Reminiscing. I have been around him ever since his nanny passed away, around 7 years ago I think. He was already 10, so he didn’t require my assistance often, but someone had to be there to make sure he ate his vegetables, bathed properly and such. I don’t remember much of this time with him, probably due to my heart not being as developed back then.

More sooner than later, the higher ups resigned me to be just another maid in the castle once he grew up a bit and became more responsible. We barely have had contact ever since.

My work ever since has been taking care of the royal pets and making sure his meals are safe to eat. After all, being the only robot in the castle, I was created for such tasks I’m able to detect anomalies in food and thanks to lacking organs the poison doesn't affect me. I’m good at taming animals, but in the case one ever loses control, I would sustain less damage than if it attacked an human.

I was surprised at his initial call since we haven’t met face to face in 3 years. Sometimes I saw him looking at the barn I work at, but he never stepped inside.

He has been requesting daily for Cerberus, one of the royal pets, to sleep next to his bed at night. I trained it well, but just in case he asked me if I could stay on his room so I could keep an eye on it. As leaving the prince alone with a beast would be too dangerous, that was my plan from the start, so I happily obliged.

Now my nights are spent on a chair next to his bed, though at times, I catch myself looking at his face rather than monitoring Cerberus. For some reason, this has been happening more often the more nights go by.

This time, he called for me, not for Cerberus. The next day, he did the same. And in the next one, and the next one… Then, today he asked me to sit on his bed instead of the chair next to him. To not disturb him, I sat on the edge at the foot of the bed.

His behaviour during the past days puzzled me, and then I remembered some animals have the need to be near others all the time when they feel their end is near. Worried, I asked him about this, but he just laughed and said he was fine.

I noticed I now spent my mornings wondering if we will call me at night again.

It seems sleeping while sitting is uncomfortable for humans, so last night he told me to lay on his bed instead. Unsure of what it was expected of me to do in this position since I couldn’t be as vigilant of the surroundings, I recalled that when I was first hired here and was given notes about him, I read that when he was young, he wasn’t able to sleep unless he was was in physical contact with another person, be it holding someone’s hand or similar.

So without thinking much, I gently pressed his body against mine, placed his face on my chest and caressed his hair until he fell asleep. I should have asked before doing this, but he seemed to be pleased by it.

Like every morning I woke up before him, I had the barn to take care of and another maid is tasked with waking him up and tidying his room. I wonder if he will tell me anything about last night, if he calls for me again.

{tba ?}