See Me for Me

Prince and Thief

Rupert trudged through ankle-deep dirt. Was this even dirt? It was more soft than dirt, and much more squelchy, but it wasn't mud, either. More like a mix of both. Like dirt-mud. Was that a thing? Rupert decided it was now, at the very least.

Rupert trudged through ankle-deep dirt-mud. It stuck to his shoes with each step, making it infinitely harder to walk. Every muscle in his legs burned, and he was already out of breath. Merlin, he missed his horse. It wasn't Rupert's fault that Euripides had gotten spooked and run off as soon as he reached the forest's border.

"Stupid horse running away," he grumbled out loud, because yes, he liked to talk to himself, especially when he was as frustrated as he was now. "Stupid voice luring me into the forest." He adjusted the satchel on his shoulder when it had started to slip off. He huffed out another breath. "Stupid forest with its stupid trees, and stupid vines, and-- ow! Stupid thorns."

He yanked his arm away from where his sleeve had snagged on a bush. He didn't care if the fabric ripped-- he was still in his pajamas, anyway, and there were definitely more important things to worry about right now.

"This forest is just trees, and trees, and more trees. Ow!" Another thorn bush, scraping against Rupert's leg this time. "Okay, that's it." He felt around in his bag for the scroll from Chamberlain.

He took a breath, eyes scanning the parchment as he opened it. "Okay, so, if that oak tree with the branches shaped like a skull is the same skull tree on this map--" Rupert stopped abruptly when a branch snapped somewhere to his left. "What was that? Hello?"

No response came, but that didn't ease Rupert's anxiety.

"Is someone out there? If so, I warn you--" he drew his sword from its sheath-- "I'm armed."

Whoever or whatever was there, they didn't need to know that Rupert had next to no idea how to use the sword. Technically speaking, it wasn't even his-- it was Chamberlain's.

Stupid mother, never letting Rupert have his own weapon.

Rupert's mind returned to the present moment. No threats had made themselves known in the last ten seconds. That was good enough for him.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, sheathing the sword. "Okay, calm down. It was probably just my imagination. Just because everyone back home thinks this forest is filled with monsters, that doesn't mean there's actually anything in here worse than--"

A sound whizzed past his right ear, causing him to flinch back.

He searched the area around him for the source of the sound, but found nothing. "What the heck was that?" he asked no one in particular.

His answer came when the creature showed itself, emerging through the leaves of a nearby tree. It buzzed louder and louder the closer it came.

"Wow. That is one enormous wasp." It had to be the size of his forearm, at least. "Seriously, how does it--"

It lunged at Rupert again, and he ducked out of the way just in time.

He stood up straight and faced the creature. "Okay, look. I don't believe in violence," he said, "but the last twenty-four hours have been a particularly exhausting culmination of seventeen incredibly frustrating years. So if you want to fight, let's fight. I'm done being Mr. Nice Prince."

He drew his sword and readied himself. He could do this. It was just a wasp, after all-- he had dealt with his fair share of bugs back in the castle. The fact that it was bigger only meant Rupert had a bigger target to hit.

Piece of cake.

The wasp flew right for him, and Rupert ducked again. Okay, so he was great at defense. If only he could remember to use the actual sword.