[IC] Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

[sukikyoufu]

Dr. Emett wasn’t entirely sure if the King would agree to all of this but it would be nice if he did, he would have peace of mind the girl was being looked after. As much as he wanted to ensure her care, cost kept his hands tied with these matters. Especially with keeping up a profit and paying bills in the Capital. It wasn’t easy. Nodding to Caspain as he had given his advice and the agreement that the Prince would pass on the medication to his father, he bid him goodnight before heading back to his office. Already making plans to get the mirror fixed in the room, by noon the girl would be let out so he had arranged for someone to come in the evening to do the task.

Good luck. He thought as he sat down at his desk, he would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation the Prince was going to have with his father.

Iris had been quite happy in her room, but she was curious, she wondered what he had gone out to talk with the doctor but at the same time she knew she shouldn’t pry. Especially as he had been so kind, she didn’t want to upset him in any way. Tapping her fingers against the bed as she waited, she couldn’t help but hum the music she had been listening to earlier with him. It was so nice having the music fill the room and it made it feel much more comfortable as otherwise it felt cold in here, there was nothing homely about hospitals.

He’s been gone for a while; I wonder if he is okay? The thought crossed her mind as she looked back at the door wondering if everything was alright. It was getting close to visiting times to be over with so maybe he hadn’t been allowed back in? I hope that’s not the case. I didn’t get to say goodbye. Iris thought glumly to herself as she glanced to the window. Night-time was upon them and she could see the colourful lights of the capital, probably businesses and restaurants still open at this hour. Perhaps even clubs for those party goers. She was quite excited at the possibility of going out there and seeing it, perhaps getting back her memories of places she used to go too.

“Hey!” Grinning as he returned to the room, she sounded excited that he returned. Oh jeez, I sounded way too enthusiastic, I hope he didn’t notice. “Well it was a little boring but it’s fine! You had something to do, did it go okay?” She didn’t want to ask about it, but she still wanted to know if he was okay especially as they had taken a little while. “Oh! I was thinking tomorrow we could visit that two-star café again, maybe I’ll even get the coffee?” Chuckling as she knew there was a coffee machine outside and it would really turn the hospital room into that two-star café they joked about.

[Rogue Sloth]

Cas liked the enthusiasm in Iris’s voice when she greeted him. He’d never been around someone who was so genuinely eager to see him before. It was nice to walk into a room and see her face light up at the sight of him. Of course, he knew that her excitement was probably due to the fact that she would have been happy to see anyone who wasn’t wearing scrubs, but he still liked to think it had something to do with him too. He wondered if she had always been this bubbly of a person or if the amnesia had changed her somehow. Knowing they had plans to keep hanging out after she got out of the hospital, he hoped she was like this all the time.

“It went fine,” he answered when she asked about his talk with Dr. Emett. Really, he had just learned that there were quite a few unsolved problems that he had to deal with after conversing with the doctor, but he saw no reason to involve her in those. He also didn’t know how to talk about any of them without giving away more than he wanted to about who he was.

She might find out soon anyway though, he suddenly realized with a wince. He could always ask Dr. Emett to keep his name anonymous if she asked about who had paid for her medical bills, but if his father agreed to let her stay with them, she would learn he was the son of the Aspirian king as soon as she saw his house—who was he kidding? It was a freaking castle. There was no hiding the wealth that was attached to his family name. It was entirely possible that tomorrow, she would come to realize she had been receiving visits from royalty. He just hoped she would take the news well if it came to that.

As Iris brought up the fake café again, Cas hesitated. He knew she wouldn’t be staying in the hospital long enough for him to visit her here again, but he wasn’t sure if he should tell her or not. It felt like news she should hear straight from Dr. Emett, since he was the authority figure in the building. “Yeah, maybe,” he shrugged. “If your family hasn’t come for you by then…” He trailed off, uncomfortable with the thought of lying to her. He wished he already knew what would happen, so he could just tell her that she was going home or that he could offer her a room at his place, but everything was up in the air.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to keep her in the dark.

“Um, actually,” he exhaled, leaning forward in his seat and clasping his hands together. “Dr. Emett said he’s going to be releasing you tomorrow. Tonight will be your last night in the hospital.”

[sukikyoufu]

“Good! I’m glad!” Smiling as she relaxed glad it seemed to go okay but when she looked over at him, she caught the wince, had she imagined it? Was something wrong? All of a sudden, she felt self conscious. Did I? Did I do something? Biting her lip as she wondered if she had been the cause for his upset, she wasn’t too sure what she had done but what if she had? She couldn’t help but wonder as her fingers fiddled with the edge of the blanket, hiding the slight tremble in her hand because she was nervous.

The hesitation of Cas didn’t go unnoticed either and it only furthered her concerns, Did I say something? Brows furrowed as she tried to think on what had just happened, but nothing came to mind. She could sense the discomfort and it only furthered her own worries when he trailed off about her family. There was still hope they’d turn up but again she couldn’t put her faith in it. It didn’t look like he did either.

Glancing away from Cas as she looked back out of the window as if it was the most interesting thing, she had seen all day, fingers still fiddling with the blanket as she continued to think on what she could have done. “Oh…” Turning back to look at him as he spoke about her being released, was that what had been bugging him? “Well that’s surely a good thing, right? I hated it here anyway.” Smiling slightly as she hoped it would perk him up even if it was just a little. She hadn’t fully understood what it meant, being released as she just assumed family would pick her up.

Oh… no wait… The smile had dropped when she finally came to that realisation, what if my family haven’t come for me then? What will I do? Where will I go? She could feel her heart hammering away in her chest and her gaze turned to her hands which had finally stopped fiddling with the blanket. “I’m sure it will be fine!” Trying to wave it off, make it seem like she wasn’t worried, but she doubted she hid it in her voice well. She heard the waver in confidence, but she could only hope he did not catch it. “Someone is bound to come for me tomorrow, I will be back home and I can text you and it will all work out.”

Right?

She did not sound confident at all, but she had to be, she couldn’t stay here forever, and it would be good to go outside especially as she mentioned her dislike for hospitals. Perhaps when she walked out of the doors, she’d remember something, she would remember where she lived, her family. That could definitely work. “And hey if not… well maybe even just a short walk outside will spark something. I could remember where I live.” Highly unlikely but again keeping the positive thoughts distracted her from the reality that she could have nowhere to go tomorrow.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris spoke positively about leaving the hospital, Cas bit his lip. It sounded like she didn’t understand what it actually meant for her to be released, and he wasn’t sure if he had the heart to tell her. How was he supposed to explain to her that she might wind up on the streets because the doctors couldn’t hold her anymore? It wasn’t even her fault that she’d gotten amnesia in the first place. From what he’d seen, it had looked like an unfortunate accident. She didn’t deserve to lose both her memories and her life in the capital just because she’d stumbled into a hunter’s trap one night.

