Chapter 2

Chapter Two

G azing around and seeing no one stupid enough to ask anything else, Lord Vession nodded.

"Very well. You may eat."

As if waiting for the command, primas strode into the hall carrying plates covered with small domes. I recognized them as the same plates my mother and I always received for the meals in our rooms.

Straightening in my chair, my mouth watered, and my stomach growled. I hadn't gotten breakfast this morning, and it had to be past afternoon by now.

"Thank you."

The prima gave me an odd look as she set the steaming plate with its cover in front of me. Remembering the manners my mother drilled into me, I resisted from opening the cover until everyone else at my table received one as well. A few other boys at my table did the same, but most didn't, instead preferring to rip off the cover and dig in immediately.

The scent of meat and rosemary filled the air, but I waited, watching the mud boys curiously. The primas could barely get the plate to one boy before another was trying to snatch it, and it only took seconds before an all-out brawl looked inevitable.

"Gimme!" A large boy pushed another off his bench, grabbing the other boy's food with two fists and cramming it into his mouth.

The primas backed away in horror as the Fireguards moved forward, bashing at the boys indiscriminately as they snatched at food and stuffed it into their faces like they'd never seen it before and would never see it again.

The sharp angles of their faces suddenly made sense: the mud boys were literally starving.

My mouth parted in surprise. The noble boys snickered and laughed, but surely that was only because they didn't realize what was going on. Why were the mud boys starving? Had no one told them there would always be food?

It was on the tip of my tongue to yell at the Fireguards to stop beating the mud boys, but no one yelled at Fireguards, and especially not the dark-haired son of a lesser noble, friend of the queen or not.

So like the other noble boys around me, I only watched in horror as the Fireguards beat the mud boys into submission away from the food, until each one either cowered in their seat in fear, not even daring to look at their plates, or were too bloody to consider reaching for it again.

Vession watched over all of it with a disapproving glare, but I wasn't sure if it was directed at the appalling manners of the boys, or the actions of the Fireguards.

I doubted my manners would be immaculate if I were starved, then put in front of a bunch of food like that. Of course, that was also assuming I'd even been taught manners to begin with. Were the mud boys taught manners?

"You will eat like civilized beings. There is no shortage of food. If you run out, more will be brought. If you fight again, you'll end up like the ones from the bathing chambers. Have I made myself clear?"

My eyes widened at the vehemence in Vession's voice, but it was nothing to how white most of the mud boys went. What had happened in the bathing chambers? A chill went up my spine as I remembered watching the Fireguards carry out lumpy sacks—lumpy sacks that looked around the same size as me and the other boys.

That was ridiculous, though. The Fireguards were harsh, but they wouldn't kill little boys.

They wouldn't .

A small chorus of ‘yes sirs' snuck through the lips of the surrounding boys, but the mud boys either glared through the blood or sat stock still in their chairs, terrified.

"When you are asked a question that requires a response, you answer," Vession chastised. "Do you understand?"

The Fireguards moved it again to stand behind the mud boys, who flinched and cowered. Or with a handful, bared their teeth and growled like some kind of animal.

"Yessir," came the cracked, crying answer from most of the mud boys. I resisted the urge to cover my eyes as the Fireguards hit the defiant boys again, but I didn't. Someone needed to bear witness to their stupidity, or bravery, depending on how you viewed it.

Vession leaned back, tucking his hands into the folds of his robes. "Such upset and waste over something that is widely available. Foolish. Now, try again."

The boys glanced fearfully at the Fireguards, too scared to move. No one twitched a muscle until one boy, smaller than the rest, tentatively reached out and grabbed a roll. Inch by inch, he brought it back to his plate and took the tiniest bite.

"Slowly, and politely. There is enough for all."

The mud boys behaved better after that, and the primas even returned to refill their plates and goblets, which happened frequently as each of them ate three to four times the amount anyone at my table did. It was like watching a free show—where were they putting it all?

