A SHADOWY figure stepped into the throne room, holding a piece of paper and a quill. He handed the paper to my parents and stepped back. My father, King Vigilius Ouellette XV, handed it to the scribe to read aloud. He did, and I didn’t catch a word he said, for I was staring at High Master Kieser. My parents probably were too, because they had this sort of... day-dreaming look - like they weren't paying attention to anything the scribe said. He handed the paper to me, seeing as Mother and Father weren't paying attention, and I scanned it up and down. “What’s this?” I said, pointing at my grade. High Master Kieser sighed. “I’m sorry, your highness,” “Of course you’re sorry! Was it my fault that Keira** wasn’t cooperating?” Kieser stayed silent. “WAS IT MY FAULT THAT KEIRA WASN’T COOPERATING?” I bellowed. “No, your highness.” He whispered. “Just so. I demand that you change my score. I was a true hero! Just like I always am!” “Yes, your highness,” High Master Kieser said. “I’ll have your score changed right away.” “Oh, it’s so hard to find good teachers these days.” I sighed. He slowly backed out of the room, and I let him go. He didn’t grade my exam, after all. I put my fingers on the bridge of my nose. My exam results had come along with Master Kieser, the bearer of bad news. Whenever he appeared at your house, you knew you had failed a class. As prince of Kemar, I had the right to demand a change in score, so I got a better score than the rest of the pupils at Wildwood Prep. I was always treated better than the rest, as I should be. I am a prince, after all. I was even treated better than the Masters and Mistresses! I chuckled at the thought. Who gets hot onion soup for mid-day meal instead of spoiled milk and stale bread? The following day, I showed up at school and stepped into my classroom. Huffing, I sat at my desk. Walking is hard work! Glancing around, I slumped in my chair, unable to stop snickering at the others in my class. Egg-head Walter had his nose stuck in a book - typical, simple-minded Joe was throwing spitballs at the ceiling, pip-squeak Rivera was passing a note to Joe - probably something soppy, smart-mouth Chloe was chatting non-stop to Opaque Jake, and Hermie (Hermia) was sitting on her chair backward, looking out the window, probably making up a soppy poem. When Master Wahl came through the door (which really wasn’t a door at all, just an arch in the wall) the class sat up, staring straight forward - except me. I was still laughing when Wahl started taking attendance. “Prince Vigilius Ouellette XVI,” he said after he had called most everybody else, uttering my title as if it carried some disease. “Pr- (hah!) present (hah!)!” I said, still laughing at my classmates. “Mr. Ouellette, I would like you to stay after class today.” He said. “Why?” I said, calming myself. “To talk.” “About what? I have important meetings to attend to after school today. This can’t be half as important as those.” I said snootily. “I will tell you after school.” Master Wahl said firmly. “NO! I refuse to play this guessing game with you. I have much more important matters to think of right now. I order you to tell me what we are GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT!!!” I yelled. The students down the hall could probably hear me because I was so loud. Everyone was covering their ears, even Egg-Head, who normally tuned out all talking because his nose was always stuck in a book. “I know your mind is filled with matters of state, due to the… current situation in the war, but it’s about a special program for children like you.” “Like me?” I accuse. “Royal, boys to be exact.” He adds quickly.
Read ^ First!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Hm,” I say faking being uninterested, though inside I was interested in this… special program. “And what does this special program include for… how did you put it? Children like me.” “It will help you better understand the affairs of war and how to lead a kingdom wisely.” “Maybe, just maybe, I will show up at your door,” I said, devising a plan as I talked. “Good. Good!” Wahl said, almost cheerfully, then back in his stern voice, “Get out of here you buffoons, I don’t want you littering my room with your stink any longer - not you, of course, your highness.” “You were in hot water for a second Wahl, you had better watch your mouth.” I snap, stomping out of his room and into my heroics class, which was just across the hall. Mistress Beis practically shoved me into the room - probably because of my poor grade in her class, although she and I both know that it was NOT my fault. My bodyguard did not look happy and launched into a lecture about how to properly treat princes such as myself. The rest of the day drawled on… and on… and on… until finally the end of the day came. I was just about to walk through the door, huffing and puffing after every step when my bodyguard stopped me. “Your highness, your meeting with Master Wahl…” he started. “Oh, of course, Patrick - or whatever your name is. Lead on.” I said carelessly. Whatever-his-name-was picked me up and walked down the hall, to the left, and up the stairs to the 3rd door on the right, where he set me down and I walked through the door. “Ah, yes. Prince Vigilius, come, have a seat.” He said in a sickeningly sweet voice. I held my head high and stood my ground. “I’d rather stand,” I said stubbornly. “Do as you wish,” Wahl said. “Your point of this meeting…?” “To tell you about a wonderful program called…” I didn’t hear the next part. I had just caught sight of a beautiful girl - most likely a peasant girl, a maid of no account - but yet I spent the rest of the meeting thinking about her. “... so, your highness, I think you should take part in this so you can learn how to properly rule your kingdom.” “Yes, very well. If my father approves, I shall participate in this… what was it called again?” “MSPP, your highness.” “Ah, yes, that is what it is called. Right, I shall participate in MSPP.” “Very well then. All you have to do is sign here, and have their royal majesties sign here.” He said, pointing at the paper in his hand, “you have my permission to leave.” He handed it to my bodyguard. “You mean, if you wish, you may leave?” “Of course, I didn’t mean any disrespect to his royal highness,” Wahl said slyly. I nodded curtly and glanced at Charles - or whatever-his-name-was - my bodyguard, and he picked me up again and strolled out of the dim classroom. All that night, I couldn’t get that peasant girl out of my head. There had been a certain glow about her that my thoughts just couldn’t abandon. I almost forgot to have my parents sign the paper for me to participate in MSPP (I didn’t know what it stood for then). I picked at my supper, and as a result, my nanny sent me to bed early. Even then, I couldn’t sleep. Something about that beautiful - what? No. I reject the thought. "She was just an ordinary girl, and you know it. She was just a peasant girl, and you shouldn’t be thinking about her." I tell myself. This sort of to comforted me, though it brought a trace of misery for whatever the reason. I soon fell fast asleep. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: The first chapter is out and done, with over 1,200 words and about 3 pages! Woohoo!!! I hope you enjoyed it! Drop a like if you want another chapter to come out (jk, lol I'll post regardless)! Next chapter: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/433637297/ © @OreoTurtleBear © Please give me credit if you use my writing for any purpose. The time it took to write: About 1.5 hours ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Credits: Some of the names: https://www.name-generator.org.uk/ The crown image: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Custom-Plastic-Gold-King-Crown_60196948155.html
