Dan approaches the gates of the castle, hair windblown from his time outside and face flushed. The guards open the entrance and he crosses the threshold, a fanfare announcing his return. He resists the urge to groan, tired of pretending to like it or even tolerate it. He hates it. He can never just slip inside and go to his room without the entire bloody castle knowing that he's back.
"Your majesty, welcome back!" one of his advisors, a tall, curly-haired man named PJ, calls from the doors of the castle. Out of all of his advisors, he likes PJ the most. He's only a year older than Dan, so the king finds that he can actually talk to him as opposed to all of the prim and proper middle aged men and women his parents have for advisors. PJ is one of the only people Dan would consider a friend in the entire castle.
"Thank you," he replies as he reaches the door. He continues down the hallway towards the throne room and PJ falls into step beside him, his hands folded behind his back.
"So, you didn't miss much while you were gone. A letter arrived from the queen of a kingdom called Crassus, asking for your hand in marriage. She will be sorely disappointed, I'm sure," PJ says, glancing sideways at Dan and smiling a bit.
"Please tell her thank you, but I'll have to politely decline."
PJ chuckles a bit to himself before continuing. "Other than that, there is nothing to report. The walls are stable, the security of the kingdom is strong, and your biggest concern currently is your mother."
Dan's eyebrows furrow. "My mother?"
"Daniel!"
PJ smiles hesitantly at the king and clenches his hands together behind his back again, watching Dan's mother approach the pair. Dan grits his teeth and stifles an exasperated sigh as his mother storms up to him while still somehow maintaining elegance and regality.
"Daniel, where have you been?! Something could have happened and you were absent!" she snaps. Before Dan can reply, she turns on PJ. "Make yourself scarce, Liguori."
"Yes, your highness," PJ replies immediately. He sends one more nervous smile towards Dan before scampering off, leaving the king alone with his mother, the former queen.
"The castle is fine, mother. Nothing will be harmed by me taking a walk in the village," he replies, his voice as calm as he can make it. "I was visiting Rose."
His mother exhales, her anger leaving her as fast as it came. "I'm sorry, dear. I know you're fine. I just... I just want you to be the best king you can possibly be. You've only had the throne for a few years, and sometimes I worry that you aren't being as serious about this as you should be."
Dan smiles a bit and holds her by the shoulders gently. "I'm okay, Mother. I know what I'm doing."
"Okay, dear. You've grown up so fast, I have to learn to trust that you'll be okay on your own." She takes his face in her hands and kisses his forehead before patting his cheek. "Let's go to the throne room now. There's work to be done."
The two royals head to the throne room, Dan fixing his hair the entire time. Eventually his mother stops and fixes it for him, and when she's finished the guards pull the doors open. Dan assumes his place on the throne and adjusts his silver crown before settling in, one leg automatically crossing over the other.
He deals with some of the peasants and their disputes before his little brother, Adrian, walks in. Even though he's been trained since birth to behave like a royal, he rarely does. The way he enters the throne room is reminiscent of the way a person would enter their bedroom, and Dan can already see his mother's disapproving gaze.
"Hey Dan, can we go down to the stable? Or spar with those wooden swords we used to use?" he asks, a pleading look in his brown eyes.
"I can't. I've already gone out today, but maybe we will some other day. Why don't you play with your village friends for now?"
Adrian huffs and crosses his arms. "It's always some other day with you. Always. Why can't you just spend time with me for once and—"
"Adrian, behave. You are a prince, and I expect you to act like one," his mother scolds.
He groans and storms out of the throne room. His mother purses her lips and follows him, dress swaying around her. Dan watches them go, a long exhale escaping him, and his father glances over.
"Do not worry about them, Daniel. Adrian should know already that you cannot play like a child."
Dan bites his bottom lip and leans back in his chair, contemplating for a moment before replying. "I should go to the stable with him sometimes. I am his brother, after all..."
"You are the king now. That means that your only duty is to your country. You are too old for childish games," his father states. His dark eyes are stern, and when he frowns the creases by his eyes grow deeper. His hair, once a deep brown, is now touched with grey. The resemblance between him and Dan is obvious, and yet Dan finds himself hoping and praying that he never becomes his father. He's not a bad person by any stretch, but years of ruling has made him hard around the edges and stern. Dan says nothing in response, so his father changes the topic. "Did we receive any letters today?"
"Just one from the queen of Crassus, asking for my hand in marriage. I've already dealt with that one."
His father raises an eyebrow. "Did you say yes?"
"No, I did not." Dan glances over at him. "I do not wish to marry the queen of Crassus."
"Son, at some point you must get married. You have been old enough for years already, and we must continue our line."
"Adrian can continue our line. He already has a girlfriend and he's fifteen."
"He is not the one with the mark, Daniel. You are."
"So? That doesn't determine whether my child will have the mark or not. If fate decides that I shall never have children that are biologically my own, I shall listen to fate."
His father grumbles something intelligible and says nothing more. Dan deals with a few more peasants before standing up and exiting the throne room, heading back to his room where he can be in peaceful, quiet solitude.