Servant to the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 32: Jack

It was hard to focus on my daily chores after what I had just learned. I'd been so stupid to think that I was even slightly important to Amos. I seems that he just has servants to just cast them aside at will. I went to bed without dinner, without checking in on Amos.

What is wrong? I heard his voice whisper in my head, but I ignored it. It's not it really mattered to him. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him. I was in pain and I just needed to be alone. Although being alone meant that I'd have to deal with my thoughts. Everything came together though. How everyone was saying things like, "new," and stuff about he had gotten me quickly or something. It just reminded me how much I didn't know about this place. About Amos.

Amos?

Yes? I could tell he was worried.

Am I just something to throw away to you? I could feel a tear slip down my cheek. It was just like mom.

What? Come here. I order you. I couldn't tell if he was angry or scared, but I had to obey him. My feet moved on their own. I didn't want to go, I had tears streaming down my face and I had gotten into my normal clothing/PJ's.

Just as I thought, all the maids saw me as I walked through the kitchen in order to go to wherever Amos was. I didn't know where he was, but my feet did. They carried me along the path I took everyday to his room. I tried to urge my feet to stop, to not take me any further, but they weren't listening to me. I opened the door to his room, but quickly hid my face with my hands.

"May," he whispered soothingly to me. My body automatically sat down on his bed. I had fulfilled my orders. I could just get up and leave, but I doubted Amos would let me do that. "May, what has caused you to be so upset? Was it the queen?" I shook my head, like a child. "Then what is it? Please tell me." I could tell he was right next to me, but I refused to look, afraid to speak.

"Why are you so nice to me? What happened to the dark prince?" I attempted to tease him.

"You are like a part of me, I can tell you're hurting. Mainly due to your lack of control over your emotions," he mumbled the last part. I instantly brought my hands down and glared at him, causing a smile to spread across his face. "You're crying." He stated. I covered my face again. Nothing's more embarrassing than having some one see you crying.

"May," he wined like a small child. Not very prince like might I add. "Don't make me order you," he threatened.

"I know about Jack," my words were muffled due to my hands over my face.

"What? Who told you?" I couldn't tell if he was angry, annoyed, or both.

"It doesn't matter. How come you didn't tell me? Was it such a big secret? Was it because I'm just some toy to throw aside once you're done with me? Why are you keeping so
Many secrets from me? Aren't we supposed to have some special bond or what not?" I looked at him, even with tears streaming down my face. He wasn't looking at me. His face has darkened considerable, almost making me feel bad for being so harsh.

"Jack was my best friend." He took a deep breath, and continued, "remember when I told you about the little pranks I'd pull around the castle? He came up with them initially. We got in so much trouble for them, but we still laughed.

"I met him when I first came to the castle, the king had brought me here, taken me away from my parents. I was only 8, and I was scared. But Jack came running down the hall, he ran into me, knocking off my feet. He apologized quickly and ran off. Later he found out he had knocked over the prince. The look on his face was priceless." He chuckled sadly to himself. I stayed still, thinking that if I moved he might stop completely.

"After a while he and I became friends. He helped me adjust to this place. In fact, it was completely by accident that I made him my servant, but he didn't even mind. He was happy to be by my side. He wasn't like all the other servants. He was always smiling and making people laugh with his dum jokes or general stupidity. The day that the king died-" he stopped. The look on his face pained me. I could see he was suffering. Some selfish part of me wanted him to continue, but I knew he shouldn't.

"When the kind died," he continued, "and I was accused, he stood up for me. He was the only one too. The queen, in order to make an example of him, and to ultimately hurt me, had him beheaded right in front of me and the people." I knew he wouldn't cry, due to manliness and what not, but I knew he wanted to. "I never told you, because it still hurts. I'm sorry if that made you think I don't care. I hate to admit it, but I probably care too much for a prince. Our servants weren't supposed to be our friends, but I was a fool. I was a fool and thought that it was better to have a friend than a servant. And now, I'm afraid they'll do you you what they did to Jack. Kill you in front of me," his voice was shaking and he was having a hard time breathing.

I grabbed his head and shoved it against my chest. He was shocked, so much so that he didn't move. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him there. Slowly, maybe after a few minutes, he reached his arms around me and buried his face into my chest further. I couldn't hear it, but I could feel the hot tears that wetted my shirt. He was shaking slightly too.

"I'm sorry I can't help more," I whispered to him. I began playing with his jet back hair to help him calm down. My heart was breaking for him. If I'd lost one of my friends like that, I wouldn't be able to cover up my hurt. In all honesty, it would probably mess me up for years to come. Amos was amazing for not letting his loss control his life.

"Just don't die," I heard him murmur. I laughed a little.

"I haven't died yet. I think I'm getting pretty good at it," I said boldly.

"You're such a boastful servant," he laughed.

"I'm kind of useless everywhere else, so I have to be," I said matter-of-factly.

"You're not wearing a bra." He pulled away immediately. I hadn't had time to think about that when I was comforting him. I was in my PJs, of course I wasn't wearing a bra. This didn't stop my face from lighting up line Rudolph the red nose reindeers nose.

Since it was dark in his room, I couldn't really tell if Amos was blushing or just mocking me.

"Well, this just got really awkward, I'm leaving." I got up to leave, but Amos grabbed my hand. This made my face heat up even more.

"Your shirts all wet, I don't want the servants to think I was...just stay here." Can't even say the word crying.

"You're more of baby than you think." I sat back down on his bed. He mumbled a reply, but I didn't hear it. He crawled to the other side of the bed and got under the covers, ready to go to bed. "You could always just lend me one of your shirts." Made sense since I basically clothes him.

"No way, do you know what that would imply?"

"Do you know what me staying here would imply?" I shot back. I couldn't help but laugh at him. Even if I was the one that was red.

"Then leave when your shirts dry," he said embarrassed.

"Don't be a baby, crying isn't anything to be ashamed about. People need to cry, it helps relieve stress. I bet you feel better now." All he did was hum a response. I pursed my lips. It was late, I was tired. I swallowed my pride and got under the covers. I wanted to sleep in a bed that didn't make my back feel like it was breaking.

"What do you think you're doing?" He leaned on his elbow to look at me.

"I'll wake up early enough to go back to my own bed. But, right now, I'm going to enjoy a comfortable, warm bed. Those beds in the servants quarters are both hard and freezing," I snuggled deeper into the covers. It smelled like Amos, like the woods in the middle of winter.

"Fine. But you better not wake me up," he groaned and flopped back into his bed. I smiled triumphantly.