462 Protective Brother
“Weak? But my mother told me the Second Prince is not ordinary. He has the blessings of the Black Dragon so he is the strongest.”
“Even my mother said the same thing.”
“Strongest? Let me see how strong he is,” the youngest among his playmates said as he stubbornly walked towards Drayce.
“Don’t bother him—” Prince Keiren tried to stop but the other young nobles stopped him.
“Let’s watch something fun, Your Highness.”
The six-year-old boy went towards Drayce with a goofy grin. “Your Highness Prince Drayce, will you play with us? We are playing kickball.”
Before Drayce could answer, Lady Saira spoke sternly, “Which family’s child are you? Do you not know you cannot approach royalty just like this?”
“Uhh, I-I, I am the grandson of Viscount Rulf. I…I just thought the Second Prince would like to play with us…” he stammered before remembering his goal. “Kickball is fun! I am sure the Second Prince will like it too!”
“His Highness is still so small.” Lady Saira eyed the other children surrounding the First Prince. “He won’t be able to play with big boys like you.”
“Small? Even my brother is like His Highness but he still plays kickball,” the kid countered. “Or is His Highness scared?”
Before Lady Saira could say another word, Little Drayce spoke proudly, “I will play.”
“Your Highness…”
Drayce raised his hand to stop her. “I can play Saira.”
If it was just these bunch of kids, Drayce probably wouldn’t join them, but then he saw Prince Keiren playing among them. Seeing his older brother, he readily agreed.
Drayce left with those kids while Lady Saira and the other two servants stayed put to watch on the side.
“Will the Second Prince be fine, Saira?” one of the maids asked in worry. “He’s not used to being with other people…”
Lady Saira watched the little prince run with a sombre face. “I do not think it is bad. We should not isolate His Highness from his peers. Maybe he can make friends this time?”
“But when the Queen assigned playmates to His Highness before, weren’t they dismissed only after a day because they commented about his looks? You know kids are so honest they say mean things without realizing it. I am worried it will be the same this time…”
“His Highness is more mature than his age. I am sure he will handle them well. To date, he always faced them with patience and bear with the teasing. He will be fine,” Lady Saira added.
They watched the children play with Little Drayce running behind the ball along with those older boys. They could hear the voices of boys asking each other to pass the ball and cheering on any success they got at making a goal.
Soon after, several of the boys including that grandson of Viscount Rulf started targeting Little Drayce.
“Your Highness, we heard you are strong. Are you really strong?” one of the kids asked and made Drayce fall on the ground with the excuse of getting the ball from him. Drayce didn’t mind it as it was just a game and he was patient.
After that, him falling on the ground continued to happen often but Drayce was still calm which those kids didn’t like.
Prince Keiren, who was on the opposite team, was observing their antics with a frown. He didn’t like to see his brother being mistreated though he felt jealous of him. At the start, he let his jealousy take over him and let the kids trouble his brother, but the guilt inside him didn’t let him just watch it.
By the fourth time he fell, the First Prince ran to his little brother and helped him get up.
“Are you hurt?” he asked while checking on Drayce’s hands and feet.
“I am fine, brother,” Drayce replied with a toothy grin.
Prince Keiren was the splitting image of their father, King Theron, which made his brother just a smaller version of the best person in the world in Little Drayce’s mind. Not only that, on the rare times they saw each other, his older brother would shyly wave at him and sometimes give him sweets from his pocket.
He liked it a lot when his brother cared for him though they met seldomly.
“You can stop playing if you want to,” Prince Keiren suggested.
“I am fine, brother. I want to continue playing with you,” Drayce said as if the dirt covering his body didn’t exist.
“Fine, but be careful,” Prince Keiren said.
Prince Keiren approached the three main culprits who were trying to play dirty and warned them, “If any of you makes him fall again, I will make sure to punish you.”
The kids who were messing with Drayce got back to their senses upon getting warned by the First Prince.
Drayce was happy seeing how his brother was protecting him. He had already forgotten how those kids tried to hurt him, and was excited to play better so he would not disappoint his older brother.
The companions of the Second Prince felt relieved that Prince Keiren was looking after his brother.
As the game continued, no one tried to play dirty against Drayce and the game was able to finish, with the team of Prince Keiren winning. Prince Keiren then called for a short break since he was feeling hungry, and he went to the other side of the garden where his own servants were waiting. The other boys also followed him.
However, the three culprits headed by the grandson of the Viscount were isolated by the other boys due to them receiving the disapproval of the First Prince.
What was the reason why the nobles pushed their sons to get close to the First Prince? Wasn’t it to build connections? As the First Prince of Megaris, unless he dies or renounces his right to the throne, it was a given that Prince Keiren would ascend to be the Crown Prince and future King of the kingdom. That was why being his playmate was a privilege for these boys.
Their parents had repeatedly warned them to always stay on the good side of the First Prince. Now that they made a mistake, their families would surely punish them once they returned home.
However, instead of apologizing and deciding to do better, these boys redirected their anger to the source of trouble—Little Drayce.