Distance Between Us | Peterick AU

4

Their meetings became few and far in between, and Patrick felt like he was quickly losing his one chance at having a friend outside of the royal life. He sulked all of the time he was alone, but was careful to keep his fake enthusiasm out whenever others were around. The last thing he needed was someone becoming suspicious.

The party the next Saturday night had him doing just the same thing, standing with his chin up high and his toes smushed uncomfortably in his far too small leather shoes. He greeted everyone with a fake smile and carried on with polite small talk.

"All of these ladies look wonderful," his mother whispered to him to the side of the ballroom floor. "Do they not?"

He bit his tongue and nodded.

"I suppose you should begin to speak with them," the harsher, more familiar tone coming back to life. "Make a new friend."

Patrick excused himself.

-

He wasn't sure that anything could get any worse, up until a Sunday night supper after a full day at church. He was almost falling asleep at the table until something his father said had made him dizzy with thought.

"What was that?" He choked.

"The Stuarts," his father repeated. "They will be joining us for dinner next Sunday. It will be a great time to get to know the family, and see if their daughter Mary will be a suitable wife for you." 

Patrick unintentionally squeaked. "Wife?"

"Yes, a wife," his mother answered. "It is about time we begin to look for a suitable woman for you. One with a large enough dowry."

Patrick felt sick to his stomach. He attempted to eat another forkful, but he couldn't convince himself to open his mouth. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

He didn't speak another word for the rest of dinner.

-

It had to be late, faint stars glittering the dark sky as a few thin clouds parted to exposed the crescent shaped moon. Patrick was laying on his bed with whatever book on military defense his father gave him perched in front of his nose, when a strange sound made him look up.

It sounded like faint thumps, coming from the left wall of the room that faced the outside world. Patrick insisted his room was to be on the exterior of the castle so he could at least see out of the hell from time to time.

The thumps became louder and Patrick sat up on his bed with his heart rate picking up. He almost screamed when a face appeared in the bottom half of the window.

"Pete!" He whispered harshly. "What are you doing here?"

He pushed the window frames out slowly, careful not to knock the man down from however he was suspended at least thirty feet off the ground.

"I saw this was your room," he casually said back, climbing over the ledge and onto the wooden floor. "So I thought I'd pay you a visit."

Patrick's mouth dropped open slightly and he leaned out the window to look down. There was only flat wall all the way down to the plants below.

"How did you even get up here?" He whispered again to the other man.

"There's a few stray stone blocks sticking out just slightly here and there, but I'm also just really good at climbing."

Patrick was still in too much shock to crack a smile at Pete's shit-eating grin in front of his face. He flapped his hands at the other man anxiously and told him to keep his voice down.