The trumpets were loud, and the entire kingdom had gathered for the celebration of the prince's twenty second birthday. It was an event more grand than any other event held so far in Amyria. It wasn't just a night for the prince's birthday, tonight men of noble families would present their daughters for their prince to pick a bride. Everyone was looking forward to the event, everyone except prince Lucian.
"I've told you already, I don't want to get married just yet! Isn't my decision what matters most at the moment?" Lucian argued with his father, who was seemingly uninterested with the conversation. From the look on the king's face, it was obvious that this was a conversation that had been held many times, and he had very obviously grown tired of it.
"You won't be able to become king without a bride, how many times do I need to tell you this, Lucian?! This is for your own good, you won't be able to find any lady prettier than the ones you'll see today." The king, Wallace Cromwell, said to his son who didn't seem pleased at all by his father's words.
"If you're not going to listen to what I have to say, then you won't see me at the party! You know what, I won't even become king! You can choose one of your bastards, you have many of them—"
"That's enough, Lucian! You've said enough!" King Wallace's voice thundered through the chamber, silencing the prince's outburst. The tension between father and son was palpable, filling the ornate room with an air of defiance and frustration. Guards and maids stared with anticipation, but were immediately dismissed by a single glance from Wallace.
Lucian's fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set in a stubborn line. He met his father's gaze with a fiery determination, unwilling to back down. "This is my life, Father, and I'm going to do what I want with it."
Satisfied with himself, Lucian turned and walked away despite his father screaming out for his attention.
"You're choosing a wife tonight! You're a man so act like it!" King Wallace's voice raged, but his son wasn't impressed.
Angered, Lucian stormed out of the house. Mounting his horse, he rode away from the castle and towards the stream just across the fields. It was the one place that he found genuine peace. There was nobody there to tell him what to do, who to marry and get married.
What was the rush? Lucian questioned himself, genuinely curious and angry at the same time. All he wanted to do was ride around the kingdom and be free for once in his life. He had spent half of his childhood inside the castle, and when he wasn't inside, he was escorting his father to official meetings and other social events. He barely had a life, and didn't have friends outside other prince's and people of influence.
He had consoled himself with the hope that his adulthood would grant him the freedom he finally deserved, but his father clearly didn't want that. The moment he turned eighteen, he was made an official member of the royal council, and had to represent his father in meetings he was too lazy or busy to attend.
He had continued serving his father and the kingdom all through his life, but now Lucian had grown tired of doing what his father and the people wanted all the time. He wanted his own life, to explore other places, live his youth to the fullest before finally settling down. But it was clear that his father wasn't on board with his plan.
Sometimes he didn't want to blame his father, but at the same time he didn't exactly have any other person to blame. He knew his father was only doing this to avoid a succession crisis, and Lucian was just unlucky to be the only child legally born to Wallace Cromwell. He had a lot of bastards, too many that Lucian had lost count. His mother had been unable to give birth due to some complications, and his father had decided to sow his seed in other women without wedding them.
Finally, the queen took in, but it would be her first and last pregnancy. She had lost her life giving birth to Lucian, and he had grown up in the care of his father alone. He loved his father, but it was impossible to deny his controlling nature, one that he had grown tired of.
"I'm not getting married, nor am I picking a wife today!" He said out loud as he tossed some rocks into the gentle stream. Lucian knew that marriage would seal his path to the throne for good, but at the same time limit him from living his life to the fullest. He was a kind child, and he didn't want to live with the guilt of abandoning his wife and child to travel out on some adventure.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the serene stream, Lucian's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hooves approaching. He turned to meet guards approaching where he sat. He knew they would come to find him soon enough, and he knew exactly who was leading the pack..
"Lucian, I knew I'd find you here," Mark said, dismounting gracefully. "Your father is furious. The entire court is in an uproar because you disappeared."
"It seems I've been lenient with you Mark, did you forget my orders?" Lucian inquired, his brows raised furiously. Mark was his personal guard, and the only person the prince considered a friend. He was one of the few people that knew where to find Lucian whenever he went missing. This spot was supposed to be a secret, but it wasn't so anymore.
"Your father ordered for me to be accompanied. He believes I won't be able to bring you back home on my own." Mark explained even though Lucian probably had an idea of why there were more than three guards. "The ceremony is about to start, your father says he'll consider your request if you return to the castle with us."
A smile tugged at the corner of Lucian's lips at the sound of those words. Wallace Cromwell might be strict and controlling, but he wasn't a liar.
Convinced that he might have a chance to change his father's mind, Lucian untied and mounted his horse before leading the way back to the castle. He wasn't looking forward to the ceremony, what he was after were his father's words, the ones that would rebuke him from picking a bride tonight.