Matthew Wild
I woke up to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains, the warmth of the sun gently nudging me awake. For a moment, I felt disoriented, the remnants of sleep still clinging to me. I reached out instinctively, expecting to find Sebastian lying beside me, but my hand met only empty sheets.
Panic gripped me for a split second before I forced myself to breathe, reminding myself that he was probably just up early. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and glanced around the room. The space was quiet, the only sound the distant chirping of birds outside the window.
"Sebastian?" I called out softly, but there was no answer.
I pushed the covers off and swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the coolness of the floor beneath my feet. My body still ached from everything it had endured, but the rest had done me good. I felt stronger, more alert, though the emptiness beside me left a strange, hollow feeling in my chest.
Taking a deep breath, I stood up, steadying myself as I walked toward the door. The house was silent as I made my way down the hallway, the morning light casting long shadows across the floor. I found myself drawn to the kitchen, the smell of something warm and inviting wafting through the air.
When I entered the kitchen, I saw a small table set for one with a simple breakfastâfresh bread, a bowl of fruit, and a steaming cup of tea. It was a comforting sight, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought that Sebastian had likely prepared it for me before heading out. A note was placed beside the plate.
"Matthew, I had to step out to handle some things, but I'll be back soon. Eat something and rest. You need your strength. â S"
As I sat down at the table, savouring the warmth of the tea and the softness of the bread, I heard the faint murmur of voices from the adjoining room. Curious, I stood up, following the sound to a cozy nook just off the kitchen.
There, seated around a small table, were Alice and Elizabeth, quietly chatting over their own breakfast. The sight of them brought a smile to my face, the sense of familiarity and comfort filling the room.
Alice was the first to notice me, her eyes lighting up as she saw me. "Matthew! You're up. How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.
"Better," I replied, the warmth in her tone easing some of the lingering tension within me.
Elizabeth, who had been stirring her tea, looked up and offered me a kind smile. "It's good to see you out of bed. Sebastian mentioned you've been resting a lot, and that's exactly what you need. Come, join us."
I hesitated for a moment, but the inviting atmosphere and their friendly faces convinced me to pull up a chair. I sat down, and Alice immediately passed me a plate with more bread and fruit.
"Sebastian made sure to leave enough for all of us," she said, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Though I think he was more worried about you eating enough."
I chuckled softly, picking up a piece of fruit. "He's always looking out for me."
"Of course he is," Elizabeth added, her voice gentle. "He's been through a lot too, you know. We all have. But seeing you here, up and about, that means something to him."
I nodded, taking in their words. It was comforting to be surrounded by people who cared, who understood the weight of what we'd all been through.
"So Matthew, how has it been?" Alice asked, "We've missed you the past 5 years, tell us everything you've been up to?"
I hesitated, the memories of the past five years flashing through my mind like a series of disjointed imagesâsome dark and painful, others filled with small moments of hope. It was hard to put it all into words, especially now, sitting here in the warmth of the kitchen, surrounded by people who had been like family to me.
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before speaking. "It's been... difficult, but I'm grateful. I've met amazing people who've kept me safe."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, her gaze steady. "You mean Arney."
"Yeah," I replied, nodding as I thought of him. "Like I said, I would be dead if it wasn't for him."
Alice, sitting across from me with that familiar glint of mischief in her eyes, leaned in a little closer. "So... nothing happened between you two?" she asked, her tone playful, teasing.
I looked at her, a small smile tugging at my lips as I caught the underlying tone in her voice. "What are you implying, Alice?" I asked, my voice light but knowing. I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, the way they always did when she was trying to stir up something. Memories of our days back at the castle surfacedâher constant hints, the way she would catch Sebastian and me in those unguarded moments, always two steps ahead of us in realizing what we felt for each other.
She shrugged, feigning innocence, but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away. "Oh, nothing," she said, drawing out the word as she leaned back in her chair. "Just wondering if all that time on the road led to anything... interesting."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her lips. "Darling, don't start," she said, though her tone was more amused than disapproving.
Alice grinned, leaning in with an air of mock conspiracy. "Oh, come on, Lizzy. Matthew was away from Sebastian for five years. He must have gotten frustrated or something. It's only natural, right?"
I rolled my eyes, trying to keep a straight face, but I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Really, Alice?" I said, shaking my head at her antics. "Not everything revolves around... that."
Alice's grin only widened, completely unfazed. "Maybe not, but you can't tell me you didn't at least think about it. Five years is a long time, Matthew. A lot can happen."
Elizabeth chuckled softly, her shoulders relaxing as she gave in to the light-heartedness of the moment. "Alice, you're incorrigible."
"And proud of it," Alice shot back with a wink. "I'm just saying, we're all adults here. No need to pretend that we're saints."
I chuckled, shaking my head at Alice's relentless curiosity. "Nothing happened," I assured her, though my smile lingered. "Arney is like a brother to me, nothing more. He kept me alive, and for that, I'm forever grateful. But that's all it was."
Alice sighed dramatically, leaning back with a mock-disappointed expression. "You're no fun, Matthew. I was hoping for a bit more scandal."
I couldn't help but chuckle at her persistence. "Like I haven't had enough scandal already? I was secretly in a relationship with my sister's husband, you know?"
Alice waved her hand dismissively, her grin never wavering. "Eh, old news now. Everyone's already gossiped about that one to death. I'm just looking for something fresh to spice things up."
Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. "You really are relentless, Darling."
"Of course I am," Alice said, sitting up straight and folding her arms with a proud smile. "It's my job to keep everyone on their toes."
I sighed, shaking my head again but unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"
"Why would I?" Alice replied, her grin never faltering. "Someone has to keep things interesting around here."
Elizabeth finally allowed herself to fully smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "And you certainly do that, Alice. But maybe give Matthew a break. He's had enough excitement to last a lifetime."
