Chapter Text
Tick.. tock.. tick.. tock...
The blond haired prince was lying on his back, staring up at the wooden ceiling of the carriage, admiring the intricate details of the carvings. Reading had proved to be extremely enjoyable, and he was grateful to Aubrey for reminding him of how much joy he finds in opening a book. Regrettably, that joy had lasted for about 45 minutes before he had started to feel sick.
"Aubrey's so lucky she doesn't get car sick from reading..." He huffs, glancing over at his pink-haired friend.
Aubrey had moved on from the bunny rabbit book she had been silently obsessing over, now reading another book she had discovered in the small library of the cupboard. One called "Medieval weapons and their use".
"...Creepy. I think I prefer the bunnies..."
To Basil, today had already felt like a long day, although the clock said it was only around four o'clock. It was a mess emotions. Emotions that that no person should have to go through in such a short time, Basil thinks. He was just glad that he had managed to convince his parents to let Aubrey in the same carriage as him. In any other case, a servant being in the proximity of a royal in such an important time would be severely prohibited.
Glancing up at the window, the scenery had changed from non-stop evergreen trees lining the paths, to more lush trees, seemingly carefully taken care of and loved. There were trees that Basil had seen at his own home. Trees with pink petals sprouting from every branch in sight, trees with long leaves, trees with needles... It comforted him slightly. A taste of home.
Comfort is what he so desperately craves in this time. Or... Maybe he's always craved it. At his palace, at least he had received some comfort from the older staff who had known him since he was young, like the sweet old lady who taught him to love gardening (earning the name 'grandma' although they were not related), or that greying man who let him lick the spoon when a cake was being made. The attention he received made him feel warm and loved and welcomed.
Aubrey, Kel and Hero knew of his desire to be wanted. They had seen it in the way how his eyes would light up and sparkle when someone had asked him about plants, or when his smile could warm the hearts of anyone when he was complimented or spoken to nicely.
He sighs. "I guess that's about to change today," he thinks, closing his eyes in thought. "If I'm nice enough maybe somebody will take pity on me."
As the carriage gradually slows down, Basil sits up, understanding that his time to rest has now come to an end. He fluffs up his hair, hoping that it didn't get too flat when he was pressed up against the side of the carriage or while lying down.
"...Aubrey," He says softly. "I think we're here."
"Huh?" She looks up from her book quickly, a bit dazed.
Basil chuckles at Aubrey's sudden movements. Clearly, she was engrossed in her strange book. "We're here. At the Headspace Kingdom, remember?"
She sighs, almost as frustrated as Basil. "Right, right..." She mutters as she closes her book, tossing it to the other end of her seat.
Liking to leave places as he found it, he takes her book, sliding it back beside the rest of the books in the cabinet above him.
As the prince does this, Aubrey's surprised "Oh!" startles Basil, immediately turning around with a worried expression, expecting something horrible. But his panic fades into confusion as he sees Aubrey looking out of the window to her left.
"Aubrey? What is it?" He moves to sit beside her, leaning over to see what she's looking at.
"Oh!" Basil says as he sees what Aubrey was so interested about. It was the outside of a large building. Although calling it just a building wouldn't be sufficient- it was a palace.
They weren't arriving through the main entrance to avoid the crowds and publicity, but it was still as marvellous as he had expected. The outside walls were made out of large stone bricks painted a cream white, windows lining every floor with their intricate frames, flowers and bushes planted carefully at every space they could get.
Then, the carriage stopped. They held their breath for a moment until the door to their left opens, a man standing there to let them out.
"We have arrived, Your Highness. This way, please." He states, voice smooth and calming. A contrast to Basil's inner turmoil.
"Yes, thank you." Prince Basil replies, voice growing quieter as the nerves grow.
He stands up and carefully hops down onto the pale brick ground and scans the area. A large fountain in the middle of this plaza-like area they parked in, bushes and flowers carefully pruned to perfection, butlers and maids arriving at the large entrance to welcome his arrival. The warm sun hit his skin like stepping into a sauna.
Some clumsy footsteps behind him make Basil turn his head back to the carriage. Seeing Aubrey look so concentrated at not falling, he instinctively reaches out his hand to help her down, offering a small smile as nervous as her own.
