Chapter Four: The One With The Plan

The King is gay. That is impossible and very hard to believe. Everyone knows that King Arthur is probably the most homophobic King ever. There is no way he can be gay. It just feels so unreal.

"Are you sure?" Raymond finally broke the heavy silence that came after Desmond's announcement. It was like everyone was thinking about the same thing and nothing at all.

Firstly first, I was thinking about Desmond. I kind of always do but this time I had different thoughts. He was different from the other people that got banished here and for once, I let myself think that it isn't because he is a prince.

I guess, and I think I am kind of sure, that Desmond came here with a plan. A plan that is greater than what I could think about. He was ready to come here. And it is weird to think like that. Why? Because Desmond just looked so lost the first hours that I didn't even let myself think about such a thing so yeah. It is weird for me.

Second, I tried to guess Desmond's thoughts. It was impossible to do this maybe two hours ago but now, I think I can see through a small hole in the middle of his walls.

He still looked lost and I guess that even though he got what he wanted, he didn't still know what to do for the information. And it was his father after all. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been for him.

"Yes, I am." Desmond finally answered. "The handwriting is my father's handwriting and all the timings match. Beside… I saw the two of them together sometimes in these same times. It can't be mistaken."

"What are you planning to do?" Richard asked carefully and I couldn't blame him for his tone. Desmond looked paler than usual and I cursed myself for forgetting about his sickness in such a time.

Rule number one of magically surviving this sickness if you are the luckiest person in all the Kingdom who is just a regular person (or a now regular person on this case) is to never do more work or standing or even talking as you have to.

"Why don't you come and sit?" I asked Desmond. "Come on everyone. Make a circle if you all are planning to figure this out." I looked at Richard as if daring him to say something about this thing has to be private so they can't talk with us and he just shook his head with a smile and led Desmond to sit beside me and he sat beside his husband.

"So…" Raymond said with this slight excitement that he was trying so hard to hide but failed miserably. "What do you want to do with this?"

Desmond sighed and―subconsciously I suppose―leaned toward me and put his head on my shoulder. "I have no idea." He sighed again and Raymond looked a little disappointed by his answer but all I could think about was the fact that Desmond's head was against my shoulder. The fact that I felt tingling all over my body but there was nothing I could do.

I wanted to take his hand and tell him that everything will be alright. That everything will get better. That he has all the time in the world but then, I would be lying. Everyone expected him, the prince, to make a change. even when I first heard that the prince is here thought that maybe we can finally live a better life.

We didn't have time. Not at all. Sick City wanted a change. it was obvious and the thought first started years ago when Richard got banished here, and because of that, we have even less time. Desmond has less time.

"Do you want to make people see it?" I asked. To be honest I didn't want him to say yes to this. That will be a really cruel thing to do, even with the King.

"No." Desmond shook his head. "For now, I can't tell anyone. I need this to stay here. I just want to somehow communicate with him. To maybe first ask him. About and for many things."

"You want to blackmail him?" Richard looked at Desmond weirdly. Like he didn't believe Desmond is capable of such a thing and he must not be. After all, Richard saw him grow up.

"Yes and no," Desmond said. "I don't want to blackmail him but he doesn't have to know this. Sick City needs supplies and it needs it so badly that I, someone who has been here for less than two days, realized it. Of course, my room was great. the materials were not the best but good anyway. But the City… it looked dull.

"The castle is just good from the outside only to stop the families that didn't want their child gone or others who didn't want them to be gone satisfied. And perhaps, for people to think that it is okay to get banished here so they keep sending more people here. But that's only what I think though. It can't be true but it is possible."

"That is an excellent observation," Richard said. I and Raymond nodded. I the fact that I felt proud of him weird? Because I do. "But I believe that is indeed what is happening."

"So what?" I asked a little confused. "The Kingdom wants more people to come out? But why? Why do they want it?"

"They don't want it," Desmon said. "They need it. They need more people going from their care. These past few years haven't been good but it was kept hidden and quiet very well."

"It is about the Wing Kingdom, isn't it?" Raymond said. "I know they are very powerful and we are so-so out of the Flame Kingdom's borders. Sick City hears a lot more than normal people."

