K I N G

t w e n t y - n i n e

"If I were to remain silent, I'd be guilty of complicity." -Albert Einstein

Todd's POV
Neil's funeral had been yesterday. Todd almost hadn't gone. He did not wish to see Neil's father and was happy to avoid the whole thing altogether before he remembered Violet. Neil had loved Violet the most. He felt compelled to go and see her as he couldn't leave her behind. Neil wouldn't have wanted Violet to be alone.

Violet had found him immediately. Her blue eyes enhanced by the redness of them from where she had been crying. Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke,

    "A-a-are you Todd?"

    Todd smiled down at her. "Yes, I'm Lord Todd."

    Violet giggled before falling somber once more.

    "King N-neil said you were his favorite in the whole entire kingdom!"

    Tears sprung to Todd's eyes. His heart clenching painfully at her words.

    "King Neil also told me you were his favorite, Lady Violet."

    Violet took Todd's hand, the warmth of her hand a stark contrast to his cold one. Todd couldn't restrain himself as he crushed Violet in his arms. Her tiny body shook as she cried into the crook of his neck. Todd just held her, feeling comforted by the small girl as she too had lost the most important person to her.

Todd was pulled from his thoughts from Nolan addressing him.

    "Mr. Anderson, will you tell me where you were in the Pritchard textbook?"

    "The...in the Pritchard?" He repeated slowly, not fully grasping what was being said to him.

    "Kindly inform me, Mr. Cameron."

    Cameron told Nolan how they jumped around the textbook and skipped the Realists. He didn't want to admit that Mr. Keating had they rip out the pages of the textbook. The sound of someone knocking at the door caused the class to turn towards the back of classroom. Todd choked as he saw Mr. Keating standing with a small box in his hand.

    "Excuse me. I came for my personals. Should I come back after class?"

    "Get them now, Keating," Nolan stated briskly before addressing the class. "Gentlemen, turn to page twenty-one...."

    The words drowned in the shrill ringing in Todd's ears as he watched Mr. Keating walk further into the class and into a side room. Feelings of guilt came rushing at Todd from all sides. Keating didn't deserve this. Todd should have done more. He should have protested, fought back. But Todd had been a coward. He curled his hands into fist as he cried out,

    "Mr. Keating, they made everyone sign it!"

    He had to know that Todd didn't betray him. Todd couldn't live with himself if he hadn't had said something.

    Nolan stalked over towards Todd's desk. "Quiet, Mr. Anderson."

    Todd didn't obey. His eyes stayed locked with his teacher's kind eyes.

    "You gotta believe me. It's true."

    "I believe you, Todd."

    "Leave, Mr. Keating!"

Todd stood as he shouted in his teacher's defence, "But it wasn't his fault!"

"Sit down, Mr. Anderson."

    For a moment, Todd complied. He dropped into his seat feeling the heavy sense of defeat. Nolan threatened him with expulsion and told Mr. Keating to leave once more.

    No, Todd thought. Neil wouldn't have laid down. He needed to be strong. No more would Todd roll over for anyone. Climbing on top of his desk, he stated loudly,

    "O Captain! My Captain!"

    Todd ignored Nolan. He felt like his old self once again as Mr. Keating smiled thankfully up at him. Damn the consequences, Todd would never regret this.

Then, Knox stood as well. Followed by Pitts and Meeks and soon the whole class stood. Nolan turned red in the face as he shouted at them all. His threats fell on deaf ears as Mr. Keating stared at the class in wonder.

    "Thank you, boys. Thank you."

    Todd smiled for the first time in a while as a familiar warmth spread throughout his chest.

    Neil was proud of him too.