Unroyal

Dealing

Crown Prince Nicholas- world's most eligable bachelor?  
Footballer, combat master and academic phenom is turning heads. 

17 year old Crown Prince Nicholas is beginning to turn heads. His laundry list of acheivments from football star to swordfighting master while topping his class rank has everyones head turned. Never mind the royal title, even without it would the 6'1 model esque teen be a worldwide sensation- can a boy really have it all? When asked of his future plans, the young prince answered "If there was ever a life in which I wasn't next in line to be king, I'd definitely play football. Go pro, and even if it's very far off hopefully one day win the world cup." 

World cup doesn't seem far off after all! Although first garnering skepticism from the public, seeming as though the boy had access to every major league scouting agency without hard work, his broadcasted performance two years ago propelled him into the spotlight. Nicholas, who increasingly persists that his athletic succeses have nothing to do with his infamous family name, continues to play D1 football at the prestigious Arcane Academy, which on it's own has a reputation for the grueling training schedule it has on it's top team. 

When asked to comment on his star player, U20s coach Sanders of Arcane Academy remarks "having Hawthorne be born a royal truly strips our kingdom of a new generation's icon. Honestly, it's a slap on the face for everyone else on the team. Here you have an incredibly hard working, smart and tactical player kicking with more power and agility than industry greats, and he happens to be a prince. It's almost laughable- I didn't have to appoint him team captain. It sort of happened automatically, the other guys just started looking up to him. His precense is evident on and off the field." 

Before ascending his throne, Nicholas plans to devote his time to football while possibly entering a semi professional career while balancing his royal duties when he is crowned as king. The boundries for if or if not this is allowed has not been clarified yet as it has never been executed- after all, this prince seems like a fairytale!

____

Mom squeals in delight on the other end of the phone as I slap my copy of the article down on my desk. 

"Nicholas, do you hear what they're saying about you?" She rings happily. 

"Yeah mom, I have my own copy right here." 

Let me first preface that I love my mom more than life. Unlike my dad, I get a sense that she really and truly cares. She built this, everything from the ground up. Before her title as queen our kingdom was pile of practical rat shit- the general public hated my grandfather and treated my father with skepticism as default. But when dad married mom after grandfather died, it was as if trust was restored. She rallied for free healthcare and made sure it passed. She was the pupeteer in helping my father's revolutionary move in 'opening the economy'. No one knows that she was the one that incentivised him, of course, but she really is a superhero in every sense of the world. 

"They're calling you a fairytale prince." she drags, and I can almsot here the eyebrow wiggling from across the kingdom. This means I can predict what she'll say practically word for word, and I cut her off before the sentence begins. 

"Mom, trust me, I will-" 

"So where is the fairytale princess?" She chrips mischeviously. I almost hang up the phone. 

"I'll find her." I grit out. 

"Nicholas, I don't know if you've realised, but you are not a regular person." Her tone turns from giddy to almost condescending. I mumble under my breath- I can recite the lecture by heart. 

"I don't know why your acting like the you from three years ago! I thought you had grown up you know, after jumping from girl to girl and playing with their feelings. I thought that phase had finished! You know, after-" don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it. 

"Fallon." I slump into the wall and try to suppress my anger. "After she broke your heart, I always thought you would have recovered! I mean-"

"Mom! Please. I've told you to not mention it anymore. She didn't break my heart. She showed me who she was. That is never a mistake. And you don't know everything. Don't act like you do and don't assume that everything I've done from that point on is because of her. I refuse to give her that much power and I refuse to letting you think that she has."

"Look, darling-" I slam the end button for our call and toss it on the bed as I fall into it. Cover my eyes with my hands and press hard into my face. Jesus fucking christ. All those memories, right to the surface with one word. I hate that it can have so much power over me. Absolutely hate it. I hate that my mom used it even more.  

The door screeches open to Ashton waltzing into my dorm. He prounces around the table, grabs a couple things and finally turns his attention to me. 

"You alright mate?" He asks, concerned. 

People being able to tell how you feel or what to do to make you feel what they want or what little ticks you have can be one of the most dangerous skills someone can posses. Not for Ashton. Nothing gets past him. 

I close my eyes and contemplate my answer for about .2 seconds, before the remededy of practically every annoying situation pops up in my mind.  

"You wanna hit the gym?" 

He grins. I look back. 

Brute force and directed violence to deal with problems- Ashton and I only have a few things in common, this being one of them. The more problems you have, the more you train. It shows on both my muscles and his. 

I know that he knows not to ask questions as I begin grabbing the type from my nightstand and wrapping my knuckles. 

Thank fuck for mutual understanding.