Arthur had long since been stuck in this oppressive environment and there wasn't much he could do about it because it was his family that oppressed him so. If he were to leave he would hurt his mother and father, and his brothers would be very upset with him but he didn't want to stay. How can someone live in this place with no opportunity to choose what they want to be? Arthur was never given a choice, he was royalty so was automatically thrown onto a pedestal and expected to behave diligently and obediently from the moment he could walk and talk.
Arthur would have liked to spend his days talking with the faeries and playing with them all day long but his father would hear nothing of it. He had to behave accordingly, back straight head high and keep clean. This was a near impossibility for a child. Arthur grew into a rather jaded adult without the hopes of succeeding his parents or any real prospects of ever leaving the castle. He had not much opportunity for anything, his oldest brother would eventually gain the crown and do as he pleased, but Arthur was stuck as a prince without any opportunities to gain a life of his own. His parents wanted to keep him tucked away in the castle with his other brothers.
Arthur was a handsome prince, he wasn't tall but he had looks to compensate, his unruly hair fitted his pale face comfortably. His slender body echoed in perfection and his beautiful green eyes shone with the vigour of life. When he was eighteen Arthur was granted a day's leave from the castle to celebrate his becoming an adult. Arthur was ecstatic, he couldn't believe he was finally getting the opportunity to leave these walls, he can see outside from his window but being out there is significantly different.
The day of his departure from the castle couldn't have come soon enough and Arthur was nearly jumping in excitement but of course it didn't show. Arthur was a composed prince after all. Arthur clambered into the horse drawn carriage and buckled down quickly, it was going to be a rough take off. The horses spread their wings languidly and then the horse master whispered to them in a language Arthur was far from understanding and they neighed prettily and then the cart lurched forwards. Arthur could feel the cart getting faster and soon the sound of hooves disappeared and the loud beating of wings replaced them. Arthur smiled ecstatically and pulled down the window to throw his head out, revelling in the winds that burned his eyes, making them stream with water.
"This is amazing!" Arthur said loudly laughing to himself in joy. He looked down at the castle, it already looked so far away, the cart circled once more and then they sped further onwards towards the city, Arthur couldn't believe how happy he was.
It should have been a sign. An awful sign that told him be as happy as you can while you still have the option.
Out of nowhere a loud thumping pounded on the carriage and Arthur heard the shouts of the horse master. "Ludwig!" Arthur shouted, he lurched forward and pulled the divider back to reveal that Ludwig was no longer steering the carriage. Arthur jumped backwards in shock when a face appeared at the window; he stumbled and fell onto the floor of the carriage.
"Ah hello little prince. Out for a ride are we?" The stranger asked menacingly. Before he had a chance to reply the door was kicked in and he was thrown from the carriage left to fall down to the hard ground below. Arthur began to scream, the sound ripping furiously from his chest in horror. His body was stopped from its decent so quickly that it winded the poor prince, his eyes watered from the pain. He eventually coughed and spluttered when he could finally catch his breath his body wriggling and writhing within his captor's arms.
"Let me go you bloody prick!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, kicking his legs and beating the man with his fists. The man holding him didn't relent and continued to fly onwards on the black horse he had obtained.
"Stop it you damned brat or I will cut your tongue out" A gruff voice said in response.
"I will not! Take me back this instant the whole royal army will be after you" He said not quitting in trying to escape. This time the man let go of Arthur completely and he found himself falling towards the ground once more with a scream. The man caught him again and thrust Arthur in front of him holding onto his shoulders to keep him still.
"Will you be quiet now, I can do that again and again" He told the young prince with venom in his voice. Arthur had finally caught his breath once more and this time he threw himself from the horse, better to die then be in the hands of a criminal, who knew what kind of blackmail they would incur upon his family. Arthur didn't scream this time, he watched as the floor grew closer only to be stopped by an arm around his body once more.
"Just let me die you idiot!" He shouted at him.
"Now, now young prince, enough of all the screaming and insults, it isn't very proper of you is it?" He asked civilly which only made Arthur growl. They man moved the reins between his mouth and grabbed hold of Arthur rather painfully, pulling his arms behind him and binding his hands together. He then shifted Arthur into a rather demeaning position on his belly with his bottom in the air and the tied his legs too. Arthur growled in response to all the manhandling and tried to edge away but the man had made it impossible to escape the binds and he couldn't seem to shift himself over the edge. Not that it would even matter anyway; he would just be caught by this damned criminal again.
Arthur wasn't even sure where they were anymore, he looked around frantically for any sign of the castle but they had long since passed it and that was when the reality of his position dawned on him. He felt the tears brimming in his eyes and wished them away pushing his face into the horse's body; he didn't want to show such a childish weakness to his captor. A weak sob broke from his lips and he shuddered at the thought of this beast hearing him.
"Oi boy, you alright?" He asked gruffly.
"Of course I am night damn well alright, you have kidnapped me!" He shouted indignantly.
"Well yes but it's not like your hurt now are you. Could have been a lot worse"
"Just shut up" He moaned burying his face once more into the horse, he found it was oddly comforting. He hadn't realised he had drifted off to sleep until the motion of flying stopped and he was pulled off the horse and thrown over someone's shoulder.
"I can walk you know, this is extremely undignified" Arthur protested weakly.
