♔𝑹𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚♙

♔𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑼𝑬♙

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All that could be heard were echoing footsteps as a lone Prince made his way over to the dining room. His movements were reserved and elegant, with his soft-blue cape laced with golden details draped behind him and a delicate, golden box in his hands. His rose petals swayed with every step he took. He approached the two giant doors leading to the dining room, taking a small breath before he put his hands on the doors and pushed them open.
Before him was a mess of a room: papers and books thrown everywhere on the floor, chairs at the table turned each and every way, unfinished plates, dying house plants in every corner of the room, molten candle wax on a candle holder, and a half-broken flickering lamp among the rest of the working lights.

The room didn't look as beautiful as it used to, but it still had its old charm in some way: pearl-white walls detailed with all sorts of golden swirls and pastel-blue pillars covered with the same golden details sat next to the walls. The windows looked almost intimidating, with how tall they were. The table in the middle was made of beautiful spruce wood, with cloth laid atop it in the same colour as the pillars. What really made the scene was the moonlight glimmering through the windows, giving the dining room somewhat of a magical feel.

Occasionally passing books, some opened, some closed, some with a few pages ripped out, the Prince made his way to the head of the table. He brushed his hand on every chair he walked past. As he sat down in the chair at the head of the table, with graceful and gentle movements, the moonlight shone the brightest it could ever have on the Prince's rose petals. He set down the little, golden box on the table and picked up a half-full cup of tea and a teaspoon. He stood up from his refined but dirty seat, which was a little run down after all the decades it had been used. A soft few clinks were heard as he tapped the spoon against the teacup, soon followed by the sound of the Prince clearing his throat.

"May I have your attention, please? I have an announcement to make. First off, I would like to say thank you to all the lovely guests who have been able to come to the party today, it could not have been held without you. Second of all, you might have been wondering why I have summoned you here. Well, I have decided to throw this party for it is a special occasion today. As some of you may know, today is the day my family and I celebrate my birthday. And because this year I have turned eighteen, I decided to celebrate it with the rest of the kingdom! So, sit back, relax, drink some tea and eat some of our delicious sweets, or, for our more lively guests, we have a bar where you can dance as much as you want and drink the night away! Now enjoy the rest of the night while it is still young!"

...Silence. The only response the Prince received was silence. Nothing more. He got so into his speech, he had forgotten about how empty the room actually was. The emptiness of the dining room seemed to reach his heart, as it started feeling heavy too. He tried to clear the negative thoughts by shaking his head, desperately trying not to cry, if only he could. Quietly gripping his half-empty teacup, he sat back down in his chair, this time in a slobby and uneven manner. The Prince managed to let out a small sigh as he started rubbing the back of his neck, seemingly trying to soothe himself.

He sighed again, this time looking at the golden box he had brought with him. After some hesitation, the Prince opened the box gently, as if he was too scared to harm it. Inside was a slice of chocolate cake with a candle on it and a golden fork to match with the details on the box. He took out the two items, staring at them with both nostalgia and heartbreak. After taking in a small breathe, the Prince blew out the lone candle on the cake. "Happy eighteenth birthday to me..." He quietly whispered.

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