Warnings: Mentions of death and depiction of a terminal illness

Prologue II: Evan

Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Crown Prince of the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell sat quietly in his room, his gaze on his hands which were curled into fists and resting gently on his knees. A soft knock on the door made him look up. "Come-come in?" His governess, Aranella stepped into the room and he stiffened. "Nella?" Wordlessly she crossed to where he was seated and took his hands in hers. "Is it Father?"

"I'm afraid so, Evan. He's taken a turn for the worse, and… I fear he may not have much longer."

He swallowed and dropped his gaze. "Oh…"

"You should go to him."

He nodded. "… All right." They walked hand in hand to King Leonhard's room and stopped outside. "Nella…" He mumbled so quietly she almost didn't hear him. "I don't want to say goodbye…"

She squeezed his hand. "I know you don't, Evan. None of us do. But you have to be strong."

He sniffled, wiped away his tears and then knocked.

A tired voice replied from inside. "Come… in…" King Leonhard lay limply in bed, propped up only by the pillows supporting his back. He was a ghastly sight, the lustre completely gone from his fur and hair and his eyes were lidded as if he had trouble keeping them open. Yet despite everything he smiled when Evan entered the room. "Evan…" Evan ran to him and buried his face in Leonhard's mane and Leonhard managed to find the strength to raise his arms. "I am glad… you came…"

Evan pulled away with tears in his eyes and sniffled. "I don't want you to go, Father…"

"Nor do I… Evan… There is… so much… I had yet to achieve… The strife… that has existed for centuries… between mousekind and grimalkin… I had hoped… to bring that strife to an end… I had hoped to give you… and future generations… a united Ding Dong Dell… But it would seem… that fate has declared… that this is not to be… That it is to fall… on another's shoulders…"

Evan swallowed. "I'll… I'll do my best, Father. To finish what you started."

Leonhard smiled and placed a hand on Evan's. "I am… proud of you, Evan… I have raised you well… and I know you will make a fine king… when the time comes… But the task of bringing to peace to our nation.. is not one that should fall on the shoulders… of one so young… It is a dream that Mausinger and I shared… and is an end that we both worked towards… That is why I feel it is only right… that he be the one… to see that dream fulfilled… I have considered this long and hard, Evan… and so do not make this decision lightly… I wish for Mausinger to become… the next king of Ding Dong Dell."

Evan swallowed again but this time out of guilt; Guilt over the fact that he felt relieved over not having to take the throne so soon. That the daunting task would be falling to someone else instead. Yet at the same time he felt disappointed too. "I… I understand, Father."

"But I am worried, Evan… He has become so distant of late… I have not seen him in so long… I want to see him again… one last time…"

Evan stood. "Then I will go and find him."

Evan found Chancellor Mausinger in his office. Mausinger stood and bowed when he entered, as did his personal assistant, Vermine. "Why, Prince Evan. To what do I owe the honour?"

"Mausinger, I… I spoke with Father. He wants to see you. He misses you."

"Yes, well, I am afraid I have been rather busy of late. With His Majesty ill and you otherwise preoccupied, ruling the nation has fallen on my shoulders. It has left me with little time to pay him a visit."

"I-I know, but…" He swallowed. "Father is really sick, and… and Nella doesn't think he has much longer. So… if you don't go to today…" He dropped his gaze and mumbled. "You may not get another chance."

Mausinger's expression softened. "I see… I had not realised that his condition had become so dire. Very well, I shall answer his summons."

"Thank you, Mausinger."

King Leonhard brightened when Mausinger entered the room. "Mausinger… my dearest friend…"

Mausinger sat beside him and took his hand. "Your Majesty. My apologies for not coming sooner but I am afraid I have been rather busy of late."

Leonhard placed a hand on Mausinger's. "You are forgiven, Mausinger… you are always forgiven… and I understand…"

"Your Majesty?"

Leonhard's expression dulled and he took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "There is something… I must discuss with you."

"But of course."

"I have already informed… Evan, of my decision… I wish for you… to become the next king… of Ding Dong Dell."

"Your Majesty, the ministers would never accept me as their king. The grimalkin will never accept me."

"But Oakenhart will…"

"And he has done little to interfere with the internal affairs of our nation – if any. Why would that change now?"

"Mausinger, please."

"What do you want me to say, Your Majesty? Would it please you to hear me ignore reality and say yes?"

"Mausinger, my friend… The future is not as hopeless as you seem to believe… There are many who want what we both want."

