Emeralds For Trade // DNF Royalty AU

Chapter 2.2: The Weight Of A Crown

It's strange how little we really hear silence in our lives. Something's always happening, someone's always talking, and we hardly get to listen to the world around us. Really listen. Your quiet breaths. The gentle thudding of your heart. The stray thoughts lingering on your mind; Not the ones that are overwhelming, but the ones that are always present in the background, rarely addressed.

And George was listening.

"Do you ever wonder how you could ever take the throne?"

The words came out rather strained. George had been sitting on these words for a while now as they painted in silence. He wasn't too sure how it would be taken, and when he finally spit it out, he didn't look up from his work. Perhaps he worried about what he'd see in Wilbur's eyes. Judgement? Amusement? Whatever it was, it wasn't worth the risk. His ego was fragile enough, his walls lowered as the hours spent together over the past few months picked at his facade.

"What d'you mean?" Wilbur paused his work and looked over at George curiously.

"Like... Whether you could step up to the plate? Fulfil expectations?"

"What, when it comes to the crown? We Watsons tend to think way too far ahead. Dad has a book of plans for the next two decades, and when it's my turn, I won't have to start from scratch."

George didn't reply, staring at the canvas in front of him. Wilbur noticed the deliberate lack of eye contact, deciding to focus his eyes on his own canvas as he worked.

"I hear you thinking. What's goin' on in that little noggin of yours?" Wilbur re-crossed his legs, leaning forward slightly as he worked on a more detailed section.

"I guess I'm just worried. So much is hovering over me and knowing that someday, alone, it'll all be in my hands. I'm not expecting it so soon, but it's still there. A distant thought that comes back every now and again."

"George." George could hear the slight frown in his voice. Not disappointment, not pity, but firmness out of care. "You're a smart young man. Don't underestimate yourself. The only real expectations you need to live up to are that of your people, not your own."

Perhaps Wilbur was right. He was putting too much pressure on himself to be perfect. He needed to do right by his people, but he couldn't expect to fix everything in an instant. The Diamond citizens were struggling, but they were somewhat content. All he needed to do was pinpoint the shortcomings and figure out how to fix it. And for now, he had his parents to guide him through it.

"You didn't answer the question."

"Of course, I do. I think about it sometimes, all the responsibilities that I have to take up, the shoes I have to fill. I'll have to choose a wife at some point, someone who's capable of being a queen. I'll have to be a good example for my little brother. I'll have to be a good king eventually. But I've lived a good few years to learn about how things work, and I know that when the time comes for me to step up, I'll be ready. Even if I'm not, I will be. Y'know?"

George couldn't help but be eased by that. He was right, people tend to grow into their responsibilities. It was unreasonable of him to expect to be able to run before he can even get the chance to walk.

"You speak as though you're that much older than me," George said, cracking a smile.

"Is that teasing I hear? Why, I suggest you start respecting your elders, Georgie boy," Wilbur quipped back with feign offence, drawing a warm laugh from him.

"Of course, Prince Soot, my apologies."

"Y'know, only my friends call me by my middle name like that."