The Little Prince

Chapter 1

•••If I am a Prince in rags and tatters, I can be a Prince inside.•••

A long time ago, in the dark streets of a wintry London, an odd-looking boy walked with his mother, carefully avoiding the puddles of slush as they went. The boy was very little, but he had a thoughtful look on his face as he walked. The look might have been strange for a child of 13, and Phil was only 9. Phil had large blue eyes that always seemed to look straight through people. His hair was a gingery color, and fell flat around his face. Phil's mum looked down on him fondly.
"What are you thinking of now, Phil?"
"I'm thinking of my new school. It seems it's been years I've prepared to go, all my life maybe."
Phil's father died when he was only a baby, and he had never known the man. His mother was his principle playmate and they were each other's favorite person. Phil knew his mother was rich, but only because he had heard grown ups say it. They said Phil would be rich as well when he was grown, but Phil still wasn't sure what the implications of wealth were.
Phil had always lived in a beautiful summery house in the south of England (though his northern accent suggested otherwise) and never had known anything but happiness and luxury, pets and playthings. The only thing to mar the peace was the looming responsibility of school, and being sent away completely from his mother for the first time.
"You needn't worry, Phil. It'll be very nice, with lots of little boys to play with and lessons to learn. You will be grown up and clever before you know it."
They stopped finally, in front of a large brick establishment.
"Here we are, Phil. Let's meet your teachers and look around before we go back to our lodgings."
"I guess I must be resigned then, Mum."
Mrs Lester laughed at Phil's quaint words and ushered him up to the doors and rang the bell.
Soon enough they were seated in a drawing room. Although the furniture was expensive and good, it was drab and often ugly, with stiff square chairs and an unappealing carpet.
"I feel like an arctic explorer, mum. It's like I must enter a cold wasteland for my journey, even though I don't want to. "
Mrs Lester laughed.
"Phil, you are so solemn. How will I get on without you and your ideas?"
"But I don't know why my ideas make you laugh so. They aren't always funny," he inquired, furrowing his brow.
Mrs Lester gave Phil a tight squeeze and kissed him on the top of his head.
The teachers entered just then. The headmistress was a tall, rather cold woman who introduced herself as Miss Gretchen. Mr Albert entered soon after, cowering slightly behind his wife. Miss Gretchen was very hospitable. She had heard a few things about the Lesters, but the most important to her was the staggering wealth they were supposed to own.
"What a handsome young boy! And I have heard he is so very clever. We shall be blessed to have him on as a student," Miss Gretchen smiled, shaking Phil's hand firmly.
Phil's eyes were opened wide in thought as he watched Miss Gretchen converse with his mother.
"I am not a handsome boy." He thought to himself. "PJ from home is a handsome child. He has green eyes and nice wavy brown hair. My eyes are too big for my face and I am too thin and fair. I do sometimes remind myself of a great big grasshopper. Adults shouldn't lie to children."
Although PJ from Phil's home town had been known as a beautiful child, Phil was wrong in considering himself ugly. He was tall and thin for his age, and although his close together eyes may have been disconcerting at times, they were large with full black lashes. Altogether, Phil had a peculiar charm of his own.
"I am not worried about Phil's education. He is quite clever. You might need to remind him every once in a while to pay attention, though."
Phil piped up just then.
"We ought to look for Emmet soon, Mum."
Miss Gretchen turned to Phil at that.
"Who is Emmet?" She asked.
"He is a stuffed lion I have promised to Phil. We haven't found the right one yet, but we intend to look in the shops this week."
Miss Gretchen's smile spread even wider.
"What a... Darling child you are."

Phil and his mother spent the next week in London together. They bought his school supplies and uniforms and room furnishings first, but the most pressing matter to Phil was the finding of Emmet. After a few toy shops, Phil finally saw the right one in a window. It was a fine stuffed animal, with very soft fur and beautiful dark glass eyes.
"Of course this one must be Emmet. I knew we would find him, Mum."
Mrs Lester enjoyed the shopping, but couldn't quite shake the sorrow that she knew would come from leaving Phil in London when she went home.
And finally it was time for her to leave. Mrs Lester had accountants in town to oversee expenses, and gave leave to Miss Gretchen to give Phil anything he asked for, as he had learned to be sensible with belongings.
Finally, Phil and his mother sat in the sitting room to say good-bye.
"You don't know how much I will miss you, Phil."
"Goodbye Mum."
The pair hugged as if they would never let go, but Mrs Lester finally had to  stand and leave. Phil went to the window and watched the carriage go, his mother waving and blowing kisses all the while.
Immediately after she was out of sight, Phil went into his room and locked the door.
Mr Albert knocked to see if Phil was alright.
"I have locked the door, and I wish to be alone. Thank you."
Mr Albert was a bit fat and quite dumpy, and very afraid of his wife.
"That boy is strange, Gretchen. He just sits, all silent."
"It is better than if he kicked and screamed," Miss Gretchen said dismissively.
"The boy has some wonderful belongings, dear. I've seen inside some of his trunks."
Miss Gretchen scoffed at that.
"You are right for once. He has been provided for just as if he were a little prince."

a/n I wanted to write a phanfic bc my friend shuddup_im_reading wrote one with me in it (check it out.) this story is pretty derivative so far but it'll veer away from the book a lot more especially when it comes to the characters. 3 comments and 5 votes for a new chapter?