The Young Prince

Chapter 23

Tommy coughed a little bit before speaking again. "What do you mean 'finally awake'?"

Ranboo let him go and let the prince sit up. "You weren't waking up at all. You were asleep for so long it's already almost dark out. But, I was so worried. I was doing everything to try and wake you back up."

When Tommy went to rub his head, he winced from a sharp pain on his left arm. He looked down at it and saw that blood was stained up and down the sleeve. Tommy pulled it back to reveal a huge cut mark, starting from the back of his wrist and almost all the way down to his elbow.

"What happened?" Tommy asked, grabbing his arm, only to flinch from the pain. "Why is my arm all cut up?"

"That's the thing." Ranboo started to say. "You were asleep for so long...and...I didn't know when you would wake up. I tried to wake you back up, and then I looked at that dagger." Ranboo pointed to a slightly bloody dagger on the ground. "I thought it would wake you up."

Tommy rubbed the open cut. It stung to hit it, but he couldn't let it bleed more. Ranboo was already trying to put bandages on it, but it wasn't gonna help for long.

Tommy remembered back to that empty void. "I was so scared, Ranboo." The boy hugged his knees. "Dream was sitting there, in front of me, and torturing me. I was calling for you. And you came to my rescue."

Ranboo stared blankly at Tommy. He couldn't respond to anything. He was too afraid.

"This...creature...tried to attack me, but you saved me in time." Tommy told him. "I don't know what would've happened."

Ranboo sighed gently and went to comfort the prince. When he went to touch his shoulders, Tommy slapped them away and moved closer to his bed. Ranboo moved away from Tommy, knowing he was afraid to be touched.

Tommy looked up and noticed that it seemed darker in the room. He looked over to the windows and saw that it already night out.

Was he really in there for that long?

Was he really in that void all day?

"I was gone for that long?!" Tommy said, standing up and walking over to the window.

"Umm...yeah..." Ranboo said, still sitting on the floor. "You were in that state for a while."

Tommy stared down at the lit up village below. He could see some people walking into their homes and shutting off their lights to go to bed.

Everyone looked so peaceful walking down in the village. Everyone was patiently waiting for their prince to become the king tomorrow. Not even knowing that Tommy was afraid to become the king.

"I..." Tommy started to say, but didn't know what to do.

I'm becoming king tomorrow. Tommy remembered. I'm not ready. I don't wanna be the king. I just wanna be a kid. I wish I wasn't even the prince. I...I have to go see someone.

Tommy turned around and saw Ranboo looking worriedly up at him.

"Ranboo," Tommy said, taking off his crown and placing it on its pedestal. ", see you later."

Tommy started to push Ranboo out of the room. "W-wait!" Ranboo said, getting pushed out of the room. "T-Tommy!"

Once the enderman was out of the room, Tommy shut the door and waited for Ranboo to leave. Tommy could hear Ranboo hesitant, from the other side of the door, before walking off.

The prince sighed and ran back over to his window. He looked out and saw one of the houses. That house had almost all the lights off, except for one room. And he knew exactly what that person was waiting for.

He ran over to the door and put his ear to it. He could tell that no one was out there, not even the guards.

Tommy shut off his lights and quietly opened the door. He looked down the hallways and saw that no one was around. He stepped out into the halls and took off towards the garden. Tommy knew that no guards were ever in there, so it was the perfect place to sneak out.

As he got to the garden, he looked over at one of the pillars that was leaned up against the wall. That wall led to the village, and the pillar could help him climb out.

Tommy smiled and ran over to it. He looked up the wall and jumped onto it. He started to climb up, but stopped when he realized there was another presence in the garden with him.

"Tommy." Wilbur spoke. "What're you doing?"

Tommy looked over his shoulder and looked down at Wilbur, who's arms were crossed. Tommy knew that he was gonna be in trouble.