“Can’t you see, Cid, it no longer shows that there is a profit! How is it that you say you don’t need my help?”

Cid frowned, looking as though he was really listening to his stepfather, Leonard. Really though, Cid couldn’t wait for this conversation to be over, even though it just started. “My friend is helping me with it, so don’t worry.”

Just stick your nose out of my business, that would be muchly appreciated, old man!

“Then don’t you owe your friend quite an amount? Your father’s business is a bust and it has been for a very long time! If you let me merge your father’s blacksmithing shop with mine, there will be a profit once again! I grant you that!”

A profit for whom? Cid asked his stepfather quietly.

It has been obvious to Cid for so long now that if he handed over the rights of his father’s blacksmithing shop, he would not get a dim for it, or after it was taken!

Cid knew that his father’s old blacksmithing shop had not done well since his father’s death, but it wasn’t like they had to shut it down completely…Well, not in the past…

And just signing it away like this!?

No way!

In Cid’s eyes, his father’s shop was priceless, and he found his stepfather really stupid to think that he’d sign something and get nothing for it in return!

Not once had Leonard offered anything for it! Did he really think I’d say yes!?

What a senseless old man!

Looking upon the books, that his stepfather seemed to obtain without approval, Cid frowned again.

If the books had been done properly, then it really was a problem!

In the last six months, it had gone completely backwards!

Only quickly skimming over it, narrowing his eyes to the words and numbers, Cid quickly looked away, not wanting to show that he understood what was going on.

This wasn’t much of a trick that he could play for too much longer, showing that he was ignorant and someone that had troubles understanding things, but he had to use it for as long as he could…God knows what Leonard would do if he knew Cid understood!

Would he then try to give him money for it? Would he just take it? Would he use blackmail?

Would he make him sign the papers in his sleep?

It gave Cid the shivers just thinking about it…

“You see it now? The minus means backwards, it means you are spending more money! You aren’t getting anything! Is it not a predicament!?” Leonard stated through matter of fact.

Cid took in a breath and sighed in his heart. His father’s business had been managed by his best friends’ parents, but it was at least once every two or three years that Leonard would try to obtain the business rights to it, although it was getting more and more often these days…

Cid wished that things may have been different and that his father had left his business in his friend’s name, instead of his, but now…Now that he really was of age to hand over the rights to it, Leonard was becoming something that seemed to stick to him and he couldn’t get rid of it!

Cid’s small room had become a mess multiple of times and the so-called reason behind it was that ‘thieves had come’, or ‘dogs or wolves’ had come and that it was his fault for having food in there!

At first Cid had accepted the so-called reasons like an idiot, but no, it was most likely because a search had been done for specific papers!

Not only do they go into his small room without consent, they throw everything around, wreck the small things that he has kept as treasures and just leave it in a mess for him to clean it up!

This family, all of them seemed to annoy him and the worst one of them was this stepfather of his!

…What in the world did his mother see in him all those years ago!?

It already was such a hassle because Cid knew that if there were times that he was abused in a way, it was most likely because of the blacksmithing shop!

The first time he had tried to get Cid to give his father’s shop to him, Cid had been lucky to at least have the knowledge to not sign anything, as he had only been eleven at the time. He had already been warned beforehand, as Leonard had already gone to his friends to try to claim the business as his own, because of Ella, Cid’s mother, who had been married to him.

He had never thought that the business management had been the only thing that his friend’s parent’s, Pauletta and Benjamin, did. No, the one that owned the shop, was the poor kid that no longer had any parents!

Pauletta and Benjamin looked after the rights of the shop all these years but when Cid came of age to take possession of it, they had given it back to him, as he was the rightful owner…

Back then, with his stepfather’s made up version of transferring the shop into his hands, Cid had been able to read it, even though there had been some big words, and so he didn’t sign it, stating openly then that he was told not to sign anything he didn’t understand.

His stepfather had tried to make him understand afterwards, changing some already known facts to benefit himself from what Cid had already learnt but...Cid made himself look stupid and that was the first lot of painful punishments that he had received from his stepfather…

At the time, he was still mourning his mother’s death and never thought that life could have gotten worse…But they did…

‘This is for not paying attention and understanding what is being taught to you!’ His stepfather had said back then, but…Cid found out later that it was probably because he was mad and wanted a reason to torment him…

All because he didn’t get what he wanted!

Now, what Cid had not countered for, was that if the books were right, they really might have to shut down the business…

But that is still not reason enough to just hand it over! Even if his stepfather could make the business profitable again!

“Here, just sign it and I will get the business back up again, guaranteed!”

Already, a piece of parchment was ready for Cid to sign.

It wasn’t his, no, he had hidden it! Obviously, he had hidden it well enough that his stepfather hadn’t found it yet!

The parchment stated clearly that the real ownership papers were lost and that this renews it, so on and so forth. It was only slightly different to the last time he had done it…

“I will see David…I mean David’s parents.” Cid stated, knowing that he sounded a bit like a child.

Some of the time if he acted like he didn’t know what to do, Leonard would get annoyed and just walk away in a huff. The other times…Well, there would be the obvious punishments for something made out of the blue and Cid would be in bed for at least a day to ‘Never make that mistake again!’

