ROYALS ; ♚ KLANCE

THREE

lance listened as heavy foot steps placed themselves on the stone floor, echoing throughout the cramped dungeon. he had been fed multiple meals that consisted of rotten food which resulted in sicknesses that he couldn't describe. the prince often found himself being told to quiet down when he spent his nights retching in the bucket. his cell was disgusting and the air was thick with a stench of thrown up materials. he hoped maybe someone would take him out of his misery.

the door creaked as it was swung open after a key clashed with the lock, a wave of cold air flooding the space. the prince cringed away as he saw keith standing with his nose up at the door, and the opposing prince grimaced, presumably from the overwhelming smell.

"father says you will be executed within a few days." he stated, playing with the hilt of his sword anxiously.

"why should i care?" lance slurred, feeling his vision spin at the news.

"i didn't ask for your opinion. i'm
following orders for the lords sake!" the raven haired boy yelled, causing the prince under his gaze to flinch.

"i- i'm sorry. i'll make sure to have them clean your cell before the day is done." with that, the prince clad in red turned and left. the door was locked and lance could hear orders being requested by keith.

the guards were lazy in handling the state of the cell. they picked the prince up and chained him to wall while they removed the straw and brought a different bucket that wasn't nearly as close to falling apart as the previous one. one brought in water and scrubbed the corner for a moment and left, while another threw straw and rags in the corner.

"happy, princess?" he hissed, unchaining lance and pushing him back into the cell. the boy fell into the materials, rising to favor his right arm from the impact. lance tried to look on the bright side, he was in a decently clean cell and the misery would at some point be ended. the thought of death was something he would battle with back at his powerful, former state as the proud prince of altea. now nobody back at home seemed to care.

the kingdom of aseridith would be his final resting place, and it was horrifying. the execution would be any day soon, with no further information on what time. he could be eating the reject food produced by the kitchens when he gets dragged to the cobbled courtyard to be hung for no reason. the prince was in conflict about why they even captured him in the first place. he was harmless, and if keith's kingdom wanted war they wouldn't end his life.

"maybe it was spite," he whispered, lacing his hands in the straw and reminiscing in the familiar feeling from his childhood. lance's father would always let him play in the stables with the knights horses, he always had good times there.

"go to sleep!" the yell echoed across the damp hall, and lance sighed, staring at the barred window outside. the dark night stared back at him with fierce eyes, and the prince settled down, surrounded by memories of the stables.

~

"papa! why do the knights have ponies?" a boy of no later than 7 years asked, staring at the man before him with curiosity flaring in his eyes.

he chuckled, bending down to be face to face with his son, placing a comforting hand on his small shoulders.

"lance, these horses take the men on wondrous journeys to protect us." he started, but was instantly cut off.

"but papa! i want my own pony to go on adventures!"

the king smiled, closing his eyes to collect his response.

"when you come of age, i can promise a pony to you. but you must lead our men like the prince you are, okay?" the king questioned, intensity sparking to life between them.