Samuel
Jayden's pen paused as he considered his next words.
I'm sorry for getting you worried. I knew my parents were going to punish me for what we did but I didn't expect them to hold me prisoner. It was foolish of me to come home. You were right, I should have gone with you, but what's done is done.
I have no idea how long they plan to keep me trapped here -I doubt my father would mind keeping me here for the rest of my life, or at least long enough to forget about my existence.
You should have seen my face when I first saw Cissy. I never realized how alike the both of you look. I agree with you, she is quite brilliant. Sneaking in under my mother's nose and working as a housemaid for weeks just to get in touch with me... thank her for me. I know she doesn't do it out of an excess of love for me, but I am very grateful, nonetheless.
I've thought about escaping when I'm not busy trying to stop thinking about you, but there was not much I could do. My mother is not stupid, she anticipated what I would do and secured the place tighter than a Swiss vault. However, with Cissy, the scales are tipped in our favour.
Ask her to get as much information as she can on the security around the manor. Getting out of my room is the easy part, once I'm out we would need to find a way to escape the grounds.
About the other things you mentioned in your letter... if what you are saying is true then things are much more dire than I had feared. I don't know what drives my father's hate. I could ask my mother, but I doubt she would be willing to disclose that information.
Our best bet would be my grandmother, my father's stepmother. I don't know much about her since she was not allowed to see me for most of my childhood and my mother forbade me from speaking about her -I don't even know if she is still alive, but if she is, she would be the only person other than my mother to have the answer to your question. I daresay she even knows more about my father than my mother does.
Mother banished her from society the same she did to us, but I know Father gave her a house in the country and a more than generous pension. We have four country houses and I've only been to three of them, so my best guess is the fourth is where she is now.
At the very least, it's a place to start. I would write the address in a separate note, but if you ever find her, just let her know that speaking to you would absolutely infuriate my mother and you would find her to be extremely willing.
Jayden paused.
Samuel, I know what I'm going to say next would displease but you have to promise me. What's going on in the country... the protests and demonstrations for queer rights... those are not our fight.
Yes, I know we are to blame for how it began but our part in this is ended. We lit the flame, let that be enough. We have more than our fair share of problems to become embroiled in this sequel and our involvement would only make things worse.
Promise me.
Promise me that you won't attend any rallies, promise me that you won't give any interviews or speeches, promise me that you would have no involvement with them whatsoever.
I wish them the best, but we have our own battles to face, and I hope we can face them together. So, promise me that you won't get involved. Trust me, it's for the best.
Give the others my best and tell Leo that I appreciate his refusal to study in solidarity with me, but Cam is right. As much as we both hate it, exams are still coming, and we need to be ready. I have not been spared having to study, so it's not quite fair that he should get off.
I hope I get a chance to pass this message soon and don't worry about me. You know me, I may not be alright now, but I will be eventually. I always am.
Stay safe.
Love,
Jayden
It took two days before Jayden had a chance to pass the message to Cissy. He was writing at his desk when she came to drop off his lunch.
He paid no attention to her as she busied herself cleaning in his room but before he stood from his desk, he tore out the page he had written his letter in and nonchalantly rolled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash.
A few minutes later, as Cissy rolled out her cleaning cart along with his trash and lunch tray, he closed his eyes and hoped she would understand his coded message.
~
Cissy must have figured out the meaning behind his actions because a few days later found Cam and Leo standing before a luxurious cottage house in the northern part of the country.
'What are we doing here again?' Leo asked as they walked up the driveway, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow on the quaint front yard.
'I already told you; we need information from Jayden's grandmother and since he very well can't come here himself, and Samuel is still under house arrest, we are here to find out for them.'
'Right, right,' Leo nodded. 'Tell me again why we had to do this in person. We couldn't just call or send an email like normal people instead we have to drive halfway across the bloody country.'
'There's no contact information for her anywhere I've looked. She is not even listed anywhere in the address books. We got this address based on a guess, so we're not even sure if she lives here.'
