“Cid, lad, you showed courage, I like it!” Benjamin said, giving the boy on the chair a slight hit on the shoulders, as he sat down.

“…Thank you, Uncle.” Not sure if what he had done was wise or not, Cid felt like he was still losing, even though he had gotten what he had asked for.

“Honey, I’ve already set up the bed for you, go lay down! You look exhausted!”

Opening his eyes and smiling at Pauletta, Cid nodded, “Thank you, Auntie! I really appreciate…”

Pauletta quickly interrupted him, “It is of no problem, child. It is something that I should do! Now go, we’ll check on you a bit later.”

Cid slowly made his way to a bed that he had used often before.

He used to come over here a lot more but since his mother had died…The bed he was now on had hardly been used…

Falling quickly into a deep, dreamless sleep, Cid didn’t know that both his Aunt and Uncle had checked up on him a few times during the night…

***

Cid did as he said he would and went back to the jewellery factory the next day. His head still hurt quite a lot, but he knew that he could only take his medicine and deal with it. The bandage around his head, when he checked, no longer showed that he was bleeding and so he removed it.

Having had a nice, uninterrupted sleep, Cid did feel rested, but as he began to work just before lunch, his head didn’t help him concentrate.

It seemed that he would be relying on medicine for longer then he originally thought…

Normally, he’d deal with the pain a lot easier but for once, it was his head that hurt, not his arm or leg or stomach and so he wasn’t used to it at all.

“We need these done by today!”

Cid just nodded and blinked, trying to keep himself awake.

He knew it though, the ‘job’ that needed to be done today was just made up. Most of them were, Cid was sure of it but…If he didn’t do it, he would lose something or be punished.

How could I keep living like this!? He thought.

He didn’t mean to continue his angry feelings but as time went on and it was afternoon, Cid was getting more and more angrier.

For all the times that he had been hurt, for all the times that he wasn’t accepted as a stepson. All the times that he had worked for free, that his earned or precious things were stolen. From all the times that he had done nothing wrong but still got punished just because they weren’t happy! For all this time that he felt like a worker, even though he was really a part of the family…Wasn’t family something that he should be able to count on but…This family was the complete opposite and just making life hard for him!

His emotions were sliding down a black walkway and Cid couldn’t grasp them at all…He was just…So damned angry! The black walkway was slowly showing less and less light as he got more and more upset to his current situation.

“Cid, are you alright!”

Looking up at David, seeing Princess Bethany hiding behind him, Cid looked back down, “I’m fine!”

“Mother wanted me to tell you that she was going to stay while father and I go and trade.” David stated, picking up one of the bracelets that was nearly made.

Cid took the bracelet and put it onto the table in front of him, “Tell her not to bother.”

“…Cid?”

Closing his eyes and clenching his hands, Cid looked up at David, “You were only leaving for a month this time, right? What can happen in a month?”

After that being said, Cid tried to focus once again.

“A lot…”

Cid breathed out harshly and looked back at David, “I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me!”

David looked intensely at Cid for a moment and then nodded, “Understood, I’ll tell her.”

Turning around and taking the Princess with him, David left the area.

“What…Wait! I want to go to Cid!”

Continuing to walk, David sighed, “Cid is only going to yell at you if you go there now. Didn’t you recognize what he was like? Don’t put him into a position where he might regret saying something!”

The Princess forced her arm away and glared at David, “What are you talking about!”

David looked at where Cid would be, then back at the Princess, “You know what he’s like when he’s angry, Princess!”

“A…Angry…” Princess Bethany quickly looked towards where Cid would be and flinched.

“Give him some space, let him calm down.” David stated, hoping that the Princess would understand.

The Princess looked down and then nodded.

Cid was one of those people that held a lot in.

When he was angry, he was really angry!

It would be like a years’ worth of anger coming out all at once and she remembers well…

It had happened twice, twice Cid had raged out with hurting words and afterwards, it was like a mess of emotions.

The first time it happened, Bethany had been told to ‘go away’ and then even scolded about how she had to nit-pick about everything, ‘just like his stepbrothers’.

After Cid had calmed down, he apologized but…That was what David was telling her now.

That if she were to go to him, while he was like this, he might say something that he didn’t mean. That…He wasn’t angry at her, but he could still lash out because she would be there and that might make things harder for him.

She still wanted to go, as she wasn’t scared of Cid being like this, but she really didn’t want to bring extra pain to Cid. David’s words were taken pretty seriously by the Princess and so she could only wait.

Perhaps she could help somehow?

What could I do for him?

