Richard

The sun had yet to rise and a red headed figure could be seen at the eastern-most tower of the Pondeiran castle. He was wearing palace servants' clothing and a very thin cloak, but did not belong in the clothes.

Richard always snuck away to the east tower to watch the sunrise. He had been doing it for so long, the servants knew he came. They wordlessly glanced at him as he passed through their secret hallways and passages. He would go to the kitchen where the cook would feed him some food, since his father had declared he would eat little for breakfast when Richard turned thirteen, so he would not fatten up. The only reason we wore a servant's outfit anymore was to confuse any noble that saw him.

Sighing, Richard leaned against a turret as the sky turned scarlet, wrapping himself against the cold of mid-October. He wondered if his family was out there, his true family.

The late Queen Ana of Pondeira was a woman that could not bear children. Everyday she prayed that she would have a child. For years, it seemed that the king would have no heir. One day in a particularly chilly February, a child was found on the steps of the palace. The king and queen had been away and had come home to find the basket. Ana picked it up and looked inside, finding a small baby, not very old. She immediately took it in, nourishing it. The king consented to adopt the child, making it his heir. They named him Richard and taught him all he needed to know to lead the country. Not long after, they were inspired to adopt another boy, Toulouse, who had been born to a maid in the palace and was soon orphaned. The father was not to be found anywhere, so the king and queen adopted him.

Fifteen years afterwards, Ana died and the country grieved for a very long time. Not long afterwards, the king began to have unexplainable episodes. The doctors suspected it had to do with his heart. Now it was two years after that and the prince was seventeen.

As soon as the sun showed its face, Richard quickly ran back to his chambers. He tore off the servant's clothing and cloak and hid them under a loose board in the floor. Changing into his clothes for the day, he wondered what Raissa really looked like. She had been in the castle for a month yet he had yet to see any sign she was truly there. Despite his hatred for this girl, he was curious about her. Who wouldn't be curious about a guest that you had yet to see in the two weeks they had made their stay?

A servant- Richard's favorite one, Henry, actually- brought in his "breakfast." A very small bowl of porridge sat on the tray along with a small shot of milk. He grinned, he was not the least bit hungry after his trip to the kitchen, and the servant winked at him and left. Richard ate part of the porridge and gave it to Henry, who was allowed to eat it with Richard's permission, so long as Richard's tutor or father did not find out.

That day he once again had lessons, but for a very short time. He had a conference to attend after that.

"Good morning, Richard," Isa said, bouncing next to him as he spent a very rare few minutes of freedom in the garden between lessons and the conference. She curtsied, then resumed her teasing demeanor. "You have not yet met the princess, it's a shame."

He shot her a look. "How do you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Remember? I am one of her future ladies-in-waiting, I am to be with her to assist her with wedding preparations."

"What's she like?" he asked eagerly.

Isa smiled. "As all stories say, her beauty is beyond comparison."

Richard opened his mouth to say something, and Isa interrupted, "She does not have a whiny accent."

He closed his mouth, unable to say anything else but, "Oh."

His friend sighed and said, "You two will get along great. She is so energetic, but not overwhelming. She asked the same question of you when she first arrived, expecting a barbaric mountain beast."

Richard was indignant. "How could she think of me as barbarian? A monster even!"

She just stared. "I'm sure she wouldn't like the idea of you thinking poorly of her, either."

"I didn't think she was a beast!"

Isa rolled her eyes at him. He shuffled his feet. "When will I get to see her? Aldrians are awfully anti-social."

"In a couple weeks. It's Aldrian tradition for the betrothed to wait until two months before the wedding year to meet."

He gaped. "Nobody told me about this tradition!"

She sighed and said, "Richard, if you had paid attention during lessons…"

"I have to go," he said stiffly, not wanting to be lectured on not paying attention in lessons, and walked off to the conference, where the final details of the marriage treaty would be worked out to the very last, crucial details.

The prince sat attentively as the financial part of the treaty was worked out. Aldria was a poor country, they needed money, and since Pondeira needed a queen, Aldria was ready to supply one if their neighbor was willing to trade for money. Both got a fair part in the bargain, not to mention peace between the nations- which was the main goal of the treaty, though many argued whether or not it was so.

As he left the hall, he bumped into a girl. She apologized and quickly rushed off, and he understood she was a maid, judging by her attire, and a new one since she didn't recognize him as the prince. He merely grunted and kept continuing. He didn't mind being overlooked. It was a relief. Sighing, he got lost in his thoughts. When he looked into the girl's face, he had been hoping to see a beautiful woman in regal attire; the princess. He was, by now, very curious as to who she was. Where did that stupid tradition come along anyway? He was surprised at the eagerness to meet her. What happened to the hatred? He asked himself.

That night he snuck away from dinner early to watch the sunset from the western tower, something he didn't do quite as often, but tonight he needed extra alone time.

After a while, Richard lost track of time and all reality around him. Footsteps on the stairway leading to his sanctuary snapped him into the tangible world. Angry, he swung around, ready to reprimand whoever it was that dared to disturb him.

A young man appeared and Richard relaxed, grinning. "Little brother!" he exclaimed. "Back from Farthdell already, Toulouse?"

The young man grinned. "Indeed I am." Toulouse gave his elder brother a playful punch on the shoulder. "How's the new lady?"

"I haven't met her yet," Richard replied with a frustrated sigh. "Here for a month and I have yet to see the slightest sign of her presence." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know why I am so eager to see her. I have my whole life to look at her." He nearly spat at the word life.

Toulouse looked sympathetically at Richard. "What does Isa say of the Aldrian?"

"She says that Princess Raissa has nearly no accent at all and is as beautiful as the travelers say."

"What's the problem then?"

"I want to see for myself."

Toulouse had nothing to say to that and the brothers sat in silence, watching the sun say farewell to the palace. The princes stayed there until there was nothing to be seen and quietly left the privacy of the tower.