“Are you sure that will help, Cid? They are managing it right now and yet look at it! Do you think it wise to continue to tolerate what they are doing to your late father’s work?”

Blaming them!? If there was anyone to blame…

Taking a moment, before looking at Leonard, Cid smiled, “Perhaps there’s a mistake?”

Leonard frowned at Cid and pointed at the books, “This is a mistake!? Unlikely! Sign this so that I can bring it back to its former glory! Surely you would want the same for your late father and his business!”

Cid remembered his father’s blacksmithing business and never really thought that it had too much glory to begin with, he even wondered why his stepfather was so keen to take it from him so badly!

Cid wanted to state logical points like this to his stepfather, that the business might not be making a profit but it wasn’t making much to begin with anyway…Yet, he did not wish to get into a debate about who’s right and what’s wrong to do…And so on…Much ‘til the time of dawn and getting a lecture of how to do business…Oh, and not his father’s business, it was instead that of his stepfathers. Oh, and how his stepbrothers understood ‘exactly what I’ve told you!’

‘Your eldest brother’ this, ‘Your eldest brother’ that…Yet, the only time he called the stepbrother’s ‘brothers’ was when he was trying to act nice. It was just too obvious now because other times he would state ‘Steven’ or ‘Freddie’, as though they were his masters and he was the slave!

Steven, Cid’s eldest stepbrother, was intolerably arrogant, but ‘Freddie’ was a lot easier to deal with. In fact, Freddie rarely did anything to make his day worse, it was Steven that tried to walk all over him and order him around like they weren’t related through marriage…

Steven had also done what his father had done and visited the blacksmithing shop, even going as far as asking for it himself!

Yeah, Cid has tried logical, practical, basic and emotional…None of them seemed to work though with the greedy stepfather and elder stepbrother of his…

It wasn’t like he needed more then two others working for the blacksmithing business and it wasn’t even situated in the capital, like where Leonard's jewellery crafting shop was and where he now lived, but it had done enough for them to live well back then…Back when both of his parents had been alive…

Agitated, because Leonard ‘acted’ like he wanted to do well, Cid knew that Leonard only wanted to own the blacksmithing shop and get all the ‘special and unique’ tricks that had been up his father’s sleeve!

But really, was that all?

Was there really nothing else?

Maybe the blacksmithing shop was on a gold mine or something!

It really can’t just be the so called ‘special and unique’ tricks that was apparently located or hidden in the shop…

Cid found that piece of news quite comical actually…

At first, Cid had been forced to help his stepfather’s business, but never did either of them think that Cid had a natural talent of making fine jewellery!

When Cid had made two things, that came out to become quite popular, Cid had stated that it was a ‘special’ trick of his father’s…And since then, Leonard had been antsy about the blacksmithing shop that had gone in Cid’s name upon his mother’s death.

Cid was sure that he hadn’t made it to become some legendary type of work…But now it seems to have become that over the years.

It was true that his father had tricks, but he had told most of them to Cid…In fact, the knowledge that his father gave him was more generalized, not as specific as he thinks Leonard might think it to be. For blacksmithing, and what Cid was using to make his Jewellery, his father had only stated three points on making a masterpiece…

First off, his father had said that the basic things matter! Like the color and type of wood or how hard the metal was…So, Cid found that to also mean quality, when he grew up.

Then, his father had said that a design needs to have something that stands out from the rest! He had meant something like that of a signature or a type of finishing design on some armor…

Lastly, his father had stated that one size does not fit all! Again, he was talking about armor!

Cid had taken in all this knowledge from his father and just changed some of the words or ideas for jewellery crafting. So, instead of a good type of wood for a hammer, it was a smooth as jade stone or gem. He would also use the same type of thing for the design, making the piece of jewellery one of a kind. And, of course, the last one was something Cid had only gotten better at lately…Because of one certain person and a sudden attraction…

There was no secret notebook, and no secret compartment that had the secret notebook…

Cid really wasn’t sure how that came to be something ‘real’…

It had been a strange situation because Leonard had thought that anything that Ella, his mother, had owned, would have gone to him, after all, he had been the husband...But he did not realize that David and his parents had intervened along the lines, years beforehand, and had made things difficult!

Yes, from Cid’s father’s death, David’s parents had already managed the blacksmithing shop, keeping the shop quite private from Leonard’s eagle eyes…And it still didn’t stop Leonard from making his own books in ‘evidence’ for him to take the shop for himself!

Cid wasn’t stupid, he knew that Leonard had already started to ‘manage’ the place, slowly at first, going there once a month, to now going there once a week.

He’d ordered for the books for him to read and ended up making a copy for himself, yet, it had not been enough!

Secretly, it had been six months that he had been able to get a hold of those who were using the blacksmithing shop to stop using it, to make this ‘evidence’ of the shop to state it was now something that Cid should give to him to ‘help’ because of no profits coming in anymore.

Being too busy to do much about his shop, it helped that David and his parents had stated that he wasn’t to worry about it until he was to get to the point of moving out and getting his own life together.

The problem was, even if Cid was thinking about moving out, Leonard seemed to have no intention of letting him go, only wanting him to work harder and harder!

