Rita did not forget about that young boy. In fact, she thought of him quite often and every spare moment she was able to obtain, she would return to the market to look for him. And yet the boy was never there, nor had any of the residents seen him. He was hiding, she knew. 

From her, from the world, maybe even from himself. She was not a woman to give up, though, and she continued to search for him, each time bringing with her a sack full of clean clothes and food, which she always left with an older woman who lived on that very same street.

It wasn't until about three months later that he finally stopped hiding from her. It was early morning, the sun slowly rising from the east and painting the sky alight with an ombre of orange and red. Birds were singing cheerfully, attempting to wake those that were still resting, and a soft breeze ruffled the treetops. 

It was only just the beginning of summer, allowing a gentle chill to linger from spring, especially in the early morning hours. Since the kingdom was known to become unbearably hot in the summer, its citizens were grateful that the summer weather was arriving so slowly.

Taco normally looked only for books when he visited the market but, to his surprise, books were not the subject of his mind that day. His mother had kept him informed about her trips and lack of success with the street boy, something that had intrigued him greatly. Normally, such things would not occupy his mind for long, but just like his mother, he simply couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious boy.

Why? He didn't understand it at all. And to her credit, Rita didn't understand, either. A boy that they had seen only once before had become a regular occupant in both of their minds. Surely, that made him special. But why? Curiosity is what drove little Taco to seek out the boy, quite different from his mother's compassion and concern.

Rita believed that they were far more likely to find him just as the market began to open up, the streets mostly bare of other people. It would be much easier to see him, she rationalized, but as the hours began to tick slowly by and the stone street began to fill with people, neither of them had seen head nor tail of the boy. 

When night began to fall, the sun sinking slowly across the horizon and setting the sky alight with purple and pink, she decided it was time to call it a day and return home.

"Mama," called Taco softly, frowning at the worried expression marring his mother's features. "I am sure he is quite fine. Do not be worried, okay?"

She smiled sadly at him, squeezing his hand. "Yes... perhaps he returned home. Or perhaps he found someone willing to take him in that he could trust! Wouldn't that be just lovely, darling?"

He nodded and the pair began to make their way through the crowd toward the market's entrance. A glimmer of metal caught his eye from the left and he stopped, feeling curious as he glanced over to find the source – a stall selling wind chimes of all shapes and sizes. Some were made of wood, others made of glass, and there was even one made of parchment.

The one in particular that had caught his eye was made of tin and the charm hanging from the thin string was made of a very special type of seashell, one found only near the old Brochetta kingdom which had fallen to ruin nearly a century ago.

He had read about these shells in one of his books. According to the author, this shell was said to be the most beautiful shell in all of the land, changing colors according to the mood of whoever touched it. To him, it was as beautiful as it was rare and he wanted it so very badly. 

As he started toward the stall, however, he noticed something in the alley behind it. It wasn't until he was right in front of the stall that he was able to make out what that something was, standing on his tiptoes to peer over the table.

Just like the first time they had met, the boy was curled into himself, hugging his knees to his chest with his face resting against them. He was farther down the alley than he had been before, but Taco easily recognized the clothes that his mother had purchased for him, along with the silken scarf wrapped about his neck. 

Taco was unsure why, but he felt excitement course through him as if he had just found a leather-bound volume of his favorite novel, Hearts of Ink.

"Mama!" his voice was just above a whisper as he waved his hand behind him. He feared that if he looked away, even for a moment, the boy might once again disappear. "Mama, look!"

Rita had already begun to move toward him but she moved quicker upon his insistence, tapping his hand to let him know that she was there. Just as she was about to ask him what his problem was, she took notice of the boy and a small gasp passed her lips. It had been barely audible, more air than sound, but the boy's head slowly rose, his navy eyes dull and framed by dark bags.

Taco quickly ducked beneath the stall, before slowing his pace as he approached. "Hello," he called out softly. "My name is Taco. What is yours?"

The boy's nose wrinkled as if he had just smelled something foul and he scoffed. "That's a strange name." His voice was hoarse as if he hadn't used it in quite some time.

"It is unique, to be sure," Taco agreed with a nod. "That is why I like it." He then tugged at the leather bag that sat over his shoulder. From within, he pulled out a small bottle of water and held it out to the boy. "Here."

He looked at it wearily, his lips parting to refuse, but the words refused to come. His throat was so dry that it hurt trying to swallow. Oh, how badly he wanted to take it, but his mind told him that it was a trap. "I don't want it," he croaked, finally.

"Taco, dear," Rita called softly from the other side of the stall. "Take a sip of it first."