He was just contemplating how to break the news to her when he noticed something in her expression change. She must have figured it out on her own. However, instead of getting depressed or worried about it, she tried to stay optimistic instead. Even though she put on a smile, he didn’t match it. Knowing she was probably just hiding her fears by wearing a brave face, he pitied her too much to just pretend like everything was okay. If her family didn’t come to get her by tomorrow, she was going to have a lot she needed to figure out in a short period of time.

“I’m sure they’re hurrying as fast as they can,” he agreed when she said someone was bound to pick her up. If they’re even around, he added silently. Though he didn’t want to believe it, Dr. Emett’s words stuck in his brain like a thorn. What if her parents had died? What if she really had been living alone, and no one even knew she was gone? It seemed unlikely to him that her friends wouldn’t notice her absence after a few days without contact, but if they didn’t know something bad had happened, they wouldn’t have any reason to jump to the conclusion that she was at the hospital. They wouldn’t know where to look for her, and they definitely wouldn’t find her in time to offer her help before she was released.

As Iris said that walking around outside might spark her memories, Cas nodded. “Maybe,” he dropped his gaze, brushing some lint from his shirt to avoid eye contact. “At least if you’re outside, there’s a chance you could stumble into a place you remember. It’s better than sitting around here all day.” Since she had recovered a few simple memories so far, he was hopeful that she would keep remembering more when she got out. All it seemed to take were the right triggers. The only thing missing was a place for her to stay while she worked on getting through her amnesia.

“I hope your family comes here tomorrow morning excited to see you again,” he said earnestly. “But if for some reason they don’t…” he swallowed, looking up to meet her blue eyes again. “I’m going to ask my dad if it’s okay for you to stay at our place until you remember where your home is.” He sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. “He’s not always the most reasonable man, so I can’t tell you if he’ll agree or not. I just wanted you to know that you might still have a place to go if for some reason no one else calls about you before tomorrow.”

[sukikyoufu]

“Yeah… I hope so…” Trying to keep the smile on her face as she hoped that her family were hurrying as fast as they could, even so it was a horrid thought if no one turned up. It only made her question who she really was. She had so many questions and thoughts on who she was and what kind of life she had; it was nice to make these new memories but at the same time she wished she knew her past. It would come to her; she was sure of it.

If she was honest, she didn’t like this conversation, it was so depressing as she much preferred the light-hearted conversations they had before. It had to be done, she had to face reality as much as she didn’t want too. “It sounds much better than sitting around here, I’ve started to remember snippets and I can only imagine being out there will help more.” It seemed only natural that it would, and she could have the hope that at any time her parents would collect her.

Sighing as she couldn’t help but focus on the idea of having nowhere to stay, could she walk around the Capital until she remembered something and was able to go home? Her gaze was downcast focusing on her hands, she tried to stay positive but at the same time it was difficult. Looking back up at him she heard his next words, at first, she was concerned not sure she had heard right but as he went on to explain how his father might not agree she couldn’t help but smile. “You would do that? For me?” Regardless on if his father agreed or not the gesture was lovely, it was genuine, and it was nice to know that he was still trying to help even though he didn’t have too. The shock however was evident on her face at the offer.

“You don’t have to if it will cause problems, I don’t want to cause any problems for you or your father.” She knew it was an odd request to make, hey I just met this girl who has no memories and nowhere to go. It almost sounded sceptical so she could understand if his father didn’t agree. She would figure out something, she would have too. Was it too cold to camp?

“But… if he does allow it, I’d be happy to contribute, I would repay you both once I find my family, but I’d be happy to cook or clean around the place in the meantime. I don’t want to be a burden.” Smiling as she looked over at Cas, she was honestly happy he would even consider it, to her it was a big ask and she never would have dreamed asking him to stay with him, but the offer was from a good place. She could tell he wanted to help her, and she wanted to do all she could in return, his kindness had been faultless, and she only wished she could repay it some way or another.

[Rogue Sloth]

Despite her efforts to stay optimistic, Cas could tell that Iris was starting to feel the weight of her situation. It showed in brief flashes on her face and in her voice and in the sigh that escaped her lips. He couldn’t imagine what was going through her head at the moment, but he knew it couldn’t be good. If his father didn’t agree to let her stay with them, it was only going to get worse for her too. He really hoped her family would show up to collect her before it was too late, so they wouldn’t even have to find out if his place was an option.

After he brought up his suggestion, he couldn’t help but smile as she brightened. He hadn’t wanted to bring up his backup plan to her so soon, especially since he had no idea if it was even possible, but he was glad it had lifted her mood. He only prayed she wouldn’t get her hopes up. All he’d been trying to do was let her know that he was still trying to help her, even if her situation was starting to look grim. He didn’t want her to take it to mean that he was going to come swooping in with a solution if things went south. It would have been great if he could, but everything depended on the king.

“Well, yeah,” he shrugged when she asked if he would really do that for her. “It would be pretty cruel of me to just watch you leave without trying to find a place for you to go. Besides, we’ve got plenty of room.” That was an understatement. The Maydestone mansion had at least ten bedrooms, most of which sat empty now that the only people living there were just him and his father. It used to be packed with his other relatives, but since the rebellion had started, his father had made the rest of the family, aside from him and his mother, move to a different house. Now, he wouldn’t have been surprised if a squatter had moved in and no one noticed—well, that was a bit of an exaggeration, since they had security guards everywhere, but there was still a lot of space.

“If my dad agrees, it won’t be any trouble at all,” he assured Iris when she said she didn’t want to cause any problems. If anything, he was more concerned about the problems the paranoid king might cause for her. It wouldn’t have been out of character for Atlas to assign extra guards to the hallway outside her room just to make sure she didn’t try anything funny. He just hoped his father wouldn’t do anything too outlandish to keep tabs on her if she stayed with them.

Iris’s next words gave Cas pause. Though it was a kind gesture for her to offer to help around the house, she should have known that everyone in the capital had hired staff to take care of all their household chores for them. Had she done the work in her own family? He’d never met anyone else who had. Even the people who moved into the apartment complexes usually paid at least one maid to take care of their homes for them. Basic skills like cooking and cleaning simply weren’t needed among high borns. He studied her curiously. She was a sweet girl. Maybe she had learned a few chores to help out her family’s servants? It was the only explanation he could think of that made some sense.

“Um, thanks, but we’ve got maids for that,” he offered her a smile, still grateful for her gesture even though it wasn’t practical. “They do all the cooking and cleaning and everything else, so you don’t have to worry about pitching in.” Unable to help his curiosity, he added: “Actually, I’ve never met a high born who knew how to cook or clean before. Do you think you used to help out around your house?”

