Royal Disaster

the disastrous flashback

That made me stop. (Figuratively, though. Physically, I was still walking with everyone.) The echo of our feet padding on the pavement the only thing resounding around us. Where the hell were we?

Licking my lips, I clarified, "You mean, Arthur was like... your protector or something?"

He bobbed his head left to right. "In a way. He seems scrawnier than me now, but trust me, he used to be bigger a few years ago."

Scrawny? I thought to myself, my mind flashing back to the first day I met him. If that was scrawny, I was scared what to see he looked like a few years ago. Also, I thought guys got buffer as they age, not less... buff. Or whatever the term is called.

Jesus, was that really only a few weeks ago? It seemed more like a decade back.

North continued talking. "He was also kind of a social outcast at the camp. Even though he was older than me, the other kids didn't seem to like him very much because he was a prince. They thought he hadn't earned his position because, at the time, he had come to the camp as a trainor. And only at seventeen. Or was it sixteen?" He looked up, as if the answers were written on the ceiling. "Whatever age it was, he was too young to be a trainor. People assumed that he was just given that job through nepotism--which may also be true--but I know otherwise.

"When he saw them picking on me, he stepped in. Because even though they liked to talk shit about him, they were also freaking intimidated by him." He paused, then in a lower voice, said, "And so was I."

Surprised, I turned to him and watched the small bit of embarrassment flush his cheeks. I also couldn't help the glance I sent at Arthur, who was still grumbling about the trek. My parents were shaking their head behind him, but they still seemed tense. They'd been tense ever since Katrina joined us.

I narrowed my eyes at them as I watched my dad's gaze land fall onto someone in front of me and I just knew that it was Katrina. What was it with them? And then I shook my head.

One backstory at a time, please.

"Look, Arthur really isn't a bad guy." North's voice pulled my focus back to him. "And I don't want you to think that I'm betraying you or anything. You're my best friend and you know I wouldn't just side against you but, Arthur's helped me a lot over the years. After that first time, he spent days and nights teaching me, helping me improve so that I could protect you better. He also helped give me tips on how to be more aware.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now. Frankly, I don't know what's wrong with him and why he's acting so stupid." I cracked a smile at that. "But he is a good guy. I hope you know that."

I didn't say anything after he finished. I didn't know what to say.

And then, for some reason, a memory flashed into my head.

It was another one of those days we had been left alone. I think it was before Kurt's family thing because I remembered Arthur bugging me about going.

"Are you really just going to leave me here?" he had asked for the umpteenth time that day. He had been following me for hours that day, from my room to the kitchen to the living room, even to the fucking bathroom. Boundaries didn't seem like a thing to him and it was annoying as fuck. I swear, it took me remembering that North wouldn't be able to bail me out of jail if I managed to kill Arthur.

"Yes," I deadpanned, slamming a tray down.

I pulled out some cookie dough Aiko bought from Costco onto the counter, before ducking back into the fridge for a stick of butter to grease the pan. "No one fucking wants you there and you don't fucking know anyone there, so you're staying here."