I've been reading a lot of Detective Conan fanfiction lately... I love this series quite a bit, hopefully I can do it justice. (=^-ω-^=)

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

Shinichi sat on the sill of his open window, watching the people below mingle amongst themselves. He gazed at each of the passing figures intently, analysing the varying emotions playing across their faces. Despite the similar expressions (namely happiness and excitement) each face conveyed the emotions differently. They each had their own mannerisms and ways of moving, and not two people were identical. The amount of ways a universal gesture such as smiling could be adjusted to suit a person's own style and still be recognisable astounded Shinichi; it was something he found particularly intriguing. He hadn't had much experience with expressing his own emotions; being locked up in a castle for the entirety of your life surprisingly destroyed any chances you had to practice, and because of that people around the castle referred to him as the 'Ice-Prince'. Shinichi wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, it saddened him to think that, that was the way he was perceived yet he also found it hard to deny. After all, what did he truly know about emotions other than catching glimpses of them on other people's faces?

Shinichi let a soft breath escape him as he moved his gaze away from the busy marketplace. It wouldn't do to stew on pointless trains of thought. Besides, it didn't matter what they thought of him in the end, as long as he could successfully run this kingdom after his father passed everything would be okay. Or so he hoped, it was all he had to hold on to. There was nothing else for him in this ancient, stone monument. He had no friends, nothing to do other than read or re-read, and he was always, always alone.

The young prince let his gaze wander over the bordering mountains, catching sight of the mid-day sun brightening the sky. This wasn't the life he wanted; sitting around in a castle all day, learning about how best to run a kingdom, watching his father arguing over decisions with his council, it was all so boring, monotonous. He wanted to be outside enjoying himself, exploring the world, experiencing everything it had to offer… making friends. Making friends. That was what he wanted most of all. Even just one would be a welcome change. Only problem was, no matter how much he longed for it such an outcome was not a probability. His fate was to remain within the castle walls for the remainder of his life, marry some woman his parents picked out for him (most likely to secure an alliance of some kind), produce an heir that would take over from him, teach that heir everything he'd need to know, and maintain peace during his reign. Then he would die and that would be then end of it. And what a fitting end it would be. He'd pass on in his sleep, just like his father would, just like all the previous kings did. Or, well, maybe his father wouldn't, he wasn't like the typical king after all. He was calm yet had an undertone of mischief that belied his youth. Shinichi would have almost wanted to grow up exactly like him if it weren't for the fact that he had witnessed his father's periodic bouts of insanity. It certainly didn't help that his mother was just as eccentric.

He wanted his life to amount to something more than just being another figure head, a lonely king forgotten in all but the history books. It was a clichéd desire, something that novels utilised all too frequently, and generally initiated the start of the protagonist's quest. However, Shinichi couldn't help but long for it, and he was content to blame the stories for giving him such false ideas. This was real life after all; magical adventures didn't spring up out of nowhere, especially not on the doorsteps of his character type. The only excitement he really had to look forward to in his life was when he gazed out his window. When he gazed out that large, square hole in his wall he could pretend that he was participating in the activities, walking amongst the people, sharing in their delight. This fantasy was made easy by the convenient positioning of his room. Shinichi had the best view of the kingdom from his bedroom; he could see every inch of the intricate city. When he looked out his window he could observe any place in the kingdom, at any time of the day. However, there was one habitation in particular that continued to draw his eye: the knight's training grounds. Often times he would gaze at them for hours on end, watching as they trained and engaged in mock-battles. When he was younger he used to dream of being a knight. He would leap around his room performing various acrobatic feats and copying countless manoeuvres he'd seen executed, sometimes he'd even be able to talk his mother and father into roleplaying with him. His mother would always assume the position of 'helpless-damsel', he'd be the knight tasked with rescuing her, and his father was left with simultaneously being a terrifying dragon and an opposing knight. Unfortunately, that had been a long time ago and he'd quickly moved on from that dream. All he could do now was watch them train.

While Shinichi had been caught up in his thoughts he'd failed to notice his mother and father slipping into the room. The king and queen stood a few feet into the room, silently observing the longing in their son's expression. Making up his mind the king spoke; "Do you ever wish you could be one of them, Shinichi?"

The brown haired boy startled and spun around. "Otou-san... Okaa-san..."

Yusaku eyed his son for a moment longer before he joined him at the window, also staring out at the numerous individuals. "There was a time, long ago, where I too wished for a simpler fate."

Shinichi's expression morphed into surprise. "You did?"

"I did."

Yukiko chuckled at the admission. "Your father was quite rebellious when he was younger."

"I also ran away from the castle." As Yusaku joined in his wife's chuckling Shinichi let his lips twitch upwards. "I got the scolding of a lifetime from my father when the palace guards found me and dragged me back home. I believe that was also the time I first met your mother."

As the king and queen qazed at each other adoringly, Shinichi fell into a state of silent contemplation. "… What did you do?"

Yusaku returned his attention to his son. "I wandered the streets until my feet got sore, simply watching the ways in which people interacted. Unfortunately, I hadn't accounted for the muscle pain–I never got that much exercise around the castle–and I was on the verge of passing out. It just so happened that your mother was passing by right at that moment. She caught me before I could fall and took me home to her parents where they provided me with a hot meal and some water. That was where the palace guards eventually found me. I had been so caught up in a conversation with her that I momentarily forgot about the outside world." Yukiko giggled childishly at the admission and further buried herself into her husband's loving embrace.

"… That sounds… like fun." Shinichi, although still somewhat disturbed at the never-ending, newlywed display his parents always enacted, was hanging onto his father's every word.

"What would you do, Shinichi?"

"... What?"

"What would you do? If you had the chance to leave the castle where would you go?" Shinichi's gaze darted to the window and Yusaku tracked his son's eyes to where they had come to rest. A knowing smile soon spread across the elder's face. "What if I gave you the option to leave?" Shinichi instantly snapped his head towards his father. "Not permanently, Beika still needs a king after all, but for a determined amount of time."

"… You'd do that? You'd really allow me to leave for a while?" When he received a nod in response, Shinichi pushed himself off the window-sill and flung his arms around his father in an uncharacteristic show of gratitude. "Arigato, Otou-san."

Yusaku merely returned the impromptu hug and they were soon joined by a third pair of arms. "You have to make a few friends out there, okay, Shin-chan? That's one of the conditions for this trip."

It spoke volumes about the prince's happiness that Shinichi didn't complain about his mother's use of the hated nickname and instead burrowed deeper into his parents' combined embrace. Yukiko traded a fond smile with her husband and the two of them subtly tightened their hold on their son. This would be the last time they'd see him for a while and they were determined to cherish it.

So, what did you guys think? Should I continue this? There'll be more information about the kingdom itself next chapter. Also, can anyone guess where it was that Shinichi looked?