[sukikyoufu]

“Thank you, you don’t have too but knowing that someone is still trying to help me makes it all the better.” Iris smiled as she watched him, she knew not to get her hopes up because anything could happen. Her family could collect her, his father could say no. Anything was possible but again the offer had been nice to hear. It made her feel less lonely, that she wasn’t going through this alone.

Confused at his words she thought on it further, “Oh right… sorry. Of course.” Rubbing her head with her hand as she thought on it. How had she forgotten that? High Born? The terminology seemed familiar but at the same time she couldn’t imagine why.

You’d never see a high born cook or clean. It’s beneath them. It all happened in a sort of flash, a snippet of another memory. It was still dark and hazy, but she had seen the outline of a male sat in a chair smoking away by a fire. The words still echoed in her mind. Never see a high born cook or clean… what did it mean? Beneath them? Was the anger directed at her?

“I think I did once…” Whispering her words as she looked over at Cas, still confused on what that memory had been. Had she been told off by her father for doing things like that? Was that her father? The memory was so dark it was hard to see anything but the silhouette of the man in her memory. “I think my father… told me off for it once? I’m unsure. I do love food so maybe I liked to cook?” It was a rationale explanation and she couldn’t think of any other reason as to what it would have been. Her memory indicated something, but it wasn’t enough to answer her question and it left this odd feeling in the of her stomach. What was she missing?

“Sorry!” Iris shook her head chuckling as she waved it off, “I’ll probably come out with some other weird things. Please don’t judge me.” Smiling as she rubbed her arm slightly feeling a little stupid over the offer of help, as much as she thought it had been a genuine nice offer, she couldn’t believe she had forgotten such a thing. “You’ll probably have to teach me how to use a phone.” Making a joke about her own expense it made her wonder just how much had she forgotten? What else would she say that was completely stupid?

That memory though had unsettled her slightly, it wasn’t enough to bring back anything of importance. She couldn’t even be sure if that was her father she had seen. She knew that the minute Caspain left her alone she would focus on those small bits of memories, try to piece it together and hope it would bring something more for her to remember.

[Rogue Sloth]

The embarrassment on Iris’s face didn’t slip past Cas. He hadn’t meant to make her feel uncomfortable about forgetting that high borns had their houses taken care of by maids. It had just been a strange thing for her to forget. Then again, he didn’t really know what she still remembered and what had slipped her mind, so he couldn’t really judge her for not recalling that detail. If she did come to stay with him tomorrow, he had a feeling he was going to have to get used to filling her in whenever her memory failed her.

Noticing something in her expression change, he leaned forward in his chair with interest. It looked like she had remembered something else about her life. He listened as she brought up her father. So, at the very least, she had memories about both of her parents. Maybe that meant they were still around. He hoped so. Even if she had to come to his place for a while, it was only a temporary fix. Going home to a family later would certainly be better than going back to an empty apartment whenever she got past her amnesia.

“If you want to give it a try, I’m sure the maids would be happy to take a break for one meal. Maybe it’ll help you remember why you know how to cook in the first place,” he suggested with a smile. Though it was an unusual hobby for someone in the capital to have, if cooking might help jog her memory, then he wasn’t going to stop her from trying it. Plus, he was kind of curious to find out what her cooking would be like. He’d only ever eaten the meals that had been prepared by his family’s chefs. Maybe her family had different recipes that he would like too.

“I’m not,” he assured her when she asked him not to judge her. She was definitely a self-conscious person, he’d come to realize. She apologized a lot about things he barely noticed or expected from her, since she was still recovering. It was considerate, but he hoped her confidence would return as she remembered more about who she was. She was beautiful and had a kind demeanor from what he could tell, so in his opinion, she had every reason to be sure of herself.

As she joked about learning how to use a phone, he laughed. “I can help you if you need it but I’m sure you’ll remember,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket and spinning it in his hand. “I don’t know a lot about psychology, but muscle memory is different than other memories, right? I think someone told me that when I was in high school.”

Glancing down at his phone, he briefly unlocked the screen and then sighed when he saw that it was two minutes ‘til nine. “On that note, I should get going,” he announced with reluctance as he stood up from his chair. “Visiting hours are about over, and I have some things to do at home. If your family comes to get you tomorrow, give me a call, okay?”

[sukikyoufu]

Iris smiled at the suggestion of trying it out, least he hadn’t thought it was completely stupid to do as such. “Hopefully, it seems things can trigger my memory so it’d not a bad idea!” She was positive it would help, plus as he mentioned later muscle memory was different. It was like she could talk and walk no problem because it was muscle memory. A lot of things would be muscle memory so hopefully she didn’t look too stupid when released from the hospital. As much as she wanted to be independent, she was conscious she didn’t know about herself, who couldn’t remember their family or where they lived? It was causing quite the hindrance.

“Oh! Wow, I hadn’t noticed the time.” Smiling as she looked up at the clock, time always seemed to fly by when he visited but she figured it was because she was doing something other than resting on the bed when alone. “Thanks for the visit. And hey if I get collected tomorrow, I promise to give you a call.” Glancing back at the note with his number on she had no reason not too, he had been so kind to her, and she wanted to take him for drinks to say thank you.

Watching as he left, she looked back out of the window, a lot of questions swirling through her head after this evening. She had remembered her mother, perhaps even father but she couldn’t be sure. It frustrated her as they didn’t seem to be important memories, they held nothing for where she lived or who she was. Twirling a piece of blonde hair in her fingers she focused on the small memories she had remembered. Her mother had spoke about the Full Moon place, her father had been disgusted with high borns cooking. The name Caspain was so familiar to her but again she couldn’t pinpoint why.

What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?

Laying back down on the bed she looked up at the ceiling sighing to herself, she hoped her family would collect her. She didn’t want to think on not having anywhere to go or inconveniencing anyone. Frowning to herself she reached over the bedside table to grab the note with his number on, staring at the numbers she tried to think on if she could remember anyone’s number. Nothing was sticking out to her and again it was just so frustrating not being able to recall anything. Placing the note back on the table she picked up the bag of chips he had brought along earlier and began to snack on them.

Not too bad, least I don’t hate it. Shrugging to herself as she munched away still trying to remember anything she could. Perhaps she would ask Cas to take her back to the forest, that was where she had been, and she needed to know why. That was were it all began and maybe it would even start to unlock all of her memories.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I hope I hear from you then,” Cas said optimistically, stretching his legs that had grown a little stiff from sitting around for almost three hours. “See you later, Iris. Hopefully next time, we’ll meet up someplace you like better than the hospital.”

Heading out of her room, he made his way back to the front desk to drop off his guest lanyard before leaving the building. Since it was already nine, he hoped his father would be feeling the effects of his medicine by the time he got home. If Dr. Emett was right about him being more agreeable when he took it, then it was the best chance he had to talk about everything without getting yelled at. He couldn’t waste any time either. Iris would be released from the hospital tomorrow, so he needed to find out tonight if the king would be willing to open his home to her or not.

