Yep, I'm truly, royally screwed!!

You turned away, dashing away from the blazing twin blue flames.

But you didn't get far. A hand grabbed your wrist and steered you away from.. wherever you were running blindly away in your panic.

The flash of gold on his back made you shut your eyes and surrender to your fate.

Goodbye, my fantasy world! I'm sorry I couldn't explore you! I'm sorry my cute, magical beasts I won't be able to meet! You internally let out exaggerated tears, lamenting over your loss.

He dragged you off, into a deserted hallway. Stopping and letting go of your wrist.

The shadows from the giant pillars fell around, bathing him in darkness. While the lights of the ball washed over your nervous features.

You stared at him. He stared back. Only your stare was one of a frightened puppy and his evil villain

Bright lights melted the shadows as you stood in the light while the shadow shrouded him, making his dazzling icy blue eyes pop out.

"Had your fun?"

You ignored his sarcastic words and beamed at him falsely.

"Hi there, buddy! What a coincidence to meet you here! Ah! I remember I had a ton of assignments to finish. So Igottagobye!" You stammered, dashing away from Claude who stood glaring at you coldly.

"Y/n."

Instantly you felt your feet halt, refusing your command to make a run for it. Without your will, your body turned around to face his writhing glare.

You waved at him, with a forced cheerful grin. "What's up? Eek--! You are making quite a scary face there? It doesn't suit your adorable face, not at all!!"

His fists clenched by his side. "What the hell are you playing at? Didn't I say not to get yourself involved in my business?"

You feigned confusion. "Business? What business? I never knew you had a business going on--hk!"

He narrowed his eyes at you dangerously, a deadly scowl creeping on his face.

"Not the humorous one are you?" Your breath hitched nervously, and you smiled sheepishly. It felt like you were back at the principal's office waiting nervously over the edge for the reason you were summoned.

His shoes made a clinking sound on the marble floor as he stopped in front of you, glaring down. "You stupid idiot, have you got any idea what would've happened if they had got you red-handed?"

You guessed it, trying to douse off the chilling atmosphere. "I would've got executed..?"

"So the lady can use her brain. And still, you went and caused trouble." A sardonic smirk tugged on his soft lips.

"Causing trouble is fun! You should try it sometime. Trust me it won't be disappointing. Hehe," You awkwardly laughed, ignoring the chills running down your spine.

He gave you a flat stare and sighed. "I don't know why I even try. I better reason with a brick than with you."

"Brick can't praise your smartness, Claude, I can. So you are better off picking me!" You give him thumbs up with a sparkling toothy grin.

A tense moment passed when he inquired about you again. "Why? Why would you go and do that? Humiliating the Empress in front of everyone, what would you gain from it?"

A cold, suffocating silence ensued as you tried to collect yourself and explain to him.

When you didn't answer his eyes narrowed. "Are you pitying me? I don't want your pity, (y/n) If that's why you're doing it then you can stop right now. It's annoying."

Being either scorned or pitied his whole life, he didn't have the heart to accept the pity of someone he started to consider friends.

You felt the temperature drop with Claude's mood. Collecting yourself you gave him straight forward answer, shaking your head at his words in refusal. "I'm not pitying you. You're too strong to be pitied. You're my friend, watching that old hag make you go through that cruel shit made me angry."

Claude's indifferent face twitched as he voiced his surprise. "So you're angry on my behalf?"

Again you shook your head, refusing his misconceptions of the situation. "No, no. I'm angry because I'm angry. How would I know how'd you feel about this whole situation? The only one who understands what you feel is you. So getting angry on your behalf is impossible."

"....I see. Then the whole thing was you acting impulsively on your emotions. You're quite a reckless idiot in that regard."

You huffed, not denying his words. You were a short-tempered person. Impulsive and rush Quick to throw fists than words. You were a troublemaker to your very core.

"I'm still not clear about your reason behind those reckless actions that could very much have executed you. Putting aside your impulsive instincts, you're not that much of an idiot, right?"

You made a face at him. He was still asking for reasons. Really? He couldn't understand the sentiments behind your anger fuelled action.

You'd be an idiot to think that your words in the room back then had any significant impact on his way of thinking. He who had rejected even Felix's help would seek comfort in a girl who he met months ago? Impossible. Maybe he was momentarily stunned at your words. But he was too independent, too self-reliant and headstrong. Especially resilient.

He was a pretentious idiot who would take on punches without letting out any sound. He would let himself suffocate in his pain and loneliness than ask anyone for help. Put up a strong front that he was alright. And you couldn't blame him. Since seem like he acquired those straits because of his own horrid experiences.

