The Forgotten Prince

Chapter 4

Sharply, William awoke, his face was damp with sweat and every breath burned through his chest. He pushed himself up, stumbling to splash some cold water on his face.

He couldn't remember why he was so affected by his dreams but he knew he had dreamt nothing like them before. He sat on the wooden floorboards of the hallway until his breathing had steadied and his hands had stopped trembling.

Slowly, he pushed himself up from the floor and dragged himself back to his room. He looked into his dirty mirror. His face was now a yellowish brown colour but no longer as puffy or painful and thankfully the small cuts on his chest and hands had almost healed. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to make it look as it did in the hairdressers.

Light was already shining through the window but William would not know the time until the bells of the clock tower in the centre of the town rang out. Tiredly, he pulled on one of his new suits, struggling to tie the tie as the tailor had done.

In the end he gave up with a huff of frustration, flinging the tie across the room, it fell in a limp pile on floor. He sighed and lifted it gently from the ground. He couldn't even tie a tie, how would he ever be good enough to be royalty?

William took in a deep breath and struggled to calm himself. He placed the tie back in its packaging and tucked it into his case. He did the same with the rest of the suit. He pulled out some trousers and a polo t-shirt, pulling the fabric gently onto his limbs and over his body and, although the clothes smelt funny, he assumed it was okay.

He slowly made his way down the stairs as the bells rang out. It was quarter to 9, his mother would have already left for work. Disappointed she left without a goodbye, he stared aimlessly at his case in the dim corridor.

Then the floorboards squeaked. William spun around. There stood his mum. Her beautiful face was stained with tears and her eyes were red. She had her arms hugged around her body and her shoulders shook as more tears trickled down her cheeks. She ran to embrace him and she tightly squeezed him to her.

"It's okay mum, I will be back for half term and Christmas and..." she looked him dead in the eye and then her face lit up. She held up one finger and ran into the living room.

Slowly, he followed her but she came back before he got to the doorway. She held a small package in her hands.

"Is this for me?" William asked as she held it out for him. She nodded. He smiled weakly as he grasped it. "Thanks mum."

He gently tore back the brown paper, it revealed a photo frame, a black and white picture of the two of them sat in it. It was a picture they had got someone to take for them in a small studio for his birthday two years ago. William smiled at the photo. "Thank you. I will really miss you," he murmured to her and she smiled.

She lifted a pad of paper up. 'I'm sorry.'

"For what mum? Your the best mum I could have asked for. I understand that you must have had a good reason to keep all this information from me." William smiled but tears continued to trickle down her cheeks and she shook her head. "It's okay mum. I will be okay," he encouraged. "Don't you need to get to work?" She continued to shake her head for a few moments before nodding. "I love you mum. And if I get the chance- I will write and send extra paper... then- then you can write to me too..."

She smiled and hugged him once more before lifting her bag onto her shoulder. She smiled and waved from the doorway and then she was gone.

William gulped to push away the lump forming in his throat and the ache in his chest. Slowly, he forced his feet to take him away, he poured himself a cup of water and gulped it down. Then some sharp knocks came from the door.