Chapter 3

Prince George had had a fairly pleasant morning, he had headed into the heart of the city. Being a Sunday, he knew that the market would be going, and there he would get to see many neat and interesting things. He had seen so many things, and even talked to many people, but his appearance and stench did not endear him to most like he normally would have. Many chased him away, saying if he touched their things they would call the police and have him arrested.

On the other hand, he did talk to many neat people as well. Many looked past his dress and smell and talked to him like a person. It felt good to talk to people on an even playing field, no one knew him, no one knew he was the prince, so therefore they did not grovel at his feet, pretend to love him, to pretend to love even the smell of his farts. No, these people, they were real, they were normal, and they would smack him if he did so much as look at them the wrong way.

Playing with the other kids in the fountain was probably the single most pleasurable thing that he had ever done. A good portion of the kids were naked, and because he felt no shame at being naked as well, he too stripped down and romped in the sprays of water. No one even said a thing about the fact that he had been wearing a diaper, in his kingdom, that was accepted as somewhat normal, and one other boy, only about eight, had also been diapered before he stripped bare and ran and played, though three others had gotten diapered when they left as well.

He played with the other kids for well over an hour, before going and drying off to the side, and then laying down to diaper himself up in full view of several people. No one said a thing about it, though a few boys grinned to him. Once he was dressed, he continued walking his city. He did so until the bells at the church chimed three.

Wanting to see what the poor side looked like as well, Prince George headed to the bridge that would take him there, and walked underneath the traffic, joining the throngs of people also walking. Just as he crossed into the neighborhood, he was accosted by a young man.

“There you are Geoff, your father's looking for you, and he's absolutely furious. He already beat the snot outta Jimmy, because Jimmy told him that you'd run away, when he cornered him looking for you. Well, your asshole of a father sure didn't take the news well, and beat him up. Jimmy's dad went to kill him, but now he's in pretty rough shape too. Why are you coming back, I thought you weren't gonna, he's in such a rage looking for you, if he finds you, he might kill you this time.”

Prince George was in shock at being grabbed first, and then being spoken to in such a manner. Then he was in shock, because the boy honestly thought he was his friend, and then in more shock as he heard the tale.

“I am truly sorry, but I have no idea who you are, I am not your friend, Geoff you said. My name is George.”

“Yeah right Geoff, you can't fool me. We've hung out since we were in diapers together, though you still should be, but the asshole would never pay to get you anything of the sort. I should think I'd know my own best friend, hello, it's me, Michael.”

Michael is thirteen and has scraggly brown hair and is very tall and thin for his age.

“Um, I am in diapers, and no, I really truly am not your best friend. Sadly I have never met you before now. Like I said, my name is George. I am sorry to hear about your friend, but that is not who I am.”

“Prove it?”

“What, that I am not your friend?”

“Yeah, but that you're wearing a diaper as well. I know Geoff needs them, but he'd never wear one. I tease him all the time, and he says he'd never be able to.”

“Okay, fine.” He said and pushed the front of his pants down and showed off his already pretty soggy diaper.

“Can I see your back please?”

“Um, why?”

“Just because.”

He turned around and lifted up his shirt. The boy came around and looked, then he gasped.

“My god, you're really not Geoff. Who the hell are you then, you look exactly like my best friend, you sound just like him, and you need diapers like he clearly needs them.”

“My name is George, I believe I have told you that a couple times.”

“No, I know what you say your name is, I was wondering who you really are, because, like I said, you look exactly like Geoff. Where are you from?”

“I would rather not say at this time.”

“You need to get out of here, as far away from this place as you can possibly get. If he finds you, you're as good as dead meat.”

“Who?”

“My friends' father. He's furious. If he catches you, the beating he'll give you, you can't possibly begin to understand. He beats Geoff every fucking day, some days he can barely move. The asshole won't listen, you look like Geoff, so you are Geoff, and he'll hear nothing of the sort that you aren't. He won't look at your back and see that there's no scars, he'll only see that there's room for more. He'll rip your diaper off and beat your ass black and blue too, and then he'll make you sleep in the corner on a plastic sheet and make you piss it too.”

