Prince of Hearts

Chapter 15: One of Them

[Y/N]

There was a rustle in the carriage.

Your skin prickled at the back of your neck as you stopped and listened. The sound had come from the back, where the travelling chests were. A shaggy rug had been thrown over them, and you could have sworn that you had seen it move.

Could it be an animal? The space was too narrow for a man.

There was another rustle and the unmistakable sound of something knocking against the wood.

You stalked forward, holding your breath.

Jimin and his men were still outside, talking to the villagers. You only had to raise your voice to get their attention.

But what if it turned out to be nothing?

You crouched low on the floor, letting your fingers slide over the rug. There was silence. As you pulled it away, one of the chests came hurtling down from the top of the pile.

You leapt back, staring into large green eyes that darted from side to side like those of a startled animal.

"Who are you?" The words came out harsher than you had wanted them to.

Two knobby hands rubbed at the eyes. The fingernails had dirt under them, and the face was streaked with grime. Coarse black hair fell over the boy's forehead in uneven layers.

The kid looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were already pooling with tears.

"Don't--" You reached out with a hand, and he flinched back almost as if he expected to be slapped. "Please don't cry."

"We—" He hiccoughed. "We were just playing hide-and-seek."

Large drops rolled down his cheeks and collected at his chin before breaking apart and falling to the ground. You dropped to your knees in front of him, placing a hand on his head.

There was a suppressed sniffle, and you felt the boy convulse as he tried to hold back tears.

"Shh... It's alright," you said, petting his hair. "Who were you playing with?"

"Don't punish my friends, please!" His voice rose an octave. "I'm the only one who came in here. You can punish me!"

You had to smile. The boy was loyal.

"I'm not going to punish anyone," you said.

"You're not?"

"No." You shook your head. "In fact, I might have some presents for you and your friends."

"Presents?" His eyes narrowed.

You smiled at him before bending down, pulling a crate from under the seat. It had been covered with straw, but you could still see the red skin of the fruits peeking out. You picked one out, holding it out to him.

"Here."

"A pomegranate." His eyes flitted between you and the fruit.

"You know what it is?"

"They grow it in Lord Waymer's orchard." He turned it over in his hands, his tiny fingers smoothing over the leathery skin. "We're not allowed to have any, though. Mina said they'll beat us to death if we took even one."

You sat back on your haunches, folding your arms over your knees. "You've never had pomegranates before?"

"I have." The boy's eyes twinkled, the corner of his lips curling up. "Mina steals them for me, sometimes."