The Princess And The Castle Maid

Chapter 15

It had been a week.

Things had began to settle down. 

Me and Link, surprisingly, were actually beginning to get closer and closer. One night turned into two, two turned into three, and so on. We would sneak away on our breaks and smoke together, and he would tell me things. Real things, too- not just dry answers to all my prying questions.

He took me out on horseback one night and we talked under the stars. Of course, talking wasn't all we did- but it was the most significant part. I remember I fell asleep and he put me on his horse and I held onto him the whole way home.

We would lay in bed together for hours, wavering in and out of sleep.

He would tell me about his past. About his brother, about his parents, about himself. There was so much to him that other people just didn't assume.

We were laying in bed one night when my eyes trailed onto the photoframe once more. I picked it up, looking at it up close.

"So cute," I said, chuckling.

"I know. Sexy since birth, see?"

I burst out laughing. "Come off it."

" Nah, I know you aint glossin' over the fit," He said. "The trousers, the shirt, the oversized pirate hat."

"Can't forget the facepaint," I added.

"Of course."

I gazed into the picture of the two tiny little boys with bright blue eyes and ruffled hair. "Adorable."

I looked up at Link. "What was his name?"

Link readjusted his position, putting his hands behind his head. "Johnathon," He said.

My mouth opened wide. "You're kidding."

"No. It was Johnathon."

"Are you actually serious? You're not lying?"

Link laughed in confusion. "No, it was Johnathon, I'm pretty sure."

"Link, you idiot!" I sat up.

"Um, excuse me."

"Johnathon's one of the Princes visiting this place!"

"Wha-" His eyebrows crumpled. "Wait, you're shitting me."

"And he has a missing brother! Of course!" 

Link sat up with me. "No way. You're lying."

I jumped out of bed, throwing on my dress from earlier. 

"What are you doing?!"

"You're about to see your brother!" I laughed, zipping up the back. "Come on!" I dragged his arm out of bed as he threw on some clothes and we practically ran out of the room.

"When's he gonna get here then?"

"Be patient!" I told him as we sat on the heightened stage of the empty debate room. "You'll see him soon."

"I can't believe this." He mumbled. "I actually can't believe it. He's here. He's actually in this castle, right now. Nine years I turn my back, and guess what! He comes back a fucking Prince!"

"Which means you're a Prince, you know that, right?" 

Link gasped. "Oh, yeah. Forgot about that."

After a few more minutes, the doors creaked open. In walked Naveah, who was tugging on someone's arms. "Come on, I promise you it's not a setup."

Link raised to his feet and took a deep breath.

Johnathon walked int the room, but his focus still on Naveah. He lifted his head for a second, before looking back down at Naveah.

Then he looked back up again, opening his mouth and dropping Naveah's hands.

I looked back at Link, who had a similar expression.

"Oh my..." Johnathon whispered. "You...You found him?!"

"He was right here in this castle all along." Naveah said. 

Johnathon began to chuckle with pure joy, tears forming in his eyes. 

"No way this is real. You're playing." 

Naveah giggled. "I'm not."

Johnathon dusted off his clothes, saying, "Hey."

Link was smiling in the same, bittersweet way. "You alright?"

The two boys immediately embraced one another, Johnathon burying his face in Link's shoulder and crying.

Me and Naveah scurried off into the study nextdoor to give them some privacy. Of course, though, as soon as the doors were closed, we both leaned up against them and peered through the keyholes.

"What the fuck happened to your accent?" Link began to laugh after a while.

"It's Arobian," Johnathon said through his tears. "You tend to pick it up, you know."

"You're a Prince, then?"

"Kind of." Johnathon admitted.

"And you've...You've got some sort of..."

"Oh," Johnathon wiped his eyes "Skin condition, yeah."

"Yeah," Link replied, the two of them still laughing at the absurdness of it all. 

"You're tall, man." Johnathon pointed out. "When did that happen?"

"Not quite sure. Around the eleven-twelve mark, I'd say."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Jesus, I've missed so much." Johnathon began crying again, wiping his eyes.

Link shrugged. "You didn't have to."

"Oh, come on, now." Johnathon sniffed. "Let's not get into this."

Link raised his hands above his head as if to surrender. "I'm just saying, you could've come with me."

"I-" He sighed, thinking of a response. "I couldn't. I couldn't leave safety. Plus, I became royalty; that's not so bad, right?"

"No. No, it's not." Link lied. "Although...I'm not the biggest fan of royals."

"No, me neither. If you could hear the shit they say to me, God..."

"Hah!" Link burst out. "Sorry, do they know who your brother is?"

Johnathon joined in. "You good with a sword, huh?"

"Yeah," Link said. "I try."

"I bet you're great. You were always great at whatever you did."

Link chuckled, looking down. "Oh, come on."

"I'm serious."

Link paused, shifting on his feet. "I've missed you," He mumbled.

Johnathon's smile returned. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Oh, come on," Link groaned as Johnathon embraced him once more.

"Sorry? Sorry, I didn't quite hear that! Say it again?"