Chapter Text
Chip was a troublemaker.
He’d been a troublemaker since he was given his name and given a home. And even more so since said home was taken away from him. In his core, in his soul, he was a troublemaker. A liar, a thief.
But Chip didn’t fucking do this.
He knew better than to steal from the fucking Royal Family.
He worked for them. He didn’t steal from them. Any theft he did was petty and unnoticeable, something someone wont miss. Usually from one of the other servants, something he needs that they don’t anymore.
Chip doesn’t steal heirlooms.
And yet, here he was, being blamed for it.
“They could have you executed for this, Chip.” The head steward was saying. Chip didn’t know his name; he felt like there was a new one every month in this castle.
“I didn’t do it!” Chip shot back, raising his hands up in his defense. The whole kitchen was looking at him; he felt mortified. It was a losing battle, but he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “Search me and my shit, goddammit, I don’t have it!”
Of course, everyone thought he did it. He had a reputation. Didn’t mean it didn’t sting, though. “This was your last chance, Chip! I don’t think you have the right to be saying those kinds of words to me.” Man, this was a fucking bum. “You'd better just admit you stole it.”
“I didn’t, though!” Chip groaned. “I was cleaning! Like I was hired to do!”
The head steward didn’t seem to want to argue with him anymore, because he grabbed Chip’s wrist, attempting to pull him. “We’ll see what the Prince has to say about that.”
The Prince.
God, with The Prince looking over this, Chip is sure to be executed. Chip doesn’t think he’s ever had a good interaction with the guy. He hates liars, and that’s like… all Chip is. He is brutally honest and so fucking ignorant it makes Chip want to pull his hair out. And he talks all proper and shit all the time. Its fucking annoying.
“I say he is innocent.”
Speak of the devil and he shalt appear.
“Prince Gillion! Your Highness!” The Head Steward said, dropping Chip’s wrist and giving a polite bow to the Prince.
There he was. Standing in the doorway to the kitchens– a place a prince like him would almost never go –was Prince Gillion Tidestrider, looking all too heroic. He was attractive, to say the least, with darker tan skin, littered with markings and tattoos all over his body, symbolic of whatever holy bond he had or whatever. His hair was dark, though he had dyed most of it blue, so Chip couldn’t tell if it was naturally black or brown. He was dressed in this regal outfit that surely had too many parts to it. It must be entirely too hot.
He looked like a stuck-up motherfucker, basically.
Still… he was saving Chip from disaster so…
“Your Highness, we caught this servant in the treasury! Exactly where your prized heirlooms were held. No one else could have done this!” The Head Steward tried to say. Chip grumbled. So much for doing his fucking job. Chip only ever seemed to attract disaster when he actually did what he was supposed to.
Gillion raised his hand to quiet the steward. “I assure you, this boy is innocent. He was with me.”
What-
Look, everyone knew one thing about Prince Gillion, and it was that he did not lie. He hATED lying with every fiber of his being. If you were caught lying to him, you would not end the day without a fight. If Chip had a reputation, then so did Gillion, and that reputation was that he hated liars.
And yet, he was lying for Chip.
He had to be, because there was certainly no way Gillion was convinced Chip was with him. It had to be some kind of joke.
“Oh, really? Your highness, I was sure-”
“You were wrong,” Gillion said firmly, in that tone that made everyone in the room shiver and back off. Gillion could be scary as fuck when he wasn’t in his ignorant little bubble. “He was with me. Privately, in my chambers.”
What. What? WHAT!?
The air of the room shifted. Chip could feel many eyes on him, and suddenly, he felt like he wanted to die. Execution would be better than the eyes on him right now, all of a sudden thinking he was fucking the Prince.
Chip could hear whispers from the surrounding servants, staring him down, looking at him in ways he didn’t want to be looked at… not by these people.
And Gillion seemed fucking oblivious to it. His worst trait.
Chip wanted to yell, to scream, but he knew the consequences for claiming the Prince was a liar himself would be far greater– and maybe, just maybe, when he looked into Gillion’s eyes, he saw the pleading from the Prince to shut his damn mouth. –So he kept silent.
“Oh! Well- then I suppose your highness that he could not have done this…” The Steward began to say, backing up, scanning the room for a new culprit. Chip felt bad for the poor soul this guy was about to blame next, but he also didn’t care either because he was fuming.
