Greetings everyone. I just want to thank you for sticking with me for this long.

In this chapter, we learn more about the king and the idea for the challenges.

Disney owns Cinderella and I just dabble.

Reviews are like summer to Olaf! And my heart did feel like summer when I saw I know have another favorite and follower, thank you Heroofthesea01!

Alistair was incredulous. He had rarely seen Kit this animated or this happy. The last time he remember this happening, Kit's horse Tiberius had stood up for the first time.

"You sound as if you're the first fellow to ever meet a pretty girl." For Kit had been going on and on about how lovely this girl was ever since he had ended the hunt by refusing to let anyone kill the stag.

"She wasn't a 'pretty girl' ". Kit defended. This was no passing fancy or youthful lust, he knew it was more. Then he realized what he had just said.

"Well, she was a pretty girl," Oh yes she was, practically an angel, certainly not of this world. "But there was so much more to her." There was, there was, she had passion and courage and so much kindness in her.

"How much more?" Alistair was a bit skeptical of this infatuation and didn't want Kit to have his heart broken. "You've only met her once. How could you know anything about her?" he asked practically.

"I'm not sure," Kit admitted. "I…felt her words resonate with me. It was as if I found something I didn't even know I was looking for, a missing piece…I just know that she is (sigh)…. amazing and beautiful and wonderful and I need to see her again...I know I shouldn't try it though." Kit sighed.

Alistair raised an eyebrow at this. He had never seen Kit happier and he wanted to keep it that way. "You should."

"I shouldn't"

"You should."

"I will." Kit smiled widely.

Alistair took one look at Kit's face and sighed before saying, "I'm happy for you." He then saw Julius scurrying toward them. "But you have to tell your father." He added with a teasing grin.

"What?" then Kit noticed Julius as well. He thought for a moment about running but then again he did want to see his father. He and Alistair stopped walking to let Julius catch up.

Julius began steering them toward the king's chambers. "Simpleton"

Alistair raised an eyebrow at the blatant insult.

Julius' mouth thinned as he continued. "Your highness" cough "You have to tell your father about your rash actions on the hunting party. How could you order the soldiers not to shoot the stag?! Your brothers had no problem with it. I declare, I just don't know what goes on in that head of yours, if anything worthwhile goes on at all."
He eyed Kit as one would eye a pebble in their shoe.

Kit's eyes narrowed but he remained quiet. He was used to insults and abuse, had been ever since his mother had died.

"Your poor father, his health is failing and you can't even let him properly enjoy a birthday celebration. Well, you had better go on in and apologize and hope his punishment is mild."

Kit winced at the reminder of his father's health before he knocked on the king's door.
The king's voice sounded from the middle of the chamber, "Enter."

Kit walked in and saw his father sitting in a chair. His father looked tired, no not tired, burdened.
There were new lines on his face and he seemed as if he hadn't smiled for a long time.

"You wanted to see me father?" Kit had learned that a lot of the events that happened in the castle never made it to his father's ears or not accurately at least. He didn't want to incriminate himself if he didn't need too.

"Yes. How did the hunt go?" The king looked a bit more awake and looked to Kit for his answer.

So, his father hadn't heard about the stag yet. Good, Julius hadn't filled his ears yet with tales of Kit's horrible behavior.

"I decided to let the stag go." Kit said confidently, crossing his arms behind his back to stand up straighter and to hide his shaking hands.
He wasn't ashamed of his actions but was nervous about his father's opinion.
He knew it was better to appear firm to give the listener as sense of confidence in your words.
He remembered his father had only shared his second thoughts and doubts with his mother until she passed.
Then Julius became privy to the king's debate and took full advantage of the king's vulnerability to further his own agendas.

"But…why? Did you not have a good shot? Perhaps you should have Kurt help you with your aim." the king was confused, as always, by the behavior of his youngest son.

Kit shook his head. "No, I never took aim." Even now, Kit sighed internally, his father hadn't noticed how his fighting skills had come long way since he was a boy.

"But the tradition is that a prince will kill a stag for his 21st birthday dinner celebration. It's what's done."

The king thought that perhaps, Kit hadn't understood what was expected of him now that he was of age. He had always been lenient with Kit's...well unusual tendencies, maybe too much so that Kit didn't understand his obligations. Julius was always going on about Kit's mistakes in class and on the practice field.
The king didn't know how he had failed Kit when he treated all the boys the same...

"I know father, but just because it's what's been done doesn't mean it's what should be done" Kit stated boldly "…or something like that." Kit ended with a half smile.

"I see." The king murmured, his mind busying trying to understand this statement and Kit's confidence.

Ah, so it wasn't that Kit hadn't understood what had been expected, he had simply disagreed with it, the king thought. Kit had chosen to go with his own feelings.
How very much like his mother he was.
That argument was one she had used before to justify her trips to the village and her gardening and her playing with the boys instead of using a nursemaid to raise them.

"I am sorry to disrupt the celebration, father. Perhaps we can have freshly caught fish for the dinner instead?" Kit offered.

"Very well, run along now." The king was pleased with how happy Kit seemed and his confident behavior and solution for the problem.

After Kit left, Julius entered with an expectant look on his face.

"I take it you took care of the foolish boy's mistake."

"No mistake, Kit just decided to break from tradition. We will have fish instead."

"Break from tradition?! How dare he disrespect your authority and the kingdom." Julius criticized.

The king didn't appear to hear him. He was deep in thought about the greater meaning behind Kit turning 21. Now that all of his sons were of age, he had to declare an heir. His health had been slowly worsening and he had lost hearing in one ear. He was ready to retire and simply enjoy the time with his family, maybe grandchildren and hawks.

"Julius, I had a dream the other night. In my dream, I went to the pearly gates of Heaven. I asked Saint Peter if it was just for my firstborn to become king just because he was born first. Saint Peter frowned no. Then feathers fell from my stuffed hawk. What could it mean?"

"Well, my king. It was just a dream. Kane is perfect for the throne. Kurt would be alright too but the simplet-I mean Kit? He is better suited for the stables, he spends all of his free time there anyway."

"Hmm" the king then remembered the promise he made to his wife when their youngest son was born about making sure the one best suited got on the throne.

"Oh no, I spoke into the deaf ear." Julius lamented to himself. "Sire, your heir is going to have to handle the new trade deals, wage wars, find a queen-"

"That's it!" the king cried, standing up in his excitement. "I will have a competition. My sons will have to complete tasks that they would have to do as king so I can see who is best suited."

"I…but Kane…that is if you're sure, sire." Julius stammered. "I could draft up the tasks for you." There was no way Kit would do well anyway, he reasoned.
No way at all that the simpleton would end up on the throne.
Yet looking at the king who seemed more together and alert than he had in years and thinking of Kit's authority during the failed hunt gave Julius an uneasy feeling.