Prince Daniel: It Kills To Be Royalty

𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝓈 | the grounds

The next morning, albeit my offer last night, a newly stitched and handmade matte black suit was waiting for me when I opened my door to another hand maid that wasn't Roberta. I didn't sleep at all last night and if I really did, it was in bits and pieces. Just thinking about the reality of this whole situation made me feel like a monster.

Without protest, I let the tailor make anymore last touches and improvements to my suit as my recent bubble bath was drained, leaving a sweet aroma hanging in the air. The handmaidens in the ready room boggled at the sight of the encrusted sliver diamonds that were attached to my neckline. They didn't dare touch though, as if it would be unholy. Still, their hands lingered near.

The tailor shoos them away angrily as he snips the last thread on my pants. "Don't you have some designing to do? Or go do some laundry!"

"We're just looking William! No suit has ever been made this fine before." One of them gushes. Her hair was bleach blonde with tight curls in them and her fat chin jiggles as her pudgy fingers get even closer.

I actually move away at this point, but my feet could only go so far on the small circular podium and I end up losing my balance and my feet slip out from under me. I gasp, grabbing air, then hear shrieks. Suddenly, a rough hand pulls me back upright. My heart was racing a little as the tailor, William starts screaming at the women.

"Do you know how much trouble we would be in if the Prince got hurt!" He screams hysterically, "it would be bad enough to lose our jobs but..."

I saw the slight fear in his eyes and I immediately felt guilty. No one should be afraid of our family like this.

"Just- Just go! You've proved yourselves worthless! And if I see you get near him again I'll ..I'll-"

"What William?" The pudgy woman snorts, "we all know that you would get in trouble too even if you told on us."

His face goes white as a sheet but his mouth is twisted in anger. "Out I say! Don't play this as a cat and mouse game! Do you know what they do to people like us? It's completely-"

I guess he catches the look on my face and he shuts up instantly, like he just now remembered I was still in the room. I could see his pale hands visibly shaking.

"G-Go on then." He says again to the appalled women.

Before they left, I spoke up. "Roberta made this for me, please give her my condolences."

The three ladies look at each other before snickering. The bleached haired one looks at me trying to hold in her laughter.

"There must be some mistake Master Howell, Roberta doesn't stitch clothing this fine." The ladies giggle this time and I start to get angry. No one talks about Roberta.

"But of course! we'll give her your regards." The panic in her voice makes a satisfactory grin slip on my face.

The door soon closes behind them and I'm left with the thought of actually debating or not whether to tell my father. If they really do think life here is all jolly and grand, I can most certainly give them a rude awakening.

Wait... what am I saying? I shake my head. That wasn't me. That was the other me, the one I'm not supposed to be. The gruesome person everyone makes my family and I out to be. I can't believe I thought about... The letter, it's still in my desk and hasn't been destroyed. It feels like a piece of mold on me that I have to flick away. If I get rid of it, maybe I'll feel like myself again.

"Master Howell?"
I jump and spin around. My hand only a few inches away from the desk drawer. I had forgotten William was in here.

"Sorry. Thinking hard."