'Or if she is even alive,' Leo muttered.
'Besides,' Cam continued as he reached to up to tap the brass knocker sharply on the door. 'It's better to do these kinds of things in person.'
He was reaching up to knock again when a shrill voice stopped him.
'Can I help you?'
They turned to see a slightly stooped old woman slowly making her way up from behind the house. She appeared to be the gardener as she sported a wide-brimmed hat with a colorful ribbon that shielded her face from the golden rays, and a pair of well-worn gloves adorned her hands.
'Sorry to disturb you,' Cam said. 'We are wondering if someone called Beatrice Mills lives here.'
The old woman's eyes immediately sparked with suspicion as she studied them through the wisps of silver hair that escaped her hat.
'Are you with the town council?' Her voice was gruff as she continued to watch them mistrustfully.
'No, of course not,' Cam said quickly. 'We are just students.'
'What business do a pair of "just students" have with the mistress of this household?'
'We are putting together a project on the background of society's greatest leaders and just have a few questions to ask her.' Leo answered brightly. 'We are students of Lumière, you know?'
That sparked the old woman's interest. 'Highborn, are you? Well, come on in then.' She shuffled past them and swung the door open. 'Sorry for the suspicion earlier. Can't be too careful these days. Got the bloody town council breathing on my neck. Illegal to have a pond my arse, those perfumed ponces are after my prized begonias. Mark my words.'
Realization dawned on Cam as her words sunk in. 'Hold on, you are...'
'You!' the old lady barked as a maid ran in. 'Where have you been? Didn't you hear the knocker going off? Bloody boy was going at it as if he was trying to wake the dead.'
'Apologies, my lady,' the maid said, trembling slightly as she dropped into a curtsy. 'I was on my break and the cook is in her room with a headache.'
The old lady humphed in disapproval. 'Breaks. Just another clever scheme for their lot to fleece money off us,' she said to Cam and Leo as she took off her apron and handed it to the still-trembling maid.
'What are you doing still standing there,' she snapped as the maid remained unmoving. 'Have you gone selectively deaf or are you still on "break"? Go and get the tea, can't you see we have guests? Off with you.'
'Impossible to get good help these days,' she grumbled as the maid scurried away to the kitchen.
She led Cam and Leo through the cottage, though cottage was a rather generous term for it, given that it more closely resembled a small manor house than a cottage.
'You have a lovely home,' Leo complimented as they entered the foyer.
'Bah!' she exclaimed derisively. 'I have commanded far grander houses than this.' She paused at the foot of the grand staircase and a wistful look appeared in her eyes. 'You had to have been there. You lot think you're so modern with your fluorescent lights and electric chandeliers, pfft. Candlelight. That was the source of all the magic. Ladies in shimmering gowns, diamonds sparkling in the night, ballrooms bathed in the soft amber glow of the candles. Oh, it was beautiful. The shadows seemed to dance in harmony with us and if you looked down from the balustrades it looked as if there were stars scattered at your feet and each dance step was another brushstroke on the canvas of a timeless painting.'
A sneer appeared on her lips as her mind returned to the present. 'Instead, look what we have now. Ballrooms drowning in white lights. It's a wonder you all haven't gone blind. In your quest to banish the shadows, you have destroyed the mystery and magic.'
She led them out into the patio and gestured them into the chairs before the windows. She spread her floral-printed skirt that still had bits of soil clung to the folds as took the large armchair near the door.
The maid arrived with tea and swan-shaped crumpets which Leo wasted no time reaching over for.
'These are delicious,' he said appreciatively as he took another munch.
A pleased smile appeared on the older Mrs. Mills' face as Leo reached to for another piece. 'It's nice to see a young boy with a healthy appetite. It's my own recipe. I can tell you it wasn't an easy battle wrangling old Mrs. Jenkings to use mine instead of hers. Bloody servants, they think they know better than us just because we haven't worked a day in our lives.'
