Slight trigger warning! Mentions/thoughts of suicide. 

I sit outside, by the pond near my old home, a picnic basket next to me. I had to leave. Walking the halls of the castle, knowing I could stumble on Louis, made my stomach turn. I had made myself a sandwich before leaving, knowing I wouldn't be back for a while. 

After I had finished eating I stand and walk towards the water, only letting myself walk in a couple inches. I sit and wade in the water for a while, letting myself get used to the temperature of the water. I slowly pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the side. I scoot deeper into the water, slowly peeling off my socks. When I'm about waist high I let my thoughts overwhelm me. 

I had watched my mother (one of the only people I love) die and I had seen my father become remarried. I had witnessed the death of my father and the abuse of my stepmother and stepbrothers. I had fallen hopelessly in love with the man that married my sister, only to later hit on her. Was this the first time he had hit her or was there more? 

What had I done to deserve such a shitty fate? I was a good kid. I listened to my mother and father, I worked around the house and not complained (out loud that is), and I was a good brother. I liked to spend my time helping others before my time was consumed with my stepmother's needs. 

+Trigger part begins+

The thought of death washes over me. It would be easy. I would never have to see Louis, stepmother, or my stepbrothers again. I would have the opportunity to reunite with my mother and father. Of course, I would miss Gemma, but she was the only good thing about this world. Why stay here when there were other things, happier things, beyond us? 

Yes, it would be much simpler to die.

I contemplate swimming out and drowning myself when I notice a boy walking towards the pond. The plans of killing myself burst as I see the small boy. He shouldn't have to witness something like that. 

+End trigger warning+

"Hello," He greets. I watch as he continues walking and sits next to my empty picnic basket. I look around, trying to find his parents, but see no one. Had this child ran off? I wish I had the guts to do something like that when Stepmother came, but I never got the chance. 

"Do you know where your parents are?" 

"Yea," He sighs. He looks older, maybe 15 or 16. His brown hair was styled up with what looked like some sort of oil. A pair of slight blue eyes sat above an elfish looking nose. 

"What are you doing?" he asks. "I watched you come out here. Just looking for a little swim?" 

"Not really. I just came out here to think. What about you?" 

"Same, I don't have much to do and haven't had a proper conversation with someone for four days," He sighs. How could someone go four days without speaking to anyone? That had to get boring at some point so I don't blame the boy for coming out here. The idea of starting a conversation comes to my mind, but I push it back.

"What do you want to think about. I've heard that talking about your feelings out loud to another person can make you feel better. It works for me anyway," He explains. 

"It's just a...lot. I'd rather just swim...alone. If you don't mind," I say. I wasn't in the mood to explain my issues to this boy. I was also slightly nervous to admit I was in a relationship with the king to explain the situation. 

"I can be quiet. This is a public pond so you really can't kick me out. We can be alone together." 

"That kind of defeats the purpose of alone," I remind him. He shrugs me off as goes to unlace his pair of worn out shoes. 

"Well, I'm alone and I don't like to be alone," He admits sadly. He tugs off his shoes and socks and places them in a neat stack next to the picnic basket. 

"Why are you alone?" I hadn't meant to be invasive, but by the look on his face it was the wrong move. He shrugs it off and unbuttons his shirt. 

"My dad left us when I was a baby and my mum died a few days ago," He explains with nearly no emotion. I knew what it was like to loose a parent, so I understood what he was feeling. I had never had one of my parents walk out, however, so that must be a whole different kind of emotion eating away. The guilt that would consume me if my mother or father had walked out would probably be too much for me to bear. 

"It's okay, she's in a better place," I reassure him. I can tell that he's trying to hold back tears as he folds his shirt up and seats it next to his shoes. I swear I can see a small tear fall down his cheek, but I don't mention it. 

"So, what happened between you and that boy?" he asks. He walks into the water, shivering at first, and then relaxing enough to sit down at the edge of the pond. 

"Which boy?" 

"The boy; the one that was marrying your sister," He says, letting his hands feel the water before pushing himself a little bit deeper. How had he known about Gemma and Louis? I take another look at him, knowing that he looked familiar, but not being able to place where from. Perhaps I had seen him around the village or maybe he and I used to go to school together. 

"We aren't on good terms right now," I say shortly. The boy nods, not wanting to be invasive. I admire him for that. 

"I don't think I caught your name." The boy looks up at me, nodding before answering, "Erik, we met at the clothes shop, you were with the prince," He explains. I'm reminded of him as he explains farther. He was the one that had asked if Louis and I were dating. 

"Right, I remember you now," I admit. He smiles, scooting closer to me. We sit for the next few hours talking about nothing and just enjoying our little moment of bliss. 

~_~_~

Hey guys! Thoughts on Erik? If you want me to start a review book make sure to tell me! I've been thinking about doing one for a while now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! ~B