Post by Quirbles on Dec 2, 2022 4:32:46 GMT
Father wished to get rid of him.
It was an obvious ploy, really. A boy like you must learn humility, if you are to take my throne. Spoken by a man who held not a single branch of humility within his rotted trunk and who knew only humiliation of his son. It was no mistake he had been sent to an academy-- what better place to remind the prince that he was still a student, ignorant and undeserving of the greater attention royalty brought. A child, meant to be shooed away and babysat. It made his skin crawl like insects beneath bark, feasting upon his insides until he was but a husk to the forest he called home. Father intended to crush his spirits by sending him here, and there was little the prince could do to protest. Der Erlprinz, despite his reservations, much preferred the humiliation of being sent away like an errand boy to the direct ire of the Alder-King. Even the lowest of fae knew not to evoke the wrath of their ruler.
And so he sat. And waited. When his carriage arrived in his kingdom, he boarded it; when the gates of his newfound prison crept upon the horizon, he entered their guarded territory without fear. Only resignation and a faint vexation survived the travel-- any direct anger the prince felt had died out by the roadside, left as fodder for the trees to fuel their whipping branches upon any unfortunate passerby. When he was given his uniform, he made no effort to put it on, finding that his cloak was made out of a far less obnoxious material; despite his stay here, the prince was determined to retain a sense of dignity for as long as physically possible. That included keeping his preferred clothes.
And so he took his seat, and waited once more, idly taking out his sketchbook as the lights dimmed. Despite the twilight, his vision was largely unimpeded-- a perk of his residency in the woods, he supposed. The Erlprince had traveled light; a few books were present in his bag, along with his most cherished sets of clothes and a few items for personal grooming and convenience. Among those items was a leatherbound booklet and a piece of charcoal-- one which, despite its constant usage, never seemed to run out. One of father's gifts, enchanted to amuse his son. Despite his relationship with his father, the Erlprince greatly appreciated the gesture.
For now, he would idly sketch-- scratching the charcoal along the surface, examining the utensil before his hood to confirm he was using his favored edge. A simple mock-up of the auditorium would do, for now. When the lights came up and the circus show began, the prince supposed he would have a more entertaining model to use.
It was an obvious ploy, really. A boy like you must learn humility, if you are to take my throne. Spoken by a man who held not a single branch of humility within his rotted trunk and who knew only humiliation of his son. It was no mistake he had been sent to an academy-- what better place to remind the prince that he was still a student, ignorant and undeserving of the greater attention royalty brought. A child, meant to be shooed away and babysat. It made his skin crawl like insects beneath bark, feasting upon his insides until he was but a husk to the forest he called home. Father intended to crush his spirits by sending him here, and there was little the prince could do to protest. Der Erlprinz, despite his reservations, much preferred the humiliation of being sent away like an errand boy to the direct ire of the Alder-King. Even the lowest of fae knew not to evoke the wrath of their ruler.
And so he sat. And waited. When his carriage arrived in his kingdom, he boarded it; when the gates of his newfound prison crept upon the horizon, he entered their guarded territory without fear. Only resignation and a faint vexation survived the travel-- any direct anger the prince felt had died out by the roadside, left as fodder for the trees to fuel their whipping branches upon any unfortunate passerby. When he was given his uniform, he made no effort to put it on, finding that his cloak was made out of a far less obnoxious material; despite his stay here, the prince was determined to retain a sense of dignity for as long as physically possible. That included keeping his preferred clothes.
And so he took his seat, and waited once more, idly taking out his sketchbook as the lights dimmed. Despite the twilight, his vision was largely unimpeded-- a perk of his residency in the woods, he supposed. The Erlprince had traveled light; a few books were present in his bag, along with his most cherished sets of clothes and a few items for personal grooming and convenience. Among those items was a leatherbound booklet and a piece of charcoal-- one which, despite its constant usage, never seemed to run out. One of father's gifts, enchanted to amuse his son. Despite his relationship with his father, the Erlprince greatly appreciated the gesture.
For now, he would idly sketch-- scratching the charcoal along the surface, examining the utensil before his hood to confirm he was using his favored edge. A simple mock-up of the auditorium would do, for now. When the lights came up and the circus show began, the prince supposed he would have a more entertaining model to use.