Author's Summary: Elissa Cousland and Alistair Theirin bear an heir to the throne, a Prince named Duncan Cailan Theirin and is currently of age seven. He was born strong and healthy but due to the birth defects of the Taint he is mute. Life is hard as a prince, it gets even worse when Anora reveals a her son that is a Theirin child. To avoid civil war the two Theirins' have the people decide who will be the heir of Ferreldan. It won't be easy since Anora will do anything to get her hands on the throne.
Author's notes: When the lines are slanted like this it means it is Duncan's thoughts.
"Awaken young prince."
"Maker's breathe."
"Your schedule is quite booked."
"Go away! Gosh, I wish I could talk!"
Duncan waved a lazy hand and tucked back into his sheets.
"You may not be able to speak but you'll make a great leader if you be a bit more motivated."
"Why why WHY did mum make dad king? Being a Prince is a pain!"
"Today is your royal banquet dedicated to you, your parents worked very hard to plan it."
"'Your parents worked very hard!' Like that'll work on me again!"
"It shall be heart breaking when your mother, the most fair and noble woman with red hair and green eyes that were blessed to you and queen of Ferreldan, the nation that your parents risked everything for, tears when her beautiful miracle heir born of two Tainted parents refuses to take the throne and your father. Tsk, tsk, tsk. He shall not be pleased and will be very disappointed. The one child he put his faith into and prayed to the Maker for a miracle so he will never be rid of the woman he loves and-"
Duncan jumped off his bed and went to wash his face at the gold water basin placed in his room.
"Very good Prince Duncan! I'll see you later to your dressing room!"
"Thank the Maker! He shut up!"
Duncan washed his dark blonde hair, inherited from Alistair, and tried to awaken his heavy eye lids that covered emerald green eyes, inherited from his mother. He, like his father, shows his true colours of weariness and nervousness outside of all the banquets, royal meetings, meetings with possible betrothed for Duncan, and just sitting as noble as possible on a throne as visitors present themselves. After the day they retire to a study for two hours where they express their sore pains and spend the little time they have together. The servant led him to the across room that held the royal clothes. It had a gold rug and velvet red walls. The room was shaped like a triangle with circles on the points that had mannequins placed on them to show what the advisers choose what the royal family would wear that day. The clothes from Alistair's and Elissa's mannequins were gone and Duncan's remained.
Duncan's clothes were a light blue tunic with gold embroidery, dark blue pants, black boots and a dark blue cape that matched his pants fastened with a golden buckle.
"Like the clothes, hate the job." He sighed to himself.
"Dress hastily my Prince, you must hurry to Breakfast, then after breakfast is horse back riding lessons, swordplay and archery practice,"
"Favorite part of the day."
"Then you will study until a Lunch break then study more until dinner."
"And then that ruins it."
"Then you shall get dressed into your new outfit and present yourself to the noble families. The eat the best foods in the kingdom."
"They better have Sharp Cheddar."
"Then you shall dance with your possible future queen, which means all the daughters of every Bann and Arl that is under the age of ten."
"How many times do I have to tell them, I AM GOING TO UNITE FERRELDAN AND ORLAIS BY MARRYING EMPRESS CELENE'S DAUGHTER! She wasn't so bad, I do kinda like her. Besides, it makes up for the marriage to Cailan."
"Then you shall lead the toast to Ferreldan. Which we have rehearsed."
"I had to raise my huge gold glass for two hours just to get my arm straight!"
"Then see off the nobles and go to bed. Quite a day yes?"
Duncan gave a fake smile and pretended to be excited as he nodded his head. He was led down the dinning hall. There was a small set of different foods on large tin plates on the end of the royal table that stretched across the half a mile long hallway. There sat Alistair, eating bread, cheese omelet and sausage, and Elissa, whom was eating eggs, toast and oatmeal.
"Good morning Duncan." Alistair smiled to his son.
"Good morning love." Elissa greeted happily.
Duncan waved to his parents as he sat down. The servants came and took the foods they know he liked and laid him on his plate while his "proper etiquette" watched him eat. He tried not to slurp or eat messily because if he did he'd have to hear a long lecture. He ate carefully as possible, making sure his food didn't fall on his clothes and hands. After about an hour of careful eating he was finally done.
"Good Duncan, but remember: You must also converse while you eat with the other nobility." She said.
"How in the Maker's name do I converse? Write words on the table cloth?"
"He can't talk." Alistair laughed as he fixed his armor.
"I know, but he can still make a friendly gesture." The teacher argued calmly.
"Can you just hurry and bring me to train? P-L-E-A-S-E~!"
"I think it's time for him to head to the training grounds," Elissa cut in, "He's eager. Kinda reminds me of Alistair."
"Oh, you blame this on me? Who am I kidding? I am like that!" Alistair laughed.
Duncan smiled and nodded his head quickly, it was the way he "laughed". He loved his parents and he longed to spend more time with them. He wished that he could spend just one whole day alone with his parents. No duties, no nobles, no lessons, just a day with his parents. They would tell him stories about when they just traveled together, enjoying their alone time even when the world was in danger. He sometimes wondered if they kept traveling with him. He would be a prodigy warrior or rouge and they could explore unknown lands! But it was not so, he was a prince. He was a prisoner captured in a gilded cage and a faced hard life.
"I am a Prince, but I am also mute. I hate this job but I want to live up to my parents expectations. Things can't get worse."
But he didn't know how wrong he was.