Hans beamed with pride as Nurse Hilda pinned the badge that showed that he was a "Prince of the Southern Isles" on his chest. She ran a comb once more through his hair, smoothing it down.
"There now you look exactly how a prince should look." Nurse Hilda stepped back to admire her good work.
Hans lifted his chin, giving the most dignified look he could muster. The door to the three littlest princes' bedroom was opened by a guard.
"Their Royal Highnesses are to be brought to the Royal Waiting Hall to prepare for the ceremony." He proclaimed.
"Alright you three, you represent the face of the realm and your father, so act smart. And Albrect! Karlheinz! Yes you! If you attempt to concoct any sort of scheme or steal some more countess's jewels, I will have you go without dinner for a month! Hans, you are responsible for them, if they do anything wrong, you will be held accountable." Nurse fretted as she led them to the door. Hans's twin six year old brothers pushed each other back and forth, mussing up each others ginger hair and finery. Hans knew to stay three steps behind his older brothers horseplay, or else he would get his clothes ruined in a game of Highway Robbers and Coachman, with him playing the part of the helpless coachman.
Nurse grabbed his wrist before he could go out the door.
"Stay out of trouble." she hissed, her nails raking his skin and drawing blood. He pulled away and allowed the guard to lead him away.
The Royal Waiting Hall was part museum and part mirrors. The hall was decorated in a deep rich red color, with golden accents. The only furniture were half moon shaped tables that held all the crown jewels and other historic memorabilia. And mirrors. Beautiful, big, gold gilded mirrors that were on almost every wall. It was one of Hans's favorite rooms in the palace. The royal children were lined up, first born to last born, in front of a pair of huge golden doors that opened up into the center aisle of the Royal Throne Room. Hans took his place at the end of the hall, in front of the plain wooden door they all had entered from. He craned his neck to look into just one of the beautiful mirrors. They were Hans's favorite part of the room (besides the crown that was currently on his father's head), but here at the end, there were none. Sighing in defeat, he straightened up because a prince is not a prince if he does not have good posture. He mused over what Gunter had said earlier.
"Mother never really does talk to me, or notice me at all, does she really love me?" he thought. He shook his head "No of course not, she loves me, I'll ask her myself right after the ceremony." he decided confidently.
He was brought back to reality by a tug on his jacket and a ripping sound. Hans looked up to see the grinning face of Albrect waggling his medal of rank just out of his reach. Hans looked down and saw that his brand new jacket had a large, ugly tear in it. He shook with anger and humiliation.
"You give that back!" he said as a red flush spread across his face.
"Oh, you'll have to come and get it first!" shouted Karlheinz gleefully.
Just then the trumpets that announced the royal children were heard ans the great golden doors opened to allow the princes to promenade down the aisle in front of all the country's nobility, royal servants, rich tradesmen, and foreign dignitaries.
A white hot wave of rage washed over Hans.
"Give. It. To. Me. Now." he chocked through gritted teeth.
"Not unless you come and get it! And if you don't, everyone will think you're a nobody, 'cause you don't have your stupid badge!" Albrect trotted backwards, as the line of Princes was moving forward to the sound of the national anthem. All Hans heard however was Karlheinz chanting "Nobody, Nobody!"
Hans didn't know what took him, but next thing he knew he was sprinting down the aisle, hot on Albrect and Karlheinzs' heels. In his fury, he knocked down prince Bernhard, seventh in line for the throne. When they got to the two steps that led up to the thrones, the twins rounded to face down their younger brother. They grabbed him and kicked him down to the ground, but for once, Hans struggled back up. Now he was the one in control. He punched them and kicked them for what seemed like a lifetime, but even after they stopped fighting back, he kept on. With each punch Hans sobbed "I'm not a nobody, I'm NOT!" as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
He felt two strong arms grasp him from behind and pry him off the twins. As the guard carried him away, a voice in Hans's head screamed "Why are you crying? Princes don't cry!" but the more he tried to stop, the more he cried. He was carried through the back door of the throne room behind the thrones that led to The Royal Antechamber. Before the guard closed the door, Hans saw through his tear distorted vision the shocked faces of what seemed all of the Southern Isles. The guard put him down gently and Hans lay in a ball on the ground, shaking as sobs racked his body.
The guard opened the door that led out into a hall, before he left he said,"Your Royal Highness is to wait until after the ceremony for her Royal Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty will have words with you about what you have done today."
