chapter 6

Sampson didn't sleep at all the whole night, mostly from the fact that his mind was ablaze with the knowledge that he was being hailed as a deity. He prayed for sleep, closing his eyes and hoping when he woke up the whole thing would have been a dream.

It was the unsufferable knots in his back that kept him awake. At times like that the only thing he could do was straighten his back and breath through the pain. By the morning he was too busy to notice but it was so bad at night he often broke out into a cold sweat and his heart hammered wildly.

Perity had given him numbing cream once that she used on the cuts of the horses. It was only enough for Sampson to use it once but the relief he felt the night was incomparable. He had no clothes and his door was being guarded so as soon as dawn came he waited by the window for someone to come in and give him his instructions.

As promised the Prince came a short while after he started waiting. He was dressed in his combat gear and he wasn't alone. Sampson sucked in his stomach, his body deflating with air when he saw Master Duncan behind him, carrying an extra pair of combat gear.

"You haven't been assigned a servant as yet so you can borrow Master Duncan. He will help you dress. I will be waiting for you outside". The Prince turned and closed the door behind him. The moment they were alone Sampson pressed himself up from the wall. Master Duncan couldn't run due to his injury but he walked with a vigour towards him, grabbing his jaw in his palm and squeezing.

"If you dare shout for help I'll come back and kill you in your sleep. Do you understand?". Sampson nodded and he loosened his grip. It was there Sampson understood that it didn't matter what who he might be or what title he had now been given, he was still a prisoner and would forever be treated like one. "Take your clothes off, the Prince doesn't like to be kept waiting".

The thought of someone like Master Duncan seeing his scars brought tears to his eyes but he bit them back before they fell. He wouldn't dare cry in front of him. Sampson stripped from his clothes and the moment he did, Master Duncan started chuckling. Sampson already knew he was horribly disfigured given all the beatings he had received in his life so far and his response was exactly the reason why he never let anyone see his body.

"You are a sight", Master Duncan spoke haughtily. "You cannot speak to me like that anymore". The words were spoken in anger. Master Duncan stopped laughing almost immediately and his lips curved into a disgusted sneer.

"Don't think you're anything special now boy. You think you're above being a servant just because they told you, you were". Sampson could feel himself shrinking on the spot. He spat the words out and when he finished he raised his stick and slapped it against Sampson knees, splitting the already broken skin even further. "Don't forget who you are because I won't". He raised the stick and hit his other knee until the white bandages had turned red.

He tied the rest of the combat gear too tight and causing it to cut into the skin on his neck and wrists. He felt as though every part of his body was being squeezed into a large corset. Master Duncan didn't say a single word after they finished, instead he opened the door and the Prince re-entered.

His lips tugged a curve when he saw Sampson. "It suits you". Sampson felt ridiculous and humiliated and at his words causing his cheeks blushed red. He mumbled a thank you but otherwise kept his head down. "Duncan you may resume your duties". Sampson was glad that he wasn't coming, he was sure if he did he would find a way to beat him again when no one was looking.

Sampson had walked through the castle many times before but he was usually rushing through taking no time to look around. The servants quarters were often filled with dust and rancid smells whereas the Prince chambers had the unmistakable smell of citrus. The Prince liked the smell and so they often squeezed fresh oranges when they cleaned the floor and walls with hot water.

He had never been out in the field in the front of the castle before, it was a specialist training ground that only the knights were permitted to go to. They were training one on one combat when the Prince arrived with Sampson trailing roughly behind him. They stopped as the Prince approached whilst Sampson dithered, staying behind the knights as opposed to joining them. His legs felt numb and wet from the blood. It was so much he was sure he could smell the coppery scent of it.

"So it's true, the servant boy is joining us", Onyx spoke haughtily, waving his sword at Sampson. Sampson shivered, he had done that same thing before when he had been chasing Sampson and the others.

"Enough Onyx, you'd do well to remember your place", the Prince barked. Onyx's smile immediately fell replaced by a cold look. "Carry on with your training". The knights paused before they continued with their one on one combat. The Prince only know had noticed that Sampson hadn't come out onto the field with him but instead had stayed on the small path of where the ground and the grass met.

He jogged over giving Sampson the once over. "You should introduce yourself, they will be your comrades". "There's no need, I already know all of their names". The Prince didn't push forward. Sampson shifted on his feet, standing for so long whilst he knees bled so much was starting to make him feel dizzy. "Come with me". Sampson followed the King away from the path, he only knew where they were going as they approached his private gardens. He opened the gate and closed it.