'We wanted to ask you about-'
'That's hardly fair.' Leo cut in. 'It's not easy throwing a garden party. I would like to see Mrs. Jenkings try it.'
The elder Mrs. Mills peered at him with an approving look. 'You're not as stupid as you look. Most men think it's just waving money at caterers and fail to realise the amount of planning and dedication that goes into it. I hardly slept the night before my famous garden party of '89.'
'I bet it was amazing.'
'Oh, it was. My husband was serving as an ambassador that year and we decided to host a party for a delegation of Arabian emirs. It was beautiful; swans were imported from Europe; and peacocks were flown in from India. We flooded a section of the garden and had cascading waterfalls installed. There were even little boats for guests to sail around the pond.'
'Do you still throw any garden parties?' Leo asked curiously, staunchly ignoring Cam's pointed look.
The old lady sniffed disapprovingly. 'I try to throw the occasional get-together every month or so to keep up the standard, not that these backwater ponces know a garden party from a picnic. But it matters not, as long as I'm alive, the Old Ways still live.'
'We didn't expect to find you here,' Leo admitted. 'We asked around, but no one knew where you lived. We thought you were...'
'Dead? Ha! As if I would ever give them that satisfaction.' Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer to them. 'Tell me, what did they teach you in that school? That exercise and good diet is the key to a long life? Bah! I'm a heavy smoker and I'm eighty-five years old. All my doctors tried to get me to stop, do you know where they are now?'
'Dead?' Cam guessed uneasily.
'Dead!' she exclaimed gleefully. 'I outlived them all. I go to their graves every year just to rub their noses in it. Ha!'
Her laughter was broken by several loud coughs. Leo leaned forward eagerly. 'What's your secret then?'
'Spite, my dear boy. Pure spite.' A chuckle escaped her lips. 'Every time I wake up, the aches are the first thing to greet me. I hear the creaks and groans of my bones and the rattle of my lungs, but I clutch every shaky breath and get up just to spite those who long for my death. Anytime I feel myself slipping away, I think of the people who would be happier with me gone and that's all the motivation I need to claw my way back.'
'Isn't that a little... petty?' Cam asked.
'Of course, it is.' She peered at Cam. 'When you get to my age, you'll find that you have fewer and fewer things left to live for. Our lives do not end when we die, our lives end when we have nothing worth living for. Now tell me, why are you really here?'
Cam grew nervous at the sudden question. 'We told you; we are here for a school project.'
'Do you take me for a fool?'
'I...'
'I may live in the middle of nowhere, but I still read the papers. I know who you are Cameron Castello. And you as well, Leonardo Ferrars. What I don't know is why two of my grandson's friends have decided to pay me a visit out of the blue.'
Cam and Leo glanced uneasily at each other.
'Speak quickly. And mind you, tell the truth. I would know if you were lying.'
'We...'
'It's about your son,' Leo cut in quickly. 'Roger Mills.'
'Stepson,' Lady Beatrice corrected lightly, but there was a spark of interest in her eyes as she continued to regard them closely. 'Go on.'
'I'm sure you've noticed that he has behaving a bit... erratic lately. And we were just wondering if you knew why. Or more specifically, if you know why he hates the queer community so much.'
The humour immediately snapped out of her. 'Who sent you here?' she hissed. 'What do you want with that information? Did his political enemies send you here to ferret out his past?'
'No, of course not,' Leo stated swiftly. 'As you said, we are friends of his son, your grandson. Jayden is merely concerned about his father's behaviour and would like to help him. He would have come here himself but is otherwise engaged. We already risk drawing his mother's ire by coming here ourselves. She would be furious if she found out we were talking to you.'
A scheming glint appeared in the older woman's eyes as she leaned forward in interest. 'Would she now?'
Leo nodded solemnly. 'She would see it as a criticism on her failure to rein in her husband. You have obviously been more successful in keeping him under control.'
'Ha! So, you've heard the rumours,' she cackled as she settled back in her chair. 'I admit I was a bit heavy-handed in my treatment of him as a child, but I shaped him into the powerful man he is now. Though the bitch has yet to show me any gratitude for rearing up the man she now calls husband.'
