The Raven

Thirty

"Your engagement ball will be held in two days," the queen tells her only son, the finality in her tone suggesting there is no room for compromise or debate on the subject. "I expect you to appear happy about your impending nuptials to Princess Elaina," she states, her gaze fixing firmly upon Henry's face.

The prince stares at his mother, a mixture of emotions overwhelming him entirely as he attempts to make sense of what she has just said. "My... what?" he asks, his inquiry desperately pleading for clarification, and his voice far from the polite and proper tone his mother usually expects him to use with her. Henry cannot begin to describe the thundering storm raging within him; every fiber of his being is suddenly electrified with fury in a way he has never heretofore known. She has previously irritated him on several occasions; however, she has never quite ignited a flame of this severity before.

"I am quite sure that you heard what I said, Henry," his mother confirms, her anger at her son's impudence wholly apparent as she glares at him. The look in her eye holds a warning, a promise to retaliate drastically should he try to disobey her. "You will be announcing your engagement to Princess Elaina at the ball in two days. You will appear to be pleased about the arrangement in front of our guests," she explains, her gaze unwavering from her son's blistering expression. Her heart aches slightly as a pang shoots through it, signifying the detestation she harbors for herself in this situation. "You will then marry the princess at a wedding planned to her specific taste, without complaint, just a few short days after the official declaration of intent witnessed by anyone of significant status among our kingdoms at the ball."

"You cannot be serious, Mother," Henry protests, outrage flaring vividly within his clear blue eyes. The words slip off his tongue like daggers, aimed diligently with the intent of causing harm to their target. "What kind of mother are you? How can you so blatantly ignore my feelings on the matter as if I am nothing of significance in this absurd fantasy you have mapped out in your deranged mind? I absolutely will not marry the princess; I have already informed you of that decision, and I cannot be convinced otherwise."

"Yes," his mother replies coldly, her jaw clenched tightly to maintain her tone; she wants nothing more than to verbally erupt at Prince Henry's ridiculousness right now. Regardless of her desire to tell her son how utterly immature and selfish he is behaving right now, she bites her tongue; there are more important things to worry about at this time. Attempting to maintain decorum and display the uninhibited power she possesses as the queen, she continues, "Well, apparently, you cannot be trusted to make appropriate choices. Therefore, it has been decided for you."

Henry gazes at his mother unblinkingly, his body rendered temporarily unable to move at all, even ceasing the involuntary actions that literally sustain his life. Utter disbelief fills him as he stares at the woman before him, his eyes scrutinizing her every feature with haste and profound confusion. She looks precisely like the woman who raised him; however, there is an aura about her that bears no resemblance to the mother he knows. Surely, his mother would care about him even a little after all this time. Right? "You are out of your mind if you believe that you can make this specific choice for me," Henry murmurs, unable to keep his utter astonishment from seeping into his words.

"You will do as I say, Henry, or you will face the consequences of your disobedience and lack of propriety," Her Majesty responds, uncaring of her son's obvious distress about her choices. Before Prince Henry can open his mouth to argue with her further, she continues, "Do not think that I do not know about your little escapades with the creature in the tower of the West Wing. I know about your feelings for that... thing. Surely, you would not want any harm to come to him?"

With those words, any feelings of respect or love for his mother dissipate entirely, vanishing into the air as if they never existed in the first place. No one could speak about Caleb that way, not even Henry's own birth-giver. How dare she not only threaten him but refer to him in such an appalling and offensive manner! "You leave him out of this," the prince seethes, his voice filled with venom, hate for his own mother consuming him. "If you think you will get away with this, you are sorely mistaken; I will do whatever possible to prevent you from destroying the one thing I care about in this world."

"I always get what I want, Henry. It is a talent I have. Certainly, you have learned this by now?" taunts the queen, feeling not even remotely remorseful for her evidently atrocious behavior. "Do not do anything foolish," she warns. "You will not like the repercussions."

Unable to retort back to her for fear that his own mother will harm Caleb in any way, the prince swiftly exits the room. He does not bother to stop to speak to the princess, who excitedly tries to gain his attention as she spots him in the hall. Storming past her, Henry can faintly hear the female's voice calling his name through the angry haze clouding his mind. However, he pays no heed to it; he cannot be burdened to make idle small talk and polite conversation with her right now.

Slamming the door to his bedroom, the only thought on Henry's mind is his beloved Caleb. How can he stop this unwanted and absolutely vexing wedding from going forward? There must be a way to avoid his mother's incessant plotting. She is undoubtedly mistaken if she believes he will willingly wed Princess Elaina, especially since he specifically told her that he would not. He cannot; he refuses to vow himself to anyone but Caleb.

With every passing second, the prince's abhorrence for his mother increases drastically, brewing in his belly like fire in that of a dragon. How could she do this? And how does she know about Caleb? If she knows about their feelings for each other, why is she so adamantly trying to force a union with Princess Elaina? Would a mother not want her child to be happy? Henry surely could not be satisfied with anyone other than his ruby-eyed boy, of that he is certain.

Rage burns through his veins with every thought of his wicked mother and her delusions of what his life should be. As the fire inside him continues to grow, Henry promises that she will not get away with this. He will not only escape her dastardly plan to join him with the princess but also seek retribution for the damage she has caused him simply by not accepting him as he is.