"Your highness, it's time to wake up," a soft knock echoed through the room waking me up from my slumber. My eyes open slightly and try to process what was just said. Your highness? Layla hasn't ever called me that before when waking me up. I blink in confusion.
"Layla? What's going on? Why did you call me that?" I say pulling the blankets from over my head and gasping as I look around the room. Instead of the cramped dorm, I'm laying in a bed the size of the said dorm. I blink confusedly. What the fuck is going on.
As I scan the room one more time almost convincing myself that this is just a really weird dream, but if it was a dream the floor would've already sunk, and the room would sway.
"Your highness?" someone says from the other side of the door.
Your highness? Who the fuck is he calling your highness? I run my hand through my hair and sit up. I look down at my body and see that my legs look slightly longer and in pants. I go to slide out of bed and feel my pants catch at my crotch. I look down confused. I go to smooth out the wrinkle and feel something ain't right.
What the fuck is that? I ask myself I pull my pants out and look down. Is that a fucking dick?
What the fuck is going on here! I know I said I wanted to be a man but not overnight! you gotta mentally prepare for that shit.
I caught my face in the mirror across the huge fucking bedroom.
"That's not my fucking face" I mutter softly. Man, this dream fucking sucks man.
I shake my head and cross the room and open the door.
"What the fuck.... oh," I say I feel my cheeks start to turn red. An older man with greying brown hair and a well-kept moustache looks back at me equally as dumbfounded.
"Your highness, there was no need to open the door yourself. That is my job. You only needed to answer me,"
"Ugh, okay," I think to myself. What kind of fucking dream is this?
"Now, later today you have training with Dimitri Evergreen. Before you go there you must get ready for your classes. Young master Langston and your siblings are already there waiting for you. So let me help you get dressed and we shall be on our way, yes?" the butler asks. Dimitri Evergreen? That guy from that stupid game Layla has been playing. Seriously I hear about it constantly when I'm awake now I have to be around it when I'm asleep too? Fuck man. At least I put myself as one of the princes.
"Ugh, yes we shall," I say as I follow him further into my room I guess.
"Are you feeling alright your highness? You seem a bit pale this morning," the butler says.
"No, I'm alright, I just had a weird dream," I say shrugging softly.
"A weird dream? Your highness, are you sure you're all right? You seem to be talking a bit unusual," The butler says as he buttons my shirt for me and helps me with my vest and a forest green overcoat. I was hot with just the shirt on and now I'm burning up.
Wait did he just say I'm talking weird? Dammit, how do people in Layla's game talk? Like British people? Or like I'm some fantasy bullshit?
"No need to worry, I was simply dreaming of how it would feel to be a commoner," I say coming up with the first excuse I can think of.
"I see, must be a very odd feeling indeed," the butler says with a polite smile. He gestures to the mirror I saw earlier. I blink in confusion auburn red hair, green eyes, freckles, pale skin, shit I'm the crown prince Alister!
"You look confused Your highness," the butler says.
"No, I'm alright. I thought I saw a spider and when I looked it disappeared," I say trying to hide my confusion and clear my face.
"Come now let us leave," the butler ushers me out of the room and takes 3 lefts and 2 rights then I lose count. He walks down some more hallways until he opens a door and there are 3 kids inside. I see a redhead with ice blue eyes a muted brown jacket, a girl who looks like him but blonde and looked like a goth Lolita, and a boy that looked a bit older with dark brown hair and eyes he wore a tasteful burnt orange jacket. They all looked at my annoyed.
"Alister! You know how long we were waiting for you!" the girl said crossing her arm and giving me a very clearly annoyed glare. I felt embarrassed and was starting to get a bit irritated at this dream.
"Sorry, I didn't realize how long I had been sleeping for," I lay softly.
"Oh please, get over yourself pity and let's start the lesson. You are lucky Teacher said he'd wait for you," the young girl said. As she said that my attention snapped to the man standing against the wall looking annoyed as well. His eyes were a mossy green and his hair greyed. Fit for an old man too.
