A Royal Pain

CHAPTER FIVE (AND A HALF)

hello! this is just a random little extra - it's from cecily's pov and it's a bit of insight into servants' life and a lot of insight into how dnp are reacting after last chapter. it takes place in between the last chapter and the next, but it's not a mandatory chapter (ie: if this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you can skip it and you'll still understand the story perfectly fine)(i just thought this would be a bit fun to write)(anyway ENJOY!)

"Yes, Prince Philip sure has been worried about Prince Daniel," Cecily said loudly to Alfonzo, who nodded solemnly.

"Why, of course," he said stiffly, his voice projected louder than usual as well. "I'm sure he is quite upset that his friend has refused to see him—or leave his room—for two days."

The Prince was well-known for eavesdropping, and Cecily could only hope that he was doing so now. The foreign Prince had already approached Cecily on two different occasions and demanded to know what was wrong with Dan.

"He is under the weather," Cecily had lied, instructed to do so from the Prince himself. He'd taken the time give her such commands in between glaring at her and demanding she remove herself from his rooms at the threat of her life. She really did feel guilty for gossiping about him with Charlotte, but she really hadn't thought that he hadn't already realized what his preferences were. She'd thought he was just as aware as she was that he preferred men, and was only going through the steps of courting women in order to do his duties.

Of course, she'd realized how wrong she was once Dan had revealed himself from behind the pillar. He'd looked just as terrified as he had furious, and she'd felt queasy realizing what she'd done to him, what turmoil he was likely going through.

"Then let me see him," Phil had insisted. "I'll bring soup."

"Sorry," Cecily had replied. "No one is to be allowed in."

Now, they waited to see if Dan would burst out of the room and declare that he'd said no such thing about refusing to see Phil and that he would have all their heads for talking about him. Instead, the silence continued. Cecily was starting to wonder if he was even bothering to eavesdrop at all.

It'd been strange after Phil had left all those years ago, watching the Prince's mood shift as he turned sullen and recluse. Especially as she had clear memories of how happy he'd been with Phil. She could still remember the time they'd asked her to play tag with them. Well, Phil had asked, Prince Daniel had stood slightly behind him and stared off to the side as if he didn't care whether she agreed to play with them or not. In the end, she had agreed, and Dan had immediately smirked wickedly, before he'd shoved Phil and yelled, "You're it!"

That day had been filled with the Prince giggling and shrieking as he ran away from his friend and yelling at him whenever it was his turn to give chase. It was a side of Dan that Cecily had seen glimpses of since Phil's return. Now, she feared she might never see it again, and it was all her fault.

"I'm going in," she announced, and Bentley gave her a sad look.

"But I like you alive," he said.

"The Prince won't kill me," she said confidently, although she wasn't entirely sure.

"Perhaps we should just leave him alone," Alfonzo said sadly, and Cecily huffed. They didn't know why the Prince was upset, and they especially didn't know that it was because of her. She had to do something to fix it.

"If I'm not back in ten minutes..."

"Send for your body?"

"Yes."

With that, Cecily slipped into the room, glancing around quickly and confirming, sadly, that the Prince hadn't been eavesdropping. She tip-toed through the rooms, entirely expecting to find the Prince laying in a ball on his bed again. She was wrong. She paused in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes as he wrote furiously, several pages of similarly abused papers by his side.