Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 32

"So, if being a prince isn't all fighting evils and saving royals," Pat said, "what's it like?"

Logan carded a hand through his hair, shaking it back into place after. "Honestly? It's very boring. All posing and pretending you care about pointless politics and a surprising amount of royal balls."

"But aren't politics, like, really important?" Pat asked, clasping his hands in front of him as he walked.

"Yes but not this kind." Logan said. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "What my father's discussing now is how much we should raise taxes - if at all - and what we should spend that money on. It's not like we aren't bloody rich anyway. I've seen the royal coffers, we're not exactly skint." Logan shook his head and sighed. "I don't honestly see why we should tax those without more when we have so much to give already, anyway. Why are we even hoarding so much anyway? We're not dragons, it doesn't feed us, it doesn't give us life force, I don't under-" Logan stopped when he realised Pat was trying very hard to smother his giggles. "What?"

"Nothing." Pat lied.

"Don't try and patronize me, Pat." Logan said. "You will not succeed."

"Fine, fine, just," Pat giggled again, "for someone who deems politics so 'pointless', you sure do seem to be passionate about it. Not that that's a bad thing, course."

Logan crossed his arms. "Just because it's pointless does not mean I can't get excited over it."

"Hey, it's really not a bad thing." Pat assured quickly. "I was just saying it's kinda ironic that you're so passionate but also so dismissive of the same thing." Logan shrugged. "Seriously, though, it's really interesting. Keep going, I'm invested."

Logan laughed, sure Pat was just joking. "No, it's fine. I talk far too much anyway. Everyone says I do."

Pat shrugged. "I don't mind."

Logan shook his head. "Really." Pat said. "I don't mind. It's fine."

That made Logan pause. "Really?" He asked quietly. Pat nodded quickly.

"Really. Go on." Pat grinned and shrugged. "I'm not really much of a talker anyway."

Logan laughed, perhaps a little breathlessly. "That's a lie." He said. "But thank you."

Pat grinned and shrugged again, nudging Logan playfully. "C'mon, then. What's castle life really like?"

"Like I said," Logan started again, "it's a lot of posing. We have to get a portrait every year and they're all documented in the portrait gallery. I really do not see the point."

"You don't seem to see the point in a lot of things." Pat said cheekily.

"That's because a lot of things are pointless." Logan protested. "Honestly, tell me this, what is the actual point of sitting in a room on the most uncomfortable chairs possible, not even daring to breathe too much because it will upset the artist, while you are blinded by sunlight? It has to be some archaic form of torture. Surely we as a society have surpassed this enough to at least find some more comfortable chairs! Use the Blue Library chairs, I don't give a damn that they don't match the decor, having a whole room of just gold is ridiculous anyway!"

"You have an entire room of just the colour gold?" Pat asked.

"It's complete idiocy, I know." Logan agreed. "And the only reason we still use it is because it has 'the best natural light'. It's stupid. You want natural light, we have a whole fricking courtyard plus about 20 acres of land! Use some of that, God sakes!"

"Sounds rough." Pat said unconvincingly, holding back giggles. Logan sighed.

"It's really not that awful." He said. "I'm well-fed, well looked after, Father isn't the worst. Sure, he doesn't know what he's doing family-wise half the time but, you know, he's kind enough and I'm loved and," Logan shrugged, "yeah. But, honestly, it's restricting. I don't know, maybe you would like it but it does feel suffocating at times."

"Suffocating?" Pat asked. He wrinkled his nose. "Nah, maybe not. I'd probably do something terrible and get exiled within the first week."

"I don't know..." Logan said, his head tilted to one side, "I think you'd manage pretty well. You're easy to talk to, likeable, bubbly, chatty, adventurous, excitable, everything good for a prince." He smiled a little. "I think you'd do fine."

Pat's grin was timid but there. "Thanks." He said. "But we're not trying that theory out."

Logan shook his head. "Definitely not."

Jesus Christ, this is gonna take a while, huh?
Bye,
Blaize