He Taught Me to Live With Myself [Oushitsu Kyoushi Heine]

♛𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓊𝑒♛

Gabriel sat at his desk, happily reading a book that his tutor had assigned him. Despite his young age, all Gabriel wished to do was live up to his Nii-Sama Eins. Despite the boy being four years his elder, the two only observed each other from a distance. 

Kai, the brother a year younger than Gabriel, was a much more kind-hearted boy compared to the two. Even from a young age, Gabriel didn't know his Nii-Sama well and he grew to realise that Eins liked it that way. 

So in his younger days before his surplus of brothers were born into the world, Gabriel decided he would study hard to match his Nii-Sama and Father in intellect and strength if not surpassing them. Then the others started to come along and grow, each with their own vibrant personality, each with their strength and each with communication issues. 

Kai got along best with Gabriel, as the elder liked his quiet him and Kai certainly provided with good company. The younger was happy that despite Gabriel's slowly changing personality, his hair was always soft and his hands were soft if he hadn't been training. Gabriel was quite to Kai's liking. 

Then, after their youngest brother, Licht was born, Gabriel's appearance around the palace grew scarce. He often hid in his room but possessed such a nature that if he were to be cornered, he could flee out of his window and vanish. That's how he discovered his talents in stealth. How he discovered that not everything was as it seems. 

That's when he decided that being King was by no means a dream he wanted to chase after. Nor was it a job any one of his brothers were suited to. Maybe, if they all ran the Kingdom things would pan out differently, even Eins' attitude could aid the situations. He was the most strict-minded one out of all of them. The only person he considered a threat was Gabriel, he over the years had matched him with top grades both academic and military. 

Only as mentioned, Gabriel did not want the crown - even once stating that to Eins who slowly stopped acknowledging him.

The life of Gabriel was a quiet yet adventurous one. 

The life of the Second Heir, the Second Son, the unknown son...

It all started after the day Eins told him one word of advice.

"Don't speak to me if you give up so easily, the crown is something you should be trying for too anyways. That's just how this works. How disappointing."

Young Gabriel's book fell to the floor, it was rare his brother see him, even rarer to ask about the throne. But, for a mere six-year-old to be told something so harsh and dream-crushing at that age.

It changed Gabriel, who found tears welling in his eyes. His dark hair fell in front of his face as he clenched his jaw to stop himself from crying. He achieved so much, he enjoyed making his family proud despite praise being rare. 

He glanced at the fallen book title, 'Political Strategies by-' tears blurred the author's name but it didn't matter. He would never read the book again, opting to return it to the Library where he made a vow to stop thoughts of the crown and which of his brothers would suit the title of King. 

It was pointless, it did happen to be much more interesting to look at the darker side of things. The assassination attempts, the political agreements and deals made between kingdoms. It was odd to say, but Prince Gabriel had much more interest in the workings behind the scenes of the kingdom.

That's how he found his true calling, which he could tell no one about.