"Can't risk you escaping again now can we?" The voice told him while shifting Arthur into a different position. They didn't walk very far until Arthur was unceremoniously thrown from his shoulder where he landed on the floor with a painful bump. He glared at his captor and then looked ahead at the various eyes looking at him. He shivered at each one; they way they looked at him mirrored a person wanting to purchase something incredibly valuable at an auction. Arthur shuddered once more.
They began to walk away from him and a hood slipped over his head, he began to complain indignantly was quickly quietened by a punch in his stomach. They were talking out of ears reach while all Arthur could do was sit and wait.
It was a while before he could hear another noise and it wasn't a promising one at that, in fact it sounded as though a fight had broken out. Arthur shifted his head around trying to follow the noise; there were quick footsteps the sound of skin on skin contact, cries of pain and the sound of bodies hitting the floor.
Soon it was quiet.
Footsteps moved closer to him and he shuffled backwards in fear trying to move away from the beast that would attack him next. The hood was pulled from his head suddenly and he came face to face with an old man. The old man smiled at him warmly and helped him out of his bindings.
"Why are you helping me?" He asked softly.
"Because I believe it is about time the young prince Arthur Kirkland found his own destiny, and I would very much like it you could follow me" He said turning away from Arthur and walking towards a rather ominous looking forest. He turned back to the frozen Arthur with another smile. "Or would you like to just go home?" Arthur watched as he disappeared between the trees and thought about what to do. Maybe it was his turn for an adventure.
He stumbled forwards hurriedly trying to catch up with the old man pushing his way between the branches and leaves that caught onto him. He tripped on a few roots but eventually he found the old man, and then followed his gaze. In front of Arthur stood two enormous trees leaning so close to each other that the touched at the top, revealing what looked like a large archway. The most amazing thing was the swirl of colours that danced in-between the gap, Arthur couldn't see what lay beyond that arch but the more he gazed at it the more he longed to go.
"Well, go on then. It is all waiting for you on the other side" The old man pushed Arthur forwards slightly and he in turn began to walk slowly forwards. His mouth was slightly agape as he got closer and closer to the archway, until he could touch it. The colours shone so brightly that he himself was so unsure of what to do next. Arthur took a deep breath and puffed out his chest then stepped into the blinding lights.
He fell forwards and landed heavily on the floor. He coughed in surprise then when he found something poking at him he looked up and gasped in utter shock.
A unicorn!
Arthur looked at the beautiful timid creature with awe, its white skin seemed to shine brightly that it lit the path ahead, its grey mane shimmering like stars in the night. However, when Arthur looked up all he could see was the canopy of trees, completely isolating him within this tunnel. Arthur looked at th beauty beside him and pulled himself to his feet, stroking its mane softly.
"It feels like I am stroking water" He told the beast quietly. The unicorn seemed to nod in affirmation. Then the horse seemed to swing his head backwards towards his back, as though urging him to clamber up, he looked to the animal in case he was wrong and the beauty just repeated the motion. He climbed up gracefully and sat astride this magnificent creature proudly, and he watched as a thousand specks of light gathered around them. It didn't take Arthur long to recognise them as faeries, he smiled and laughed in wonderment and was a little surprised when the unicorn beneath him began to walk forwards.
Arthur lost the sense of time within these endless walls of green and brown, he didn't see the rise or the fall of the sun, the only light seemed to emanate from the unicorn and the faeries that followed them. However, soon Arthur grew tired and he let his body slip forwards astride this beauty, letting his eyes slip closed in exhaustion. Arthur felt a soft blanket fall around his body and he presumed the faeries had supplied it, although he was too tired to question where they had gained such an item. Arthur's dreams were filled with endless memories of his family, as though the forest was telling him not to forget, telling him that those times weren't always so lonely.
Arthur didn't wake when a breeze brushed past his hair, nor did he wake when the unicorn lowered itself to its knees and Arthur slept through the motion of being slipped carefully onto soft grass. The faeries adjusted the blanket so that he was fully covered and wouldn't risk getting a cold then each of them kissed his head with their tiny lips and flew soundlessly away from the sleeping prince. The unicorn moved its head so he sniffed the boys hair as though he was saying goodbye and good luck then it too disappeared into the tunnel.
Arthur continued to sleep even when the sun became bright and sounds began to surround him, he was so exhausted from the everything that sleep had caught him in his hold so fiercely.
"Alfred!" A voice shouted. "Be careful with the Frisbee I don't want to have to by another one again!" Arthur murmured in his sleep, he was slowly rousing.
"Aw Mattie it'll be fine" Something hard hit Arthurs leg and he groaned in displeasure, but failed to wake completely. In his half sleep state he imagined it as his stupid cat jumping against his leg, or one of the faeries trying to wake him up again.
"Hold on Mattie I'll get it!" Now Arthur was slowly beginning muffled words surround him. "Oh my god!" I voice shouted near his ear. "Mattie come here quickly, I think there is a dead body!" It shouted.
"I'm not dead git, shut up" Arthur grumbled and then moved under his blanket. Within those seconds it all came rushing back to him. Where was he now? Arthur shot up and opened his arms while looking around wildly at where he was now. He was underneath a low tree protected from any rain and there was a large expanse of grass where many people were playing and laughing with families and children. Dogs running around jumping around with their tongues lolling out of their mouths with a happy abundance of energy. Arthur crawled out from the tree and stood up looking around himself in horror. Where the bloody hell was he?