Finally, the primas stopped coming back out, and the food disappeared. The boys nervously glanced at each other as the last few bites were snatched up, the boys swiping at each other, then cringing and turning to see the reactions of the surrounding Fireguards.

"Everyone stand. You will form into a single line and follow me to your dormitories, where you will sleep from now on. In the morning, you will come back for breakfast. No talking or bandying about; you are to go straight to sleep. Fireguards will ensure your cooperation."

I snorted. Cooperation .

The noble boys stood as one unit, patiently waiting while the first table peeled off to make a single file line in front of Vession, and then my table. The mud boys moved with a surprising amount of obedience and decorum as they lined up behind us. Perhaps the promise of a bed and another meal in the morning had them motivated to behave.

I'd read in a book you'd catch more flies with honey than vinegar, though I wasn't sure why anyone would want to catch flies in the first place.

Either way, we all walked out of the dining hall together and began our ascent up a narrow, winding staircase. Torches were stuck into the stone walls in brackets every few feet, the fire winding down to embers as the last few rays of sunlight came in through the windows. It was barely enough light to see.

The single-file rows made sense now: it would have been tricky trying to fit more than one person across at a time! Hopefully, the mud boys didn't push and shove, or they'd take each other out easily. That's what the Fireguards were for, I supposed.

Halfway up the stairs, a scream erupted from behind us. I flinched, as did most of the boys ahead of me, but there was no going back or stopping.

Only forward.

Were mud boys stupid, or just incredibly stubborn and slow to learn?

At the top of the staircase, the hallway widened and a large wooden door greeted us, with small bars over the middle slot. I tried to tell myself it did not look like a prison door.

Vession had us gather around him, and we waited with a nervous, silent tension as the mud boys filtered in behind us, the fireguards bringing up the rear. One boy was hiccupping hysterically, trying to muffle his sobs that likely had something to do with the wicked burns covering his face and upper arms.

I turned back around to face Vession, not wanting to be chastised for inattention.

"Inside these doors are your bunks. Once inside, I will not be there. Fireguards will remain out here at all hours, on rotating shifts. Everything that happens beyond is your domain. Do what you will with it; just be up and ready to leave for breakfast at sunrise."

Another chorus of ‘yes sirs' erupted, but more enthusiastic than the first one. Even a majority of the mud boys chimed in, likely thinking that they'd be free once the Fireguards and Vession were gone.

My mood only soured. Without the adults, who would ensure order? What would stop the mud boys from running ruck shod over us, or resorting to physical violence to get their way?

"In."

Well, we were about to find out.

Vession ushered all of us inside, but stayed out beyond the door. I followed the blonde boy in front of me, passing through the door and entering a very long, narrow room that only went five more paces in front of me before ending with a stone wall. To my left and right, however, the room stretched on for quite a way, with one window at the end of each side. Rows and rows of bunk beds stretched in either direction, taking up both sides of either wall. Wooden frames stacked on top of each other from the floor to the ceiling, with suspended canvas fabric in between that made up the ‘bed.'

Boys pushed around me as I stood there, confused. It was nothing like the bed in my mother's apartments, with its feather-stuffed mattress and silk sheets. And it was so … tight in here. How were we all supposed to fit?

As more and more boys spilled in through the door, panic gripped my throat with its sharp fingers and squeezed. I pushed and shoved my way down the left side, running toward the window and putting my hands on the cool glass. Golden-pink light leaked in, cutting through the stifling claustrophobia. I eyed the top hammock closet to the window and climbed up to it, setting myself above the chaos.

Up here, it didn't feel as closed off. My pulse settled as the boys peeled off below me. The mud boys stuck together in small groups, choosing bunks together with an odd excitement. The other noble boys took note and huddled close as well, trying to stay separate from the mud boys.

It seemed odd to smash us all together like this if we were expected to have separate paths in society. What was the point?

"Sissy boy. I want that spot."

I frowned, my attention pulled down to the ground, where a large mud boy with dried blood on his face pointed aggressively at me.

