figureheads and the third prince

"You bloody fool!" Sam could only smile back as the King slammed his fist down on the royal grand dining table. The force behind it made the exquisite plates and eating utensils on the table clink.

"Now Father, that isn't very nice." It's only him, the King, and his two youngest siblings in the dining room. Stepha and Michael both shake their blond heads as Father's shouts fill the air around them. It's always the same. The King finds out about the latest scandal and his part in it, the King becomes enraged, confronts him about it, and then proceeds to yell at him.

"Shut up you insolent child of mine!" The King's face was as red as the tomatoes in Sam's salad.

"With this latest scandal, you have not just managed to anger two of my biggest supporters, but their daughters as well!" At this, Sam raises one of his blond eyebrows.

"Really? Did their fathers tell you this or did they tell you themselves? They seemed quite taken with me just the other day." Stepha looks at her older brother in disgust while Michael only snickered, green eyes filled with malice.

Well, the both of them are certainly growing up to their family name, thought Sam. Even though they were both younger than him, they too were brought up in the same suffocating household. He couldn't fault them for being as twisted as the rest of his family.

The King's punishment was swift. He only smiled as the King's plate of food flew towards him. Fortunately, it was only salad that hit him this time. The plate landed on the floor and shattered into a million pieces. One of the maids quickly went to sweep up the pieces.

He calmly took a piece of lettuce out of his hair as the King trembled at him in rage.

Seeing as the King really was angry this time, Sam did the easiest thing he could do to quickly resolve the matter.

He brought his head down, making sure to wipe all traces of his easygoing smile.

"Please forgive your foolish son Father." He could tell the King that he was innocent, but that wouldn't have solved anything. His reputation was too far too tainted and attempting to talk it out with his father and King would be equivalent to talking to a wall. A rather wealthy wall, but still just a wall.

"Do you understand your wrongdoings?" The King is by no means done being angry with him, but what could he do? Punishing him when he hadn't actually done anything would only ruin his own reputation.

Sam nods his head.

"I do, and I will strive to become better."

"Good." He motions for one of the maids, and she places another plate of food in front of the King. "You may leave. It sickens me just by looking at you."

"Yes Father." Sam rises up from his seat and as he slips out of the dining hall, he hears the King speaking to Stepha and Michael.

"You two, make sure you stick to the path laid out before you. Lest you want to end up like your brother. Practically useless."

Sam took out his pocket handkerchief, wiping away at the syrup on his cheek that his father had drizzled over his salad. He kept a smile on his face as he walked down the hallways of the grand palace and out into the gardens. Only wiping the idiotic smile off of his face as he got into his carriage.

"Welcome back your Highness." His personal aide, Kepler, closed the book he was currently reading with a thud. He studies Sam's face before sighing.

"You've made your father angry enough to throw food at you again, didn't you?"

"What an astute observation Kepler," he says sarcastically. "The important thing is that I accomplished everything that I needed to accomplish and they're still none the wiser."

Sam knocked on the side of his carriage, and soon they're moving back towards his own palace, coincidentally the smallest of the palaces, for he was not even close to being one of his father's favorites.

"How are the preparations coming along?"

Kepler began to give his report, and Sam nodded his blond head along, satisfied with all of his aide's work.

"Good work Kepler. I'm sure both the Second and Fourth Princes are proud of themselves right about now." The latest good deeds both princes had recently done have all been orchestrated by Sam and Kepler. From the recent negotiations with the Kraas mercenaries, to the successful subjugation of the wyverns attacking the northwest border villages, they were all triumphs based on his own people's hard work.

"And the First Prince? What is my dear eldest brother up to these days?" His arms were crossed over his chest, alluding a much different aura then he did out in public.

"He's gained quite a few allies. Only two of them could become a real pain for us to deal with, but the rest are insignificant families. They could easily be crushed if we pull some strings." His aid monotonously states. There was no doubt in Sam's mind of Kepler's abilities, for he has fulfilled each and every one of Sam's requests without so much as a hitch in his plans.

"Will he be at tonight's banquet?" Kepler nods in response.

"He plans to befriend the Beast King. The King also plans to do the same." Sam tilts his head to the side. This wasn't news to him. He knew both the First Prince and the King thought the same. Getting the Beasts on their side would be paramount in their plans if they ever hoped to wage war against the other two Kingdoms.

He shakes his head. How on earth did his foolish brother and father think they would be able to conquer the other two Kingdoms if they couldn't even properly take care of their own country? They still honestly thought everything Solomon had gained in the recent years were a product of all their hard work, when in reality they only served as Sam's figureheads.

"Did we gather more intel on the Beast King and the three Generals he's bringing with him?"

Kepler adjusts his silver monocle and nods.

"All the information our informants have gathered about the King and the three Generals are in your office. The spies we sent to the other two Kingdoms have also sent word. Their reports are waiting for you as well."

"Perfect. All that's left is to read the reports and then get ready for the banquet." He laid back comfortably in his seat as the carriage moved along the road. He thought more about the banquet and how he could ruin it for his father.