Picking up his car from valet, he drove himself home while he came up with a game plan to approach the conversation with his father. He knew he was probably going to have to do some convincing to get the king to agree, so he wanted to have some idea of what he would say to both soften the blow of the news that he had offered to pay for a stranger’s medical bills and persuade the paranoid man to welcome said stranger into their house. It was a pretty tall order.

Circling around to the garage on the back side of the mansion, Cas parked his car and headed inside. He hadn’t received any phone calls from Atlas while he’d been out, which meant the king wasn’t anxious enough to be fretting about his safety. That was a good sign. He hoped it meant his father would be more willing to hear him out.

He headed up the stairs and then down the hallway that led to the wing where his father’s room was located. Already, he could feel his heart beginning to beat faster with nervousness, and he had to work up the resolve to knock on large, walnut door. A muffled “come in” sounded in response, so he took a steeling breath and stepped into the room.

As the most powerful man in the country, Atlas had to have the most jaw-dropping bedroom as well. It was absolutely massive in size, taking up an unnecessary portion of the third floor for just one person. The four-post bed in the back was king sized with the finest duvet money could buy. It was propped two steps up on a pedestal-like level near a reading nook by the windows.

Off to the left was the bathroom. It was similar to Cas’s but bigger in size, and every part of it dripped with wealth. The tiles were veined marble and the counters were white granite. The glass-wall shower stood in the center of the room, acting as a divider between the his and hers sides, and the Jacuzzi bath was set up on its own pedestal on the far side of the room. Both were spacious enough to fit at least four people.

On the right side of the room, the floor dipped down into a private theater. One wall was designed to display an enormous screen to a small audience of two reclining chairs, while the opposite side was set up with high-end surround sound speakers. It was a spot Cas had often snuck into when he was a kid to play videogames while his parents had been busy with work.

Overall, the bedroom was impressive in more ways than one, so it was a pity that most of it wasn’t used since his father had gotten sick.

“Caspian?” the king cleared his throat, sitting up on his bed when he realized it was his son who had entered. “What are you doing here?”

“Dr. Emett gave me a refill for your prescription,” Cas answered, walking over to set the new bottle down on his father’s nightstand. He figured it was safer to start with something that wouldn’t make Atlas mad instead of launching straight into his requests.

“Emett?” the king shifted on the mattress so his back was propped up against the headboard. “When did you see him?”

“I went back to the hospital today,” Cas shrugged.

“The hospital?” his father echoed, knitting his brows. “You weren’t visiting that girl again, were you? I’m concerned about how invested you’re becoming in her.”

“I just thought I should stop by to see how she was doing,” Cas folded his arms, leaning against the edge of the bed in an attempt to act casual as he added: “It’s only fair, since I’m the one paying her bill.”

A scowl worked its way onto the king’s face. “What do you mean, you’re paying her bill?” he growled.

“Well,” Cas shrank a little. “When I found her in the woods, she looked so beat up that I told Dr. Emett to charge me for her treatment. I thought it would be nice for her to wake up and have one less problem to worry about, but then we found out she has amnesia, and there’s no one to send the bill for her other expenses to, so… I’m paying for all of it.”

Atlas pinched the bridge of his nose. “How much is the bill?”

“…Twenty-six.”

“Twenty-six thousand?” his father’s eyebrows shot upward in astonishment. “What were you thinking? You don’t even know this girl!”

“I was just trying to help,” Cas said defensively. “Besides, I’m going to make the transfer through the bank, so it’ll be anonymous and no one can trace it back to me.”

“That isn’t the only issue here,” the king growled. “You can’t just go spending thousands of credits on strangers, Caspian. You’ll blow through your entire inheritance if you keep throwing your money away so carelessly.”

“I’m not going to make a habit of it,” Cas frowned. “Besides, I’m trying to keep the bill as small as possible. I told Dr. Emett that I won’t be covering anything else for her after tonight.”

“Good. You’ve done more than enough already.”

“So… will you give your signature to approve the transfer?” he asked tentatively.

“You already promised the funds to the hospital, so I don’t believe you’ve left me any choice,” his father grumbled irritably. “I’ll send it tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Cas felt some of the tension lift from his shoulders now that he knew Iris’s debt would be paid off. Now, there was just one more topic left to address. “Um, there’s just one more thing…”

“What else did you do?” Atlas clenched his jaw.

“Well, because I’m not paying for Iris to stay in the hospital anymore, Dr. Emett said he’s going to have to release her,” he started slowly. “She still has amnesia, so she doesn’t know where her home is, and—”

“And you want to offer her a place to stay?” the king’s frown deepened as he guessed his son’s intentions before they were spoken.

“Yeah…” Cas confessed sheepishly.

“I cannot agree to that,” his father said sternly. “You don’t know who this girl is, Caspian. For God’s sake, you found her in the woods! She might not even be a high born.”

“She is,” Cas argued. “She said she remembers something about her father teaching her about high born manners. She wouldn’t have a memory like that unless she’s from the capital.”

“Even so,” the king shook his head. “You can’t just go around offering charity work to every person who needs help. You’re going to be the next ruler of Aspiria. If you show such weakness now, everyone will try to take advantage of you.”

“It’s just one person, and we don’t have to make a show of it,” Cas insisted. “No one has to know she’s staying with us except for the hospital workers, and they’ve got that doctor-patient confidentiality policy, so they shouldn’t spread the word anyway.” He averted his gaze. “If her family doesn’t look for her at the hospital by tomorrow morning, she’s going to end up on the streets, and she has no ID with her to prove she’s a resident of the city. That means she’s going to end up being thrown to the Scourge the instant a soldier notices she’s homeless.”

His father pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Caspian, but I can’t allow this.”

“What if it was me?”

“You’re the prince of this country. Your life is much more valuable than one girl’s.”

“Okay, but what if I wasn’t?” Cas looked back at his father with a frown. “What if we weren’t the royal family, and I was the one who amnesiac and about to be kicked out of the capital? Would you still say my life wasn’t worth saving?”

The king hesitated. “That situation would never happen. It’s pointless to compare the two.”

“I’m just saying,” Cas sighed exasperatedly. “Try to put yourself in their shoes. Iris’s family has no idea where she is, and she might never be able to go back to them if she’s exiled tomorrow. Is it really such a big deal to help out one person who has no one else she can rely on?”

Atlas remained silent for a moment before he responded quietly, “I’ll think about it.”

“Thanks,” Cas smiled gratefully. It still wasn’t a yes, but at least his father wasn’t as steadfast in his no anymore. He took a step away from the bed. “I’m not going out again tonight, so you can sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, dad.”

The king nodded, settling back down on his back. “Goodnight, Caspian.”