"I thought we were training". "We are but I can see training with the knights makes you uncomfortable. In time you will have to but for now I will train you one and one". Sampson nodded, as the Prince handed him one of the two swords he'd been holding.

"The craft to good swordsmanship is to never presume your better than your opponent. There is always room to learn, without it you'll get lazy and you'll become easier to kill". Sampson gulped. He wished Minnie and Perity could have been there to cheer him on or at least give him some words of encouragement.

"Other than swordsmanship you will have to learn to fight with no weapons and archery". "Draw your sword". Sampson tried to raise it but he only got up the sword halfway up when it crashed back down on the ground again. It looked light but deceivingly it was surprisingly heavy.

"Try again". His arms were stiff and ached from having no rest from the night before. He tried again only for the same thing to happen. "Your body's weak", the Prince commented. Sampson looked down at his scrawny arms that packed no muscle in defeat. It was true he was weak but that was only because he was run ragged every day with no breaks and he survived on minimal helpings of food. Servants only once a day and they were usually scraps at dinner time. "When was the last time you ate something?". "Yesterday morning", Sampson murmured. There was no use in lying, his stomach rumbled for food constantly.

The Prince sighed before placing his sword back in his holster. He strode to the tree that stood proudly at the centre of his garden. It was Sampson's prized possession, there was nothing more beautiful in sight than that tree.

The Prince reached up and inspected it for a while before he reached up and picked the biggest apple from it before he walked back to Sampson, holding the apple out for him. "Here, eat quickly we have much to do".

Sampson recoiled, he never in his lifetime thought he would get to try the sweet apples. "Don't tell me you don't like apples when I caught you trying to steal my apple pie?", the Prince spoke on a light-hearted tone when Sampson made no attempts to take the apple from him.

Sampson reached his hand out gingerly like he thought the Prince may be tricking him. The Prince on a small frown to watch Sampson struggling so much extending his hand the rest of the way causing their fingers to brush against each other as he dropped the apple into Sampson's palm.

He smoothed his fingers over it first and brought it up to his nose. "Why are you acting so peculiar? I can have the cook make you something". Sampson ignored him, he opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into his flesh. It was so sweet he closed his eyes from the shock of it but it was everything he imagined.

He ate it quickly before the Prince could take it away from him and when he was finished he licked the juice from his fingers. "That should tide you over until our first meal. Try and raise your sword again". Sampson felt like he had a new lease of life, he raised the sword still with much struggle but he managed to hold it out at arms length.

"Good. The best way for me to teach you is through one on one combat. Don't worry I'll go easy on you".

The Prince's idea of going easy on him was not the same as what Sampson envisioned. He swung his sword with much strength which meant Sampson had to run in every which direction to avoid the sharp blade.

He feared the Prince would cut his arms off if he didn't. When Sampson did manage to counter attack with his sword the impact of their swords clashing brought him to his back. This carried for hours whilst he body grew weaker and weaker. When the Prince did finally call for them to take a break he was relieved.

He sat down on the stone steps and drank mouthfuls of water from the bucket before splashing some on his face. A servant appeared as they finished. Sampson recognised him as one of the men he shared a room with. He couldn't remember his name but he thought it might have started with an 's'. "Bring me a hot bucket of water and lots of cloths". The boy dared to look at Sampson once and he smiled though it looked more like a frown. He bowed and left.

Sampson checked the Prince over, he had no injuries that he could see and so had no use for the cloth. "What is that for?". "For your knees. You don't think I haven't noticed how you've barely been able to stand for the last hour". His knees no longer felt wet, which meant the bleeding had stopped and the blood was dry.

The servant boy returned a few minutes later, dropping the bucket and cloths to the side. "That will be all". The boy bowed and left. Sampson watched him go, thinking that only a day ago that had been him.

The Prince like before dipped the cloth into the water and squeezed. Sampson held out his hand to take it but the Prince kept it tight in his clasp. "Take your combat gear off". "I can do it myself". "Take the gear off first". Sampson sighed before loosened the combat gear letting it fall from his body. All he had on underneath was a long white robe that covered his body.

"Hand me the cloth", Sampson spoke. The Prince who had been watching closely, eyes fell to the large red stain on his lower knees. Before Sampson could ask again he reached down and pulled the robe up to Sampson's knees, his cheeks enflamed instantly.

"Your highness", he spoke roughly trying to pull the robe back down. "You should have told me that your knees were bleeding so much", he snapped, his voice sharp. "I didn't think it mattered", Sampson murmured. It's not like he hadn't had to work all day whilst blood dripped from his back and legs from his open wounds. It was rarity he ever got the chance to wrap his wounds first, he often had to leave treatment until his work was done for the day.