“Who could do such a thing?” Prince George asked in stunned awe, he had never heard such a thing.

“A real life monster, that's who. None of our parents will even go near the asshole, now, please leave, I love Geoff like a brother, I can't see him hurt any more, and you look too much like him, he won't care. Save yourself, and if one day you look at someone and see yourself, you'll know who he is.”

Just then, Prince George caught movement from the side and before he could react, the boy he had been talking to was picked up and viciously thrown against a stone walled building. He did not even make a sound as he hit and fell, as if boneless, to the ground, unconscious, hopefully still alive.

Prince George was about to say something about the brutal treatment to the boy he had been talking to, how it was absolutely unnecessary, and downright cruel, but then he could not say anything, for he was grabbed by the throat and picked up. Then the large smelly man shook him, and before he passed out, the man dropped him and kicked him twice.

“There you are, you fucking piece of shit, you run away, from me, your loving father. Clearly I have not been showing you enough loving lately, we're gonna have to take you home and fix that.” He growled.

He then bent low and picked up the crying prince. Never before had the prince ever felt any sort of real pain, and now he hurt a great deal, and he was crying.

“Oh, the little baby is crying. Oh, poor baby. Are you sad that I killed your useless little friend, he was trying to protect you, to tell you to leave, now he's dead, you'll be lucky if I accidentally kill you too, but I won't, you'll wish I would, but I won't.”

And then he picked up Prince George and threw him over his shoulder and carried him somewhere. It was only a few minutes later that they entered into a very small and extremely smelly shack. He yelled into the interior and said, “Honey, I'm home, and look who I found.”

He was viciously thrown to the ground, he bounced once, and then slammed into the far wall. The wind was knocked clean out of him. Another first. A woman came around the corner and grinned evilly. The man then came and grabbed the prince once again, and started ripping his clothes off of him.

“Where the fuck did you get a diaper you little freak, you'll get an extra beating for that one.” He said as he ripped that off as well.

And then said beating started. The sheer amount of pain that he had been feeling caused the poor prince to just shut down, never before had he even imagined that such a thing could happen, and long before the beating was finished, he had passed out.

Several hours later, and hundreds of bruises and a couple blood oozing wounds to go with it, Prince George woke up. He started sobbing, he was in so much pain. He was laying on the ground, a thin plastic drop cloth was underneath him, he was covered with a ratty thin blanket, and both were soaked with copious amounts of urine, and more than just a little blood as well. He then noticed that he was tied to the wall as well. A good sized eye bolt was anchored to the wall, and the knots tying his wrists together, and then tied to the wall were too tight for him to remove them. His hands hurt a great deal from how tightly they were tied. He could not get himself free, though he tried his hardest to do so.

He noticed at this time that none of his jewelry was on him, his bracelet that he had worn every day of his life, his rings and his necklace, all had been removed, he was naked, battered, bruised, and no one knew where he was. He knew his bracelet was a tracking device, he thought that by now someone would have rescued him. Hell, he had figured that he would be found and brought back by noon, but it had never happened. Now, here he was, a slave to a big horrible man who had no problems beating him utterly senseless. There had been no words, just like Michael had told him, he had been unable to tell the horrible man that he was mistaken, that he was not his son, he had been warned, but it was all for naught. Now he was a prisoner, no one knew where he was, and he cried even more for that. He tried to be quiet, the last thing he wanted was to wake the monster, but still, he cried.

Then he heard a noise, his blood went cold, he knew it was awake and that he was about to receive another horrible beating, he wondered if he could take it again, or if this time he would truly die. He wondered if his parents would ever know what happened to him. He stopped crying, now he was too afraid to cry, knowing he was about to die.