Yes, he was more of a slave to this added family of his, not a stepson or stepbrother…

Leonard never used to be so popular, only having done jewellery with stones and had made bracelets and necklaces. He hadn’t been that poor, but he had been far from rich, yet, Leonard seemed to able to be known about and sometimes able to see the ‘rich circle of friends’.

But now, now that rings, tiara’s and even earrings were being made, the demand for his jewellery had risen more then double in the last five years!

The problem was, anything new that came out, was because of Cid and his ‘special’ trick, which meant that Leonard was depending upon Cid to continue to bring out more different varieties…Which meant, never letting him go!

Cid could only shake his head to Leonard still believing him that he was still using a special trick from his father…How many tricks could his father had made in the way for jewellery, when his father had been a blacksmith…

Could a man be this gullible?

His father’s ‘special’ tricks had run out long ago!

About two years after doing this job for most of his day, nearly every day, Cid had been coming up with ideas all on his own! It was only the guidelines of what his father had left for a masterpiece in blacksmithing that Cid was using now!

…It seemed that if Cid told Leonard that though, things would probably take an even worse route then the path he was on now…

“Oh! Ethan, nice to see you!” Cid stated, really glad to see the person who was sneakily poking their head around the side.

“How could you! You know that is the Princess, yet you dare call her a male’s name!” Leonard stated, hitting Cid on the back of the head.

Cid frowned and put a hand to his head and then nodded to the princess, “Bethany.”

Again, another hit to the back of the head from Leonard, “It’s Princess Bethany, Boy! My…I sincerely apologize, Your Highness! Quick boy, get on your knees!”

“Please…Sir, it’s fine. Let me punish him myself!” The Princess stated, with all her strangeness coming away from the corner of the room.

“Yes, of course, Your Highness!” Leonard stated very formally, then, before walking off, he glared fiercely at Cid. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to stop the conversation…Which was a big reason why he disliked the Princess constantly coming to see Cid…

He had to go and find Steven or Freddie, to try and get them to somehow get the Princess away from Cid again…

For…As long as the Princess is there, he could only act like the stepfather…But, as soon as the Princess goes away today, he was going to tell that boy to work longer tonight! He was angry! He was always angry when it came to Cid!

Cid let out a deep breath and smiled at Princess Bethany, “You have come at a good time!”

The Princess smiled and sat down, not having to bother about a dress, because she wasn’t wearing one today! It wasn’t the first time, nor did Cid think it would be the last!

Princess Bethany had dressed up as a male and come out to play, which indeed was something strange to everyone else but him. No one seemed to be getting used it like him…No one seemed to accept her as she is…Unlike him…

No, he liked her very much the way she was!

“I’m glad you think so!” She stated happily, “When I left last time, you were cranky!”

Cid nodded and hummed a reply, putting the books from the shop away, not wanting them to attract the same conversation again anytime soon.

“And when Cid is cranky, I think it would be good that he stays away from everyone!” The Princess continued to state, looking at two people nearby as though she wanted them to get the message.

“I stay away from everyone? I shouldn’t have to be the one to leave!” Cid stated, busying himself with getting his table ready to continue on with his job.

“But if you leave, everyone will be fine…Do you expect everyone else to leave? How is that fair?” The Princess asked with innocent eyes.

Cid looked up at her for a moment, then looked away. Her eyes were too…Pretty, so he shouldn’t look and loss his concentration! “This is where I work, everyone else can leave!”

The Princess moved closer to Cid, and then asked, “What are you working on?”

Cid tried to stay calm and moved slightly away from her, “The same one as last time.”

“Oh, still? How boring!” She said, sighing and losing her posture into a slump.

“If it’s so boring, find something to do.” Cid stated.

“What if what I find what to do is also boring?” The Princess humphed.

Smirking to her being her normal self and fighting everything said to her, Cid stated back, “Then perhaps you should reconsider the word bored because maybe you are just using that word wrong.”

“Am not!” She rebutted back.

“Then what is your definition of bored, Bethany?” Cid asked, trying very hard to keep a still hand to handle very small and delicate items.

“When you have nothing to do!” The Princess answered his question.

“Are you telling me that you can’t draw, paint, sing…”

“…Shut up! You’re saying that in this case I should never be bored!”

“Correct!” Cid replied, making a nice small hole into one of the shells he had on his table.

Cid was still new at knowing his feelings for this girl, so he still felt strange sitting next to her so closely. Yet, one thing that had not changed though, were their fights.

Usually, they fought all the time, they were like siblings that never had peace!

The strange thing was, she sometimes would get him things that he needed, like socks, or a warmer jacket and then he would return to her some ‘broken’ jewellery as a thank you and now…Now that he found that he liked fighting with her and seeing her sweet sincerity, things have been slightly awkward for him!

“Hey! Let’s go and try find some gems or something! Isn’t David still in town?”

Looking at the pretty Princess, even though she was in male attire…That didn’t look good on her, Cid smiled, “…He’s still here for another two weeks.”

“Great! Let’s go!” The Princess stood up and grabbed his hand and Cid frowned, he just ruined a shell completely… There was no way he was going to be able to use the shell when it was broken into two!

