Once A Tale (MXM, BXB)

The Golden Stag

Or: The Case of Fourth Prince Wester

THE SIX SWANS: The Case of Fourth Prince Wester

Once upon a time, there were seven brothers.

At one point, a malicious witch cursed them all into the shape of swans—oh dear. This story sounds rather familiar, doesn't it? Once again, from the top.

......

Once upon a time, there was a lazy fourth prince.

He was so lazy he wasn't even troubled when he and his brothers were cursed to live out their days (save for fifteen minutes in the evening) as swans. Rather, he seemed to enjoy just drifting about aimlessly, nibbling at kelp or basking in the sun.

When he was changed back to normal, the fourth prince kept up this indolent lifestyle.

Long strolls, laying on grassy hills and watching the clouds, meandering pointlessly here and there...

That is what made up the fourth prince's days.

However, he was not an unkind prince. When strolling through the forest, he often happened upon animals that needed assistance. Trapped squirrels, fallen baby birds, even a stag caught once in a trap that eyed him with wary brown eyes.

Without fear and without hesitation, he helped if there was someone in trouble in his path—no matter who or what that may have been.

Occasionally, they were more than the simple animals that they appeared as. These enchanted creatures eagerly offered a boon to the fourth prince.

"Ah—that sounds troublesome, so I don't want it," he'd say. And he'd stroll off before they could protest.

All the fourth prince wished for was to live out a peaceful life, uninterrupted and easy.

However, one day the first prince of the kingdom declared that they must find them a new number of knights and, like it or not, the fourth prince had to be present as well...

Wester yawned.

It wasn't a quiet yawn. It wasn't a subtle yawn. It was a huge yawn that echoed through the tense, abruptly silent space as the fourth prince opened his mouth as wide as he could and made the loudest noise he could. He even smacked his lips as he closed his mouth, gazing indolently forward with his knuckles propping up his cheek, licking a chapped corner of his lips.

"Did you have to," muttered a voice under their breath to his right. "Did you really have to do that, Wester? Of course you did. Of course."

When he peered sidelong out of the corners of his eyes he saw the second prince, his elder brother Malt, cradling his head and groaning quietly. He was making far more of a spectacle out of himself than Wester had, so the fourth prince thought, even if he had totally attracted all eyes to where he was sitting.

Wester grinned smugly and tapped his forefinger against his chin, closing his eyes with an air of self-satisfaction.

Herth, being the first prince, adapted to Wester's interruption of his speech with a shrug and a careless smile. "Eh, with that being said, I'm sure we're all growing impatient like my brother here. Let's begin! Will the knights hopeful step forward as their names are called and present to us seven princes who you are, your achievements, and why you wish to be a knight for our kingdom."

With that, he took his seat again with a flourish, gesturing with one hand.

"I'm so tiiired," Wester grumbled quietly.