Not another Fairy Tale

Chapter One: The Silver Spoon

Chapter One: The Silver Spoon

Once upon a time in a typical kingdom lived a typical Prince. His name was Rupert, and grew up with all the privileges a typical prince would receive. He lived in a typical castle with a tradition king and queen as parents. He received anything his heart's desire, being a sole heir to the throne.
It was true that Prince Rupert was spoiled and sheltered and wanted for nothing except the one thing he couldn't have and that was freedom. He rarely left the castle and when he did it was always with a bodyguard. He knew almost nothing about the outside world, but he was determined to change all that.

It was early in the morning and the sun had barely come up when Prince Rupert heard a wrapping at his door. He had been up for hours just staring at the ceiling of his large room studying the faces of the characters that were painted there. There were knights in battle fighting a powerful dragon to save the beautiful princess.

Nothing exciting like that would ever happen to him. In fact, there hadn't been a single unsavory incident since before he was born. He felt he had to go through another routine day he would scream. Things need to change, and he was determined to see that it did.

He didn't even move a muscle while lying in bed as his man servant came into the room. He was all smiles as usual. Prince Rupert couldn't remember a day when the man wasn't in a good mood. Sometimes he thought the man was under a pleasant spell, because he couldn't believe anyone would be in that good a mood all the time.

"Time to get up, your highness," he said, practically singing the words.

Rupert just rolled his eyes and gave a deep breath. "I'm already awake, Milton," he said but made no attempt to get out of bed.

"Then, why are we still lounging around?" he asked as he laid out his clothes. "We have so much to do today."

Rupert took a deep breath and forced himself out of bed. "You know, Milton," he said as the man put the finishing touches on his outfit. "Just once I would like to dress myself."

The man burst out laughing as if he said something ridiculous. "Don't be silly, your highness. Remedial things like that is not the job for a prince."

He thought for a moment of what a prince was really supposed to do, but nothing of any importance came to mind.

"Then what is my job, Milton?" Rupert asked. There was a sullen look about his face.

"Simply to do your duty," Milton answered. "There we are, now your parents are expecting you for breakfast. They have some important news for you."

"Alright, Milton, I'm going," he said and walked towards the door. Milton hurriedly raced to it before he could reach it and opened it for him. It seemed like he couldn't even do that for himself.

He walked down the hall in frustration but still curious about what his parents wanted to tell him. He wanted to go off on some grand adventure, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up... not this time anyway. He just took a deep breath as he entered the dining all. When he walked in he saw his parents conversing with each other. They both looked very excited which worried Rupert.

Just what did they have planned?

He walked down the long table and sat down in the empty seat across from his mother, while his father was seated at the head of the table. His mother gave him a warm smile and then daintily touched her napkin to her face.

"Good morning, dear," she said as one of the servers came into the room and put a plate in front of Rupert. It had many of his favorites, but this morning he didn't have an appetite.

"Good Morning, Mother," he said looking down at his plate. He didn't want to make eye contact with her. Instead, he just played with his food.

"Darling, are you alright?" he mother asked him.

"I'm fine," he said, even though he was far from it.

"Well, that's wonderful, dear, because your father and I have something to tell you."

He looked up at that moment to see that familiar signal his parents gave each other when they were about to announce something serious. "What's going on?" Suddenly his breakfast looked more appetizing and he took a bite of his sausage.

"We're going to have a ball?" his mother squealed in excitement.

"Suddenly Rupert spit out his food which flew across the room and onto the floor.

"Rupert, what was that all about?" his father asked him in scolding tone. "A Prince should have better table manners than that."

"Sorry, Father, but a ball? Why now?" Rupert asked.

"Because it's time you found a wife," he father said.

"And how is ball supposed to do that?" he asked.

"Because all the princesses of all the surrounding kingdoms will be in attendance."

"That's all well and good," he said and rose from the table, "but you can do it without me."

Ruppert stumped out of the dinning hall and out into the courtyard for practice. Sparing with one of the knights was just what he needed to let out his frustrations. He had no interest in a marrying a rich spoiled princess. He wanted excitement and adventure and from  the princesses he had known over the years he would get none of that. They were more concerned with their looks and their clothes and prattling on about nothing. He had only been to two other balls in his life and both in his opinion were nothing short of boring.