𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 |-| tenwin

PROLOGUE.

"𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬; 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞."

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sometimes, some things are best left unsaid. 

bare feet hitting the marble flooring of the palace corridors echoed in the prince's ears as he walked, on his way to meet his mother. his footsteps were rushed much like his heartbeat, which was racing at what felt like a million miles an hour. time and time again, he told himself this day would eventually come. he was fully aware of what the queen wanted to speak with him about, but he was still worried.

it's not like it was a bad thing; his anxiety just wanted him to believe it was. if his face was finally being revealed to the world, he could finally leave the palace walls and be free. well, to a certain extent. no prince is ever really free, not even when he becomes king. either way, this couldn't be anything less than amazing.

why was he so scared?

knocking on the door to his mother's bedroom, the ravenette listened for her voice to call him in. upon hearing just that, he pushed the door open and closed it behind him, waiting to be spoken to. "only speak when spoken to, child." he could remember his father saying that to him when he was much younger. 

finally, the queen turned in her seat and faced her son. "i have something i must speak about with you, my child," she said as he placed her hands in her lap, adjusting her already perfect posture. "in seven days from now, you become the official crown prince. no longer will you be the prince in hiding." 

the boy bit his lip as the nerves crept up on him. "sicheng, i want you to know that my time as queen is almost up. your turn begins soon," she raised her strong, piercing gaze to meet him in the middle, "do you think you're ready to take on the burden of being king?" the prince didn't hesitate in his reply, although he was lying. "yes, mother."

a smile spread across the cold face of his mother. "good. you're dismissed."