Regicide (Dan and Phil Tyrant AU)

Chapter 3

Dan

Dan was shocked to see his best friend standing in front of him. To the say the least, Dan was overjoyed and although he kept a rather staid facial expression, it was clear in his eyes that he was bursting with happiness-an emotion he hasn't felt for a long time.

He pulled away from Phil and continued to smile brightly, a thing that felt so foreign to him in recent years. Back-breaking labor never made anyone smile, except the people it benefitted. It almost felt like a dream to have Phil here, almost like a figment of his imagination because he knew there was no possible way that Phil was able-or even allowed- to be here.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dan immediately asked questioningly.

"Seeing you of course. What else could I be doing here? It's not like I'm ever really let out of the castle." Phil said with a light laugh.

"Speaking of which, how are you here?"

"I snuck out. Well, not really, I said I was going to get some cereal from the supermarket, but actually I was going to go here."

"You and your bloody cereal, my god." Dan replied.

"I eat so much cereal I guess you could say I'm a," Phil paused for effect, "cereal killer!" He pointed to finger guns at Dan.

Phil laughed as Dan rolled his eyes playfully, "Get out."

"Look, Dan, I don't have a lot of time to talk before everyone back home gets worried and starts wondering where I am. Where exactly am I, if I might ask?" Phil looked around for any hint of direction as he asked.

"In the fields by London. I'd estimate it to be about twenty minutes away from where your castle is if you take the tube. Maybe more, maybe less." Dan shrugged.

"I probay spent an hour walking here then," Phil said more to himself then Dan, "so much excercise." He sighed dramatically.

"Please, your hour of walking is nothing compared to what I have to go through every day." Dan rolled his eyes playfully before smiling, "your legs would fall off if you did the work I had to do. Then you'd really be complaining about the amount of excercise."

"I'm blessed, I know," Phil replied solemly, "and I do know many others-like yourself-are not. I just wish I could help more, you know? I never do anything, they just keep me locked up in that castle like a prisoner! It's just the constant responsibilities, the constant pressure, it's all too much sometimes."

"You shouldn't be complaining, I'd take responsibilities to calluses any day. Wait, actually, no, calluses only damage my hands, responsibilities could damage my mental psych."

"Yeah," Phil responded sadly, "it isn't a glamourous life like all the fairy tales say."

"Fairy tales never accurately depict reality. They're an escape from this cruel reality that confines us, it allows for the idea that a better life is out there and the world could be better, but once you close the book, you're back to the harsh reality that life isn't a fairy tale. Life isn't some happy toddler's book where everything is perfect and any problem can be solved with optiminism." Dan ranted distantly. 

Before Phil had the chance to respond, Dan was ranting again, this time with far more emotion.

"They say everything will work out if you just believe in those fairy tales, well I've been believing for seven fucking years that everything will be okay! Seven fucking years telling myself that everything I do isn't for nothing! That I'm not just wasting my existence running in circles! I don't have a purpose though, I never did. My only purpose in this meaningless life is to be a good little peasant and make my fucking landowners rich!" Dan was ranting so angrily before he sighed and frowned entering an existential crisis, "why am I even here? What am I even doing? Does anything even matter? Is there even a point in any of this or am I just wasting my time as I wait for the sweet release of death?"

Dan seemed so distant, so far away that Phil didn't know if he could bring him back. Phil shook Dan's shoulders first, hoping that'll bring him back a little before he spoke.

"Dan, you do have a purpose and a point for existing. It may not seem like it now, but you'll find it as long as you keep moving forward. It takes time to find out why you're here, no one ever knows right as they're born. You'll find your way, but you have to keep moving. I know things are tough, I know you just want to give up, but I promise you, when I'm king I'll make sure you have a greater purpose than this." Phil smiled. "I gotta go, I'm sure they're wondering where I am, by now. But I promise you, Dan, I will make sure you have a greater purpose when I'm king."

Phil gave Dan a quick hug and waved good bye and with those final words Phil left, disappearing into the foliage, leaving Dan alone with only his word of a promise he couldn't keep.