So keeping that in mind, he wouldn't take your words to face value because your words weren't backed by any evident action. For him, it could just be empty comforting words. His moment of weakness where he gave into his emotions.

You had to find a way to convince your sincere words to him. Make him believe that you wholeheartedly meant what you said.

So you took a deep breath, giving up conjuring proper words. You just let the heart speak, let it convey your emotions to him.

You focused your gaze on his intense one and mustered up the courage to open your heart and blurt out your true wishes.

"I'll say it again to make it crystal clear, Claude, I care for you. You were the motive I went half frenzied in anger. But it seems like I have to help you understand better why I did what I did." You took a step towards him with a firm look in your eyes, a small fire burning in them. "Claude, I hope in the near future you'll let me be by your side. Consider me worthy enough to let me walk by your side. Because I want to be there when you falter in your steps. I want to be your unwavering support. Just like Felix. Whatever you need I want to be there to help you."

Surprise flashed over his visage before he masked it with indifference.

You gazed focused on his shadow that distorted and shifted, just shy away from touching you before locking eyes with darkened piercing blues orbs. "I don't like seeing you in pain. It hurts me strangely for a bizarre reason I don't fully know. I want to say I'd like to take away your pain entirely or the reason for the lingering darkness in your eyes but that would be arrogant of me. That would be egoistic since I don't fully understand what you're going through, even what you feel about it. I don't understand your family dynamics. Or why you don't want to rebel against them. I don't know you. And that makes me sad. I hope someday I'll get to know you for you and understand you and your actions."

Claude says nothing, only his intense calculative eyes pierced yours. He seems to be analysing you, observing your smallest moments as if trying to find telltale of your deceit and lies in your words.

You stumbled over your words seeing the cold, calculative look of distrust but continued. "So in short all can do is help you shoulder it. Help share your pain. Be there when you want to punch someone in your stead, that's the only thing I can do, unfortunately."

A wind blew ruffling your [c] hair and the white cape of his royal blue suit. Momentarily your vision of him was blocked by your hair. You could only see him partially. He looked so far away. So out of reach.

You smiled sadly. "I know what I'm saying is pompous of me but I don't want you to turn into a person who can't trust anyone. I don't want you to limit the world to those who hurt and betrayed you. I don't want you to remember only pain inflicted by people you thought cared."

Claude's dull eyes were shadowed by his golden bangs that swayed gently with the cool breeze. Piercing blue orbs seem to lose their light as you continue with your words.

"I don't want you to suffocate within those steel walls you build just because your outstretched hand was discarded and ignored. Just because your family is a bunch of assholes doesn't mean you have to give up on forming ties outside the pain your so-called family inflicted on you."

Just for a second, you nearly missed it, his cold mask wavered, and a broken look formed in his eyes, conveying the sadness and loneliness he felt throughout the years of getting tormented and scorned by his family. At that moment he looked utterly vulnerable and exposed. Scars and wounds bared naked. No child, no hiding behind a mask, just him. The real him.

Taking it as encouragement you went on. "You can believe in future, Claude. You can believe in yourself. You can paint a future entirely different from your past. A future filled with hope, light and happiness. And you don't have to do it alone. Me, Felix and many more in the future will help you do that."

There was a slight change in his apathetic face as he takes in your words. His jewelled eyes reflected the lights around, colouring them into bright indigo.

"So please don't push away me, or anyone who is trying to help you. For once let yourself have the benefit of the doubt and trust them. Trust me. I'm here for you." You smiled at him, a tender genuine smile.

Trust was a fragile thing. Hard to obtain but easy to lose. It was a gamble above all. You wondered if he was ready to gamble and place his trust in you.

A dazed look formed on his face, and his lips parted. His stern expression softened into an unreadable one. You squinted at him. Were your eyes playing tricks or Claude suddenly looked bashful and hesitant?

Before he could respond to your awkward, clumsy sincere words, footsteps echoed.

Claude was quicker on his feet than you. He pushed you against the wall and ducked behind the pillar, casting an invisible spell on you all within a few seconds. You would have been awed at his swift thinking and skill in magic if you weren't irritated at being distributed.

With a look of warning, he turned towards the owner of the footsteps, stepping into the light.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, the glowing blue orbs flashing in scorn and disgust.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Little brother, long time no see." Anastacius mockingly tilted his head in mock delight, his pale blue eyes flashing otherwise.

Dude, couldn't you come a minute later? Did you have to ruin my awesome, touching speech to Claude?! Bad timing dude, seriously bad timing!