With the reason to leave, because of the Princess, he would be fine to get away with it but, it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t get beaten slightly because of it. “I’m too busy, you go!”

Sitting right back down, Cid let go of his worries and already started to get into making his newest ‘special’ trick. Shells!

The idea only came to him when the Princess…

“No! I’m not going alone!” Princess Bethany said firmly, folding her arms to her chest.

Cid didn’t look up, not wanting to loss his attention, “Then don’t go.”

“But I want to go!” The Princess complained.

“Then go!” Cid said back, now in monotone and in a busy like manner. He had already started to do another hole in another shell.

“Fine!”

Cid wasn’t surprised when Princess Bethany sat back down right beside him…Still too close…

Having done this so many times now, he put in front of the pretty Princess the same things as himself and they both made jewellery together.

The Princess would not be a part of any of the hard and careful creative bits of jewellery making, nor where it may have to go into any type of heat, but she still liked to play with some small pieces of gold and small pieces of silver.

Now she saw the shells and giggled, “I still like the fact that you got another idea from me, isn’t it about time that I be compensated!?”

“If I break one, it’s yours.” Cid stated, then blew through the new hole of another shell.

At first, Cid had worried when she had started to play with his jewellery bits and pieces without asking! His stepfather was not someone easily satisfied and when unsatisfied…

What if she lost it!?

But…She was quite the girl and always made sure that she didn’t lose anything, surprising Cid greatly!

Everything was a surprise to him with her!

How she dressed, how she talked to him, how she treated him like a friend and how they fought. How sincere she was and how clean she was.

And just like every other time, they sat together for about an hour, annoying each other yet happily tolerating the others presence.

***

They had first met at a quite dramatic time for the Princess. She had been a little girl of near fifteen and upset that her parents didn't pay attention to her. At the time, she was near marriageable age and they were wondering on the best candidate to be her husband.

She had not wanted to get married at all, she felt herself way too young and half of the men that she discreetly saw them looking at were all old!

She ran away because they weren’t putting her into account at all, they only wanted the best man to give them something in return!

‘Miles, Robert Miles. Your Majesty, he is a nobleman whom has…’ Her mother had said about one of them.

‘Their money isn’t new…But it is bound to run out, I want someone to rely on!’ Her father, the King, had stated firmly back to her mother…

Not once did they ask the Princess, not once had they thought to ask her or tell her anything!

No, she had been in the dark and only knew so much because she had courage to find out all of this on her own!

Having wanted attention, she went out of the palace and ran away!

She never expected that she wasn't found straight away, and in her depressive state, she had started to cry. She had been so alone, in that palace, now she was alone on the outside too.

If she were to go back, she will no doubt marry someone twice her age or more…If, instead, she was to stay on the outside, she will have no idea on how to live!

She felt like she was losing no matter what she chooses to do!

Having looked around, through wet eyes, she found that she had no money to buy food or shelter…She had no idea on how to make bread or to get some water!

Being in the palace, she had to just ask for it, out here…It was a whole other story!

But…Was it worth being served when she never saw her parents anyway? Was it really worth being a Princess when she felt so below that, that she might as well just be here, outside of the palace, instead!?

All her parents ever cared about where themselves and her eldest brother. Why couldn’t she do what her second brother did and leave the palace and go out to see the world!?

So many wants, questions and reasons to be upset, led the Princess to not go anywhere and stay put where she was and cry a bit more.

Upon being near a popular tavern, on a popular street, a drunken man saw her like this and had hugged her because she was crying. Cid had seen this himself and saw that the drunken man was quite innocent and just wanted to help the poor girl who was crying but...The King's rage upon what had happened had ended the poor man's life and it was already too late for the Princess's reputation.

From then, marriage had not been talked about even though she was nearly eighteen now, and even the gossip about her had practically disappeared.

Cid had been there for her when she had cried like a little baby and out of the blue told her that since it had come to this, that her reputation was somewhat ruined, then she could get away with things.

Never did he think that she had taken it so literally! He had only tried to come up with something positive out of everything that had been bad!

Well, it’s what he did in his life…

Not only did Princess Bethany no longer care that she was somewhat neglected, but she dressed up in male clothing and did practically whatever she wanted.

Cid wasn’t sure why she wore male’s attire, but he has got an idea towards it. It was either because it was more comfortable for her, which seemed more like the answer, as the other idea he had was because she just wanted attention. The reason why he thought she wore male’s attire because it was more comfortable was because she didn’t want attention from her parents anymore for some reason, and well…With all the running, hiding and skipping that she does, he himself would think it would be easier to wear what he’s wearing instead of a dress.

She had clung onto Cid for quite a while after that incident but once David joined them, she started to calm down. Cid knows that the death of the drunken man who had hugged her weighs on her heart, even though she wasn’t the one that killed him.

It was weird that she had taken him so literally but was actually very specific about her actions. She might dress in male attire, but Cid knows that the attire is made by her because she didn’t want to kill someone because of it.

No…Cid admires her deeply because she has overcome that person’s death and has even learnt from it.

