The Forgotten Prince
There once was a prince named Henry, who was the first and only son of the King and Queen of Abdule, the largest kingdom in the world. As the rulers of the largest kingdom in the world, the king and queen were very busy; Henry rarely saw his parents and when he did something always came up to pull them away.
Henry spent his days alone reading or studying with his tutors, but the tutors were not much of an improvement to being alone--they could put rocks to sleep. Henry hoped his life would start looking like one of his stories; everyone would be happy and get what they wanted.
One day the King walked into Henry’s room as he was studying. “Hello, son.”
Henry jumped to his feet, startled to see his father, knocking over his chair. “Father!”
“How are you, son?” the King asked.
“Oh, I’m g--”
The king cut him off. “Good, good. I came here to tell you that you will be starting new lessons with a new tutor. His name is Professor Higgly. He will arrive tomorrow.” The King stood up and left.
Henry slumped back into his chair. The king didn’t really care about him. He only came in to tell Henry that he was dumping him onto another tutor.
Henry’s knees buckled and he fell onto the ground and hugged his knees tightly.
No, Henry thought bitterly. He couldn’t break down, he couldn’t speak out of turn, he must act proper, must respect his father, and be the perfect prince. It was too much. He couldn’t do it all.
Henry continued to sit on the floor as his despair hardened and turned to determination. He was going to escape.
A fire kindled somewhere deep within Henry. Yes, he was going to escape, just like his story book characters. He was going to leave this cold prison and make himself a new home.
Henry lept to his feet and walked over to his wardrobe. He had to pack. Henry dug through the bottom of his wardrobe, hoping to find something to pack in.
Eventually he uncovered a small canvas backpack. Henry smiled—perfect. He grabbed an extra shirt and pair of pants and quickly shoved them into his backpack.
There was a knock on Henry’s bedroom door. Panicking, he flung the backpack into his wardrobe and shut the doors. The door opened and a servant walked in.
“You father sends his regrets that he will not be able to attend dinner tonight,” the servant said, bowing stiffly, and left.
Henry relaxed. He had time to escape.
Filled with adrenaline, Henry wanted to grab his bag and leave, but a small, sensible part of him said that he had to wait.
Henry was restless for the rest of the evening. Now that he had decided he was leaving, Henry wanted to go; not just sit here. But he couldn’t; so he did the only natural thing: Henry took a nap.
When Henry woke up, his room was dark. Only a sliver of moonlight peaked in. Henry took a deep breath; it was time. He jumped out of bed and smiled. Henry slung his bag on his shoulder. As he opened his door Henry looked back at his room. The moonlight lengthened the shadows in the room and illuminated the stone floor. Henry shut the door and crept silently through the dark castle. His muffled footstep were the only noise in the entire stone building.
Soon Henry was walking out of the castle and into the surrounding woods. He was finally free. As Henry wandered through the dark forest, his courage grew. He ran, he skipped, he did whatever he felt like. Eventually Henry settled down enough to actually walk. The deeper he walked into the forest, the darker it got. This darkness was unlike anything Henry had encountered before, however; this darkness absorbed everything: light, color, even sound.
Henry couldn’t tell how long he had been in the forest. Judging by how tired he was, he assumed it was close to dawn. His feet could hardly take another step. So, naturally, he looked around for a tree to sleep in. About 50 feet away was a towering pine tree.
“It’s perfect,” Henry whispered.
Henry climbed up and settled on a large branch. He drifted to sleep.
And woke up face-down on the pine needle-strewn ground.
“Ouch,” he muttered as he peeled his face off the ground. Henry looked around him. The forest was as dark as every, so there was no telling how long he’d been asleep. He was alone.
But wait. There was a shadowy figure moving closer. Henry was not sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him or if something really was there. He backed up, into the shelter of the pine.
“Henry?” a familiar voice called. “Is that you, son?”
It was his father. What’s he doing here? Henry wondered.
“Henry, please come home. Your mother and I miss you,” his father pleaded.
Do they really miss me? It couldn’t be true.
“Please Henry,” his father sounded close to tears. “Please come home.”
Without realizing what he was doing, Henry stepped out from under the tree.
“Henry?!” his father was overjoyed to see him.
Henry looked at his father. “You actually came to look for me?” he asked.
“Of course. You’re my son and I love you.”
“Why were you never around? If you love me why do you and Mom never take time for me?”
“We tried, but whenever we could see you, you were shut away in your room.”
“Really? You- you tried to see me?”
“Of course. Please come home, Henry. Your mother is worried sick.”
