Chapter 1
Peter looked at the scattered mess of his room with fire in his eyes. His bookshelf was laying face down on the floor, book scattered everywhere. He’s drawers were open and items and clothes were thrown carelessly around. His bed unmade. His closet in distress, and his desk cleared of all his works which were promptly on the floor next to it.
A hand rested on Peter’s shoulder making him jump and turn around in a defensive pose. A tall man, slightly overweight, with royal robes on stood in his doorway looking over the mess. “Come with me.” It wasn’t a question, and Peter knew it. Peter sighed glaring and followed the man out of the room.
“Susana, clean that up.” Gumtom ordered a nearby maid to clean his son’s room. The maid bowed her head and shuffled quickly past them to start her work immediately. The king strolled at a fast pace that Peter had a hard time keeping up with, but he knew better than to lag behind. The king finally stopped on a balcony near the west side of the castle. Peter filed in behind him.
“Peter, what have I told you of playing with swords?” The father asked. Peter just glared at him puffing his chest out and holding his head high.
“Those swords will be mine one day, and so I must learn to fight with them.” Peter said confidently.
“That is true, but you are only eleven!” The king shouted looking down at his son. “Your mother was right to send you away to your room. Had you accidently wounded yourself, what would you have done? Or if you’d accidently chopped a leg off?”
“I know where the infirmary is.” Peter said darkly. “And if I’d accidently cut my bloody legs off, then I wouldn’t be worthy of being king. A king knows how to use swords and since you won’t teach me, I will teach myself!”
“Do
not raise a tone with me!” The king said grabbing his son by the chin firmly. “I am the king… as well as you’re father. You will listen to what I have to say or I will call in the whipping boy!”
“Call him in! It’s not as if you can hit me!” Peter taunted.
“I wouldn’t test that, Peter.” His father spat back before releasing the grip on the boy. He then took a deep breath calming himself down as Peter rubbed his chin from the painful grip. “Peter, we’re only trying to look after you.”
“You’re only trying to prohibit me from being king! You want to rule forever and that’s why you won’t train me!” Peter shouted.
“I won’t train you because you’re not ready.”
“You started training when you were nine! I’m eleven!”
“Yet you still act like a child!” Peter chest heaved with boiling rage but he silenced himself. “You still throw temper tantrums as if you were six. You still play with your sisters as if that’s what a young king should be doing. You play ‘house’ and
’tea parties’ with them! Do you know how embarrassing that is as a king to watch. The whole nation’s watching us and you’re too busy playing with girls than to make a good impression. Despicable!”
“You’re despicable!” Peter retorted. “You neglect your children and your wife! You send me out to do jobs a maid could easily do! And you sit on that throne all day complaining about the tough life you have, when you’re really just stuffing your face with fine foods and wine!”
Gumtom raised his hand as if he were going to hit the boy, but he stopped and angrily turned to a maid nearby. “Call in the whipping boy!” He demanded. The maid respectfully bowed to the king and rushed off to get the whipping boy.
“Ooo, punishing another human for my mistakes. Very kind king you are indeed.” Peter continued. Gumtom took Peter’s wrist roughly and halfway dragged him to the throne where the whipping boy and punisher were waiting. Gumtom, released Peter and straighten up his angry posture to one of a decent king. Peter rolled his eyes rubbing his wrist.
“Twenty lashes should teach him.” Gumtom said.
“Teach which one of us?! Because I still don’t get the problem here!” Peter flared. The whip was brought out and given to the punisher and the whipping boy bowed his head and got in position.
“You may start.” Gumtom said to the punisher. The first whip crashed against the young boy’s back and a cry of pain was released from him.
“What kind of king hides behind another to discipline his own son?” Peter called him out flinching at the sound of the whipping boy’s cries. Peter knew the whipping boy vaguely, but he did know the punisher well.
The punisher’s name happened to be Julio. Peter had met him through a party his dad had thrown for the kingdom. Peter was actually the one that had got Julio the job as a punisher. He was very fond of Julio and often went to him with his problems. Julio understood Peter unlike his parents. Peter hated his parents. He was eager to get on the throne and rule his own way, but he was only eleven and much too young to rule. Julio would encourage him that things would go his way one day. To shorten it up, Julio was Peter’s best friend despite their age differences.
“Stop, Julio!” Peter demanded after seeing about two or three more hits on the young boy. He really felt bad for the bleeding boy, not that he knew him too well, he just didn’t think it was right to have whipping boys. Kings should punish their sons themselves, not have someone else take the punishment for them.
Julio looked up from him job and gave Peter a sympathic smile as he continued whipping. After a few more whips, Peter looked to his father. “Father, stop this nonsense and whip me yourself!” The king said nothing, and so when Peter could no longer watch the boy getting hurt, he did something he regretted his entire life afterwards of.
Peter jumped in front of the whipping boy…
