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It was raining, raining heavily on Jean's head but he didn't stop running, holding his few belongings close to his heart. He couldn't go back, not anymore – and he didn't want to. He was going to find Renee, because she had always promised that the day he was ready to leave, she would be there. He was going to find Renee and she'd save him.
Riko hadn't found Jean. Jean didn't even know if Riko had looked for him. Hidden at Renee's home for days, it was now time for him to find a place to live on his own, as far away from the Raven kingdom as possible. The Fox kingdom was too close, too famous, and they kept fighting the Ravens – he couldn't risk it. Fortunately, Renee had acquaintances in another kingdom, where he could be forgotten and find a job, maybe as a baker or something, where no one could find him. He was lucky to have Renee, because no one left the Ravens alive, and yet he did. For how long, he didn't know, but he was not eager to find out.
Renee made him travel in the back of a merchant's truck, hidden in the straw, and he was led to Laila’s shop. Laila's was a friend of Renee's, who worked as a baker in a small shop near Troy, in the Trojan kingdom. It was probably the safest place for Jean to be, because the Trojans were never at war – they kept their kingdom well guarded but never tried to expand or steal the others' properties – so he had no risk of having to face the Ravens again.
As they passed through Troy, Jean admired the long columns and the beautiful doors of the houses, as well as the bright, clean pavement on the floor. In the Nest, where Jean had lived almost his whole life, everything was grey and black, and they lived in the dark, inside of the bleak houses of the ones they served. Even Jean, who worked for the King, could never see daylight – he was confined inside Castle Evermore, kept away from the sky, as to make him forget that there was a life outside of the Nest.
But Troy was bright and luminous, with colours and paint on the walls, and people were walking in the street, smiling, talking, carrying colourful bags and food, and even their clothes were clean and bright. They left the city, but the road was still pleasant, with trees on the side and passers by. When they reached Laila's shop, Jean got out of the truck with the straw he had to give her, thanked the driver and knocked on the door, still apprehensive, but not frightened anymore. He was there, in the Trojan kingdom, far away from Riko and his court, far away from anyone who could hurt him – he was safe, he was going to be okay.
Jean happened to be an extremely good baker, once he had enough experience. Two years after arriving in the Trojan kingdom, Laila and him were the best baking team near Troy and they knew that their skills were the main reason the shop had become so attractive for tourists and Trojans. It shouldn't have surprised them when they were asked to be bakers for the new King's coronation – but they were. The Trojan messenger came to the shop early in the morning, and left them the letter summoning them to the castle in Troy, where they could help preparing the celebration among the finest cooks of the kingdom.
Of course, they had the choice – Trojans never forced anyone to do anything. But was is really a choice ? How could anyone refuse such an invitation, by the King himself ?
That's how two days later, Jean found himself in another castle – way more beautiful and welcoming that the one he had left in the Nest. The walls of the room he was waiting in were bright green and white columns lightened the room in every corner. Laila was ecstatic, standing eyes wide open in the room as if she was trying to carve everything she was seeing into her memory. Jean was afraid at first that the sight of the castle would trigger bad memories to him, but the palaces were so different he couldn't even think about the Nest when he saw the beautiful paintings and the smiling courtiers.
They were brought to the kitchens where they couldn't help being struck by the wonderful scent of fresh products, fruits and spices from every kingdom in the world, herbs and meat and everything they couldn't afford in the little shop they owned. They were introduced to the castle's Chef, Alvarez, with her long hair and her nice smile, and her eyes didn't move away from Laila during her whole speech. She explained every meal they would have to prepare before the celebration happening in a week, the products they used and where the spices came from, she showed them fruits that they only knew from books, and recipes that passed in the kingdom for generations, in the oldest families where tradition still was important, and then they met the other cooks, who were all as friendly and nice as Alvarez.
Jean couldn't believe his luck : he had come to Troy in order to escape from the cruelest kingdom in the world, and he found himself baker for the King. They were going to have a lot of work, but it was worth it – Jean was finally safe, as if he had found where he truly belonged.
The celebration was going to start soon and the kitchen had gone crazy. Every single cook had known that it would happen – the panic before it started, the last minute meals, the rush to set the final dishes – but Jean still loved every second of it. Because that was the panic he wanted to feel, so far away from the threat of the beating they would have received if a problem had occurred in the Nest, so far away from Riko and his cold stare that could mean the worst for them. Even in this state of panic, Trojans were still friendly and polite, making jokes and helping each other, and the celebration was as happy for them in the kitchen than it was for the courtiers in the Great Hall.
They got out of the kitchen for the new King's speech. It was sad at first, because he talked about his parents and especially his father who had just died. Even though he hadn't been in the kingdom for too long, Jean knew that the Knox family, who ruled Troy since forever, were loved, and just and loyal to their people. Jean saw Alvarez wiping a tear from her cheek and Laila looking fondly at her, then looked away. The new king, Jeremy Knox, had stopped talking for a second, and he looked ceremonially at the audience in front of him before continuing.
