Boris stood back near the door and watched cautiously as August slowly went to sit on his bed again.
"You haven't spoken to the Royal Court yet?" Boris asked once August was still.
August glanced around the empty room and shook his head as if to ask where they would be hiding just then.
Boris hesitated, realising it would be a difficult conversation. August was a difficult person to have an honest exchange with in normal circumstances.
"Have you thought about what you'll do?" Boris asked earnestly.
August looked at him, incredulous. "What do you mean? They reported me to the police, right?"
"Yes...and you get to choose what you do now."
"No...I don't." August replied skeptically, shaking his head and furrowing his brow. "They've decided for me." He glanced toward the door as he said it.
"It doesn't mean you have to do as they say...you still get to choose if you confess, or if you keep pretending..."
August scoffed. "I have to do what the Court says." He was disconcerted and wondering if Boris had somehow read his mind as he was thinking about making a choice just moments earlier.
Boris shook his head. "You can still do the right thing...no matter what they say."
"They'll never let me. It's too late anyway..." August maintained, nervously shifting his gaze around the room, avoiding Boris' eyes.
"August...it's never too late." Boris spoke in a calm, authoritative voice.
August contemplated the old, bearded "socialist" in front of him and wondered if he'd somehow already spoken to Sara too. He brushed the idea aside and brought his hand to to rub his forehead, avoiding the bandages there.
"I know that you've had problems, August. If you didn't, you never would have done this. I know you need help, and I meant it when I said you could come to me."
August shook his head and scoffed. "You don't understand. You couldn't."
"Well...I understand a few things about you that you may not realise." Boris pursed his lips, trying to maintain a delicate balance and not move too fast with August.
"Like what?" August narrowed his eyes, thinking how unlikely it was that this man would have any idea of the kind of pressure that August was facing and had been facing his entire life in order to keep up an image of perfection.
Boris realised it wouldn't be wise to bring up August's father. It was definitely one of the factors that he thought must influence August daily, but Boris could feel it wasn't something that August would want to discuss openly, especially not with Boris.
Then as he glanced around the room, hesitating, he caught sight of something just under the edge of the bed and wondered about it for just a split second before continuing.
"Well...I know you came to see me for help last term...and maybe I didn't give you the help you needed."
"I took care of it on my own." August wanted to be sure that Boris understood he didn't need anything from him, not least because of the vast difference in their status and station in life.
"Well, I just mean, you came asking for a prescription you didn't really need..."
August glared at Boris and pursed his lips as he listened, but he didn't deny any of it.
"You should know, though maybe you already do, that some of the side effects of that drug are very serious."
August feigned annoyance and disinterest, but he also had the feeling that he might already know what Boris was hinting at. "Why are we talking about this?"
"I just think it might help you understand some things..."
August scoffed. "Right...ok, how so?"
"To be blunt: I doubt you would have released that video if you hadn't been abusing this drug."
"What? I haven't got time for this-" August waved his hand and moved to stand but paused when Boris continued.
"Those pills can make you impulsive and quick to anger, they can give you anxiety, and make you aggressive and hostile when you normally wouldn't be."
August narrowed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh as he avoided Boris' gaze, looking off toward the window. "Ok."
"I don't think you're a bad person, August...in spite of what you've done. This could help explain the mistake that's led you to this point, and a lawyer could use this information to defend you. That would be a way to take responsibility and still defend yourself rather than just denying everything."
"I'd still be known for making and releasing the video and the Court wouldn't allow it..." August knew very well what he could expect from them after the phonecall he'd just received.
"I understand they're making it difficult, but this isn't really about them. It's about your life..." He hesitated, then changed the subject. "I wanted to speak to you about something that's got nothing to do with the Court, August."
August didn't reply. He waited expectantly for Boris to continue.
"You should know that this medication has other side effects when it's used recreationally..." Boris paused, watching August's skeptical expression before he continued. "It can actually provoke suicidal thoughts."
August's reaction was imperceptible. He tried to seem unbothered and disinterested, but there was a sudden pang of shock in his chest that he suddenly worried would be obvious to Boris.
"You should understand that you need to be very careful. There can be a genetic component that predisposes someone to...suicidal tendencies...and then, abusing something like this...you should really be aware of the danger."
August scoffed and shook his head defensively. "You really don't know anything about it."
"You're right. I don't know you or your thoughts and feelings well enough to be sure, but I can see that you're about to hit a very low point in your life, and it's not the moment to be caught unaware, or to go through it alone. I just want you to know that I'm here to help you." Boris made a gesture as if he were going to continue speaking for a moment, then reconsidered and turned to the door awkwardly, moving to leave.
August scrutinized the old man for a moment. As Boris reached out to open the door, August felt a sense of urgency and panic.
"Wait..." It was whispered and the sound actually surprised August too. "...if I decided to just admit it was me, what would happen?"
Boris turned back and raised his eyebrows, surprised at the sudden shift. "Um, it's possible that if you confess and show remorse for what you did, they'd be more lenient with you. I think more importantly, you'd know you'd done the right thing and begun to make amends..."
August was silent. He sat staring at the floor for a moment. He could feel the anxiety building and the uncertainty of it all made him want to just run away.
Suddenly Sara's face came into his mind. He thought of the way that she used to look at him and then about her in his room just moments before, bandaging his forehead, and he wondered if he'd just imagined the look in her eyes that seemed to signify she might still care for him...
She'd said she would have stood by him if he'd confessed...and he wondered if it would mean anything to her for him to accept his fate now. You know, it's still not too late. He heard her voice clearly again.
Suddenly he looked up at Boris and fixed his gaze, not avoiding his eyes anymore.
"Can I go with you to call my mother?"
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Young Royals Season 3 (Version 3)
फैनफिक्शनHow will the press and the Royal Family react to Wilhelm's confession? Will August go down for the sex tape? Will Simon be reported for the drugs? My third version of what I think could happen in Season 3 of Young Royals. First published May 14.
