1 Punishment.

"....Father please...!" A young man pleaded while on his knees.

"Please, it would never repeat itself again, I promise!" The young man continued to plead.

The old man seated on the throne looked at the young man below him with disgust on his eyes.

He sighed, and then shook his head.

Putting his chin on his hand, the king said;

"Tell me Andrew," He began.

"Give me one reason, just one that clearly states why I should forgive you...!" The old man said.

Shrugging his shoulders, Andrew replied non-chalantly;

"Coz I'm your son...?" Before he could finish what he was saying, the old man cute him short.

"You're my son...you're my son...!" He laughed.

"Just hear how he spoke...!" Dramatizing what the young man did a few seconds ago, the King said;

"' I'm your son...!'"

Also shrugging his shoulders, the King repeated;

"Coz I'm your son...? Son my foot!" The King's voice echoed throughout the courtroom as he stood up from his throne and slowly, but majestically walked down the stairs.

"You are my son, yes I agree but no son, no firstborn son, of a responsible and dignified King would go around, being promiscuous; sleeping around with women...!" He began as he finally made it down the stairs.

His presence down the stairs had everyone; guards, servants, the councilmen, all scurrying off, making way for the King to pass through.

"Women that are stinking and God knows when they last had a shower in this modern days...!" He said.

"No responsible Firstborn Son of a King would be caught stealing, countless times...!" He added.

"No Future King would murder, and expect to be respected in the society...!"

He said this while moving majestically towards the boy kneeling before him.

Three more steps and be was standing in front of Andrew, who was still kneeling on the floor and was looking at anything, other than the King's face as terror gripped him.

"Neither would he plan to murder his own Father further, the King...!"

He said this with an air of pride as he looked looked at nowhere in particular, before turning his gaze to look at the young boy kneeling before him.

"Your King...!" He said in a gentle voice that was nowhere from actually being gentle as he looked down at Andrew.

Sensing that the King was now staring at him, Andrew lowered his head further, because he knew what was coming.

And he was right, because out of nowhere, an earsplitting slap with the back of his palm, landed on Andrew's face, causing him to lose balance and fell to the floor.

"No heir to the throne would be disobedient and insolent enough to go against the King's orders by sneaking out of the castle at night to get drunk at a nightclub nearby and almost impregnating a young lady, almost ruining the reputation of the King and his court!" The King shouted.

Still holding his face with his palm, Andrew said;

"I'm sorry Father...!" He pleaded, tears streaming down his eyes.

"I..." He paused.

"I...I don't know what got into me...!" He finally said, still holding his face.

"I make promises and I fail...I go out most times, disobeying you, I slept around and have become promiscous...I swear I didn't know what got into me...I...I think I was...!" He stammered.

"I think I was drunk...!" He finally said.

"I admit all my mistakes and I plead for your mercy my King...!"

As he said this the King burst into a hearty laughter, that had everyone present in the courtroom also laughing.

After a while, he shouted;

"Idiot!"

Everyone that had been laughing before with the King trembled at his sudden shout and change of attitude that had the atmosphere changed.

Pulling him up and giving him another slap of his life, the King roared;

"Who do you take me for...?!" He asked.

"Do you take me to be a fool...?!" He asked again.

"Or do I look like a fool, dressed in a joker's costume that would cause everyone to laugh and you lie to me in order to prove that you are the next of kin to the throne and that you can handle the throne, huh?!" The King roared again.

Letting go of Andrew's shirt that he had grabbed, the king turned away from him and headed towards his throne.

Climbing the steps and finally getting to the throne, the King grabbed him cloak swung right round and took his seat.

Closing his eyes and sighing deeply, he placed his head on his arm which was lifted and placed on the armrest of the throne.

Finally being able to get up, but will on his knees, Andrew stayed on all four with his head facing down and tears streaming down his face.

Eyes red, but head bowed down, he said;

"Father, I...I know I've not really been well-behaved this past few days and I'm really sorry this time around just, please, give me another chance...!" Andrew pleaded.

"Few days you said, past few days you said...you should have said, 'This past few months...!' instead of saying days because this isn't the first nor is it the second say much less about it being the third time that ice warned you, your mother, warned you...!"

He said as he gestures to his right to demonstrate his point about the queen who just sat there staring at her son with a blank face that could not be readable at all.

At the mention of the Queen, his mother, Andrew raised hi head and looked at his mother.

Their eyes met. He held her gaze a bit before looking away to look at the King as he spoke.

"Everyone present her warned you, even your brothers. Your little brothers warned you yet you still refused to listen because of the ego that you're gonna be the next King so you have to raise your shoulders to everybody, that 'As the future King, I won't listen to anyone...!'"

The King made a demonstration of him raising his shoulders in order to express his points.

After some time, his breathing that was angry, heavy and hot, began to normalize and then Andrew lowered his head, in assurance that his father would forgive him and have him back..

Sighing deeply one more time, the King closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.

"I've forgiven you...!" He said.

"But you won't live in the Castle anymore...!"