Chapter Text
"(Deadname)! Are you in home?"
My dad's voice brings me out of my thoughts, making me realize that it's already late, how long did I lasted inside the garage?
I am about to respond to his call but I remember that I have my invention on and I remove it from my face, more specifically from my mouth and jaw.
"I am!"
The abrupt change in my voice gives me chills and makes me feel strange. I don't like it, I prefer to be quiet and don't let everyone hear how horrible I really sound
I quickly return to the living room, looking out the windows at how dark it already is. The time inside the garage passes really quickly.....
I watch my dad reach over and hang his coat on the coat rack next to the entrance to our house. He lets out a sigh and he looks at me smiling, but his gaze looks exhausted.
""I thought you had gone out, I saw the lights in the house turned off and I got scared for a second."
"It was in the garage, don't worry. "I don't like going out so late anyway." a nervous laugh comes out of me "How was your day? You look tired"
"fucking exhausting" Bastian responds, throwing himself onto the couch. "Cat-rot had a fight with Meowton and all of us guards had to listen to the king's reprimand. "I'm still angry at those pair of idiots."
"It's always Cat-rot, he doesn't get tired?"
""Apparently not" I sit next to him, feeling the couch sink beneath me. "Anyway, how was your day? "Looks like you've been a little busy."
A great doubt grows inside me at my dad's words, So I look at my clothes and notice that they are stained..
"Oh!" I try to remove the stains with my hands but they don't go easily "Yeah uhh....I've been working on something
"What is it?"
I really want to tell him but the words don't come out of my mouth, fear holds them and keeps them inside a cage.
"Is a beta, It's not worth saying what it is until I'm sure it works"
"Mysterious....I love it! I can't wait to see what is it's
You've always been very kind when I show you my inventions, but would you react the same when you found out who I really am?
I couldn't bear to lose my dad, he's my only family. I would not know what to do or where to go. I'm genuinely scared, because no matter how hard I try to hide it, he will know one day.
And I think it will be soon, I'm not being very discreet
""I think I'll go to bed early, tomorrow I have a training session with the prince."
The prince
What a wonderful life you must have living in a castle, Although I am not the one to give an opinion, I also know that the duties of the royal family are not easy at all. But having the approval and admiration of an entire planet just for being the prince must be wonderful
It has its pros and cons, but it's something I would totally like to experience.
"Poor guy, he hasn't been having a very good time lately.
"Why?"
"He will turn eighteen on a week"
Am I older than the prince?
""He will take the throne after that, and the king has been harassing him for not having a wife yet"
"Oh, that must be stressful." I feel my ears droop, I don't want to think about how the prince is having it now.
I don't think I want to be the prince one day anymore. My opinion changed pretty quickly to be honest
"Yes, I feel sorry for him, but I can't do too much, just hope that he can get married quickly, or not, I don't know, is weird"
"Yeah I got it". I smiled sadly "Go rest, you are really late today"
"I know, I'm a little tired, but it's worth it knowing that what I do is just for you.". My dad commented, ruffling my now short hair; Apparently we think the same thing, because his gaze stays fixed on my head. ""I still don't understand why you cut your hair, I really loved how it looked before."
I don't, really. It was fucking heavy and difficult to deal with. it was unnecessarily long
"But if you like it short, I'm happy with that." he smiled at me likes he always does: with love and peace
I don't want to lose that look, I really don't. Is everything to me
"Goodnight, I love you a lot, don't forget it"
"I won't".
We give each other a quick hug and go to our rooms, or well, at least my dad. I go back to the garage to look for something
or someone
As soon as I get back there, a fast white silhouette flutters around me, greeting me.
"Hey Phoebe" I greet my best friend, who leans on my shoulder and lightly pecks my face.
Is it depressing to say that my best and only friend is a pigeon? Yes, totally, but I love her with my entire life. I have had her since I was fifteen, I remember finding her injured by other pigeons and since then she has not left my side
"Why didn't you tell me how late it was? I started working at 5pm and I didn't notice" She coos quickly, I can only laugh because of how tender she is "Just joking, although it is quite late. Dad just came from the castle'
Phoebe flies to the table, landing on my latest and most sophisticated invention: a voice modulator. I know what she means by that and it makes me nervous.
"No, I haven't told him yet"
My pigeon coos again but louder, quickly scaring me
"Don't speak so loud! My dad must have gone to bed right now." I say walking quickly towards her and carefully removing her from my device, which I take and observe for a few silent seconds. "I'll tell him, someday, but I don't think it will be soon."
She seems satisfied with my answer and flies back to my shoulder. Looking at the modulator and then at me. I follow her silent request and put it on, turning it on and trying it
My voice sounds robotic, but it sounds very different from my usual voice. Which I love, I've accomplished a lot in a very short time.
"When this is completely finished I will tell my dad absolutely everything. I just hope I'm lucky and that he doesn't get angry...."
Phoebe pecks at my face again, making me laugh lightly at the tickling this gives me.
"Thank you for motivating me to do this, I don't know what I would do without you."
I caress gently her little head and took her with me to my room, but not before testing my device a little more and leaving it on my work table.
I'm so close to achieving it, but at the same time so far from it being something genuine. It's frustrating, but I have to make do with this
By the way, I'm Caleb, Caleb Novikov: Son of a royal guard and a former soldier who died in war
He always asked me what my mother would think about this, I never met her so I can't make conclusions.
It's just me and my dad, Kind of scary if I'm honest. But I couldn't ask for more