Peasant | A Phan AU

| Bloody Hell |

*Chapter Three*

(tw- blood + violence)

(quick A/N- I feel like my writing style is changing quickly so I'm sorry if this chapter seems strange)

When Phil woke up, his hand was nestled under a head of soft curls that belonged to a very sleepy Dan. The light of daybreak was dimly illuminating the peasant's face and the cool, morning air rustled the grass around them. Phil slowly sat up with a quiet yawn, gently removing his hand from under Dan's head before stretching his arms. The prince looked back over at the peasant, a faint smile playing at his lips at the sight of such a timid boy looking so peaceful. Dan's lips were parted, allowing deep breaths to escape his mouth. The entire scene was calm with only nature being awake. Phil had always been so sheltered as a child that he never got to experience the raw beauty of the outdoors, but instead the harsh loneliness of the indoors.

A monarch butterfly fluttered through the air, around Phil's head, and eventually landed on the tip of Dan's nose. The insect flapped its wings a few times, but abruptly flew away as Dan let out a loud sneeze. He groaned quietly in his sleep and rolled over, his back facing Phil. Grass blades and dirt stuck to the back of Dan's (originally Phil's) shirt and a twig was tangled with the peasant's brunet locks. He looked like a nymph, or a faerie, or something similar to those creatures in this state; he was so peaceful and vulnerable while trapped in slumber. Something pretty, calm, and in touch with nature. It intrigued the prince, to say the least.

As the light around them dimmed due to a cloud passing over the rising sun, Phil suddenly remembered who he was and where he was. Why the queen hadn't sent guards to retrieve him the night before was beyond his knowledge, but he did know that she would not let him stay gone much longer. And if he knew anything about his mother, it was that this act of defiance would not go unpunished.

Phil took one more look at the sleeping boy before standing up. For possibly the first time in his life, he couldn't help but feel sympathetic for someone other than his family.

The prince scanned his surroundings, and in the stressful place that was his brain, his exact location instantly slipped away. He had never been good with directions, but in the heat of the moment, everything was worse. Phil looked towards the top of the trees that formed a semicircle around the big oak, searching for the towers of the palace. Thankfully, due to the extravagance of the large stone building, this wasn't a difficult task.

Taking haste, Phil crouched down and scribbled a letter down for his new friend. It read:

Dear Dan,
I must return to the castle now. Mother isn't a patient queen! I apologize for having to leave so soon and not being able to bid my farewell to you in the flesh. Goodbye, new friend!

He signed his name as Prince Philip at the bottom of the page before ripping the paper out of his notebook and setting it next to Dan. He straightened up, and on second thought, grabbed the amulet he had bought the day before and hooked it around the peasant's neck. Phil added to the letter:

Also, the amulet around your neck is a gift from I. Hopefully it is to your liking, and if anyone gives you trouble, let them know it was from the prince!

Phil twirled the feather of his pen in a circle with thought as he debated his next actions. With a foreboding sigh, Phil placed his belongings back into his satchel and took his first reluctant step towards the castle. He took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of freedom one more time before returning to the place that restricted him of happiness.