We had just finished dinner when Fritz looked at us. I put my tankard down to look at him. I gave him a big smile. "I would like to see you two in my office so we can have some privacy." I nodded, saluting him.
"Yes, Your Majesty Fritz!"
"Yes sir." The Prince replied. I saw Fritz stand up.
"Oh, you mean now?" I asked. He smiled.
"Yes Gilbert, preferably now." The Prince stood immediately and I followed after him. We walked to Fritz' office and I threw myself into one of the chairs I knew he wouldn't be sitting in, drinking from my glass I'd bothered to bring with me. Frederick smiled at me before sitting closer to Fritz. Fritz sat down on the other side of his desk.
"What is it Fritz?" I asked. "How may I graciously serve my loyal and faithful King of Prussia and boss? I am here to serve and make you happy! I'll go get you some diamonds. Those are shiny. …most of the time anyway. If I really wanted to get you something shiny, I'd get you a jar of light bugs. I don't think you'd appreciate it though." I shut up so I could try to finish my drink.
"Thank you Gilbert. I would like to know if what Elisabeth says is true. She says you two broke a flower pot but more importantly an heirloom from her family that has been in her family for generations." I smiled.
"That was all me. Frederick had nothing to do with it. The Prince of Prussia warned me not to and then when I heard the Queen scream I jumped and it slipped through my fingers. I need to learn to keep a firmer grip. Scratch that. I need to learn not to play- I mean throw a ball in the house. She's warned me about it many times. You haven't. Don't worry. Tell me how I can pay for what I did, anything and anything at all, and I'll do it. Just don't exile me." Can I be exiled from Prussia? Who makes the rules? I need to ask them.
"Are you sure Frederick had nothing to do with it? Elisabeth told me that he tried to save them from breaking but bumped them instead." I frowned.
"I was the one who threw the ball, not Frederick. I was the one who made them stumble in the first place, not Frederick. I was the only one playing with the ball, not Frederick. What Frederick did do was take a stroll to pass time and he saw me doing something I shouldn't be. Instead of leaving to go get the King to deal with it and give me time to break something, he decided to deal with it himself. He's young, young people make mistakes. Lay off him, will ya?" I chuckled as I finished my glass. I smiled as I looked around at his amazing office. The roof was so high and the windows were huge!
"Gilbert, watch your tone. Frederick is this true?" Fritz asked. I smirked.
"Ai ai, capitane!" I saluted him, chuckling. I noticed the Prince was staring at me, amazement on his face. I heard Fritz snap his fingers and I quickly sat correctly in the chair, staring intently at him. Frederick quickly turned to look at him, worry on his face.
"This what Gilbert says true?" Frederick nodded.
"Yes Father. Gilbert speaks the truth. Most of it anyway. I hadn't thought about coming to get you. I just thought that he'd make a mess so I needed to stop him before something happened and then something did happen. I'm so sorry Father. I didn't mean to break them, I meant to keep them safe. I guess I should have taken a mattress or something. Now Mother lost one of her precious items because of me. What do you want us to do? How do we fix this?" He asked, he actually sounded guilty. Like he didn't like what we did and wanted to go back and make it never happen. Well I feel guilty too but things happen and you move on. Right? If you give an apology?
"I want you to treat your mother very good for this week and perhaps you should take her out to get a new family heirloom. A family heirloom is very hard to replace. It's not the cost that is important, it's the fond memories you have of it. Gilbert was right. Young people make mistakes. People of every age make mistakes and the best thing is that you are apologetic and very eager to help and make it better. I appreciate that Frederick." He beamed at Frederick. "You are excused Frederick." I stood up to follow the Prince but Fritz called back to me. "Not you Gilbert. I want you to stay." I threw myself back in the chair, happy to stay with Fritz.
"Whatever pleases my King will please me!" I shouted, laughing again. I watched Frederick leave, giving me a grateful look. I nodded at him, giving him a smirk. He hurried out of the room. "I shall forever please my King!" I declared, throwing my arms in the air, happy to be with my King alone!
"Gilbert, come here please." Suddenly something felt wrong. I don't know why. I'm with Fritz, everything should be okay. "Now please." I shot out of my chair and quickly threw myself into a chair that Fritz wanted me to sit in. I gave him a big grin.
"Anything that makes you happy!"
"Please focus, Gilbert." I nodded eagerly. "What made you think it would be okay to throw the ball inside if Elisabeth has warned you many times not to do so?"
"Because my King never complains ever about me playing ball inside the castle. Therefore, it must not be wrong. All rules are from His Majesty Fritz." I replied, looking at his big bookcase. I wonder if he has something good to read. "Want me to read you a story? I bet I'll be good at it!" I heard him snap his fingers and I quickly sat correctly in the chair, staring intently at him.