Taco sent his mother a confused look, not understanding why she was requesting such a thing, but like the good child that he is, he did as she commanded, wiggling the cork free from the glass. Bringing it to his lips, he tilted his head back, taking a couple of swallows before holding it out to the boy once again. 

"It is fresh and quite tasty, bottled only just this morning from the spring within the Refereans Mountains."

The boy tried to swallow, but his throat clenched painfully. After a minute of internal debate, he finally snatched the bottle, greedily sucking down the liquid inside until there was not a drop left inside, though half of it had been spilled onto his grey shirt in his haste.

Taco giggled. "There, see? You were thirsty!"

The boy's cheeks heated up and he quickly turned his head away. A moment of silence passed between them before he finally spoke up, his voice but a whisper. "Ciel." Seeing the confused look on Taco's face, he added, "My name. It is Ciel."

Taco's mouth formed an O in understanding before his eyes lit up and he thrust his hand out. "It is nice to meet you, Ciel. Let us be friends, okay?"

Hesitating for only a moment, Ciel slipped his hand into Taco's, offering a small nod. "Okay... friends." 

━━━━━━༻*༺━━━━━━

"Sir?" Ciel leaned forward in his chair, waving his hand in front of his master's face. "Are you alright?"

The faraway look within Taco's eyes slowly faded as the memory tucked itself back into its proper place within his mind. "Yes... yes, I am quite fine. I was remembering the day that we met and the day that we became friends."

Ciel's tanned cheeks darkened with embarrassment as he recalled the memory in his own head. "Oh, cheesus... I was so rude to your mother. And to you, as well! I wish you'd just forget such a thing, sir."

"How could I possibly?" he wondered, standing up to approach the window. The library was on the top floor of the castle, offering a beautiful view of the village below – his village. "It shall always remain a precious memory to me."

"You're far too sentimental for your own good, sir," Ciel sighed, running a hand through his medium-length hair. "You're also avoiding the subject at hand."

Taco frowned, turning toward him. "Ayla has joined my mother on a trip to Ritorian Kingdom. She... fancies prince Burrito."

"His good looks are well known across the lands," Ciel mused, his hand resting upon his chin. "But it is most likely no more than a simple crush brought about because of his good looks. She has been by your side almost as long as I have. She's your best - "

"Friend. I know." Taco settled back into his chair with a heavy sigh. "It is because we have spent our lives together that she could never come to love me. She sees me as no more than that – a friend. Family, perhaps."

Ciel shifted, a question resting upon his tongue but did he dare speak it aloud? Surely such an inquiry would be stepping over the line, but such things had never seemed to bother the young prince. Still, out of respect for his master, his friend, he chose to remain silent.

Taco knew what lingered upon his tongue. He could feel it in the room, hovering about them like an angry spirit just waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. 

Taking a deep breath, he said, "I do not know what the future holds. This arranged marriage... it may very well fall through. If Ayla truly has given her heart to another, I cannot force her to marry me. I would never be able to forgive myself. And what life would we lead, if only one has love? Do you understand, Ciel?"

No. How could he possibly? Ciel has never been faced with such a choice, torn between the love of his life and the kingdom he has vowed to protect. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to say so, not when the prince was looking at him like that – with desperation, fear, and hurt swirling within his eyes so fiercely. So instead, he just nodded.

"I cannot say that breaking off this union may start a war between the two factions, but it would be foolish not to be prepared for such an event." Taco stood up, once more approaching the window to look out upon the beautiful kingdom, upon his people whom had unwavering faith in his family to keep them safe and happy. This kingdom which has never seen a day of war, of true hardship.

"What will you have me do, sir?" asked Ciel as he stood up from his seat, hands clasped behind his back.

"My father..." Taco hesitated but a moment, looking at his friend with a pained expression marring his features. "He is a great man, one who cares deeply for the plights of others, even those not under his rule. He does not believe in just second chances, but fifth chances, tenth chances... he is a kind and benevolent ruler who has been the sole cause of this kingdom's prosperity. However..."

There a moment of silence in the room as he gathered his thoughts.

"There are many within our world who would view such kindness as mere weakness and hope to destroy him for it. I fear..." he paused again, taking a deep breath to steady his voice. "I fear that, should conflict arise, my father will not handle it as it needs to be handled. He will be taken advantage of and I will not allow such a thing to happen."

Ciel took a step forward, his head held high. "Whatever may happen, I will stand by your side always, my lord. Your will is my own and I shall follow your orders come hell or high water."

Taco felt some of the weight lift off of his shoulders and he felt as if he could breathe normally again, but there still lingered a fear, a worry ingrained in the back of his mind. Though he could not explain how or why, he knew that the years of peace the kingdom had experienced would soon come to an end.