kerwyn + Humphrey

(#8 Cursed Ship Name) The key ship is the key to my heart. ❤️🔑

;; Only Time Will Tell ( Ch 1 )

Pairing: King Eckbert/Queen Erin Words: 537 Chapter: 1/? Summary: Taking place before The False Prince, Jaron is found after the pirate attack. -- King Eckbert faces a difficult decision.

“My hands are tied, there isn’t an option in the world that gives me all my desires, let alone even one of my desires--and, worst of all, I can’t distinguish which one to pursue.” Pleading eyes found their way over to the High Chamberlain as if he had any advice to give. The King kept pace along the floorboards, his hands behind his back as anxious energy permeated the room.

“Sire--”

Eckbert’s worry was rooted deep into the crevasses of his face. After a moment of letting his thoughts hang in the air, his feet abruptly turned themselves to the door without warning, “I should at least tell Erin--” 

Before he could pull the handle open, a hand stopped him gently.

“Your Majesty, there isn’t a cage in the world that could hold your son nor foe that could outwit that incorrigible child. He is much too clever and brash for his age, with all due respect; your son will live his life with the same passion he has always had, much to the chagrin of those he will meet. I have no fears regarding that.”

The King looked down, furrowing his brows as he allowed himself to finally take in a breath. “We found him, Joth,” he said barely above a whisper, “we found him…” he trailed off, wringing his hands together. “I can’t leave him out to the wolves--he was never meant to live like a fugitive, he never should’ve had to live like a fugitive--he’s a prince, for saint’s sake!” Though there was anger in his tone, his misty eyes gave him away. 

Eckbert sighed, closing his eyes as he continued. “He might be clever, and he certainly can be brash, but he grew up in a palace of all places, not the streets of Avenia. His mouth will only get him whipped, his tricks will only delay the inevitable.” He faced the floor with a hard look, his cynicism taking its toll. “You can’t possibly think he’s prepared for a life such as that? He’s only a boy, Joth--there must be something more we can do for him? What if… what if he slips up--” Kerwyn put his hand on Eckbert’s shoulders, a stoic expression resting solidly on his features. 

“He won’t slip up, Your Majesty,” though his words spoke of confidence, his eyes held the same fear. It was unprecedented to leave a legitimate heir out in the cold with only the shirt on their back and the training that prepared them for a life of luxury rather than the hard lessons life often threw at those below a certain means. If their gamble were to ultimately fail--if they truly lost Jaron to the storm, the ruse discovered without a safety net in place--was any of this facade worth the years they would deprive him of? If the fate of the kingdom came to the young prince, would he hold malice in his heart and turn his back on the kingdom who left him to fend for himself or would he rise above it all--leading the kingdom into a new age of peace and prosperity?

Only time would tell--and time never told its secrets.