Heceril cleared his throat and began speaking. "Once upon a time, there was a prince, who was sealed away in his castle, for his mother did not wish for him to see the ills of the world. He would watch the town beneath the castle, and wonder what happened within. Finally, he could stand it no more, and he sneaked out of the castle under the veil of night. He came across a brothel, and entered it to find an environment he had never before encountered. All were laughing, drinking, and reveling in the atmosphere of lust they surrounded themselves in. Dancers lined the stages, and the prince found himself captivated by one of them. He was the most beautiful creature the prince had ever seen, and he asked the whore his name, and if he would join him in seeing the city."
"But the whore's heart was closed off, surrounded by a wall made of broken promises, broken dreams, misery, and cruelty. He refused the prince's offer, not only because he didn't trust him, but because if he stopped working, he wouldn't be able to feed himself, or his family."
Marius took Astien's hand into his.
"But the prince, he refused to take no for an answer. Every night, he would sneak out of the castle, and return to the brothel to speak with the whore again, though he would never reveal that he was the prince, for fear word would make its way back to his mother. Eventually, the whore began speaking back to him. They became friends, which delighted the prince to no end. The whore showed him the city he had never been a part of, that he had observed for decades, but never experienced. He showed him the beautiful district of aristocrats and wealthy folk, and the poor slums, and everything in between. He showed him restaurants, food stalls, shops with toys and beautiful clothes, and all of the picturesque views and sights the city had to offer. The busking musicians, the lanterns that hung and made the night bright, the dancers in the clubs, the jovial sailors down by the docks... but what the prince appreciated most of all, was the whore showing himself to the prince, the way he saw how savvy and smart he was, how wise and funny. And the whore loved how the prince was able to make him smile. It seemed like an eternity since he could do so.
"As the prince slowly learned of what the whore's life was like, he became horrified. The man who ran the brothel was terrible, and would often abuse his workers. This included claiming them as his.... companions, for the nights. The whore brought the prince back to his home, and the prince met his family. A little sister, frail and ill, always in need of medicine. Medicine that could not be afforded, lest they be unable to pay for their rent as well. Their father, who had worked all his life and could work no longer, for he had developed black-lung. The whore was the only one who could make their money."
Kida snuggled close to Willow.
"The prince's heart broke at the squalor the whore and his family lived in. His heart pained even further as the whore told of others who lived in a similar way. He spoke of other workers at the brothel who had difficult lives as well. The next day, he begged his mother to do something for the whore's family, and all those like them, but there was no way he could properly make his case without revealing that he had been sneaking out, so he couldn't convince her."
"That night, he went out to the brothel again, but he was turned away at the door. He was confused, as they had never done this to him before. He had always paid for his drinks, always been polite, but that night they refused entry to him. He snuck around back, and climbed in through a window. And there, in the dark back room, bleeding and crying, lay the whore."
"The whore... had been..." Heceril groped for words that would be appropriate. "He had been.... violated, by the owner of the brothel. Taken against his will, and left there, alone, beaten, used, bleeding and sobbing. he prince took him into his arms, and when the whore told him what happened, the prince felt himself being consumed by rage. He took the whore into his arms and brought him back to his home. Once he was there, and being cared for by his father and sister, the prince revealed his identity to them. They begged the prince for justice. They begged him to make the brothel owner pay. The prince swore he would, and as he sat with the whore, he confessed to him that he loved him. The whore, he smiled and said he felt the same."
"The prince was so happy to hear this, but it also infuriated him. This should be a moment of happiness for the two, a moment where they could just enjoy each others' company. But it wasn't. The whore was injured, violated. And the prince knew he wouldn't be well again for a long time. He gave the whore a kiss, a loving, yet sorrowful kiss, and left their home."
"The prince vowed that he would fix things for the whore, and all those who lived like him, and bring the brothel owner to justice. But as these thoughts filled his mind, he became consumed with rage as he couldn't stop thinking about how someone as kind as the whore had been so cruelly treated. How something so terrible had happened to him that he did not deserve. Rage filled him, and he found himself returning to the brothel instead of the castle. He pulled a dagger from his belt, and walked straight to the owner, the dagger hidden beneath his cloak. He sank the dagger into the man's heart, and fled the building, with people screaming and guards chasing him."
"He eventually managed to lose them and make his way back to the castle, but when the next night came, he couldn't leave the castle again, for fear that in his commoner disguise, he would be apprehended. He would only be safe if he remained as the prince, and he would only remain the prince if he stayed in the castle. He stared out the window that night, crying as he longed to see the whore. But he couldn't. Sleep never graced him that night, only sorrow and loneliness as he didn't know if he would ever be able to see the whore again. The whore who was not just his beloved, but his only friend."
"I thought you said this was a happy story," Kida pouted.
"Be patient, child. It isn't over yet." Heceril said. "The whore wondered where his beloved had gone for days. He was fragile, and he needed him, but he never came. The whore had heard of what the prince had done, and he wanted to thank him for killing a vile man. More than that, now that they had finally confessed their love, he wanted to kiss him. But the prince never came."
"The prince remained in his room for days upon days, looking out of his window at the city below, wondering if his love was alright. How he longed to see him. But he Couldnt. He wept and wept, and he barely ate any food. He dressed in black, as though he were in mourning. The queen tried to talk to him, and she called upon every jester and minstrel she could find to try and make him smile again. But nothing worked. She was scared for her son, and was afraid he would never smile again."
Finally, the whore decided he would wait no longer, and he went to the castle to find the prince. The queen tried to have him thrown out upon his arrival. If it wasn't someone who might be able to make her son smile again, she turned them away. She wouldn't entertain the thought of sending a whore to see him. But the whore made such a commotion, the prince heard it from his room. He ran to where he thought he heard his love's voice. His heart races at the thought that he might be there."
Marius kissed Astien's hand.
"When the saw his beloved, he ran into his arms without a second thought. He kissed him and told how he'd missed him. He confessed that he had been sneaking out to his mother, and told her of all that had happened, finishing by saying that he and the whore were in love, and wished to be together. But this angered the queen. She was furious that the prince had been sneaking out. She was furious that he had killed someone, but most of all, she wasboutraged that her son, a prince, a noble bred of the highest and richest blood, had taken a lowly whore as his lover. So she banished the whore from the city in a fit of rage."
"But the Prince told her that if the whore left, so would he. She either had to accept his lover, or lose her son. So she relented, and the whore and his family moved into the castle to live with the prince. The prince worked to make life better for this in the slums, and he and the whore were together forever. Even when the prince becamebking, he refused any other Potential suitor. He and the whore married, and lived happily for the rest of their lives. The end."
Kida beamed. "I'm glad they lived happily ever after." She looked to I'Karis. "I hope you find your prince someday."
Marius chuckled.
"Uhh, sure." I'Karis shrugged. "I guess there's a prince out there for me. Whatever."
Marius chuckled. "Well, I found my prince."
Willow snickered. "It's about time too."
"And I've got mine." Astien smiled.
"Not gonna lie, Az," I'Karis spoke, "I always thought you'd be an old maid. Just, old and gray and still working at the academy and all that, alone."
"Gee, thanks." Astien said with a roll of his eyes.
Kida got off of Willow's lap and wandered over to Astien. "Can I feel?"
"I don't see why not, only if Astien is alright with it though," Marius chuckled. "You should get to know your future cousin, after all."
"Of course you can." Astien said with a smile. He placed Kida's hands on his belly, and Aiden kicked and rolled beneath her hands. "Feel him? He's very active."
"Does it hurt?" Kida asked.