The Crown and the Collar, Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Hey everyone, I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm dealing with something serious right now and wasn't able to finish this week's chapter. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter of The Crown and the Collar!

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“I’m going to tell him yes.”

“Son, no!”

“We told you: you don’t need to do this.”

“Please, just listen to me,” I start, hoping my explanation will be enough. I was up most of the night and part of this morning thinking about what I was going to say to my parents. “I know you don’t want me to do this, but it’s just too good of an opportunity to pass up. I know money has been tight for a few years now, and it isn’t getting any better.”

“You let us worry about money,” Daddy tries to correct me. “That’s not your responsibility.”

“But someday it will be.” A day that is closer than any of us want to admit.“And the truth is, I actually think this could also be kind of a fun experience. Getting to leave the village, seeing the capital...”

“You make it sound like a vacation,” Momma interjects, frowning. “More like being sold off. You’re going to belong to the prince.”

“Well, everyone says Prince Makseka is supposed to be kind. And... I don’t think he’s terrible to look at, either,” I admit, too embarrassed to meet either of their gazes. “It’s not like I’ve been getting a lot of dates around here.” I’ve had exactly zero.

“Well, if... If that’s really your decision, son,” he tries to give me his blessing, right as Momma bursts into tears.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving us,” she manages between sobs.

“Don’t cry, Momma. It’ll be okay.” I immediately move to comfort her with a hug. “I promise that I’ll write to you all the time, and I’m sure I’ll be able to come visit.” Not that I have any way of knowing that, but I don’t think the prince would keep me from my family.

“I just never imagined that you’d ever leave Weston.” She sniffles, squeezing me tight. “You’ve always been my little boy. This is where you belong—with us.”

“I know, Momma, but I’m all grown up now,” I assure her. “I gotta make some of my own choices.”

“You picked some choice to start with.” She pulls away, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. “Alright, you better get upstairs and start packing. I have a feeling the prince won’t be long, and I have to start breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I laugh at her quick shift in personality. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now go.” She shoos me out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“Son...” Daddy follows me as I make my way upstairs.

“I hope you’re not going to try and get me to change my mind.” Not after I made that little speech and everything.

“I’m not. I just want to make sure you know how much we’re going to miss you.” He hugs me. “You can always come back here. This will always be your home.”

“I know. I’m gonna miss you too. I’m gonna miss the farm, the town, everything.” I have to break our hug before I get too emotional—Daddy hates crying—and turn to my closet to find my old backpack. “Who knows? Maybe the prince will get sick of me on the ride there and decide to send me back.”

“It’s gonna be hard to believe something like that could happen.” The loud clattering of pots and pans from downstairs has us both looking at my bedroom doorway. “I better go see if your mother needs help ... before she burns the house down.”

With Daddy gone, I look around my room and start to think about what I need to pack. Some clothes obviously and my toothbrush. I should probably shave too; I want to make sure I look my best! But what else? I take a little too long deciding on which clothes to bring with me, trying to figure out which count as my “nicest” clothes.

The outfit I end up wearing is one I haven’t had on since we went to church last year for the winter solstice, a white shirt with black pants that are just a little too tight. After I fold and stuff some of my other shirts and pants into the bag, I pick out a few books too (not any of the steamy ones—the last thing I need is for the prince to know about those). I’m also thinking about bringing along some old letters and birthday cards, and maybe... Oh wait!

I return to my closet, digging through my box of old keepsakes until I find what I’m looking for: a folded piece of paper, yellowed from age. I carefully unfold it, revealing a charcoal drawing of me and my parents. The three of us are on a bench with me in the middle, all of us looking as happy as could be. We had it sketched at the village’s annual harvest festival almost ten years ago.

I love this picture and carefully refold it so I can pack it with my other things. I have a lot of good memories of that day. All the candy apples, dancing to the music with Violet and my mom, getting lost in the corn maze... I really am going to miss this place. When I got into my bed last night, I don’t think I realized it would be my last time I slept in it.