…At one stage, the Princess had even stayed away from him for a whole month and Cid was sure it might have been because she was worried that he might become someone that the King would be angry with.

For some years now, David, Princess Bethany and himself were now known of as friends. The Princess would always be the one to speak to those who try to make something of it, claiming not only her innocence but also using her power as a Princess as well. So…David and himself were no longer getting scorned nor do they get bullied any other way. Well, at least not because they hung out with the Princess…

Their reputations stayed clean and hers did not grow worse…

They were all friends now and it seems that she had gotten over her ordeal, which was good.

The next problem was, she became more outspoken and happier after about a year...And it seems that this was just a part of who she was, and it had never really appeared until she, assumingly, felt comfortable with those around her.

Beyond that, Cid never really thought about it, but he was sure that this was how the Princess worked, or something like that.

When Cid started to feel strange about getting something from her, that was when he started to give her jewellery. The first piece was something that he had just lying around and hadn't finished, thinking it was good enough as a thank you and something to give to her because she had given something to him.

…As time went on though, he found that he was spending more and more effort into what he gives her and even on purpose would take one stone or gem out of something to say it's 'broken', just so that he could give it to her.

To a certain degree, Cid was worried about himself!

He'd now often also use gems, stones or colors that would suit her the best and it was starting to freak him out!

Before, jewellery crafting was simple. Do this, do that, add something different and done. Now he worried about how that colour would suit a certain person's skin or a certain person's clothes.

And that's how he figured out that he liked her…

That he liked someone that was completely out of his reach!

‘Forbidden fruit’ was the perfect saying for his feelings for her.

He knew he can’t have her, in this life and most likely any others. But…He had fallen…

Wanting to think that his attraction towards her would slowly dissipate, so that he could just go back to be the normal friend he was a while ago, he could only see his attraction steadily getting worse…Or in another way, growing even more fonder of her…

It was starting to get to a point that he wanted to see her once every day, just to see that she was ok and that she was happy.

It had now even gotten to a point that Cid was disliking his countries King because of the way he treated his daughter!

He found himself excited, his heart pounding, embarrassed and to a sad, stupid decree, completely captivated! Which did not help him at all!

He wanted her to sit next to him, like she was now. He wanted her to be herself yet stay away from all the other men…It was becoming a mess!

The only thing he could do or tell himself, is that his life went on a different path then hers. That he needed to break away from his stepfather, he needed to get more money to do that and that means…He had no time for romance.

So…He tries not to think about his most precious, most alluring ‘forbidden fruit’…

There was just no way he could tell her!

It was a big secret and Cid tried very much to act like he used to before he knew, and to not think about her in any other way besides the fact that she was his friend.

But certain things do change, and he can't help but change a few things around. Certain things like, he can't look at her for too long, nor can he be too close to her.

Their fights mostly end now with her winning and he not getting vexed as much as he used to.

Besides thinking about her and jewellery, he also finds that he anticipates her arrival and doesn't know what he would do now without her constant loitering around him…

He wanted to be a man though, a man that didn't become obsessed with a woman and he was a man that wanted to make his life his own.

That was his ultimate goal but...He can't help but want to know where the Princess has been when she didn't see him...

Cid could only sigh and remind himself that he has no chance and that he needs to work on his ultimate goal and that is how his desires come to a halt.

Every now and again, Cid would catch a free glimpse at the girl beside him...A secret smile stashed in his heart.

It was only David and her that made him forget about his life problems, and that was something that he was thankful for!

…Yet another reason to be fond of her…

If neither of them were around, Cid would barely speak, barely show any enthusiasm…He’d just do his work, focusing so much that without wanting to, he would make something that people apparently liked…But really, he would probably waste away and not care for anything…

So…He found himself to be very lucky…

***

Cid stumbled into the back door of the new mansion, that was now owned by his stepfather, and a few items fell down, making noises.

It’s not like the items will fall further if they are already on the ground…

“Stay there then.” He mumbled, while he continued to shuffle towards his side room, that was close to the kitchen and laundry.

He was so tired!

So…Very tired!

Falling onto his bed, not even able to wash his face first, Cid closed his already half-closed eyes and feel right asleep.

Cid was sure that the reason why he was pushed to work this late, was because he hadn’t signed to handed over his father’s business to his stepfather.

‘There’s an order for fifty more of the latest earrings, needed for tomorrow. If I see that you haven’t finished it before you sleep, I will not pay you this week!’

Week after week, Leonard had always seemed to come up with excuses not to pay him his wages.

It had taken Cid two years to convince his stepfather to give him payment since he was such a crucial, needed aspect of his jewellery crafting business, and he was only accepted to get that because Cid went on strike and simply stated that he would work again when he was going to get paid!

That had been such a hard few days of his life. He endured through that much pain and suffering through beatings that he was just about ready to give up and state the he would work again without pay…

It became obvious pretty quickly to Cid, after his mother’s death, that Leonard wanted a lot for nothing.

And so…Cid had grown up so quickly that even his best friend David was astonished to his change.

They had used to play together, so he would have known, but then that all nearly completely stopped all together…

After his mother died, Cid had only taken a few weeks to fall into a working routine, simply because he still depended on Leonard at the time.

