In the tallest tower of a castle, there sat a child of about four or five by the windowsill. His feet flailing, he looked down upon the entire town surrounding the majestic castle. Though his tiny eyes could not see in details the world below him, he could still piece some things from the lively bustles here and there. Being just some minutes after noon, the sun at its glory, yet the liveliness of the people around the castle reflects on how well the kingdom treats its people. The child continued to gaze in deep thought.
“Prince! Third prince!”
A female in her late teens called loudly which caused a momentary frown on the child’s face. The child, the kingdom’s third prince, turned his body to look at the person who distracted his thoughts.
“What is it, Yulia?”
“I’ve always told you not to sit there! What if you fall down? It will be me who will be in big trouble!”
The child looked at the normal-looking face of the maid in front of him. Although from the way the maid talk you would think that they’ve been together for quite some time, but the truth was that the maid just began serving the young child 2 months ago. Or more like, the young child picked her to serve him.
“And did I not always comply whenever you told me to?”
“You know, I don’t really care where you go or whatever happens to you as long as I’m not responsible for it, but you just have to make things hard for me!”
The child just smiled innocently as he got off the window and walked towards his only servant. He never thought badly of the maid’s words which could very easily get her executed but instead smile upon hearing it. Though her words were very harsh for a young child like him, a prince to boot, she was the only one who he could converse with. The most of the castle treating his existence like the air.
As the third prince of a mighty kingdom, even though he was not next in line for the throne, his value should have been high. Countless nobles should have been proposing their daughters for him to take their hands from all around the kingdom. But alas, his very existence was something to frown upon and could just really cause embarrassment to the whole royal family as all the people around him said.
“Ugh, where are we going now? You understand it’s not easy for a frail girl like me to walk around the castle for too long, right? You hear me, right?”
The child continued to walk down the stairs of the tower, his next destination already set in his mind. He continued to ignore the complaining girl following behind him and exited the tallest tower.
“Third prince, can’t we just rest now? We’ve been walking for a full ten minutes now! My beautiful legs can’t take it anymore!”
The child turned around to give a look at the not-so-beautiful legs of the maid following him. He then looked at her eyes and let out a mocking smile as he turned around once more and continued walking. The maid following him couldn’t do anything but stomp her feet in frustration as she walked towards her young master. The sight of a grumpy maid walking behind a young child had already been a common happenstance in the palace, though the fact that the existence of the young child was not acknowledge was still present.
“Yulia, let’s rest there.”
The child pointed towards a small stone bench that was shaded by an apple tree. This easily unnoticeable place had been the young child’s favourite resting spot ever since he learned to walk and go on various places. He loved how it’s a place not disturbed by anyone else. He’s also fond of the thought that its circumstances resembled him a lot.
Happy that her rest finally came, the maid dashed towards the stone bench faster than the one she serves. The child could only smile at the “unmaidly” display of his maid. His pace was normal for a young child as he reached the bench.
“Yulia.”
“What is it? Please don’t disturb my well-deserved rest!”
“I just want to tell you that an apple is going to fall on your head right about now.”
The maid’s eyes widened as she immediately moved away from her relaxed posture on the bench. Seeing her unscrupulous behaviour earned her a laugh from the young child. She then heard a ‘thud’ sound as an apple mercilessly fell on the place she was sitting on earlier. She turned to look at her master who was still laughing at her actions but couldn’t get mad at him for he just saved her. This just made her grumpier as she puffed her cheeks as if it was stuffed full inside.
It was only after some minutes that the laughing sound stopped. The young child, with some tears left from his laughter, picked up the slightly smashed apple. He then proceeded to eat it without even washing it.
“This tastes good. Have some.”
He tossed the smashed apple to the still grumpy maid near him. The maid caught the apple in her hands but her expression turned sourly as the apple was already smashed and only some parts of it were still edible. She looked at the child with frown but as the child just smiled and nodded his head to her, she reluctantly brought the apple to her mouth.
“Tasty, isn’t it?”
The maid did not reply as she was busy eating her fill. The child smiled warmly. And the birds continued to chirp and play around the tree.
Half an hour had passed since they started to laze under the apple tree after the fallen apple was consumed. Drowsiness was obviously present in the maid’s eyes while the child only had calmness and tranquillity in his. He just continued to silently gaze on the other trees and the various animals that could be seen on them.
That was when a trumpet loudly sounded throughout the whole castle and the city around it.
“Yulia, wake up. It’s time to welcome my newest sibling.”
