The Great Book of One-Shots

The Servant's Past

This is sort of a prequel to the last one-shot and tells how Servant!Ben's life was before he met Ian and was able to live happily ever after :P

Warning: child abuse and neglect, mentioned rape

Enjoy!

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The boy was scared. He had been scared for days - it was all he had felt since his family left home. At first, he could at least rely on his parents and big sister to protect him, but now he was alone. The guards at the gate of the kingdom had argued with his parents and after much yelling from everyone and crying from his mother, he had been taken. He didn't know what they had said or why he was taken and even his crying and screaming hadn't given him any answers. Now, he was alone and still didn't know what was happening and he was scared.

Life had been normal back in Denmark. All he wanted was to be back there, where he felt safe. But, no, his family had said that they were going on an adventure to somewhere better. To a new home. The five year old knew he wasn't the smartest person on earth, but he was pretty sure that this wasn't better.

He was pretty sure that his nice clothes were better than the thin, worn ones he wore now. He was pretty sure his parent's cooking was better than the two small meals he got each day. He was pretty sure the bright bedroom he once lived in was better than this cold room. He was pretty sure his fluffy bed was better than the metal one. He was pretty sure that even his old school was better than the strict lessons we was now getting.

Strict lessons to be quite and stay still and obey all orders. Strict lessons with strict punishments if he did wrong. Strict punishments that left bruises and cuts and scratches along with mental scaring of how little he was worth and how badly he had failed. Punishments that left him thinking little of himself and believing that his only purpose was to serve.

As soon as he learned to never speak unless spoken to and to only do what he was told, he began working. He started with cleaning - mopping and scrubbing every inch of the palace floor. Doing the same actions every day. Though, as he got older and stronger he was promoted. From cleaning floors to doing dishes to laundry to dusting priceless antiques to bringing food to the royals to standing by for their requests to, eventually, becoming the king's personal servant.

He was 20 when he had gotten to the highest position. He had been given glares and dirty looks from people who had worked there much longer, though they were mixed with those of pity. Pity for the boy who no longer remembered his family. Pity for the boy with no childhood. Pity for the boy who only knew to be scared, submissive, and to obey. Pity for the boy who had been put on a certain diet so that his body would develop in a more feminine way - so that he'd be shorter and thinner than all the other male servants. Pity for the boy who had been taken advantage of since he was a child. Pity for the boy who had become a toy for the higher ups. Pity for the boy who, as he became a teen, had been sexually abused more and more. Pity for the boy who had some days so bad that his legs would shake and he could barely walk.

There were people who would die for Ben's job. And Ben would die to leave it. He'd thought about it a million times. Drink some kind of cleaning product, jump from the highest balcony, slit his wrists or throat, tie a rope around his neck and jump from one of the giant trees around the palace. He fantasized about it, but knew he never would do it. As much as he dreaded the abuse, he didn't want to die. As he cried to himself in bed, a single thought would run through his head.

He just wanted to be left alone. 

To be able to walk through the palace halls without the fear of being pulled into an empty room. To never again have his clothes torn off and be bent over some furniture or pushed to his hands and knees. To never be forced onto his knees and told to open his mouth. To never have any sort of sexual action forced on him. To stop being raped on almost a daily basis.

-=-=-=-

Ben knew he should of been sad. He knew that he should of been mourning. He knew that he shouldn't of been feeling whatever it was that he was feeling. But, he couldn't help but to feel a strange warmth in his chest and an odd twitching at his mouth. Something in him wanted to call it happiness.

And he knew that he shouldn't of been happy at the king's death.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had felt the emotion. Why would he be feeling it now? 

Because he was the king's servant. Because there was no more king. Because he no longer had a person to serve. Because he hoped that this would let him be reassigned to a different job - or if he was being really crazy, to be set free. Because the prince was obviously too young and inexperienced to run a whole kingdom. Right?

A few days passed and the new emotion was replaced with a familiar dread. Jordan was going to be crowned after all. Jordan would take over and Ben would be stuck as his servant. Of course, the prince had always been a bit nicer than his parents, but Ben doubted that he would care enough about a servant to help him.

-=-=-=-

The week of Jordan's coronation came and Ben watched as carriage after carriage brought royal family after royal family to the palace. Though, one in particular caught his attention.

A young man, obviously a prince, around Jordan's age. His dark brown hair was neatly pulled back into a low ponytail and his blue eyes made Ben's heart skip a beat. He knew it was a stupid though, but he couldn't help but to think that his little crush would end up being something more.

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1041 words! Poor guy deserved his happy ending, right?

Hope you enjoyed!

Requests always open!!

~Angel ^-^