"They are strong and the food is needed for the army. People are starting to get mad and it has always been like this even without a possible war. The fewer people to take care of, the better. Sick City is not the Royals concern."

"But if I remember correctly," I said and turned to look at Desmond only to see him closer than I expected. I gulped but continued anyway as I tried to make my voice sound steady. "You were hopeful about the fact that maybe the Royals care about Sick City. You thought the materials in the room were from the Lily Castle."

"I was very emotional." Desmond shrugged and smiled bashfully. "I just wanted to think of something good I guess."

"So, you didn't come here because you were planning something?" I asked. I thought he was here with a plan. A plan to meet Richard, take what he wants, and do what he wanted to do that I can't guess right now.

"Oh," Desmond finally said after a little pause. Raymond and Richard were already in the background, staring tensely at the two of us interacting. "I didn't even choose to come out. It happened by accident though I was a little ready but not enough to suddenly have my life changed."

I didn't say anything. By the look of it, Desmond wasn't ready to say this and admit it but I guess I pushed him. I didn't want him to say something he wasn't ready to say.

But lord, the boy is an angel. He smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Elijah. I can see that you are beating yourself up thinking that you pushed me out of my shell in a bad way but you didn't. I am happy that I said it. It makes me feel lighter."

Then he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine for only a second and trust me when I say that second was the shortest and longest moment of my life. I could feel Raymond and Richard's shocked gaze on us and I was looking at Desmond with the same look.

"Okay," Desmond cleared his throat with a small smile playing on his lips. "Back to the main topic. To summarize it, I want to make father think that I am blackmailing him while in fact, I don't want to do anything with this. Not yet, at least.

"I ask him for medicines that I guess are very important. Food comes second and I don't think we need clothes that much but we must ask for that too and a bunch of other stuff that we don't need so if he decides to eliminate some of our choices, then the necessary things get a better chance of coming."

I still couldn't look away from him. He was meant to be a King. He was much more than just a King. "That is brilliant." I finally said. "We can ask for paint too, you know… if he doesn't eliminate it then I and some other people that I know can use it."

"And books," Richard said with a smile, finally getting out of the shock state that I still am in. "It will be good to have some books here that aren't written by the Sick City's people. Maybe paper and ink too."

Raymond nodded. I don't think he wants anything. Desmond nodded to and I, finally daring to do something, took his hand and squeezed it a little as if saying that you did great. That you are great.

What shocked me, less than before though, was the Desmond did the same. I smiled to match his face and felt happy inside. But I knew better than get my hopes high. Having no hope and be in some weird relationship and have it going somewhere is better than getting it high and being in the weird relationship and having it go nowhere so I'll be with me in my misery.

"Then we need to figure out how to communicate with my father and only my father alone," Desmon said happily. "Then we need one of the less important letters to send to him as proof."

"Isn't it bad though?" Raymond suddenly said. "Even the King doesn't deserve to have his preferences against him."

"It would be bad if we want to do that but we just want to scare him only to survive." Richard reasoned but I was doubting this a little too. "We are living by the fear of our castle burning down every single day. Fear of the same kind that we feel isn't bad for the King."

Lies. It was all lying but there was no choice for now. Desmond was thinking about it too. I just know by the look on his face and the mist that covered his eyes that he isn't happy at all about what is going to happen. What we are going to do.

I squeezed his hand again. Letting him know that I am here for him and when he returned the action, I knew immediately that he would be here too.

I just suddenly realized that for knowing someone, some people, there isn't a long time necessarily. Some timed you can just look at someone and their heart is on the display even if it is hidden.

You can see it even if others don't and that's when you know wherever this is going, what happens in the end if you separate or not, you will never regret meeting them.

And that was it. This is it. I know now that all those stories that my mother read about me about the prince and the maid falling in love at the first sight and I called them stupid fairy tales, can come true.

It is true. I felt it, mom. I wish I could say it to you. tell you how I feel. That you don't have to worry about me being alone all the time. I found it.

Looking at Desmond, his white-blond hair, his sky-blue eyes, his pale skin, I knew this was it. I knew what I feel without even trying to figure anything out like others mostly do.

Desmond caught me staring and smiled brightly.

I am sure, mother. This is it. I am in love and no matter what happens, I'm grateful for it. For the feeling.