A Prince's Tale
by a true Elsewhere

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Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl.

He was a Prince.

She was a princess.

They did not live happily ever after.

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A knave tells only lies.

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The boy did not grow up as a Prince.

It was his mother that gave him his royal blood. His mother was a princess, born into a family that was held with high regards. She was weak hearted and frail, a delicate flower without the proper nutrients. Trapped in a cage that her father and brother built around her, she dreamt of being free. She was someone who could never escape on her own; she was much too weak for that. Instead, she dreamt of a gallant knight upon his sturdy steed to come and rescue her from her ivory tower.

She met a knight after years of wanting and praying. Her knight was someone below her in status and blood. She did not care, though her family certainly did. He told her everything she wanted him to hear, soft words that filled the gap that was always in her. He promised her a grand life, one that was far better than the ivory tower and the clawing ache in her. She was easily his and he had then whisked her away.

The man was not a knight, but a knave. His words were trickery, sugary words to mask his violent temper and anger. The bottle was his favorite companion and the talent she possessed that made her so noble a revulsion. He toyed with her and pushed her further than even her father and brother. He had pushed her until she broke.

Now she was no longer a princess - she was a fool.

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Lily deserved a prince.

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James was a thief – never a prince.

However, with his charms and good lucks, he was able to masquerade as one. The moment he had laid his eyes on James and heard his arrogance, he hated him. James was everything he had wanted: kind parents, wealth, looks, and confidence. It was everything required in order to win and woo the heart of a princess.

Lily was a princess. She deserved a prince.

James was thief.

James was closer to being a prince than he would ever be.

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The duty of a prince is to protect the princess.

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Arrogance was allowed if one was a prince. Arrogance was the only attribute he was able to embody as a Prince. Thrown into the den of snakes, arrogance was the only thing that kept him alive. Everyone was a tool to one another.

Lily did not understand. Though she was a princess, she was far too fair to understand the politics of the eventual rulers of the new world. She did not understand the importance of the allies that he was making and the partaking of the games that they had indulged in - especially since he was not a full prince.

She did not approve. She was quite vocal about her disapproval through scoffing, protesting, and disagreeing with so many of his decisions and actions. However, he had a goal in mind and could not relent for her because it was for her. For the future of them, he could not and would not stop. His actions were necessary in order for him to become a true prince.

In the den, he heard whispers of an oncoming revolution. The revolution was one that will target those without noble blood and push for the prosperity of the noble in the new kingdom.

Though Lily was a princess, she was not of true blood. The only way that she could become a true princess would be if she was with a true prince.

He was only halfway there.

Halfway would not be good enough during the dark times.

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The problem with jesters would be that there will always be another trick.

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The Marauders were jesters. They liked to play games, pull pranks, and laugh. Laughing made them forget about the horrors that were going outside the stone walls as the outside world was falling to the darkness. They desperately clung to laughter, using it as a way to escape from reality.

No matter how wonderful laughter could be, laughter does not stop hate.

The Marauders hated the nobles as much as the nobles hated the Marauders. Born with noble blood themselves, they turned their back to nobility. However by growing up in the world of status, the Marauders knew how strong of a force the nobles were. They could not attack them without repercussions.

He, however, was not completely noble.

They attacked him with words, spells, and actions. They understood the trials that he faced as a half blood. They understood how he was trying to gain respect and recognition from the others in the court in order to become a Prince. They understood that he would be a strong asset on the other side of the war that they would soon fight in.

They made it their duty to hinder him as much as possible.

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The more precious the prize, the more coveted it is by the thief.

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Lily was no knight, but she tried to protect him. It shamed him, a half prince being protected by a title less princess. His pride had already been wounded, by a thief that was not a thief yet and his friends. He was embarrassed that she saw him at a weak moment, how could he ever become her prince if he was so vulnerable? Frustrated at his slow progression to become a true prince, he lashed out on her.

She ran then, a scorned princess up to her tower, locking herself in.

If he were to slay a beast, it would have been much easier. Instead, he tripped over words, reciting as many as he could in order to will the portrait to open.

It would be words that would continue to keep the two apart.

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The princess does not always marry the prince.

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Time went by.

Lily had stopped talking to him.

James left him alone.

He became a true prince with no purpose.

The princess married the thief, gave birth to a pawn, and died.

He lived the rest of his days bitter and unhappy, but for her.