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A story idea popped into my head the other night surrounding the princes of Calico. This story gives a little insight into the differences in lifestyle between the royals and the common folk.



A Prince’s Sorrow

“Do you believe in magic?”
“Magic?”
“Yeah, magic.”
“Hmm…I think there is magic. I think it’s real.”
“…I wish we had some right now so we could rescue Alder.”
“…me too.”

***

It had been 27 days since the Crowned Prince, Alder, had been assigned to spend every daylight hour and much of the evening hours under the tutelage of Sarek, the royal tutor and instructor of the ways of olde. The mannerisms befitting the royals and general grooming of a kitten to someday become emperor or empress was what Sarek had been trained to pass on to the first born of the royal family. After the incident with Arjuna, the second son, Artemis realized that Alder was approaching the age that a crowned prince should begin to receive formal direction in the areas of becoming a fully realized Prince of Calico.

Though Avalon had borne the emperor three sons, only Alder would succeed him and take the throne when the time was right. That inevitable day was many years away, but even so, Artemis felt that his son would do well to get started learning the etiquette, the history and the customs surrounding a child of his noble birth and stature as soon as possible.

“Prince Alder, raise your shoulders. They are slouching.” Sarek ordered, gruffly.

In a brightly sunbathed room surrounded on all but one side by windows, a tall, lean, golden cat stood before a younger kitten with fiery red hair and the greenest eyes, all gifts from his mother.

“Yes!” the kitten, Alder, chirped obediently straightening his already rod-like composure to an even more rigid and less comfortable position.

At the boisterous age of 7, Alder could only surmise that the training sessions he was forced to endure with the militaristic imperial tutor was some form of punishment issued by his father. He understood that his father was deeply disappointed in him for nearly losing his younger brother. He knew it was his fault and still felt the pangs of remorse deep in the recesses of his young heart. He hadn’t meant the words he had said that day. He had just been angry, because he hated to lose. But, the thought of losing his little brother was far worse than being bested at any game. He would do anything to make things right, even if it meant suffering through the torturous posture lessons, fighting through the lengthy academic lessons and speaking until his little voice would go hoarse during the oration and diction lessons.

“Raise your chin, young prince.” Sarek barked. “A prince does not walk with his eyes on the ground. Pride, regality and dignity raises his head above all others.”

“Yes!” Alder chirped, once again adjusting his body to conform to his teacher’s will.

It had been two hours since the young tom was instructed stand perfectly still and face forward. An unruly sneeze had forced him to begin anew when they were but 20 minutes into the training. “A prince cannot lose his composure because of his lack of control over his own body.” he recalled Sarek telling him before he ordered him start again. Later a knock at the door sent his left ear rotating in the direction of the sound. “It is improper for a prince to succumb to distraction when his focus should be upon what is before him.” Sarek had said before slamming his walking cane on the ground and all but shouting, “Again!” Now, he was approaching the time for the session to end. If he could maintain his stance for a while longer, he would be finished. But, if he moved or flinched or even breathed too heavily, he would have to start again.

The door to the room opened, but this time Alder forced himself to ignore it.

“Yes, my princes?” he heard Sarek croak.

Timidly, a little blue kitten and a white kitten with orange and black blotches throughout his coat entered the room. Though outwardly he showed no signs of reaction, inside, Alder’s heart leapt at the thought of his brothers sharing the same space as he did. He had seen very little of Arjuna and Palm over the past weeks and he missed his siblings, dearly. The only time it seemed that he was allowed to spend with them was during supper. After that, he was ushered off the bed to rest before he would be awakened at dawn to start his classes once more.

“It’s starting to get dark, now.” Arjuna said as he approached the teacher with Palm at his side. “Is Alder finished, yet?”

“Not quite, my prince.” Sarek replied. “His lessons will be over at sunset.”

“But, the sun is setting.” Palm pointed out.

“True, but it is not yet sunset.”

“Aren’t ‘sunsetting’ and ‘sunset’ the same thing?”

“Certainly not as ‘sunsetting’ is not a word.”

“But, it’s close enough, isn’t it?”

“Close to being a word or close to sunset, my prince?”

“Either.”

“No.”

“No, it’s not close enough to be a word or no, it’s not close enough to sunset?”

“Either.” Sarek replied.

Palm frowned and folded his ears back in aggravation. “If it’s ‘no’ for both, then why did you ask which one had I meant?”

Sarek had to force the grin that threatened to spread across his face away as not to reveal to the youngest prince that he found his queries amusing. After all, here he was instructing Alder on the etiquette and customs of the royals. How dreadful would it be if he couldn’t hold himself to the standards he was working to bestow upon his pupil? Still, he found it endearing that every day like clockwork, Arjuna and Palm would appear in the doorway to make a desperate bid to free their elder brother. Every day Arjuna would politely for his brother to be released and every day Sarek would deny him for one reason or another. Ever ready for a rebuttal, Palm would challenge the rejection, but Sarek always found a way to overturn his objections. The two would go back and forth for a bit before Palm would concede defeat and impatiently wait beyond the door for Alder to be released.

In truth, Sarek could not blame them. He was one of four siblings himself and enjoyed their company whenever time allowed. If their positions were reversed, and his big sister were spirited away during the day only allowed to reappear at night like a phantom or a vampire, he knew he would be doing the very same thing. Yet, he had a job to do and though it was difficult, he could not allow his personal feelings to jeopardize Alder’s training.

“Excuse me?” a feminine voice called from the doorway.

“Your Highness!” Sarek exclaimed, bowing deeply at the empress’ arrival. “Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked as he righted himself back to a standing position.

“Yes.” the empress, Avalon, stated. “I require my son. Supper was prepared early tonight so I wanted to make sure all of my children were present to share their evening meal with the family. …we see so little of Alder, now, as it is. I would hate to have to sacrifice the only time we do spend together with him.” she added, bitterly.

Her last words stung, but he could understand her annoyance at the entire situation and knew she had every right to be upset. “Of course, Your Highness.” Sarek replied. “Prince Alder,” he said, turning his attention to the youth whose dutiful gaze never left the view from the window ahead of him. “That will be all for today. Rest well and be ready for tomorrow. As always, we begin again at dawn’s first light.”

“Yes!” Alder replied, still maintaining his rigid stance, unwilling to risk having to start over a third time. It wasn’t until he felt his mother’s warm hand upon his shoulder gently pulling him into her warm embrace that the spell Sarek had cast over him was broken and he began to relax his tiny body. Arjuna and Palm quickly joined in, adding their warmth to the embrace as they all but piled atop him while he rested upon Avalon’s lap.
Feeling very much the intruder, Sarek quietly made his way to the door, intending to leave the little family alone.

“Sarek…?” Avalon called.

“Yes, Your Highness?” he returned, obediently stopping in his trek and returning to his empress’ presence.

“I…” she started, fumbling for the words, “I must apologize to you.”

“Oh no, Your Highness. There is no apology needed.”

“Yes, there is.” she replied, gently stroking Alder’s crimson covered head as he rested against her lap. “I should not have snapped at you just now.”

“Highness, truly, there is no need for words of apology.” he promised, though in reality, he was relieved that she was not truly cross with him.

Avalon offered him one of her kindest smiles. “You are too kind.” she said. “But, it’s not you who I am upset with. It’s—“

“Avalon?” Artemis asked from the doorway, surprised to see the sum of his family gathered on the floor before him.