Chapter Text
𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓
“We’ll scrape our shoe on the stars and hang upside down from the moon.” – The Long Walk, Stephen King
𝒞𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 : 𝒥．ℳ
Jack Merridew wasn’t ready to go. He has heard so many things about the Kingdom of Destiny, peace’s batty prince. Now, his father informed him he had to stay with them? Jack only felt utter betrayal, especially from his father. Though, the boy thought about it for a moment, leaving his parents wouldn’t be all that bad. He would always say he loved his father, the king of Duskraven Coven, but he wasn’t even aware if he was lying to himself or not. What mattered was that Jack was the future king, and he had so much to look forward to, learn, and every other seemingly unnecessary topic.
The vamparic prince was bored.
“Jack,” His father spoke to him, sitting him down in their fine and gothic, aesthetic dining room. Jack sat impatient. “You shall be going to spend some time in the Kingdom of Destiny, you must understand.”
His face crinkled. His mother stared at him with a face painted almost sorrow-filled, an expression overlooking gloom.
“That’s not fair,” The boy spoke up, instantly fighting back with the offer. The offer that really wasn’t one–a forcing offer. “But there is no–”
“Son, it’s for your own good.” He was cut off as instantly as he spoke. Eyebrows furrowed, Jack’s jaw cringed and tightened. “Your vampiric instincts and powers have been taking over you too much, Jack, you need to control yourself. You need to learn what is right. If you do want to take my spot as king, you have to conquer everything you feel.
Jack’s gaze shifted to his mother, his bright blue eyes blinking in her direction. He looked at her like she was supposed to get him out of this, as if she would have a say and let him stay home. She said nothing. The boy did not, either, only an angered expression splattered across his palette.
“You can start packing what you need tonight, Jack, tomorrow morning Maurice will assist you with your departure.”
“Can’t Maurice come with me? As a company, father.” The boy persisted.
His father shook his head, his eyes fluttering shut just for a moment. “No, he’ll only distract you. We need him here, anyway.” There was a pause in his speech, almost searching for the right words. “Maurice is a good kid, I am unsure of how you two will behave yourself together. This is a journey on your own, Maurice is not needed for this.”
“The king has a son, as well, just your age. Your mother and I have only heard pleasant things about him, I’m sure it shall not be a problem.”
Jack had never seen the king's son, but his blood already had begun to boil. He didn’t understand why all of this was happening, why his father even sprung up with this conclusion. Jack did not need all of this, he didn’t need to find himself or find peace. Nothing on that topic seemed necessary to him if he wanted to become king–not at all. The boy was fueled with almost every negative emotion, especially with the grave news.
“Father,” Jack started up once more, continuing to pick away at what he wanted. “Maurice and I will do nothing bad. If we are under the impression of the king, nothing will happen.”
“No. Jack, do you not listen, boy? I had already told you this is a journey for yourself, not yourself and Maurice. Maurice has no part in what you do.”
The boy sat quietly, his finger brushing rhythmically against the stone arm rest of the chair he sat on. He said nothing for a moment or two.
“Jack, I think you should go up to your room.” His mother began, gentle and soothing. He would really only listen to her. Jack loved his mother, as she did him. “I shall call Maurice up to help you out, alright?”
His father stood up from his seat, echoing footsteps beginning to shadow into the distance. Once Jack’s father was out of sight, the boy stood up from his seat, and so too did his mother.
“Honey,” She spoke up, her palm shifting gently against his shoulder. “I know change is hard, I understand that completely. You being in a separate kingdom is only temporary. Once your father has concluded you are ready, you will come home, my son. You shall have a blessed time over, and I hope only good things happen, alright?”
Jack nodded, listening to every word that slipped from his mothers mouth.
“If you would ever like to write to me, go ahead, I wouldn’t mind reading of your journey with the king and how your time spent there has gone.”
His gaze drifted away, and suddenly, he grasped himself into his mothers embrace. It was silent as they hugged, Jack embracing the moment of the last, freshening feel of his home was. For however long he would stand in the Kingdom of Destiny, he would surely miss his true home.
“Thank you, mother.” He whispered to her, slowly backing himself away from her warm embrace of their shared hug.
“I love you, Jack, okay? Do not worry, everyone over there shares the kindest souls.” She paused just for a moment. “You should go back now, my son.”
The boy had let no more words slip from his mouth, only turning to shift himself back to the corridor of his room. The Merridew’s castle reeked of darkness, decaying of almost every ounce of light. A gothic style splattered every corner, a deep, blood-red rug squeezed underneath the boy's feet. A few walls were dripped with old-fashioned paintings, drenched with portraits and included continuous eerie structures. Edges stained sharp, his hand gliding against the railing as he moved himself up an easy staff of staircases.
