The One You Feed × Brandrew AU

XII

-Andrew's POV-

The only sound that filled the castle was that of wind. It was clouded and cold, but the winter season was coming to a gradual end.

I was sitting on my bed, crown removed, ready for bed. My fingers were clutching my lip, pulling on it softly. I couldn't help but think about the plan I was about to pull off.

I was already falling for him.

I sighed softly, flopping back onto my bed. My eyes closed half way, and a groan of discontent fell from my lips. I feared this plan wouldn't work. However, I could only pray for the best.

Someone knocked on my door. The sound rang out through the room. "Who is it?" I growled, not in the mood for being bothered. The sun had set hours ago, and I wondered who could be up at this time.

"It's Brandon," the boy said, his voice muffled. My heart must have skipped a beat or two, because I remained silent for a good few seconds. "What do you want, Brandon?" I said softly. I usually would have yelled, but if I did, that would screw things up.

"I wanted to talk to you, u-um, sir," Brandon stuttered, "about earlier today."

The events of today were not something I wished to speak about. I couldn't believe how emotional I had been.  But, if I sent him away, all the progress I'd made would be shattered.

I slid off of the bed, threw my tunic on, and adjusted my crown onto my head. "I'm coming," I said, slowly rubbing my collar bone. I dragged myself to the door, pulled open the locks, and gradually tugged the door open. There stood Brandon, his short and dark hair in a unorderly fashion, and barefoot.

"You sleep with your crown on?" He asked innocently. I chuckled, but rolled my eyes. "What are you doing up so late?" I asked. Brandon frowned. "Thinking," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes yet again. He'd better have a good reason for disturbing me.

"What did you want to say?" I asked. Brandon's eyes widened, like he hadn't expected that question. "Oh," he mumbled, taking a step back. "What you said seemed out of the ordinary, so I-"

"And?" I interrupted harshly. Brandon jumped back, which I hadn't intended to cause. "Can I not be out of the ordinary?" My fists clenched on instinct, but I quickly released them. I needed to relax.

"Sorry," I said. I hated that word. "I know, I've been acting quite strange. We can discuss this tomorrow morning."

Without giving Brandon a chance to respond, I turned around. However, he wasn't done speaking. He reached out to grab my hand, but I grabbed his forearm first, and turned back with a glare. The malicious frown was wiped from my face when I saw the feeling in Brandon's eyes.

We stood there for a few solid minutes, staring deeply into each other's eyes. Our breathing was even louder than the wind. His warm breath blew over my face, and gradually, I grabbed his hand. "Sir," Brandon said. It snapped me out of my trance. "Brandon," I said softly, "go to sleep."

I didn't let my feelings overpower me. Without thinking about it, I stepped out of the doorway. "I really am sorry." My hand connected with the door, and I slammed it shut.

•••

I hated the fact that I was being forced to fall in love with a servant. I wanted to stab myself in the heart for feeling this way. I even wanted to stab Onys for giving me the idea.

The day was windy, but the sunniest one so far in the year. Everyone was outside at the market, taking time to visit their loved ones, and enjoying the day in it's entirety. Despite the happiness around me, I was more sour than a rotting lemon.

I was slouched back into my throne, tugging at my hair almost violently. Nothing fun was happening. Sure, I could go speak with Brandon and fall even further in love, but I had to take my time. No matter how much I didn't want to feel this way, there was no stopping it.

I really liked him. I enjoyed his short, dark, fluffy hair. I favored his big brown eyes, and I very much was fond of his personality.

I stepped down off my throne. I was going to talk to Brandon, as my impatience had gotten the best of me. Earlier today, I sent him to dust the floorboards, which usually took a while. Smirking, I made my way to the hall where I assumed he'd be. Sure enough, there he was, scrubbing mercilessly at a dark spot in the corner.

"Brandon?" I called out. He looked up, seemingly recognizing my voice. "Yes, sir?" He responded. A smile came onto my face, but this time, I didn't wipe it off. I walked farther down the hall, and then kneeled next to him.

Before I could think about it, a question slipped from my mouth. "What do you think of me?" I asked, biting my lip. Brandon raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" He whispered. I moved closer to him, cornering him.

"I mean, do you like me?" I clarified. Brandon laughed softly. "Don't I have to? You're the king," he said. I chuckled to ease the tension between us. "Be honest," I encouraged him, gently nudging his shoulder. His smile grew.

"Well, you can be mean," Brandon confessed, avoiding eye contact. "Not really to me, but to my friends." He swallowed hard, and then looked up at me. "You're never mean to me, actually," he added. I watched as Brandon began pulling at his earlobe. "But you've recently began acting, well, strangely, towards me, and it's weird."

I smiled, flashing my teeth at him. "I promise you," I said, squeezing his arm. "There's a good explanation for all of this." I began backing away, and stood up. "Just you wait."

(So this one was a bit short, but I actually really like it. The next few chapters things will start to get a lot more dramatic.)