#firmino

Gilbert eyed the new boy from across the room, he could tell that he didn’t want to be here. He knew the other kingdoms didn’t have the same tie to their royals as the Sweeney and Lehmann of Ephariel did, but he honestly didn’t understand it until he started following Alice to the other kingdoms on her trips to royal gatherings. He couldn’t believe that some of the other royal families treated their servant clans as expendable toys to be used, abused and tossed away. His fists clenched when he recalled the look on Alice’s face when the boy was ‘gifted’ to her in the cage that still sat in the room with him. The boy hadn’t said much outside of telling Alice and him to stay away from him, and honestly, it was getting on his nerves. He hated watching how upset Alice looked every time she tried to help the boy only to receive an insult thrown at her.

His eyes widened when he watched the boy try to swing at Alice, “Hey, I wouldn’t do that if I were you! She might be nice, but I’m not! You hurt her and I’ll break your arm!”

Gilbert kept his eyes on the boy but crossed his arms when Alice waved him off, “Gil, relax. He’s new and scared. I don’t know what they did to him in Atadell, but he’s entitled to not trust me and see me as a new enemy. If it’ll make him less scared to be able to take a swing, so be it.”

“I’m your guard, I’m not going to le-”

Alice rolled her eyes, walking by him, “Gilbert, I’m not asking. Now, I’m going to see what I can grab from the kitchen, keep him company.”

Before Alice slipped out the door, she quickly shot him a glare, “And be nice, or else we won’t have our weekly sleepover!”

A snort caught his attention as the boy finally glared at him, “What are you, her dog?”

Gilbert returned his glare, puffing out his chest, “No, I’m her best friend! And her personal guard! I’ll be head of the royal guard one day!”

He frowned as the boy rolled his eyes, “So you’re a glorified show pony until she gets bored of you.”

“Don’t talk about her like that! I don’t know what your problem is! She’s done nothing but be nice to you!”

Gilbert felt his anger rise when the boy waved him off, “She’s a royal, no different than any other. She’ll brand me and then I’ll be just another toy until I’m not useful anymore. You’re not special because you’re higher on the pecking order of servants here.”

“I choose to serve her! It’s the highest honour in my family to be the personal guard to the heirs of the Sweeney Clan! Even before they became the rulers of Ephariel!”

The boy scoffed again, “So you’re from a long line of pets.”

That was the last thing Gilbert needed to hear before he lunged at the boy, only to be pulled by the back of his shirt.

“Gilbert! I said be nice! Go stand outside while I get him settled into his room!”