Chapter Five: No One Will Sleep Tonight

The first person Jeremy befriended at Evercrest Castle was a stable boy named Oliver Finch.

"You're holding that broom incorrectly."

Jeremy paused mid-sweep. Slowly, he looked up.

The boy standing before him appeared roughly his age. Freckles dusted his face, his sandy hair looked permanently untidy, and there was enough confidence in his posture to suggest he had never doubted himself for a single day.

Jeremy glanced at the broom. Then back at him. "There is a correct way to hold a broom?"

"There absolutely is." Oliver nodded gravely.

Jeremy burst out laughing. A moment later, Oliver joined him. And that was the beginning.

Over the following days, Jeremy met more people throughout the castle. There was Lara, who remained the undisputed queen of gossip. Martha, the elderly head cook whose intimidating stare concealed a surprisingly kind heart. Edwin Pike, a young footman obsessed with tales of knights and battles. And Beatrice Holloway, one of the castle scribes whose patience seemed limitless despite spending most of her days surrounded by nobles.

For the first time since arriving at Evercrest, Jeremy felt less alone. The castle no longer seemed like an endless maze filled with strangers. It was becoming a place populated by people. People with stories. People with dreams. People trying to find their place in the world. Much like him.

The realization comforted him. It also made the castle feel considerably smaller. Though not nearly small enough to explain how often he continued crossing paths with Prince Kelvin Evercrest.

By now, Jeremy had stopped believing it was coincidence. The universe was clearly entertaining itself. Because three days after their conversation in the study, Jeremy encountered Kelvin near the royal stables.

Two days later, they unexpectedly met in the library.

And on the following afternoon, the prince somehow appeared while Jeremy was helping arrange flowers in one of the palace courtyards. At this point, Jeremy was beginning to suspect the castle itself was conspiring against him.

"You're smiling."

Jeremy blinked.

Kelvin sat across from him under the shade of an ancient oak tree in the western gardens, wearing a simple royal apparel and unaccompanied by guards.

The prince had escaped another council meeting. Jeremy had escaped polishing silver. Both considered their respective victories significant.

"What?"

"You were smiling."

Jeremy frowned. "I was not."

"You were."

"You have no proof."

Kelvin laughed. The sound drifted through the warm afternoon air.

Nearby fountains whispered softly while sunlight filtered through emerald leaves overhead. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt comfortable. Easy. Jeremy found himself increasingly grateful for those moments. Around most people, Kelvin carried himself like the future king. Around Jeremy, he occasionally seemed to forget.

"I envy you."

The statement surprised him, so he stared. "You envy me?"

A breeze stirred the branches above them. Somewhere nearby, birds sang.

Kelvin's expression remained thoughtful. "You know exactly who you are."

The answer caught Jeremy off guard. "And… you don't know who you are?"

"I'm expected to be many things." Kelvin leaned back against the tree. "A prince. A future king. A symbol. A leader." His gaze drifted towards the palace beyond the gardens. "Sometimes I wonder who I'd be without all of that."

Jeremy considered the question carefully. It deserved more than an immediate answer. Finally, he smiled. "You'd still be Kelvin."

The prince looked at him.

For reasons Jeremy couldn't explain, his heart stumbled slightly.

While the moment lingered, neither looked away immediately. Neither seemed eager to break the silence. Suddenly, distant bells rang from the palace. Then reality returned. Duty reclaimed them once more.

Kelvin sighed dramatically. "A tragedy."

Jeremy laughed. "You really dislike council meetings."

"I would rather fight a dragon."

"But there are no dragons."

"Exactly." The prince stood. "That should tell you how much I dislike them."

Jeremy shook his head.

The absurdity of the conversation followed him long after Kelvin departed. And perhaps that was becoming the problem. Everything involving Kelvin lingered. His words. His laughter. His smiles. Jeremy carried them with him through the remainder of the day. Like treasures he hadn't intended to collect.

*

The kingdom's unease continued to deepen. Physicians came and went from the royal wing at all hours. Messengers arrived from distant regions carrying reports and recommendations. The council met almost daily. And throughout it all, King Alistair's condition remained uncertain.

