ROYAL Lies

Chapter 4 (Flynn):

Life was boring, simply dull. The constant twirls of gates opening and closing, the nonsensical chatter of these so-called guests when they were just vultures ready for their next fix of gossip. Then there were the leeches, always vying for attention whether it be for my father or me, seeing how cold my father seemed to be in both business and women, they all clung to me. Hoping to charm me into their little snares.

At first, I found it a nuisance, dull, boring, disgraceful, but then I learned these leeches, vultures, these non stop chatter bugs, they were all useful. I suppose not all gossip was wrong, especially not from a drunk's mouth whether it be from wine or lust. Either one works. Take last night for example, the dear wife of an aristocrat just accidentally spilled the little detail that the Marquis of the house of Dyrian were now under bankruptcy due to one of his many illegal actions. He had to know he could only go so long-running under the radar before we caught up to his little acts, right? Though what use I could use it for, I'm not quite sure yet but I'm sure I can find use for it later.

As for the gossip, well some are useful, but mostly just half-truths filled with more fantasies than actual secrets. They aren't very useful, not unless you're the one spreading them. Take Viscount Gilmore of the Kiln House, sentenced to execution for a crime he didn't even commit. The man forgot his place, and I simply had to remind him of his. The man should think twice before threatening a princess of the Winter King.

"Flynn." A voice as demanding as the seven seas commanded.

Raising my head from my book I looked up towards the scowling King, but he just couldn't show any emotions, not even towards his children.

"Flynn, I need you to go visit your mother, I hear she took in a new prisoner." My father not so much as said but commanded with that booming voice of his. Not daring to mention anything further in front of others my so-called father left it at that. You can never be too careful, especially around others, especially the servants. They tend to spread the most gossip, whether it be imaginative or outright lies. But I already knew what he wanted.

If my mother, the Summer Queen, yes the Summer Queen, took any prisoners it wouldn't be any of our concerns, except if this prisoner was special in some way, or so I've heard. As I said, balls do have their purpose. Most of the gossip I heard comes from these so-called dances after all. It seems my father has heard the rumor mills too. I nodded looking up at my Father's ice-cold blue eyes and unwavering frozen white hair just like his heart.

I could read the disappointment practically flowing from his pores. He's already mentioned it a couple of hundred times, why I, the heir to a kingdom, could never fight like a true man, or be so limp that I could barely lift a sword. He's made it clear how he's always wanted a stronger, more powerful son than the scrawny stick of a boy I was. Despite my physical appearance of shocking blue hair and ice cool blue eyes, I never could bring myself to be the brooding tree trunk of a man he was.

Placing a hand to my right chest I bowed respectfully, after all, he was still the King," Of course Father." I said, barely holding back the bite from my tone.

Even if he was King, he was still trash to me. He's never shown the least bit of interest in anything me or my sister has done. Sometimes I wish he would just show us some form of love. I wonder how I could even be remotely related to this beast of a man, but then again it wasn't as if I was as innocent as everyone believed me to be. Only the King and my sister knew of my real intentions behind every smile and every act of kindness. The sneaky tricks from behind the scenes were never really my father's style but it was mine, unfortunately this too was a disappointing behavior for my so called- father. If it wasn't a show of brute strength and power, it was nothing, even if it did keep him from getting his head chopped off.