Royally Screwed

The loud growls of Kellin's stomach just wouldn't go away and no matter how many times the boy would turn in his bed, he just couldn't sleep on an empty stomach. He remembered one night where his stepdad yanked him up to his room to go without supper. It was maybe only two weeks after his mother passed away and Kellin had his first breakdown after one too many chores were being forced onto him and none on Jenna. His stepdad called him 'overtly sensitive' to believe such a thing like that, pushing him in his bedroom and making sure that Kellin didn't try to come back out by locking his door. So, Kellin stayed there, his stomach growling and his eyes growing heavier from sleep until he finally just gave up and went to bed.

His stepdad unlocked his door late in the night, maybe when he was getting ready to bed and Kellin heard the sound of the lock coming off. He waited for a while before quietly crawling out of bed and exiting his room, tip toeing down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen to see if he could rummage up any kind of scraps he could eat, only just finding bread, butter and an apple. It had to suffice, the toaster would have given him away with all that noise so Kellin just crept back up to his bedroom with his stolen goods and ate enough to tie him over until the morning.

In some way to try to make himself feel better and not ready to cry how he missed his mother's cooking, his father's loud laughs over jokes at the dinner table, his parent's love and kindness, his mind tricked him into believing he was like Aladdin. Aladdin would have a dinner like this since he didn't have a mother to cook for him either so Kellin took that with a teary eyed smile. Yes, he was like Aladdin, one of his childhood heroes and soon, he'll find a genie that would grant his wishes, grant the three he then desired the most.

To be free from the McDougalls for good.

To have a family that loved him and cherished him just as much as his father and mother did.

And of course, to find his Prince Charming.

Kellin sat up in his bed, holding his stomach and giving a groan. He swung his legs out of bed, tip toeing to his door to open and peer out into the hall. It was dark and he gulped, he never walked around the palace at night and didn't know what he might run into. But his stomach growled again and he took a step out into the hallway, determined to just hurry to the kitchen and hope that maybe Jean or Tony or even Kim were there and could get him something to eat. He settled at a fast walking pace, hurrying down the stairs and tried to remember what the halls looked like during the day to head in the direction he hoped was the kitchen. It was just silence, no sounds at all save for Kellin hearing the sounds of trees rustling outside from the night breeze. The walls seemed so much higher and the halls so much more bigger, like he was walking in a castle from medieval periods than this palace. He jumped at a sound of clanging pots, peering to see a light down the hall and someone yelling loudly.

One half of him hoped it was the kitchen.

The other half hoped he wouldn't be getting in too much trouble.

With another urging growl from his stomach, Kellin continued to walk and slowly snuck into the lit area. The kitchen smelled of hot fresh food and as Kellin hid under the table and peered from underneath the bottom of the table cloth, his eyes widened and lips licked at the sight of a delicious spread out on the table. Turkey, toasted bread, cheese platters, fish, pastas, grapes and a nice chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Kellin hummed, almost crawling out from underneath the table when he heard footsteps and he hid back underneath.

"I can't believe them! All this food gone to waste and all because that American and that spoiled brat of a prince decided to act like dogs! I am far better than this, I don't deserve this!" a man shouted and Kellin gulped, peeking to see a man dressed in fancy chef clothing pacing back and forth, seething with anger. He could see Jean standing in her uniform, watching the man with a small smile.

"But Tino, Mr. Quinn and His Highness didn't mean to let dinner go to waste. I bet the poor dearies are hungry. I'll tell you what, I'll get Tony and Kimberly and we'll bring the two up a plate of your delicious cooking," she said and Kellin found himself smiling at the woman.

"Oh no! It's about time that the prince realizes that he needs to respect my cooking and my service. If he wants to act like a little brat, he's going to have to go without food!"

"Oh Tino-"

"Don't 'Oh Tino' me! I am going to be respected by that blond brat and I decide what is and isn't going to be served, not some thirteen year old American-"

"Mr. Quinn is seventeen actually," Jean corrected and Tino rolled his eyes.

