Arthur IV Prince from Castela

A long time ago, if you had strength, social standing, and achievements, people would call you a hero.

Tales and poems would dramatize your deeds.

In the midst of this culture where the brave were idolized. In a castle that will inherit many of these stories, lived Prince. A little boy who just woke up.

 He woke up as soon as the sun rose at his window. That morning, he gazed upset at the sky. His eyes narrowed, frowning with an open mouth. As if the sun had lied to him. But his baby fat made him look like the most armless being in the world.

 Well, nobody likes to wake up and find themselves on a Monday morning.

"Chores and duties! I just learned how to run and talk!" Were the boy's thoughts at that moment.

Still sulking, he gets up from the bed.

The room was modest and comfortable. The only simple, non-intimidating place he knew was within the castle's gigantic, suffocating walls.

The first thing he did in the morning was to wipe his face in a bowl of water next to his bed.

There was a small closet next to his bed. In it were his many toys and some clothes.

A bag of marbles, a top, wooden figures of tigers, lions, and elephants and his old building blocks.

He stared at them for some time, fighting the urge to play.

He couldn't. He took the top out, spun it and watched while he looked for his clothes.

He had only three pieces of clothing. Three pairs of white pants and a shirt, in addition to his red coat with yellow buttons and ribbons. To top it off, there were also his red boots.

He lifts his shirt and attentively observes the fabric. He was determined to get dressed completely unaided today.

But now that the time had come, millions of questions were running through his head.

Which hole do I stick my head in? Where do my arms go? Where is the front and back of this thing?

How do you button up buttons again?

He chose to just go ahead, if something was wrong, he would definitely feel it and then try something else.

He rolled on the floor while fighting ties and buttons for a while. When he was finished, he went to see himself in the water bowl. Proud of the result, he leaves the room. Only to be dragged back inside by a maid's arm.

— It is a real wonder that you can already dress, but you lack practice. —Said the maid in a sweet voice, while she buttoned the buttons in the right place and remade the ties. The little prince blushed with the comment, confused about whether he should be proud or ashamed.

—Why cant people just be naked all the time?— Asks the little boy irritated with how tied his clothes were.

— Because we would be cold. You forgot to comb your hair. — Casually answers the Maid, while combing his hair with her fingers.

— Oh Yes! But I stretched, made my bed, and cleaned my face all alone!—

The maid looks over to the room and finds a completely undone fur blanket.

— If you lie like that someday it will come back to you young boy! But go now, I will take care of it, or you will be late.— Arthur shudders with fear and starts to leave again.

Nonetheless, the maid protests in a stern voice. — And nothing to stray from the path! I will be watching. —

—Not even a small pre-lunch nap?— The little boy says as he turns to the maid again.

— A pre-lunch nap? Where did you learn such words? If I discover that the towers watchers are slacking off again...—

—No! Please don't be angry at them!— The young boy shouts stretching his arms to the maid as if to protect the soldiers. He continues: —They already fear Moli! They said you are a… a…— He stutters and scratches his head trying to find the right words.

—Tell me, what did they say?— Moli leans toward the boy and looks him in the eyes making it impossible for him to tell a lie.

— Uh, I am sure it wasn't a bad word.— The maid sight and kisses the little boy's face.

—Well, it doesn't matter any more. Now go you are already late, your Highness.

With the maid's push, the boy finally dragged his feet out of the room.

Yes, you heard it right.

Despite appearing to be nothing more than a small boy, his golden hair was a symbol of royalty and his peculiar orange-sunset eyes were a sign of a special gift.

The Camelot Castle was strange since social class did not divide the 142 rooms. The castle was big even for a fortress, it had five terraces, many ballrooms, and everything else you can imagine.

The point is that crossing it every morning was a difficult task and one that may even contain a little adventure. Especially if you are 5 years old and only one meter tall.

But our little prince looked forward to the adventure.

He had been practising for a year now a game his father taught him.

The king called it a racing game, but the prince preferred the name the servants had chosen for the game.

"Royal Escape" You will soon understand why.

He ran and jumped down corridors and stairs.

Consequently, having several falls and stumbles along the way. It was at those times that the cuts and scrapes took the little boy's air of royalty once again. Sharp six in the morning, every day.

The place he went to was used for the morning training of new soldiers, in which because of his gift, he always had to participate.

This was considered an initialization in the art of combat, which was common in those lands.

Perfect for tiring a hyperactive child with super strength. How else would they make him study?

But he wasn't always like that, in fact, he loved having stories read to him when he was smaller.

Unfortunately, he had picked up some nasty habits from the training addicted soldiers he spent the afternoon with.

In his own words, he preferred to train all day rather than study the alphabet for an hour.

Upon reaching the yard, the Prince finds a frowning old man dressed in the same uniform as he, the general.

