Don't Forget

#53 Speak

     Prince Adam can't breath.
     It's the morning after the big meeting, and now Adam has to keep his promise. Every civilian and soldier, who's not on duty, is waiting to hear him speak. Lachlan even had a makeshift stage built in the city's main square. It's all too much.
     Adam knew that this would happen if he decided to fight, but it seems so much worse now that it's time. Public speaking has never been his strong suit.
      How will he explain all the terrible things he's done? He's killed lots of innocent people for no good reason. Adam ran from his home and birthright. He wouldn't blame anyone if they don't want him on the throne.
     And yet..... there's a small part of Adam that wants this burden. His crown, his home, his people. It's only right that he's the one to end the war.
     That small piece isn't enough to silence his fears.
     "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. All you have to do is walk on, read the speech Dan wrote, and walk off again", Ty pats Adam on the back. To be honest, Ty would rather drown then be in the prince's shoes. He's just trying to make Adam feel better.
     "You're not the one that the crowd will want to tear into pieces", Adam groans. He carries a folded piece of paper in one pocket.
"Don't get too full of yourself. Worse case scenario, Lachlan still gets to be in charge", Ty cracks a joke. Adam may be difficult to work with, but Lachlan has somehow put his faith in the prince.
Adam wouldn't mind if the General took his throne, but he knows he won't. Lachlan still hopes for a peaceful life. The rest of his unit do, too. They're not young teens seeking glory anymore. It's Adam's turn to take that burden.
     "Hey, Adam, are you ready?", Mitch interrupts when he opens the door and sticks his head in. His leg still has a pretty good sized whole in it.
     "No".
     "Too bad".
"Can I have five more minutes, at least?".
"Get outside".
Ty can't help but laugh. He never thought royals could ever be anything but stuck up. Adam throws that stereotype right out the window.
     Every step feels like a lead weight as Adam steps outside the barracks. It doesn't happen right away, but as Mitch leads him around the square, people start to notice. It's a little creepy how people can pick him out so easily.
     It starts with a few whispers and pointed fingers, until the crowd is all a low murmer. There are even people staring from the buildings that line the crowded square. Each pair of eyes feels like needles pricking Adam's skin. His amulet is getting heavier on its chain.
      Adam sticks one hand into his pocket, clutching Dan's folded speech. Will he look like an idiot reading a script? The prince is so afraid to mess up that he doesn't want to try.
     Mitch and Ty get him around to the stage before he stops completely. Adam stares blankly at the steps for a moment. Just like that, he's gone.
Adam is eight again, dressed up in his formal attire. The collar of his shirt is too tight. His shoes are uncomfortable and seem too shiny for a kid. All of it makes him slightly on edge.
The young prince trips over himself trying to avoid another lady in her large dress. If he touches one, they turn around in surprise and profusely apologize to their prince. Adam doesn't understand why they apologize when he's the one who bumped into them. He's too short too see anything but legs and dresses.
Every Lord and Lady wants him to stop and talk with them. Everyone wants to listen to his polite court manners and fawn over their future king.
Adam can't do anything wrong here. Everyone will hate him if he does bad now. The ballroom is suffocating. He can't find anyone that he trusts.
The prince struggles to know what to say to the guest's endless questions and compliments. How much is true? How much is just to get on his good side? Nobody is honest in the castle. They're all playing a game of advantage, and Adam can't figure out the rules.
He staggers away in the middle of a conversation and tries to find a way out. Adam bumps into more people in his panic, and they try to talk to him, and he freaks out even more.
The expectations are too high. Adam can never be his father, who holds off the Piscus with an iron will. He has a hard enough time being himself.
Adam's vision swims, a sea of colors dancing around him. He's fallen onto his knees and there are tears on his face.
The prince is snapped out of it when another boys pushes his way to Adam and kneels down next to him. The boy has deep blue eyes, and raven black hair.
"Hello? Snap out of it. Huge crowd, remember?", Ty whisper yells at Adam, shaking his arm. He's relived when the prince blinks and shakes his head a little. His black outs are getting worse.
And then, suddenly, Adam's on the stage. He's not quite sure when he moved, but now he's looking down at the crowd of people. Alone. There's no one to comfort him now, but Adam isn't the same person he used to be.
     He unfolds the speech as the crowd goes dead silent around him. They've all been waiting for him to speak. What will the prince say after nine years in hiding? He could of fought a lot sooner.
     "My name is Prince......... my name is........", he trails off, the words on the paper blurring. He looks up at the crowd, and then back to his paper. Adam isn't the same person as they used to know; he's stronger.
     He rips Dan's speech in half, and then into fourths, letting them drop to the ground. Pretty words are nothing compared to the truth.
     "My name is Adam Sky of GoldenEye", the prince stands a little taller, "I think you all deserve to know everything before I call myself your prince".
     And he tells them everything. Adam talks about the brave servant woman who birthed him, and he explains about the Sorcerer's gift. He talks about the wagons and the darkness in the mines.
     Adam points out each scar he got, pushing up his sleeves to show where the shackles permanently scarred his skin. Several people in the audience raise a hand to rub their own wrists.
     The prince talks about Preston's unflagging loyalty and faith. Being trained as an assassin is nothing to be proud of, but Adam tells his stories of his training and teachers. The stories he tells are often dark and hold no honor.
     He does his best to explain who Sky is, and how he created a separate identity. Adam struggles with Sky's' way of thinking every day. It's not something that will change overnight.
     The last month in the army camp is a lot easier to tell. Ty and all the rest kept chipping at Sky's walls until Adam showed through. He holds on tightly to the amulet as he finishes.
     It's all in the open now. Adam has decided that his people deserve nothing but the the truth. His story isn't a perfect fairytale. He ran away when he was weak.
     When the crowd is silent, Adam turns away to walk off. It was worth a shot, right? He can't help it if he's not enough. No more pretending.
      But then someone shouts. Someone cheers, and the crowd roars with praise. Prince Adam is genuinely shocked. Are the dead proud of what he is doing? Blue eyes. Adam starts to cry on the stage.

