Too bad the grass is never greener

It had seemed too easy, all he had to to was agree to leave behind a family he could not stand to be with, a life he hated beyond measure. His mother always simpering, not understanding why her love was not enough to sate him, always telling him he must be patient with life. That good things would come to him.

"But I want more. I deserve more, and I deserve it NOW!" His voice had brought fear to his mothers eyes, her hand clutching at her tattered shawl. He hated her, innocent Violet. Hated that he had not been chosen, not been given the chance to... but it didn't matter now all he had to do was wait. The conjuror had given him specific instructions, had told him that in order to gain something this big he would need to leave behind something equal of value. Her voice had sounded like ice freezing on metal.

"If this is the life you seek, then a life you must forfeit. So... 'prince', whose life will you give for this bounty?" Her jagged smirk grew across her wrinkled face.

"His life." He had said simply, and so it was set. A life, for a life. Before he left she spoke softly to him, a message that he thought all crones spoke in warning.

"Be temperate boy, for we know not of what we have until it is but a distant memory."

She did not see the sneer on his face.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He did not speak when he returned home, had merely spent his time waiting for the days to end. His mother avoided him nervously, not wishing to anger him further. For twenty years, he had listened to his mother, had waited for something to come his way just as she had said. But nothing ever did... but now all that he wanted would come to him in three days. So for three days he waited. Waited until the moon was a new and full in the sky. For three days he dreamt of the life that was owed to him, the life that was going to be his.

In the dead of night, he rose from his bed and silently moved through the house until he was outside. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the moon and felt an excitement build within him. Moving swiftly through the cobbled streets, he found his way to the old elm tree at the farthest end of the town. Standing beneath it, he swiped his palm against the bark slicing his hand on its surface.

"From my blood, switch thy bone. By my blood, take me home." Pulling the cork from the small glass vial the crone had given him, he swallowed its content. It was chalky by texture, and bitter to taste. He waited, eyes shut tight and bloodied hand still against the old tree, tense and expectant of what was to come next. Moments passed and nothing happened. A twinge of panic, of anger. It hasn't worked!

A pain such as he had never felt before engulfed his body. He tried to yank his hand from the tree, but he could not move, could not even shriek in agony. A blinding white light swam before his eyes, he felt as if the earth itself had opened up to swallow him whole. A deafening scream filled his ears, the wind whipped at his clothes, at his hair, stealing his breath from him. Fear clouded his mind, rage grew within him at the thought of being tricked. A fire erupted around him, the earth cracked and the tree split. Then... there was darkness.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He awoke to the soft whispering of voices. The pale sunlight was slowly filtering through the wooden slats at the window.

"You must wake up, the festivities are nearly starting. You will be late."

"Mmm go 'way." He murmured. His body ached, his head felt heavy. He felt as the bed sheet was pulled from him. The voice, a girls he had realised, spoke again.

"Come on, we will be get into trouble." Groggily he shifted from his bed, pulling himself to his fullest height. Looking around the spacious room, he found himself stood within a circular stone room, every piece of furniture was golden. Silk curtains gently fluttered in the breeze, as the sunlight glinted off of bejeweled satin clothes.

The girl had entered again, shifting to make his bed and offer him his clothes.

"You must hurry, The King is expecting you soon and it does it do well to keep him waiting." Gently fingering the clothes, he relished in their softness.

"Come on!" she was growing impatient now.

"I am your Prince! You will speak to me with the respect that is due to me." Bowing her head, she shook.

"I am sorry my Prince, I just do not wish for you to get in trouble." Bowing backwards she stood with her back against the stone wall, waiting for him to call her to duty.

He entered the grand hall not much later, and found himself presented with a magnificent sight. A long table filled with food and wine, with The King sitting at one end, The Queen at the other, and what he could only assume to be his siblings on either side. Well... the Prince's siblings.

"There you are brother... we were worried. Come join us for breakfast, father is telling us about the guests we will be receiving tonight at the ball." The speaker was a broad man, the second oldest of The King's children. Bowing slightly, he walked towards the empty seat at The King's right hand side. Glancing up the table he saw six sets of eyes all looking at him, nodding his head in turn to each of them.

"I'm sorry father, I did not sleep well so I was rather groggy this morning." Smiling The King clapped him on the back,

"Not to worry my boy, you have much to lose sleep over. Tonight is in your honour, I would be worried if you were not to lose sleep." A look of confusion must have flitted across his face, for The King's eyebrows rose high into his hairline.

"My boy... have you already forgotten that I have chosen you as my successor to the throne? That I plan to give you my Kingdom by your twenty-fifth summer?" Grinning he felt his stomach turn. Finally he was getting the life he had longed for. Finally he was going to have bigger and better things in his life. Never again would he have to sleep in that house built of mud brick. Never again would he have to go days without food. He was to be King, and nothing was going to take that from him. The King chuckled and finished his breakfast.

The Prince glanced back down the table at his siblings, and each held a smile for him. However, when he looked towards The Queen, she held no smile on her face for him. Only contempt. He thought this odd, surely she would be pleased that one of her sons was going to become King.

"Mother, are you not proud of me?" The table went quiet, tension filling the air. Her grip tightened on her glass, her hand trembling slightly.

"Of course... my son." Her rage was barely contained behind her tense smile. The King cleared his throat, drawing the Princes attention back to him.

"Yes... well, tonight will be a magnificent affair and no doubt plenty of eligible ladies for you to charm." Smile tight, The King stood from his seat.

