Mounds of books of all colors and shapes surrounded Gwynne on the floor in tall stacks. It was late at night and he had curled up in his favorite fuzzy blanket by a tall bookshelf, wearing his comfiest green pajamas and holding a mug of hot peppermint tea. Orbs of soft light floated near him like stars in the sky. These fire-free solutions to the darkness had been innovated by the palace mages soon after the death of his parents. They painted the room like stained glass, with colors of soft blues, pinks, yellows, and purples. Despite the efforts to make the orbs silent, they had always kept a slight hum which had grown to be a comforting white noise to Gwynne. Filling the silence he despised oh so much.
"This is taking forever," Gwynne groaned to the books in frustration.
He pinched the bridge of his long straight nose, in an attempt to combat the headache developing behind his eyes. After sitting there for a few moments not getting any relief he decided to head to the kitchen for medicine. The library had the comforting musty smell of old books and wood. It was a familiar place to Gwynne for he had been known as a bookworm his entire life. He knew each winding passage by heart and could almost pinpoint the location of every book there, for he had hand-picked most of the palace's selection. Just as he was about to take a right towards the exit a book with an odd cover lay fallen in his path. Curious, Gwynne lifted the book delicately and brushed his fingers down its wooden spine. It was bound in wood and had strange cog-like plates decorating the front. He fidgeted with the cogs for a moment before flipping to the front page. The label read "Guide to the Puppetarium" in golden calligraphic letters.
Beneath the title, something on the page jumped out to him, "Hello young prince," He continued to read aloud,
The Puppetarium is a place where hard work, creativity, and art bring imagination to life. Come down and challenge our artisan masters to any problem, our magic may possibly be your solution. If you have found this tome it means that you have been chosen as a candidate for our vast array of magical services. Follow the instructions listed inside and you will surely find our humble shop. May we see you soon?
A puppet boy sat at the bottom of the page with his legs crossed probably their mascot, Gwynne thought. He closed the book and grinned, wondering if this could be what he had been looking for. Before he could place the book under his arms to continue towards the kitchen, the wooden cogs began to turn and a map emerged from a hidden compartment. This was a sign and now the prince was sure, this is what he had been looking for. Why else would it have been there? Investigating the map Gwynne's attention was jerked away by the thudding of a book hitting the ground.
Whipping his head around, behind him stood John, bashfully stating, "Well that sound like an interesting adventure."
Valeigha - Hey! Since this is my first story, I'm trying really hard to do this right and I hope you liked this part. The light orbs sound like such a cool thing and now I really want them in my room IRL lol. I'm thinking about drawing some illustrations or sketches of Gwynne and John + some characters you're going to meet later on. Also, today's graphic is a little ratchet but I had to get it finished fast... X_X
see you next time! xoxo
YOU ARE READING
The Puppet Prince
FantasyA tragic story following the struggles of Prince Gwynne, a boy given the burden of a kingdom too soon. Following the death of his parents, the devastated prince withdrew from his people. After a year of working behind the scenes and training to beco...