The Prince reached for the cloth wrapped around his knees causing Sampson to shift his knees away from him before he could reach it. "I said I would do it myself". "I already told you I would do it. If you had let me do it the first time your knees wouldn't still be bleeding". He had to bite his tongue, holding back the confession that it was Master Duncan that had caused his skin to split open once again and not because he didn't know how to wrap his legs.

The Prince reached over and unwrapped the cloths wrapped around his knees. More blood spurted from his open wounds trickling down his legs. "Were your knees injured previously before you had to kneel for the king?", the Prince asked. "I'm clumsy and I often bang into things. I had cut my knees before", Sampson lied causing the Prince's lips to twist like Sampson's words aggravated him.

With the cloth he had dipped into the bucket he began wiping the blood from his legs. Sampson kept his eyes up refusing to look at the skin that would be uncovered once the blood was scrubbed away. He knew when the Prince had seen it because he paused for a moment, a large breath escaped his throat.

Having been hit with the long brush so many times the scars on Sampson were long and thin making it look like there were vines growing up his legs. It was a ghastly sight and one he wished could be burned from his memory every time he looked at his legs.

He expected the Prince to laugh like Master Duncan or even question where he got the scars but he continued as if they didn't bother him at all. This should have been of some comfort to him but that only made him grow more uncomfortable. It was improper for the Prince to be treating his wounds in first place and in such an intimate manner. Not even Minnie or Perity had ever treated him this way.

"Isn't it improper for you to be doing this?", Sampson murmured awkwardly. The Prince said nothing as he moved to Sampson's other legs. The water was warm and a complete contrast to the freezing cold water he always had to bathe in. The Prince's motion were slow also and Sampson could feel his eyes starting to droop. Having used the last of his energy to fight with the Prince he was struggling to stay awake.

It was only when the Prince had finished with scrubbing his legs as he reached for the cloth his legs did he suddenly jolt himself wide awake. "I can dry myself". He took the cloth from the Prince and roughly dried his legs, being quick about it. He was sure the Prince was just being courteous and this was a massive inconvenience of his time.

"Go slow, you'll cut your skin if you're too rough", he murmured. If anything that only made him go quicker, he wiped the rest of the water away and left the cloth on the side. "Straighten your leg". Sampson opened his mouth to argue but the Prince grabbed his ankle and straightened it for him. Sampson yelped. Really no one had ever treated him in this way and he wasn't used to being attended too.

Before he wrapped the cloth he took out a small trinket from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a thick black jelly like consistency. "What's that?". "It will help your skin heal faster". When he saw he was going to apply it directly to his skin he reached for his wrist, holding it tightly in his grasp. The thought of anyone touching his skin made his skin crawl and consequently it was his biggest fear.

He expected the Prince to curse him but instead with his other hand he clasped Sampson's own wrist and inspected it closely before doing the same with the other wrist. "What are you doing?", Sampson asked, trying to pull his wrist away. The Prince wasn't hurting him but he was growing horribly embarrassed and so wanted to avoid the Prince helping him more than he should.

"You should have said the combat gear was too tight". His finger traced the red mark that wrapped around both of his wrists. "It was fine", Sampson mumbled. The last thing he wanted to do was get Master Duncan in trouble, he knew if he did Master Duncan would make good on his promise.

"You shouldn't lie Sampson, no one will trust you if you do". If there was anything he disliked most about the Prince was how self righteous he was. Sampson lied to not make himself a burden not to cause problems.

"I'm not lying", he gritted the words out as he managed to tug his wrists out of the Prince grasp and placed them behind his back where the Prince couldn't reach for them again. "I will apply the cream myself". "Are you afraid of someone touching your skin?", the Prince asked. "I don't see why would want to, surely you have better things to do".

"I do, if you could stop arguing with me I might have time to go and do them". Sampsons brows contorted as the Prince's twist of words. Whilst Sampson thought of a response the Prince took the chance to smother the skin of his knees with the cream. Sampson held his breath, waiting for the feeling of disgust to set in but the more the Prince smoothed it into his skin, the more he began to settle. He didn't enjoy it but he didn't exactly loathe it either. It was better that it was a man as opposed to a woman, if it had been a woman he would have already died of embarrassment.

"Why did you stop the King from killing me?". Sampson had been wanting to know ever since the Prince had spoken out whilst they were arranging for him to be hanged.

"Because you saved me. I was repaying the debt that I never got the chance too".