'Funny way of referring to child abuse,' Cam muttered under his breath, causing Leo to shoot him an irritated look but earned a chuckle from their hostess.
'Don't worry, I take no offence,' she mused. 'There is no shame in the truth.' She looked at Cam. 'You're right. I was a terrible stepmother. Perhaps, I was a terrible mother as well, my own children being the utter disappointments they are. Do you know how I came to be his stepmother?'
'The rumours were that you seduced his father and broke apart his first marriage.'
A humourless smile appeared on her face. 'Ah yes, the rumours. Always eager to paint a woman as the villain of the story. But I suppose they were far more preferable to the truth.'
Leo leaned forward eagerly. 'And what was the truth?'
A faraway look appeared in her eyes. 'She was my best friend.'
'Who was?' Cam asked curiously.
'Eileen,' she whispered the name so softly that a stray breeze could have carried it off. 'She was the most beautiful woman you ever laid eyes on. Her smile was so dazzling, it could light up an entire room. But what drew people to her, was her heart. She was generous to a fault and as I always reminded her, far too selfless for her own good.'
Her eyes were trapped in the memories of the past as the ghosts of distant laughter rang in her ears.
'When she married the young head of the Mills family, everyone thought it was a match made in heaven. Her husband was certainly smitten with her, but I saw the melancholy that hid behind the sweet smiles.
'A melancholy that seemed to get worse when she was announced to be pregnant. I don't think she was ever suited to be a mother. Don't get me wrong, she loved her son fiercely, but she was a free spirit. Motherhood was just one of the chains that tied her down.
'She struggled with depression and in the eighth month of her pregnancy she tried to end her life by throwing herself down a flight of stairs. It was a different time and back then depression was so unfavourably looked down on that she was forced to hide it.
'Looking back now, I shouldn't have been surprised when she came to me one day, breathless with excitement and far happier than I have seen her in years.
"Oh, Beatrice,' she exclaimed, eyes dancing with joy. 'It's the most amazing thing."
"What is?"
"Love, Beatrice! Love!"
"Have things finally improved with Francis?"
She made a cute little snort at that. "Francis is nice and all, but he is so unimaginative. I need someone exciting. And I finally the one."
"Who is this man? Where did you meet him?"
She just giggled. "I'm not going to tell you now. But promise me, you'll keep this a secret."
"Of course, I will. But you must also promise me to be careful. You not only have a husband but a son as well. You owe it to them."
Her voice trailed off, and she lapsed into silence.
'And was she careful?' Leo prompted gently.
A wry smile appeared on her face. 'Oh, she was. So careful in fact, that when she ran away with her lover no one saw it coming.'
She shook herself from her reverie and examined the captivated boys before her. 'You wanted to know why my stepson hates queers, well there's your answer. Their kind took his mother away from him. In more ways than one.'
'Her lover was a woman,' Cam said softly as understanding dawned on him.
'His elementary school teacher to be precise. She abandoned her family, and I was left to pick up the pieces.' Her lips curled at the memory. 'Francis needed to marry again, and his son needed a mother, so his family turned to me. My parents were ecstatic of course, but I had my own gentleman courting me at the time. In the end, however, I agreed because I still loved her and wanted to take care of the family she left behind. So, we got married and the rumours began.'
She caught the looks on their faces and snorted. 'Do not pity me. The rumours gave me a reputation of ruthlessness and I quickly used that to command society's respect.
'I wasn't always a foul, cantankerous, ill-tempered old woman. At first, I wanted to be a good wife... a good mother. I tried to love Francis, but do you know what it's like to love a man who is still in love with another? Our wedding night was the first time he whispered her name in my ear, and it was not the last. Her shadow hovered over our marriage like a sinister ghost and no matter what I did, it was never enough. I was never enough because I wasn't her.
'Even our children were never enough for him. The only child in his heart was her son. He was her spitting image; he had the same light, the same kindness that made people crazy about her and it pained Francis to look at him, so he ignored him.
