Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I'm also wondering what's going to happen between Olivia and Alistair, not gonna lie xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Who knows?” Crow smirked when Penelope said his offer wouldn’t be very appreciated. “Maybe our two troublemakers have finally grown up.” Despite his teasing words, he knew the knight was probably right. Alistair was completely smitten with Olivia, but he had no idea how committed she was to him. Even if she did care for the thief more than she let on, she was going to be put in the same position Penelope had been in two years ago: Would she let go of her criminal lover to keep her status as a noblewoman, or would she give it all up to be with him? Not knowing her well enough to make any guesses, the viceroy had no idea which path she would choose.

While Penelope read the letter Gavin had sent her, Crow worked on his breakfast. He practiced eating with the provided utensils instead of with his hands, reluctantly accepting that he was going to have to adapt to noble culture at least a little before the upcoming party. The change forced him to slow down and take smaller bites, so he wasn’t able to devour it all as fast as he wanted to, but it wasn’t too hard now that he was getting better at using a fork.

Just as he was finishing the last of his food, he glanced up at the knight who had begun to explain what Gavin had told her about the warfront. At the mention of the battles being rough, he frowned. It wasn’t good news, but maybe it would help persuade his father to listen to the petitioners who wanted to seek peaceful terms with Younis. Any push they could use to convince the king was needed since he was so determined to form an alliance with Gorm. There weren’t very many more weeks left before he was going to be sent to negotiate with the neighboring kingdom too.

As Penelope added that Layth had been asking about them, Crow rolled his eyes. Her brother just couldn’t focus on the war when there was anything else happening that he didn’t like, could he? They were a three-day journey away from him, and it sounded like he was still making it his mission to tear them down in any way he could. He hoped the stubborn knight would learn to keep his nose out of their business soon or else their next meeting was going to be a heated one.

Apparently he was also trying to revoke the barons’ rule to protect the villagers too. That made the viceroy’s blood boil. “That’s absurd,” he scoffed incredulously. “It almost sounds like he wants to kill them. There’s no reason for anyone on the frontlines to be attacking their own people, even if they’re of a lower class.” Surely the barons wouldn’t let him get his way, right? He’d met Mia. Just based on their few interactions, he could tell that she was a caring person. The fact that she had been willing to hear out an infamous criminal instead of simply judging him based on his reputation was proof enough of that. With her strong voice on the peasants’ sides, he wanted to believe they would remain safe despite Layth’s whining.

“Me too,” he shook his head tiredly, popping the last bite of food into his mouth. “This is the only war I’ve ever lived through, but compared to the stories I’ve heard about past ones, it’s been a disaster. Someone needs to end it already.”

~Bonsoir~

Okay! Happy birthday to your partner ^^

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Goose is the best xD I love the twist with the scar at the end, haha

Nice! Which Spiderman is it? There are so many xD

I also just finished my post!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Cas spent the rest of the night catching up on a few episodes of a crime show he had been watching off and on recently to take his mind off everything else that was happening. It was a good distraction, and by the time he reached the bottom of the can of beer he’d taken from the fridge, he was ready to get some sleep.

Turning off the television, he headed back to his room with a yawn. There was still no telling if his father would agree to help Iris—or if she would even need help, since her family could still come to get her—but he couldn’t do anything else about it tonight. He’d already put in the request. Now, he just had to sit back and wait for the king to come to a decision on his own.

With that thought in mind, he made quick work of his night routine and settled down for bed, hanging onto the hope that everything would be solved in the morning.

--

The next day started the same as any other for Cas. He got up to have breakfast before his lesson—he noticed again that his father hadn’t eaten his portion—and went to the study to wait for his economics tutor to arrive. Since he hadn’t been out late this time, his class started at eight o’ clock sharp. However, instead of six hours, it was only three. He had a feeling the first one was only as long as it was because his teacher had wanted to cover so much material in the introductory lesson. At least, he hoped so. He didn’t know if he could handle another six-hour lecture about the financial state of Aspiria.

Throughout the class, he discreetly checked his phone underneath the table, hoping to find a text or call from Iris saying she had gotten picked up by her family. Unfortunately, no message came through, and he grew more certain that she was still waiting for them at the hospital. It also meant his request to Atlas was even more important than before. If his father refused to let her stay with them, she really would have nowhere else to go. The thought made him more anxious to check in with the king and find out what his decision was.

So, by the end of his class, Cas hurried out of the study to go to his father’s room. It was already eleven, and he doubted the hospital would let Iris stay past noon without further payment, so he didn’t have much time to get an answer. He jogged up the stairs and walked briskly down the hall to knock on the king’s bedroom door. The expected “come in” followed, and he stepped inside to find his father sitting upright in his bed, just like he had been the night before. He rarely seemed to leave the spot these days.

He opened his mouth to ask about the request, but then paused when he noticed a few new bottles on his father’s nightstand. “Did Dr. Emett stop by?” he asked, wondering if the medicines had been left because of the results of the physician’s visit.