“Just promise me one thing: can I get some more interesting tutors? These ones put me to sleep.”
His father laughed and wrapped Henry in a hug.
“Deal,” he whispered.
Henry spent his days alone reading or studying with his tutors, but the tutors were not much of an improvement to being alone--they could put rocks to sleep. Henry hoped his life would start looking like one of his stories; everyone would be happy and get what they wanted.
One day the King walked into Henry’s room as he was studying. “Hello, son.”
Henry jumped to his feet, startled to see his father, knocking over his chair. “Father!”
“How are you, son?” the King asked.
“Oh, I’m g--”
The king cut him off. “Good, good. I came here to tell you that you will be starting new lessons with a new tutor. His name is Professor Higgly. He will arrive tomorrow.” The King stood up and left.
Henry slumped back into his chair. The king didn’t really care about him. He only came in to tell Henry that he was dumping him onto another tutor.
Henry’s knees buckled and he fell onto the ground and hugged his knees tightly.
No, Henry thought bitterly. He couldn’t break down, he couldn’t speak out of turn, he must act proper, must respect his father, and be the perfect prince. It was too much. He couldn’t do it all.
Henry continued to sit on the floor as his despair hardened and turned to determination. He was going to escape.
A fire kindled somewhere deep within Henry. Yes, he was going to escape, just like his story book characters. He was going to leave this cold prison and make himself a new home.
Henry lept to his feet and walked over to his wardrobe. He had to pack. Henry dug through the bottom of his wardrobe, hoping to find something to pack in.
Eventually he uncovered a small canvas backpack. Henry smiled—perfect. He grabbed an extra shirt and pair of pants and quickly shoved them into his backpack.
There was a knock on Henry’s bedroom door. Panicking, he flung the backpack into his wardrobe and shut the doors. The door opened and a servant walked in.
“You father sends his regrets that he will not be able to attend dinner tonight,” the servant said, bowing stiffly, and left.
Henry relaxed. He had time to escape.
Filled with adrenaline, Henry wanted to grab his bag and leave, but a small, sensible part of him said that he had to wait.
Henry was restless for the rest of the evening. Now that he had decided he was leaving, Henry wanted to go; not just sit here. But he couldn’t; so he did the only natural thing: Henry took a nap.
When Henry woke up, his room was dark. Only a sliver of moonlight peaked in. Henry took a deep breath; it was time. He jumped out of bed and smiled. Henry slung his bag on his shoulder. As he opened his door Henry looked back at his room. The moonlight lengthened the shadows in the room and illuminated the stone floor. Henry shut the door and crept silently through the dark castle. His muffled footstep were the only noise in the entire stone building.
Soon Henry was walking out of the castle and into the surrounding woods. He was finally free. As Henry wandered through the dark forest, his courage grew. He ran, he skipped, he did whatever he felt like. Eventually Henry settled down enough to actually walk. The deeper he walked into the forest, the darker it got. This darkness was unlike anything Henry had encountered before, however; this darkness absorbed everything: light, color, even sound.
Henry couldn’t tell how long he had been in the forest. Judging by how tired he was, he assumed it was close to dawn. His feet could hardly take another step. So, naturally, he looked around for a tree to sleep in. About 50 feet away was a towering pine tree.
“It’s perfect,” Henry whispered.
Henry climbed up and settled on a large branch. He drifted to sleep.
And woke up face-down on the pine needle-strewn ground.
“Ouch,” he muttered as he peeled his face off the ground. Henry looked around him. The forest was as dark as every, so there was no telling how long he’d been asleep. He was alone.
But wait. There was a shadowy figure moving closer. Henry was not sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him or if something really was there. He backed up, into the shelter of the pine.
“Henry?” a familiar voice called. “Is that you, son?”
It was his father. What’s he doing here? Henry wondered.
“Henry, please come home. Your mother and I miss you,” his father pleaded.
Do they really miss me? It couldn’t be true.
“Please Henry,” his father sounded close to tears. “Please come home.”
Without realizing what he was doing, Henry stepped out from under the tree.
“Henry?!” his father was overjoyed to see him.
Henry looked at his father. “You actually came to look for me?” he asked.
“Of course. You’re my son and I love you.”
“Why were you never around? If you love me why do you and Mom never take time for me?”
“We tried, but whenever we could see you, you were shut away in your room.”
“Really? You- you tried to see me?”
“Of course. Please come home, Henry. Your mother is worried sick.”
“Just promise me one thing: can I get some more interesting tutors? These ones put me to sleep.”
His father laughed and wrapped Henry in a hug.
“Deal,” he whispered.