"Your late Alister," the man addressed me snapping lightly.
"I didn't intend to be," I say feeling bashful and irritated at the same time.
"Take your seat next to Penny, hurry now," he says waving me to the desk next to the girl. Then this man starts talking about some emperor and how he ruled over the whole content. I tried to piece together what Layla had told me about this place and what this man was saying.
Basically, there are 4 kingdoms and one emperor that rules over all four of them. However, no one has ever seen him they only get info passed down to them. The four Kingdoms include Hiems, Vernal, Aestas, Autumna. Each one latten for a season, Hiems is winter, Vernal is spring, Aestas is summer and Autumna is obviously Autumn. Each land matches with the season it's named after. Clearly, I live in Autumna because of all the fall colours in the room.
I'd prefer the winter place, but I do like the aesthetic of the fall place. nice, muted colours and tasteful browns it's nice. I also like the cooler days.
I snap back into attention when the teacher calls my name, "Alister! I asked you a question!"
"Right sorry! I'm still a bit tired," I say.
"I don't know how, so you most certainly got plenty of sleep this morning."
"I'm sorry, sir. Could you please repeat the question," I say trying not to let how annoyed I am at them continuously talking about how I was late this morning slip out.
"I asked you who the current ruler of the Vernal is," the teacher asked his voice clearly annoyed. I swallowed a lump in my throat and desperately tried to remember his name he was the true villain of this story after all. It was Ambrose something, Ambrose May?...no... Ambrose April! yeah, that's it.
"Ambrose April," I say confidently.
"Correct took you quite a while, Alister please try to keep focused," the teacher said annoyed that I got the answer right.
Penny looked over at me and shrugged. Apparently, she didn't know it at all. Thank God I listened to Layla when she was ranting about how oddly sexy the king from Vanal was.
"I swear to god if this mother fucker calls on me one more time I'm going to put him in a guillotine," From next to me I hear Penny let out a little laugh. Shit did I say that out loud? I glance over to Penny and she's red trying to hold back her laughter.
"Alister!" She said with a small laugh. I didn't say anything as I sat there for the rest of the lecture.
After class the students sat there for a minute to talk a bit I suppose.
"So, Alister what's gotten into you?" Penny asked a sick smile on her face.
"What do you mean?" I ask nervously.
"Well, it's not like you to be late or say such things about Mr Lacey," she says shaking her head softly at me, but her smile was wide.
"I don't know I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I don't know," I say shrugging.
"Goodness it's as if you woke up a different person," the younger boy said looking at me suspiciously. If you only knew dude.
"That's absurd Brandon, it's not scientifically possible for him to be someone else it defies every law of the world." the brown-eyed nerd said. I already knew I wouldn't like this kid. He was everything I hated; I could already tell.
"Nuh-uh, the priest said there are these things called demons that take over a person sometimes," Brandon said shaking his head at the brown-eyed kid.
"No, they aren't real he just told you that to scare you. Which is pretty easy to do, since clearly, you are pretty dim-witted," the nerd said in a tone that made me want to punch him.
"I most certainly am not! I know just as much as you do! After all, we're in the same class!"
"Well, I am older than you are so therefore I am smarter than you," the brown-eyed boy.
"SAMSON! I will end your bloodline if you say one more word to my brother!" Penny says her murderous glare sending a shock wave through me. Who knew someone so cute could be so scary? That kid is hardcore goth.
Samson's face paled at the threat but didn't quite back away, "You couldn't possibly, you don't have that kind of p-power," his voice wavered slightly. And without missing a beat I said.
"She may not but I do. So, I suggest you hold your tongue, you gimble," I say making up a word for this brat. Penny and Brandon nodded without saying anything.
"But...you don't have any more power right now than I-I do," Samson said.