The maid was still sleepy so he began to shook her shoulders but to no avail.
“No choice then.”
The child trotted closer to the maid as he positioned his mouth next to her ears. He inhaled for a moment before shouting.
“The king has arrived!”
“Y-your majesty! I’m not sleeping!”
The maid stood up quickly to her feet as she straightened her back and corrected her posture. There was nervousness on her face and some beads of sweat started appearing all throughout her body. That lasted for a full ten seconds before she realized that the king really wasn’t there. She looked around her until she spotted the mischievous look on the third prince’s face.
“You! What’s that for?!”
Her face was red, teeming with anger, as she approached the still smiling child and knock his head hard. From the first time she met the child three months ago up to now, all the child did was to disturb her or to make her mad. There really was no joy when she was assigned as the personal maid of the child because of all those incidents. It may seem ridiculous or silly for anyone but for the first time they met, she could only treat the child normally as she treated anyone else. She paid no mind to the various ridicules and sneers the other servants in the palace made to her as she was assigned to the “useless” and “stupid” third prince. The only little happiness she experienced was that there was no more need for her to do those tiring chores that most maids do.
“Come, Yulia. Let’s welcome my newest sibling.”
The child turned around and started to walk. The maid readily followed him, albeit her dissatisfied expression.
“Will I have another younger sister or perhaps a younger brother this time?”
“Who knows?”
“Will my newest sibling be amazing like my other siblings?”
“How could I know?”
Whenever the child conversed with the maid, the usual answers he got were disinterested replies but that was fine for him. He was even happy with that. He never really got to talk or hold a conversation to other people aside from this maid. He had a younger sister but she could still not speak or understand much of what he was talking about so this maid of his was really all he got, either as a servant, a friend, or a family.
‘At least let me keep my selfishness for taking you away.’
The child knew that the maid didn’t really especially want to serve him or anything. In fact, he always made her mad. He was aware of it all but he still wanted to at least stay selfish and stubborn about this one thing. Or else he knew that the world would just turn colourless.
The tandem of the ignored child and grumpy maid strode along the castle halls. Their destination was the queen’s chamber at the deepest and safest place in the castle next to the king’s chamber. They passed by various servants and nobles who brought with them unique and interesting gifts but no one paid attention to the two.
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“Is the new child like the first prince? Will the new child also be infused with bravery and valour?”
“What if the child’s like the second prince famous for his adept mind and profound wisdom? Just one look at his eyes and you will see his brimming intelligence!”
“Hey, don’t forget the cute first princess and her high aptitude for magic!”
Talks like this could be heard from around the place the two were walking on. The place was, after all, the waiting room assigned for this joyous day where the nobles and people from prestigious families gather to witness the birth of the king’s child. The room was fairly large and if you add the countless people gathered inside, it would be very hard to press on towards the queen’s chamber so easily. Without wanting to, one would certainly bump into a noble or another.
The third prince was still smiling as he walked amidst the nobles. He couldn’t contain his excitement in his heart and wanted to get there as soon as possible but the sheer number of people would always stop him from doing so. Still, he tried his best to get there even a second faster.
“Will the new child be another genius like the others?”
“That’s for sure! That’s for sure! Aren’t all their children so talented and blessed?”
“Aren’t you forgetting someone? Isn’t there a third prince somewhere?”
“Bah! You dare bring up the useless and stupid third prince!”
“Don’t jinx it!”
“Yeah! What if because of your words, the newborn would become stupid like the third! You and your cursed tongue!”
This conversation happened as the third prince passed by. With how loud the nobles were talking, it was impossible for the young child to not hear it. But instead of getting mad or doing anything, he just decided to not mind it as there was something he wanted to do. Not that minding it will do anything.
And so, he pressed on tightly holding the hands of his maid. It wasn’t because he was filled with burning emotions. On the contrary, his mind and heart was calm and only excited about seeing his youngest sibling. The reason for the tightly held hands was to restrain his maid. The brows of her previously disinterested face twitched so often as they passed by other people.
“Yulia.”
While still walking, the child looked back to face his maid. Displayed on his face was a childish smile and on his eyes was not an accusing one but a kind one. The tone of his voice when he spoke her name wasn’t reprimanding or commanding but one filled with warmth. The maid had no choice but to drop whatever feelings were collecting inside her and just follow the young child in front of her. Her heart slightly warmed by the little warm hand holding hers.
