Royal On The Run (unedited)

Chapter Seventeen

Sebastian

"And where does my little brother think he's going at this hour?"

At only nine years old, the sound of my older brothers voice had me stopping in the middle of the hall. My socked feet sliding at the sudden stop causing me to fall on my butt. I couldn't look at my brother, too afraid of the reaction that awaited.

A chuckle rang through the vacant hall. "Still a klutz I see."

My brother was now at my side, offering a hand. I took it with my head down, almost as if I were ashamed. Ashamed of being caught and needing help to get back up. I wanted to prove to the world I didn't need help, looks like that wasn't going to be something I proved today.

"Sebastian, you need to know a couple of things if you are ever to succeed in life."

"What's that?" My eyes still on the ground, following an ant crawling along the tile.

My head was tilted up, now looking into the eyes of my brother .

"Don't ever be ashamed of asking for help. It's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of trust. You ask for help, you'll get help and repay the favor. It goes a long way in life."

My brother put an arm around my shoulder, steering me back towards my bedroom.

"The second thing, if you don't want to be caught, don't make noise. Making noise will get you caught, making noise is obvious. You have to learn how to sneak. Sneak so quietly behind people and around obstacles that no one even knows you've done something until it's already been done."

We'd arrived at the bedroom. I wasn't tired. I sighed as my brother gave me a shove towards the bed.

"Anthony?"

"Hmm."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Anthony sat on the edge of the bed, tucking me in nice and tight under my favorite Star Wars comforter. It always made me feel braver. As brave as a Jedi, it would lead me true to the force within me.

"I am telling you this," he started softly, not looking me in the eye, instead staring at a picture on the wall. It was of our parents. I kept it so I could talk to them when I missed them and I missed them often. Anthony shook his head, shaking the thoughts away as he turned to me once more. "The world is always changing, Seb, we need to be prepared for anything that comes at us."

This unnerved me. "What do you think will happen to us?"

Anthony sighed. "I don't know. But what I told you, keep it in mind. It'll be useful in due time. I can't give you a specific answer as to when it'll come in handy, just trust me that it will. Okay?"

"Okay."

Anthony got up from the bed and headed to the hall. He stopped at the doorway with a backward glance in my direction. "You'll know when you least expect it."

"Bas?"

I rested against the tree trunk. The damn thing was scratching my back in the most delicious way. I heard my name, but didn't open my eyes. The tree felt good, the tree felt like my bed that night, all nice and cozy. Dreaming about my brother was different-strange, I hadn't dreamt about him in so long I'd thought I never would again.