The person making the sound though was not who he had suspected, and it was not one person, there were three of them. The biggest of them put his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion, so Prince George nodded his head in understanding. The big boy got down as low as he could and whispered into his ear.

“Michael is alive, though he's in rough shape. He told us who you are, we're here to rescue you. I'm Jared, I'm fourteen, the oldest of our little rag tag group. Now, I know you're in pain, but you have to be extremely quiet. If it wakes up and catches us, we're all dead meat, and we'd really rather stay alive if you don't mind. If you want me to stuff something in your mouth so that you don't make any noise, just nod, okay.” Said the surprisingly large boy, though not an ounce of fat could be seen on him, he just looked incredibly large and strong, much like a football player or a wrestler. He has dirty blond hair and strong features.

Prince George knew what he was being asked made sense, there was simply no way he could move right now and make no noise, so he nodded his head, and someone stuffed a clean wadded cloth into his mouth, to help stifle any sounds he made. Another someone quickly cut the ropes holding him in place, and then the two largest boys gently bent down and lifted him so that he was in a standing position. Prince George was thankful for the cloth stuffed into his mouth, because the sound that would have escaped then would have sealed their fate.

Pain the likes of which he had never even fathomed before shot through his entire body. There was not one single section of his whole body that did not hurt, though his back and bum felt the worst for wear.

As quietly as they could possibly go, they started moving out of the house, but it was an agonizingly slow process. Prince George could not move fast, he hurt so much, and tears were pouring down his face. The bigger boy whispered into his ear again.

“I know you're in pain, we heard the beating he gave you, even after you passed out, he still beat you. We all know better than to try and stop him though, he's hurt us too many times, and even our parents are all afraid of him. The police never come here, otherwise he'd already be in jail, but we're doing what we can. We'll get you somewhere safe, and we'll do what we can to help with the pain, and then we'll have to sneak you away from here somehow, but now he's gonna be even madder than he was before, and his wrath is likely to be directed at us. All Geoff's friends have gone into hiding, we're gonna meet the rest of them there. Even our parents were warned, they tried to stop us, but, like we said, we can't allow the asshole to do this, not to you or anyone. It's gonna be a long walk though. We'll carry you if we have to, but it'd be best if you can do most of it on your own, so that we get there faster, okay.”

Prince George nodded his head in understanding and gritted his teeth and did what he knew he had to do, even though the pain was excruciating. He never wanted to be caught by that beast again, so getting away, no matter the pain he is currently in, is paramount.

And it was a long walk too, almost half an hour later, they entered into an abandoned warehouse on the other side of the river. When they entered, five pairs of eyes quickly checked them out to ensure they were who was supposed to be there and they all gave a large sigh of relief to see that it was the three boys and their guest. They all started talking at once, but Jared shushed them all and told them the sordid tale of Prince George, though none yet knew that he was in fact the prince.

“Okay, someone bring the first aid kit and someone else grab the water and the pain killers, George needs all of it desperately.” He said.

Everything was brought over just as Prince George was placed face down on a small cot. He still cared none at all that he was nude and very badly beaten.

Someone gave him some pills to swallow and a tall glass of water with a straw in it for him to drink. He was encouraged to drink as much as he could, so he did. Once that was done, the glass was refilled and he drank that down as well. He said he had had enough for now, and thanked the girl, she said her name was Susan. She is pretty, for a girl, with long blond hair and pale green eyes. Meanwhile several others were tending to his back and bum. First they applied cream and bandages to all the open cuts and welts, and then a soothing paste to all the bruised areas. This took a surprising amount of time, and all the while they worked, Prince George tried not to cry and to stay strong, but he was in so much pain. Finally they were done.

“Now, I know that you wet the bed, same as Geoff does, I found the pack you had with you, and it still has some of your diapers in it, so I'm gonna try and get one onto you, so that you don't pee all night long. It's not gonna be perfect though, because I don't wanna turn you over, but it'll surely be better than nothing. Then I want you to try and get some sleep.” Jared said.