**************************

Lord Dan watches Adam on the stage, a wave of nostalgia waning over him. The old King would be very proud, indeed.
"He didn't read your speech. Should we go get him?", Ty watches more nervously. He doesn't like that Adam is crying.
"I forgot that Adam isn't his father", Dan muses, "The King was strong, but Adam has more heart. That will either get him killed, or help him rise".
"I knew he could do it. He didn't fight this hard to live for nothing. He just needed a little push", Lachlan smiles.
"What do you mean you knew? I'm one who beat it all into him", Ian is dressed in the usual assassin black, and has gotten more then a few strange looks. His presence makes more sense after Adam's speech.
       "Man, to think I lived with a prince for seven years. This is unbelievable!", Vikk grumbles in mock anger, "I could have screamed his name out in any town, and the GoldenWings would have come running to pick us up".
     "Just be glad we didn't have to chase him this time", Mitch laughs. Jerome stands next to him, a few scratches visible through his fur. The Captain freaked out when he saw that. Jerome won his fight with the other Bacca, and gained their respect.
"What do you think of the plan from last night?", Ty asks. He's only heard a few vague details, mostly of a sorcerer with black eyes.
"I've never even considered using magic like that in battle; I didn't even know it was possible. We'll have to expect that if we ever get into a war with Liblicen", Lachlan doesn't like surprises.
"I like it even less. Do I really have to go with them?", Vikk plays with the hilt of a dagger.
"Someone trustful has to go. Quinten says that Azeal is loyal, but there's not much stopping him from screwing us over", Mitch says.
Vikk only grunts. He's still not happy about the upcoming mission. It's only a little bit better if he thinks of it as a contract from the guild house.
The small group continues to watch, each of them deep in their own thoughts. The end is near. The next battle will decide the end of this 21 year long war.