“Troy is a beautiful city,” he said, “and our kingdom is the pride of his people. We shall keep it that way. It's not easy for me to take the throne after my father, who made our people happy and our land thriving. I intend to win your trust just like your former King did, I intend to keep our kingdom as welcoming as it is right now.”
Jean couldn't look away from the King. He was smiling, though seriously, and he looked like he meant everything that he said - it wasn't a politician's speech, written in order to appease his people - it wasn't like Riko’s speeches. King Riko was all lies and fake loyalty, but Jeremy was true to his people, he was royal in the most beautiful way. And when he said that his kingdom was welcoming, Jean felt it in his bones - because it was the kingdom that had welcomed him in his time of need, it was the people who had opened their doors to him and gave him a home when he thought all he was going to find was death.
And at this moment, Jean realised that there was nowhere else he'd like to be.
The King came to the kitchens long after the desert had been served. Jean stopped what he was doing – washing one of the hundreds of glasses that had been used during the celebration – surprised to see him there. Back at the Nest, no member of the Royal family would ever venture where the servants worked. When they needed something, the servants came to them – even when they had to receive a punishment. But King Jeremy hadn't come to scold the cooks – he was smiling gratefully, patting Alvarez on the shoulder, thanking the servants and the bakers. When he arrived in front of Jean and Laila, Jean realised that they were the only new cooks of the castle. He could have noticed it earlier, of course – they all seemed to know each other. But he just hadn't thought about it, how they were the only ones not to be familiar with the products and the place, how they had to introduce themselves to everyone, how Alvarez stayed with them their entire first day at the castle to make sure they were alright.
But now, when the King smiled at them with his glowing eyes, Jean didn't know what to do. With Riko, it was easy – you bowed when he stood in front of you, you didn't look at him in the eyes unless he told you to, and you did what he asked without complaining. But none of the cooks had bowed and they all almost looked friendly with the King, as if they had known him since he was a child (which could actually have happened with some of the oldest cooks).
So Jean did what was the most automatic : he bowed anyway. King Jeremy didn't laugh, but he grinned at him again and held out his hand for him to shake. Jean wasn't familiar with handshakes because in the Nest it was either beating or being beaten, there was no room for any other kind of touching – and shaking your King's hand would have seemed strange for anyone, except in Troy. But he did anyway, shivering at the touch. He had grown more familiar with niceness and friendliness since he lived with Laila and her mother, but somehow standing in this Castle in front of a King who, though being so different from Riko, was still a figure of authority, frightened him. The memories of late night beatings and his fingers broken never left him, and now the King had them in his hand and it would be so easy, so easy for him to break them again …
But he didn't. The King just smiled and let his hand go before turning to Laila and shaking her hand too. Though Laila was only an unknown baker who grew up in a tiny village, she was in no way as socially awkward as Jean was since he left the Nest. She didn't shiver when the King's hand touched hers and she smiled back at him. Jean was still embarrassed of the way he acted but luckily Alvarez came to rescue them in front of the King.
“May I introduce you our new bakers, Laila Dermott and Jean Moreau.” She said. “They came especially to the castle to help us for the celebration.”
Still smiling, King Jeremy turned at them again.
“Well I ought to thank you, then,” he answered, Jean had to suppress the bow that he almost made again, surprised by the greeting. But the King wasn't finished. “Are you staying there as permanent bakers ?” He asked, and Jean looked at Alvarez, confused. They hadn't discussed what they would do after the celebration yet.
“Well, we could use more hands,” Alvarez started. “If you're willing to hire them, of course…”
“Of course!” The King said, grinning. “We never have enough cake, have we ?”
Life in Troy was busier than their life at the shop, but Jean realised he liked it better that way. He had less time to think about his worst memories, more experience, and an exciting job. Cooking for the Royal family was challenging of course, but he got to work with the best products of the country, and with the best colleagues he could hope for.
Another thing that never failed to surprise Jean was the King. Jeremy would go to the kitchens several times a week, to thank the cooks, to compliment on a particular meal he liked, or even just to say hello. He always came with his bright smile on his face and the cooks made him taste the new products they just received or the recipes they experimented, and he was always glad to give his – often very enthusiastic – royal opinion.
Laila had become very, very close with Alvarez. They were always chatting and tasting each other's plates, and touching in some way or another, and Jean was genuinely glad to see his friend happy. He knew that being far away from her mother was tough for her at first and seeing her fitting in so well with the staff was heartwarming. Jean was a little more reluctant with the others because of his introvert nature and the fact that they all somehow reminded him of the staff in the Nest. Castle Evermore had been his home for twelve years, even if he hated it with all his heart, and he couldn't just destroy the memories of when he lived there. And everytime he saw the King in the kitchen, Jean remembered another King, and the hatred in his eyes.
