The Prince and The Carrot

1. My Worst Enemy

"My sincere apologies, your highness." I speak with genuine regret, as making him uncomfortable is the least of my intentions. Also, it increases the chances of him picking up the habit of running away once more.

"Do you..." He hesitates once, biting his lip, "Do you really think that I can be a good king?"

And here we go again. He has been asking the same question again and again ever since Eins called him, in short, most unfit to ascend Glanzreich's throne. 

I look up at Leonhard. 

My height... just kill me NOW.

Oi prince, grow up first. You're still too young to be worrying about such things. When I was your age, my chief worries used to be how to get food for over a dozen bawling kids and whether their threadbare clothes will last for even a fortnight or not. Okay, I know that even this is not part of a usual 15 year old's daily worries either. Leonhard and I seem to be on the bow and stem of the same boat, I guess.

Viktor, this is why I hate you. Making someone like me responsible for Glanzreich's future. A commoner with a pitch black past. A person so insensitive to others' weaknesses that he hurts his own pupil's feelings and makes the pupil, a prince no less, question his own potential. There was a time when I used to take advantage of these same weaknesses in order to get by each single day. But now, I'm... different. Or at least, the circumstances are.

I sigh, making Leonhard jump. "Why do you wish to be king, Your Highness?"

"Wha..." Leonhard stands up and as expected, starts screaming, "HEY - I AM THE ONE ASKING QUESTIONS! WHO ARE YOU TO THROW A QUESTION BACK AT ME INSTEAD OF ANSWERING?!"

I will soon be needing a pair of earmuffs at this rate. 

"Just answer the question, Prince." And spare me the grief.

Leonhard huffs," Fine." He scrunches up his face and gives a very compelling performance of facial expressions for the best part of a minute, which passes for deep thinking on Leonhard's part. As for me, I like to believe that my face has gone red from trying not to laugh.

"I..."

I force myself to put up a poker face and turn towards the struggling prince, "Yes?"

"I... don't know..."

"..." After thinking for half a minute, THIS is what Leonhard comes up with? I nearly choke with laughter and manage to cover it with a loud cough.

"HEINE, YOU'RE CHOKING!"

Don't get started now... 

"I am fine, Your Highness. No need to worry." 

Just do me a favor and stop screaming. I AM old enough to get a heart attack, even though I don't look the part. 

I turn towards the blackboard and start writing. Leonhard walks up behind me. "What are you doing?"

"Merely helping you with your answer." I use my teacher's pointer to point out the options I wrote, "Prince Licht is undecided upon this matter. Prince Bruno wants to essentially follow in the footsteps of your father. Prince Kai has the motivation to work for the welfare of the people, which is why he is vying for the throne. Your eldest brother, Prince Eins, wants to be king because frankly, he believes himself to be the only one eligible to ascend the throne and thinks that he is doing the kingdom a favor. So, why do you want to be king?"

"I can't believe that you just made a bullet list on the blackboard." Leonhard murmurs. It's a teaching habit... I ignore him and go on, "Perhaps you wish to prove Prince Eins wrong of his belief that you are the most incompetent to be king amongst all of your brothers?" Frankly, Eins seemed more likely to nominate Princess Adele to the throne than Prince Leonhard. Even his word were unduly... rude. Knowing Leonhard, I would not be too surprised if he is aiming to be king in order to spite Eins and make him eat his words. Not that I would terribly mind that.