'I tried my best not to take my anger, my bitterness out on the boy but he looked so much like his mother that it was difficult not to. I do not have many regrets in my life, but that is one of them. We both did not deserve what happened to us.'
'What happened to his mother?' Cam asked quietly.
'We never heard from her again. Eight years later, word came that she had passed away. This was during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Back then, it was known as the gay disease. I believe that was the beginning of his hatred. He blamed them for his mother's death, for making her abandon her family, and now, for taking his only son away from him. It seems that time has not tempered his loathing and now he has the power to make them pay.'
Her voice tapered off, and a heavy silence ensued, each of them lost in their own thoughts.
'What a sad story,' Cam murmured.
A derisive smile curled on her lips. 'It is a sad tale, isn't it?' She studied the two boys before her. 'Do you know why I'm telling you all this?'
They shook their heads.
'Wounds demand to be healed. It would keep festering across generations until it does. Francis tried to drown his in a bottle until he drank himself to death. I kept mine buried inside, letting it twist me into a bitter old woman. My stepson tried to ignore his, hiding it behind smiles and pretty gestures, and now it is costing him his son. Only God knows, what wounds drove his mother to abandon her family. And now, my grandson has inherited our wounds because we were too cowardly, too proud, or too weak to deal with the pain. No more. Let it end here.'
She closed her eyes and took a deep shaky breath. When she opened them again, they were firm and clear. 'Tell my grandson everything I told you. And tell him... tell him I am sorry. We failed him. He shouldn't have to deal with our mistakes but deal with it he must. Else the cycle will just keep repeating itself. He must break this wheel of trauma that has infested this family for generations.'
'We will,' Leo promised solemnly.
'Thank you,' Cam whispered.
Beatrice Mills let out a deep sigh and her shoulders sank as if a great weight had been taken off them. 'I'm glad,' was all she said before closing her eyes once more.
The two boys glanced at each other before standing up at the clear dismissal. No words passed between them as they walked out of the house. It was only when they were being driven away by their chauffeur that Cam turned to Leo, 'Why did you keep interrupting me?'
Leo snorted. 'Because you are a fool.'
Cam was about to splutter out an angry retort when Leo cut him off.
'Don't get me wrong, you're book smart and generally smart in a lot of other things, but you are a fool when it comes to people.'
Cam wanted to argue against that but found to his chagrin that he could not. 'You could have at least said it in a nicer way,' he muttered sulkily.
~
Jayden was quiet as he stared at Cam and Leo's message. Samuel's letter lay to the side as his mind went over the words he had just read.
He folded the letters carefully before picking up his pen and flipping his notebook to a new page.
Dear Samuel,
I am glad to hear that you are doing alright. I just finished reading Cam and Leo's letter and while I must admit I'm not sure how this new information could be of much use regarding my current circumstances, I must admit that I am glad to know it all the same.
I had always thought that the problem was me, that everything was my fault, but now I realise none of it was. My father has his own demons to deal with and I was merely caught in the crossfire.
My grandmother seems to be a very interesting character. I wish I had known her. I wish I had known both of them.
My conditions have not much improved. My mother keeps trying to make me talk with her and it's all I can do not to fling a book at her face. I recently had an unexpected visitor. An examiner from the Ministry of Education came in to check if my environment was conducive since I have to take the bloody exams in my room. I told him to go fuck himself which, looking back, wasn't probably wise since I was hoping to convince him to make me write the exams in the library downstairs.
In my defense, I was already pissed off about something when he decided to see me and besides, the ministry is under my father's control so there wasn't much hope there to begin with.
Hope things are better on your end. I'm still trying to figure a way to get out of here.
Your handsome boyfriend,
Jayden
~
My devastatingly handsome boyfriend,
I am sorry to hear that your conditions have not much improved. Cissy tells me that she is still trying her best to gather the information you requested so I have not lost hope yet.