[sukikyoufu]

Finishing off the chips she scrunched up the rubbish in her hand before hopping off of the bed, grabbing the candy wrapper from earlier she used the crutches to assist her to the trash can. Dropping the rubbish in there she sighed looking around the empty room, it felt so strange when no one was around, and it was almost eerie. Shaking her head, she moved back over to the bed to settle down and get some sleep.

Sitting up on the bed she placed the crutches back down at the bedside thinking on what would happen tomorrow. Biting her lip slightly she poured herself a glass of water from the jug that was placed in her room. Taking a few sips as she wondered about her parents, wondered if they would turn up tomorrow and just solve everything. They could fix her memories as well as tell her who she was.

Who am I?

Finishing the water, she placed the now empty glass back down before settling in the bed, pulling the covers over she closed her eyes hoping to get some rest. Knowing that it wouldn’t be easy.

The night had passed bringing the morning and Iris had the most unpleasant sleep, she felt exhausted because she hadn’t rested properly. She had spent too much time worrying over where she would go, who she was and if she could even fix herself. Flashes of memories had plagued her, but they were nightmares. Nightmares of dead family members.

Shuddering as she shook her head to be rid of the nightmarish memories, she looked at the bedside table where breakfast had been placed. Sighing heavily as she realised it meant no one had come for her just yet. There was still time, it wasn’t lunch and Dr. Emett had said that was when she could go. Hope was fading fast in regard to the idea that her family would collect her, but she tried to remain positive.

Tucking into breakfast she pulled a face at the taste; it was bland but what could she expect when it came to hospital food? Pushing around the food on her plate she realised that she wasn’t that hungry, perhaps it was because of the evening and the nightmares she had faced. Reality was harsh but she had to face it. Frowning as she continued to play with her food she sighed before putting it back on the tray at her bedside, there was no point she was going to eat the rest of it.

But what if this will be my last meal for a while?

She couldn’t help but think that as she looked at the food at the side, shaking her head she turned her frown into a smile. No! I can’t think like that. My family will come for me. I won’t be homeless, and everything will work out! They will come, I’ll get my memories, and everything will be fine... Right? Her smile faltered as she doubted herself once more for a moment, but she knew she had to stay positive.

[Rogue Sloth]

Cas spent the rest of the night catching up on a few episodes of a crime show he had been watching off and on recently to take his mind off everything else that was happening. It was a good distraction, and by the time he reached the bottom of the can of beer he’d taken from the fridge, he was ready to get some sleep.

Turning off the television, he headed back to his room with a yawn. There was still no telling if his father would agree to help Iris—or if she would even need help, since her family could still come to get her—but he couldn’t do anything else about it tonight. He’d already put in the request. Now, he just had to sit back and wait for the king to come to a decision on his own.

With that thought in mind, he made quick work of his night routine and settled down for bed, hanging onto the hope that everything would be solved in the morning.

--

The next day started the same as any other for Cas. He got up to have breakfast before his lesson—he noticed again that his father hadn’t eaten his portion—and went to the study to wait for his economics tutor to arrive. Since he hadn’t been out late this time, his class started at eight o’ clock sharp. However, instead of six hours, it was only three. He had a feeling the first one was only as long as it was because his teacher had wanted to cover so much material in the introductory lesson. At least, he hoped so. He didn’t know if he could handle another six-hour lecture about the financial state of Aspiria.

Throughout the class, he discreetly checked his phone underneath the table, hoping to find a text or call from Iris saying she had gotten picked up by her family. Unfortunately, no message came through, and he grew more certain that she was still waiting for them at the hospital. It also meant his request to Atlas was even more important than before. If his father refused to let her stay with them, she really would have nowhere else to go. The thought made him more anxious to check in with the king and find out what his decision was.

So, by the end of his class, Cas hurried out of the study to go to his father’s room. It was already eleven, and he doubted the hospital would let Iris stay past noon without further payment, so he didn’t have much time to get an answer. He jogged up the stairs and walked briskly down the hall to knock on the king’s bedroom door. The expected “come in” followed, and he stepped inside to find his father sitting upright in his bed, just like he had been the night before. He rarely seemed to leave the spot these days.

He opened his mouth to ask about the request, but then paused when he noticed a few new bottles on his father’s nightstand. “Did Dr. Emett stop by?” he asked, wondering if the medicines had been left because of the results of the physician’s visit.

“About an hour ago, yes,” the king answered, sipping at a cup of herbal tea. “But you didn’t just come here to inquire about my health, did you?”

“Well, is it any better?” Cas frowned, already sure he knew the answer. His father’s health never improved.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Atlas replied, turning to look at the bottles on the table with a disgusted expression. “In the meantime, I’m just adding more pills to the cocktail.”

“At least it’s better than nothing,” Cas shrugged, ambling over to the reading nook to sit in one of the cushioned armchairs. “So… did you think about it?”

“Hm?” his father grunted before remembrance crossed his face. “You mean in regard to that girl?”

“Yeah,” Cas nodded tentatively. “She probably going to be released in less than an hour, and I haven’t heard word that anyone has come to pick her up yet.”

“Why are you so interested in helping her?” Atlas eyed him skeptically. “You’ve already paid for her hospital bill.”

“That won’t matter if she gets kicked out of the capital,” Cas pointed out. “It’s not like I put myself in this position on purpose either. I just happened to be the one who found her, so I’m the only person she knows, since she lost her memories. There’s no one else she can stay with until her family figures out where she is or she remembers how to get home.”

“I see,” his father sighed. “I still don’t like this, but I suppose I do understand that her options are limited.”

“Does that mean…?” Cas sat up a little straighter.

“Yes,” the king confessed. “I will allow her to stay here until she is capable of returning to her own home.” He held up his hand. “However, there will be conditions. First, she is to be placed in the furthest bedroom from either of our wings. Second, she must be in her room by ten o’ clock every night. And third, I will have the night guards ensure that she follows these rules with orders to remove her from the property immediately if she fails to adhere to them.”

“I don’t think any of those will be a problem,” Cas fought the urge to roll his eyes at his paranoid father’s rules. Atlas was treating her like a delinquent, but he had agreed to let her move in temporarily. That was all that mattered. He stood from the chair. “I guess that means I should go pick her up. Thanks, dad.”

The king just grunted again in response, sipping moodily at his drink. It was obvious that he was unhappy with the arrangement, but that was to be expected. Cas was just happy that he’d said yes at all.

In a better mood than before, the prince headed down to his car, eager to tell Iris the news that she wouldn’t have to live on the streets.

[sukikyoufu]

“So, we are all set, do you think you’ll be alright with the crutches?” Jac smiled at Iris as she placed a paper bag with some painkillers inside on the bedside cabinet. “Your leg has healed nicely, be careful, nothing strenuous as we don’t want it reopening.” Writing the last bits in her file she closed it up popping it away as it was not needed anymore. “We’ve put some painkillers in the bag it should keep pain to a minimum.”

