Chapter five.

(I had to switch from pov to pov because I wanted to capture emotions from both sides.) new story coming soon.

Simon's POV.

Despite my best efforts to convince myself otherwise, I couldn't shake the feelings I had for him. Even though I had talked myself into forgetting about him, he still had the power to make me feel things. And when he dared me, I realized that he could affect me without even trying.

As I touched my neck, I felt the lingering sensation of his kiss. It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling, one that I couldn't quite comprehend. His attention felt foreign to me, something I wasn't used to. But I tried not to get my hopes up, knowing that he had a history of doing something foolish.

While I was preparing food in the kitchen, I was interrupted by another servant who told me that Prince Evan specifically requested that I make his food. I was puzzled by his sudden interest in me, and it left me feeling both flattered and wary.

The situation felt so confusing and overwhelming. I felt like a pawn in someone else's game, being moved around at their whim. I hadn't asked for any of this, and it was all happening so fast. I tried to maintain my composure as I knocked on the door and entered Prince Evan's room. He sat on the couch, his posture regal and his features elegant. Even without trying, he looked effortlessly refined.

"I thought you were occupied," he said as I set down the tray and arranged the food. Before I could pull away, he took hold of my hand, his gaze fixed on mine. I was taken aback by the gesture, unsure of what to make of it. I was used to feeling a jolt of excitement when Melus would look at me, but with Prince Evan, I felt nothing. His gaze was kind, but there was no spark.

"Come sit here, next to me," he said as he released my hand, and I hesitantly took the seat beside him. If this had been Melus, I would have been terrified, but for some reason, with Prince Evan, I felt no fear. It was almost as if my body knew that he would not harm me. There was something different about him, a kindness that I had never experienced before.

"How's work?" he asked, his voice gentle and curious. "Are you tired?" He picked up his fork and began to eat, savoring each bite. "This is incredible!" he exclaimed, a look of genuine appreciation on his face. "I haven't had a meal this good in a long time."

"I've been cooking for most of my life," I replied, shrugging off the compliment. "It's just something I do." I tried to sound nonchalant, but deep down, I was pleased that he was enjoying the meal.

"Well, don't forget to rest sometimes." He said softy as he smiled.

"If my duties allow me, then I'll." I said, trying to keep my tone light and casual. "I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best." I watched him eat, noticing the way he savored each bite. I couldn't help but admire his appreciation for food, and for life itself.

As I watched Prince Evan enjoy his meal, the double doors in front of us suddenly swung open. Prince Melus standing there, his eyes fixed on me. The look on his face was one of confusion. As I made eye contact with him, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Then, Prince Evan rose from his chair, and my heart skipped a beat. "Prince Melus," he said, holding out his hand. I took it, trying to ignore the tension in the room. "If you don't mind, I'll take the tray from you," i said with a smile.

Melus's POV

My heart lurched. This was outrageous. He was finally in the palm of my hand, and I had him exactly where I wanted him. But I see I keep losing him to my Little brother for some reason. But I couldn't take the time to think about it, he didn't matter much. There were other matters that demanded my attention. I had to stay focused, no matter how tempting it was to just follow him and make him feel sorry for even daring to be close to my little brother. So I pushed all thoughts of him out of my mind and focused on the task at hand.

"Can I talk to you ?" I said.

"Sure,what's the matter your humble highness." He said sarcastically bowing. He did that when he didn't want to talk to me, which was pretty much everyday.

"Listen," I began, "I could use your help with something. I can't seem to keep up with the needs of the villagers, no matter how much food we bring them. Every time we come back, there are more and more people in need. I need you to help me do a full survey of the village, to count the people and assess their needs. We can't keep throwing food at the problem, we need to find a more sustainable solution."

Despite not needing his help, I wanted to give him a purpose, something to focus on other than his jealousy and resentment. He had expressed a desire to help the villagers in the past, but our father always refused to let him leave the palace grounds. He believed that, as the future king, I was the only one who could help the people. But I had no desire for the throne, and I knew my brother would do a much better job than I ever could. So I decided to take a chance and ask him to help me.

He looked at me with a steely gaze, his arms folded across his chest. "You have your own guards and escorts, thousands of them," he said, his voice cold. "I don't want to get involved in this. Why can't someone else do it?" I could tell he was hesitant, but I knew I had to convince him.

"But don't you want to be king?" I asked, my voice soft and imploring. His eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought he might just get up and walk away. But then, slowly, he sank back into the couch, considering my words. "If you do all the work, and i am just seen as lazy, won't our father be more likely to break with tradition and name you king?" I continued, hoping to persuade him. He was silent for a long moment, then he nodded slowly.

I'll say it again. I didn't want to be King.

"Why are you so opposed to being king?" he asked, his brow furrowed. "If I agree to your plan, what do you get out of it?" I could tell he was skeptical, but I was determined to convince him. "I don't want to be king because I don't want to spend my life worrying about politics and protocol," I explained. "I want to be free to pursue my own interests, to live my own life. And as for what I get out of this, I get the satisfaction of knowing that you'll be a great king, and that our people will be taken care of."

"Fine," he relented, "but if he so much as raises his voice to me, I'm out of this deal. You'll be on your own." I let out a sigh of relief as I walked out of his chambers, trying to contain my excitement. I had to stay focused, I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. This was too important.

But just as I was feeling a rush of triumph, I saw that young servant coming out of the shadows, heading straight for Prince Evan's chambers. He carried a jug of water in one hand and a tray of fruits in the other, and his steps were slow and careful, as if he was afraid of dropping something. I couldn't tell if he'd slowed down because he saw me, or if he was just being cautious.