"If you say so, Your Majesty." He replied flatly and then stood. "Now if you'll excuse me I must take my leave."

"There is… something else…"

Mausinger paused before the door. "And what would that be?"

"I have begun to suspect… that I am not really ill…"

He half turned. "If not an illness, then what?"

Leonhard closed his eyes. "… Poison."

Mausinger couldn't hide his surprise. "Poison? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"A strange taste to my food… It was so slight… that for the longest time… I had thought it was… my imagination… but now… I'm not so sure…" He turned a pointed look on Mausinger, one that was filled with sorrow. "Do you perhaps know… who could have done this?"

Mausinger's face could've been carved out of stone. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Your Majesty. You are very sick, and I am – as always – your loyal servant."

"There was a time… when you were my loyal friend." There was a brief pause before he continued. "Was it because… I took too long…? Is that why…?"

"Who can say?"

"Perhaps… perhaps it is true… that I deserve this fate… but Evan… Promise me that you will look after Evan."

He replied without hesitation. "You have my word that Evan will be taken care of."

Leonhard sagged in his bed, his eyes sliding closed. "Thank you… Mausinger…"

"You should rest, Your Majesty," he said as he returned to Leonhard's side. "Just close your eyes and drift away, and soon it will all be over."

Evan and Aranella exchanged looks at the knock on his bedroom door. "Come in?" It was Mausinger. He closed the door behind him, an action that made an unpleasant feeling take hold of Evan's throat. "… What is it, Mausinger?"

When Mausinger turned to face him, his expression was one of resignation. "Prince Evan. It is my deepest regret to inform you that… His Majesty is no longer with us."

Evan went wide eyed as Aranella masked her anguish by looking away out of the window. "Father's… gone…?"

"Yes. I am afraid so. I stayed with him until the end, I do not believe he suffered any pain."

Evan dropped his gaze into the rug covering the floor and clenched his fists until they turned white. It took every ounce of his resolve not to break down and cry right then and there; There would be time for that later. He ran a sleeve over his eyes, squared his shoulders and looked up. "Then… as per my father's request. You now stand as next in line to the throne of Ding Dong Dell-"

"I refused."

Evan blinked. "What?"

"I refused," he repeated.

"But… but why?"

Mausinger sighed. "Has it escaped your notice how the ministers treat me, Your Highness? And others of my kind?" Evan hung his head. "How do you suppose they would react to my becoming the next king of Ding Dong Dell?"

"They would revolt," Aranella supplied.

"Indeed. And that is to say nothing of how the grimalkin will react to news of my succession."

"But… but surely things are better now? Surely they would respect Father's wishes?" Evan protested.

There was an edge to Mausinger's voice as he replied. "Surely you jest, Your Highness?"

And Evan hung his head once again. "No, I am afraid that the current state of affairs is still far too volatile for a mousekind king."

"I-I see. Then I… then I…" His throat tightened and his eyes watered. "Then I will do my best… to finish what you both started. To bring an end to the strife between mousekind and grimalkin… That is… um… if you will lend me your support."

Mausinger knelt before him. "You have my word, Prince Evan, that I, Chancellor Otto Mausinger, will do whatever it takes to see the suffering of my people brought to an end."

Evan swallowed. "Thank you, Mausinger."

He stood. "If I may make a suggestion?"

"Y-yes?"

His expression softened. "I believe a request should be made of Oakenhart, Your Highness. A request that you be allowed some time to adjust and to grieve before you step into the role of king." He added softly. "It is not easy to loose one's father so young, after all."

"I would… I would like that… but… but would Oakenhart agree to such a thing?"

"I don't believe our Kingmaker is so cold that he would refuse to allow a child to grieve the loss of a parent," Aranella replied. "I think a better question would be how long?"

"Perhaps a month?" Mausinger suggested.

She sighed. "That isn't a lot of time, but… I suppose if I were in Oakenhart's shoes, or… feet… I wouldn't want to wait too much long either." She sighed again. "All right. If Oakenhart agrees to the request, then the Kingsbond Ceremony will be delayed by a month. Is that all right, Evan?" He nodded wordlessly, eyes brimming with tears.

"Very well," said Mausinger. "Then in one month's time, we shall have a new king."

A/N: Rather than make you all wait two weeks for the second half of the prologue, I went and updated again. However from now on the once every two weeks schedule will apply.
So once again I dialed back the speed of the opening so we get to spend more time with Evan and some other key characters before everything goes hell.