Upon seeing the maid calming down, the child smiled brighter. He did not want the only person who talked to him do any rash things. He knew that just one word against those nobles and the maid’s life would be over. She may even suffer something worse than death and he would not allow that to happen.
Walking for a minute or two more, the young child turned his look towards a door they were nearing to. Beyond that door was a hallway leading to countless rooms designed for the royal family. There were lots of empty rooms as the royal family only had a small number of members at the present. The queen’s chamber was on the farthest end next to the king’s. And of course, with the way the third prince was being treated, his room wasn’t in here but somewhere else.
“Yulia, isn’t this hallway great? There are lots of paintings on the wall.”
The maid did not answer as she looked at the child walking in front of her. She may not care much about the young child, but she still had a heart. She didn’t really care for the circumstances of this young child but she still knew the loneliness behind the third prince’s smiles and eyes. Since she met him, he would always only stay on four places: the highest tower, the royal library, the stone bench under the apple tree, and the first princess’ room. She may have been serving him for two months now but she still hadn’t seen the child’s room. Exactly at six in the evening, he would always dismiss her from her daily duties. She even thought before if the third prince even had a room but that thought was just too silly so she didn’t bother more, never knowing that it was the truth she arrived at.
“Halt!”
A few more steps before their destination, a man wearing well-suited armour stopped the two from their tracks. The young child’s eyes looked questioningly at the man while the maid just stood there in silence.
“Maids are not allowed past this place. I’ll be kind enough to let you go now but never harbour any more thoughts of going here. Now, scram!”
The man spoke to the maid and only to the maid, ignoring the young child’s existence. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the guard but a tug at her maid’s long skirt prevented her from doing so. The young child shook his head twice, to the left and to the right, and then smiled at her. As if nothing happened, the child turned his back to the man and started to walk away. She was still rooted in her spot, hesitating a lot as to whether confront the man blocking the way or to follow her master.
“Want to do something fun, Yulia?”
A very childish and innocent voice, yet very warm, spoke to the maid. She hastily dispelled all her thoughts and just smiled at the young child some steps away from her. With her being a lot taller than the young child, she easily caught up to him and began to follow his lead once again.
The two walked and walked, ignoring everyone around them as the latter also ignored the two. Eventually some cheers of a new genius and trumpets sounding off could be heard but they were already in a distance away from where it was happening so they just paid it no mind and continued to walk away. They walked and walked until they reached the top of the tallest tower. Lacking was the constant complains of the maid as silence enveloped the two during their walk. One hoping for a better future for the just born sibling, and one hoping for a better future of a young child.
The child proceeded to sit on the window again as the maid copied him and also sat next to him. The sky was already turning into orange as the sun was slowly setting. There were also some clouds drifting away, being blown by a gentle wind. The gentle and fresh wind, also blowing towards the two and the birds in the sky flying towards their own home.
A few minutes of silence had passed since they started to gaze at the scenery in front of them. The maid was busily keeping her hair in place as the wind continued to flutter it. The young child, without turning his head away in front of him, spoke with tranquillity.
“Yulia, this place is nice, isn’t it?”
The maid only gave silence as an answer, allowing the young child to continue with his words.
“The people around are always smiling and happy. You can hear the sounds of laughter from the children and from some adults even from here. Fights are seldom and few and everyone is living in peace. Various businesses are alive and many more are wanting to live in this place, as a testament to how great the ruling family is.”
The child paused to take a look at the city under him. His gaze sweeping around the place, as if enjoying his one last look at the place. His heart at peace, as if accepting something within. Satisfying himself with looking around, he turned his head to look at the person in front of him. To the person who gave colour to his colourless world.
“Yulia, do you like this place?”
The young child slowly spoke, the winds softly carrying his words. There was sincerity and a bit of seriousness in his voice as he asked. The maid was sure that what the child wanted to hear was a genuine answer coming from her real thoughts. That was why she took a look at the city under her as she collected her thoughts. It didn’t last long though, as her honest thoughts were always too easy to find inside her heart.
“Yes, I like this place. I love it. Because I’m able to stay at your side like this.”
Her last sentence was something she said within her mind and was not conveyed through her lips. She felt a little embarrassed at the thought of sending those words across. But she already said the most important thing, which was that she loves this place and that was already enough.
“I see. That’s good, then.”
The young child looked in front of him, as if hiding his eyes away from the maid’s face. He could not let the maid see the loneliness in his eyes. He knew that if he were to see her reaction upon seeing that, his heart would waver.