—You are late to training, cadet!— The general complained in a high-pitched voice. The other recruits formed a disciplined line behind the general. The little prince reluctantly included himself, along with the boys twice his height. At the command of the general, the training began. The five-year-old prince was not out of any exercise. Even though some of them had to be adapted to his small size and amazing strength.

His movements were much more clumsy than those of the other cadets, and he rarely took his exercises seriously. But everyone around acted like he was a brave warrior in training. Actually, the little prince hated when they treated him like a toddler!

That was likely because he was the only toddler in the castle. Being treated differently than the others made him feel lonely.

He started running for 15 minutes, followed by weight lifting. The apprentices pulled iron, wood, and stones, used to build the castle walls. Secondly, there was hand-to-hand combat and the application of weapons. A battle did not last more than 30 seconds. It was necessary to neutralize the opponent quickly, armed or barehanded. In combat with wooden weapons, speed and precision were more decisive than strength or size.

Soon the prince tired of being treated like an adult. His muscles hurt so much! He completely forgot why he had agreed to be a part of it. Often giving up halfway or starting crying and rolling on the floor for a tantrum. The general, on the other hand, had not forgotten why the little one enlisted. He treated him like any other cadet. Forcing him to get up and continue.

Prince always held a grudge against the general. Not that the general cared. It was Prince's nature to forget any resentment or anger after a good night's sleep.

As soon as the morning training ended, the other cadets returned to their duties while the boy passed out on the floor. Still covered with sweat, he stayed there until a maid brought him breakfast, bread, and fresh fruit.

Thereafter, he went to the stables for riding lessons. It was part of an apprentice's daily routine to ride a horse (in the case of Prince a little pony) and jump quickly from the saddle, falling to his feet, which was not always the case. The animals also had to receive careful treatment. They were well-fed, washed frequently, and presented to the king once a year. Prince had a gift for animals. He treated the little pony as his best friend. The pony even seemed to answer to the Crown Prince from time to time. The riding lesson was more like a fun game in Prince's eyes.

At the end of class, he was always covered in mud and his bruises multiplied. The big smile on his face showed that he had completely forgotten about these details.

A well-deserved shower was his only break in the morning.

The hot summer midday sun usually made the idea of getting back into clothes terrific.

This was the time when "Royal Escape" Would be played all around the castle by all servants against the little prince.

Typically, the one who got him won a small prize, and if nobody managed it, the prince would be allowed to run around half-naked.

In new clothes, he would be led to a room that changed every day. Where he had to decorate maps, old stories, etiquette, and thousands of more things. He really tried hard to do it. But would only remember them if they seemed interesting.

He always followed obediently the same routine. From painful experiences, he became fond of doing things once than twice the same task.

At noon and 6 PM, he ate with his father, the King. He considered those to be one of the best hours of his busy routine.

His father lived for obvious reasons extremely busy, but at meal times he made sure to know every detail of the boy's day. Taking off his crown and leaving his cloak hanging in the corner. He was just a father of enormous body and heart who would sacrifice everything to protect those who were important to him.

The arrival of the afternoon marked the end of the study period.

The little one became so sleepy it was impossible to have him do anything more.

He took him well deserved after-lunch nap and for an hour, the castle breathed in peace.

As soon as he woke up, full of energy, Prince would run through the walls searching for freedom.

He would spend every and at one time or another, he would appear in the servants' workshops just to play with them a little. The soldiers on watch were the closest to him. They would play marbles, catch, hide and many other games with the prince as an excuse for a little break time.

He spent the evening playing and exploring until the sun went down, and the retreat hour arrived with the bells rang.

But that day, he was in a bad mood. He was so distracted that he ended up ruining the dinner while helping the cookers, who thought it was just another prank. The servants became very irritated. Even though they knew that all the Prince wanted was attention, this game had gone too far. So, they decided to complain to the king. The king told the servants themselves to choose the punishment and apply it at sunset the next day.

At dusk the next day, the little prince was looking for his next victim of pranks in the halls when he overheard the conversation between two cookers about the latest news. The cookers who realized they were being watched decided to try to scare him a little. " We must consider leaving him without food for a week!" Growled one in a convincing serious tone. " Only 100 lashes will bring him back to reason." Completed another. "If he took the Castle throne, it would be a disaster!" Said the last one.

Amazement transformed the prince's face.

His typical smile slowly faded.

His first reaction was anger. 

He had always followed the rules (or most of them) and tried his best to fulfil people's expectations about him. Still, they labelled him ha a troublemaker (not that he wasn't). A blush went up to his face.

Every day he felt physically and mentally drained, and suffocated by the pressure of his position. Patiently waiting for the afternoon to arrive to gain the minimum of freedom.

Even so, the last sentence was the one that hurt the most. He feared every day that they didn't think he was worthy enough. The only one who believed him was the King.

This was the man who had sentenced him to be punished. When he realized his situation. Sadness clouded his features, loneliness flooded his mind. His eyes stung as he was fighting tears. 

