Pheles’s POV:

My mother bursts into Dillon's room with the force of a tornado, causing him to startle from his perch upon the couch. Her voice fills the room before she even reaches him, but I don’t pay much attention to it, only managing to catch a few offhanded comments here and there such as, “You’re that child aren't you, what a disgrace.” “What do you plan to do with my son?” and “I’ll get the guards.”

My attention is completely captivated by the man who meets my mother's icy gaze with an unaffected one. He just sits there on the plush cushions, nodding along to every word she says. My mother falls quiet after a moment and she gives him a piercing glare, to which he returns with a neutral expression.

The room goes still as the two stare at each other. Fire sparking in my mother’s eyes as she attempts to break him, but he doesn’t even flinch. Something I can’t read passes between the pair before Dillon reaches out and swipes a paper and quill from the table in front of him.

“Good morning Your Majesty, might I ask just what you're accusing me of?” He writes across the page and I stare at him open mouthed, not believing his rudeness. My mother seems to agree with my shock because she just stares at the words on the page, her mouth falling open in astonishment. Minutes pass before she seems to pull herself together enough to speak again.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way.” She growls angrily, her glare now back in full.

“Forgive me, Your Royal Highness. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He scrawls across the page, flipping it over a second after his eyes meet mine. The smirk in them tells me everything I need to know. He’s not sorry at all and he certainly isn’t taking my mother seriously.

He’s going to get himself killed. I think as I continue to meet his gaze.

“Mother dear.” I say before she can get any angrier. “He doesn't mean anything by his words. He is just crude and doesn’t have the schooling that we have.” I continue while maintaining eye contact.

“You dare to defend him?” My mother turns her sharp gaze on me and I do my best not to squirm under the force of it.

“I do. He is my servant and so far he has done his job well.” I say slowly. Don’t get me wrong, I am not in the habit of defending those lower than myself, but this is the first time ever that I’ve been able to do what I want without word getting back to my father. Not that I have done much, this past week was more of a test, the real stuff comes soon and I’d rather not lose my new found freedom before I am even able to enjoy it.

My mother scoffs at my words and I take a large breath, preparing for the worst, but she just rolls her eyes at me. “Oh, he's done his job well has he?” She asks skeptically. “He let you oversleep on one of the most important weeks of the season.”

“What do you mean?” I ask with a raised eyebrow and glance over at Dillon who looks just as confused as I do.

“Please don’t tell me you forgot.” She gasps, her face going slack in horror. “I told you months ago.” She puts a bit more emphasis on the word months than I probably would have, but it gets the point across. I know I should pay more attention to my duties as prince, but I don’t.

Politics can go die in a ditch somewhere. I’m not wasting my life on such a boring topic when there are so many wonderful things and people to do in this world.

“I may need you to remind me.” I tell her and she scoffs in exasperation.

“The Celestial Ball.” Her words stun me for a minute, but I quickly regain my composure.

“It’s that time of year again is it?” I ask with a bit of a dry mouth. I hate the Celestial Ball. It’s just an excuse for Kings to show off their wealth and to lord it over everyone else. This however is not the reason I hate the Ball so much. I could care less if a few kings want to flaunt themselves about like common whores. 

No, my real problem lies with a little known and far more nefarious intention. The Celestial Ball is a tool that the royal families use to marry off their sons and daughters to kingdoms more prosperous than their own. Essentially it is a matchmaking event, one in which I’ve tried very hard not to be a part of.

“I wish you would be more interested in your kingdom and government. What will you do when you ascend the throne?” She scolds and I give her a withering look.

“Father is still in impeccable health. I have time.” I tell her and even I can hear the whine in my voice as I say it. I can feel Dillon watching me carefully from the couch and I don’t even have to look to see he is silently laughing at my pain.

“You can’t know that for sure. Anything can happen.” My mother says darkly. “I just want you to be prepared for any outcome.”

“No need to sound so morbid.” I laugh a little at her, but she just brushes me off.

“He won’t be alive forever.” She says in that same dark voice. “Your father agrees with me on this. You must stop this childish behavior. You are a prince and It’s time for you to start doing your duty.” She continues before meeting my eyes, her gaze softening a little. “It’s very important that you participate, however I know I can’t force you too. I will give you until the day of the Ball to decide. Please keep in mind, this is for the good of the kingdom.”

The room falls silent after that and I shift a little on my feet, afraid to move or else break the spell the room seems to have fallen under. At last the silence becomes too much and I am just about to rack my brain for something to break it with when my eyes land on Dillon.

