[COMPLETED] Jasper, an orphaned street rat, was taken in to live and train to join the royal guard by the queen herself. Learning to become a guard was easy, but fitting in was hard. Neither accepted in the town nor accepted in the castle, Jasper wa...
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I stood outside the castle wall waiting for my parents. My hands were getting sweaty in nervousness.
I saw shadows emerging from behind the trees. Very slowly, their figures became more noticeable until they came into view before me. They engulfed me in warm hugs, warming my insides. Hugging them always gave me this feeling of parents I had been missing my whole life.
"How are you son?"
"How is your health Jasper?"
They asked a bunch of questions like they usually did. I raised my hands to stop their questions that I was not answering. I needed to make this quick before I changed my mind.
"I won't do it," I said suddenly.
They furrowed their brows in clear confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked my mother.
"I won't steal the treasure. The royal family, they are like my family. I can't betray them like that," I told them. Their faces were shocked, disappointed and offended. These were the looks I always feared to get from them.
"We are your real family," said my father. "We are your blood."
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. They gave me a home, food and clothes when I had nothing." I thought of queen's generosity. "They gave me trust." I thought of the king's dagger. "They gave me purpose." I thought of Angelo. "And most importantly, they gave me love." I thought of Cecelia.
"Jasper," my mother took my hand in hers. She gave me a soft look. "We can give you all of that. All we need is a treasure and we can have a fresh start. Don't you want that for us."
"I do," I said honestly. They were still my blood. I want the best for them, but not like this. "But I will not do it this way. I won't betray them like that."
They were my family too. My parents had to see that.
"But you would betray us?" My father asked, looking offended.
"I have a few coins saved up, they are my life savings. It's not much but it's a start. Go, run, have a fresh start. But I have a life here, I am not going to abandon my duty as a guard, or as a brother," I said. Or as a lover I added mentally.
"You don't want to come with us? We're your family Jasper," my mother was taken aback.
I did. More than anything. It was what I had dreamed of for so long. But I had something here. I had a family. I had Cece. I did not know how long I had with her but I knew I was not going to find someone like her. Even if I had to love her from afar as a guard then so be it. She was there for me my whole life, so I will be there for the rest of hers.
All the trust the king and queen put in me, I was not going to betray them like this. I was not the best role model, but I knew I did not want Angelo to see me lower than how he high he sees me.
