Zorian slept in his bed, curled into a tight ball, his body shivering from the coldness emitting from the stones walls around him, flickering of shadowed beings made of air passing through him. His teeth chattered, with howls of breaths. but he was not in rest for long as soon he felt a rash grip on his shoulder shaking him awake. His eyes fluttered open, groaning, his head spinning, still clouded in slumber, wandering if what he saw was real, for a person stood above him, in the dark it was hard to see who, but his eyes got used to lack of light and saw it to be Will. “what in the hells do you want?” Zorian groggily spoke, his voice sounding stifled and sore.

“What? Must I have an excuse to see my dearest friend,” he smiled.

Zorian groaned, “yes.”

The boy shrugged, looking around the small space of the room, “bloody hell,” he muttered, his hands going to his arms as he moved them up and down his biceps, “i forget how fucking cold it is in here.”

“Then why did you come?” Zorian questioned getting up slowly, leaning his back against the stone wall,

“Haven’t talked to you in a few days. Thought you’d be lonely.”

Zorian scoffed, “me? Lonely?”

Will shrugged again, “we shared this room once,” he said dimly,

“When we were both small enough to fit,” Zorian murmured.

“I worry,” his friend spoke up.

“Save that for your mother,” Zorian grumbled.

“The hearth in the hall still has a bit of light,” the boy stated, looking at the boy with envious eyes, jaded by its heat, “lets go and sit there for warmth.” Will said, without waiting for his friend as he headed back down the corridor. Zorian followed after a moment sighing loudly as he tipped his head back closing his eyes, he got up leaving his room. He found Will in the great hall, sitting by the fire, greedily taking in the heat standing as close he could dare to the flames. He chucked a few more lodges onto the fire, as Zorian approached.

“Why haven't you ever told me about-” Zorian smirked, holding back a laugh, “-Mule?”

Will sniggered, “it is a stupid thing to explain, but more importantly what had you done to make him so obsessed with you?”

“Me?” Zorian questioned,

“Do not sound so shocked, you are a fair lad look on, if you ever tried to make an effort.”

Zorian snorted taking a seat down on a chair. “I do not know,” he muttered, “I am as baffled as you.”

Will hummed, “you know it was a bit rude of you, how you bumped into me like that,”

Zorian gave his friend an odd look, “what?”

“At the festival this evening, you ran right into me, made me drop all my blooming food.”

“That was you?” Zorian asked with his brows raised.

“Your such a cunt, you didn’t even know it was me,”

“Well i wasn’t looking where i was going, you probably took notice that i was in a rush.” Zorian grumbled. “Why were you at the festival anyway, i thought you would be too busy serving the prince.” he mocked,

“The cock was too busy trying to woo you,” Will sniggered back.

Zorian sighed, “you knew it was me?”

“Of course, I knew it was you, as soon as you walked in late I knew that it was you,” he rambled, “I'm not as much the fool as everyone thinks I am.” he spat angrily.

Zorian frowned, “gods,” he breathed gazing at the fire, “if you know, then her ladyship does, and i dare not think of what she will do.”

It was silent for a while, “at least she does not place you in stocks, when are an hour late to serve her, her daily stupid figs and wine,” he hissed.

“You are not whipped into senselessness, and made to work with the pain for the rest of the day.” Zorian replied back. He stared at the orange flames allowing the heat to bask onto his skin, “she is planning to sell me.” he spoke abruptly,

“Sell you? To who? as a farm hand to a fieldworker?”

“No,” Zorian shook his head, “there is a slaver in a town who is to make port for the south to auction his cargo. I will be a part of that, she has sold me for five coppers.” he spoke matter of factly.

“What?” Will whispered in disbelief, “do not lie to me Zorian, she is not selling you as a slave!”