"Now... I must go and attend to some matters. Lord Eirlbare is still demanding I give him a seat on the council." Sighing, he rubbed his face. For a moment he looked older than his years, the weight of ruling a Kingdom etched upon his wrinkled face. The Prince stretched out a hand, touching his arm.

"Father, are you okay?" The King pressed his palm to his eldest sons face and smiled.

"I am just fine, merely bored of the same conversations is all. Please excuse the worry of an old man, I will be much better once this evening arrives." Patting his son again, he left the hall.

His gaze followed the old man as he left, which caused him to miss what The Queen said.

"Pardon?" he said, turning back to face her. Her look still had not changed.

"I said... do you require a drink?" Looking into his cup he nodded,

"Oh yes..." Turning to look around he tried to find a servant to aid him. The Queen gestured to the next eldest son,

"Credence, do pour your brothers a drink won't you." Nodding the other Prince stood, and walked around the table filling each glass as he went.

The Queen folded her hands neatly upon her dress and started intently at the Prince.

"So... tonight is an important night for The King, and I do hope that you are prepared for what is to come next?"

The Prince nodded, sipping his newly filled glass.

"I will take care of the Kingdom, I will not disappoint him." She nodded slowly a tilt in her head as she watched him.

"I am sure you would... " The Princes vision began to blur, his head became heavy. Dropping his cup he gripped the table.

"Wha... what's... happ..." A figure swam before him, the Queens voice was closer now.

"Unfortunately... you will not get to take up the mantle of King. My husband's affairs have caused enough issues within our family." The Prince felt his chair wrenched away from the table, heard his glass shatter against the stone floor. Time became slow, as if he was moving through syrup. His limbs were heavy, and the slow beat of his own heart filled his ears.

"Move him." All went black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Prying open dry eyes, the Prince tried to see where he was. But there was nothing but blackness. The floor on which he sat was a stone so cold, he felt it seep into his bones. A cold, thick chain dug into his wrists keeping him from moving any further from the wall that it was pegged to.

"Help....HELP..." His voice cracked, as if he had not had a drink of water in days. A bolt of light splintered out from in front of him, raising a hand he shielded his eyes.

"Ple... please help me. I... I'm a Prince." The light snapped shut, a grinding bolt was unlocked and a heavy wooden door was pulled open. Cowering in the corner, the Prince shielded his eyes more as the light burned his vision.

"Sweet Prince, how are you finding your new home?" The Queens voice surrounded him. Fear filled his chest, he pulled at the chains on his wrists feeling the harsh metal cut into his skin.

"What have you? Why am I here?" He saw the Queens silhouette shift, slowly sitting on a small bench.

"I told you, my husband's affairs have caused too many issues within our family. I could not sit by and watch as he gave his throne to one of his illegitimate sons."

"What? But... but I am your son." Confusion clouded his already foggy mind, rubbing at his eyes he tried to focus to understand what she was saying. Her shrill laughter filled his ears.

"You are not MY son. The King has a poor disposition, in where he likes the company of women, women who are not me. Unfortunately, one such time he spent too much time with one particular woman in the Kingdom and she fell pregnant." Her voice was tight, as if she was holding something back. Dragging in a ragged breath the Prince shook his head,

"Why are you telling me this? It has nothing to do with me!"

"It has everything to do with you!" she snarled.

"He took pity on her, she did not have much money and would not be able to provide for her children. It broke her heart to think of the possibility of giving them up. So... the King being a good man, decided he would take one of her children to come and live with him." A sick feeling had started to bubble up in the Prince's stomach.

"I don't... don't understand."

"She had twins boy, the King took one of the boys and brought his to live within the palace walls. He left the other with his woman. YOU ARE THE BOY HE BROUGHT HOME! Do you NOT UNDERSTAND!?" Standing she paced the small room, the Prince followed her with his eyes, a buzzing slowly filling his mind. His mother's voice telling him that good things would come, that his father was a good man. A King in his own right.

"What... what was the woman's name? The other woman who gave the King sons?" He had to know... he needed to know. Silence filled the chamber, he back remained turned from him. It felt like a lifetime as he waited for her to answer him. Finally, when she spoke it was a just a whisper.

"Violet." A rush of adrenaline filled his body, his hands shook where he sat.

"I'm... I'm a Prince... a real Prince. But... no I made a wish I... I went to see the conjuror I wanted a better life for myself. I... I'm not the Prince you know... I am the other twin... I do not belong here. Please... let me go I will return the true Prince to you, please." His words came out fast, spilling over each other as he tried to make her see. It was not him she wanted, it was the other... his twin. He waited, watching her slender form as she tightened her cloak about her shoulders.

"You would do that for me?" Hope filled him, pulling himself to his feet walking as far forward as his chains would let him.

"Yes... YES I will... please let me go and I will bring him to you." Slowly turning, she approached him gently touching his face with her hand. She smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from his face.

"What makes you think I only wanted him?"

"I... wha.." Clicking her fingers the door opened wider and a lifeless form was dragged in and dropped at his feet. Glancing down he saw a boy who was his double, his equal.

"The King does not know where you are, and neither I nor my children will tell him. You will never be heard or seen of again. You shall remain here for always, never to see the light of day."

Turning she pulled up the hood of her cloak, and stepped to the door.

"Enjoy your new Kingdom... Prince." With that the door was shut tight behind her.

He could not help but to remember the conjurors at this moment, when the last visage of light faded from his mind.

"Be temperate boy, for we know not of what we have until it is but a distant memory."

How funny it was, that he had wished for a better life. To then find out that he was truly a Prince. To bad the life he wanted had turned out to be a nightmare. Too bad that the life he wanted to escape, had been asked to leave behind, was now what he craved for the most.

... too bad.