Oscar has always known his title and the expectations that come with it. He was taught from a very young age what it means to be the Crown Prince of Casiphia. His mother passed when he was young, but his father, the High King, has found it necessary to remind him - now more than ever - of his duties to the realm of Elren and all its inhabitants. Still, as he sits in on another very important meeting, he finds himself daydreaming again. Is this what the rest of my life looks like?

His minds drifts to the days of childhood, when he could still get away with running wild, when the castle was just the house he grew up in and every other child he encountered was his friend - not an ally, an enemy, a servant, or a citizen under his rule. Those days feel so far away now. Will I forget them entirely someday? His mind goes to you, as it often does, and how simple things were before you both realized the distance the world was trying to put between you.

When the meeting ends, he finds himself walking to the garden. It’s one of the only places he’s left alone and a place where time itself feels frozen. Perfect for a day of daydreaming. He wanders into the maze, to his favorite spot: a stone bench beneath a great willow. He takes out a worn book from his pocket and begins to read. An escape. It’s just what I need.

After a few minutes, he hears a rustling around the corner. He groans internally. Please don’t be a guard. I want five more minutes here. He speaks up as the wind blows through the maze corridor.

“Who’s there?”