"Young master this dinner is very important for you to make future connections-"
"I don't want to make connections." Greg said while he kept riding his skateboard.
"Young mas-" Jeff started but Greg was skating too fast and just kept passing by him. The Royal Servant grabbed another board himself, now trailing behind the young prince.
"It's been ages since you last skated." Greg said as Jeff tried to ride as fast as him. "You're rusted."
"Well a diamond is still a diamond even when rusty." Jeff mumbled as he landed a perfect ollie just like he did back in the day.
"Cool!" Greg applauded, finally stopping. He felt immense joy seeing Jeff ride with him, it felt like a lifetime ago when they were just careless boys that wanted to experience freedom on a piece of wood.
"The dinner." Jeff said, and now that he grabbed Greg's attention he wasn't going to let go so he stood pretty close to not let him escape.
"The fucking dinner." Greg sighed and glared at his Royal Servant. "I don't want to go."
"It's not about what you want. You're going to be the king, you have to be making these connections."
"The king?" Greg felt like vomiting. "I don't want to be a king. I'm not my father and I happen to see the illusion that is the palace and the kingdom itself. There are no kings and queens in this world, we're all born from the same fucking thing, eat the same fucking thing and die the same way. Why would I be the king?"
Jeff felt like rolling his eyes. Greg had always been like this. Philosophical, deep in his thoughts, open for knowledge and thinking abstract things all the time. It didn't matter if we all came from the same place or if we were going to the same one, the time spent between those varied vastly and everyone had their role to play. Just like Jeff was supposed to be at his King's side, and Greg had to be the king.
"You're destined for this." Jeff said as calmly as he could. "You'll be a great ruler."
Greg felt like everything he said went in Jeff's ear and came out from the other. He knew it was his destiny but he didn't even believe in destiny. Being a king, a ruler was so, so against everything he believed in that he thought if destiny existed, it tried to punish him for sure.
"I have nothing to talk with them." Greg said finally, dropping down to a stone nearby. His skin could be seen from the holes in his jeans, his colorful skating shoes that he customized himself and a huge t-shirt with his favorite metal band. He felt like the only thing that understood his despair as a trapped 16 year old was these bands lately.
Nothing about him seemed fit for a King. Even his servant that stood in front of him looked more fit for the role. And Greg was happy about it. He didn't wanted to look a part he didn't want to play. He liked being the royal creature.
But that's not what Jeff saw when he looked at the young prince. He saw a just, honest young man, one that is weirdly smart, creative and passionate. Sure he may be a little lost and a little bit of a trainwreck but Jeff knew he could grow up to be the king this country needs, this world even. Jeff knew the crown prince had his mind set about not being a king but he wasn't going to give up on him like that.
However, Jeff wasn't that good with wording out his thoughts, even when they were positive. His ability to praise and motivate someone was no greater than a toads. So he did what he did best, he lectured the crown prince for 10 whole minutes before forcefully dragging him in to attend the dinner.
--
Even though Greg looked beautiful, he didn't really looked like Greg. The tight suit spesifically tailored to enhance his most prominent features hugged his skin, leaving him looking expensive and alarmingly alluring. His naturally wavy, longish hair was silky smooth falling down to his forehead.
"I had no idea the crown prince was this handsome." A girl whispered to another.
"It's because we've never really seen his actual face without all that makeup."
"I kind of want to ask him out."
"Oh please don't." Greg whispered under his breath. "It's my fucking eyes isn't it?" He lifted his head to ask Jeff. "Or my ass. I have quite the juicy trunk."
Jeff, standing behind him, squeezed his arm so unnoticably but so tightly he almost screamed.
"Language, sire." Jeff whispered.
"Language??" Greg whispered, brows furrowed. "You can squeeze my arm enough to break it but I can't say fuck?"
Jeff once again reached and flicked his neck without anyone seeing.
"I'm going to k-" Greg stood up with sudden pain but as everyones eyes turned to him he stopped in the middle.
"I'm going to-" he rambled, zero thoughts in his brain. The entire room was looking at him and he looked like a poorly made statue. "Congratulate everyone who made it here tonight." He finally said.
The guests looked a little bewildered but they gave a sincere applause still.
"Please continue your majesty!" A close family friend of the Queen and the King raised a toast towards him.
"Uuuuh-" he said, looking around for help and all he could see was Jeff glaring at him signing him to continue. He would fucking continue if he knew what to say! Greg looked around the slightly reddened faces, raising their glasses filled with wine to him. They all looked so polished, so nice, oh so nice. Politicians, world leaders, every official in high ranks were there.
How did they all get to where they were? How many people they stepped on, how many people they stole from? Greg knew quite a deal about their inner affairs since the palace had an amazing information team but he was expected to laugh and dine with them still. These criminals, in their polished suits, waiting for affirmations to come out of his mouth, an acknowledgement that Greg, indeed, is just like them. A piece of trash.
"I'm vegan." he said. All of that frustration washed away and he watched the suprised faces with joy. "I don't kill animals to eat them, but even if I did I'm sure this meal sucked." He pushed his plate towards the middle of the table and headed towards the exit. Just before he left he locked eyes with Jeff.
So he screamed "Fuck!" with all of his strength and left as his own voice echoed through the walls.
Greg wasn't a very violent guy, he was quite the advocate for peace actually, but when Jeff ran after him and grabbed his wrist, he just lost it this time.
He pushed Jeff so hard the boy fell down. The crown prince put his knee on the ground and hovered over his best friend right there. He grabbed Jeff's tie and yanked him towards his face. Tears tried to form in his eyes but he fought them with all his might.
"I don't want this, any of this. And I don't know why you're trying to create a king out of a trash."
"You're not trash." Jeff sounded like caramel, like velvet. Greg's tough facade started shaking as soon as he heard those words. "You're better than this."
"Thank you." Greg closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let go of Jeff's tie and fixed the crinkles he made. He held his hand out and pulled Jeff back into his feet. "But I don't want to be."
"I'm going to be religiously stupid and curious. I'm going to keep listening to the songs I like and doing the things I want todo. I'll play and run and I won't even spend one day being a tool in this useless power game. I can't be the man you, fuck, everyone want me to be."
"…." Jeff couldn't say anyting as he never really saw the crown prince this serious.
"And if you don't agree with me and keep trying to stop me-" Greg said. "-I'm afraid this, us might have to end."
It was really, really painful to say this for Greg, since he cared so much about Jeff. He probably would never care about anyone as much as he cared about Greg. But it was unfair. It was really unfair. His truth was his truth and it wasn't something he could change, even for his best friend. So he left and finally let all of the tears come out.
Jeff looked at his figure getting further, he heard the Queen being escorted out of the ball room, crying hysterically again. He took a deep breath and realized what a big mess he'd have to deal with from now on.
He was never going to stop the crown prince from doing what he wants again, and somehow he had to find a way to protect and guide him towards his best future.
"Fuck." Jeff mumbled, for the first time in years.