Funnily enough, just when I received your letter, I was paid a visit by my own examiner from the ministry. My father was kind enough to unveil his study for my use so it's a step up from your situation. Despite that, things are not much better on my end.
My parents took the news of my sexuality really well. Much better than I had hoped in fact, but my brothers... well, let's just say that the twins have taken to ignoring me whenever they see me around the house.
Cissy has offered to beat some sense into their heads, but I declined. It would just turn into another huge argument, and I don't want her to fall out with them just because of me.
On the other hand, Peter, my eldest brother, seems to find the whole situation amusing. I'm not sure if I told you but he's completing his residency in the US and he's taken to sending me gay porn at odd hours of the night with suggestive emojis attached asking if that's me and you.
I guess having a normal family is too much to ask for. I considered blocking him but honestly, it's nice to have at least one brother who is willing to talk to me -as bizarre as the conversation is and not gonna lie some of the stuff, he sends is very funny.
Don't tell him that though. The last time I made the mistake of laughing at one of his jokes he video-called me the next day at a gay strip club offering to hook me up with any of his new friends.
Are you ready for exams? Leo is freaking out and Cam has unhelpfully pointed out that he wouldn't be freaking out if he had taken his advice in the first place. I honestly don't understand their relationship since all they seem to do is fight but I guess it works for them.
Hopefully, Cissy will get a chance to pass this letter to you soon.
Your lovesick boyfriend,
Samuel
~
My lovelorn lover,
I sat my first exam today. It went better than expected given my circumstances. The invigilator was an old bore who dozed off barely twenty minutes in and his loud snores nearly drove me mad, but all in all, it was alright.
I am sorry to hear about the twins. I know better than most what it feels to not have the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally spurn you for the simple crime of being who you are. It does get better. I promise.
Your eldest brother reminds me of Rebecca. They are good people who can get too much very quickly. I've learned that the best way to handle people like that is to ration one's interactions with them. Speaking of Rebecca, she tried to visit me two days ago. The guards didn't let her in which was a shame because I quite miss her company or any company for that matter. She did manage to treat me to an entertaining show of tackling the guards beneath my window.
I'm still trying to figure out how to get out of here. My mother still thinks that Father will let me out once it's safe and I don't know how to make her realize that he doesn't care about my safety. She is a very intelligent woman, but she can be stupidly blind when it comes to him. I suppose love does that to a person, but I am not willing to wait until the veil drops from her eyes.
I hope Cissy finds out what we need because I need to get out of here. Quickly.
Your slowly insane boyfriend,
Jayden
~
Three days after Jayden had sent his last message, he was lounging around in his room completely bored out of his mind when his mother walked into his room.
He turned to shoot her glare, a nasty comment already on the tip of his lips when she suddenly stepped aside, revealing a sight that made his eyes widen in shock.
'Samuel?'
The black bunny poked his head out and sniffed around eagerly as the maid carrying his cage walked in to place it carefully down on his bed.
A mix of emotions filled Jayden's face as he reached out to stroke the bunny. 'Why?' he asked his mother.
'I know it can get a bit lonely cooped up in here and though I try, I'm aware you don't care much for my company.'
Jayden wasn't sure what to say so in the end he simply settled for a soft, 'Thank you.'
A small smile appeared on Victoria's face. 'You're welcome.' She glanced down at the bunny with a thoughtful look. 'You named him Samuel?'
'It was his idea,' Jayden explained absently as the bunny licked his fingers. 'There are two of them and Samuel thought they behaved just like us, so he gave them our names.'
'I see.'
His mother didn't say anything after that and after watching them for a few minutes she quietly left the room.
Jayden unlocked the cage and lifted Sam out of it. He was about to walk away when he saw an envelope lying in the place where the bunny had sat.
Curious, he reached for the envelope and walked with both to his desk. Once he made sure Sam was comfortable on his lap, tore open the envelope, allowing the contents to fall onto his desk.
He picked up the first letter and began to read.