“Thanks, for everything, I really appreciate it.”

“You're welcome.”

A diaper was slipped under him, and even Prince George had no idea how he had not already wet, but so far he had not, but the diaper was much appreciated anyway. It was slipped underneath him as carefully as they could, and then it was taped into place as best as possible, considering they did not wish to move him any more than necessary. Finally they placed as thick and soft a blanket as they had on top of him, so that he could maybe sleep at least a little.

The rest of the kids went and got into their cots and covered up, and then the few lights they had were turned off, and they all went to sleep. Throughout the rest of the night, Prince George slept fitfully, but not too bad, all things considering.

Everyone slept in until well past sun up. It had been a very late night, none of the kids had slept at all before rescuing the prince, and of course he had not been sleeping, so much as he had been passed out, and from that point on, the rescue mission and then the ensuing medical treatment had taken some time, then on top of that, he was in considerable pain, so he did not sleep all that great. Granted, at least he slept, and he was the last of them to wake up.

“Hello, I'm Jean, I'm eleven, how are you feeling this morning?” One of the girls asked him. She has curly red hair and more freckles than Prince George had ever heard of.

“Better, but still very sore. Whatever you guys did last night seems to have helped somewhat.” He whispered.

“We're gonna give you more pain killers and change out your bandages, as well as apply more cream to all your bruises. It's not gonna feel nice while we're doing it, but it's necessary. We won't think less of you if you cry, just so you know.” She said softly.

“Honestly, the way I feel right now, I would care less if you laughed at me for crying.”

“That's the spirit. You're a lot like Geoff in more than just looks too. He couldn't care less what others think of him.”

“I am sorry, I still do not know who you are talking about. Could I possibly get more water now though, and if there is anything to eat, I know you will not have a lot to give, coming from where you do, but if even just a few crumbs, right now would be very appreciated.”

“Don't worry none about that, you're gonna get fed. We're gonna get your medical issues straightened out first, and then you'll get some food. We may be poor, but we always help those around us that need it, no matter how little we may have.”

“Thanks, I know they sure do not do that on the other side of the river.”

“We're currently on the other side of the river, but yeah, you're right.”

“Right, sorry, last night is still a little foggy, but I do remember crossing the bridge to get here.”

“That's okay. So, you live on this side of the river, you must be rich then.”

“You might be able to say that, though, until now, I thought I was far more rich than I am. I have no friends who would even fathom doing what you all did for me last night. You rescued me, endangered yourselves, and yet you have no idea who or what I am.”

“On our side of the river, friends are all you have, so nothing else really matters. You look so much like Geoff, that somehow you've just gotta be related. We all know his parents aren't his parents, so, you've just gotta be his twin, you had to have been separated at birth somehow. You certainly got the long straw in the draw, that's for sure. So, what that means is, what we'd happily do for Geoff, we'll do for you.”

Prince George tried to reply, but it was cut off by the fact that the others started removing his bandages, and he gasped in pain and the tears started flowing unashamedly. He did not cry out much, he tried not to yell, but the tears still poured forth. As they were working on his back and bum, he was given more pain killers and more water, but it took another half an hour for them to get him all cleaned up and fixed up more.

“There you go. Your diaper at least held last night, but we'll get another one underneath you again now, so that you don't have to worry. I don't know if you need them during the day or not, I know Geoff kinda does, but even if you do use the toilet, right now I don't think it's a good idea, so just use your diaper anyway and we'll help you out as much as possible. Name's Jimmy, by the way, got the shit kicked outta me as well by the asshole, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm twelve.” Jimmy is pretty small and pretty lean, has mousy brown hair that curls slightly, and he is almost pretty, other than the bruises covering his face at the moment.

“Thanks, and yeah, I noticed, kind of hard to miss, but yes, I require my diapers pretty much all day every day. I can not hold my urine for very long at all.” He whispered.

“Just like Geoff. Now, let's get you some food, you could probably really use it.”

“That would be very much appreciated, thanks.”

