The King's affection

Daydreams and distractions

A body got dropped with a thud at Madam Lee’s feet.

She sneered at the girl that Lester had just dropped on the floor. Her clothes were disheveled, and her hair was greasy and sticking to her face from the sweat as she breathed heavily. Lester gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and leaving.

“WHAT THE f**k RAE?? DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WA-,” Stella started, hysterical, before Madam Lee raised a hand to stop her.

“Did you enjoy your little sightseeing trip?” Madam Lee asked Esmerelda, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

“As a matter of fact, I did,” Esmerelda smiled, her facial expression exuding defiance, while her voice matched Madam Lee’s.

Madam Lee’s own smile was cold, not reaching her eyes, “Good. Because you will never set foot outside ever again for as long as you’re a courtesan here at The Midnight Muse.”

“So, you’re saying there’s a chance I’ll be able to leave?” Esmerelda asked, hopeful.

Madam Lee stared at her for a beat before shrugging her shoulders and answering, “Maybe. If someone were to buy you out. Although I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high with that one. The men that visit these types of establishments are typically scoundrels – wealthy, but scoundrels, nonetheless. You wouldn’t want to go home with one of them.”

She turned to leave, then, without turning around, instructed, “Lock her in the attic and feed her just enough so that she won’t die.” With that, she walked out, leaving behind a wide-eyed Esmerelda. “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” She screamed, but it fell on deaf ears as Stella dragged her – kicking and screaming – to the staircase leading up to the attic.

“You need help with that?” Boris, a burly bouncer for The Midnight Muse, asked Stella when he walked by and saw her having trouble dragging a thrashing Esmerelda.

“Yes, please. Madam Lee said to lock her in the attic.”

“I’ve never seen her before. New girl?” Boris asked.

“Yup,” Stella popped the p.

“Virgin?” Boris raised a brow. A knowing smirk on his face.

“Uh-huh,” Stella hummed.

“Nice,” Boris threw Esmerelda over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs, the latter still kicking, screaming, and pounding at Boris’ back. Boris threw her into the room, her body landing with a thud on the floor, and he quickly closed the door – locking it, before Esmerelda could get the chance to get up from the ground.

When she finally sat up on her ass, she looked around the room – an old mattress, covered by a single blanket with a lumpy pillow, lay in the corner of the room. Esmerelda got up from where she was to go lay on the mattress. Once her head hit the pillow, hot tears sprung to her eyes, and she sobbed quietly into the pillow, hugging herself in the fetal position.

---

Anderson sat under the tree in a daze. His thoughts on the grey-eyed girl he’d bumped into earlier that day. He never got her name, nor did he see her face, but the fear in her eyes was clear as day. She was running from someone.

“Pierce,” a guy called out, breaking Anderson’s thoughts.

He whipped his head to the sound and saw Malik walking towards him. He smiled at the boy he had enlisted with two weeks back.

“I will never get used to seeing that weird head of yours,” Anderson burst out laughing when he took note of Malik’s buzzed hair. The latter frowned, “Not all of us can sport a buzz cut, you know. If my mother saw what they did to my beautiful curls, she’d lose her marbles,” he laughed as he sat next to Anderson.

“You ready to meet up with Ryan? It’s about time to head back to the barracks,” Malik asked.

Anderson sat quietly for a bit, “Will we ever patrol this area again?” he asked absently, causing Malik to chuckle. “Why? Met someone special today?” Malik lightly bumped Anderson’s shoulder, teasing him as he wiggled his thick brows suggestively.

“Something like that,” Anderson smiled absently.

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high if I were you. Most of the girls around these parts are more trouble than they’re worth. But don’t worry, we will definitely circle back at some point, we just never know when exactly, you know?” Malik clapped Anderson on the back reassuringly.

Anderson just smiled, before turning back to look at the sunset, enjoying the quiet that fell between them.

“Pierce, Hayes, let’s move out. The night patrol has arrived already,” Ryan called out, pulling them both from their revere. They stood and dusted off their butts before following Ryan back to the barracks.

Upon arrival, Anderson found a letter with the royal seal on his bed. He frowned as he picked it up and scanned the envelope. He could faintly smell his mother’s perfume on it. And the smell made him want to throw up as scenes of her and Valen being inappropriate in the study came flashing to his mind. He remembered her betrayal and the possibility of either him or Killian not being Andreas’ sons, and his anger surged through his veins – burning just beneath the surface of his skin like an inferno. He clenched his jaw to suppress it, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before he acted.

He borrowed a lighter from one of his bunk mates and burned the letter without reading it – uninterested in whatever his mother had to say to him.

Malik noticed the tension in Anderson’s stance.

He walked over to his friend, “Hey man, you good?” he asked.

Anderson looked at Malik, whose eyes darted towards the letter that was quickly becoming ashes in his hands, before he looked back up at Anderson’s eyes. “Yeah, I’m good. Just someone I don’t want to hear from,” Anderson provided before Malik could pry.

“I totally get it man,” Malik said cheerfully as he clapped the back of Anderson’s shoulder in reassurance.

Later that evening in the dining hall, fellow soldiers around Anderson were engaged in conversation, chatting away about how their days went and about their families back home. Meanwhile, Anderson was quiet, absently chewing his tasteless food as his mind once again wandered off to a pair of stormy grey eyes.

“Earth to Max,” he heard Malik say as he snapped his fingers in front of his face. He snapped out of it, clearing his throat, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he said, truthfully.

“Where did you go man? Archer here was asking how come you never talk about where you’re from or your family. I mean, we’re all open books but all we know about you is that you’re Max Pierce and that’s it,” Malik chatted animatedly as everyone else gave Anderson inquisitive looks.

“I don’t like talking about my family, okay? Just know I have a little brother and a loving father. Can we drop it now,” he snapped as he stood to hand his food tray in and leave the hall.

“What the hell is his problem?” someone asked, genuinely concerned.

Malik simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his food.