The Prince of Lost (boyxboy)

Two: Percival

        The strange looks were one thing. The gossips were another. But a melted ice cream filled with iron was a whole new level. Percival sat in one of the beds in the infirmary. His shirt and blazer was discarded in a pile on the floor, a few feet away from his shoes. The skin on his arms, hands, neck and cheeks were pink from where the ice cream had touched him. It still ached. But at least, the burning had stopped.
        The school nurse, Mrs. Densy, had just finished wiping off the sticky liquid. "I warned you to be very careful," she said in a lecturing tone. "It is not safe for the two of you to be out here. The Frostmounts have many enemies." She retrieved a vial of silver liquid from one of the hidden compartments in the shelf on the far wall. It was elixir, a healing salve used by witches and fairies alike. She folded a piece of cloth and pured a few drops on it.
        "By enemies, you mean those who know of our secret?" Percy inquired as Mrs. Densy began to tap his burned skin with the cloth. He could already feel relief upon contact.
        "Your fellow folks know, of course. But this one was made purely by a mortal."
        The infirmary wasn't hot like the halls and classrooms in Goldenwood. It was airconditioned. To provide comfort, Percy knew. The bedframes were made of heavy wood. And small cabinets that acted as bedside tables accompanied each bed.
        "Remember why the Frostmounts left Goldenwood sixteen years ago," Mrs. Densy reminded him.
        Mrs. Densy was one of the only few people Percy knew he and his cousin, Morana, could trust. She was mortal but knew a lot about fairies, especially because she was the spouse of one, labelling her a witch. She was a woman in her thirties who liked to keep her hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She had fine features that would easily betray her age, making her look younger.
        Behind her stood Percy's cousin, Morana, her arms folded in front of her chest. Her eyebrows, shades darker than her pale-blond hair, were furrowed in anger. "Whoever did this to you will pay. And by pay, I mean severely." Her eyes glittered in flecks of green and purple, glowing.
        "Hush, young woman," Mrs. Densy said in a disapproving tone. "Even schools in Flynn City have their fair share of delinquents. Goldenwood is no exception. You will let this slide."
        Percy nodded in agreement. "You said a mortal is behind this. Can you tell me their name?" He asked in a kind voice.
        Mrs. Densy now moved the cloth over Percy's shoulders and chest, where maps of burned skin mimicked the drawings on a globe. Percy didn't realise that the sticky liquid had gone through his clothes.
        "I have many speculations. But I'm sure the Lincoln boy and his friends are now in Mr. Algerian's office."
        A memory flashed in the back of Percy's mind: a handsome boy with the smell of cologne, soap, and a hint of sweat who had rushingly come out of the cafeteria this morning. "Are you referring to a boy with brown eyes and hair? The one wearing a school jacket?"
        "I see you've met." It was Morana who now sat on the bed across from Percy. She clearly had gotten tired of standing.
        Mrs. Densy replaced the cork back to the tube of elixir. "All done," she said in a smile. "You may rest here for the rest of the day." She gathered her medical kit and stood up.
        "Great!" Morana beamed woth delight. "I could use a break from gossips running around me."
        That earned her another disapproving glance from Mrs. Densy. "Not you, dear. Now off to class."
        Morana groaned in protest but lifted herself up from the bed, her hair like a golden curtain behind her. "I'll fetch you after school," she told Percy before she slid out the door.
        Percy felt a bit uncomfortable without his cousin around. But he managed to lie down the bed, letting the biege ceiling assure him of comfort. He lifted his hands in front of his face. He saw that the burned skin was gone, replaced by a healthy color of honey. The elixir had worked its magic.
        He wondered if Mrs. Densy use it on mortals. That is, if the situation presented itself, like broken bones or a serious injury. It was doubtful, though, because mortals had their natural way of healing that took time. They had medicines, too, that helped them recover fast.
        The sound of glass vials bumping into each other echoed in a tingly sound. Percy almost forgot that the school nurse was still here.
        "Mrs. Densy?" He called.
        "Yes, dear? Feeling anything you should not?" She was arranging her potions and medicines in the shelf, her back on Percy.
        "Have you..." He hesitated. But decided to continue after a long pause. "Have you met my mother?" He knew his voice sounded that of a longing child. But as a boy who never seen or been with his mother, he couldn't hide the sadness in his tone.
        Mrs. Densy stopped shortly. And turned around to face him. "Yes. Once. On the night of your departure sixteen years ago. You were still a baby, covered in elf cloth. And your mother, Elise, was more beautiful than any woman I have ever seen." She sounded almost dreamy. Maybe she adored Elise, Percy thought. "She had eyes like amber and hair like burning gold, lighting the night."
        "I wish I met her," Percy admitted, a little envious.
        Mrs. Densy's face shifted into that of a bothered woman. "But you know, it was the same night she nearly burned down Goldenwood."