“He did not.” Gillion insisted, turning on his heel to leave the kitchens, almost like he was disgusted of it here. “You will leave him alone about this matter.”
The Steward gave another bow. “Yes, your highness.” The steward didn’t bother to apologize to either Chip or Gillion and simply walked away, trying to figure out who had really stolen it.
Chip was about ready to just storm off and possibly forget this ever happened. Maybe he would run away to avoid the incoming embarrassment of the situation. But instead, Gillion turned his head over his shoulder and said, “Come,” and well… Chip was not one to disobey a direct order.
So, Chip followed Gillion out of the kitchens, into the halls, and was quiet only until he was out of earshot from any other servants. He really did try to control himself, but all the thoughts swirling in his brain were threatening to spill out, and he just-
“What the hell was that?!” Chip demanded. Was it a bad idea to talk like that to the prince? Absolutely. But he was confused as fuck. “You- you lied for me- YOU Prince Gillion, lied. For ME!”
Gillion stopped in his tracks, turning to face Chip. Chip faltered for a moment, ready for some baratement or something of the sort… but instead, Gillion kept his face neutral, and just said: “I did. I did not wish to see you punished for something you did not do.”
Chip blinked, a little taken aback. He probably should have stopped there. Counted his blessings and moved on… but he didn’t. Chip had always been reckless. “You- How do you even know that I didn’t do it? You know I’m a Liar.”
Gillion’s face didn’t change. “Your face.” Gillion pointed out. “You have a tell. You make more eye contact when you lie. I could tell you were not lying.”
Chip blinked. He didn’t think anyone had ever noticed that– HE hadn’t even noticed that. –How the HELL did Gillion notice that? Maybe he needed to practice making eye contact more often. He’d kinda always hated eye contact.
Still, Chip huffed, looking away. “Okay, well, now the whole castle is gonna think we’re fucking.”
“I did not intend to insinuate such a thing,” Gillion said after a brief pause. Of course, he didn’t. Of course, he didn’t know how that sounded.
Chip huffed, looking back at Gillion. His shoulders were a little more slouched now, more… uncomfortable. He wanted to yell, but the set of his shoulders and the look on his face prevented him from doing so.
“You literally said ‘Privately, in my chambers.’” Chip said, doing his best Gillion impression. “I don’t know what else normal people grasp from that.”
Gillion huffed. “The Lie escalated more than I had intended.”
Chip wanted to pace around, figure out how to deal with this. How the fuck was he supposed to deal with this? He didn’t want the people around here thinking Gillion was courting him. Or god forbid his parents or his sister-
His sister.
Oh fuck.
Chip wanted to ram his head into the wall.
“Fuck- Edyn.” he muttered, turning around. He found himself reaching into his hair, grasping at it because pulling his own hair out seemed better than this stupid lie reaching Edyn.
He hadn’t intended for Gillion to hear it, but apparently he did, because his next words basically killed Chip. “Right, you have a crush on my sister.” his words were full of more disdain than anything in that moment. “Maybe you deserve this.”
Chip spun around to look at him. “Me!? What the fuck i didn’t even do anything!” Chip almost yelled but tamed into some kind of groan. “You gotta- say something! I don’t know!”
Gillion’s face didn’t change. “No.”
“NO!?” Chip wanted to cry.
“No. It will be beneficial to us both if we continue with this ruse… admitting it was a lie will look poorly on both of us. You are only clear of this because of me, and if I admit it was a ruse, you will be taken to my parents… who will be much less kind about the situation.” Gillion explained.
Chip’s heart just about froze right then and there.
He couldn’t get out of this situation.
“You’re using this situation we’re in to make me feel like shit for having a crush on your sister.” Chip pointed out, crossing his arms.
“Although that was not the intention, it is an added benefit for me.” Gillion pointed out. “We will only have to keep up this charade for a few weeks, and then I can allow you to go back to your life, and I back to mine.”
Chip huffed. “Great.” Chip was done talking. This sucked.
Gillion stood still for a moment, eyes raking over him, observing him– it felt fucking weird –but then Gillion spoke again. “I apologize for my words, and this situation… I hope you know I only have the best of intentions.”
Chip didn’t respond. He was done with this. And Gillion seemed to gather that after a few moments of his silence. So, he gave Chip a polite bow (fucking- bow??) and turned, walking down the hallway. Chip didn’t follow him this time.
This whole thing was going to be the worst few weeks of his life.