Not that I got much sleep. Even after my walk, I spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to stop thinking about what the morning would hold. What I’d need to say. Including some last minute things I want to ask the prince about before I actually tell him yes. I yawn, buckling my bag closed and throwing it over my shoulder, wishing my bedroom a silent goodbye as I leave.

Back downstairs, the smell of something delicious draws me back to the kitchen. When I enter, my eyes are immediately drawn to the mountain of food on the table. There’s a big stack of flapjacks, a giant bowl of scrambled eggs, more sausage than I’ve ever seen at once, and a plate of mom’s homemade biscuits.

“This looks amazing, Momma,” I praise as I eagerly take my seat, an empty plate in front of me. “How did you make all this so fast?”

“Your father helped,” she says as she takes her own. “I don’t know what kind of fancy chefs they have in the castle, but I guarantee they won’t hold a candle to your own mother’s cooking.”

“I know they won’t, Momma.” I smile, already piling flapjacks onto my empty plate.

We make sure that our last meal together is a nice one. There’s only minimal crying on Momma’s part. We avoid talking about how I’ll be leaving any minute now and just treat it like every other breakfast we’ve had together. I’m gonna miss this so much.

I’m just finishing my fourth flapjack when a knock on the front door stops us mid-conversation. We all share a look; we know the prince is here. After quickly swallowing down the last few bites on my plate, we move to the living room, where Daddy answers the front door.

“Your Highness, good morning. Please, come in.” Daddy steps back, holding the door open.

“Thank you, Mr. Lambert,” Prince Makseka greets as he and his entourage enter. “I hope you and your family are doing well this morning. Especially you, Peter,” he says to me, a look of expectation on his face.

“I-It is good to see you, Your Highness.” Guess I’m back to stammering.

“I believe you have an answer for me?” He stands in front of me, waiting.

“I do b-but... I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions myself, first?” I dare, already nervous about his answers

“Alright, go ahead.” He nods, though behind him I can see Kamo huffing.

“If I say yes, will I be able to come back to Weston? To visit my family?” I told myself last night that if his answer is no, then mine would be the same.

“Of course,” he answers right away, and I let out the breath I was holding. “We could even have them come and stay at the castle sometime. Soon, even.”

“Really? That would be great.” Even as relief floods my body, I prepare for my next request. “There was one other thing. I know your offer to my family was already incredibly generous, but... I have a friend. Her father, he’s very sick. He has been for a while now, but we don’t know what the illness is or how to help him.”

“Your local healer wasn’t able to figure it out?” Makseka tilts his head to the side as he asks.

“No, sir.” I shake my head. “Dr. Connor said there was something wrong with his lungs, but he’s not a magic user and wasn’t able to figure out more than that.”

“I see.” He chews his lip for a moment. “Well, I’d be happy to send one of the castle’s physicians to come and take a look. Magic or otherwise, they should hopefully be able to help.”

“Really?” I confirm with a little too much excitement. “That... That would be amazing, sir.”

“Of course. Was there anything else?” I answer the question with a shake of my head. “Does that mean you have an answer for me now?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” I nod. “I accept. It would be an honor to be your consort.” I think that’s what you’re supposed to say.

“Fantastic.” He grins wide and then quickly takes both my hands in his. “Now then, I don’t want to rush you, but we were due back in St. Kizis ... yesterday. Are you ready to leave?”

“Actually, sir... I need to run into town,” I say, worried and not quite anticipating that we would be leaving immediately. “There’s someone I need to say goodbye to in the village.”

“Your Highness, we have been here long enough. We cannot—”

Prince Makseka puts one hand up to silence Kamo without turning around. “Can you be fast?”

“Yes, sir.” I nod frantically. “I promise I will run right back.”

“Then that’s fine. Go right ahead,” he says with a warm smile. “I’ll be here waiting for you when you get back.”