You scowled at him, flipping him the bird even when he couldn't see it. I hope you step on legos for the rest of your life.

"What are you doing here in this deserted hall? Pitying yourself perhaps. Or cursing your cursed existence?"

Claude's face was chillingly emotionless and placid as always. Betraying nothing. He calmly took in his words and indifferently toss them away.

"You must be really happy today to see Father being insulted and Mother making a fool of herself. I would've suspected you but I'm not a fool neither are you. I know you too well to see you make such baseless action that doesn't benefit you in the long run." Anastacius ran his hand through his hair, messing up his side-parted style as he gave a sardonic smirk.

"I want to contradict you but I'm certain my words will fall on deaf ears. It won't matter what I say, you already are convinced otherwise." Claude said monotonous, not backing away from the open instigation.

You could feel the animosity surging between them like a second poisonous layer in the atmosphere.

"My opinion only formed that way because I've been watching you for a long time, dear little brother," Anastacius said poison dripping each word with a mocking smile. "You're the silent sly fox or should I say snake in waiting, ready to strike at the given opportunity."

"If you say so. I'd beg to differ but I won't waste my breath on you. You're free to think whatever you want, it doesn't matter."

Claude's dismissive attitude made Anastacius irritated. His attempted provocation fell flat on calm Claude and he became irked when Claude remained unresponsive to his open hostility.

"Be careful, little brother. You are not wanted here. Mishaps are bound to happen." Anastacius said in low voice, dark and threatening, irritated as he walked past indifferent Claude whose eyes darkened.

Claude passive-aggressiveness smirk matched a knife's sharpness. "You don't need me to tell that I'm well aware. I can see that for myself. And sure your Highness, mishaps are bound to happen, you should worry about it more. After all, mishaps sure don't discriminate between people."

Their eyes met for a split second, raging pale blue eyes clashing into icy cold sapphire eyes.

You let out the breath you didn't know you were holding as the tenseness dissipated once Anastacius was put off sight.

The moment was broken. Your shoulder slumped in dejection and your mind cursed a doppelganger who waltz at the most wrong time.

"Are you hurt?"

"Huh?" You looked up, seeing him walk towards you, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I threw you pretty roughly there. You are far too weak for me to be this reckless. So are you hurt?"

"Sheesh, even your concern has backhanded insult. Nah, I might not look like it but I'm quite strong." You smugly said, haughtily stroking your nose.

"...That is debatable."

"Eh?! Have some faith in me, will ya?!" You yelled irked.

"Let's get out of here before someone spots us. You already wasted our time with your nuisance blabbering."

"Huh?"

You blinked.

Claude merely tilted his head as you stared at him with a deep look of betrayal.

"That's what you make out of my touching words?! A nuisance blabbering?!" You sulked. "That's cold, even for you!"

He huffed, marching away from your grumping self.

Begrudgingly you followed him as he led the way. "Hey, Claude.."

He looked over his shoulder, his head cocked to the side in question, golden fringe brushing over his forehead softly.

"It's fine if you don't believe me now. But I'm here to remind you every day. And till the day you trust my words, I'll repeat it to you like a broken tape. Again and again. Millions of times if I've to. So you better prepare yourself. Because I believe in your future. I believe in you. And I'll keep believing until you start believing too."

"..."

He turned around, not giving any reaction to your words. But you swore you saw his lips twitch as his hands raised to cover his mouth and his ears red.

You hurried after him, feeling unnaturally happy.

"If you're gonna smile at least have the decency to show me the wonderful sight that occurs once in blue moon. I'm your friend you know!"

"I'm not smiling."

"And I'm not daydreaming!" You walked behind him as he hurried up, giggling to yourself at his sudden flustered self.

You walked a few paces behind him, letting him recollect himself while you pondered over your earlier words. You cringed hard recalling it. Screw it, I'm gonna file it away as my dark history, never to be touched again.

Claude suddenly stopped and his low voice startled you. "What are you doing, walking behind me? Walk beside me. I don't want to lose you--" He cleared his throat, before rewording his sentence. "I mean you'll get lost with your terrible sense of direction. It'd be a hassle to find you."

You froze for a moment, mouth gaping at his still back. He wants you to walk beside him? Your heartbeat slowed down in deliberate surprise and slowly it sped up with warmth, with joy like never felt before warping around it in a tight cocoon.

Each step forward bridged the giant gulf between you two. Breaking the invisible wall between both of you. Each step forward build a bridge between hearts that were beating in sync with growing trust.

Until you were by his side, hands locked behind you with a bright beam on your face. "Sure. I will walk by your side. As long as you want me to."