The Unwanted Prince

Part One - Ch 1

The smell of roast beef wafted around the dining hall, adding more to the awkward tension among the diners.

Seated at a long table filled with meats and bread was a family. Well, a family that consisted of a king, his pregnant wife, their child who was gobbling down pudding, and the king's bitter brother.

While the king's brother lazily stirred his soup with a scowl on his face, the wife gently nudged her husband with her foot. The king nodded, letting out a dry cough, "Adrian, my dear brother, what do you think of tonight's dinner?"

His brother, Adrian, shrugged and put a spoonful of the savory soup into his mouth. Adrian looked over at his brother's child, a son. A young boy who had his father's dark blonde hair and his mother's big brown eyes. The son was lucky that he was a firstborn, no wonder why his parents let him devour the pudding as if there was no tomorrow. A firstborn son is usually always treated the best. No matter what problem they cause, it'll always be pushed under a rug because they're a "firstborn", what rubbish.

Adrian blew at his golden hair, trying to get it out of his eyes. He was in dire need of a cut, but his sour mood made him forget that.

He's been in a terrible mood all week after having failed at another sad attempt to woo a princess. Adrian had ventured to a small kingdom to the south because he had heard the princess there was taken hostage by a sphinx. He fought the sphinx and saved the princess, even got approved by her father to get married. But then the darned princess had to run away, claiming she had found her "true love", yeah again, utter rubbish.

Adrian had to return home, along with a terrible sunburn, to his older brother who thought Adrian for sure had found a princess to marry.

When his brother, Stephan, saw Adrian ride his horse through the front gates, he was surprised. It was the ninth princess that slipped away from Adrian's grasp, which meant that Adrian was livid. Adrian, prince of Tavern, threw a huge tantrum when he went into his private quarters.

Now that a week has passed, Adrian has succumbed to wallowing in his own self-pity and salt. He was fully aware of the stares from his brother and his wife. Especially his wife. His brother's wife didn't like him, in fact, she thought Adrian was childish for his behavior.

Well, perhaps he was childish. But chasing after princesses who didn't even want you for a good ten years does things to you. 

King Stephan sighed, "Brother, are you this afternoon for a talk?"

Adrian rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever." As he stabbed a steak, he grimaced at the grease pooling from it. Nearly gagging, Adrian pushed the steak away and went back to idly stirring his soup with no purpose. His eyes drifted over to the queen, watching her every move as she slowly stuffed her mouth with buttered bread.

The queen could feel his eyes on her and anxiously coughed.

"Have you found out the gender?"

The queen nearly choked on her bread, taken aback from the blunt question. She glared at Adrian before eyeing her husband. With a scoff, she jabbed a painted nail at her husband.

The king sighed, "Adrian, it's rude to ask women a question like that."

Adrian tapped his spoon against his soup bowl, watching the thick soup drip off his spoon. Remnants of soup started to drip down the bowl, slowly dripping onto the table. The prince shrugged his shoulders, dropping his spoon and scratching his chin. "If it's a boy, I hope you treat him well."

King Stephan frowned deeply, eyes squinting harshly at his brother, "Adrian, I know this week has been hard for you but that does not give you the right to-"

"Fine, whatever, I'm going to my room," Adrian stood up, the scratch of the chair echoing in the dining hall. He stomped away with crossed arms and an angry scowl. The guards looked at him briefly before letting him pass.

The king let out a tired sigh.

"Father, why did Uncle leave?" His son asked, small hands full of grubby gravy and crumbs.

"Nothing important, don't worry about it," He cast a smile at the boy.

His son just hummed and went back to playing with his food.

A firstborn son. Always free and loved. Unlike a second born.