He looked ridiculous with his swelled, crooked nose, trying to stand tall and bully me into doing what he wanted. I couldn't help but laugh in his face.

I sobered quickly as he scaled the beds quicker than the dragon that skittered over our kingdom's dome, put his hands on me, and physically threw me out of the hammock and to the floor below.

Too shocked to realize what was happening before it was too late, I tumbled over the edge and hit the ground hard, landing flat on my back. Pain exploded from my tailbone and radiated down my arms and legs as boys scattered, trying to avoid my flailing limbs. All the air went out of my lungs the moment I hit the ground, and it took me a moment before I could suck in another breath.

Shakily, I stood. The other boys had all gone quiet and were watching with wide eyes.

"You can't do that. You're a mud. He's a noble." The small mud boy who'd first taken the roll at dinner stood warily next to me, his gaze focused on the larger boy who'd taken my bed.

"Shuddup, M. No one asked you. And it doesn't matter what kind of fancy clothes he has on. He looks like you—just another runt in my way."

A few of the noble boys inched closer towards me, but no one stuck up for me.

Just perfect. I wasn't poor and thin enough to be accepted as one of the mud boys—not that I'd want to be—but my dark hair and unknown origins meant the noble boys were unwilling to claim me either.

I had no one to rely on but myself.

My back straightened as I ignored the sharp pain lancing through it. I tilted my chin up and glared. The boy was bigger than me, but he was also starved and nothing but bones, despite his size. I bet I weighed more. I bet I could take him.

The little boy—M—backed away with a squeak as I climbed the row of bunks next to mine. The boy up top laughed and got on his knees, grinning with anticipation.

I'd show him. I'd show all of them.

Flipping myself onto the top bunk beside the bully, I lunged at him blindly. Below us, the boys jeered and laughed, happy to have free entertainment.

They'd be begging to be on my good side by the time I was done! They'd grovel, they'd—

WHAM.

The boy caught me with a massive sucker punch to my jaw, and I fell from the top bunk a second time .

Blindly, my hand scrabbled as I fell over, and I caught the lip of the second bed, stopping myself before I fell to the ground again.

Until the boy leaned over the edge of his hammock and brought his fist down on my hand as hard as he could.

CRACK.

Something broke in my hand and I fell the rest of the way to the floor with a WHUMPF. The pain was intense—white-hot, blinding agony that made it impossible to breathe, let alone think. Hot tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. I needed my mother. I—

No.

I viciously shoved the tears down, shoving my hand behind my body as I shakily stood up fast to make it seem as though I were uninjured. Mother couldn't help me here. I was on my own, more so than any other boy here. I had to be tough. I had to figure this out.

But not now.

Clearly, I'd underestimated my opponent. I'd underestimated these mud boys with their lanky, malnourished frames and too-large eyes. Instead of trying again, I climbed into the nearest bunk bed closest to me, across from the large boy and on the bottom. I rolled over so my back faced the other boys, cradling my broken hand to my chest and struggling not to cry.

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" hollered the mud boy.

I shut my eyes tightly to keep the tears inside. Humiliation, pain, and embarrassment kept every muscle frozen.

The crowd of boys drifted away, bored and muttering. I heard a few other scuffles break out, but eventually the dorm got quiet as darkness crept in.

Loss hit me hard in my chest. I missed my mother. Despite everything, she was familiar. I had known what to expect with her.

My throat tightened until it was hard to breathe, even though I hadn't had any of that odd fish to eat since it had happened a few years ago. I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't.

But why not? My world had gone from my mother's apartments to this strange new life in the blink of an eye. Back home, I had understood the rules and my place in them.

Here? Nothing made sense. Nothing was sure or guaranteed. Whatever the mud boys had been through had more effectively prepared them for our upcoming trials in a way that my sequestered existence hadn't.

I would rectify that, and in time, make them regret it all.

Somehow, I fell asleep despite the throbbing pain.