“She is!” Zorian snapped, facing Will with a dark expression,

Will gulped, he looked down beside himself in deep thought, “no,” he said shaking his head, he turned to Zorian in resolution, “i will talk to someone, i am sure i can find someone in Stregan to help, i can tell the prince-”

“No,” Zorian said softly, “he would have no reason to help me,”

“No reason, he thinks he is in love with you, you should use that, he can easily take you away from here.”

“I do not want that, I am content, and he doesn't love me. And i do not lo-”

“Who cares about that, Zorian he can help you.” Will gritted. “Please,” he begged,

Zorian shook his head, he thought strangely of Mule in that moment, “could you not tell Mule?” he asked,

Will frowned, “i will not promise that,”

“I ask for nothing else, I do not want his pity, I have accepted this, it will be no harsher than what i have already endured.”

Will made a growling noise, rumbling through his throat, “fine,” he sighed,

“Thank you,”

“Oh believe me, this gives me no pleasure,” he spoke darkly, Zorian would not say, but he would miss his friend, as foolish and ill mannered as he was, he had been a playmate of his since he was young, before the deaths of both his parents. Will had worked in the kitchens, but left after his mother, a laundress, had died, finding work at Stregan castle, making his way up till finally he was made the princes serving boy. Zorian had not felt sorry when the boy left, for he could finally have a room to himself, but Zorian would always been grateful for his friend, for he was the one who took Zorians first punishment with him, his Stepmother had thought her tea too sweet and had said her words so kindly to Zorian that he thought it must have been the truth and was right to punish him for such a measly little mistake, but Will had said something to his stepmother that had enraged her so much that she had struck their hands with a wooden cane for a better half of an hour, till their skin sizzled with blisters and sores beading with blood. Zorian still had the scars which deeply imprinted on his hands, she had then left them in cells, beneath the keep with the rapists, murderers and thieves as company, for three whole days without food, and little water to drink.

Zorian smiled, “i know,” he told his friend, “i am sorry.”

Will snorted, “why do you care what Mule-” he said the boys names with disdain, “-thinks?”

Zorian was quiet for a moment, he shrugged, grinning a bit, “I do not know, but I care what he thinks.”

Will smirked, “like him do you?”

“Do not be ridiculous,” Zorian scoffed,

“I had seen you two today, how you had danced, and sang, i had never seen you like that.”

Zorian shrugged, “there is just an air about him, that makes things easy.”

“Easy?”

“I do not know,” Zorian spoke frustrated, “i have not ever-”

“You have taken a fancy to him.” Will stated, his words sounding absent,

“I-i-no i-that's not-”

“You have,” Will spoke sure, cutting through Zorians stutters.

Zorian frowned, “i have not, it is only your wishful thinking-”

“Wishful thinking,” Will minkied back, “that is not true and you know so,” he smiled, “at last, i had thought you were emotionless,”

Zorian glared at Will, “it is not my fault that most are un-interesting and stupid, with no other use to fuck or ignore.”

“Speaking of fucking,” Will began, “i had only come to ask for-”

“I will give no more money for the brothel,” Zorian told him harshly.

“But there is a new girl, from the southern isles, apparently she is the most beautiful creature you will ever lay eyes on,” Will gushed like a love struck boy.

“That dose not mean she is good at fucking,”

“Of course it means she’s good at fucking, you wouldn’t want to have sex with a ugly old wench would you?”

Zorian sighed, “go find coin somewhere else, you arsehole, go ask your prince for some.”

“I have,” he grumbled, “I had spent it at the tavern. All he speaks of now is but of his beloved.” he said his words full of irritation, facing Zorian with a knowing look.

“We have hardly talked to one another,”

“You have hardly talked to Mule.”

“But Mule is not a prince,” Zorian muttered,

Will smiled, he gazed down at the hearth, “alright,” he said, “i shall go, and let you head off to your bed once more,” he said in a lordly like voice, bowing mockingly. He began walking away with a simple wave of his hand to Zorian. The boy smirked, he stayed by the hearth not wanting to go back to his cold damp room, so he slept by the fire, laying next to the pit for the rest of the night, savering the flames heat…