Chapter Text
Once upon a time there was a king named William who ruled a large and mighty kingdom, but he was very sad because he was growing old and had no child to inherit the throne. Then, happily, a son was born. A prince. And he was given the named Genim. Kings and queens came from all over the land. Among them were Queen Uberta and her young son Prince Derek.
---
“Ugh, stop shoving me, Laura!” squeaked Derek.
“Shhh, Derek.” Laura was only seven but even she knew her mother would be upon them in an instant if they caused a scene during the celebration of the one year old. Laura smiled at the tiny, cooing baby. “Here,” Laura held up a locket in her hand, “give this to the baby.”
Derek looked at the locket warily. The four year old wasn’t sure what kind of a game this was, but he snatched the locket from her hand. Very slowly he went up on his tiptoes, looking into the cradle before deciding to dangle the locket near the baby’s outstretched hands. The baby instantly gurgled and a huge smile erupted on Derek’s face.
The moment was not lost on King William or Queen Uberta. Their eyes met across the room as both stumbled upon the idea of how perfect a match it would be. Queen Uberta was already aware that one of her children would most likely be betrothed to a member of the royal family of the Argent kingdom. That marriage would ensure peace and strengthen the unstable truce they had between them. Queen Uberta smiled at the prospect of a possible marriage between Genim and one of her children, as it would join the two neighboring kingdoms into one.
But unknown to all was an evil enchanter. Genim’s birth was of little concern to him, for he was planning on taking William’s kingdom by the means of evil arts. On the eve of the enchanter’s assault, King William attacked and the enchanter’s powers were plunged into darkness.
Despite calls for his death, King William only banished him.
Before leaving, the enchanter proclaimed, “One day I will get my powers back. And when I do, everything you own, everything you love, will be mine” the enchanter threatened, but the king stood firm in his decision of exile. Many feared King William too kind.
---
Prince Genim leaned his head against his father. The horse his father and he were riding was trotting along at an amiable pace, but the six year old wanted the horse to go faster.
“Father, can we go back to the boat? This horse is too slow.” Genim pouted.
The small child had instantly loved the voyage across the sea, but his father refused to let him get too close to the rails, holding his hand to keep him from running across the deck. When Genim saw the horse, he had been delighted until his father insisted he ride with him, unsure if his son would be safe riding alone. Genim grew sleepy from the horse riding. His father had been insistent that he be on his best behavior when they arrived, urging him to remember all his manners, but all Genim wanted to do was jump and run and play. Genim begged his father to make the horse move faster, but King William only laughed and hugged Genim closer.
Soon enough the castle appeared and Genim heard a trumpet blowing to announce their arrival at the castle. Genim’s eyes grew wide as they entered the castle gates, having never been to the home of another royal family before. King William gently lifted Genim off the horse before greeting the Hales.
“Aw, Uberta, lovely as ever.” Genim watched his father speak casually to the queen before his eyes set on her son. “And who might this strapping young lad be? Young Prince Derek no doubt.”
Derek looked up to see his mother smiling, and rolled his eyes. Derek hated the performance she always seemed eager to display in the proximity of other royals. Derek saw no point in the forced pleasantries. Laura politely curtsied and was easily excused to her chambers. Derek growled that she was able to flee so soon.
“Welcome, King William, and to you young prince.” Queen Uberta continued smiling, brushing her hand against Derek’s shoulder. “Well, go on Derek. Dear go on” Derek saw Prince Genim’s apprehension and he immediately decided he did not want to be friends with him. Pouting, Derek turned his face towards his mother’s dress and resisted her attempts to make him greet Genim.
“Mother!”
“Derek!” Uberta harshly whispered.
Derek huffed as he quickly walked up to Genim.
“Hello Prince Genim. I’m very pleased to meet you.” Derek gritted out, annoyed that the nine year old had to be friends with someone so much younger. Genim linked his hands behind his back as he watched Derek.
“Pleased to meet you, Prince Derek.”
Genim bowed, but Derek instantly turned around and marched back to his mother, his cloak hitting Genim in the face as he spun around. Genim cupped his cheek in surprise, not comprehending Derek’s curtness.
“Uh uh uh” Derek’s mother rebuked as she wagged her finger. Derek turned around, looking up at the sky in embarrassment. He walked back over to Genim before he took Genim’s hand and placed a kiss upon it.
“Yuck!”
Of all the rules his mother had told him, this was by far the worst. Being nine years old and having to babysit a six year old for the entire summer seemed like the worst idea ever. But when he was told he had to kiss Genim’s hand, his young life seemed over. If Genim was supposed to be his friend, why did he have to kiss him? He only ever saw the adults kiss when they were married or betrothed. And as far as formalities went, he rarely saw friends kiss each other. Unless they were, as his mother had once said “a suitable match.” Derek groaned, realizing that this could only mean bad news.
Derek had sulked for weeks, upset that we wouldn’t be able to wrestle, hunt, or fox with Genim—not if Genim was supposed to marry him. Girls didn’t do that kind of stuff, and Derek had already decided to categorize Genim in that group. Well Laura did all those things, but Laura was different. She bossed him around, older and smarter. But Derek would have to have a dull summer with this dull boy. Genim would probably be just like all of the girls he had met—though in truth he never gave the girls a chance. But he assumed that all—with the exception of Laura—must be silly, with only marriage on their mind. This would be the worst summer ever.
He looked at Genim harshly, but apparently Genim was not as pleased with the arrangement either as he quickly jumped to a fighting poise with fists raised. Derek quickly jumped back in shock before crossing his hands over his chest and puffing air out.
This wasn’t his idea of fun.