"Why didn't you come ask me if it would be okay if she's said many times not to do so? I know I've not complained about it and I know I'm practically the only one you ever listen to. However, surely you would have become curious if I approved or disapproved of it?" Suddenly I knew what was wrong with this. I knew where this was headed.
"Ohhh. Thaat. Yeahh. I don't wanna talk about it." I replied, chuckling, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. He wasn't exactly smiling.
"I don't care if you don't want to talk about it. I want you to that way I don't assume the worst."
"What's the worst you could assume about this? I don't wanna talk about it Fritz." I replied. He wasn't smiling now.
"Perhaps I should rephrase. You will tell me why you never brought it up to me. And the answer better not be because you didn't want to bother me with it." He replied, standing from his chair. I stood up too.
"I don't wanna talk about it! So what if I didn't want to bother you about it? I'm sorry they broke and I promise I'll get something to make up for it! You said yourself that all females will trill at the sight of shiny things!"
"Watch your tone Gilbert." I took a deep breath and sat down. I didn't have the guts to storm out of his office. I already knew I was in trouble, no need to make it worse. I saved Frederick from getting the treatment I'm probably going to get soon. "Is that your answer? You didn't want to bother me with it?" I shook my head.
"That's not my answer. I don't want to talk about it Fritz."
"I'm trying to be lenient Gilbert. If you have no reply other than not wanting to talk about it, then I think it time we get it over with." I blushed, looking down at my feet. I better tell him, doesn't matter if I want to or not. He's the King.
"I didn't bring it up with you because…" I stood up. "… I thought you would agree with the Queen." I finished and quickly threw myself back to keep out of his grip. I was right to do so because he wasn't smiling. At all. Unless you considered it an upside down smile.
"Gilbert, is that really why you didn't bring it up with me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry Fritz. Can I go now?" I asked, backing toward the door.
"Get over here, Gilbert." I shook my head.
"Uh uh." I turned and ran for the door.
"One." I skidded in my tracks. Why do I always manage to get myself into this type of mess? I best obey I suppose. I turned around and walked back, not looking at him. I stopped near the chair I first sat in. Fritz pointed to the desk. "Here, now." I quickly obeyed, still not looking at him. "Lower your trousers and bend over the desk." I looked at him, ready to object, but at the look on his face I quickly obeyed. I undid my belt and dropped it on the floor before lowering my pants and bending over the desk, gripping the other side with my hands. This sucks!
"This is lame!" I complained. He walked around the desk and I felt him lay a hand on my back, to keep me in place. I felt him bring his hand down, starting the punishment. I knew I was in for a bad one but it's not as bad as those 'attitude adjustments' he gives me.
"Since this is 'lame', maybe next time you'll think twice. May there not be a next time Gilbert. Do you know why I am spanking you?"
"For not bringing up playing ball in the house with you?"
"And?" And? There's something else?! I suck at this type of guessing game!
"Uh… the sweets?" I asked.
"What about the sweets Gilbert? I want you to tell me why I'm doing this." I grimaced. What did I do? …
"…lie to the Queen about taking them?"
"Yes. That is exactly what I'm punishing you for right now. What is the last thing I'm punishing you for?" Another one?!
"Um… why don't you tell me?" I asked as politely as I could.
"I need you to tell me that way I know you admit what you did and that you admit that it was wrong." Shit! I couldn't help the whine that came out. What was that thing I told him once?
"But I know what's wrong and what's right from you." I replied. "If you say something's wrong then it's wrong."
"And yet sometimes you still do what I tell you not to."
"I would never disobey my King on purpose! You take that back! OWCH!" I squirmed but it didn't do any good.
"Disobedience has nothing to do with this spanking Gilbert. Tell me what else this is for. And make sure to watch your tone or we'll add disrespect to the list." I gulped. Disrespect is bad. Even I know that. Well… when Fritz is the one being disrespected. Then it hit me. The third thing was what I did this morning.
"I broke the Queen's heirloom." How could I have forgotten so quickly? "Kesese OW! Fritz! That hurts!"
"Please tell me you don't think breaking it was funny." I shook my head vigorously.
"No! Of course not!"
"Good. Tell me why you shouldn't lie to Elisabeth, about anything."
"Because lying is wrong and is of the devil's work. I'm sorry I lied and I apologize my King." I replied.
"Good boy Gilbert. Are you ever going to lie to her again? Or anyone for that matter?"
"NO! I mean, No Your Majesty Fritz." I replied.
"Good boy." I felt him tap something against my bottom and I looked back to see a paddle. Shit. "Now I'm going to talk to you about why you didn't bring up the fact you were playing ball in the house. More so about the reason you chose not to tell me. Do you remember the reason you told me? Now is your last chance to change your answer but do remember the lesson we just went over." He's warning me not to lie.