“Thank you so much.” I make an awkward little bow before rushing out the door.

I run down the road as fast as I can, past the three carriages parked outside the farm. People stare as I rush into the village, not stopping until I reach Violet’s door, pounding on it frantically. She looks annoyed, still half-asleep when she answers, at least until she sees that it’s me.

“Peter? What are—”

“I said yes,” I blurt out before she can finish. “I told the prince yes. I’m going to be his consort.”

“Oh my god!” Her face brightens into a smile. “That’s amazing!” Her smile falters for a second. “But I guess that means...”

“Yeah. I’m leaving.” I nod. “Right now, actually. I just didn’t want to go without saying goodbye.”

“I’m going to miss you.” She leans in for a hug. “You better write to me all the time. I want to know about everything that goes on inside the castle.” She pokes me in the stomach.

“I will.” I rub at the spot she poked. “I have more to tell you though. Before I said yes, I told him about your father. How he’s sick, and how we haven’t been able to find him help. He said that he’s going to send a doctor from the castle! I know it’s not a guarantee, but they still might—”

I’m cut off when Violet rushes forward to grab me in another hug, her voice breaking. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“I just hope they can do something,” I tell her, not letting go as she sobs against my chest.

But eventually, I know I have to. “I have to go, Violet. He’s waiting for me to get back.”

“Okay.” She nods, sniffling. “Write to me as soon as you can though. I mean it! I want all the details about the prince and all the royal drama.”

“I will. I promise.” I smile at her request for gossip. “And I’ll be back to visit. Tell the others I said goodbye. And your father, too.”

“I will.” She adjusts her now-askew headwrap. “Now get back to your prince.”

With a final wave goodbye, I leave the town, running all the way back up the dirt road. I’m winded by the time I make it back to the farm and realize with a grimace that I’m also sweaty. Maybe I’ll have time to change?

Everyone is still in the living room, waiting for me when I enter, out of breath. The prince stands when I approach, obviously eager to see me again. But then he sniffs the air as he moves toward me, and his face shifts to suspicious.

“Good to have you back,” he says cooly. “Did everything go alright saying goodbye to your...” Another sniff. “Girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” How’d he know Violet was a girl? “Not a girlfriend. Just a friend. My best friend, the one whose father needs the doctor.”

His face softens when he hears my answer, his shoulders even drooping a little. “Sorry. When I smelled her on you, I just thought...” He trails off and shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Alright, it’s a long trip back to the castle, so you’ll need to be ready for at least two days of travel.”

“I’m already packed,” I say with confidence before looking down at my sweaty shirt. So much for changing.

“Wonderful,” Kamo interrupts. “Then if everything has been taken care of, we can leave. Your Highness?”

“Give him a minute to say goodbye to his parents, Kamo.” Prince Makseka rolls his eyes and turns to me. “Sorry. Take your time, really. We’ll be outside.” He walks over to my parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, I want to thank you for your hospitality. I promise I will take good care of your son.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Daddy says with all the composure he can muster while Momma remains silent, probably afraid of what she might say.

“Momma... Daddy...” I start as the royals leave. Before I can continue, Momma wraps her arms around me and bursts into tears.

“I c-can’t believe you’re l-leaving us...” She sobs into my chest.

“Momma, please don’t cry.” I rub her back, trying to console her and not cry myself. “You heard him. I’ll be able to come back whenever I want. You and Daddy will even be able to visit me at the castle!”

“It’s just hard to lose you, son,” Daddy explains as he joins our hug. “Remember, you always have a home here, no matter what.”

“I know.” I squeeze them both tightly. “I love you both, and I’m going to miss you so much.”

After we share a few more minutes of teary-eyed goodbyes, it’s finally time for me to go. I throw my bag over my shoulder, and my parents follow me to the door outside. As they wait on the porch, I say one final goodbye to the farmhouse, turning toward the carriages, the prince, and my new life.

