Cinder (lgbtq WP "Once Upon A Time..." Contest)

Chapter Two

"Milord, it's time for your ridding lesson." The faithful butler of the kingdom's heir called to them, walking into their study. The heir was busy drawing and painting, not giving a care in the world. "My prince, you must stop wasting your days cooped up in here."

"Frederick, please. I'm not always cooped up here, I go outside all the time." They replied, turning towards their companion. "I honestly do not wish to learn to ride, are you honestly about to force me into it?"

"It is your father's wish. He believes that all great rulers start by being poised and learning proper manners-"

"How is horseback riding a proper manner?" The heir asked, walking over to Frederick. They gave a smirk and held a paintbrush out to their face like it were a rapier, another skill they deemed a stupid unneeded lesson. "The way I see it an heir should be poised and proper and not cruel in anyway. Keeping a horse captive just for my own purposes is cruel to the animal. So, a riding lesson is not within my views of how I should be learning."

"Yes, but milord would you really want to refuse your father's wishes at this point? His state is worsening and you are going to be his living legacy. So please, I urge you not as your retainer but as a friend to do this just until he withers away." Frederick lowered the paintbrush with a small frown, shaking his head. "Alfred, can't you do this for your father?"

"You mean for the father who never did anything for me? I don't think so." They sighed, then walked back over to their painting.

It was of a girl in an extravagant blue gown, yet they knew they had never seen her before. It was odd. Yet, they liked this image. A girl with broader shoulders than usual, and a face not so traditionally feminine, she stood out among the others they had drawn. The lack of female curves and a round face, even missing on makeup to cover some blemishes, they found her beautiful. They hopped that somewhere in the far borders of the kingdom, she existed.

"Lord Alfred please, don't be like this. Your father has given you much over the years, and the least you can do is make him happy in his final days." Frederick shook his head, and walked over to his companion. He took a seat next to Alfred and moved the paint and brushes away, leaving only the unfinished painting and himself within reaching distance of his lord. "I know you're more the romantic, but you must see other's side of things for a bit. Your father is letting you hold that ball to find the woman you seek, but in return you must obey his wishes. He only wants the best for you."

"His view of best isn't good enough." Alfred sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Father will never change, that I know, but I wish he would see I'll never be his perfect little prince. If only I could tell him I don't even like that gendered title."

"Milord..."

For a moment, the two sat in silence, feeling the eyes of all the faces on Alfred's paintings staring down on them. Alfred knew that feeling, of being stared down on their entire life. From the time they were little, it was lesson after lesson and no break, a tutor or instructor always telling them they aren't good enough or that they'll never become as great a ruler as their father. The only tutor that ever nurtured them through their learning was their art teacher.

Maybe that was why they took such a liking to painting and creating, making clothes and textiles, what their father called "a woman's job". Maybe that was why Alfred hated their father so much, because they put down what they enjoyed and forced them to be someone they weren't. It was disgusting.

"I'm not going no matter what you say, but I will go speak to father about it. Maybe if I tell him directly, he'll see what I'm saying." The heir sighed, standing up. "You better not touch my painting while I'm gone."

"I would never dream of it milord." Frederick smiled, standing up as well. "I have to go tell your sister it's time for her lessons as well anyways, I'll see you around milord."

"I've told you before, we've been friends since we were little, you can call me Alf." The heir smiled, and turned down the hallway to their father's room. It was a long walk, and Alfred was glad for that for it would give them a moment to collect their thoughts and formulate an argument to support their own views.

When they arrived, they sat at their father's side and gave a sigh as they found he was fast asleep. Makes sense, being sick seemed to make him tired all te time. Whatever the case, Alfred decided their time would be better filled if they left a note and then went back to their art, which is exactly what they did.

They continued to paint nice strokes, truly capturing the beauty of the girl for hours on end. It wasn't until the end that Alfred realized they hadn't draw a beautiful woman, but at beautiful man in a dress. Confused, they placed it aside and began to work on another painting, but it too was the image of this man, or woman, or other. The heir really wasn't sure. Regardless, they still found the painting just as beautiful, the subject now appearing in a glistening white wedding gown.

Alfred continued to spend hours upon hours painting this one individual, until the sky went dark and the sun set on another day. That night, only images of the person in the painting played in their mind, dreams of them dancing together at a ball, fingers running through each other's hair, smiling.