The Young Prince

Chapter 9

Wilbur pricked at the guitar strings. The sound the guitar made was like the ocean waves at night. Or the sound of birds waking up in the morning. Or the sound of the wind through the trees. It was very calming and it made Tommy feel safe.

Tommy smiled as he listened. He had never heard something more beautiful than that. He had heard many guitars singing, but none of them could be compared to the old one being played right at that moment.

It made Tommy forget about all his troubles.

Wilbur has always wanted to be a musician, but he instead chose to be a mentor for Tommy. He gave up his dream to help the prince. And that was something that Tommy never understood.

He never got why Wilbur gave up his dreams for him. Wilbur would've moved the world with his music. But instead, it would only move Tommy.

"Why did you choose to be a mentor?" Tommy asked, laying down on his stomach. "You would've been the most loved guitarist in the world."

Wilbur smiled. "I choose it for you."

"For me?" Tommy said as he lifted his head up to stare at Wilbur.

"Yes, for you, silly." Wilbur giggled, ruffling around Tommy's hair then going back to playing. "Even though my dream or being a musician wasn't complete. I had started a new dream. A dream to help you."

Tommy cocked his head to the side in confusion. "But why would you want to help me?"

Wilbur looked back at the prince. "Because you are too young to understand anything. That's what me, Techno, and Philza are for. We are made to help you understand and learn."

Tommy sat up and looked down at the bed. "But...I don't wanna understand. I just want to be normal."

"You are normal." Wilbur said as he placed his hand on Tommy's cheek. "You are as normal as me and the people in the kingdom."

Tommy thought about that. He wasn't like other kids in the kingdom at all. They got to live normal lives and have fun, but Tommy will be the king at fifteen. It's not fair that they get to have fun while he's forced to be stuck in castle, training.

Tommy sighed. "I'm not normal."

"Tommy-" Wilbur started to say, but Tommy interrupted him.

"Every kid my age gets to play to their hearts content, but I have to stay in here and train to be the king in two days. I don't wanna be the king, Wilbur." Tears started to fall down the boy's cheeks.

Wilbur sighed and placed the old guitar to the side. He grabbed the crying boy and pulled him into a hug. He let his shirt dampen from Tommy's tears. He let Tommy keep crying until the boy had no tears left.

Tommy grabbed onto Wilbur's brown shirt and held back tightly. Wilbur's hugs were the only thing that could comfort him in these type of situations. The mentor didn't even know what he tried to do yet. If Wilbur knew, who knows what would happen.

"Wil-Wilbur, I need to tell you something." Tommy said between tears.

"Shh, take your time and just relax." Wilbur spoke softly.

"I didn't want to do it." Tommy cried. "I don't want to ever do it. He just made me. Please Wilbur, I don't ever want to leave."

Tommy could feel that Wilbur started to frown. He could tell that Wilbur was trying to hold back tears. He must've known what Tommy was gonna do.

"I know. It's never anybody's fault at all." Wilbur said as he bonked his head against Tommy's. "I'm here now; my little one. You don't have to be afraid no longer."

With those final words, Tommy let the rest of his tears out. The only sound left to hear was Tommy's sniffling. Wilbur pulled him a little closer and squeezed him tighter, trying his best to calm the boy down.

Tommy eventually had no more tears left to give. All he did was snuggle deeper into Wilbur's chest.

Wilbur crawled over to the pillows and laid Tommy down on them. He got up and shut off the lights. He came back over, getting into the sheets of the bed.

"Aren't you gonna go back to your room?" Tommy asked as he wiped the tears from his face.

Wilbur pulled the blanket up and tucked in them both. "Nope. I'd rather stay here and make sure you are safe through the night."

Tommy smiled. He could feel his eyes start to get heavy and slowly drift off to sleep.

The last thing he heard before he feel asleep was "I love you, Tommy."