“There you are.” Prince Makseka flashes me a bright smile as I approach.

“Yes, sir.” I drop my bag on the ground. “I’m ready to go.”

Before I realize what’s happening, one of the knights comes up and picks up my bag, bringing it to the rear carriage. Figuring that’s where I’ll be riding, I start to follow her until a shoulder on my hand stops me. I turn and see the prince watching me with a look of confusion.

“Aria is just loading your bag with some of the other luggage,” he explains before patting the side of the middle carriage. “You’re riding with me.”

Up close, I can see that it’s actually bigger than the other carriages, bigger and with more detailing. Kamo holds open the door for the prince, revealing the plush red seats and fabric lined walls inside. After climbing in, the prince turns around to offer me a hand up.

“This is so nice,” I say as I sit down, in awe of the interior. I’ve never sat on anything besides a hard wooden bench before, and none of those carts had a roof.

“I know this is all really sudden,” Prince Makseka says as he takes the seat opposite me. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you on the ride.”

“Your Highness, I am sorry to interrupt.” Kamo pokes his head in through the still open door. “If you will remember, before we left the castle, there were a number of matters that required your attention. Studying for your upcoming university examinations, reviewing the trade deal with Lutheria you pushed for, as well as completing the report for your father on the results of this outing to Blackport...” He holds a large stack of papers in both hands, holding them for the prince to take. “You will need to read through these by the time we arrive. Some require your signature.”

“Ugh, seriously Kamo?” He flips through the thick stack with a frown. “This is a week’s worth of work at least.”

“I am sorry, Your Highness,” Kamo apologizes, but I swear I see the hint of a smile on his face. “But as you know, we were due back at the castle yesterday. It cannot be helped.”

“Alright, sorry gorgeous.” Prince Makseka gives me an apologetic look. “The responsibilities of a prince never really end. I’ll try to get through these as fast as possible.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” I nod. Looks like I’ll be in charge of entertaining myself.

I wave goodbye to my parents on the porch as we pull away from the farm, Momma holding on sadly to Daddy’s side. I watch as we pull away from the village, the familiar sights fading in the distance. Soon enough, the outside is filled with forests and hills that I’ve never seen before, and I’m glued to the window.

“Is it really that interesting?” The prince’s question startles me.

“Sorry, I’ve never been this far outside of Weston before.” I feel embarrassed and turn back to the new sights and sounds. “This is all new.”

“No, the look on your face as you were watching the landscape... It was cute. Endearing even.” He looks bashful himself for a moment before looking out the window himself. “I wish I could see it through your eyes.”

“How’s the reading coming?” I ask, eyeing the stack of papers that he’s barely managed to work through.

“Mind numbingly boring,” he complains, flipping through them. “I’m sorry. I was looking forward to spending this ride getting to know each other.”

“Well... We’ll still have time for that when we reach the capital, won’t we?” I try not to sound disappointed.

“I’ll make sure of it.” He nods. “And if you think all this is great, you’ll love when we reach the city. I can’t wait to show you around.”

“That sounds nice,” I tell him with a small smile.

After that, the prince goes back to reading, and I go back to staring out the window. At some point, my lack of sleep finally catches up to me, and I pass out, waking to the prince gently shaking my shoulder.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” I see him smiling down at me. “We just stopped for lunch. I would have woken you earlier, but you looked peaceful.”

“I guess I needed a little extra sleep.” I try not to feel embarrassed as I rub the sleep from my eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get out and stretch our legs and get something to eat.” The prince leads the way out of the carriage.

Outside, I see the knights and Kamo have already exited their own carriages. One of them, a dwarf with dark skin, passes around what look like sandwiches pulled from a leather bag. I try not to stare, but I haven’t seen many dwarves before, let alone a dwarf werewolf.  There are dwarves, elves, orcs, and all kinds of people living on Litkalaa, but humans outnumber them all by a lot.