A small plate with bread and cheese and some cured meats, as well as some fruits and vegetables, all cut into small bite sized pieces, was set on the floor right in his line of sight. He went to reach for it, but then another girl sat in front of him and told him she would take care of it, to save his strength and to not move. She told him that her name is Mikayla, she is really pale looking with long black hair, kind of pretty in a Gothic sort of way. She then slowly fed him one piece at a time, not asking him what he wanted at any time or anything, but he could not have asked for it in a better order anyway. She did it in such a way that every piece complimented the one before it, so never a piece of fruit after a piece of meat, or cheese with the wrong vegetable. His own personal chefs could not have done better. As she went, she often paused to allow his stomach to settle some, as well she gave him small sips of water when she thought he would need it, again, always at the perfect time.

As soon as she was done, someone else came and sat with a lightly steaming mug of tea and offered him some with a straw. Normally one does not drink tea with a straw, but one must alter their methods when need be as well. The tea had been allowed to cool just enough that he was able to comfortably drink it with the straw though, yet it was still hot enough to enjoy it. It was also the same tea he himself liked with just the right amount of cream and sugar in it as well. As he was drinking it, the boy who was helping him introduced himself as well, his name is Tyler, he is eleven years old and is too small and skinny to really be healthy.

“Thanks, the meal was excellent, and the tea was fixed perfectly. How you could have known just what I would like, I have no idea.”

“We figured that since you looked and acted so much like Geoff, that maybe you'd enjoy the same foods and drinks.”

“This friend of yours clearly has good taste. Now, would anyone be offended if I said I could go back to sleep for a little bit?”

“He does have excellent taste, he has us for friends.” One of the boys giggled, which caused them all to laugh and agree. He introduced himself as Cole, thirteen years old, and he was pretty much medium in everything about him; height, weight and appearance, though he had so many pimples they were almost impossible to look past. “As for going for a sleep, that's a great idea. Now, tonight, we wanna move you to somewhere safer and further away from harm. Is there somewhere we can take you that isn't too far away where you'll be safe?”

“Yes, there is, and once there I will be very safe. With that being said though, I would ask that you not ask where that is as of yet, tonight we will go there and all will make sense.”

“Okay, but it'd be a really good idea if we could scope out the way there, so that we can ensure that we're not caught.”

“I understand, but this is a bit of a secret, it cannot be let out until the time is right. I will tell you tonight, and if, for whatever reason, we are ambushed and that monster gets me again, then you go there, I will tell you on our way what to say, then they will help you to get me back.”

“Okay, now you're scaring me.” Jared said.

“I am sorry, it would be too risky to tell you now. May I go to sleep, after eating I am now very tired?”

“Yes, absolutely, the more rest you get, the better you'll be for tonight.”

Prince George slept on and off all day long. Every time he woke up he was given more pain killers and his bandages were changed out, as well his cream was reapplied. His diaper was changed and he was fed and watered several times as well. By the time that it was getting dark again, he already felt a hundred percent better. He was still very bruised, but when they finally had him stand up, he could at least move without wincing or being very nearly carried. He was not about to run a marathon, but he could run away if he had to.

During the day, the others had all had long talks with each other, trying to determine what to do and where to go from there. Without knowing where they were going, they really had no choice, and though they asked Prince George a few more times throughout the day, he was adamant about not saying anything before they left. Now he was up and they were about to leave, the prince had been dressed in some good clean sturdy clothes and he was in a fresh diaper.

“Now, I have no doubts at all what you are about to say to what I am about to tell you, however, it is the complete and total truth, I swear on the kingdom and all that it stands for.”

“What oppression of the poor and uneducated?” A couple of them pretty much said at the same time, though they said it slightly differently, it amounted to the same thing.

