A Storm Over Crofter Isles - Sanders Sides Analogical Story

Chapter 5 - Teaching the Young Prince

I'm alive!!! Little update into why I've been having absences if anyone's interested:

I just submitted my final year thesis today, it was an analysis into autism which I probably got because I'm autistic. Chatting with my friends about how many studies they included in their thesis, most of them included 20-30 papers. I included 104 papers.

I hyper-focused so much on my autism thesis I basically did 2 doctorates worth of research. So I am now Dr Dr ElSandersWrites thank you ✌️.

Now onto the story!

Remus loved being a prince. It was a little lonely, but he could play with his brother and butler. And his favourite thing to do was an independent activity with an audience. Remus loved acting. He made a dragon from blankets and his stage was the bay window of his bedroom. "The Kingdom of Atlantia despised the dragon because it blew fire!"

As the cardboard slashed the blankets the bedroom door opened for another audience member. It was Remus' favourite audience member who didn't get to watch his plays often, even though he helped with the set: Remus' big brother Logan. The younger prince stayed in character though. "Aha! Aha! Aha! The dragon is dying!" Logan sat cross-legged on the floor and smiled at the main actor on the stage, looking invested in the story.

The play was soon over and the other adults walked away to carry on with their adult business, but Logan stayed. "Did you like my performance, Lo?" Remus cheered, bounding down to his brother's smiling face like an excited Labrador.

"Mhm, very well performed." Logan spoke gently, before starting on the reason he came to the play. He leant forward while Remus sat on the bay window and kicked his legs, a smirk on the crown prince's face. "I was wondering if you wanted to do something fun with me." Remus loved doing fun things with his big brother, so he nodded immediately. "How would you like to do some prince classes with me?"

"Nah, I don't want to learn Latin."

Logan feigned surprise and lay a palm on his chest as he gasped. "O deus meus! Don't insult the language of the ages." Whatever, Remus would spend time with his brother whatever they're doing so he was still interested. "I mean more like dancing, and hosting, and talking to all different kinds of cool people!"

Now Remus was interested. He loved talking to people! Whenever Logan had his fancy crown prince Balls Remus was allowed to attend too, and although he couldn't dance to the music like everyone else he had plenty of people wanting to talk to him. The ten-year-old held the widest smile ever and jumped for joy at the prospect of special classes with his favourite big brother. "Yeah I wanna learn that! When do we start?"

*****

Patton walked into the main sitting room during the mid-afternoon, where loud classic music was playing on a small radio. The only people in the room were the two princes, with Remus running around the room and jumping on the sofas while Logan leant against the wall, stroking his eyebrows and trying to keep his voice calm. "Remus, Remus, the music is slow! You've got to be slow when dancing the waltz." Patton said nothing, just stood by his best friend and admired the chaos.

"So... Is this the prince lessons you were talking about?" Eventually the butler whispered to his friend, smirking when Logan revealed his dead expression. "It seems to be going lovely!"

Even Logan could tell that was sarcasm, but he stayed quiet and just watched his baby brother destroy the sitting room sofas. He didn't want to shout or get angry at his brother. In this ten year old's fun though he could see the future of the country he was destined to lead – if Logan couldn't lead the country it would go to Remus. And while it looked fun and innocent at first the foundations were getting destroyed, things were thrown everywhere. Prince Remus would not make a good king.

Logan felt Patton's hand on his shoulder as he looked down at the floor. "Remus! Logan and I are going upstairs and then we'll make cupcakes together!" The crown prince and the butler escaped upstairs as Remus cheered about more sugar.

When Patton walked into Logan's chambers, he immediately opened the window to let some light in. Logan just sighed as he shut the door and sat on the floor again just like he did after the Jubilee ceremony. He then just stared at Patton, finally breathing calmly and listening to the silence and his thoughts of 'oh shit...'. "Crofter Isles is screwed, thoroughly."

"You'll be a great king Lo, they won't care about Virgil." Patton whispered, sitting cross-legged opposite the prince and smiling softly. "Your parents will accept whoever you fall in love with, they just want to see you happy!"

Patton reached out for Logan's hands and held it, waiting for the crown prince to respond. Logan wanted to believe his best friend's positivity, he really did, but royalty was different to a normal coming out. A lot of things in life surrounded status, every moment was documented and talked about among regal circles – some more powerful and violent than the royalty of Crofter Isles. Crofter Isles was a small island, could easily be defeated if the royalty of a country believed it wasn't 'right' for Logan to explore who he loved. That's why no-one had ever stepped into being a non-closeted monarch. "It's a big risk to be gay and royalty, can you name another person that's ever done it?"

"Ooh, well there's Henry III of France, Ludwig II of Bavaria... Even Louis XIII!" Of course Patton had an in-depth knowledge of homosexual kings, he probably learnt it just to make sure Logan didn't feel alone and alien. Some of those people had to remain closeted though so it didn't help much. But wait... If Patton knew so much about royalty – and he had attended every class Logan had to sit through (even the boring Latin ones)... Patton could make a good king.

"If I don't get rid of these feelings..." Patton scowled at the idea of 'getting rid of feelings' like usual, apparently it was impossible. "Can you take the throne from me?"

"Not a chance, nerd. You were born to be a role model." Patton rolled his eyes and sighed. Logan couldn't help but smile at his best friend's 'you honestly believed that would work?' stare. But then the butler smiled and Logan knew he was in for a ride. "I did hear the jester say the royal luthier was overworked with all the instruments in the palace – so why not give him an apprentice?"

Logan sighed and stroked his forehead but agreed. His heart might not take it well though.