Alice waved a dismissive hand, though her expression softened as she looked at me. "Alright, alright. I'll lay off... for now. But seriously, Matthew, we're glad you're back. And I'm glad you had someone like Arney looking out for you."
"Me too," I said, feeling that warmth in my chest grow. "And I'm glad to be back... with all of you."
Just then, the door swung open, and Arney walked in, arms loaded with bags of food. "Winny! You're up," he called out, his voice filling the room with an easy energy.
"Oh wow, speak of the devil," Alice quipped, taking a casual sip of her tea as she eyed Arney.
"How've you been? Feeling better?" Arney asked, his eyes full of genuine concern as he set the bags down.
"Yeah," I replied, though I suddenly felt a bit awkward after the conversation with Alice. She always had a way of getting into my head, stirring up thoughts and feelings I wasn't always ready to face.
Arney smiled, but there was a hint of something else in his expression. "I kinda miss the old days, you know? When it was just me and you. Feels like we never have time to chill nowadays."
"Really, Arney?" Alice interjected, raising an eyebrow in that knowing way of hers. "Do go on."
I shot her a look, hoping to silently communicate my plea for her to drop it. Then I turned back to Arney, forcing a smile. "I hear you."
Elizabeth, ever the voice of reason, chimed in, "Well, Matthew's still recovering."
"And before that, you were bedridden with a knife wound," I added, trying to keep the conversation light but also aware of how true those words were. So much had happened, and it wasn't just about the physical wounds.
Arney nodded, a wistful look crossing his face. "Yeah, I guess so..so what do you say, you and me spend the day wasting our way in the tavern, just like old days. Only this time, we don't have the fucking Valorians or the Kingdom on our arses."
I chuckled at Arney's suggestion, the idea of escaping to the tavern for a day sounding almost too good to be true. "That does sound tempting," I admitted, the thought of a carefree day like the ones we used to have tugging at my heart.
"Finally, a decent plan," Alice interjected, grinning. "Aren't you two overdue for some reckless behaviour?"
Elizabeth shot her a look but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Just remember, moderation," she warned, though there was a lightness in her tone.
Arney leaned in, his eyes gleaming with that familiar mischief. "No Valorians, no Kingdom, just us and a few pints. What do you say, Winny? One day where we forget the rest of the world exists."
"I'm sure Matthew would gladly go with you" Alice said smirking, "he'll tap it."
"Tap what" Sebastian said as he entered the room.
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Sebastian as he walked in. His timing was impeccable, and the sudden shift in atmosphere was almost comical.
Alice, never one to be easily flustered, quickly recovered, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh, nothing important, Your Highness," she teased, her voice dripping with playful innocence. "Just making sure Matthew knows how to enjoy himself."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, clearly catching on to the mischief in Alice's tone. He glanced between her and me. "Is that so? What you guys up to?" he asked, his gaze settling on me.
I could feel my face heating up under his scrutiny. "It's not what you think," I muttered, shooting Alice a look that begged her to stop while she was ahead.
"Hold on," Arney said, suddenly pausing as he caught the subtle exchange between Alice and me. He turned to Alice, then back to me, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I think I'm missing something here."
"Nothing, Arney. Let's go," I insisted, standing up and placing my hands firmly on his shoulders to guide him toward the door.
Arney hesitated, glancing back at Alice, who was now wearing a smug grin, clearly reveling in the chaos she'd stirred up. "You sure? Because it looks like there's some scandal brewing here and I love a good scandal"
"I'm sure you do, Arney," Alice called out, her voice dripping with mischief.
"Gosh, darling, please enough with the teasing," Elizabeth interjected, shaking her head with a half-smile. Her tone was light, but there was an undertone of genuine concern for the awkwardness hanging in the air.
"Why do I feel like Arney and I are missing something?" Sebastian added, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe with an amused expression. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and the corner of his mouth curled into a teasing smirk as he looked at me.
"I promise you, it's nothing," I insisted, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "Just a bit of friendly banter."
Arney raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but willing to let it go for now. "Alright, if you say so. But you know I can't resist a good story."
I shook my head, knowing there was no way to avoid the teasing altogether. "Let's just go, shall we?"
As I steered Arney out of the room, I could feel Sebastian's gaze lingering on us. I shot him a quick smile, hoping to convey that everything was fine, even though my heart raced with the urge to escape the teasing atmosphere.
Once we were outside, the fresh morning air hit us, a welcome relief from the awkwardness of the dining room. Arney looked at me with a mix of curiosity and concern. "You alright? You seemed a bit flustered back there."
"I'm fine," I assured him, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "Just Alice being her usual self."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "She always try to get a rise out of you?"
"Yeah, that's her," I said, allowing a small smile to break through. "But it's good to see her again, even if it comes with a side of teasing."
"We need women like that in our lives," he warned playfully, waggling his eyebrows. "Is she dating anyone at the moment?"
"She's gay," I replied, trying to suppress a chuckle at his reaction.
"She what?" Arney exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. "Damn! She's hot as well."
"Sorry, mate, she's taken too," I said, unable to contain my laughter any longer.
"By who?" he asked, clearly intrigued.
"Elizabeth," I replied, watching his reaction closely.
"Wait, she's gay too? I would have gone for her next as well," he said, shaking his head in disbelief, a playful pout forming on his lips. "Guess I need to expand my horizons."
"Looks like you might be out of luck, my friend," I said with a grin. "Maybe you should try your luck with the locals instead."
"Hey, maybe I will," he said, puffing out his chest dramatically. "I'm quite charming, you know."
We both laughed as we stepped outside into the crisp morning air, the sun beginning to rise over the horizon. The day stretched out before us, full of possibilities and distractions from everything we had left behind.