"I didn't ask you your opinion because I was worried that you would agree with her that balls shouldn't be thrown in the house and then from then on I would be disobeying if I did play ball in the house. So I thought it better to just not ask."
"Are you telling me that you preferred not to ask me so that you could continue disobeying the Queen or so that you could keep yourself out of trouble in the future, therefore also telling me you didn't intend to stop playing even if I said no?"
"Um… neither? I just wanted to keep it an available option."
"This type of talk is the reason I believe I'm the only one you listen to. Everyone in the castle has an opinion and you should consider it as well. It still sounds like you would have continued playing ball inside if I said no."
"Well I can't exactly say I would play behind your back can I?" I asked. He swatted my thighs for my sass. "OW!"
"I'll take that as a yes. From now on you do not play with that ball or any ball inside the castle, am I understood? Look what happened today. That ball is responsible for the broken shards of a very important heirloom of Queen Elisabeth's family and it broke a flower pot that held her favourite flowers. Now we have to buy a new flower pot and the servants had to clean up an unnecessary mess that you made just because you didn't listen to the Queen in the first place. I want you to consider her requests as well as mine, Gilbert. She is heartbroken and I have reason to believe that you are not as sorry as Frederick is." I blushed. Fritz knows me well.
"No I am sorry I broke it!" He didn't pay attention to me. Good I guess. I don't know if I'm lying or if I'm being honest. More or less I'm sorry because I'm in this situation. That is also probably why he isn't paying attention to me.
"I'm pretty sure that Elisabeth called your whipping boys for that incident. Am I clear about no more playing ball in the castle? May it be just you or with someone else?" I nodded. "I want a verbal response Gilbert!"
"Yes Your Majesty Fritz, very clear!" Just please stop smacking me! It hurts!
"Good. Then you will apologize to her after we are done here."
"I promise Fritz!" I cried.
"Good boy. That leads us to our major point." He said, pulling down my boxers. I reached back to stop him.
"No! I'll be good I promise! Fritz, please!" I begged. Fritz gave me a small smile and started rubbing my back.
"Shush, Gilbert. We're almost finished." I felt my breath hitch and I let him do as he pleased, gripping the edge of the desk as hard as possible. I felt my boxers drop and he continued the punishment. He didn't say anything, he'd already scolded me for the vase and the pot.
It didn't take long for him to finish but by the end I was sobbing, actually feeling guilty for what I did. I need to apologize. Fritz helped me pull up my boxers and trousers and he led me to his chair and set me in his lap as he comforted me.
"Fritz, I really am sorry about the vase. And the lying." I said, hugging him.
"Shush, you're already forgiven." I smiled weakly at him. He smiled. "Besides, that pot was ugly." I chuckled, giving him a smile. "I punished you for the heirloom because it was an heirloom, not because I liked it."
"So you didn't like the pot or the vase?" I whispered. He nodded, giving me a smirk for once. It wasn't like mine though. It was a smile kind of smirk. No mischief or anything like that behind it. He wiped my face clean of tears before kissing my forehead and brushing my hair out of my face. I kissed his cheek.
"I'll have Abelard called for so he can give you a bath and after he dresses you for bed, you can sleep. I'll want to see you tomorrow. After you apologize to the Queen." I nodded as he gave me another kiss to the forehead. He made to stand and I got off him.
"Thank you Fritz."
"For what?" …
"I don't know. Loving me?" I asked. I don't know why I said thank you.
"It is a pleasure to know you and I would and could never not love you." I beamed and he was back to his smiling self.
"I will never not love you either. I will always love you and you will always be my King!" Something flashed over his expression but his smile grew wider. He opened the door to his office.
"Excuse me, Henry, will you go retrieve Abelard? It's time for Gilbert to go to bed."
"Yes Your Majesty." A few minutes after that, Abelard knocked on the door and entered at Fritz' command.
"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" He asked, bowing. I turned to him and Fritz nodded.
"I was wondering if you might give Gilbert a bath and dress him for bed so he can sleep now." He bowed again.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Gilbert, come with me. Please." He turned and headed off. I hesitated to leave Fritz' side but he gave me another kiss.
"Good night Gilbert." I smiled before kissing his cheek.
"Good night Fritz. I can't wait to see you tomorrow!" I replied before running after Abelard.
"I heard you caused a bit of mischief today Gilbert. Is that true?" He asked as he finished setting the water.
"Yeah, I caused trouble." I replied, getting into the bathtub and started bathing myself. Abelard helped me bath and then he helped me dress for bed.
"Let's hope you don't cause trouble tomorrow. I'll wake you when it's time for breakfast." I nodded as he left and I got into bed, on my stomach. I wanted to see how badly damaged I was but I also didn't because… well I used to do that when I was a teenager. I'm an adult now.