Iris wasn’t really paying attention to Jac, she was just nodding as she kept her gaze out of the window. Saying yes here and there to keep the nurse happy. Eyes glanced to the clock sighing as she looked down, her family hadn’t come for her.

What if… I don’t have anyone. Could I remember fake memories? I just…

Looking at her hands as she moved her fingers watching the movement, it was a good way to distract herself. Frowning slightly as she continued to think, mind swirling with different possibilities as she pretty much blanked Jac who was only trying to help. Another thing that in the back of her mind she felt guilty about.

“Iris?”

“Huh! Oh?” Iris shook her head smiling up at Jac trying to act positive. “Thanks, sorry. It just feels strange. Venturing out. Hopefully something sparks my memory.” Picking up the bag she nodded to Jac, “Painkillers. Got it! Nothing crazy to bust up the leg again.” She had partially listened but a lot of it was common sense, she knew that Jac was only doing her job and she should be thankful. They had been so helpful to her here. “Thank you, for your help and thank Dr. Emett. I’m already feeling much better.”

Reaching over to the bedside cabinet she picked up the note with the number on for Cas and placed it inside the paper bag with her medication, she never knew but the moment she left the hospital she could remember something. Where she lived and she did promise to call him after all, she wouldn’t break that especially after the kindness he had offered to her. “I think I’m all set to go now, thanks again. Hey! If Cas stops by tell him I won’t break that promise.” Hoisting herself up she held the medication but ensured she could also use her crutches at the same time.

Ensuring she was comfortable she used the crutches as a form of support as she began to hobble out of the room, this was the first time she had moved outside of the room and she couldn’t help but look around as she continued to walk. She hoped something would spark a memory as she moved, anything would be better than not knowing. Smiling as she moved towards the entrance she was greeted by sunshine as she moved through the doors, stopping just outside the hospital as she looked around the streets that surrounded the hospital, she wanted it to feel familiar, but it didn’t. Looking back at the hospital she wondered if her parents would call there, how would she ever know if they did?

Why do I not recognise any of this?

[Rogue Sloth]

On his way back to the hospital for the last time, Cas felt a mixture of eagerness and apprehension. He was glad that he was going to be bringing Iris good news, that she wouldn’t end up homeless just because of one unfortunate accident. After everything she’d been through, she deserved to have something go positively for her for once. Plus, he had to admit he liked the idea of being the one to help her get her memories back. He’d enjoyed their last two talks, so he looked forward to spending more time with her. She was definitely the kind of person he could see himself becoming friends with in the long term. The only problem was that he didn’t know if things would stay the same between them as they had been.

He still had to tell her the truth about himself. As hard as he had tried to put it off, she needed to know that he was the crown prince of Aspiria. He wanted her to hear it from his own mouth rather than realizing it when they showed up at the Maydestone mansion. Now that she was coming to stay with him, he couldn’t hide it any longer. He just hoped it wouldn’t change how well they had been getting on since they’d met two days ago.

Pulling up to the hospital, he was about to bring his car around to the valet drop-off, but slowed down instead when he caught sight of a figure leaning on crutches outside the front of the building. Iris? His eyes widened as he recognized her. If she was outside, they must have released her already. He glanced at the digital clock on his dashboard. It looked like his guess about the hospital not keeping her past noon had been right, because it was barely half-past eleven. He’d arrived just in time.

Quickly, he changed direction to circle into the pick-up spot by the front doors. Like the rest of the royal family’s vehicles, his white sports car had privacy tinted windows, so he wasn’t sure if she could spot who the driver was from outside. It didn’t matter though, because as soon as he put the vehicle in park, he climbed out to stop her before she could leave.

“Iris!” he called to get her attention as he trotted over to where she was standing. “Hey, it’s good to see you on your feet. I don’t think I ever have before.” He smiled, hoping to cheer her up since she was probably upset that her family hadn’t come to get her by now. Part of him was disappointed in them too. It had been three days since he’d found her, so he was surprised no one seemed to have realized she’d been in an accident. Whenever he was even late for curfew, his father always got worried that something bad had happened to him. He had thought all parents were like that.

Putting the thought aside for now, he went on to deliver the happy news. “Looks like I caught you at the perfect time,” he propped his hands on his hips. “I was just on my way to tell you that my dad gave you his stamp of approval. You can stay at our place until you get your memories back! Or until your family calls looking for you. Whichever comes first.”

[sukikyoufu]

What a nice car! Her attention was caught when she watched this white sports car pull into what she assumed was a pickup layby in front of the hospital. It had tinted windows for privacy and the shine was unbelievable for a white car, but she was impressed, whomever had to own it clearly had some money. However, she was shocked when she saw a familiar figure emerge from the car, is that Cas? Squinting her eyes as if it would give her a better view of him, she shook her head as if she had imagined it. No, surely not?

“Hey! Cas” Iris smiled as he had called out her name, it was him there was no denying it. She was still slightly shocked over his car but then he didn’t have to tell her everything, if he had money, she didn’t need to know about it. She was just happy he had come to see her once more. “Nice ride.” Grinning as she nodded towards the car before looking back towards him genuinely happy, he was there, she had no idea on where she would even wander off too so perhaps, he would have an idea on what to do.

“It feels good to be on my feet if I’m honest, nice to get out and about. Hopefully I can change my outfit. Getting pretty tired of the same outfit.” Joking about things made reality less daunting and she was still pretty upset over the fact no one had noticed she was gone.

His next words caught her off guard, “W-What? He did? Seriously?” She couldn’t help but beam at the idea she had somewhere to stay until she got back to normal, it was like another weight off of her shoulders and she couldn’t thank him enough. “Honestly, you’ve done so much. Thank you.” She couldn’t quite believe it; she knew he said he would ask but she didn’t get her hopes up because it wasn’t set in stone but now it was going to be okay.

Sighing with relief she couldn’t help but shake her head whilst smiling, “Wow… I…” She was at a loss for words, “I just… you have no idea how relieved I feel. I honestly had no idea where I would go, what to even do and now at least I have somewhere I can sleep. I can look to regain my memories. Find my family! Tell them off for not finding me sooner… but… it just feels less daunting you know?” Smiling up at him she looked towards the car, “Soooo does this mean I get to ride shotgun in your car?” Grinning back at Cas she was pretty excited to ride in the car but at the same time she was also keen to sit down, she had only walked out of the hospital and stood around for a little but she could feel the strain on her healthy leg. That was mostly because she put most of the weight on it whilst walking to avoid any discomfort on the other one.

