Who the Ever-Loving F*** Made Me A Prince?

Courtier's Interlude

The palace courtiers have little to say of the prince that burdens them. Small and frail and not a single smart bone in his naive body. They despise him, those who are burdened by his presence.

They take from him, time and time again, because he disturbs them. How is he related to the empire's royalty? This is a disgrace. A shame. He was likely just a child with eyes that deceive, because they will never treat him the way they treat the Imperial Prince, Technoblade.

Why should they treat him with respect when not even his own brother treats him like a prince?

In fact, they might gain favor with what they're doing. Surely the first prince also despise this little prince. The little prince Theseus, so shameful in nature. They abhor him.

He might not even be of blood relation. The Courtiers have never heard of the Prince being born, anyway. Surely this child was here under false pretenses that he was the son of the Emperor, one who has also left him to rot in this Sapphire Palace.

No, the Ruby palace. They do not acknowledge the new name, changed so subtly and borderline-unofficially. This is the Ruby Palace through and through, where every corner of the palace has the aura of death and gloom and everything wrong with the world.

While it is true that they fear Technoblade,

There is nothing to fear with Theseus, so insignificant and so bland. He tries to act smart but they see him and his failures and his tears and his weakness. To be assigned to him is social exile, at this point.

And they abhor him.

Oh do they abhor this child, who has ruined their lives, not even knowing why or how. They abhor how he looks at the with this pathetic face of begging, one unfit for a prince. He is no prince of theirs. He is a disgrace. A stain on the family.

Maybe this is why no one outside the palace knows of his name. They are too ashamed to speak of this shameful job of theirs.

If they skip his meals, he is too measly to complain. There is no one to complain to, because any higher power deigns to ignore him. It is a hassle to bother actual royalty with something so hated.

Maybe he is the reason why Technoblade is in power, that Philza, their Emperor, had hated this child so much that he had to leave for so long. That their Empress had rather died than raise this disgusting child.

If they barely touch his unkempt room, then that is not their problem. Who is he to complain to, when anyone with an ounce of power had been the one to impose this exile? If they ignore how he barely leave his room with the reason of illness, then who is he to whine? Why is he so weak, that a simple flu would take him down like this? Who is he to speak, when not a single voice had squeaked out of that unworthy mouth of his.

Sometimes they all wish that he had died, instead of the Empress.

But Puffy, that pompous, demoted captain, Puffy. The maid. The nanny. She loves the poor thing. They hate her too, but they don't dare express it. Her children are powerful after all. It's such a shame that she decided to prioritize this weakling over her own children.

Adopted or not, a peasant cared for would have more power than the blood-related, weakling prince Theseus.

The courtiers abhor that prince. He is no prince of theirs.

~+~

The palace courtiers have a lot to say about the prince they serve–the younger one, with youth in his stature but age in his gaze. There hasn't been a single complaint, no, but there have been rumors upon rumors about the young prince.