If only she knew what else could she do, when they talked and fought, it still didn’t mean that he stated that he needed something.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Cid was someone that didn’t ask for help, he was stubborn, and it was hard to get into his head!

David had no extra feelings about this at all. He knew this Cid well and it was obvious to him why he was like this…Especially when it had started not long after Cid’s mother had died.

To him it wasn’t a big deal, words were just words, but how could he show the bad side of Cid to the Princess like this!? As a friend, he could only shake the girl away for now and met up together later.

If they just give Cid some space, then it’ll be over and if he wants to talk, they’ll be there. So why bother worrying about it?

What he will do though, is bring up his mother staying for him at another time, just in case.

If he was angry, his real answer might mean for his mother to stay and so…David wanted to give his friend this chance to change his mind.

Cid got lonely, David knew, even if he didn’t admit it, and sometimes it was hard to get Cid to smile upon his family returning from having traveled away.

“Just go back to the palace today, Princess.” David stated, putting a hand to her head, “He should be back to normal tomorrow!”

And just as David had assumed, Cid calmed down and was feeling less emotional the next day.

Sometimes…He just wasn’t able to keep his emotions at bay. They filled him up too much and he just had to let some of it out, but he felt glad that David had let him be the day before.

He was not angry at Princess Bethany nor David, so it was good that his friends understood what was going on without even being told.

Smiling to his best friend knowing him so well, Cid only felt better.

His head had a dull ache now, but he was able to tolerate this pain a lot better than the day before.

It seemed that he was back to his usual routine once again and…With the Princess coming to sit next to him, Cid was glad that she seemed somewhat normal considering that she was probably forced to leave the day before.

Something was different this time though, as the Princess sat there more quietly then normal.

What was wrong with her? Cid thought.

“If you had a choice of a long coat or a short coat, for when you go outside, which one would you choose?”

“Why are you asking me that Princess?” Cid raised his eyebrows but continued to work.

Princess Bethany shrugged, honestly, she wished that she could just come out and just ask properly but this question, that wasn’t pointed specifically towards something in particular, had won out.

“Long or short?”

Cid took a breath and had a moment to think, “Considering that I am not a noble, a long coat would not suit the status of someone like myself.”

“If you could choose?” Bethany asked, intently looking at him.

“If I could choose, I’d prefer the long coat. Is it not someone’s dream to be well dressed? I also like the look of it too. It’s different…” Cid stated, then got back to his work.

He was used to the dress of someone like a slave, so why wouldn’t he want to try out something that looked better and was different to what he usually wore?

“What about top hats? Do you like the flat ones or ones that aren’t black? They’re all black! Why does everyone like black top hats!?” Princess Bethany asked out loud.

Cid laughed and looked at Princess Bethany, “It is called style and black top hats represent authority…Power. Why…Are you upset that you don’t wear a black top hat?”

The Princess frowned at him and folded her hands together, “I could wear one if I wanted too!”

“Then wear one then, perhaps you will find yourself liking it!” Cid stated, smiling and getting back to his work.

“I don’t want too!”

And just like this, she did not really find out if Cid really did like a black top hat or not…

Sadly, the days seemed to flow fast after that and Cid found himself waving goodbye to David, Pauletta and Benjamin.

The Princess waved along with him and Cid looked at her and saw that she was standing straight, waving like a Princess.

Did she have some more lessons then?

The King had not given her many lessons all these years and when she was young, she had not been paying attention.

She told him once that she had wanted to get into trouble, she wanted her Queen mother or King father to punish her but…She took a while to understand that she was only getting punished by others and scolded by others. Only her elder brother would speak to her with words that were directly for her.

At least her elder brother looked at her in the face and cared…

“You are growing up, Princess!” Cid stated.

“I’m already grown!” Bethany retorted, making Cid let out a short laugh to feeling that her mature look disappeared as soon as she opened her mouth!

“Are you laughing at me?” Bethany stated, putting her hands over her body, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“Yes!” Cid stated, taking a quick step back and then turning.

“Cid…”

Stopping in a quick moment, Cid looked up to see the Prince, who was looking at Bethany.

“My dearest younger sister…”

“Elton!” Bethany smiled and ran up to her brother, hugging him, “You’re back!”

“Prince Elton.” Cid bowed his head formally and bowed.

“You may rise, Cid. I was only here to see David, but it seems that I have arrived too late.”

Looking up at Prince Elton, Cid looked towards the direction David had left in and didn’t see the carriage. “They will be gone for a month, Prince Elton, surely you will see David again soon.”

“Indeed. Come Bethany, I had only spoken a few words before I left the palace. We should return back together.”