[Rogue Sloth]

Iris’s reaction to seeing him brought a grin to Cas’s lips. He wasn’t helping her for the sake of being praised, but it felt good to see how happy she was that he was there. It made him even more eager to bring her the news about his ability to offer her shelter until she could go home. Even though it wasn’t as great as her own family showing up to collect her, it was better than wandering the streets with nothing. He hoped she would like staying at his place too. She would have her own private room—extra private, in fact, since she would have to stay in the empty side of the mansion—and there were plenty of things to do without even leaving the grounds of the estate. She wouldn’t have to go far to find entertainment, which meant she wouldn’t have to risk straining her still-healing leg.

“Thanks,” he glanced over his shoulder as Iris mentioned his car. He was proud to own the latest model produced by Vitality, the most prestigious manufacturer in Aspiria. As a member of the royal family, he even got to buy it before it would be released to the public in the upcoming month. Of course, the vehicle had been paid for with his father’s money, but everyone in the capital lived off the earnings of their predecessors, so it was normal to him.

When she said she wanted to change her outfit, he nodded in understanding. It probably wasn’t very comfortable to wear the same dress three days in a row, especially since she had been laying in it in the dirt on the first day. Maybe if she was feeling up for it, he could take her to go shopping for some new clothes later today or tomorrow after his economics lesson. He made a mental note to ask her about that after she finished settling in.

“It’s no trouble,” Cas lifted his shoulders when she thanked him for everything he’d done for her. “Honestly, this has all been the most interest thing that’s happened to me in a while, so maybe I should be the one thanking you.” Though it was a joke, he really was glad that he’d been the one to find her in the woods. Visiting her in the hospital and now helping her reorient to normal life was a nice break from his regular routine of studying at home and partying with his friends.

At her request to ride shotgun, he laughed. “Only if you think you’re brave enough. This baby can go from zero to sixty in under three seconds.” He rested his hand proudly on the hood. Not that there were many places where he could actually accelerate that fast in the city. Most of the time, he kept close to the speed limit since the streets were packed densely enough that speeding excessively was too dangerous to manage. The car was more for looks unless he could manage to take it out to the countryside. Maybe someday when the war with the Scourge was over, and it was safe to venture outside of the capital again.

However, before they could leave, he still had one more topic left to address.

“Also, before we go anywhere…” his smile faded as he prepared himself to bring up the topic he’d been avoiding. “I have something I need to tell you.” He exhaled. “I’m not just some random guy who happens to live in the city. I’m… the king’s son. My full name is Caspian Maydestone. Maybe you remember it?” He averted his gaze with a bashful shrug. “I didn’t want to tell you because, well… I kind of liked that fact that you didn’t recognize me, but if we’re going back to my place, you should know who I am.”

[sukikyoufu]

It was nice to see how proud he was of his car; she could clearly tell he adored it and who wouldn’t be? It was a stunning model of car and she couldn’t remember ever seeing something like this before. There wasn’t even a scratch on the vehicle, and she could imagine him taking that extra bit of care to keep it that way. However, it was hard to contain her excitement at the idea of riding in the car, for some reason she wasn’t sure if she ever had? Perhaps it was just to do with her memories but still it would be fun, right?

“What a boring life you must lead.” Chuckling as she teased him after he had said how this had been the most interesting thing that has happened in a while, she liked having these jokes and being able to talk to him like this. It was just nice to feel like she had some sort of friend whilst she was trying to figure out who she was. “I’d like to think I’m brave, who would happily go with a stranger when they have no memories?” Smirking at him as she glanced back at the car already feeling much better than this morning.

Looking back at Cas she watched his smile fade, a hint of concern in her eyes as she listened to his words understanding they were important. I’m… the king’s son. Caspian Maydestone. Frowning slightly as she hoped it would stir something in her memories it was strange there was nothing. It sounded so familiar; she had thought before how Caspain sounded familiar but now with his last name she was certain. How do I know that name? Don’t be silly if he’s the Prince you’ve probably seen him on tv.

Pompous good for nothing Prince. There was a flash of a memory as she heard a gruff voice and the sound of a smashing glass against the TV. On the TV was the Prince, a much more younger version that what she saw today. It looked like some sort of parade on the television, but she couldn’t be sure. Shaking her head as she smiled back at Cas as she adjusted her posture on the crutches

“Huh… I think I saw you on TV once? I’ll be honest I really don’t remember but I thought your name sounded familiar.” Keeping the smile in place she could understand why he didn’t want to say who he was, he was the Prince, heir to the throne and she had no memories of it so she wouldn’t have any ulterior motive with him. Well that’s what she thought anyway. “Cas sounds much better though, less… stuffy?”

Shifting slightly, she moved closer to the car happy at the idea she could sit for a bit, “As long as you don’t expect me to courtesy, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Glancing back, she gave him a big bright smile, it changed nothing to her. She couldn’t fully remember so what was the point with being different to him, if she had been rude or said something he didn’t like she was sure he would have told her by now so she didn’t see any sort of reason to change their dynamic. Regardless of who he was he had helped her, saved her life. Visited her and kept her company, conversed with her like normal as she had done to him and that was all that mattered.

“I understand though, you sometimes must feel like no one is being real with you… right?” Her voice softened slightly as she thought on it more, she wouldn’t hold back her words with him as she had this feeling that was something he didn’t want. Nor did she if she was honest, how could you be friends with someone if you were scared to say or do something with them? He was the closest she had to a friend right now and she was not about to ruin it.

[Rogue Sloth]

“You have no idea,” Cas rolled his eyes exaggeratedly when Iris joked about how boring his life must have been. He wasn’t sure if he would have called every part of it boring, but it was definitely lackluster. Even when he wasn’t studying whatever mundane subjects he needed to learn to be king, there wasn’t a whole lot of variation day to day. He would hang out around the city with his friends or stay home to watch a game by himself. Every once in a while, he had to make a public appearance on his father’s behalf or talk to paparazzi if they managed to corner him in public. That was about it.

“True,” he smirked when Iris talked about how brave she was. “I could be a serial killer. You don’t know.” Despite his teasing, he had to admit she was pretty trusting if she was willing to get in a car with a man she barely knew. She couldn’t know if his intentions were good or bad. If he’d been trying to take advantage of her amnesia, it wouldn’t have been hard, since she had no way to contact anyone, nor anyone to contact in the first place. It’s a good thing I spotted her before she started wandering the streets by herself, he realized, even more relieved that his father had agreed to let her stay with them.

When she responded to his confession, Cas stared at her in surprise. Of all the things she could have said, “I think I saw you on TV once” definitely wasn’t what he’d been expecting to come out of her mouth. Somehow, he liked her anticlimactic reply though. It was nice to hear her act like he’d just told her what he had for breakfast rather than admitted he was the crown prince of Aspiria. He could practically feel the rest of his tension melt away. It looked like nothing was going to change after all.