"Who cares! I'm not changing how I cook just because he has some 'peanut allergy' that makes him break out! Cause I'm the head chef!" he shouted out and Jean crossed her arms.

"Well then 'Head Chef', what do you suppose we end up doin' with all this food? We could pack it up and donate it to the children's shelter," she suggested.

". . .Yeah, what have children ever done for me? Besides ask for me to prepare them macaroni and cheese six times before saying they hated it in the first place?"

"And His Highness was only eight and apologized for making steam come out of your ears," Jean replied and placed hands on his shoulders, leading the chef out of the kitchen and ushering, "I'll take care of everything, don't let your blood pressure run up like it always does."

Kellin waited for a couple of minutes before slowly climbing out from underneath the table, peeking around and heading straight to the food. It all still smell delicious and still piping hot, Kellin's hands went to grab at a slice of bread and munched on it. There was a buttery spread on it already, delicious and crisp he finished it in only two or three bites. Kellin then reached for some of the fruit, plucking a couple of grapes to put in his mouth before taking a slice of cheese to eat. Then he took another slice of bread, eating it while reaching for the fish to pull off some and eat when he heard a noise. Kellin paused, bread still in his teeth as his eyes darted around in fear of being caught but seeing no one. He turned slowly, eating that piece of bread in his mouth and his hand now moving to take a red apple instead but just as he placed a hand on the fruit, a hand went over his mouth and Kellin's eyes widened.

He screamed into the hand, eyes looking to see Vic standing behind him and finger to his lips as he slowly pulled his hand away. Vic smiled, adjusting the bag on his shoulder as he circled round the other end of the table.

"See you had the same idea," the prince whispered, walking over to one of the cupboards and pulling out a couple of large white boxes. He popped open one, rolling up the sleeves of his white pajama shirt and began to grab at everything and place it into the box. The bread, the apples, the grapes, the bowls of pastas along with the serving spoons, trying to fill as many boxes as he can before placing them into his bag. Vic began to reach for the whole turkey but Kellin slapped his hand away, looking at the brunette with amazed eyes.

"You're not that hungry."

"Feels like it," Vic said, taking another box and scooping the fish inside. The table was now mostly cleared, save for that turkey and that chocolate cake. Vic walked over to the refrigerator, sifting through it and pulling out two bottles of apple cider, sticking those in his bag as well before tugging the strap onto his shoulder, "Well, let's go."

"Go where?"

"To my room so we can eat," he said and Kellin bit his lower lip.

"But Rian said to go to our own bedrooms."

"Rian also says to not run and yell 'Fire!' when we go to the races," Vic commented and Kellin stared at the prince.

"Well what does that have to do with anything?"

"Not much. But a lot of what Rian says is pretty irrelevant anyways," Vic replied, walking over and grabbing the chocolate cake with its stand, "Come on, before we get caught," he urged, tilting his head over to a section of the kitchen wall that was missing, revealing a small lit corridor and a cabinet next to it. Kellin gulped, quickly rushing into the secret passageway and Vic followed behind him, handing the cake to Kellin before pulling the cabinet back into its spot and covering up the entrance. The prince turned, smile on his face, "Now just follow me, my room isn't too far away."

Kellin just nodded, Vic moving past him and with good hold on the bag of food, began to walk through the corridor. It was lit with tiny lamps that flickered, Kellin wondering why this passageway had lamps but the other one didn't and he opened his mouth to ask that question when Vic answered, "They take people on tours of the palace in June, this is just one of the places they pass through," Vic replied and Kellin closed his mouth, small blush coming over his face.

"How'd you know what I was going to ask?"

"I didn't. But I'd figure you would be curious about this," Vic replied, turning left and Kellin following behind quickly. It almost felt like they were walking in a maze, every single left and right that Vic done made Kellin feel like they passed by the exact place before. Who knows if they had, who knows if they were possibly walking around in circles and Kellin was beginning to grow worried about never getting out of here. But Vic began to slow, Kellin seeing up ahead that there was a wall with a light that wasn't lit like all the others. Vic looked over his shoulder as he placed a hand on the frame of the light, "Be careful with the cake, don't want any of the chocolate to get on my clothes," he said and Kellin raised an eyebrow at the prince confused. Vic smiled, tugging on the light and the wall pulled away, coats and shirts in Kellin's view.