As the prince is speaking with Kamo, I sit in the shade of a tree and take a bite, figuring out that the meat is chicken, which is a little dry, but I remind myself that not everyone’s sandwiches are gonna be as good as Momma’s. As I eat more, I start to feel a little homesick.

“Is it true you’ve never left Weston?” I look up to see one of the knights, the woman who took my bag, standing over me.

“Yes.” I nod, wiping the crumbs from my face. “This is the farthest I’ve ever been from home.”

She looks a little surprised by that info but doesn’t say anything else, joining her fellow knights. They are all seated together, being spoken to by Kamo, though they don’t seem to be paying much attention. Finished with the advisor himself, Prince Makseka comes and sits with me, sandwich in hand.

“Do the others not like me being here?” I ask shyly. “That’s the first time any of them has said anything to me.”

“Oh no, it’s not that. They just know I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to you much and don’t want to get in the way.” He waves off my worries. “They’re all pretty friendly once you get to know them.”

“Do they come with you a lot?” I imagine the prince would only travel with the most trustworthy people. “Do you leave the castle very often?”

“They’re my personal guard, though I don’t get out nearly as much as I’d like to,” he tells me after swallowing a bite. “There’s always an event to prepare for or dignitaries to meet with or any number of other princely responsibilities to take care of. Although...” He leans in close, making sure that none of the others are listening. “Sometimes, I like to sneak out into the city. Not all the time. Just when I need to get away for a bit.”

“Really?” I have to admit, I’m a little scandalized. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Enh.” He shrugs my concern. “I’m always in disguise, so it’s not like anyone knows who I am.”

“What’s it like there, in St. Kizis?” I’m really eager to learn more about it.

“Different from what you’re used to, I’m sure.” He takes another bite. “There are farms on the plains around the outside of the city, much larger than any of the farms they had in Weston. But things are packed together pretty tightly inside the city’s walls, with more people than you could possibly imagine. There are a few small parks, but it's mostly buildings and roads everywhere you turn.”

I try to wrap my head around all of that as I eat my sandwich. The city sounds big and exciting but also like you could easily get lost. And I still don’t know what it will be like in the castle. But before I can ask more, Kamo has called the prince back over, and I am alone again.

We don’t stop for long, and once everyone has eaten, we’re back on the road for more of the same. Which means me entertaining myself (and trying not to nap) while Makseka pores over his papers with a frown. When the sun starts to set, we stop again, this time to set up camp for the night.

Dinner is more sandwiches, but there sadly isn’t a lot of talking this time, everyone heading to bed so we can get a move on early in the morning. The prince has a tent of his own, and I’m surprised when given one as well. It’s not as fancy or big, looking just like the ones the knights share, but it’s still nice. There’s even a cot that for once isn’t too small for me.

I lay there all night, once again unable to sleep as thoughts of my future flood my mind. I can’t stop thinking about the city and what it will be like living in the castle. I think about how Momma and Daddy are doing without me, if they’reable to sleep. I wonder if I’ll ever actually have the chance to get to know the prince I agreed to basically give my life to.

Morning comes sooner than I want, with me having gotten even less sleep than I did the night before. Breakfast is only a few small sweet rolls, Kamo pushing us to get moving fast so we can arrive at the castle as soon as possible. I try to help the knights with breaking down the tents and packing up, but they won’t let me, insisting that it’s not work for a consort. Not really having an answer to that, I frown and leave them to it, climbing back into the carriage after the prince.

“Are you okay?” He looks at my exhausted face. “You look tired.”

“I’m sorry.” I grimace. “I didn’t sleep very well.”

“Was it the tent?” He sounds apologetic. “It takes some getting used to.”

“No, it wasn’t that.” I shake my head, though I guess that was part of it. “I was just up too late thinking.”

“Are you feeling nervous?” I can’t help but nod yes to the direct question. “Well, don’t be. I know this is a lot, but I promise, you’ll feel much more relaxed once we get to the castle.”