“About an hour ago, yes,” the king answered, sipping at a cup of herbal tea. “But you didn’t just come here to inquire about my health, did you?”

“Well, is it any better?” Cas frowned, already sure he knew the answer. His father’s health never improved.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Atlas replied, turning to look at the bottles on the table with a disgusted expression. “In the meantime, I’m just adding more pills to the cocktail.”

“At least it’s better than nothing,” Cas shrugged, ambling over to the reading nook to sit in one of the cushioned armchairs. “So… did you think about it?”

“Hm?” his father grunted before remembrance crossed his face. “You mean in regard to that girl?”

“Yeah,” Cas nodded tentatively. “She probably going to be released in less than an hour, and I haven’t heard word that anyone has come to pick her up yet.”

“Why are you so interested in helping her?” Atlas eyed him skeptically. “You’ve already paid for her hospital bill.”

“That won’t matter if she gets kicked out of the capital,” Cas pointed out. “It’s not like I put myself in this position on purpose either. I just happened to be the one who found her, so I’m the only person she knows, since she lost her memories. There’s no one else she can stay with until her family figures out where she is or she remembers how to get home.”

“I see,” his father sighed. “I still don’t like this, but I suppose I do understand that her options are limited.”

“Does that mean…?” Cas sat up a little straighter.

“Yes,” the king confessed. “I will allow her to stay here until she is capable of returning to her own home.” He held up his hand. “However, there will be conditions. First, she is to be placed in the furthest bedroom from either of our wings. Second, she must be in her room by ten o’ clock every night. And third, I will have the night guards ensure that she follows these rules with orders to remove her from the property immediately if she fails to adhere to them.”

“I don’t think any of those will be a problem,” Cas fought the urge to roll his eyes at his paranoid father’s rules. Atlas was treating her like a delinquent, but he had agreed to let her move in temporarily. That was all that mattered. He stood from the chair. “I guess that means I should go pick her up. Thanks, dad.”

The king just grunted again in response, sipping moodily at his drink. It was obvious that he was unhappy with the arrangement, but that was to be expected. Cas was just happy that he’d said yes at all.

In a better mood than before, the prince headed down to his car, eager to tell Iris the news that she wouldn’t have to live on the streets.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

No problem! I've got a few other things I'm working on in between writing ^^

Ooh, I loved that movie! Do you like it so far?

I'll get started on my post now!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Thanks, haha. Cas is just doing his best xD

Sounds good to me!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yep! Hung out with friends all day, so it was fun ^^

Finally done! Coding takes forever in long posts xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“I hope I hear from you then,” Cas said optimistically, stretching his legs that had grown a little stiff from sitting around for almost three hours. “See you later, Iris. Hopefully next time, we’ll meet up someplace you like better than the hospital.”

Heading out of her room, he made his way back to the front desk to drop off his guest lanyard before leaving the building. Since it was already nine, he hoped his father would be feeling the effects of his medicine by the time he got home. If Dr. Emett was right about him being more agreeable when he took it, then it was the best chance he had to talk about everything without getting yelled at. He couldn’t waste any time either. Iris would be released from the hospital tomorrow, so he needed to find out tonight if the king would be willing to open his home to her or not.

Picking up his car from valet, he drove himself home while he came up with a game plan to approach the conversation with his father. He knew he was probably going to have to do some convincing to get the king to agree, so he wanted to have some idea of what he would say to both soften the blow of the news that he had offered to pay for a stranger’s medical bills and persuade the paranoid man to welcome said stranger into their house. It was a pretty tall order.

Circling around to the garage on the back side of the mansion, Cas parked his car and headed inside. He hadn’t received any phone calls from Atlas while he’d been out, which meant the king wasn’t anxious enough to be fretting about his safety. That was a good sign. He hoped it meant his father would be more willing to hear him out.

He headed up the stairs and then down the hallway that led to the wing where his father’s room was located. Already, he could feel his heart beginning to beat faster with nervousness, and he had to work up the resolve to knock on large, walnut door. A muffled “come in” sounded in response, so he took a steeling breath and stepped into the room.

As the most powerful man in the country, Atlas had to have the most jaw-dropping bedroom as well. It was absolutely massive in size, taking up an unnecessary portion of the third floor for just one person. The four-post bed in the back was king sized with the finest duvet money could buy. It was propped two steps up on a pedestal-like level near a reading nook by the windows.

Off to the left was the bathroom. It was similar to Cas’s but bigger in size, and every part of it dripped with wealth. The tiles were veined marble and the counters were white granite. The glass-wall shower stood in the center of the room, acting as a divider between the his and hers sides, and the Jacuzzi bath was set up on its own pedestal on the far side of the room. Both were spacious enough to fit at least four people.

On the right side of the room, the floor dipped down into a private theater. One wall was designed to display an enormous screen to a small audience of two reclining chairs, while the opposite side was set up with high-end surround sound speakers. It was a spot Cas had often snuck into when he was a kid to play videogames while his parents had been busy with work.

Overall, the bedroom was impressive in more ways than one, so it was a pity that most of it wasn’t used since his father had gotten sick.

