Chapter Text
Jeremiah Heere was eight years old when his mother left him and his father, it had broken his heart for she taught him the meaning of being kind to everyone. Soon the sadness had turned to anger when his dad had told him that a woman had agreed to marry him, Jeremy didn’t want another mother, he wanted the one he had.
“I just don’t understand why you have to marry her,” Jeremy grumbled angrily in his childlike manner.
Mr. Heere shook his head, “She has money Jere we don’t it’s quite simple, I have to marry her.”
Jeremy huffed and crossed his arms, “I still don’t like it.” He just wanted things to go back to normal and he knew that if he had a step-mother then they really wouldn’t be normal.
“You know she does have two sons Jere? Maybe you two could get along, they are about your age,” Mr. Heere added hoping to try and cheer Jeremy up just a little bit.
A few hours later
Jeremy looked out the window to see a carriage had pulled up, it was elegant and proper. Jeremy sighed and went down the stairs knowing he would have to meet the woman and her sons. The door opened and the woman walked, well more like floated gracefully into the room, her two boys following. Jeremy stood up straight and faked a polite smile, “Hello, I’m Jeremy it’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Why hello there Jeremy I’m Elina and these here are my two sons, Richard and Fred.” Elina smiled sweetly.
Jeremy smiled at the two boys, one was significantly shorter than the other and had a smattering of freckles on his face. “I prefer to be called Rich nice to meet you,” he held his hand out waiting for Jeremy to shake his hand.
Jeremy nodded and shook Rich’s hand this time the politeness being genuine, “If you follow me I’ll show you where you both will be staying.”
Jeremy was trying his best to be kind, that was the most important thing and truthfully the boys seemed nice enough so perhaps they could be friends. There was just something off about Elina, he didn’t know what it was but he would keep an eye out. They reached the top of the staircase and Jeremy lead Rich and Fred to the rooms at the end of the hallway, “here we are, they are a little small but other than that they should be alright for you.” Jeremy smiled he had cleaned the rooms the night before.
Fred and Rich looked around the two rooms and nodded their heads in approval. “This will do,” Fred responded not looking at Jeremy but rather through him as if he wasn’t there at all.
Jeremy sighed and turned to leave but Fred spoke up again, “would you retrieve our bags for us?” It wasn’t a question but more of a demand.
“Um aren’t you supposed to do that?” He asked softly still trying to be nice, he wasn’t a servant.
“Oh no I believe that is your job now,” Rich said harshly. That is what his mother had said, that the boy staying with them would be their servant.
Jeremy’s blue eyes went wide, he knew this was too good to be true, he knew he needed to be warier of the situation he was being placed in. He took a breath and let it out debating what to do he decided after a moment that it was better to do what the two boys said rather than face the consequences.
Jeremy did what he was told and brought the bags upstairs for Rich and Fred, “Okay that is the last one.” He said this harsher than he meant to, he was trying his best here with what he was given and it wasn’t going well. He hoped that this was the last of being ordered around, but he had a strange feeling that it was only going to get worse as time went on.
Meanwhile
Michael sighed, he was growing tired of being measured for his clothes, “Are we done yet?” He asked impatiently just wanting to be by himself for a while.
His father shook his head, “No we have to get your precise measurements and if you don’t be still we are only going to be here longer, understand?” Michael’s father was a bit harsh, but it could be justified due to the fact that he was the king of the land.
Michael groaned but rather than talk back he decided to keep quiet about the situation, he was to become king someday so he did need to learn to keep still for measurements. They were finally finished and Michael made his way up to his room, he shut the door a little harder than he meant to. He himself knew that he was being trained to be king someday but he hated the thought of it, no he didn’t just hate it, he despised it. He knew it was required of him though so, really there wasn’t much he could do about it. It was growing dark at this time and Michael sat looking out the window, imagining he was somewhere else watching the sun set and the sky fill with a myriad of colors as it melted away into a dark indigo and the first few stars appearing.
Later that Evening
Jeremy Heere had been relocated into the attic, there was only space for a table, wash bin, a very small cot he used as a bed, and an old cracked mirror. There was a small window that Jeremy was drawn to, he looked out at the stars something he did often, before he was banished to stay in the attic. He was uncertain if he had to stay here or if he would be allowed to be let out, Jeremy drew in a deep breath and let it out. If only I could live up there amongst the stars, you make me feel safe just at the awareness from you being up there,” Jeremy thought. He sighed loudly as he heard the erratic laughter of Rich and Fred, he hated everything right now and was angry at the world for being put into the position that he was in. Jeremy just wanted to go somewhere else, anywhere else it didn’t matter.