The Prince and His Servant

Chapter 49

[A/N] This chapter is very long, and should make up for the filler. But unfortunately, I can't help but feel that this story is coming to a close. I can't tell how long I've been writing this, but it's been a long time, and I'm proud to say that I can finally put this story into commission. I'll be deleting the standalone author's notes in this story (with the exception of the one that states I have another story idea, which I don't know if I'm actually going to write or not), as well as the tag challenges so that the only author's notes will be in the chapters themselves. This is the second to last chapter. I'm sorry this is so sudden, but this really is the best way to go out. Thank you all for sticking with me until the end.

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It had been just over two and a half years since I awoke from my unprecedented slumber, but during that slumber, that was oh-so-long ago, news of my actions had spread to every corner of Germany. Rumor went that even neighboring countries were aware of the crimes I had committed. I awoke to find that it's inhabitants were much more than cross with me, and there were more riots and uprisings than I would have liked to deal with. They hated me, to say the least. But they were right to. I had taken innocent lives, which made me even worse than my mother and father before me. Why wouldn't they despise me?

I never had the courage to face them. Instead, I was protected constantly by my guardsmen, even when I rarely step foot outside of the manor. Overcome with fear of my people, I had convinced myself that if I every step foot outside, even with an entourage of men, there would be an assassin waiting for me. They would watch my demise, watch the life leave my body and know they had done the right thing. They will have rid the manor of it's defiled bloodline, and the country would go to war with itself in deciding who would be the next ruler.

And once they found an apt ruler, or a family fit to do so, Germany would finally be at peace. There would be no worrying over what the royal family would do. There would be no fear of innocent people losing their lives, preyed on by beasts of malice, just to be fodder for those beasts. In time, the crimes I committed, as well as the mere memory of my existence, will be forgotten by everyone.

But that's not what happened. In reality, what occurred was far from what I believed. Rather than killing me, detesting me until they did so, rather than spit venom at me for the rest of my days with their words, they forgave me. It was a gradual process, and it took much time. But, nonetheless, I was thankful, albeit staggered. They all became confident that it wasn't my fault I had become a beast, and that it was imprinted in my DNA. My parents had known what they were, but not only did they consciously consume their people, they never told me I was that way. It was likely because they wouldn't trust a child with confidential information. There was too much they could lose if I spilled their secret. So when I was on the verge of death, my demonic instincts took over, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

What was also astounding was the fact that the people took these words to heart from my personal servant, whom they were aware had showed what they called 'the utmost cowardice'. I could understand why they would say such a thing about him, but even so, I couldn't convict him. He did what he did because he felt that he wasn't enough for me. He felt that he failed his job, that he messed up in a way that couldn't be fixed in any other means than to remove himself from the situation entirely. He wanted what he thought was best for me, and that was what mattered most to me.

Levi worked tirelessly to have the people regain their trust in me, and it was thanks to him that they now believed I was fit to rule, even considering what I had done. It was a rough road for him, but he had the support of the entire manor. And speaking of the manor, it didn't take nearly as long for it's workers to recover as it did for the country, which was wonderful. Everyone was laughing and smiling again, even amidst all the utter chaos and disaster that was Germany.