Arborvitae - Unchanging friendship
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Warning- This chapter may contain moments of madness, profanity, mentions of death/su!s!de, and/or detailed explanations of pain, if you are uncomfortable during this chapter please leave and read something better. This may also contain bad grammar, spelling mistakes, and too many commas. Thank you.
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Don't be like yesterday, don't be like yesterday, don't be like yesterday! I pleaded into my head as I got dressed. As I ruffled my hair I noticed a mark on my head, red and hidden by my annoyingly long curls. I frowned slightly when I noticed it, How long has that been there? I brushed my hair away from my forehead and stared at the scar that decorated my hairline. It started a little higher than my right eyebrow and reached into my hairline, where it continued past where I could see. I suddenly became aware that it was noticeable if I moved my hair a specific way and embarrassment flushed my face.
I stared at myself in the mirror until my body started to look strange as if my own body was unfamiliar. The door opened quietly and I flicked my head in its direction when I heard it close. A lady, dressed in a black and green dress, looked at me surprised when I noticed her. "My prince, what a surprise! You usually don't notice me until I've reached your side!" She laughed, walking silently toward me. She had black curls that tumbled past her shoulder and a black and green fan she liked to swing around herself, although she'd not noticed I knew what each movement meant.
I took a step back from the stranger, but she continued to walk closer so I continued to step back until my back hit the wall and panic sank into my heart like a rock in a pond. With each step she took the nervousness grew until I started shaking. Who is she? What is she doing? Is she going to hurt me? She grew closer slowly, closing the fan and touching it with her finger to say "I want to speak with you." But I saw the greedy look in her eye before the movement of her hand, and I don't think I've ever been more frightened by a lady. I watched her hand brush her dress pocket and I flinched in response, Does she have a knife? A bead of sweat slowly dripped down my temple, was I so nervous I was sweating? My skin felt cold and damp on my bones, feeling uncomfortable and reminding me that other than the scar I was perfectly fine, but would I be when she was done? I can't risk it, I don't know her, I can't die here. I have to remember myself first!
"WISP!" I screamed as my knees buckled and I curled into a ball, trying to protect my head if she wanted to hit me and I put my legs up, letting my thick leather boots protect my insides if she wanted to stab me. She looked at me strangely, drawing the fan over her forehead. The door flew open and the loyal guard rushed in and took my side eagerly.
"Prince Theseus! Are you alright? What happened?" He asked, watching my hands shake with fear and my widened eyes that seemed to be glossed with anxiety. I opened my mouth but nothing came out so I closed it and wrapped my arms around Wisp's shoulders. He reached around me and lifted me in his strong arms, balancing me on my own feet as he kept sturdy arms wrapped around my waist and back. He looked at the lady and said very softly; "Prince Theseus has succumbed to memory loss, unfortunately, I do not think he remembers you. I'm sorry, Marquess Beau."
She hummed in response and cast me a curious glance, "I'm assuming that's how he got that mark on his head?" She asked Wisp, ignoring me. I put a hand to my head instinctually and Wisp glanced at me. I saw his concerned look and it stung me with guilt, so I pushed back my hair and showed the scar on my face. He set me down on the bed and inspected the wound carefully. He let go of my hand and walked to my door, he propped it open and leaned out the door. He mumbled something to one of the guards and returned to my side. The lady continued to stare at me, she hid her face with her fan and left me in nervous curiosity as her icy stare cut deep into my soul.
"How do I know you? Er, Have we met?" I corrected myself. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, before closing the fan and letting it drop by her side. "I am Lady Beau, you hired me a week or so ago. However, we do not know each other that well," I sighed in relief and let a small smile curl the corners of my lips. She pulled a chair next to me and set her fan on her lap. "I'd like to use your condition to my advantage." Theseus blinked in surprise at her boldness and honestly but he didn't pull away.
"Prince Theseus, let's play a small game called Two Truths and One Lie," She smiled at me as I remembered the rules. I must've smiled because she sent me another odd look that everyone gives me whenever I give off some emotion. Why does everyone look at me like that? Was I that stone-cold? She pondered for a moment, then smiled at me.
"Two Truths and One Lie; We've known each other for a long time but you haven't hired me until a few weeks ago, I like fans, and I hear about everything in the kingdom!" We both sat in silence for a moment as I questioned myself. Lier the voices whispered, Which one is the lie? I felt like I was cheating, asking them. But how else would I get it right? I have to get it right! I'm not sure why, but it seems almost natural for me to be on top and I'm not getting second place, ever.
She's new. Very new. They whispered, I thanked them silently and smiled a little. "The lie is; 'We've known each other for a long time but you haven't hired me until a few weeks ago.' You said only moments ago 'you hired me a week or so ago. However, we do not know each other that well,' If we've known each other for a long time we would know a lot about each other. And they would've told me." She stared at me with an unreadable expression and soon admitted I was right.
"Your turn," She smiled, waiting for my next move. I pondered this for a while. I don't even know my favorite color, how is this fair? Say that you are only seventeen.
"Two truths and one lie; I am seventeen," I paused and let the voices finish, You are afraid of empty rooms, "I am afraid of empty rooms," It felt nice to do what the voices asked, it was like it were only natural. Tell them you have high blood pressure, that is the lie. "And I have high blood pressure." She stared at me thoroughly, as if looking into my mind would tell her which was the lie. However I felt nervousness or guilt, I was doing what I was supposed to. What was right. The voices were always right, if they weren't why were they here?
"I feel like you are older than seventeen... And being afraid of empty rooms is simply ridiculous! So I'm going to go with you being seventeen, there is simply no way they'd crown you so young!" She stated, I smiled and shook my head.