"Thanks..." She says, taking his hand in hers and waiting until she is steady on her feet before letting go, as a friendly looking middle-aged woman with lightly sun-tanned skin and brown hair walks over to greet him.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Welcome to the Kingdom of Headspace." She smiles warmly, taking a deep bow in his presence.
"Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here." He replies, giving a polite nod whilst trying to steady his voice despite his growing nerves.
Gesturing behind her to the entrance and making sure to not show her back to the prince, she says "The royal family has been expecting your arrival. Are you too tired from your journey to meet them or would you like to meet them now?"
He decides that he'd rather just get this out of the way. "A-Ah, I'm not too tired. I can meet them now, if that's okay."
"Yes, sir."
A hand on his shoulder makes him jump in fright, turning his head quickly with a small "Wha-"
"Oh, it's just my teacher."
He relaxes slightly, but seeing someone else that he recognises doesn't compensate the fright that lingers, already on edge.
"Ah, and this is who will accompany you, yes?" The nice lady asks, glancing at his teacher.
"Yes, I'm his tutor. I will be introducing him on the order of the king of Faraway." His teacher responds in a matter-of-fact way, all formal and proper.
The prince blocks out most of the back and forth overly polite words between the two adults, feeling a bit dazed. But before he knows it, he's walking towards the large entrance, feeling like a prisoner walking to his cell. He tries to look straight in front of him, but his mind is all over the place and his eyes unfocused.
His heart beats as fast as it did on that day that changed his life, the day he was told that this would happen.
"Everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay"
He has to remind himself to breathe as his eyes come into focus, looking straight ahead as he is guided to where Prince Sunny is. Aubrey is nowhere to be seen now, probably already down at the servant's quarters... Probably wishing she could have just stayed at the palace... Probably wishing she had never made friends with Basil...
He takes a deep breath.
His eyes come into focus again as he steps into a large room with large marble pillars in front of large stained glass windows at either sides. Guards lining every corner of the room for protection. The glass chandelier hangs above them, the afternoon light glistening against it and making it sparkle in a way that would capture Basil's attention if he were not staring at the four people at the other end of what he presumes to be the throne room.
And there they were. The King, the Queen, the princess...
And Prince Sunny. It's hard to see what he looks like since he seems to be trying to avoid eye contact by staring out of the window nearest to him. And honestly, Basil understands that. He stands at a respectable distance, enough to speak at a comfortable volume while also keeping his distance due to ever growing nerves.
After a trumpet had played its tune to welcome Prince Basil into the presence of the royals for the first time, the king speaks. "Your Highness," The king states with a nod, standing up from his throne respectfully. The two either side of him also stand up, following suit.
"Y-Your majesty," Prince Basil responds shakily with a bow. He observes the king's appearance, taking in the sight of the person who he will see for the upcoming future. Black hair, glasses, a stubble that looks too neat to be unwanted... But it's hard to see what he really looks like from this distance.
He feels his teacher behind him bow, as well as another person.
Glancing behind him, a weight is taken off his shoulders once he sees that bright pink hair that he's always admired. He visibly relaxes, feeling comforted by the feeling of her eyes on him. Even though being around Aubrey can be a strange experience due to her unpredictable nature, he's found just being around someone he likes instantly relaxes him, even in a situation like this.
Although as soon as he is spoken to, the weight presses down heavier against his shoulders; a never ending cycle.
"Your journey was not too long, was it?" Says the queen, her voice calm and regal. The brown hair down to her shoulders frames her face nicely, giving her an elegant look, paired with that pleasant smile. If she was only putting on a polite smile just for formalities, Basil would be impressed with her acting. "It was a pleasant journey, Your majesty. The scenery was beautiful."
The queen responds with a simple nod of the head, impressed by how polite he is. Basil's relief is immeasurable to have pleased such an important person so early on. Now, to repeat this with the others.
The king speaks up, turning to his right, using his hand to gesture towards a girl seemingly a bit older than Basil himself. With a wave of his hand he states, "This is our daughter, Princess Mari."