He passed by me without a word, but he stopped to bow politely. I watched as he approached the door, the guards opening it for him. As he stepped out, he locked eyes with Prince Evan, and they stood there for a moment, gazing at each other with longing. Then, Prince Evan reached out and took the jug from the servant's hands, pulling him into a passionate embrace. The tray of fruits tipped over, crashing to the floor, but neither of them seemed to notice or care.

"Please find a maid to clean this up," Prince Evan said to one of the guards, gesturing to the spilled fruit. The little servant stood there, blushing furiously. Prince Evan's hand rested on his waist, and he pulled him back into his chambers. The doors where left open, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't look away, even though I knew I should.

I couldn't help myself, I had to know what was happening in those chambers. My heart was racing, and I took small, hesitant steps towards it. The guards hurried away, eager to be rid of the fruit spilled. I stood by the door, listening intently, as Prince Evan caressed the boy's cheek with one hand, the other still holding him close. The boy's face was flushed, but he didn't pull away.

The boy's curly hair was tousled, and his cheeks were a deep shade of pink. For a moment, it seemed like they had forgotten that the door were still open, but then the boy turned his head and saw me standing there. Evan's eyes followed his gaze, and he let go of the boy, turning to face me. He walked towards me, his expression unreadable, and closed the doors behind him. The fruits that had been spilled were crushed under the door, but neither of them seemed to care. They were focused only on each other.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I couldn't understand why I felt so strongly about what I had just seen. What was it about the boy that affected me so deeply? He was just a servant, someone of no importance to me. So why did I feel this way? Had something changed, or was it just my imagination? I couldn't seem to make sense of it all.

Simon's POV.

I struggled to breathe, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt both anxious and exhilarated, a mixture of emotions that left me feeling dizzy and disoriented. I tried to steady my breathing, but it was no use. As soon as Prince Evan shut the door, he came back and stood behind me, placing my hands on his shoulders. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he drew me close, our bodies pressing together. I was conflicted, not knowing whether to pull away or stay. His touch was nothing like Melus', it was softer, gentler. I couldn't help but be drawn in by him.

His touch was not rough or forceful, but rather delicate and tender. He didn't make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but he did give me goosebumps. Our foreheads touched, and I closed my eyes, lost in the moment. I wished this was something I could experience with Melus, but he was nothing like his brother. He was harsh and unyielding, but I found myself drawn to him nonetheless. I couldn't quite explain it, but I knew that I was drawn to his strength and intensity.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" the Prince said softly, his breath brushing against my eyelashes, making them flutter. I felt my cheeks flush, unsure of how to respond. I had never been called beautiful before, and I didn't know what to make of it. I felt both flattered and embarrassed, an odd mixture of emotions. But one thing was certain: I didn't feel drawn to him, like a moth was to a flame. Everything I felt was things I hoped to feel with Prince Melus.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. He held my hands, and I felt like we were making a vow, a promise to each other. But I knew in my heart that this was wrong. I had only come to him because I he gave me comfort, but now I was finding myself drawn to him, his brother. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew it was true. He was the only one I wanted to feel this way with, the only one I wanted to be close to. I felt like I was suffocating, like I couldn't breathe.

As I stood there with Evan, I couldn't stop thinking about his brother, Melus. He was the one who I had come to for comfort, but now it was his brother I wanted. He was the one I wanted to be with, to touch and hold. But I was with his little brother, someone who I didn't want in that way. I could feel my heart racing, my mind conflicted. I knew it was wrong, and I knew that I had to pull away. I couldn't do this to Evan, I couldn't lead him on.

"I'm so sorry, I like someone else." I blurted out, the words spilling from my lips before I could stop them. I took a step back, putting some distance between us. He looked at me in confusion, his brow furrowed. I could see the questions in his eyes, but I didn't know how to answer them. And then, to my utter horror, he started laughing.

"I don't have feelings for you in that way," he said, his laughter continuing. I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, and I couldn't believe what was happening.

"Whew," he said, letting out a breath. He walked over to the couch and sat down, a smirk playing on his lips. I looked at him, confused. What was going on? "You figured it out pretty quickly," he said, his tone casual. "I'm impressed." I stood there, feeling dumbfounded. Was he messing with me?

"Don't feel bad," he continued, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I was just messing with you. I have no interest in you romantically, but I did want to have sex with you."

"I didn't want to force you or take advantage of you, so I thought I'd lead you on a bit, see if you would fall for it." He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. I stood there, speechless. He had been messing with me this whole time? I couldn't believe it. "Hey, don't feel bad," he said, looking at me with a soft smile. "You're smarter than the last boy I tried this with. He really fell for it." He let out a laugh, but I didn't find it funny at all. I felt used and betrayed.

"You're a little distracted, aren't you?" he said, his smile widening. "You know, my brother is the straightest guy I know. You'll have no luck there." He started to strip down, as if it was no big deal, and I turned away, mortified. I had thought he was interested in me, but it turned out he was just like his brother. They were both manipulative, only doing things for their own benefit, without regard for the people they affected. I sighed and took the jug of water, still reeling from the realization. A knock sounded at the door, and I went to open it as I was leaving anyways.

"The guards sent me to clean up the mess," she said, carrying cleaning supplies. I stepped aside and let her in, not sure what to say or do. My heart ached. It wasn't the fact that Prince Evan had wanted to sleep with me that bothered me, it was the realization that he wasn't as different as I had hoped. I had hoped that maybe he would be a friend, someone who would treat me with respect. But he saw me only as a servant, a plaything to be used and discarded. I felt empty and alone.

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