"I have low blood pressure," I confessed, just then the medical examiner came into the room and stood next to me.
"What is the problem, Your Highness?" He asked, bowing slightly. "Please, Just call me Theseus. There's no need to call me 'your highness' when I can't even work!" I laughed, letting the medic stand up straight. He nodded and stared at me for a moment, "Oh yeah!" I perked, remembering the mark on my face. I pushed my hair up and showed it to the medic who leaned forward and gently put a hand on my chin, just to keep my head in place.
"Hm." He hummed, inspecting it closely. He leaned back and dropped his hand by his side. "I must see Theseus in my office. This seems to be worse than it looks," I felt so bad for Wisp, it seemed as though his heart just shattered into a billion little pieces at what the doctor said.
"What are we waiting for?"
I was brought to his office where he examined me with strange items I'd never seen before, then he put something strange on a cloth and covered my nose and mouth. "I'm sorry my Prince, but this is something you'd rather not be awake during."
I remember not being able to breathe, this choking sweet and bitter smell that smelled like some disinfectant I'd used to wash some wooden tables in the kitchen when I'd gotten too bored and needed something to do. I remember how reluctant the servents were to let me work with them but in the end, they gave in and I cleaned all the tables! I remember it tasted funny, kinda sweet and it stung a small cut on my lip when the doctor pressed a little too hard.
Although my heart was going a mile a minute I remember it slowing so dangerously slow, so much so that instead of the usual 'thump - thump - thump' it became more like; 'pat... - pat... - pat...' My eyes started to close and the sounds sounded so far away as I drifted off into the deepest, calmest sleep I've ever known.
(Wisp POV)
The doctor examined the would as the Prince slept, and soon he turned to me with a grave look. "Go tell the Emperor he'll have to sign some papers if he wants his son to stay alive for longer than a month."
My heart beat so loud I could hear it in my ears, Dear gods, don't take him away from me! I don't think I could go through it again! I turned down the corner, ramming so hard into someone I sent them flying to the ground. All I could tell was they wore a lot of green, but I picked them up and glanced over their shoulder. "Shit! Wrong corridor! I'm so sorry, but I have to go!" Panic set in like a tsunami, crashing over every logic or reason. I turn down the corridor I came in a blur, the person I ran into followed from close behind but that didn't matter.
I can't let the Emperor lose Theseus the same way I lost her. Unknowing and scared. Never something you should deal with when the loss of someone is already too great on your heart. As I speed past another hall and turned abruptly on a corner I clutched my wrists, thinking of the scars I bare like tattoos. I'd gotten one after it happened, a semicolon on just below my thumb.
Never again. I reminded myself, pushing through another pair of people. My heart and footsteps echoed so loudly in my brain that I started to get a headache, or was that starting because of my anxiety? Where in the hell is the Emperor?
Finally, I found his study and burst in, ignoring the two guards stationed outside. I entered Emperor Philza's study, filled with books piled so high they towered over Ranboo's head who just so happened to be standing next to one. Behind his desk, there were a few shelves and on the top of the shelf sat a boat in a bottle. There once had been two, I've been told.
"Sir Wisp? What is the meaning of this?" He asked, his voice cold and calm. It always sent a shiver down my spine, how cruel his voice could be. Yet how comforting it could be to others.
"Prince-- He medic- Mark and-" I stumbled, panting hard. "Slow down, give yourself time-"
"THERE ISN'T TIME!" I screamed, then covered my mouth. "I a-apologize, Emperor Philza. Prince Theseus, the medical examiner thinks it's bad. That's not good, right?" I said, still panicky. My hands started to shake and I glanced at the door, then back to the Emperor and the floor once more. "I-I mean, he's usually really healthy b-but then the thing appeared and it's w-weird, It doesn't look good-d. I can't lose another person again! I know what ha-happened last time and-"
"Wisp." The voice said, making me stop immediately. "Tell me calmly. What happened?" He said too slowly. But I took a shaky breath and told him about the mark on Theseus's face, however, he didn't seem phased.
"Wisp, I appreciate your concern, But next time tell me when It's important." I stood there in shock, Did he just say that? My feet seemed frozen in place as the words sank into my skin like quicksand. I felt my face darken and my fists clenched by my sides, This lowlife rat!
"Remember that time you were saying that thing I didn't care about? Yeah, that is now." I spat with a disgusted look, bathing the room in silence. The satisfaction of the look of shock on Phil's face might just stay with me forever. I can't even begin to explain the amount of adrenaline going through my veins to justify my next few actions.
"Theseus will die in a month if you don't get your lazy ass down to the medical examiner's office! Do you want your wife to not be the only family member you lose?" I yelled, running up to Philza and slamming my hands on his desk. I watched the look on his face twist and distort as if deciding what emotion to display. His features calmed and he looked up at me with icy eyes, although the snow didn't bother me anyway.
"You have an entire life to be an idiot. Why not take today off?" He said quietly, pushing the room into a deeper silence if that was even possible.
"If you have a problem with me, write the problem on a piece of paper, fold it, and shove it up your ass. With all due respect, your highness. Although there wasn't any to begin with." I seethed, leaning closer to Philza. "If you don't sign the goddamn papers to let your child live I'll take him away from you myself. Got that, sire?"
Philza didn't respond, he only stared at me through his brows and I eventually leaned back from his desk where he looked at Ranboo again. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, Ranboo in Ender is-" I gripped Ranboo's shoulder and said; "⟟⎎ ⊑⟒ ⎅⟟⟒⌇ ⟟⏁'⌇ ⊬⍜⎍⍀ ⎎⏃⎍⌰⏁."