[Discontinued*] The Darling Princess [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

🐙 Chapter 96

A/N: This is not in the current time. This is when Leona was a child, told from his perspective (still 3rd person POV) It's basically him talking to Y/N and telling the story.

The sun was always hot when it rose on Sunset Savannah. It seemed as though it saw no point in giving the citizens of the kingdom time to steadily warm up from the cool savannah night and instead plunged them headfirst into the labours that needed to be completed for the day. 

But in one room of the palace, the sun failed to shine, having been blocked out by heavy curtains, specially designed to keep the worm-like light out of the room until the one who lurked within thought that it was a suitable time to awaken. Not that he ever got much choice in the matter. Though the curtains could keep out the sun, they were not able to keep out the irritating servants and more specifically, the tutor that his father had hired to try and teach him how to be a proper second-born prince. 

The doors to the room flew open, flooding the room with sunlight as it ricocheted off of the gold embellished doors. Standing in the threshold, looking peeved, was an older gentleman dressed in robes of blue and white, symbolising his rank as intellect and scholar within the kingdom. He glared into the dark room, his eyes picking out the small form on the large king-sized bed that was squirming due to the sudden flood of light. 

"Your Highness," the man said, entering the room, ushering in a small army of servants. 

His only response was a groan and he refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Your Highness, it is well past sunrise, and the King requested that both you and Prince Farena be at the welcome ceremony." His eyes narrowed in on the hook of the Prince's wardrobe and at the clothes that should be there, or lack thereof. The young prince had been ordered to set out his ceremonial clothing the night before but to no one's surprise, the little prince had ignored the command entirely, leaving the iron hook bare as it hung from the wooden frame. 

"I thought your father instructed you to pull out your ceremonial attire yesterday." 

"So?"

The scholar, named Zuberi, frowned at the young prince, watching as the legion of maids and servants fussed over the sleepy prince. His long chestnut hair was tangled into a birds nest, save a single braid that hung just off to the side of his face, and as he was pulled from underneath the duvet, Zuberi noticed that the boy hadn't even changed out of the clothes that he had been wearing the night before. 

"Did you bathe last night, Your Highness?"

"No."

Zuberi fought every nerve that told him to scold the young prince. He had been entrusted with the education of both princes, but Farena was a joy to teach, while his younger brother Leona was nothing but a pain. Zuberi quickly realised that while Farena was attentive and curious, Leona slacked off to the point of failing, unconcerned with what would become of his education.

The older gentleman sighed and massaged the space between his eyes. "Please draw a bath for the prince. I shall inform His Majesty that it will be a while before Prince Leona is ready to be presented to the guests." As he left the room, his midnight blue cloak swishing behind him as he walked, he pleaded that the royal family of Callisto wasn't already here. They had said that they would arrive on the morning of August 1st, just a few days after Prince Leona's birthday, but Zuberi could only hope that they hadn't meant that quite literally. 

Unfortunately for the educator, when he reached the throne room he realised that he was not so lucky. Standing in front of the King of Sunset Savannah was the royal family of Callisto. Queen Cassiopeia, her husband, King Rolf, and their daughter, the young princess Y/N.