking us out.

"What do you want done with him your highness?" Brendon asks knowing its improper to call me by my name in a setting such as this.

"Lets leave him here for now and let him contemplate his crimes. Let his wounds heal on their own. He deserves to rot in here for what he has done." I say loud enough for the man to hear it. He scoffs and I glare at him.

"Alright. Lets get out of here." Brendon says and I agree we make our way back up the way we came. If only it was easy to clean down here considering how putrid it smells and the rats. Im pretty sure we just passed a dead guy and no one has noticed.

Perhaps leaving people down here is injust. I feel guilt trickle into my chest seeing all these people down here that my father insisted must remain here until they turn into rat food.

I shake off the thought and continue back up to the castle. When we finally make it out I feel like I need a bath to scrub the dampness and spiderwebs off of me.

A/n hey everyone! I know this one is a bit short and just a filler but this desperately needed an update. Hope you enjoyed.