“What about him?” I ask a bit pointedly.

“Him?” My mother answers while sending the man a sharp glare. A contemplative look passes over her face and a series of emotions pass over her soft features. “He’s the one who pushed you off the balcony is he not?” She asks and when I don’t answer she takes it as confirmation. “As a prince he is not the sort of thing you should be associated with.” Her voice grows a bit distant as she says this and the contemplative look comes back. “However, I have calmed down enough now to be able to see his merit. I too sometimes wish to step out from your father's overbearing shadow. Before I decide on what to do tell me what deal you have made with him.”

“I told him I would spare his life if he filled the positions of my maids and personal bodyguard.” This time around I do my best to make it sound as removed from slavery as I possibly can, no use dragging that argument back up. I leave out the part about eventually releasing him and making him a duke. I doubt my mom would look kindly on that part of the deal. She is notoriously against rank raising through anything other than military status and birth.

“So he owes you a life debt.” Life debt. As soon as the words are in the air I can’t unhear them. It had never once occurred to me that when I spared his life I might have been enacting a life debt.

Then something else occurs to me. I told him he owed me for almost getting me killed. Oh shit. This is no mere life debt. I don’t even know what to call it, a double life debt?

In this world life debts are usually enacted in one of two ways. Either between a person who has saved the life of another and the saved party, or by a person who was almost killed by another and demands reparations for it. Life debts are deeply rooted in magic and the magic needed to break one has long since disappeared. They have also been outlawed for fifty years as the ramifications behind them are immense. The debtee could literally demand that the debtor die for them and the magic would force them to do it.

I could tell Dillon to be my shield and he would have no choice but to comply.

“Don’t tell me you hadn’t realized?” My mother breaks the silence when it becomes apparent that I am not going to say anything. “How could you enter into a life debt so easily? And without even knowing it?”

“I don't know, I wasn’t thinking.” I say with a tight voice.

“This is why I tell you to take our studies more seriously.” She groans loudly. “Life debts are no joking matter. Look what you've done!” Her voice grows louder with each word and she gives me that same look she gave me earlier, the one that tells me she thinks I'm a fool. “The press will have a field day with this.” She moans while rubbing her temples with her finger tips.

“What happens now?” I ask while turning to look at Dillon. At first glance he doesn't look all that different, but when I look a bit harder I can see the shock and trace of fear that he is holding in the tense stance of his shoulders.

“We will hide it as best we can. Tell no one, about the particulars of this deal.” She places her gaze steadily on me before turning it on Dillon. “You.” She addresses him. “You will stay here and continue to honor the deal you made with my son. I trust you won’t tell anyone?” Dillon just gives her a cheeky grin and makes a move in front of his mouth as if to mimic tying a string through his lips. “There is nothing more we can do. I won’t demand you take your maids back, not after this. We can’t risk having too many people getting so close to you.”

“Does this mean I don’t have to participate in the Celestial Ball?” I ask a bit hopefully.

My mother grits her teeth in irritation before spitting out, “You will still participate, but for show only. Should negotiations arise regarding your marriage, we will just have to find a way to keep you, and whatever princess may be pining for your hand, separated until we can be sure that no one will notice. Until then, don’t demand too much of him. He can probably disobey small commands, but don’t make any large demands, especially not in public. I doubt he could avoid obeying those.” She takes a minute to breath before continuing. “I have to leave now, someone needs to do damage control and make sure this hasn’t gotten out. I will see you at the Ball.” And with that said she gracefully rushes from the room.

Unknown POV:

Somewhere within the palace walls, two figures stand cloaked in shadows.

“Postpone everything. I have caught wind of some news that may be a deterrent to our movement.” One figure mutters so softly that if the other hadn’t been using an amplification spell on their ears, they may not have heard it.

“Tell me of this news.” The other person mutters in the same quiet voice that the first had used.

“The prince has enacted a life debt.” The first shadow replies without pause.

“That does throw a rock into our plans.” The second voice calls back with no small amount of amusement.

“Of course it does, do you take me for a fool?” The second shoots back defensively. “Just do as I say. The plan must be put on hold.”

“No need to sound so mad. I will alert the others. It shall be done within the hour.” Sass drips from every poor of the second figure, but the first doesn't seem interested.

“See that it is.” The first figure growls before turning around and waving their hand in front of the wall. A door suddenly appears where there had been only a wall before and the person slips through, the entrance disappearing immediately after.