Chapter Text
George groaned after falling face-first on the dirty ground of the castle’s garden.
It was a beautiful day in the kingdom of Ligaya, where nothing seemed to go wrong. Freshly baked goods filled the slightly cold morning breeze with their aroma, fields of wheat and farms of planted fruits were kissed by the gentle morning sun, “good morning”s and “have a good day”s were passed on around the town, birds were chirping, flowers bloomed, kids were playing, the king—with his ever reassuring smile—was roaming around the kingdom with his knight to keep track of everything, and Prince George was spitting grass out of his mouth sitting on the ground of the castle’s garden. A typical morning in the peaceful kingdom of Ligaya.
Where nothing goes wrong.
The worst disaster that the kingdom ever encountered was when the cows got loose from their pens causing a stampede around the town. However, it was easily resolved for Ligaya was a kingdom of a thousand farmers, and most were experts who knew exactly what to do.
Nevertheless, under the ruling of King Wilbur, the kingdom of Ligaya had seen nothing but rainbows and sunshine.
“Son of a bitch,” Prince George grumbled under his breath, brows furrowed together as he cradled his aching elbow. It was his daily morning visit around the castle’s garden, for he had always loved the comfort it gave him. The atmosphere of the garden never failed with providing him peace of mind, which he always seemed to yearn for. The way the flowers bloomed in a variety of shapes and patterns, butterflies fluttered and chased each other so gracefully in the wind, bees hopped from one flower to another, and how the sun gently painted each reachable surface with a soft shade of gold, the garden was the serenity he couldn’t find anywhere else. Though at that moment, he doubted that. “Why must I be punished like this?”
“I see we’re off to a good morning so far, Prince George.” a voice snickered behind him, a voice that belongs to Knight Commander Sapnap, his friend. Prince George’s only friend. The knight was leaning against the frame of the garden’s door, an amused expression painted on his face.
“You didn’t see anything,” he said over his shoulder, rolling his eyes as Sapnap chortled. The knight was wearing his uniform, an armor made of mostly metal with a piece of the kingdom’s crystal at the center of the chest piece, his badge sitting at the upper-right corner glimmering gently from the sun. George had always wondered how their knights go through an entire with full armor when he couldn’t even walk properly with his cape alone. I guess they’re used to it, he thought. While I have been wearing this princely cape for only a few months. “What do you need?”
Sapnap raised his brows and leaned away from the doorframe, “Can’t say good morning to a friend?”
“You’re the highest-ranking knight, Sapnap, I know you have better things to do,” George mumbled under his breath as he got up from the ground, brushing off the dirt on his clothes. He had always felt like everyone’s duties are worth more than himself, moments where he felt useless added more weight to that thought. But he never opened up about it, and it wasn’t like anyone he was close to had even a spare of free time for him to have someone to talk to, though he was grateful for every time Sapnap tried to spend time with him. “You wouldn’t have gone all the way here for that, spit it out.”
“Alright, alright,” Sapnap walked towards him, laying a hand on his shoulder. “The King wants to see you.” there it is.
Other than the castle’s garden, the town of Ligaya had always been George’s favorite place.
It’s always filled with life, and every time he was permitted to go outside the castle, he would stroll around the town, and sometimes he would even sneak out. He would go through every bakery, filling his lungs with the warm aroma of the goods, get his cape dirty at the farms, run his fingers through the tips of fields of wheat, and join the kids at their game of hide and seek. He’s got all the time in the world, and he spent it desperately avoiding the feeling of loneliness that always seemed to follow him.
Reaching the center of the town, he spotted his brother, King Wilbur. The beloved ruler. The king stood before the fountain, which was also known as the heart of the town. It was made of copper with the kingdom’s crystal sculpted in the middle. Nearing his brother, he saw the knight with golden locks and freckles, the king’s personal guard.
Dream, or whatever his name is.
“Ah, there you are!” he turned his attention back to his brother who wore a bright smile at his sudden presence. George wondered about the endless reasons why he was called for on his way there, could it be an actual task that will not require him to only smile and wave? Was the king finally trusting him and his abilities to take part in keeping the kingdom thriving? “There had been rumors son, that instead of you being crowned as the next king, it’s my trusted knight, Dream.” the king said to him, laying an arm over his shoulders. George sighed, eyes falling down at his feet. Even our citizens can’t imagine me as king. “And I wanted you here as I make it certain that it’s you, George.” Wilbur smiled softly at him, playfully nudging his side. “Citizens of Ligaya, after the next decade, you will meet your new king. George will be next to the throne, and he will do splendidly with taking care of us.”
Wilbur may have been distant ever since he had taken the role of king, but he always tried to be there for George, and George knew that. Whenever he had something to say, as noticeable as the bags under Wilbur’s eyes may have been, Wilbur would have all ears for him. And Wilbur would listen, just like he always did.
Wilbur would always have George’s back, no matter how heavy the crown upon his head may be.
Hesitantly lifting his eyes from the ground, he slowly raised his head, facing the judgemental gazes of their citizens. From quirked-up brows, unsubtle whisperings, and hidden snickers, his heart began to beat out of his chest. He felt the invisible weight on his shoulder grow heavier, with every eye that looked down on him, with every whisper that reached his ears. It was suffocating, he felt as if he was drowning, lungs filling up with toxic air. He found himself struggling to breathe, chest rising and falling without a stable pattern. And he was looking for something, eyes hopping from one person to another.
George chewed the insides of his cheeks, a habit he had grown accustomed to whenever he felt anxious. There were times when he thought about the possibility of it bleeding, but he never tried to help it.
Wilbur continued talking about how no one should worry in regard to George ruling the kingdom, that he still has a decade to prepare, and so on. Though it was as if every sound was muffled through his ears, every noise became an indecipherable echo, and it was deafening to him.
“Prince George,” a voice quietly called out to him, and he turned to look over his shoulder. “You’ll be alright.”
George felt his heart skip a beat.
The knight with golden locks had an almost invisible smile, and his eyes were kind.
George was strolling through the hallways of the castle, desperately trying to rid of the eyes that stared at him a few hours ago on his mind. The ones that judged him, looked down on him, but especially the one that was kind to him.
He had never spoken to any of the knights other than Sapnap, for he was admittedly intimidated by them. But now, he realized that under all of those metal armors, were hearts of gold.
His eyes felt so… soft?
With a giddy smile plastered on his lips, he replayed the scene over and over in his mind.
“Prince George,” a voice quietly called out to him, and he turned to look over his shoulder. “You’ll be alright.”
The smile on his lips was bright and genuine, and he loved the way his chest was bubbling up with warmth and happiness. I’ll be alright.
Though it only took one turn, one turn into the west hallway that leads to his bedroom, one turn into the hard metal chest plate worn by the knight that wouldn’t leave his mind.
“You’re such an idiot.”