“Yes, sir, Your Highness.” I hope he’s right, but for now, I’m still a bundle of nerves.

There’s a little more small-talk after that, but soon he’s back to his papers, now more than halfway through the pile. At some point, I nod off again, waking a few hours later when the carriage drives over a bump in the road. As I wipe my eyes, I look out the window to see grassy plains stretching out ahead—and a farm!

It’s huge with acres of fields full of crops and livestock. They look like they’re being tended to by dozens of farmhands, all working together. I can only imagine the amount of people you’d need to work that much land. And if there are as many people living here as the prince said, they must need the food.

I sit up, poking my head out of the window so I can see the city ahead. St. Kizis is large, which makes sense since it is our country’s capital. There is a large stone wall surrounding the outside, the roofs of some of the buildings visible over the top. Behind those are the castle, elevated by the hill it sits on. I know from stories that the castle sits on the border of the city and the forest behind it, the domain of the royal werewolves. They say that on the nights of the full moon, you can hear the howls for miles. Unable to help myself, I lean farther out of the window to try and see more, banging my knee against the wall and getting the prince’s attention.

“Oh great, we’re almost home.” The prince puts down his papers, peering out the window with me.

“You were right. It’s amazing,” I tell him, still in awe. “I’ve never seen so much farmland.”

“Believe it or not, even all of this isn’t enough to keep everyone in the city fully fed,” he comments as we pass a windmill. “We have to have a lot of things imported from villages like yours.”

“Hard to believe that we could ever compare to a place like this.” I wouldn’t even know where to start running a place that big.

“Places like your village have lots of things to offer,” he says with a smile. “But just wait until we’re inside.”

I don’t have to wait long. About fifteen minutes later, the carriages slow to a stop as I hear a loud creaking sound that must be the city gate. When we start moving again, the sound beneath us changes as the carriages cross from dirt onto stone.

The clip clop of the horse’s feet on the city streets is loud, and the ride gets bumpier, but I am too drawn in by the sights around us to pay them much attention. There are so many buildings here, all crammed together, some two or three stories high. They mostly seem to be made of the same peach-colored brick with shingled roofs that vary in color between blue and gray.

And more than the buildings are the people. So many people, all staring as we pass by. Some point at us as they speak excitedly to one another while others watch with less-than-pleased expressions. Some children try to run alongside us, jumping up to try and peek into the window and see who might be inside.

“Like what you see?” Once again, the prince surprises me, and I blush as I realize how closely he’s been watching me. By now he probably thinks I’m just some dumb hayseed.

“It’s...” Big, crowded, exciting, scary. “...very different from Weston. You were right. There are so many people here.”

“I really can’t wait to show you around.” He scooches closer to the window on his side. “Look there, see that bakery?” He points at a building whose sign is a baked loaf of bread. “That’s one of the places I like to sneak out to. I go there almost every week. They make the best cupcakes.”

“And nobody there knows you’re the prince?” I still can’t believe he does that.

“If they do, they’re really good at pretending,” he says, looking a little cocky ... which looks good on him.

The prince points out a few other locations as we ride up the winding road to the castle. A nice restaurant, his favorite tavern, the home of one of his friends—who doesn’t know his real identity. Eventually, the carriage stops again and there is another gate-opening sound—we must have reached the castle. Another stone wall passes us outside as we cross over a moat until we are inside the castle walls and come to a final stop.

“Come on.” The prince is already standing, papers forgotten on his seat. “We have a lot to do before the day is over. Tons of people to introduce you to.”

People like the king and queen, probably. I stay silent, my nerves getting the better of me as I exit after Prince Max. We seem to be in a large garden (or I guess it’s called a courtyard?), one that looks like it’s been well tended to. I even see a couple of gardeners trimming a hedge at one side. The large doors of the castle’s main entrance are right in front of us, the tall stone towers hovering above ominously. Welcome to your new home, Peter...