Keir (mxm)

Ch. 2

Night seemed to come slower than normal as I sat on my bed and peered out the open window. Bailey laid beside me snoring softly as she slept. Just one more hour.

A small knock at my door interrupted the silence in the room causing Baileys head to shoot up and her tail wagged happily once she spotted my mother peeking around the now cracked door.

"Can I come in?" Mom asked but didn't actually wait for a reply before stepping into my room and shutting the door behind her. As she came closer I saw that her eyes still held sadness in them but she no longer had tears slipping from her eyes. "I want you to know that everything is going to be okay."

I already knew it would. As long as I didn't get caught everything would be just fine. The prince wouldn't even bat an eye at me, so many women here in the village are almost like goddesses and I didn't even know how to act like a lady. I'll fail miserably, most of the other women go through a short training period once they reach the proper age for marriage. I, on the other hand, as a man was expected to sit back and relax as the women served my every need. All I would do is work to provide for the family.

"We'll find a way around all of this. I'm sure the king will understand that we have no daughters of legal age." No,but instead you have a son. I thought as mom kissed my cheek and patted Baileys head before wishing me a good nights sleep and leaving the room.

The king wouldn't understand. He was a royal, he'd blame mom for me not being a girl. I once heard that the king had a hard head not easy to crack and he'd punish the family for Lila not being of age.

With a sigh, I laid back in bed. My eyes felt heavy as sleep tried forcing its way into me but I pushed it back each time. If I fell asleep now I'd miss my only chance to protect my family. If I left at midnight I'd get to the palaces edge by sunrise and if I could find a lake I could have a quick bath to wake me up a little before I got to the castle. 

With a smile I scratched Baileys ear and kissed her head. She whined in reply and licked my cheek while giving me big sad eyes. She knew what I had planned. There was no telling how long I would be gone.

"I'll come back for you I promise." Whispering to her seemed to help set her at ease as I glanced at the clock that hung loosely on the wall above my closet. It was close to midnight now. Only a few more minutes. Perhaps my parents were already asleep in bed?

With one last kiss to my baby's head I slipped on my black shoes and turned off my bedroom light before silently leaving the comfort of my room. The whole house was silent, the only light I received was from the moon as it shone through the glass windows. A loud snoring erupted from my parents bedroom alerting me that they were in fact already asleep.

Before entering their room I made my way into my sisters. Her soft cheeks were stained with tears while her eyes were puffy and red from crying. My heart broke at the sight but she wouldn't have to worry. I'd always choose to protect her. With that, I left her with a kiss on the cheek.

My parents room was dark; almost pitch black. Their only window faced away from the moon making it harder to see without any supporting light. The loud snores that filled the room were off rhythm as they released the loud obnoxious sounds. I couldn't understand how they could sleep through such noise but at least they both did.

For once I was thankful for how loud my parents were in their sleep as I opened my mother's closet door. It wasn't the newest thing in the house and the hinges needed a little oil. My mother had lots of dresses. I didn't want to take anything she loved but I needed at least something that was extra beautiful. There was no need to stand out among the other women too much with a common villagers dress or something too fancy. I chose blindly, hoping that I picked one of the better dresses, something mom didn't wear when she went out into the garden. Holding it out in front of me I could slightly make out what the gown looked like but I wasn't sure. In the dark room where I stood the dress looked clean and pretty enough.

Before leaving the room, I grabbed the letter from the kings men off my dads side table and uncomfortably searched through my mother's underwear grabbing the first bra my fingers touched wanting to get out of that stuff as fast as possible. I made my way into the dark kitchen and laid the gown and bra on the clean counter before grabbing a small piece of paper. There was no need for my parents to think I had been kidnapped or had run away.

Rest easy Dad, I'll protect you and Lila so everything will be okay. I love you all.

Ps. Don't forget to feed Bailey her favorite food.

-Love, Keir

Walking back to my room I kissed the top of Baileys head once again before laying the note on my pillow. It probably wasn't the safest place for it to be thanks to Bailey but they'd notice it faster if it were where I was suppose to be. "Be good Bailey."

With fist fills of tissue, the dress and my mother's bra I left silently through the back door. The tall grass sent shivers down my spine in fear of what could be hiding in it but the gate and front door were too noisy to leave through. Pieces of my hair fell into my face as the wind blew harshly pass. My long brown strands waved in the wind and suddenly I was glad my mother never let me cut my hair. It would have been odd to show up dressed as a woman with a mans haircut. For sure they'd turn me away instantly and come storming through my family's home.

With shanking hands, I pushed apart the over grown grass and cursed at myself for never trimming it when I was told to. I mowed what I had to and never thought I'd ever need to leave this way.

"Damn!" I cursed when I moved too quickly causing one of the leaves to slice into my hand. From afar the weeds that stood in the sky might look soft and plush but up close and actually touching them you come to find how hard and sharp they really are. What kind of grass was this anyways?

Careful not to get blood or dirt on my mother's things, I removed my shirt and wrapped it around my bleeding hand. I couldn't afford to get an infection, especially not if I was to be around the royal family. They'd slaughter me like a pig if they found out I was trying to deceive them.

I can swear it took hours before I finally emerged from the grass. Small cuts littered my once clear stomach showing me just how sensitive my skin really was. If I were strong like my father these cuts would be mere scratches that would quickly fade.

With soft pats to catch the blood I was on my way again. It was odd walking through the village at night. There was no sign of life among the streets when the lights went out, just loud howls in the distance as the wolves hunted for their prey.

I really hoped I wouldn't be a snack tonight. I thought as the howling got louder the closer I got to the castle grounds. The forrest surrounded the beautiful castle. It was a shame that the royal family was so nasty. Beautiful homes don't deserve ugly people.

After reaching the edge of the palace line quicker than I thought I would I let out a small cheer of relief. I was finally here with a little time to spare. The sun was still low in the sky, not even five in the morning yet,  giving me at least two hours to rest before I was assuming to head towards the castle. I really wish the king would have put a time to show up.

Over to the side I found a nice clear spot in between some bushes and trees. It would be the perfect place to rest my legs, maybe clean my wounds and maybe even take a little nap. I hope my family isn't worrying about me too much. By now I'm sure they've found the note. Mom is always sure to have us waking before the sun; making sure we got our chores done for the day so we can relax with our dad when he finally makes it back home.

I'm sure Dad wanted to come find me, but if they exposed me as a man... the king would take my head.