The Prince's Caretaker

Prologue

Three Years Ago

Scott was playing with his friends, Kirstin and Kevin. They were only nine, after all, and they were able to have more free time than the adults.

And so, they were playing tag.

Kirstin squeaked when Scott grabbed her around the waist. He dropped her.

"You're it!"

She laughed, running after him as he ran away from her.

He ducked behind a hedge, and curled up.

Then, he noticed someone else crouched near him.

"Hi," Scott said, looking at him. He noticed something in the other boy's hand.

"Who are you?" the other boy asked.

"My name is Scott," he replied. "What about you? What are you holding?"

The boy sighed. "I can show you, if you promise not to tell anyone where I am. I am hiding because I want privacy."

"Okay," Scott said, and the boy held up a crown.

Scott gasped. "Are you the prince?" He wouldn't know. He had never seen the prince in person.

"Yes," the other boy replied. "My name is Mitch."

Scott smiled. "I am only a servant," he said.

"I can tell. I know that from the way you dress."

"Scott!" Kirstin yelled. "We have to go inside for work!"

Scott sighed. "Well, I have to go," he said.

"Can we meet this evening by the hedge?" Mitch asked him.

"Yes," Scott said, getting up and leaving.

Mitch smiled to himself as Scott left.

He was going on a date, at least at best.

At worst, he could have a real friend for the first time in his life.

_

Kirstin had betrayed Scott. She had realized he was hiding, and tricked him to make him come to her. Then she tagged him.

He was mad at the time, but he had forgotten that concern when he was heading to the courtyard to meet with the prince.

He approached the hedge, and the younger boy was standing there.

Scott bowed. "My prince," he said.

"Drop the formalities," Mitch said. "Call me Mitch, and please do not bow."

"Sorry," Scott said.

Mitch smiled at him. "Shall we take a walk?"

"Okay," Scott told him. "Where?"

"Just go with me," Mitch replied.

"Okay," Scott said. "Let us go, then."

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "Do you expect me to walk by myself?"

Scott frowned. "I am not sure I understand."

Mitch sighed. "Give me your arm."

Scott held out his arm, more confused now. Mitch wrapped his hands around the arm.

"There," the prince said. "Thank you."

The pair started walking along a path.

"You know," Mitch said. "I have never had a real friend."

"Why not?" Scott asked.

"I am only eight," Mitch told him. "I have never left the palace alone. I can at the age of thirteen. I can then meet other people my age, and really get to know them before being dragged away by whoever I went with." He sighed.

Scott stared at him. "Eight years without friends?"

Mitch nodded. "It is a lonely existence."

"I can be your friend," Scott offered.

Mitch smiled, but then he coughed. "Sure," he said.

"Are you alright?" Scott asked, concerned.

Mitch nodded. "It was just a cough," he said, but then he did it again.

"Should you go inside?" Scott asked.

Mitch shook his head, but he started coughing again.

"Get the king!" he gasped, collapsing on the ground.

Scott ran to the palace. He went to the throne room.

"What do you need?" a guard asked him.

"Something is wrong with the prince," Scott told them.

The guards let him in.

Scott rushed into the room, what had happened pouring from his mouth. The next thing he knew, he was leading a group of doctors and the queen to Mitch.

The boy was still on the ground, gasping. He seemed to be struggling to breathe.

The doctors started fussing with him, and the queen pulled Scott aside.

"Did you find him like this?"

"No, we were talking and he started coughing," Scott said. "It was only a bit at first, but then he said to get his father and fell down."

She nodded. "Thank you for being so quick about it."

"Is he going to be okay?" Scott asked.

She sighed. "I have no idea."

One of the doctors walked up to them.

"He has an illness of some sort," he explained. "We need more time and testing to see what it is." The doctor hesitated. "If we can treat him, we will. If not, he may not survive. He could barely breathe. We opened his airways back up, though."

"Thank you," the queen whispered. She closed her eyes as he walked away again.

Scott sighed. "Everyone loves him. It will be a tragedy if he dies."

"He is so young," she said. "It will be a tragedy."

Scott sighed.

"Well," he said. "We can only hope a tragedy will not happen."

***

I hope this was good! I'll upload the first chapter as soon as possible!