My mentally unstable boyfriend,
Feels weird to be passing a message to you through your mother instead of Cissy. I wasn't sure how much to put in the letter since I couldn't be sure if it would be read by someone else, but I think we can trust her.
I can already feel you rolling your eyes but it's true. Your mother may not always make the right choice, but she always does it with the best intentions at heart. Don't forget that she knew about our relationship long ago, but she kept silent because it made you happy. As hard as it is for you to believe, she cares deeply about you, and she probably agreed to your imprisonment only because she thought it to be the right thing for you. And honestly, with the way things have been going lately, I'm not sure if it wasn't a wise decision. I say this with love, but you can be a bit stubborn, and you do have a tendency of getting yourself entangled in trouble.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I condone your mother's actions, but I do understand them.
I hope you like the gift. Where you left off last time made me worried, so I figured if I couldn't be there to comfort you, I could at least send you the next best thing. I still have Jay to keep me company, though I can't say he's pleased with the new arrangement.
It just occurred to me that we are just like the couples I read about in fairytales. Think about it; just like them, we are not allowed to see each other, our love is forbidden, and the fate of nations hangs in the balance (that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get my point). We are so Oma and Shu/Tale of two cities coded, it's actually insane.
I'm now going to play that one Taylor Swift song on repeat. You know, the one that goes "you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles and my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet'". In our case, your father said stay away from Samuel LMAO.
Alas, my dearest, I must now end here for the sun's light retreats quickly beyond the horizon. Let my humble gift and fond words serve as a reminder of the undying affection I hold for thee. (I figured if we are to be star-crossed lovers we might as well act the part LOL. What do you think? I figure I play the part better than you, Mr. I'm Allergic to Romance.)
I really have to go now. Jay is ignoring me at the moment but I'm sure he sends you his love as do I.
Your hopelessly romantic boyfriend and one pissed bunny,
Samuel & Jay
~
Jayden rolled his eyes as he finished reading but he couldn't hide the small smile on his face. He stroked the bunny softly as he opened his notebook to a fresh page and began to write.
My incurably romantic boyfriend and his equally irascible bunny,
I am deeply wounded by the unfounded allegations you have placed against me. Have I been remiss in my affections towards you, or have you perchance found my love wanting?
As I sit in the tumultuous confines of my prison, my pen dances eagerly upon paper, seeking to convey the profound weight of my love that swells within my breast like a savage wave crashing on the shores of a restless sea. With each stroke, my mind is drawn into the intoxicating memories of your presence, and my heart yearns to rest once more on the steady beat of your own.
Oh, how the mere thought of your lips upon my own sends shivers through every thread of my being! But like my love, I shall bury those thoughts into the secret garden of my soul, where they can take root and bloom like the most resplendent rose that outshines even the stars of the night sky.
Though societal conventions may seek to veil our ardour in the darkness of the shadows, the flame that flickers within us will neither be quenched by the waters of decorum nor the icy winds of law. Do not fear, my beloved. The time we can once again be reunited draws near.
I have recently received the much-awaited correspondence from your indefatigable sister and already the foundations of a plan begin to take shape in my mind.
The time of my escape is nigh, and until the hands of time lead us back into each other's embrace, I shall dream of the day when our hearts can once more beat in unison.
Your despondent boyfriend and his newly acquired partner,
Jayden & Sam
P.S: Beat that.
It took two days for Samuel's reply to get to him, and when he opened the letter, all it said was:
You win.
Jayden smiled and placed the letter in the box where he had stored the rest of Samuel's messages. He turned his attention back to the plan that was now fully formed.
It was time to leave this dungeon.
Author's Note:
"Surely the greatest mercy granted us by Providence is our ignorance of the future. Imagine if we knew the outcome of our hopes and plans, or could see the manner in which we are doomed to die - how ruined our lives would be! Instead we live on dumbly from day to day as happily as animals. But all things must come to dust eventually. No human being, no system, no age is impervious to this law; everything beneath the stars will perish; the hardest rock will be worn away. Nothing endures but words."
- Robert Harris