No improvement. No answers. Only waiting.

One evening, Jeremy found himself delivering fresh linens near the royal apartments.

Normally servants weren't permitted beyond certain corridors. Tonight, however, circumstances required exceptions.

As he rounded a corner, he heard voices. Immediately, he stopped. Not because he intended to eavesdrop. Because the voices belonged to Queen Vivienne and Prince Kelvin.

"…this kingdom requires certainty." The queen's tone remained calm. Controlled. But steel lurked underneath every word.

Jeremy couldn't see them. Only hear them.

"The wedding cannot wait forever."

A pause followed.

Then Kelvin answered. "I understand."

"Do you?"

Silence.

The queen continued. "Your father grows weaker by the day."

Jeremy swallowed. Every instinct told him to leave immediately. And he did. Quickly.

The conversation haunted him afterward. Not because of the wedding. Because of the pressure. Everyone seemed to want something from Kelvin. The council wanted a king. The queen wanted stability. The nobles wanted reassurance. The kingdom wanted certainty.

He wondered when anyone last asked what Kelvin wanted.

*

That night, sleep proved impossible.

The castle had fallen quiet hours ago. Moonlight painted silver patterns across stone walls and empty courtyards. Most sensible people were asleep. Jeremy apparently wasn't among them.

Eventually, he gave up trying. Pulling on a light coat, he slipped from the servants' quarters and climbed towards the eastern balcony – his favourite place. The place where the kingdom seemed endless. The place where his thoughts felt lighter.

The night air greeted him immediately. Cool. Gentle. Filled with the scent of distant flowers. Below, thousands of lights shimmered throughout the capital. Above, stars stretched endlessly across the heavens.

Jeremy rested his arms against the stone railing. For several minutes, he simply stood there. Thinking. Dreaming. Wondering.

"What keeps bringing you here?"

Jeremy nearly jumped out of his skin.

He spun around and saw Prince Kelvin standing near the balcony entrance. Moonlight silvered the edges of his dark coat. For a moment, he looked less like royalty and more like a figure from a story.

"You should make noise when approaching people," Jeremy laughed nervously.

"I did."

"You absolutely did not."

Kelvin smiled. "I'll try harder next time."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. Then the prince moved beside him. Together, they looked out across the sleeping kingdom.

The city glittered below like a sea of stars. Neither spoke for a while, and the silence felt peaceful. Very peaceful.

"What keeps bringing you here?" Kelvin repeated.

Jeremy considered the question. "The view."

The prince waited.

Jeremy smiled. "And the feeling."

"What feeling?"

"Possibility."

Kelvin looked at him curiously.

Jeremy searched for the right words. "When I stand here, everything feels bigger." His gaze swept across the distant horizon. "The world. The future." He laughed softly, "I know that sounds ridiculous."

"It doesn't."

Jeremy glanced towards him.

Kelvin's expression remained thoughtful. "I think everyone wants to believe their life matters." The prince looked back towards the city. "Even princes."

For some reason, that answer settled deep inside Jeremy's chest. A comfortable warmth spread through him. The sort that arrived unexpectedly. The sort that stayed.

A breeze swept across the balcony. Below them, lanterns flickered throughout the city streets. Far beyond the castle walls, the kingdom slept beneath an ocean of stars.

"Everyone looks at you and sees a future king." Jeremy spoke quietly. The words emerged before he could second-guess them.

Kelvin turned towards him.

Jeremy offered a faint smile. "I think that's why so many people miss seeing the person."

Silence.

Neither moved. Neither looked away. The distance between them suddenly felt smaller than it ever had before. Jeremy became aware of every heartbeat. Every breath. Every second passing between them. For one suspended moment, the rest of the world seemed impossibly far away.

Then…

"Well."

The voice shattered the silence.

Both men spun around.

A figure stood at the entrance to the balcony, hidden partially in shadow, watching them. And for the first time that evening, Jeremy felt his heart truly stop.