A Royal Pain

CHAPTER ONE

"It won't work," a gruff voice said firmly. "What you're planning—it can only end in disaster."

"It could work," the other responded, his voice softer but equally as sure. "It will work."

"To kill the king is madness! It's suicide."

"Yes," he responded, humming thoughtfully. "But to kill the prince..."

"The prince, sir?"

"To kill the prince is to weaken the king, and to weaken the king is to weaken the kingdom. It'd be much easier to defeat a defeated king."

"I'm still not so sure..."

"Lay your trust in me and you shall see how we succeed."

—

"Please, Your Highness," the maidservant—possibly named Cecily—pleaded. Dan had trouble remembering their names, mostly because there were so many of them and it took too much effort to try to actually care.

"I don't see why I should have to go," Dan answered without turning around to look at her. He was currently leaning against the door to his closet, examining the many outfit choices he had in there. There were clothes of all variety—different styles and colors and designs. He'd rather stay in his pajamas, complete with a wondrous silky robe, than change into any of them. He knew better than that, of course—he was standing at the door to his closet, anyway. He wasn't ever likely to get his way against his father, and this woman should know that by now. He might be complaining and acting like he wouldn't bother to go, but he did always end up doing so.

"It's important for a young prince such as yourself to find a bride, Your Highness."

Dan sighed. Maybe the process of finding a bride wouldn't be so horrendous if there weren't absolutely zero good ladies out there. Or at least, his father wasn't having any luck finding them. Dan was constantly having to meet and greet and dine with the ladies his father brought in for him, all as dull and unimpressive as the last. Dan was bored. He didn't want to meet with any more girls; he wanted to read books and ride his horse and spy on the townspeople from the great stone wall surrounding the castle.

"I'm feeling quite sick," Dan sighed. "Perhaps I shouldn't meet with the lady after all." He spun around to look at the maidservant then, having to resist grinning at the look of abject horror on her face. "Wouldn't want make her feel unwell, right?"

"I-I could call a healer," Possibly-Cecily said, and Dan huffed in annoyance, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. I'll just get ready." The maidservant nodded gratefully and disappeared from his quarters, shutting the door firmly behind her. Dan followed curiously, pressing his ear against the door as soon as she was gone.

"How did it go?" someone grunted—one of the guards outside Dan's room. It was nice that they were there in case some psycho tried to get into his room or something, but really it could be horrendously annoying. He couldn't go anywhere without everyone having to know about it, and privacy was virtually nonexistent.

"Bad," the maidservant replied. "The Prince is in a mood today."

Dan huffed, making a rude gesture at her towards the door. If she wanted to pretend his personality was a mood to sooth her hurt feelings then so be it. He knew that none of the servants really liked him—no one really liked him, for that matter. There were other nobles and such that he interacted with on occasion, but he wasn't necessarily friends with any of them. It was all just formalities; everything was so incredibly fake that only an artificial friendship could last that way.