Being eleven and sad, his life turned upside down and since then, he had been doing a lot of work, with little pay and with not much other option besides to run away.

Running away required effort and Cid knew that it would be something that he hadn’t been ready for back then but…Now that he wasn’t entirely depending on Leonard, the problem was, he had made a name for himself and felt that he could try and hold out for as long as he could.

He didn’t want to run away, this was his home now. He was close to David and his family, close to the Princess, he was doing something he liked doing and if he ran away, he wouldn’t have any of those things!

It was definitely a last resort, so his mediocre skills on hunting and secret stash of money was going to have to wait!

Falling down on his bed like this, in utter exhaustion, was something he was used to now.

He had been pushed and pulled so much, that now, it seems that he was able to pull through anything.

The problem was…He was still so far away from his goal!

He needed to make more of a name for himself, get some more money, so that he could then start up his own business.

Originally, he wasn’t going to fight his business with Leonard’s but over the last couple of years, he’s stocked all of what he has endured into becoming that business that will compete against his stepfathers!

Cid was good at jewellery making, which was obviously a good reason to start that type of business. But that didn’t mean that was all to it. He had already thought about how Leonard’s jewellery business had quite a number of regular customers that would be hard to obtain, if they were obtainable at all. Then, on top of that, he might be able to get gems and stones cheap from his friend David, but he had to make sure he had everything else. He needed to get a building, a home, or possibly both together. He also wanted to make business propositions with the pottery people on the other side of town.

Argh, if only he had some time on his hands and had a regular payment to put away for this!

His stash of money was hidden with his papers to his father’s business and the idea on where to hide it was through his friend’s mother, Pauletta.

She had tried to find something that was right in front of her and still had trouble and so…Cid uses that same strategy with his secret stash!

His stepfather has probably looked at the blacksmithing shop and also his room…Many times!

But, did he ever consider that what he’s looking for was under his very nose?

It was a laughable matter, really!

For years, Cid had stashed his money there and then his papers there later, right in his Stepfather’s office!

Cid doesn’t go to his stepfather’s office unless he’s called to go there but…That isn’t hard!

Leonard would tell him to dust, stating he forgot to tell the workers to do it instead…Well, that and get firewood and put books away and write something for him and…So on…

And…In doing these chores it was also a way to nit pick and find a fault in him, especially when Leonard would get him to write. Having to play dumb and not write well, Cid already knew as soon as the words left Leonard’s mouth that he was going to be punished…

So, Cid only needed to wait for his stepfather to be away for a short moment, for him to put away his money, and then continue to work as though nothing had happened!

Simple, easy and so far…Nothing had been found.

Sadly, Cid knew that if his money was found, he’d lose it…As the first two times, when he had kept his money in his room, it had gone.

It was his papers that he was worried about but…What else was he to do?

Benjamin and Pauletta had already helped him out a great deal! He doesn’t even know how to repay them for all of their help! Only to ask for more help from them seemed completely wrong and he wasn’t going to do that!

Cid just couldn’t do it!

He had to rely on himself and so if the papers get taken and somehow his stepfather gains the ownership through finding it, then…So be it…

Keeping it from the stepfather this long has already tired him out and Cid also knew that he wasn’t looking at doing blacksmithing after he moved away anyway…What was worth it though, was not giving the man what he wanted!

That was what Cid was getting out of this!

If he can stop his stepfather from gaining something for nothing, then that was enough for now!

***

With four hours sleep, Cid was up once again to trot down the path and be the first person to enter into the jewellery factory.

The building wasn’t as big as you would think it would be, as jewellery making was mostly into storage of little things, but they now made wire here, which took up a bit of space because of the materials there that was used for it.

Boxes, compartments and draws were filled with itty bitty pieces and for some reason, Cid felt like it was his home.

He had gotten into jewellery crafting full time after his mother had died, instead of beforehand of only doing it on a few occasions.

His mother had started him onto it, as she had played with her new husband’s itty-bitty bits and so…Those times were refreshed in his mind when coming here.

His mother was not a businessperson, she wouldn’t have had any idea upon how to keep the blacksmithing business his father owned going.

That was why David’s parents took over the shop after his father had died…

His mother was a wonderful lady, putting him first and trying to balance everything out…The problem was, she didn’t choose to well in obtaining a husband…Back then, Leonard had acted well and did not show his true self, making Cid ever so reluctant to marry in the future…

Cid found out that his mother had even put him first when he had mourned his father’s death, finding her crying alone a few weeks later, mumbling out his father’s name…

It wasn’t long after his mother remarried that his father’s memories became a bit blurry, where upon only words were remembered, not his face. Yet, now that his mother had perished years ago, he remembers his mother’s smiling face quite clearly, but could not remember everything except the good times.

Well, Cid strived on his memories on his parents and maybe he thought about his father’s words and his mother’s good times the most, therefore maybe forgetting the rest? He wasn’t sure but that would be reason enough for him and once he accepted that as an answer, he no longer thought about it.

“Ah! There you are!”

Cid knew that voice…It was Steven…

The last time Steven had talked to him, he wanted to change the people that had been at his father’s shop, that had worked there for over a decade…The time before that he had said that he was not worthy of being in the Princess’s presence…What will his stepbrother want this time?

