A Prince and a Demon [ Medieval!AU Skephalo ]

Chapter 1

A young prince sat beneath a tree, sighing softly. It was just another day in the kingdom, wasn't it? He was only about 12 years old at the moment, and all the maids and guards would just remind him that he was young, that he didn't know much. Even if that was true, he wanted to know everything. From the little flowers in the fields, to the things called 'stars' that lit up the night sky. He smiled a little at the thought, the thought of one day being older, being wiser, at that. He reached into his neatly tucked shirt, and pulled out a book he had snuck from the library. He opened it, and began to read. Stars...The constellations they made were beautiful...He looked through the pages, tracing his hand along the shapes and formations they made. He wanted to see them, he wished he could see them all.

There was a strange rustle in the leaves, causing him to flinch slightly in concern. He slowly lifted his head up from the book, staring into the branches of the tree. Suddenly, another child swung down, hanging from a branch with his legs. " Gotcha! " He shouted, a grin on his face as he stared excitedly at the other. The prince had flinched once more, eyes wide and confused- " ...How- Did you get in here?-" He asked, and soon enough, couldn't help but giggle at the silliness of the situation. The other boy giggled now as well, and let himself fall down with a slight huff, before sitting back up. " Hello! I'm Darryl! " He exclaimed, holding out a hand to the other. The prince hesitated, taking note of this boy's clothes...He certainly wasn't of royalty...But he didn't seem to mean much harm.

"...Zak." He mumbled with a smile, reaching over and shaking his hand. Darryl narrowed his eyes at the other. " Hmmm. . . You seem very skeptical of me. " The prince tensed. " N-No, no, I don't mean to-" The boy interrupted " I'll call you Skeppy! I think it sounds cool! " Zak blinked. Well...It wasn't really a bad nickname, was it? He sighed slightly, glancing around slightly to try and locate his guards. " But seriously...How did you get in here, um..Darryl-" He asked quietly, not wanting to sound rude. " Oh. . .What if I said it was magic? " Darryl smiled, giving another giggle. 'Skeppy' stared at the other in disbelief, but his eyes widened a little. "...No way." He mumbled, this time speaking up a bit louder now. Darryl grinned, standing from his spot and dusting himself off. " Well, you're the prince, aren't you? Wouldn't you have some kinda magic sorcerer work for you? " Skeppy giggled slightly from the comment. "That's not how it works, no."

Darryl blinked. " . . .Oh. Then what do you do? " The other shrugged. " I guess I just...Make sure I learn the best I can. I'm gonna be king someday, did you know that? " He smiled, seeming intrigued by the idea. Darryl's eyes seemed to brighten excitedly. " Really?! Whoa! Well, if you become king, could be like, your right hand man or something? We could be besties! O-Only if- You want to, of course. . . -" The once confident boy seemed to drift away, looking down at the ground and fumbling nervously with his fingers. Zak frowned, before smiling. ". . . Of course! It's not like I have anyone else to really play with, anyways- It was nice to meet you, Darryl. " He stood up now as well, glancing around. " Did you...Get lost? I could show you the way out...It really is a wonder how you got in here!" Darryl chuckled nervously. ". . . Um- Yeah, it is. . . Could you help me?" Skeppy nodded, holding out a hand to the other. Darryl smiled softly, before taking his hand in return, and following close behind as the young prince led him around and past the guards, and out of the castle grounds.

After saying their goodbyes, the young prince sighed softly, walking back on his own. He was lost in his own thoughts, at this point. How had that boy gotten onto the grounds? What were those glasses on his face for? The one that stumped the young prince the most, was one burning question in his mind.

" What was that strange feeling? "