Princess Mari smiles at him as if they had been friends for years, her dark brown eyes glinting in the light with such warmth almost unknown to the blond prince. "Hello," She waves, nodding out of respect, her black hair falling into place in front of her. "It's nice to meet you!"
He smiles back, comforted just enough to make the corners of his lips quirk up into a small smile, but nothing more. "I-It's nice to meet you too, Your highness."
The only person who had not spoke a single word throughout the entire introduction remained silently standing there to the left of the king, dark brown eyes glued to the window outside as if he couldn't care less about this introduction.
"Ahem, I think there is one more person to introduce himself to the prince?" The queen gives a pointed look to Prince Sunny. Basil smiles in embarrassment.
Prince Sunny jumps in surprise as if he had not been expecting to speak at all, quickly turning his head to look at his mother before solemnly turning his head towards Basil to greet him. "Hello," He bows deeply.
"His voice is so... Monotone... He's nothing like his name."
"H-Hello," He replies, feeling frightened by this stranger he's supposed to marry so soon.
It's silent for a moment.
"Oh... This is pretty awkward..." He thinks, glancing away to avoid eye contact as Sunny stares at him as if they had never seen another person before.
"Sunny, introduce yourself, come on!" She clasps her hands, smiling with an undertone of "Be nice to him or else".
"Um... My name is Sunny."
"...And?" She encourages.
"I... I'm 17 years old..."
He glances at his mother and seems to get spooked by her impatient stare, making him quiet once more.
She sighs, giving up. "Ah, you two will have time to get to know each other better, I'm sure. My apologies, Prince Basil."
"It's alright, Your majesty." He replies nervously, feeling even more on edge from that short introduction.
Fortunately, the king interrupts this awkward moment with a clear of his throat. "Moving on. Your bedroom has been prepared. A servant will help you find it while we sort out... The boring stuff." He says with a forced chuckle.
"Oh, he's talking about the marriage, isn't he?..." He thinks, face falling slightly before he regains his polite smile. Prince Basil nods, his head coming down more than it should, which he mentally scolds himself for. "Ah, okay. Thank you, sir."
The same lady from before appears at his side, slow enough to not scare him.
"Please come with me, Your highness." She says, giving him her seemingly usual comforting smile. A flicker of hope in this darkness. And as they start to walk away, he takes a glance back at the scene behind him. Aubrey was no where to be seen now. His teacher and another representative of the Faraway Kingdom were now speaking to an important looking man to the side of the room, most likely discussing the living situation of the prince and other stuff Basil tries not to concern himself with while the king, queen and Prince Sunny were having a heated discussion- well, the king and queen were. Sunny was looking down at his feet - while Princess Mari tried to reassure them and calm them down.
Basil lets out a small shaky sigh that he had been holding in ever since he had arrived in this place. Everyone he had ever loved is gone. Rather, it was him gone. Forcibly removed from the lives of his friends and family at just a moments notice all because he was born in a castle. That all too familiar feeling of his throat starting to hurt overcomes him as they walk. He barely looks at his surroundings as the walls seem to close in on him. His head feels heavy on his shoulders, lolling in front of him to stare at the back of the escort's shoes.
"Everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay..."
He can't even tell whether it's the exhaustion or the feeling of dread making his heart beat quicker and the footsteps louder and his skin feel warmer and his breathing heavier and-
And they stopped, Basil almost bumping into the escort. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice. Either that or she was too polite to mention it...
"Your room," She opens the door to let him inside.
His eyes scan the large room, taking in the sight of where he will sleep for the foreseeable future.
It's a large rectangular room, maybe a little bigger than his old room. To the far right of where he stands are glass panelled doors leading out onto a balcony which overlooks what seems to be the gardens. On the wall in front of him there is a door which hangs open just enough for Basil to recognise that it leads into an ensuite. Against that same wall but just a bit further away is a mahogany desk and chair, the desk fit with pens and pencils and paper and ink to write letters and sketch. Lastly, on the opposite wall stands a large canopy bed fit for two with curtains draped along the frame of the canopy.
"Please, let me know of any problems you may have here and the staff will sort it out right away," The nice lady says, drawing Prince Basil's attention back to her. "For now, please rest until a member of staff brings you your dinner, which will be served at 7PM sharp."