“I’ve come to inform you that those two lowly servants in the blacksmithing shop have been dismissed. Don’t be worried though, I have placed two others there to continue their work.”

Cid stopped what he was doing and just stared at his brother.

The two people that he kept at the blacksmithing shop had been his father’s friends.

He remembered them and they were also loyal…

“Is there a problem?” Steven asked, smirking at him.

Cid kept himself from getting angry and tried to remember what words he should be using instead, “Oh? They were not good people?”

“Of course not! They were terribly rude! If they were to stay there, they would ruin the business! No, I told them that if they had any courtesy, they would leave on their own accord!”

Hiding his hand away from his stepbrother’s eyes, Cid clenched and unclenched it, “If…If they are bad people then…I understand.”

You’re a nasty person! How dare you think you could do this!

“Don’t worry, little brother, they are loyal to me and will report to me so that I can look after the business!”

Cid desperately wanted to laugh!

Loyal to you!?

It has come to this!

At least your father has not come this far!

Cid could see that extra bit of ego that this boy has got, whereas his father might have a bit more brains!

It is done!

Since his eldest stepbrother wants to even take management off Benjamin, then I will then close the shop! It’s not like my father’s friends are still there to worry about now!

“Thank you, stepbrother!”

“It is what I should do!” Says Steven.

Ho! Well done!

Cid clapped for Steven in his mind, thinking that he was a pure idiot!

His stepbrother walked out happily, like he was on air.

Taking a deep breath and waiting until he was out of eyesight, Cid grabbed his coat and left.

He was already coming up with a plan to use this information as a reason to close the shop.

He will say, ‘Did you not say that the shop was not making me any money? What is wrong with closing it?’

His stepfather will get mad and state about not closing it but giving it to him and then Cid was thinking of something like, ‘My stepbrother brought in two new people, how can I pay them? They will most likely want more then the last people who were my father’s friends! I can’t afford anything anymore, so I just think it’s better to shut it down. Doesn’t’ that make more sense?’

Cid got out his money, but frowned, he had only recently put money in his stash, so he didn’t have much left.

It looks like he will have to walk!

As Cid continued to walk towards where his friend lived, he continued potential conversations in his head.

‘Don’t worry, boy.’ His stepfather might say, ‘I’ll get those two people back for you, then we can bring it back to as it once was!’

Crossing a road, Cid suddenly stopped at the end and turned…

Sighing, he raised his eyebrows and waved with his hand.

Seeing the little figure come out and sheepishly smile at him, he waved his arm again.

If you’re coming, then come!

Waiting for the pretty Princess to cross the road, he began to walk straight away. “You are up early, Your Highness.”

“Hey! What happened to Ethan! I’m Ethan!”

Cid didn’t have time to play around, “Ethan, you are up early today.”

“Better!”

Cid took her hand and brought her away from someone who was transporting goods.

Continuing on, he released her hand, only for her to hold it again.

“Princess…” Cid said, stopping and looking at her.

“Obviously I need your help…” She looked around, clearly not wanting to look at him and he couldn’t help but feel that for a little while he might be blessed.

“Let’s go! Oh…Where are we going?”

Cid started walking again and was ever so distracted with the hand holding onto his.

It wasn’t the first time…No…

Dammit!

“Oh, I know where we are going!”

Cid smiled, hearing Bethany’s happiness.

It was what she wanted to do yesterday!

Leading the way to his friend’s place of residence, Cid continued to make sure that the pretty Princess did not step in puddles, unless she wanted to, and did not get in the path of other people.

Really, it never used to be so hard to walk through the street with her!

Now, he was worried all the time!

Cid could only sigh in his heart…Telling it not to care so much.

After quite a number of minutes, Cid finally came to house that was well situated and well attained. It wasn’t a rich mansion, like that of his stepfather’s, but it was not poor.

Cid already knew that Benjamin would not be there. They had their own business to worry about, so he would most likely be taking up the last lot of orders from people for when they leave in less than two weeks’ time.

Knocking on the door, Cid looked at Bethany and pulled their hands up.

Seeing her blush, Cid held in a smile and finally his hand was loose.

Looking away, already distracted enough as it is, it was only a second after that he saw Pauletta opening the door.

“Cid, my dear. Come in, come in!”

“Auntie!” Cid stated, a normal thing in such a circumstance.

She wasn’t his Auntie, but she was more than ‘Pauletta’.

“Auntie!” Bethany had seemed to be behind Cid, always hiding…

“Princess!” Pauletta went to bow but Bethany stopped her.

“Quick!” Princess Bethany stated, pushing her inside.

Cid then suddenly saw a hand coming out to him and was pulled inside the door by his collar.

Being pulled in like that, Cid was surprised and grabbed onto Bethany’s waist to support both of them.

Without rational thought, Cid stared at the pretty Princess, unable to process anything else but how close they were and pretty she was…She really was a natural, he couldn’t find any makeup on her face at all…

Seeing her blush once again, Cid took a breath and quickly let her go.

Turning, trying to get his brain to work, he saw Pauletta and blinked…Right!