“I am sorry that you are being oppressed, I was unaware how bad it was. However, my full name is Prince George Jamieson Patrick Loveboy the fourth, I am next in line to the throne, son of the king and ruler of this kingdom. Please, I know from your looks you do not believe me, and I understand that, how could your best friend look exactly like the prince. That too is a question I very much wish to find out. When I get back to the castle, which is where I wish for you to take me, I intend to have the royal guards go and collect that piece of trash who beat me, and I will personally interrogate him until he tells me everything.”

“Okay, let's say we believed you, and you really are Prince George, how can we know you're not lying, how can we know that the second we walk up to the castle that we won't be arrested.” Cole asked skeptically.

“I guess you cannot. Know this though, if I am lying to you, and I walk up to the castle, if you get arrested, then so will I. I have no desire to be arrested, I have no desire to be hunted, so, our best bet is to head directly to the castle at all haste available. If you wish to pray to whatever gods you so desire that I am telling the truth, then, please do so now. I will not ask you to join me, if needed, I will go on my own, but, if you do come, I will be able to protect you as well.”

“I'm still not sure about this, but okay, let's go.” Jared said, clearly he is the ring leader, so whatever he said, the others would do, and they all packed up their few meager belongings and headed out right away.

“Now, what is the quickest way to the castle from here, I do not know where we are, nor am I used to navigating the streets, especially at night. I rarely ever get to leave the palace, and it is usually with a heavy guard in a car or horse drawn carriage.”

“I'll lead the way, don't worry. Now, tell us how to get you help then if we get separated?”

“Go to the main gate, knock and someone will answer. The second they see you, they will tell you that the gates are closed, and to come back once they are open and accepting visitors. Before they can close the speak easy, you must say that you are part of the prince's entourage, and that the prince is in grave danger. No one outside the palace knows my full name, so when you tell them that, they will stop and listen. Ask to speak to Marcus, he is my personal tutor and servant, he will do what is right. Now, how likely is it that your friends so called father would think to look for me anywhere near here?”

“Okay, but we have no idea what he's capable of, nor who his friends are, so, our best bet is to stay hidden in the shadows like we are, make no noise to draw attention to ourselves, and be as quick as we can. If we're attacked, then run for all your life's worth and get to the castle as fast as you can. We're only four blocks from the main gate, if you follow this road, it'll lead you right to them, so it's the easiest and most direct route, but it has good cover too.”

“Okay.”

They ceased talking then, every last one of them was keeping to the shadows as much as possible, and they were all on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

The previous evening, Marcus and the doctor were talking once more.

“So, Marcus, what do you plan to do now, the real prince is still missing?”

“The only thing I can do. I have already hand picked a dozen loyal guards and have tasked them with finding the prince, but to do so in all silence and haste. They left not even half an hour ago, all of them at different times, so as to not arouse suspicion of course. The problem, of course, is that we simply have nothing to go by, we have no idea where he could have gone, nor who he could be staying with. One thing I am absolutely certain of though, he could not survive on his own for long. He cannot change his own diaper, he cannot cook for himself, he has no money on him so he cannot buy anything. I do not understand why he has not come back himself, he has to be hungry by now.”

“You have a great deal less faith in him than I have. One thing I see about him that you clearly do not, is that he is a fighter. He is like his father that way, and why he forbade the boy to leave the palace and roam around a little more freely, I have no idea. He has to know how much like himself the prince really is. The king was the exact same when he was a boy, from all accounts. He was highly spirited, never took no for an answer, and as cunning as a fox. No, the prince will be able to survive, even if he has no money, which I doubt very seriously that he left without having something.”

“He is stubborn at times, and can certainly be bull headed, but I do not see all that. I do not know anything of the king when he was a boy, so I do not know.”

“Yes, well, my father was the kings doctor before me, so I grew up in the castle, I am only a couple years older than the king himself, so I very nearly grew up with him. I know things of the king and what goes on in this castle that would shock even you. No, one thing I am certain of, once more, is that the prince is a survivor. You may not see it, because you have never allowed him the freedom to try. That, in my eye, has been a mistake of both you and his father. The king has to understand how he would have felt being a prisoner, how he could allow that same thing to happen to his own child is silly. I have told him as much as well, but it was his choice to keep Prince George safe.”