He wanted to disappear. Disappear somewhere at the ends of the earth where no one would see him cry.

The cooks looked back to contemplate Prince's reaction. Prince backed up in a grunt. Without thinking much, he ran as far as he could, as fast as he could.

Away from the walls and everyone else. The feelings that burned in his chest hurt. He just wanted to escape the pain. 

He ran more and more. He passed guards and ignored the servants. And then, he came across the wall. He stopped and watched it as he heard his name from far.

The great barrier, that separated him from the outside world. Imprisoned him in the title of nobility. The anger returned with the urge to break free.

He started to climb.

He leaned on the roofs and stones of the wall. Even though the voices begged him to come back, he had already made up his mind. When he reached the top, he felt the wind on his face. It smelled like freedom, he looked down. His legs became weak only at the sight of the miniature road beneath him. He could feel his heart wanting to leave his body, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. He wanted to cry again, what a coward he was! Then the clinking of the armour behind him makes him stand again. He had already gone too far to stop now. Jumping to the top of a tall tree, he leaves the desperate soldiers behind. The jump made his body fill with new energy. Fear made it all seem just like a great adventure. He jumped to the next tree and the sensation came again. The thrill of doing something risky beyond his limits and finally being free was incredible.

His eyes took on a new glow, he didn't stop jumping and climbing.

When his breath finally ended, and he had already used all the accumulated energy, he became rational again. But to fuel Prince's despair, he found himself in a wholly unknown forest. His hands were burning so hard he could have sworn they were bleeding.

With his heart accelerating more with each step. He slowly resumed walking as he scanned his surroundings for a clue to take him back to where he came from.

It was dark, but with his big orange eyes could see his surroundings perfectly, from the branches swayed by the cold wind to the many mushrooms on the damp ground. And it just made things look more frightening.

He swallowed hard when he realized where he was. He had made it, he had escaped. So, why wasn't he happier?

He kept on walking. He winced every time he noticed the gaze of a wild animal on his back. Pairs of glowing eyes silently cross the forest. "It's just cats!" He tried to convince himself. He wanted to run again, dig a deep hole, and stay there. But his breathing was still heavy, he had no energy left.

By the first time, he left the capital. The excitement of exploring a new place was the only feeling that still comforted him. Before, he had never been more than a few meters outside the walls, but now he was lost somewhere far from any living soul. His expression hardened. Almost as if he were more than a little boy of 5 years.

He wanted to fix things, but now he had made things worse to a degree that he couldn't go back.

He kept on walking. Now with firm steps, assuming his guilt.

The wind and the dark sky showed that it would rain soon.

Prince settled in a hole under the roots of an old tree with a few yellowish leaves. His senses were extremely keen, he observed every movement in the forest and processed the meaning of each small noise. Only one thing crossed his mind. "I want to get out of here alive." 

Then, a question crossed his mind. What would He do next? Did he really want to go back to the castle, where he would be punished?

He felt lonely and in a bad mood.

He wanted to cry again.

Unfortunately, if he did, the only living thing that would hear him would be the forest predators, so he definitely wouldn't cry.

He tried to breathe slowly and regain his composure. But the voices of the servants became more and more clear in Prince's memories.

The rage boiling inside his body got him an irritating headache.

It started to rain.

He was freezing and hungry, but deep down, he didn't want to go back to the castle.

No longer able to reason properly, he took a red mushroom from the roots of the tree and took it into his mouth. It had no taste, and the texture was also very rubbery, but it probably contained poison because his headache got unbearable and his whole wet body burned.

I can't cry, I caused it to myself. He thought over and over again.

The rain got heavier and the cold wind started to blow.

Involuntarily, tears began to run down his face, mixing with the raindrops.

Slowly, murmurs of pain turned to whispers that gradually became cries. When he realized it, he was already shouting apologies.

When he extinguished all his strengths, cold and pale, he dropped into the mud. " I want to go home" Was the last thing he thought.

He had a comfortable, heavy, dreamless sleep.

When he opened his eyes he saw the familiar polished stone ceiling in his room, he was warm, well-settled in his bed, and he tasted medicinal herbs in his mouth.

The fever was gone, the pain, and even the guilt, he was back safe and sound.

He felt it would be better not to admit it, but he felt tremendous relief when he realized that the same people who wanted to punish him had saved him. His eyes get wet.

When he looked to the side, he realized that someone had been there for a long time.

A beautiful lady was sitting beside him while she stroked his hair affectionately. It was Moli, only Moli.

They tied his shoes every morning, gave him a bath and food. She checked his daily routine and led him around the castle, always beside him.

Prince wept and hugged the maid.

He was rescued by those who put up with him every day and offered him food, comfort, and more.

From then on, he would make it his goal to do his best to earn it all.

Moli was still stroking the prince's hair when she said:

— You have a visitor, my prince.