To Arian's disappointment, Marie seemed just as confused and clueless as he. "Don't worry. I will take a look, my prince."
She left the room, and just when the door closed behind her, Arian heard Maloc. His deputy sounded more pissed than he had before. Which meant a lot, since Maloc had been pissed ever since hurting his head during breakfast.
Arian tried to make out what Maloc said- something along the lines of "Go away! The prince doesn't have time for scum like you!"
No, but who would visit him? Furthermore, he doubted it was one of the teachers, since Maloc wouldn't talk to them in such a rude way. Even if he might not like them, this was too much.
Arian heard another furious "Go away!" from Maloc, before it grew quiet. No doubt, Marie had reached them to settle the situation.
Relieved, he relaxed and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He didn't have to wait long before Marie returned together with an angry Maloc and...
Arian's eyes widened. He was quite certain one could see his surprise even though his face was hidden behind a veil.
The person who followed behind his two servants was Pidgeon- the same guy who had touched Arian without the prince's consent and who Arian, in a fit of rage, had wanted to kill.
Arian threw a questioning look towards Marie.
"Your Highness, the guards have already checked him, he poses no threat. Quite the opposite, actually. He says he has a present for you," she signed. "So I let him in."
Now Arian was even more surprised. Before he could ask what present this guy might possibly have for him, Maloc started to speak. He wasn't even trying to hide his disdain from Pidgeon or to be subtle about it, by talking to Arian in sign language.
Instead, he spoke out loud: "Marie, what you are doing is unacceptable. The Prince hasn't even allowed this guy to enter, and yet you let him in! This is a commoner. He cannot just get an audience with the prince!"
Maloc looked at Arian as if he was sure Arian would take his side and send Pidgeon away.
And maybe the prince would have listened to his deputy's advice, had Marie not mentioned the present.
He might not understand why Pidgeon would gift him something in the first place, but why should he not accept a gift?
"I'm quite curious what he wants to gift me. So I allow him an audience," Arian signed to Maloc.
He expected his deputy to obediently follow his command, but sadly, Maloc seemed to have had enough for today.
Even though he stopped talking out loud and instead used sign language, his comments didn't get any nicer.
"No, my prince, I'm sorry. But it seems like you are still not in your right mind, after the whereabouts of your former beast were brought up. You should rest. I'll handle this situation."
Arian raised his eyebrows. He didn't like such strong defiance. Maloc was walking on a thin line between concern for his prince and insulting him. Arian hoped his deputy was aware of that.
"Thank you for your concern." Arian signed and hated the fact that it was so hard to portray emotion through sign language. If he could speak, he would be able to express his frustration better.
But protocol forbade him from letting commoners hear his voice. So he could only make his hand movements more pointed.
"I have recovered from my...", he struggled to find the right word, "situation. I'm in my right mind and I would like to speak with Pidgeon. Please ask him, Maloc, to state the reason for his coming."
Maloc only sneered. "This is ridiculous, my prince." Again, he chose to speak out loud, which added to Arian's rising frustration.
The prince threw a questioning look at Marie, but she only kept her head bowed- a clear sign she didn't want to get involved in this discussion.
So Arian swept his gaze over to Pidgeon.
The boy stood awkwardly in the room, trying to hide behind Maloc's tall frame.
He stepped from one foot to the other, and it seemed to Arian like he regretted coming here.
I can't blame him, Arian thought. Maloc can indeed be annoying.
"Ahm, I can leave again. I- I didn't want to cause trouble. I just wanted to... ahm... help the prince, I guess?", he mumbled shyly.
"Help the prince? Is this a joke?! Who do you think you are? Leave the house immediately and be glad the prince hasn't given you a punishment for your disrespectful words!" Maloc shouted. He pointed to the door while at the same time getting uncomfortably close to Pidgeon, who tried to flinch away.
But Maloc stopped him by grabbing the boy's collar. The deputy's face showed clear hatred and disgust.
Maloc is about to drag him outside, Arian realized. Without my permission, that is.