“I was only following orders.”

“I understand that, you cannot directly defy the king, that would be bad for the health, but you must know what keeping a child very nearly locked up will do. Eventually he will slip out, and that is exactly what happened. He finally got up the nerves and the confidence to do it, I bet he was watching and learning everything for weeks to do it, he knew exactly when and where to do it, and then, he was gone.”

“I will not say that I disagreed with the king, but I do understand where you are coming from too. The prince was never a prisoner, he was allowed full freedom.”

“Yes, but inside the palace. He wanted to go out and play with other kids, go out and have fun. No one outside the castle would even know what he looked like, and he knew it, he wanted to go out and pretend to be a real boy, of that I can guarantee, because his dad was the same. The king escaped four times to do just that, finally his father just gave him permission, on the grounds that he never reveal who he was. He would go out in non royal clothing and be a boy. Being royalty means never knowing who is and is not truly a friend. I had to like him, because he was the prince, no matter what he did, I had to like him. Granted, I did, but how was he to know that. He could not, nor could the prince. He has plenty of people here to play with, but how can he be certain they are really his friends, they are paid to be here, to be his companions. No real friendship can be made like that. He has to feel like a real child, and I have told the king this. That is what Prince George has done, as well I can guarantee that he is sending a message, trying to tell you all that he is his own person as well. He is asserting himself, and so he should. His father will retire soon, and the prince will take over, and if he does not soon start to learn to be his own person, he is not going to be a very good leader.”

“I suppose that all makes sense. Why was I not made aware of all this though?”

“I was forbidden to speak of any of it, but now I must break that oath in order to help the prince. That was the only reason I was allowed to do so. The king did not want his past to sully the prince's future, or intrigue him. The king really should have known this would happen, and maybe he did, maybe this was his plan all along, to make the prince want to go out, to give a little defiance, to give him the courage, it seems the kind of thing he would do, to make the prince want to learn, like he himself did.”

“Now that actually makes sense a bit, but why has the prince not come back yet?”

“The king once skipped out for two weeks, trust me, if the prince wants to disappear and be a boy, he will. We can only do what we can do, and sending out guards quietly is the right thing to do. It is what his fathers father did for him, and likely his father before him too. Panicking, making a huge fuss about it, that is the wrong thing to do. I was against you pushing the alarm button, and I told you so, that only makes things worse.”

“I see that now, but it has been my sworn duty to protect the prince.”

“No, that is the job of the guards, your job is to teach him and to serve his needs, make certain he is attended to, not to protect him. He does not have a personal guard, nor does he need one.”

“True enough I suppose. Why did the king not tell me some of this at least?”

“Would you have listened?”

“Probably not.” Marcus had to admit.

“Exactly. You are far too protective of the prince. You took the kings wishes to not allow the prince to leave the palace without a royal detail and made him feel like a prisoner, which, may I add, may be the reason the king chose you, you are a rule follower, so he knew that to tell you that would be to make the prince really grow up. The more I think about it, the more I am certain the king did what he did for exactly this reason, to cause the prince to think for himself to escape and have some fun.”

“You know, I would not even put it past him, because, you are correct, I follow the rules set forth by the king, to the letter, never any deviation at all, and even I could tell that the prince was getting furious at never having any sort of freedom. I have talked to the king about it though, and he said that the prince is simply highly spirited and to challenge him, make him work harder, but it has not helped, all I have seen is him getting more and more mad. Did you know he yelled at his father about two weeks ago?”

“Yes, the king told me all about it, and I asked him then, once again, why he insisted on never allowing him any sort of freedom. He just smiled and said he had his reasons. He was waiting for this to happen. The worst part, of course, is that even if we do find the prince, we can do nothing until his parents get back home, and maybe he knows this. Delay the inevitable, probably, is what he was thinking.”