The prince and the guard - Dreamnotfound

Chapter 1 - Protection

I woke up in the same way I had for the past years. The maid pulled away the curtains from my big windows and let the morning sun dance around the room, fighting every shadow.

I took a shower letting the warm water rinse the tiredness out of my body. I got dressed in clothes that a normal person only would wear for fancy dinners and adult parties with your snobby cousins but for a prince, it was just like any other day.

Every day was consistent, like living the same day over and over again, to be stuck in a spiral unable to get out.

Every day was bland.

Every day was boring.

Maybe I was supposed to be happy. I was rich, had food on the table every day, and lived in a honking castle.

Still, somewhere inside me, there was a little voice telling me I didn't want this, and that voice was telling the truth.

At breakfast, we ate in silence, per usual. There was just nothing to talk about. The dining hall was where we ate all of our meals, it was grand with high sealing and deep red curtains swayed in a light breeze from an opened window. In one way there was a shame that the only furniture in the room was a table with seating for five people.

My father spoke, making me jump a little over the sudden noise.

"A new set of guards is coming today and I want you to choose some new people to join your personal guard forces. Karl, I know you already got three but the two of you need to be in the yard at four o'clock." He looked at me and my little brother. Sapnap just gave him a little nod causing his black hair to fall into his face, he didn't bother to pull it away and my mother gave him a disliking look.

"But I already got three guards as well" I stated.

"Well Miss Puffy is getting promoted to captain and Michel is retiring due to the...injury he got in the last attack against the castle."

His last words send a shiver down my spine causing my stomach to turn inside out. I put down my fork, not hungry anymore. Instead of continuing the protest, everyone got back to listening to the sound of silverware touching porcelain.

Even though I hated this life I still tried my best to live it, to be grateful, and that's why I found myself exiting the castle and walking over to the yard exactly four o'clock. Before I could hear them I saw about fifteen guards standing in a perfectly neat line while the commissioner stood before them in a red uniform with tons of medals and a little flag representing Kinoko kingdom. All the guards were wearing the same set of clothes, a fitted black T-shirt and green pants filled with pockets and places for weapons even though no one was armed.

"Good afternoon commissioner" I said and he gave me a little bow, I despised the attention but had learned to ignore it.

"Ask them your questions and report to me who you choose, your majesty."

I stood in front of the first one, a short ginger about the same height as me with freckles spread across their face like stars in the night sky. I wanted this to go quick.

"Name?"

"Luca, sir."

"Age?"

"Twenty-four, sir."

"Pronouns"

"They/ them, sir."

"Experience from the past?"

They started to go on about past working experiences and different degrees, it was actually kind of impressive. I kept going from person to person asking the same questions.

Name, age, pronouns, experience.

Name, age, pronouns, experience.

Name, age, pronouns, experience.

As I moved further down the line, I almost felt a sudden shift in the air, something making me aware of the pulse in my body. And that was when the guard second to last caught my attention. A tall frame, easily a head above myself, with broad shoulders and pointed collarbones that I could sense against the fitted shirt. As they met my eyes, I felt something explode within me, flowing in my bloodstream and making it burn. And I wanted to let it, let it burn, but I forced the feeling away.

I. Would. Not. Let. Myself. Feel. Anything.

"Name?" I asked coldly. But the pretty person in front of me didn't answer the question like anyone else.

"Yeah...right...not gonna mess this up. Hi! My name is Dream. I'm nineteen, well I turn nineteen in August. I use he/him pronouns and, yeah. I have studied at the Kinoko kingdom royal university and mastered in protection III. I also have some experience working with the police department's elite force. I'm happy to finally meet you!"

I was shocked by his response and froze for a moment. I wanted to laugh but I didn't because it wasn't funny. Maybe just a little.

"'Sir', you are supposed to call me and others above you for 'sir'." I said trying to keep my cool.

"Right, sorry" His hand went through his hair with the color of a beach at sunset causing it to mess up. A part of me wanted to put it in place and I slightly raised my hand before realizing what I was doing. No!

"My name is Dream...nineteen in August...he/him... a lot of school stuff and sir." He was different from the others, dared to stand out. No matter how much I wanted to laugh until my stomach started to hurt, I kept going.

"Dream can't be your name"

"It's my name in the military...sir." he added before looking me straight in the eyes. They were stunning, green I suppose. To me, they looked yellow but I had learned the hard way that yellow isn't an eye color. He blinked and his long lashes touched his sunkissed cheeks. When I walked past him I felt a blush creep up my cheeks causing heat to explode all over my face. I tried to push it down but it didn't seem to work. I talked briefly with the last person in line even though I barely listened; I had already made up my mind.

"Transfer Dream and Luca to my guard team immediately." I told the commissioner.

"I will, good decision your majesty."

I ignored his bow, and the feeling of a certain pair of eyes on the back of my neck, and walked away just to see Sapnap approaching, late just as usual.

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To the two people who have seen this storty so far,  hope you enjoyd <3

Artcredit to @ohteavee on Twitter