Prince Basil checks his watch. It reads 17:09.
"Do you need anything at the moment, sir?"
"N-No. No thank you. I'm fine." He murmurs, starting to feel a headache coming on.
"Good. I'll leave you alone now." She smiles, bowing and briskly exiting the bedroom.
And then he was alone. Again. Although this silence was once filled with laughter not so long ago. Now, just the beats of his racing heart and the sounds of his soft breaths reach his ears. Forcing his legs to move, he decides that a lie down would be nice. It's way too warm in here to get under the covers, so lying on top of them will have to do.
"Everything is going to be okay." He whispers to himself, the sun beaming through the glass doors making his eyes instinctively shut from its glare. At this point, he's not sure whether he believes that mantra he had repeated for as long as he can remember. After seeing Prince Sunny for the first time, his fears had been confirmed.
"Well, at least he isn't super aggressive, it seems... He's more strange than scary. As if that's a good thing..." He thinks, once again trying to find the positives.
Before he knows it, his cheeks start to feel wet, the warm tears trickling down his cheeks and landing on the sheets, staining them.
"He barely even wanted to look at me, nevermind speak to me. What is it going to be like when we're married? He's going to pretend like I don't exist... He's not going to remember my name... He won't spare a passing glance to me... He's..."
He curls up into himself, his knees tucked into his chest with his hands laying limply beside him. His lips press together in a thin line, trying to hold back his shaky breaths and muffled sobs.
His thoughts start to spiral more. Turning to thoughts of his self worth, his future, his past... And of course, that same old mantra.
"E-Everything is going to be okay..." He whispers shakily, one last sentence escaping his lips before succumbing to sleep. Although sleep was never an escape for Basil. Just a way to visualize his fears and worries in the form of nightmares.
As his body grows limp and his breathing evens out, his body, which wraps around itself just to feel a humans touch is bathed in the evening light, it's warmth acting as a second blanket and strangely feeling more familiar and comforting than his new bed.
Days passed and Basil seemed to grow lonelier each time the sun rose and set on him as he lived his days in loneliness, speaking in disheartened answers to whoever spoke to him first, shortened to withstand his ever decreasing energy to do anything. He hadn't even seen Aubrey ever since his first day here, let alone speak to her. When he asked about her, it was always "She's busy" or "That doesn't matter". The staff had noticed how quiet and sad he had become ever since he was brought here, worried that the prince would become depressed. Forcing Basil to interact with Prince Sunny was no use, it was just awkward to talk to someone who clearly had the same desire to do anything but speak. Anytime someone put them in the same proximity, they both just seemed to get too nervous and they would walk away from each other.
Although one thing turned to Basil's favour.
"Your Highness? We have someone for you." Someone spoke, opening the door to the sitting room Basil was reading in. He didn't bother to take note of her appearance, it was no use if the staff were being moved around so much.
"Oh?" He looks up from his book. He wasn't really reading it, anyway.
The lady steps aside, gesturing for this 'someone' to come in. Basil has no clue who it could be. He didn't care if it wasn't Aubrey.
"Basil!" A familiar voice exclaimed.
His eyes dart to the girl in the doorway, and suddenly he cared.
"Aubrey?"
They practically throw themselves at each other, arms squeezing the other tight in an almost desperate manner. All of his worrying and sadness seeming so insignificant and small now that his friend is here in his arms, finally.
"Aubrey, where have you been?" He asks against her shoulder. "I... I was looking for you everywhere and no one was telling me where you were!... How are you?"
"How am I?" Aubrey repeated, pulling back just enough to stare at him as if he had grown a second head. "How are you?! Everyone was talking about how quiet and depressed you've become!"
"E-Everyone? Who is everyone?" He asks, watching as her eyes scan his face as if looking for signs that would confirm the rumours.
She sighed, maybe in relief for knowing he was okay, maybe in exhaustion from the work. "The other servants. They're all stupid gossips."
"Isn't that what you d-"
"I-It's different when I do it!" She pulls away and crosses her arms. "Anyways. I was down in the servant's quarters. That crazy lady who's in charge down there is convinced that I can't do my own fucking job! Just because I was a LITTLE bit lazy while I was meant to be cleaning your room doesn't mean that I'm useless!"