But days after days, Jean would grow more and more familiar with the sight of the crown, always almost-falling on King Jeremy's head, in the kitchen. He would hear his cheering voice and wouldn't jump as he did before. He would smile back when the King did and accept to shake his hand without hesitation.
And Laila saw these changes, and she also saw the way the King's eyes were always looking for Jean when he entered the room, how he smiled at him fondlier than he did with the others. And she knew thanks to Alvarez that the King used to come to the kitchen often, of course, but not that often before they arrived at the Castle.
One day, the King took her apart and asked her about Jean. He wanted to know why he was always so frightened of his touch, and where did the tattoo on his cheek come from. So she told him – what she knew. She told him that he lived with another King, before. And when she said “Evermore”, Jeremy's face lightened with realisation – just before he lost his smile. No one knew how dangerous the Raven King was – but they knew that he was. And rare were the ones who could escape Evermore.
The King became softer with Jean after. He wouldn't touch his shoulder as casually as he did with Alvarez or Laila because he knew that he would jump and be scared of him. He would announce his presence instead of just appearing in front of him. And with these precautions, Jean became more confident around the King. He still didn't know how to act with him, because he was a King, for god's sake, but he knew, or at least he wanted to persuade himself, that he wasn't going to hurt him. And when for Christmas, the King invited all the cooks and bakers to join the celebration once their cooking was over, Jean wasn't even afraid – or at least, he could control his fear.
After the rush of the cooking, they came upstairs, in the Ball Room. Alvarez had found Jean a suit and luckily, it wasn't all black, like the one he had to wear when he served Riko in the Nest. Jean was almost sure Laila had told Alvarez to avoid black, and even though he wouldn't admit it, he was thankful for it.
The Ball Room was as bright and luminous as the rest of the Castle, with lilac walls and golden columns. Once again, Jean was struck by the colourful attires of the courtiers. There were green dresses and yellow suits, red jewels and purple hats, and Jean, with his light grey suit felt almost unsuitable there – but before he had the time to think too deeply about it, Laila had taken his hand and led him in the middle of the Room. Alvarez, wearing a beautiful turquoise dress, followed them quietly, amused, and when Laila let Jean's hand go, she took hers and with a bright smile, they started dancing together.
When they left, Jean found himself alone in the middle of the crowd, and he considered for a moment moving to the side of the room, but then he saw the crowd parting and Jeremy was in front of him, with a beautiful, shining smile and a red and gold suit – the Trojan colours, of course.
“Jean Moreau,” he said, and Jean shivered.
“My King,” he answered.
And then the King, after a quick smile, was carried away again, and Jean lost sight of him. Alvarez and Laila came back and took him to the buffet, and the celebration continued, quietly for Jean but he was as comfortable as he could be on a Royal ball with the past the had to carry. And when night fell on Troy, and Laila and Alvarez went dancing together again, even closer than they had always been, he got out of the Ball Room, on the pretty, flowery terrace. Since he left the Nest, Jean loved the stars more than anything – mostly because he didn't have much the occasion to look at them before, when he lived cloistered inside the dark, dull walls of Castle Evermore.
The sky was bright and clear that night, and the terrace was empty, so Jean decided to sit alone, under the stars. He could discern constellations, stars he didn't know, even with Laila's astrology lessons, the ones she gave him when he couldn't sleep, kept awake by the fear of Riko's hand, Riko's face, Riko's men. But right now, on the terrace with the fresh air and his grey suit offered by his new friend, Jean couldn't think about Riko and the Nest. Jean didn't think about the past. He was going to think about it later, of course - that was not something he would forget anytime soon. But right now, Jean realised for the first time that he also had a future.
Jean wasn't even surprised when he saw the red color of Jeremy's suit on the terrace behind him. Jeremy was walking almost shyly, with his crown in his hands, and in the moonlight, he looked like a child.
“May I sit down ?” He asked Jean as if he needed permission - and Jean nodded.
They stayed silent for a minute, Jean still gazing at the stars, and Jeremy looking at Jean, before the King started talking.
“I'm always afraid to scare you away.” Jean didn't answer. “You look like you're always about to run away. I could touch you and you would be gone in a minute.”
When Jean stayed quiet, the King continued. “It shouldn't affect me - but it does. You're a mystery to me, Jean Moreau.”
Jean couldn't move his eyes away from Jeremy's. It wasn't a King-to-servant discussion anymore (had it been in the first place ? Jean wasn't even sure). He thought he was scared, he thought he'd go away as he did with Riko, but when Jeremy brought his hand to cup his cheek, he stayed still, almost paralysed. And then he realised that he didn't want to go away. Not anymore. He belonged there.
“But I want to get to know you,” the King said.
And then they kissed. They kissed slowly, softly, they kissed as if they could break if they pushed a little too much. They tasted each other, they discovered each other, and it felt right. Because there, under the Trojan sky, for the first time of his life, Jean felt like everything was finally how it was supposed to be.
If home is where the heart is, at this moment, Jean found home.