Cid saw Bethany turn to him, so he nodded at her and waved.

Watching the royal Prince and Princess leave in a carriage that had shown up at some point, Cid sighed.

He had not wanted to burden Pauletta into staying and now the Princess was probably going to be busy with her brother, so…Perhaps it was a good time to get lost into his work.

Maybe he could come up with yet another idea?

It had been early so far on this day, and Cid went to the factory to start working.

Now…It seems the days grew longer.

It felt like an entire week went by, but it was really only been two days.

Cid had not seen anyone beyond the workers in the factory and his stepfather. Yet, he didn’t know that one thing had come to pass in the last day, which only started Cid to feel like he was heading towards a blocked place in his heart…

When he got home that day, Cid ate dinner and bathed, which was a nice change but…He didn’t expect to see his stepfather leaning against the doorway upon finishing his bath.

“Leonard?” Cid felt uneasy straight away.

What was he doing here?

Most of the time they came when I wasn’t here, this…Was weird…Why didn’t he just call for me? Cid was a bit lost in thought and honestly had no idea why Leonard would be waiting for him just like this.

“I found your little stash, you sneak! How dare you use my study place to hide your little things!”

Swallowing, Cid couldn’t help but look at Leonard with wide eyes…

He found it!

Calm down, he told himself, it doesn’t matter…

“I see that you had quite the amount of money, I’m feeling very generous and will give it back to you…On one condition.”

Leonard smirked. He knew that he couldn’t make things too terrible for him, as he still needed the little sneak to work for him!

Cid knew straight away about the ‘one condition’.

“Sign it over!”

Swallowing again, Cid took a deep breath in and repeated to himself that everything was alright and that he had already accepted that this was going to happen.

Nodding his head, Cid spoke, “I will sign.”

“Good boy!”

Cid couldn’t even get dressed properly before Leonard put down the real property ownership papers of his father’s blacksmiths shop on a surface that he could sign on.

It seemed that his stepfather had already thought of this before, as he watched his stepfather quickly set up ink and a quill.

“Go on then, sign it and see that I will make the shop much better!”

With each step that Cid took towards that piece of parchment, Cid could remember his father’s words.

‘My boy, do you know why I chose to become a blacksmith?’

‘Cid! Watch this! See that? That could be the start of a new type of armor!’

‘Go to your mother and say I’ll be home late but we’ll go do something fun tomorrow!’

Seeing his hand shaking, as he picked up the quill, Cid took a sharp breath in and tried to concentrate.

He knew this was probably going to happen, yet, why did he feel like he was surprised?

Why did he feel like he couldn’t take it?

Why…Why does he have to give his father’s shop away!?

“Cid…You said that you would sign it…Here, see, I keep my word.”

Watching his stepfather bring out money, that seemed about the amount that Cid had stashed away, Cid suddenly wondered where he would hide that now.

Wouldn’t he just loss it?

What was he going to do?

“Come on boy, sign it!”

With a hit over the head, Cid fell over the table surface and flinched. His head had gotten better but he felt sensitive because that had hurt.

Clenching his fist, Cid signed the parchment, feeling pathetic.

It was done…

I gave away my father’s shop to retrieve back my own money…That will probably be taken away from me anyway…And that was all Cid could think of…

Dropping the quill, Cid stood there, bowing his head in shame.

“Good boy! I’ll be off now, don’t be late tomorrow morning!”

How did he sleep at night?

Why, why do they torment me like this!?

Slamming down his fist on the table, it rattled, being old and just about ready to break down.

Seeing the money fall and flutter to the ground, Cid let out a small laugh.

Should he even bother to hide it?

If he hid it, they’d only find it…

Falling to the floor, Cid took in a deep breath and looked out through the small window.

‘My boy, what are you talking about? I’m not going to lose business just because someone else came. I have my unique ways that will keep me going! Don’t worry…’

Right…

Nodding absentmindedly, Cid took in another deep breath and remembered about his goal.

He will be his own man! He will escape from this!

Picking up the money that fell to the floor, Cid stared at it for a moment and wondered where he would hide it.

The Princess!?

Could I let her hold it for me? He wondered.

Putting the money together into one bundle, Cid put it into a keepsake, small box and put it on the table.

Should he rely on the Princess?

Smiling, he knew that he could trust her, it’s just…

He felt like he would be cheating if he did that…Wasn’t he going to stand up on his own two feet?

Besides…It was about time to get ready to leave…Wasn’t it…

He knew that there was only so much he could endure and knew that he had started a path to be on his own two feet, it was just…He had hoped it would be easier than this…