“I think so too,” his smile returned when she commented on his nickname. He’d never been fond of his full name either. “Caspian” was too proper, and three syllables was kind of a mouthful for just a first name. If people of the older generation like Dr. Emett or his father chose to call him by it, he wouldn’t complain, but he definitely preferred to be known as “Cas” by his friends.

“Please don’t,” he wrinkled his nose when she joked about curtseying. Even though he knew she was teasing, he hoped she wouldn’t feel compelled to force any respectful gestures when she got her memories back. He already got enough of those from all the people who didn’t know him well enough to realize he preferred to be treated like everybody else.

At her last comment, Cas blinked, not expecting that she could actually understand why he’d kept his identity a secret from her. “Yeah, that’s exactly right,” he nodded and then smirked again. “Hey, if you get it, maybe you’re from a pretty high ranking family.” That would have been something. However, he couldn’t say for sure, since her family had yet to call the hospital asking for her. If she was from one of the wealthiest families in the capital, he would have thought they’d come looking for her right away.

Stepping over to the passenger-side door to the backseat, he pulled it open and then turned back to Iris. “Here, I’ll take your crutches for you,” he said, relieving her of them to stow on the floor in the back of the car. Once that was done, he shut the back and opened the front door to the passenger seat, offering her a hand to help her sit down if she needed the assistance, since it was a low-riding vehicle.

When she was inside, he trotted around to the driver’s side and climbed in. The interior of the car was solid black with leather seats, so it had warmed up a little since he’d parked it. He turned on the AC to make it more comfortable. “So, do you remember what kind of music you like?” he asked, turning on his phone to pull up his music app. “I can turn some on for us. The speakers in this car are amazing.”

[sukikyoufu]

“A prince who is a serial killer, hmm that would make for quite the interesting story.” Iris chuckled as she said thanks when he took her crutches. Biting her lip at first wondering how she would get inside because it was quite low, one thing she had only just noticed upon approaching the vehicle. Smiling at the offer of a hand she was glad he had offered as she would have felt stupid asking, thankfully she was now safely sat inside the car. She could feel the relief with being off of her feet, the injured leg had a dull throbbing pain whilst the healthier one just ached from having more weight placed on it whilst the other was healing.

Am I really that trusting? Or is it something else? Perhaps I’m a good judge of character? She couldn’t help but think these things regardless of their joking, what could go wrong really? She would be worse off either way and taking his help seemed much better than ending up homeless and being kicked out anyway.

“Hey if I do get my memories back and start to curtsy, you have my full permission to call me an idiot.” Smiling over at him as she watched him get in the car, she doubted she would but even so keeping with the jokes it made her feel better and she was sure he felt better too. “Maybe I am.” Shrugging as she thought on being from a high-ranking family, she highly doubted that because she would have thought they’d notice her disappearance, but she understood the feeling. People not being real to each other and she couldn’t explain it. It was strange understanding the feelings but not knowing why, it felt so disconnected.

Looking at the inside of the car it was stunning, the material was beautiful, and everything looked so pristine. Her finger ran along the dashboard smiling as she admired the car to its full extent. “You clearly take care of this, I bet your friends love this car.” Feeling the temperature cool down as he had placed the AC on, she felt herself relax more, it was hard not to be comfortable in the car.

“Oh yeah music! I don’t know, I enjoyed that two star-café playlist but I feel like we need something more upbeat whilst driving in this beauty. You pick!” Looking out of the window of the car she was planning to look at the surroundings whilst he drove, she hoped she would remember something else. Something that would be of use to the both of them as she didn’t want to continue relying on him, he had done more than enough for her already.

“Thanks Cas, for telling me who you are. I hope one day I can tell you who I am.” Speaking softly she was glad he had told her rather than someone else, it mattered not but she appreciated that it had come from him. She hoped that she could remember who she really was and tell him, he didn’t know who she was regardless, but she was sure he’d appreciate her making the effort to tell him. It was like the idea of her calling him if her family had picked her up. “I hope you’ll still let me buy you that drink. I really do owe you” Smiling as she kept her eyes looking out of the window, it was strange they were tinted but yet she could see fine out of them it really was some fancy stuff.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Oh, I will,” Cas laughed when Iris said he could call her an idiot if she ever curtseyed to him. All joking aside, he was relieved she was so intent on keeping up the way they had interacted so far. It lessened his worries that things might change between them later on. He liked having a friend around whom he could speak with so casually, and he had a feeling he was going to like having her around at his home. She was certainly better company than his father. The king rarely left his bedroom anymore, and when he did, it was just to lecture him about ways he could be a better heir to the throne. They hadn’t had a casual conversation since his mother passed five years ago.

As Iris commented on the condition of his car, Cas was drawn from his thoughts. “Well, I don’t do any of the work myself,” he shrugged. “We have people who take care of all our cars, just like they do the house. I appreciate the effort they’ve put in to keep it so pristine though.” He casted her a sideways glance. Every once in a while she made comments like that that threw him off. Just because he was royalty didn’t mean he was that much better off than everyone else in the capital. Every high born he’d met had plenty of servants to take care of their belongings too. It was normal. He couldn’t help but wonder why she would have thought that he cleaned his own house and car and even cooked.

At her mention of his friends, he scoffed. “Yeah, riding or driving,” he confirmed, adjusting a side mirror he’d just noticed Jay had altered when he’d borrowed it. “I actually lent it to one of them the same night I found you. Just looking at the odometer, I’m pretty sure he spent most of yesterday joyriding around the city.” The car was still new enough that there were barely any miles on it anyway, so he didn’t really mind. He just liked giving Jay shit about it, since he technically hadn’t given his friend permission to drive it as much as he had.

“If you insist,” Cas smiled when Iris told him to pick the music. “But that means you can’t complain if you don’t like what I choose, alright?” Looking down at his phone, he scrolled through the playlists he already had set up until he found one he was in the mood to listen to. Hitting play, indie music began to fill the car, and he glanced up at her again proudly, “What did I tell you? Aren’t the speakers great?”

When she thanked him for telling her who he was, he blinked. “You’re welcome.” She was going to find out anyway. He’d just wanted her to hear it from him instead of being surprised by the mansion he was about to bring her back to. “I already know a little about who you are,” he went on, putting the car in drive to take them out of the lot. “You’re Iris, the chocolate-loving dancer who hates hospitals and likes to cook. You’re also fun company to be around, and I definitely still want to get drinks with you.”

Pulling up to the exit, he looked both ways before driving onto the street. “How’s your leg feeling, by the way?” he asked, his brown eyes flicking toward her briefly before returning to the road. “I was thinking, if you’re up for it, we could stop by an outlet to get you some stuff, since you don’t have much. Maybe a toothbrush for starters and some new clothes, so you don’t have to wear that dress every day?” It looked good on her, but he doubted it was comfortable. Something that nice wasn’t designed to be worn casually. He glanced at her again, “What do you think?”