The castle was silent besides the bustle of working maids and butlers. Servants of all genders ran through the castle, carrying plates full of steaming goods. There was a hustle; a sense of urgency that had settled between all of them without words having ever been said. The air that festered stagnantly in the brick building was thick with tension. Something important was happening-- but even as the servants prepared a feast in the castle's dining hall, none of them were quite sure what it was for. They were too far from important anyways to be involved in any of the royal's business.

Inside the dining hall sat a singular person. The figure held masculine features: a strong face and build, despite being on the scrawnier side of the muscular spectrum. He wore fluffy, deep red hair and had frighteningly pale skin dappled with freckles. His clothes were covered in frills and buttons. They were pristine, looking nearly new. His arms were folded up on the long table. His hazel eyes scanned the surrounding area before he called out to a nearby servant.
"You, serf over there."
The servant pointed to themselves. The figure at the table nodded. Platter in hand, the serf shuffled over nervously.
"Yes, Prince Roland?.."
The prince sighed. He looked tired. The bags under his eyes spoke volumes.
"Get my father for me."

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Today was the day. Theodor, commonly referred to as Theo, didn’t know what was gonna be happening, he just knew it was important. His father wouldn’t let anything spill, perhaps it was a gift of sorts? Theo found that odd, though. It wasn’t his birthday nor had he done anything recently worthily enough to receive a gift from his father. However, his father was the friendly type, sometimes giving gifts just to give them. He wasn’t getting that vibe from his father this time, though. Being an observant person, he noticed his father seemed stressed, not giddy like he usually did when he was about to present a gift.

Theo thought about recent affairs thatve been going on through the kingdom. All he could come up with was something to do with war. There had been one raging on the horizons. Perhaps they had found a way to negotiate. His father was typically great at negotiating, mainly due to his charm. Theo was curious as to what the negotiation could be, if that was what happened. He assumed a bit of land or some livestock and riches. Whatever it was, they had him dressed in his best robe.

His dirty blonde, curly hair was neatly done and he was being ushered into a carriage. Two large, draft stallions were settled at the front of it, ready to start the journey there. Theo settled into the seat next to his father, having to bend down to get in as he was the “tall and lanky” type.

“You ready Theodor?” His father asked with a half forced smile and plauding his son on the back. Theo’s expression didn’t change.

“I suppose,” he replied, the caregiver lurching forward as it started toward the other kingdom.

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It hadn't taken long for the serf to retrieve the prince's father. Roland still sat patiently, bouncing his leg at the table. His dad, otherwise known as King Arthur, walked up to his son. The heels of his shoes clicked on the marble flooring beneath him.

"Roland, my boy!" Arthur greeted him in his naturally enthusiastic state. "You needed me?"

"Yes, father." Roland seemed to hesitate as he found his words. "I think it's fair that I ask what all of this is about. It looks like we're preparing to feed the whole kingdom for God's sake." He gestured to the table already stuffed with food. The king planted a hardy pat on his son's shoulder that left a sting.

"It's a surprise. Maybe I do want to be generous and feed the peasants, hm? Can't your old man be kind to the people of his own kingdom?" Roland rolled his eyes. His dad would never be the type of person to give to the poor. He wasn't exactly the giving type, especially when it came to his riches in the treasury. "By any means though," his father continued, "don't get your clothes dirty. Look nice for this dinner. We want to make a good first impression." Arthur then walked off without ever giving his son a chance to argue.

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Theodor could only stare out of the window of the carriage. He wasn’t sure where they were going, why, or how long it would take to get there. He really wondered what it could be, his father didn’t usually keep things from him. Surely it couldn’t be something bad, his father wasn’t the best with hiding his emotions. At least not from Theo. He could practically read him like a book. Theo could read a lot of people like a book, it was one of his advantages from his observant nature. He noticed things people tended to miss.

Luckily, his wondering mind usually kept him occupied during long rides like this. He heard his father’s voice in the distance, though he didn’t really care to zone in on what he was saying. He seemed to be laughing, probably recalling a story to the driver. His father had a habit of retelling stories over and over again, even if he had already told them to that person.

After a while more his father shook him, “We’re here, son,” he exclaimed happily. Theo looked out the other window, noticing the castle of another kingdom. He wondered what event would take place behind those walls after they stepped out of the carriage. After they did, they headed up to the doors, Theo curious and his father nervous.

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Roland proceeded to become more nervous as time went on. More food piled on the table. Nobles, relatives, and his parents were gathering in the dining hall already swarmed with servants. Something was off. Something was very, very off. His parents didn’t often host parties, but even when they did, this many important people in the kingdom weren’t involved.

The rhythmic ‘clop clop’ of horse hooves sounded outside. Roland slinked over to the window and took a peek out. Perhaps he’d catch a glance of extra guests who had been invited. The first thing he laid eyes on was a glimmering crown. The king of another kingdom was here, huh? So this was definitely something far more important than he had speculated.

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His father knocked as Theo simply glanced around the place, observing the new area around him. Soon enough, the door opened and they walked in. His father was chatting away happily with the servant that was leading them towards their next destination. Theodor was looking around this castle, he really was wondering what business they had being here. He had to admit it was a pretty nice castle, his father's seemed to be the same size. He had to admire the decoration.

As they walked he could hear their footsteps and chatter echoing off the halls, but soon enough he heard the clattering and shuffling of more servants as they approached their destination. Soon enough, the servant opened the door to the dining hall and Theo's father patted him on the shoulder, "Go sit down Theo, I gotta go have a quick word with the king," his father gave him a wink, to which Theodor raised a brow off, and gently pushed him into the room. Theodor watched the door close behind him, then glancing around the room and at the table full of food. He didn't even know where to sit.

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His eyes wandered around absently, eventually landing on Theo. Servants greeted him quickly and pointed to different chairs he was allowed to sit in. Roland could only raise a brow in confusion. Who was he, and what was he doing here in his father’s kingdom? In his father’s castle, to be exact?

Roland scoffed as he watched the whole thing go down. They treated the guy like a lost puppy, and like he couldn’t see the chairs that were physically lined up in front of him. To be fair, his father probably wouldn’t be happy if someone sat in his seat. It was fairly easy to stay away from it though; it had a crown engraved into the golden framing of the seat. It could almost be considered a separate throne with its size.

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Theodor cleared his throat as he watched the maids guide him to an empty seat. He sat down and just simply looked around at the room and the food on the table. He wondered what occasion could call for so much food. It did look good and he hadn't eaten yet today as his father had advised him to not, probably to save room for this giant meal no less. He then glanced over to the other prince in the room.

"Are you aware of what occasion this is?" he asked, gesturing to everything around him. He was hopeful he could find at least someone that knew what was going on, he didn't like being left in the dark too much. And, speaking of which, he wanted to know why his father had to go talk to the king before coming to dinner to have a conversation.

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Roland huffed, considering his response. “Well, first of all I think you should’ve introduced yourself first, as do most with manners. Second of all, no. I’ve got absolutely no clue about what’s going on,” he answered. His words had come out sounding a bit more haughty then intended, but he was irritated. He hated being left out; more specifically, he hated being left out in things that probably weren’t his business.

Being honest, he wished the other prince could’ve provided some context. He would have just been happy knowing why so many people were here. The sudden rush of all of— this— had been overwhelming to him. Roland would have appreciated a warning the day before, but his father did enjoy his little surprises.

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