Vic pushed past the clothes, making way for Kellin to come through and try not to get any of the chocolate frosting on the regal looking garments as he pushed past them. They weren't walking on the stone floor of the corridors, they were on carpet. A cream colored carpet and Vic opened another door, leading out of what Kellin presumed they were in the closet. He stepped out as well, eyes widening in shock at Vic's room. It was huge, the walls a forest green and ceilings dark brown. Wooden decorations and paintings of forest scenery and nature decorated the room, a fireplace by the small wooden table with two chairs seated around it and a vase of sunflowers on top. There was a television, one of those nice and rather advance HD ones settled on a wooden stand and bookshelves of pictures and trinkets lined the walls by the windows shrouded by a gold curtain.

"This is your bedroom?" Kellin asked, astonished and he heard Vic scoff.

"Of course not, this is just the living room," Vic replied, placing all of the food onto the table and taking the chocolate cake out of Kellin's hands to settle that down as well. He took Kellin's hand, pulling the boy over to a set of white double doors and opened them, gesturing to now a royal blue room with a large cream and golden sheeted bed with a balcony, "This is my bedroom," Vic replied and Kellin's jaw only seemed to drop more. He felt Vic take him over to the balcony, opening the door and stepping out to feel the cool night air and Kellin's eyes widened at the sight. The city, all lit up and looking like a golden dream only seen in a fairy tale picture.

"It's so beautiful," Kellin murmured and Vic smiled.

"Yeah, I like to come out here and think."

"About what?"

"Well. . .stuff. . ."

"About you becoming king?" Kellin asked and Vic sighed, taking Kellin to the railing and releasing Kellin's hand to lean forward and look out into the city.

"Sometimes. . .think about what's going to happen once I become king. . .think about my dad and what he'd done and how I am going to live up to that or even be just as good," Vic replied and Kellin looked at the prince, for once not seeing that charming and charismatic smile but seeing thoughtful and maturity.

"Your father?. . .Was he a great king?"

"The best," Vic said with a small smile, "He did so much for the people. You know, there's a children's shelter in the heart of the city that he had funded and built for all of the orphaned kids or the poor families. And I remember every Christmas, he'd take me and Mike down there and we'd spend the entire day with them, as many children and families as possible. We'd give gifts, we served them dinner courtesy from the Royal Family and my father would always read little fables and stuff. It was nice. . .shown how grateful we were and how we should always help those in need. He'd specialize in the little parades that the town put on every spring and fall, he'd have a day where the kids could come to Los Buendia and we'd have a fair and play in the castle until the sun set."

"Castle?" Kellin piped in curiosity and Vic smiled.

"I'll take you there one day, your breath will be taken away once you see it," Vic assured and Kellin smiled.

"I still want to go to the farm though."

"You and that farm," Vic chuckled and then sighed, "I just. . .don't know anymore. I want to be a king, I think. But. . .I just want to do things the way that I want to do it. Not how Parliament wants me to. . .I want to focus more on our people, focus on their needs. . .it's been so long since I've even been to that children's shelter and I feel bad for it."

"Vic. . .you're going to be a great king," Kellin quietly said and Vic sighed.

"Maybe. . .I just need to find someone to rule beside me before that could even happen," he said and the two stood there in silence, the tree by the balcony gently rustling in the breeze. Then Kellin gently rested his hand on Vic's, the brunette looking over at him and Kellin looking away to the lights of the city. ". . .Would you like to eat out here?"

"No, it's a little bit too cold," Kellin replied and Vic gave a nod.

"Then I'll put on the fire and we'll eat inside," Vic said and Kellin nodded back, Vic leading him back inside by his hand and closing the door shut.