“Where is Uncle?”

Pauletta smiled at him, “He said that he was going to your father’s shop today, someone came over yesterday evening…I’m not quite sure what is happening, but I have faith that Ben will do the best he can!”

Cid shook his head, “It is not that I don’t have faith in Uncle, Auntie. Be assured that you two are great to me and I know it and am grateful. I was just here to shut the shop down.”

“What!” Pauletta stated.

Cid sighed and scratched his head, “I don’t want people there that aren’t my own, so I’m shutting it down.”

Pauletta frowned and then mumbled, “Is that what happened?”

Watching her widen her eyes, she looked back at him, and said, “Those damned people! It was them wasn’t it! If it’s not the father, it was the little brat of a son that man has got!”

“It doesn’t matter, Auntie. Since Ben is there, I will go there myself and make sure the process is complete.”

“Oh…Well, take our carriage…” Pauletta stated, clearly unhappy.

As much as Cid preferred to not accept more help from Pauletta, he held his pride and nodded to her. He knew the time wasn’t now to make things harder for himself!

Cid knew that she always wanted the best for him and always tried to say so, but he couldn’t stay longer if he was to catch his uncle while he was at the shop. “I have to go, Auntie. Forgive Ben if he is home late.”

“Of course, my dear, of course! You do what you feel is best! I’ll…I’ll look after the Princess!”

“But I want to go with Cid!”

Cid looked at the Princess and smiled, “You can stay here, Ethan!”

“No, wait!”

But Cid ran out, quickly getting onto the carriage, waiting for Pauletta to finish telling someone where to take him.

In no time, the Princess ran out and started running towards him and Cid looked at her sternly, “Princess, you must stay here!”

Cid melted at her pouting look and nearly gave in then and there.

“But I want to go with you.”

My dear, help me say no to you!

Instead of saying no to the Princess, Cid turned to the driver and said, “Go!”

Looking back, Cid sighed, seeing the pretty Princess angry and putting her hands across her chest.

“My dear Princess, he has business. As a woman you need to understand this side of a man!”

“I don’t want to!”

Pauletta took the Princess’s hand and smiled, “If you are keen on marrying that young man, my dear, then you must accept that sometimes he would prefer to do some things on his own.”

The Princess swallowed and looked away, “But…”

“My dear, if you crowd him too much, he will only step away…You remember what I said? That he may not have you in his mind because he has so much other things to think about?”

“Yes, but…”

Pauletta put her other hand over the Princess, “Well, I think he does have you in mind, so you are one step further ahead.”

“Wha…Really!?” The Princess grabbed onto Pauletta’s hand and gave her a dazzling smile.

“Did he not stare at you then, Princess? I saw it with my own eyes!” Pauletta smiled back.

For so long this Princess had been head over heals in love with Cid…It was almost sad!

“Really, you really believe that he sees me now? Not just as a friend?”

Pauletta nodded, but then stopped and firmly stared at her, “Remember though, Cid needs to find his way. Let him…”

“I know…He needs to break away from that family!”

Pauletta nodded, looking towards the carriage, that was now nearly out of eyesight. “We all want this for him. The faster the better but…He is so stubborn, just like his father!”

Yes, Pauletta and Benjamin had wanted to help him more, much more, but Cid no longer wants any more help.

“I know how stubborn he is, Auntie!”

“Mmm, I believe you do, Princess…I believe you do!”

The two women looked out, holding each other’s hands, both filled with worry and a certain impatience.

***

Cid walked into his father’s blacksmithing shop and choose not to let himself think of the past.

He knew these walls, the stones, the metal, how hot…

There was no time for that…

Looking around, he saw that Benjamin wasn’t here.

I must have just missed him, Cid thought.

Then, looking at the two guys sitting together with their hands folded, Cid took in a deep breath before letting his anger show…

They weren’t blacksmith’s…They were loyal subordinates, more like servants of Steven…

Having used to serving Steven, it seems their new job was to take over this establishment…

Trying to come up with a stupid look on his face, Cid could hardly contain it!

“Who…Are you?”

They walked up to him and saw them smirk, “We are your new boss!”

The other stated, “You know us! Did you forget?”

Cid did not forget!

Steven had never touched him, but these two have…

And just as he thought that, Cid felt pain in his stomach…

Ok…He thought this might have been easier…

His initial thoughts were to come here, shut the business down, dismiss these two and be gone again…Then go back and pretend that he thought he did what…

A punch came across his face and Cid fell to the side, and even though he had his hands and knees helping him, he still hit his head on the side of an anvil.

Hearing laughter, Cid couldn’t even open his eyes.

His head hurt so much!

“That’s enough, we can’t kill him.”

Hearing footsteps walking away, Cid heard silence afterwards and put a hand to his head.

He was bleeding…

Getting into a sitting position on the floor, Cid couldn’t believe that even as an owner of a shop, he would still get beaten up.

With such a huge headache, Cid tried to focus on bandaging his wound, but he felt like it took forever to do.

“Here!”

Something fell before him and Cid was surprised to see the two man had come back…

He thought they wouldn’t…

…His head hurt so much that he didn’t even know what they had thrown down to him on the floor!