To Wear The Crown

07

"Is it true that your servant is gay?"

Even after princess Imogen has left, her words continue to repeat in the prince's mind— as clear as the time they were said. The things that used to be seen as 'Charlie being Charlie' seem a little different now in the prince's eyes, especially after the mention of prince Benjamin.

When at the training grounds, the prince spots Ben and Charlie smiling while talking on the sidelines. If the prince would walk over they'd stop and act like nothing was going on, obviously talking about something they didn't want him to hear. If the prince asked they'd reply with 'nothing important' and Ben would usually walk away to get back to training, Charlie would plaster a fake smile as he looked at the prince.

The prince has never thought that Charlie was gay. Charlie has always been by the prince's side, so the thought of Charlie next to someone else feels odd, wrong almost.

With now having to attend all his lessons the prince hasn't seen Charlie as often. Charlie still has as much work to do as before, but he isn't also having to follow the prince around the clock, tending to his every need. Before the prince didn't skip all of his lessons, just the majority. Having to sit back in them, the prince realises why he stopped attending— it's all too boring and he'd rather be having fun while training with his friends.

The prince isn't in a lesson right now, he's currently sitting on the sill of a window in his room, a cushion under him to comfort his ass from the cold stone, and a copy of Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy given by his teacher, Mr Lange, in his hands. It's not a boring book, but it's not interesting either. Though he has to read it so he can write an essay on faith and desire within politics, totally how the prince wants to spend his time.

With a sigh, the prince takes a break from the ever-so-engaging book, his head resting against the window as he watches the courtyard below. He enjoys watching the courtyard and seeing how other people go about their day. It gives a feeling of derealization when imagining how the world looks from others' eyes. People get so used to seeing the world from their own eyes that some forget the world doesn't revolve around them. Even the simple act of passing someone a cup of water is different from the other's perspective. Everyone thinks differently and sees differently. Everyone is different.

Everything seems normal in the courtyard, the prince recognises a few faces but not all of the names of some servants. It's not that the prince doesn't try to remember who is who, there are just so many. One servant however sticks out in particular, their name and face unforgettable to anyone in the castle— impossible for the prince. The glass is slightly warped but the prince can still make out the black curls that bounce with each step the individual takes.

The prince has gotten to the point that he can recognise the individual by their footsteps; the back of their head; the touch of their hands; the sound of their breathing. The prince has known his personal servant for over a decade, it'd be impossible to not recognise them in an instant.

The prince comes to realise he's smiling when his face relaxes at the sight of another individual approaching. Lip reading isn't an ability the prince beholds but he can see them talking and smiling— a too common occurrence. Sat in his room the prince is unable to intervene because by the time he makes out in the courtyard the two could very well have disappeared. It's easier to stay in his room and just observe as much as it displeases him.

Though to the prince's pleasure, the two do not talk for long before bowing their heads and departing in different directions. With a smile back on his face, the prince goes back to his book from Mr Lange with more enthusiasm than when he had a few minutes ago.