Read on for the first chapter of my newest book THE CROWN PRINCE.
Coming very soon.
Chapter 1
The Prince
Prince Eduard
Another day, another boring etiquette lesson with Monsieur De Pont.
Prince Eduard stared out of the large floor-to-ceiling window in the Royal Study Hall on an unusually sunny Saturday morning. His mind drifted to thoughts of sneaking out and calling his best friend. They could head to Elordia Square and enjoy skewered chicken intestines sold on the bustling streets. Of course, he knew it was risky, so whenever they met up to raise a bit of harmless chaos, he always disguised himself to avoid recognition.
"Your Royal Highness, are you listening?"
Eduard's attention snapped back to Monsieur De Pont, who, despite his pretentious title and forced French accent, was neither aristocratic nor French. Eduard had no idea why the old man insisted on being called "Monsieur" when his accent made him sound like he was perpetually choking on his own saliva.
"I apologize, Monsieur De Pont. I was just admiring the beauty of the orchids outside," the prince lied smoothly.
Monsieur De Pont eyed him suspiciously, his beady gaze like that of a hawk. "Well, I ask Your Royal Highness to please focus. We have much to cover, and only three hours left to review three topics for your etiquette training."
Prince Eduard resisted the urge to sink into the velvety chair with its gilded base. This was not the life he had envisioned for himself. If only his older brother, Prince Adrian, had stayed and not abdicated his position as Crown Prince, Eduard wouldn't be stuck in this tedious mess.
Still, he couldn't entirely blame his brother. Life as a member of Elordia's royal family was a constant source of frustration. He couldn't go out freely to play Frisbee or badminton with his best friend, and now he had to endure endless lessons on how to be the perfect crown prince, on top of his regular studies at the Royal Academy of Elordia.
Sometimes, Eduard wished he could relinquish his title as well. But he knew it would devastate his parents, King Edmund and Queen Elisha. Occasionally, he fantasized about what it would be like if his family wasn't born into royalty—if they could live normal lives like everyone else. But that dream was just that—a dream.
So here he was, learning things he didn't care about, forced to endure lessons that felt utterly irrelevant to real life. Despite his outwardly stoic and seemingly indifferent demeanor, Eduard was a sensitive soul who longed for freedom.
"Your Highness, thank you for paying attention and taking notes throughout the lesson. Please review them before our next meeting," Monsieur De Pont said, nodding with satisfaction at his perceived success in teaching the prince.
"Likewise, Monsieur De Pont. Thank you for your time," Eduard replied, his tone clipped and almost mechanical.
"I will see you next Saturday, then," the teacher said, tipping his unfashionable fedora before making his exit.
Once the old man was out the door, Eduard let out a long sigh.
I hope we never see each other again.
****
"So, Mr. Majestic Royal Highness, are you allowed to play frisbee with me and some of my new friends tomorrow?"
Eduard sat in front of his Nano XV laptop during a SkyZoom call with his best friend, Alex Nguyen. They were talking about hanging out, but Eduard's answer came with a sigh. "I wish I could, but my mother is forcing me to go to this annual youth gala thing."
Alex munched on a potato chip, crumbs gathering on his lips. "Oh—you mean that snooty gathering for royal blood and those inbred rich kids who flaunt their high-end designer clothes, shoes, and bags?"
Eduard often thought Alex had a point. Despite coming from the same wealthy background as the other "inbred rich kids," Alex was different. Eduard had never seen him obsess over expensive things—except for his passion for photography, which had led his parents to buy him the most expensive camera money could buy.
Other than that, Alex was down-to-earth and humble, the kind of friend who would give him a noogie or, more often than not, an atomic wedgie.
Their friendship was a strange but perfect balance: the introverted Crown Prince and the extroverted, sometimes borderline histrionic best friend. Eduard's parents had never been fond of Alex, believing he influenced the prince with ideas unfit for royalty—though they never specified what those ideas were. Sometimes, Eduard felt like his parents lived in another dimension... another timeline, perhaps, because their traditional ideologies seemed completely out of place in 2024.
"So, are you really going to that fart gala?" Alex's voice pulled Eduard out of his thoughts.
Did he really want to? He shrugged instead. "It's not like I have a choice."
Alex's smirk widened across the laptop screen, causing a strange twist in Eduard's stomach. "You're planning something."
"No... no... no, I'm not."
That tone said it all. Eduard knew his best friend had something up his sleeve, and there wasn't much he could do to stop him—not that he would try. Usually, Alex's antics involved making a fool of himself in a bid to crack Eduard's stoic façade, which he had maintained since his teenage years.
"Yeah, right," Eduard snorted. "Just make sure that whatever stupid thing you do doesn't get me in trouble." Before Alex could respond, Eduard closed the laptop lid and set it aside.
He glanced out the window of his massive room, watching the hired staff bustle about, preparing for tomorrow night's event.
He often wondered why these royal events were even necessary. In reality, they seemed like nothing more than a waste of the taxes paid by the people of Elordia. There were times when Eduard felt like the entire royal family was a fraud—mere mascots for people to scrutinize and judge.
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