A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Fifty-Five

Thankfully Raphael only suffered minor injuries and would recover after a night of rest, however Vagatha was still very angry Anthony. For the rest of the evening she didn't speak to him, she didn't even look at him. She couldn't help it, all she could think about was the fact that her beloved animal companion could have died because the prince didn't act to help him. He was a man with power and position, and as she expected, he used neither one to do any good. What was the point of monarchy anyway? What good were they anyway?

Later that night after Anthony had fallen asleep, Cherri approached Vagatha who was still awake and tending to her dog by the campfire.

"Is he going to be alright?" She asked her.

"He's going to be fine." Vagatha said, turning back to glare at the sleeping Anthony. "No thanks to him."

"I understand how you must feel." The nymph said sitting next to her. "Anyone would react the same way. But there's something you should know about Anthony, the real reason why he didn't do anything."

"I know exactly why. Because he doesn't care what happens to noble dog who risked his life save him! He doesn't care what anyone goes through or suffers with! He doesn't that its his responsibility as a future king to help others! He only cares about himself! Just like his father!"

"You're wrong." Vagatha protested. "Anthony isn't like that at all. Okay he is very self-centered, after all he is twenty years old. But believe me, he's not the type of person to ignore others in need of help. He wants to help others, really he does. He just doesn't know how."

"What do you mean?"

"Anthony didn't help fight the wolf because he didn't care, it was because he's never fought anything in his entire life."

"How can that be? He's a prince. Isn't combat something he has to learn?"

"Probably, but his father didn't teach him. He didn't teach him anything except how to be handsome, charming, and to marry for convenience."

"Okay I'm no expert on raising royal children, but I'm pretty sure that a future king needs to know more than that."

"If you want my honest opinion, I think Anthony is just going to be king in name. His father is just going to continue making all the decisions, only difference is he's doing through his son."

"So all these years he's been raising his son to be a puppet?"

"That's my theory anyway. I don't have any proof but I find it awfully suspicious that a king would allow his only male heir grow up to be so unprepared for his position. Now if his only heir was female that would make some sense, because tragically most kings believe that the only thing daughters are good for is marrying into a larger kingdom. But a son? No, most kings wouldn't let their son end up like Anthony."

"Any chance that King Vincent thinks a daughter would be more valuable than a son? My father always thought so."

"Not a chance. I once actually heard the bastard say that women were only good for one thing, child-bearing. He said that the best thing that could happen to a woman was if she died child-bearing and that King Percival got lucky with his first wife."

For a moment, Vagatha was stricken speechless with horror. She couldn't imagine anyone saying something so terrible. Especially when she knew just how devastated her stepfather had been left by the death of his first wife and how guilty it had made Charlotte feel.

"Does Anthony believe that?"

"Hell no!" Cherri defended. "And he loves his mother too much to ever embrace such a repulsive belief. And by the grace of God, by the time his father tried to poison his mind with it, he had already been taught to know better."