1 Roland the Fourth Prince of Greycastle

As the first rays of light came in through the window, Roland turned around in bed, turning away from the sun and stuffing his face into the pillow. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining and Roland was lazing around like he always did. Until...

"Wake up, your highness, you must get up!" cried the maid.

"Uh hum, 5 more minutes."

"Your Highness, you must get up! His Majesty will only be more upset if you are late to breakfast!"

"He'd be upset at me regardless if I make it to breakfast on time or not, Patricia," replied Roland, turning his body to face Patricia and holding his head up with one arm, he had a mischevious glint in his eyes as he stared at the 2 maids behind Patricia.

"Come, help me up," he gestured towards the 2 maids.

"Y-yes sir!" replied the maid with brown hair. She had average looks, worse than his Patricia by miles, thought Roland.

"I-I'll bring over t-the chamberpot, sir!" replied the other. She had black ivory hair and looked like a beauty. Well, at least better than the other.

"No, go out to the gardens and go grab me a flower, instead," Roland told the black-haired maid.

"E-excuse me, sir?"

"You are employed to follow my demands, not ask questions," Roland replied coldly, staring at her, shivering from his gaze, she replied.

"Y-yes, sir!" She wanted to cry, who told her that the fourth prince was a weakling and was too scared to do anything?! She got yelled at just by trying to help, where's the justice in this world?!?!

"And you," said Roland, turning to face the other maid.

"Yes, sir?"

"Go inform my father that I will be unable to attend the morning breakfast with the family due to issues with," staring down the maid, he paused slightly, evaluating the girl in front of him, silently judging her every move and gesture. "... my maids. I might also not be able to attend my noon ballroom classes later on, as well."

"Of course, sir." The maid replied softly. Although she looked composed, she was actually stabbing Roland a million times in the heart in her mind, telling that to the king, did she want to die?!?! I should've followed the 2nd or 3rd princess instead...

After the 2 maids left the room, Patricia sighed. She was too used to his antics, she knew well that his softness and weak-willed appearance was just that, an appearance for his family whom he so despised. These would be the 17th and 18th maids that he sent off, never to return. Getting used to it by now, she no longer complained and started to help Roland dress.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," said Roland. "All those pesky maids with their underhanded intentions, do they think me a fool?"

"Well, you can't really blame them, your highness, you know better than anyone how you act in court..." Patricia replied, answering his rhetorical question, knowing it will only serve to annoy him.

"Patricia~," Roland whined. "I have to act like that though, you know? Otherwise, why do you think 5th brother and sixth sister isn't with us anymore?" He said, jokingly, as he let Patricia button up his shirt as he put on his pants, but the contents were anything but jokes.

"I mean, look at how they were killed, just 3 months after their birth, and in their cribs no less, and even with all the suspicious evidence around their deaths, father still refuses to investigate, even outright banning them from talking about it in court. Look, isn't my father the best?" he said mockingly. He'd just let the deaths of his own children happen, and did not even put up a fight, without a care in the world of the consequences. What kind of a father was he if he couldn't even take care of his own children, Roland thought, mocking his father inside his heart.

What a bastard, he thought.

If it weren't for his grandfather not to have any other heirs, the thrown would've never been given to his father. He was a bastard, after all, the bastard of the family that only ruled because they only siblings he had were sisters.

"Well, let's just go out to the chapel to meet Father Jacob before we go to the kitchens for breakfast, shall we, Patricia?" Roland said while slipping on his coat and walking towards the door.

"Of course, sir, let us depart." Patricia replied, following Roland as they exited the room and left for the day.