Basil leads her to the sofa he was previously sitting on, happy to let her speak. Happy to hear her voice after worrying so much. He smiles softly, watching the crazy movements she makes with her hands when she's especially annoyed.
"Oh, you should have seen the look on her face when I told her that she can shove that stupid broom right up her a-"
"A-Aubrey, you didn't!" He exclaims to her mischievous face.
"Oh, yeah I did!" She says proudly, before scowling again. "Until she threatened me with demotion if I said something like that again..."
He shakes his head fondly. "Make sure you don't do that again. I don't want you to get kicked out of the palace or something..."
"Relax, I'm not going anywhere." She stretches and puts one leg over the other lazily.
"Good..." He watches her relaxed movements carefully, glad that she seems to be okay. But his mind is far from relaxed. "Seriously, though. How have you been doing?"
Aubrey looks at him, as if wondering whether to answer seriously or not.
"Please, answer me honestly."
His anxious expression seems to convince her enough. "Ugh. Not great..." She starts, looking out the window as if to distract herself. "I missed you. And I miss Hero. And Kel... It's horrible. After liking him for months, of course he decided to confess to me just before I had to leave... Did he just want to torture me or something?" She frowns, almost looking angry. Angry at Kel. Angry at her feelings. Angry at the world. "I just... I miss him. I want to see him and Hero again."
Basil suddenly felt devastatingly guilty. This is all his fault. If he had just objected to the idea of Aubrey coming along with him to the Headspace Kingdom... If he hadn't been so happy to take her away from her home so brutally... She wouldn't be so sad.
"I would leave this place the first chance I got," She smirks, looking at him. "And I'd take you with me."
His eyes were unfocused; you could practically see the gears turning in his mind. "Yeah..." He can only let out a small shaky laugh.
"What kind of person am I for doing this to her? How does she want to still be friends with me? She should have left me the first chance she got..." He thinks, lips forming a thin straight line as his mind works for some way to make this right.
"A-Aubrey... H-How badly do you want to leave here..?"
"Really badly... Ugh, I didn't realize how good I had it back at Faraway.."
"And.. You really want to see Kel and Hero again?"
"Mhm... What are you getting at?"
"N-Nothing." He replies quickly, looking away.
"You're picking at your thumb again. What's going on with you?"
"Huh?" He looks down at his fingers. He hadn't realised that he was unconsciously doing that to think more clearly. "I.. I'm just tired." He smiles reassuringly.
That's not the first time she's heard that. "...Right." Aubrey mutters, not believing it or a second. But knowing Basil better than anyone, pressuring him to reveal his worries is a bad idea. "Well, what about you? Don't you miss them too?"
"Of course I miss them!" Basil exclaims. "I miss them so, so much... I miss the sleepovers and playing at the lake and trying to make that treehouse! I don't wanna be here anymore, Aubrey!" He buries his face in his hands, too tired to cry.
Aubrey's eyes narrow in determination. "I'll get us out of here, I swear. Then we'll keep our promise to Kel and Hero."
"I didn't promise anything... I knew as soon as my father told me I'd be in an arranged marriage, I'd never get out."
"No.. No, don't say that, Basil.." She says, placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to gently tug his hands away from his face with her other hand. "We're gonna get out. Just.. Talk to Prince Sunny or something. See if you can get on his good side so that he can convince whoever's in charge to let us go."
"...H-Have you seriously already thought of a plan?" He sighs, looking at her with exasperation.
"Of course! You haven't?!"
Basil can't help but let his lips form a weak, fond smile, imagining Aubrey angrily scheming plans while lying in bed. It's very... Aubrey. It reminds him of the times when the girl would think of ways to take revenge on Kel for picking on her. "I'll... Think about it, okay?"
"Good. And if that 'Prince Sunny' loser ever tries to lay so much of a finger on you, let me know." She threatens, although it's an empty threat to Basil. Prince Sunny barely wanted to lay an eye on him.
"You'll be the first to know, Aubrey." He smiles weakly, but the pit of dread in his heart grows stronger.