“Caspian?” the king cleared his throat, sitting up on his bed when he realized it was his son who had entered. “What are you doing here?”

“Dr. Emett gave me a refill for your prescription,” Cas answered, walking over to set the new bottle down on his father’s nightstand. He figured it was safer to start with something that wouldn’t make Atlas mad instead of launching straight into his requests.

“Emett?” the king shifted on the mattress so his back was propped up against the headboard. “When did you see him?”

“I went back to the hospital today,” Cas shrugged.

“The hospital?” his father echoed, knitting his brows. “You weren’t visiting that girl again, were you? I’m concerned about how invested you’re becoming in her.”

“I just thought I should stop by to see how she was doing,” Cas folded his arms, leaning against the edge of the bed in an attempt to act casual as he added: “It’s only fair, since I’m the one paying her bill.”

A scowl worked its way onto the king’s face. “What do you mean, you’re paying her bill?” he growled.

“Well,” Cas shrank a little. “When I found her in the woods, she looked so beat up that I told Dr. Emett to charge me for her treatment. I thought it would be nice for her to wake up and have one less problem to worry about, but then we found out she has amnesia, and there’s no one to send the bill for her other expenses to, so… I’m paying for all of it.”

Atlas pinched the bridge of his nose. “How much is the bill?”

“…Twenty-six.”

“Twenty-six thousand?” his father’s eyebrows shot upward in astonishment. “What were you thinking? You don’t even know this girl!”

“I was just trying to help,” Cas said defensively. “Besides, I’m going to make the transfer through the bank, so it’ll be anonymous and no one can trace it back to me.”

“That isn’t the only issue here,” the king growled. “You can’t just go spending thousands of credits on strangers, Caspian. You’ll blow through your entire inheritance if you keep throwing your money away so carelessly.”

“I’m not going to make a habit of it,” Cas frowned. “Besides, I’m trying to keep the bill as small as possible. I told Dr. Emett that I won’t be covering anything else for her after tonight.”

“Good. You’ve done more than enough already.”

“So… will you give your signature to approve the transfer?” he asked tentatively.

“You already promised the funds to the hospital, so I don’t believe you’ve left me any choice,” his father grumbled irritably. “I’ll send it tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Cas felt some of the tension lift from his shoulders now that he knew Iris’s debt would be paid off. Now, there was just one more topic left to address. “Um, there’s just one more thing…”

“What else did you do?” Atlas clenched his jaw.

“Well, because I’m not paying for Iris to stay in the hospital anymore, Dr. Emett said he’s going to have to release her,” he started slowly. “She still has amnesia, so she doesn’t know where her home is, and—”

“And you want to offer her a place to stay?” the king’s frown deepened as he guessed his son’s intentions before they were spoken.

“Yeah…” Cas confessed sheepishly.

“I cannot agree to that,” his father said sternly. “You don’t know who this girl is, Caspian. For God’s sake, you found her in the woods! She might not even be a high born.”

“She is,” Cas argued. “She said she remembers something about her father teaching her about high born manners. She wouldn’t have a memory like that unless she’s from the capital.”

“Even so,” the king shook his head. “You can’t just go around offering charity work to every person who needs help. You’re going to be the next ruler of Aspiria. If you show such weakness now, everyone will try to take advantage of you.”

“It’s just one person, and we don’t have to make a show of it,” Cas insisted. “No one has to know she’s staying with us except for the hospital workers, and they’ve got that doctor-patient confidentiality policy, so they shouldn’t spread the word anyway.” He averted his gaze. “If her family doesn’t look for her at the hospital by tomorrow morning, she’s going to end up on the streets, and she has no ID with her to prove she’s a resident of the city. That means she’s going to end up being thrown to the Scourge the instant a soldier notices she’s homeless.”

His father pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Caspian, but I can’t allow this.”

“What if it was me?”

“You’re the prince of this country. Your life is much more valuable than one girl’s.”

“Okay, but what if I wasn’t?” Cas looked back at his father with a frown. “What if we weren’t the royal family, and I was the one who amnesiac and about to be kicked out of the capital? Would you still say my life wasn’t worth saving?”

The king hesitated. “That situation would never happen. It’s pointless to compare the two.”

“I’m just saying,” Cas sighed exasperatedly. “Try to put yourself in their shoes. Iris’s family has no idea where she is, and she might never be able to go back to them if she’s exiled tomorrow. Is it really such a big deal to help out one person who has no one else she can rely on?”

Atlas remained silent for a moment before he responded quietly, “I’ll think about it.”

“Thanks,” Cas smiled gratefully. It still wasn’t a yes, but at least his father wasn’t as steadfast in his no anymore. He took a step away from the bed. “I’m not going out again tonight, so you can sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, dad.”

The king nodded, settling back down on his back. “Goodnight, Caspian.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

No worries, haha. I ended up being busier than I expected.

I'm working on my post this morning! It's just taking a while because I'm doing the conversation between Cas and his father, and it's long xD