---
Queen Uberta urged Derek to take Genim along with him to play. Derek had rushed back to his room as fast as possible, but when he turned around Genim was standing right beside him, albeit a little out of breath.
“What kind of a name is Genim anyways? Genim Stilinski.” Derek watched as the little boy looked back at him curiously. “It sounds dumb.”
Genim narrowed his eyes again before his nose crinkled up. Derek watched the anger wash away and a smile lit Genim’s face. “I don’t like it either. Nobody ever says my name right. Even you said it wrong.” Stiles pointed a finger at Derek. “But I like ‘Stiles’ better. And my father says I can be called whatever I want.”
Stiles surveyed Derek’s room before running to Derek’s toy chest and grabbing a wooden sword. Stiles looked at Derek eagerly. Derek paused. Stiles should have been upset with him. Derek had been certain that Stiles would go away once Derek teased him about his name. Derek did not understand the little boy’s easy forgiveness.
“Can we play pirates? I know all about them! My dad has these amazing books in this huge library and some have stories about pirates and buried treasure. And they sail ships! We we’re on a ship. Me and my dad. But we didn’t see any pirates.” Stiles spun around, grabbing at the air to keep himself steady. “You know, some of the pirates even…” Stiles looked around furtively, “kill people. My father never lets me read those stories, but they’re all there in the history books in the library. I find them anyway, but father doesn’t know.”
Derek looked at Stiles tentatively before he grabbed another wooden sword. Derek wasn’t sure how to handle Stiles. Not at all. If he played along, Stiles would think they were friends, and then Stiles would tag along behind him everywhere. Stiles already seemed at ease here. Better to stop that friendship as quickly as possible.
“Do you even know how to play? You seem a bit girly,” Derek sneered.
“I know how to play!” Stiles quipped, a hint of anger in the response.
“Are you sure? For being raised by your father, you sure don’t act anything like him” Derek taunted, attempting to provoke the boy.
Stiles’ face fell and his shoulders momentarily slouched as if he had been struck. Derek regretted his harsh tone, but Stiles spoke up. “Huh, well I bet you don’t know how to play anyways.” Stiles walked around the room looking pointedly at the floor “Where’s your dad? I heard from my nurse that a great animal attacked him. What could you have learned from him?”
Both Derek and Stiles remained still. Derek vision became blurry. His father had recently passed away, and the circumstances were all still a little fuzzy. He had been killed by a great beast during a hunting outing, but no animal had been captured. Quickly Derek’s sadness turned to anger and he lunged at Stiles with the sword. It probably wasn’t the best idea to attack a younger child, but Derek really couldn’t care.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Stiles realized his mistake. He wrung his hands remembering that his dad told him over and over to be nice to Derek and to not say anything about the dead king. Stiles knew all about having one parent, even if he was only six years old. But years of teasing about not having a mom had given him firsthand experience on how to make someone cry. Before Stiles could work up an apology, he saw Derek lunging toward him, swinging the wooden sword dangerously close. Stiles jumped and fell to the floor before he crawled between Derek’s legs and ran out the door. Derek caught up and was about to grab Stiles, but Stiles threw his arm back and hit Derek’s side with the sword.
“Oww!” Derek groaned in pain and hugged his side, but he refused to let Stiles get away that easily. Derek saw Laura peek her head out from her room, and he growled again in frustration, knowing that Laura would want to know what happened. Instead, Derek broke off in a sprint, eager to avoid an interrogation from his sister. Derek finally caught up with Stiles on the stairs. “Get back here right now!”
Stiles turned around and Derek smirked in triumph, but his happiness was cut short when Stiles stuck his leg out and tripped Derek. Derek missed the last three steps and landed on the floor with a harrumph.
Stiles smirked and jumped up and down in triumph before his smile stretched across his face and he decided to pounce on Derek. The wind was knocked out of Derek, and he covered his face with his hands as Stiles started attacking, hitting Derek’s head. Derek grabbed Stiles’ neck before he realized their parents were in the same room; however, King William and his mother had not seemed to notice them yet. If his mother saw Derek fighting with Stiles, he knew he would be severely punished. Derek turned over in order to stand up and avoid anymore attacks, but apparently Stiles was not as concerned with getting in trouble, as he delivered a swift punch to the back of Derek’s head. Derek reached behind to hit Stiles but was stopped by his sister’s sudden burst of laughter.
“Derek! Why are you fighting with our guest?” Laura tilted her head in bemusement. Leaning forward, she outstretched a hand to Stiles. Stiles still had his hand clenched in a fist, but when he looked up at Laura his fist quickly dropped. Stiles’ face glowed with happiness as he reached up to shake her hand.
“Hi! I’m Stiles.”
“Hello, Stiles. I’m Laura.” Laura smirked down at Derek. “Is my brother bothering you?” Stiles looked down at Derek before shrugging his shoulders and making a noncommittal noise. Laura smiled down at Stiles and led him toward the gardens. Derek was appalled. Sure Stiles wasn’t his friend, but that didn’t mean anyone could go around taking him away from him. Stiles was supposed to be his guest and his responsibility. Derek leaped up and followed them close behind, shoulders hunched over once he reached them.
“Laura! What are you doing? He’s my guest!” Derek whined.
“Last time I checked, you’re not supposed to have fights with your guests.”
“He started it!” At this point Derek managed to get in front of Stiles. “You know what you did! Tell her!” Derek jabbed a finger at the little boy’s chest, but Derek did not expect to see Stiles’ doe eyes fill with tears or his mouth pout and tremble, nor did he expect Stiles to grab onto Laura’s leg and start sobbing uncontrollably and mumbling incoherently into her dress. Laura looked at Derek harshly.
“What did you do, Derek?”
Derek looked affronted. “Me? I-I-I didn’t do anything!”