Jack creaked his bedroom door open, swaying himself into the familiar pattern of the room. He let out a sigh, beginning to shift over to closets that were filled with decorative clothing. As he cut his hands through the hangers, uncovering inky, jet black and red cuffed fancied clothing, there was a sudden collision of footsteps that flooded the hallway.
“Jack!” A familiar voice called, huffing as he tackled himself into the room. It was Maurice.
“Jack,” Maurice continued loudly sighing out breaths, his hands shifting to his knees as the boy almost toppled over.
“Your majesty.” Jack cut through his obnoxious huffing, continuing to glide through his various amounts of outfits. He tossed the ones that seemed fit to lay on his cushiony bed.
“Right, sorry your majesty…” Maurice eventually began to catch his breath, standing upright while raising a finger. “Your mother told me you needed assistance for your upcoming journey to the next kingdom.”
Jack continued pulling a variety of different pants, shirts, collars, and more out of his closet. He began digging through drawers, almost ignoring Maurice’s request.
“I know.” The blond spoke out to his servant, his voice dripping with subtle annoyance and frustration. “Just… get my baggage for me, Maurice, will you?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Maurice nodded, shuffling himself out of Jack’s bedroom just for a moment.
The boy stood himself upright, fingers tilting under his chin in thought. He stood over his bed, eyeing down each piece of clothing that littered on the surface area. Jack waited impatiently for Maurice’s arrival, gaze shifting towards the bedroom door.
Once more, the shuffling of footsteps began to circle and enter his cave. Maurice waddled in with a duffle bag in one arm, tangled and dragging a suitcase in the other. “Here you go, your majesty,” The boy laid the suitcase on the floor, gently plopping down the duffle bag with it. Jack’s head shifted in Maurice’s direction as he continued to stand in the back.
“Shove off, Maurice, that was all I needed from you. There is no need for you to stand there forever, you know that, right?” Jack scoffed after the words slipped with ease from his lips. Maurice’s face began to quickly read and pick up on Jack’s exaggerated expression of irritation. His joking persona slipped away, and so did the boy, scurrying away as if he was a frightened mouse.
The boy's thoughts began to flood through his mind as he cherished his last few moments in his home. Jack started to pack, folding up the various amounts of clothing.
He had never met the Kingdom of Destiny’s son, or had even seen the boy before, but rumors always spread–spreading quickly and viciously. Jack had only heard bad things about the son, that he is batty and unwilling, shy and quiet. Nothing like a real king. How could a future king be batty? It seemed impossible, and it almost made Jack laugh. Why would he be visiting a kingdom to control himself, become more calm, but the king's son was so utterly insane? He must be totally cowardly as well if he rarely speaks. Jack couldn’t help but instantly look down on the unfamiliar boy.
Simon Cambourne–that was his name. The future king, prince, and totally batty. Jack could not contain himself to see the boy, to see how much chaos could possibly erupt from their insane son. And oh, Jack needs to contain himself where he's stepping into a palace of high-end royalty, but the prince is batty?
It seemed impossible. It had to be. Jack Merridew would just wait and see and laugh in the king's face. Perhaps even his fathers when he begins back home.
The boy began to zip up both luggage, quickly jabbing and shoving the peeking out clothing that began to swim up to the surface. He slowly realized that he had to adjust to the humans schedule, huffing to himself not so quietly. Sleeping during the night and not being able to scatter out during the day, already, it was completely draining to Jack. Even if his departure had not even begun, dread started to crawl beneath his skin. For once, in a bad way.
Once more, there was a sudden, intense echo that began flooding the hallway up into his room.
“Jack,” It was his father once more, and the only thoughts that lingered in the boy's head was that he was going to be bothered once more. The sun shifted to set in the distance. “This morning, you shall go to sleep when it is nighttime. I know you do not want to, and it will be difficult to adjust, but it is all a part of your journey. Once you're done packing, go to bed.”
The boy had his back against his father, slowly shifting himself around towards him. Jack had an unreadable expression that plastered over his face in an attempt to cover the underlying annoyance.
“You will be taken to the kingdom when it is light out, cover yourself accordingly for the sun, alright?” His father concluded.
Jack nodded, slipping his mouth shut once more.
“Good.” The boy’s father spoke once more, turning from his bedroom. “Goodnight, Jack.”
With that, he turned away and slipped into the everlasting darkness of their palace. Jack continued to be corrupted in his thoughts, nothing but frustration crippling back into his mind. Even if the boy was unaware of Simon’s true intentions, appearance, everything or whatever they had to spend together, Jack began to dread every moment. Dread the thought of beginning to sleep during his time of day, the time when he slipped outdoors, that having to spend unnecessarily.
Everything caved in on his fathers words, the boy beginning to prepare himself for bed. Every motion of the routine felt unnatural, as it was all off at the wrong timing. Jack began to coddle himself into his fancied bed, his room glittered with dark themes of black and sharp features. The lights in his room dim, his eyes terrifyingly beginning to flutter shut too quickly.