When he had finished applying the cream he wrapped the bandages around both of Sampson's legs. When he was finished he stood and Sampson drew his robe back down to the floor. "You should rest your legs for now, you will be dining in the banquet hall tonight. My father has invited guests to meet you".

"What guests?". "The Kings and Queens of all the Kingdoms have arrived to greet you". To save face Sampson pretended to be overjoyed with the news but it only made him think that he needed to find a way to escape and do it soon. As soon as they all realised he couldn't possibly be the lost son of Vahda and was nothing but a common servant they would all call for his death. No amount of words from the Prince could save him then.

The Prince walked him back to his chambers. Sampson insisted he could find his way himself but the Prince didn't look like he believed him. He wasn't surprised given that he had tried to escape the day before.

Once Sampson was back in his chambers he dressed, he had refused the servant that had come in to help. He had never needed help dressing his life and he was going to keep it that way. The robes they had given him was a size too big for him and so the sleeves dangled down past him arms and as he walked the length of his chambers he almost tripped over excess material at the bottom. In the end he gave up the sleeves and the bottom of it.

He had only returned to his chambers for an hour when he heard the knights outside talking. He pressed his ear up to the door to listen to realise they were far away from the door. He pushed it open a crack, and pushed half his head through the gap. Rohan and Ezekiel were on guard duty. They were both younger than Sampson, both only seventeen summers but had already fought in two on the Prince side for two years now.

They were conversing with one of the King's consort, his most trusted member Lord Ferimis. Sampson could only make out some of their conversation but from what he gathered the Lord wanted to see him. Lord Ferimis was as corrupt as Duke Weston but where the duke Weston liked women the Lord Ferimis had a reputation of liking one sex. Men in particular.

Sampson had only ever one rumour from a servant boy that swore he saw Lord Ferimis and a man cavorting in bed together. The act was so unspeakable, Sampson questioned whether to believe it but when that same boy disappeared no more than a day later he knew it must have been true.

Sampson squeezed between the tiny gap in the door he made and for once blessed his thin skin and lack of muscles as he scurried down the hall and out of sight. From there he made his way to the servants quarters.

They were quiet at this time of day that the servants were out doing their job. Minnie and Perity would be down at the stables and so he waited by the pond where they would be getting rid of the water in the trough. He waited for an hour until he saw them emerging. Minnie was crying whilst Perity consoled her, rubbing at her back and whispering soft words into her ear.

He started running when he saw them and they both paused, looking ahead at were the sound of bounding footsteps were coming from. As soon as they recognised him they dropped their buckets and ran towards him meeting him halfway. They both leapt on him as soon as they were close enough.

The pond was eerily quiet at this time with the only sound that could be heard was the sound of three wildly beating hearts. "We thought you were dead", Perity spoke. Tears had started to form in her eyes but she sniffed them back before they fell. Perity never cried, not ever. She prided herself on being the strongest out of three in that respect.

Sampson dropped them down to their feet but they still clung onto him like if he parted from them he would disappear from their eyes. "Minnie told me what happened Sampson. Is it true you can control the souls?".

They sat on the grassy bank by the pond. "I don't even know how it happened. I asked it to stop and it did". Sampson was as confused as they were, surely he would have felt it if he had dark magic in his body and yet he had no other explanation as to how he was able to control the soul.

"You saved my life Sampson". Minnie was still clinging onto his arm as her head pressed against it. He reached out and smoothed out her hair before cupping her cheek. Her eyes were red and puffy from having spent the last two days crying. "I couldn't let it kill you".

"What will happen to you now?", Perity asked. Sampson sighed, the prospect of his future weighed heavily on him. "I want to leave. I'm not what they say I am, I just know it. I have no explanation as to how I controlled the souls but I can't be the lost son of Vahda. As soon as they realise that I'm not they kill me". He paused for a moment. He didn't want to do this to them but he had no other choice.

"I'm leaving the castle tonight". Minnie wrapped her arms around him tighter to the point where it started to hurt but he didn't tell her to stop. "You can't leave Sampson". "I don't have another choice". Perity who had been quiet this whole time suddenly stood.

"We'll pack our things and leave with you tonight". "No, you can't. I don't want to drag you both into this". "It's us three for life isn't it", Perity murmured. "Are you telling me if this wasn't me or Minnie you wouldn't do the same thing". He would go anywhere for them just to make sure they were safe and she knew that.

"It would be safer if I went alone". "You can't go on your own Sampson. If you leave we might never see you again". "It's not up for discussion, we leave together or you don't leave at all". Sampson sighed but in the end he was grateful. He couldn't imagine his life without either of them.

"Then we leave tonight".