Arian immediately grabbed the large wheels of his wheelchair and moved forward, deliberately squeezing himself between Maloc and a trembling Pidgeon.
Oh fuck protocol.
Arian turned towards the frightened boy. "Don't listen to him, Pidgeon. You can stay."
Arian almost expected Maloc to protest, but instead, his deputy only stared at his superior with horror.
Of course, Arian knew the reason. It was not surprising that Maloc was stupefied by him breaking the rules of formality.
It didn't happen often that royals were in a position where they would need to talk to a commoner. And in the rare cases something like that had happened- as far as Arian could recall, there had never been a case documented where a royal had lowered himself to speak with a commoner directly.
Well, then so be it. Then I'm the first. Oddly enough, Arian couldn't give a fuck.
He had been through a lot today. And given his questionable psichic state, he just wanted to get over with it and rest.
Right now he just wanted to be alone. Arian didn't understand why everything in his life had to be so complicated.
Even Marie was shocked by his action. And Pidgeon, too. Even the commoner seemed to understand the significance of the prince speaking personally to him.
Arian decided to ignore their stupefied looks.
"Maloc, you can leave. I will talk with Pidgeon personally. For that, I do not need your assistance."
His tone didn't allow any interjections. His command was final. Even Maloc accepted that.
Reluctantly, he turned around, and for a moment, Arian thought the issue was resolved. But then Maloc stopped in the doorframe.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, contemplating his next actions, before he bowed deeply.
"With all due respect, my prince, I don't understand. Why are you so... kind with him? He doesn't deserve your kindness. He's a mere commoner!"
Maloc's words were biting. Arian realized how Pidgeon seemed to get smaller and smaller with every insult Maloc threw at him.
He sighed. "What would you have me do instead, Maloc? Throw him out? If he has already prepared a gift for me, why can't he simply give it to me?"
"Because he is a COMMONER, my prince. He can't be trusted!!!"
Gesticulating wildly and with a blood-red face, Maloc looked utterly crazy.
Arian shook his head in disbelief. Having this conversation was so unnecessary. He couldn't help his voice from getting louder.
"Yes, he is merely a commoner. And I am royalty! So stop acting like I should be afraid of him, Maloc! That is embarrassing!"
"Talking- no, just being in the same room as a commoner is embarrassing for you, my prince!"
Now Arian couldn't control himself anymore. "Stop talking nonsense!", he shouted. "We have to spend quite some time here, Maloc. Better to make friends than enemies!"
"Hey..uhm, it's really not such a big deal, y'all. I didn't know visiting would be such a problem. I'm sorry. I really am. Can't we all just calm down again? Please?", Pidgeon tried again, but his efforts to somehow calm the situation were ignored.
"You are just like your mother," Maloc hissed. All reverence for his prince seemingly gone as he stared at him without hesitation. "Always so nice to commoners. Look where it got you: You ended up disabled."
He threw a condescending gaze at Arian's wheelchair.
An action that made Arian's blood boil.
How dare he?!
Ever since his incident, no one had spoken about it so clearly.
Of course, Arian knew what Maloc was hinting at: His former best friend, a commoner, a slave, who only rose to power because of Arian and then thanked him by betraying him- the reason for Arian not only turning paraplegic but also for losing his beast.
Arian pressed his lips tightly together.
"Out!"
Arian's voice was nearly a whisper, and yet it sounded more dreadful than everything else he had said today.
So much so, that it made Maloc flinch. The deputy bowed his head and almost fled the room.
After he was gone, silence fell over them, as Arian closed his eyes to calm himself.
When he opened them again, only Pidgeon was left in the room. Without his notice, Marie had quietly left as well.
Well then, Arian thought and forced a smile onto his face.
Let's get this over with.
"So you have a present for me?", he asked Pidgeon.
The boy nodded timidly as he pulled something out of his pocket.
When he opened his hand and held the present out for Arian to take it, the prince's fake simile faltered.
Now what the fuck was that?