"Wanna bet on that? I'll kick your Gimble butt so hard that you'll simply cease to exist," I say puffing up to my full size, so I stand a good couple inches over him.
"Yeah you stupid Gimble!" both penny and Brandon said. Samson puffs up a bit but isn't even tall enough to meet Penny's height. I've decided that I'm definitely going to beat the shit out of this kid when I figure out what the hell is going on.
"Now get out of here before I change my mind about letting you go!" I say crossing my arms and peering down at him. He leaves the room in a hurry almost knocking the butler over as he comes in through the door.
"Young master Langston, I needn't remind you to not run in the halls," the butler said yelling at Samson as he dashed away.
"Mr Richfield! Samson had to use the bathroom really bad," Penny said with a sweet smile.
"I see, I'll have someone let his butler know where he's gone then," Mr Richfield said leaving the room penny and Brandon looked at each other and shrugged.
A few seconds later Mr Richfield came back in and looked at me.
"Your Highness, it's time to leave for your training, Master Dimitri is already waiting for you," Mr Richfield said his face saying we should hurry. Damn am I just going to be late for everything in this dream? I huff and follow Mr Richfield. My siblings wave back at me.
The walk to the training field is exercise enough, I didn't really want to do anything now.
"I'll help you change into your training clothes," Mr Richfield said pulling me into the fantasy equivalent of a locker room but covered in nicer material. I changed into clothes that were much looser than my previous ones. Much more breathable and cooler.
"Young master Dimitri is outside waiting for you," Mr Richfield said as he left the room. I looked around confused for a moment but saw a marker that showed a training field.
As soon as I stepped out I saw the man, or I guess right now he would be a boy that died in the war that made Layla cry for hours. The black hair and dark crimson ruby eyes really stood out. He also looked like he's just sucked a lemon his face in a grimace.
"You're late," he says his voice deeper than I'd expect for a 12-year-old.
"Yeah, classes ran over," I said not mentioning that I was late for that too.
"Whatever let's just get started," he said pointing to the rack of swords, I grab one of the basic ones. It's lighter than I thought it would be.
"Alright, let's do a practice round first," Dimitri said. I groan internally but say nothing and just nod. My body moves on its own without me putting any thought into it.
"You're a bit slow today, your highness," Dimitri said in a neutral tone.
"Just tired," I say shrugging. Man, this kid is a stick in the mud. I've decided that I must make this bitch laugh.
"I don't know how, I heard you overslept for classes today," he said with a quip tone.
"Who me? Oversleep nope. I'd never do something so below me," I say looking at him for a reaction. He says nothing as he brings his blade to meet mine.
"Below you? What's that supposed to mean?" he asks scrunching his brows together.
"I mean, I am the greatest being and above everyone else. Compared to me everyone is nothing but mere slugs," I say in a false snob voice as I bring my sword to meet his.
"Slugs?" He asks raising an eyebrow clearly amused but not yet smiling.
"Yes, slug indeed. You ever slat a snail, they make an eerrrr noise," I say making a god-awful noise. He cringes and almost smiles. Ah, dark humour I see.
"For that, I'm going to beat you without mercy," he said stepping back as I put weight on my sword making me stumble forward. I gasp in pain as my hand slides over the edge of the sword cutting me.
"Seriously?" he says finally cracking a smile.
"Ouch! what? Out all things that made you smile. You lemon tart!" I say pulling my hand away from the blade.
he walks over and ties fabric over the cut.
"You still want to keep training?" he asks.
"God no, wanna go mess up the fountain out front?" I ask bored.
"Why would we do that? You know how expensive that fountain is?" Dimitri asks.
"Nope, and I don't care," I say smugly.
"It's been there for hundreds of years," Dimitri says disapproving.
"So what? I'll do it by myself it's not like you could do it anyway," I say walking off.
"I bet I could," he says puffing up.
"Then by all means lead the way," I say gesturing for him to go ahead.