Duty and Sacrifice [ tag: Prince Philip and King Stefan? ]

The Queen didn't look at her son during the way back to the castle. Once they reach it and they walked in the empty throne room she took a deep breath and turned to face her son. This time she didn't look angry -yet she was a bit upset- but showing a bit of more disappointment in her gaze.
"Well, will you be nice enough to explain?" she said with a serious tone, she knew Philip was a good young man, she knew him but sometimes he forgot the limits and crossing the limits was the problem.

Philip stayed quiet the whole way back to the palace, occasionally glancing sideways up at his mother, his stomach twisting nervously. When they arrived back at the palace and entered the throne room, Philip stopped when his mother did, feeling very awkward. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously then held his hands in front of him, mostly to keep them steady, but kept his face calm. "I don't want to marry the princess," he said steadily. "I want to be able to choose the woman I marry, and what I do with my life." He released his hands, all his emotions rising inside him and his eyes pleading with his mother to listen.

Queen Leah looked at all the movements her son made, eventually she ended up meeting Philip's eyes in order to listen him as he spoke. She widened her eyes in surprise for his words, she was expecting to hear them some time but she wasn't prepared of what day, "You took a while" she said in a low tone as she saw her son.
The queen sighed as she looked at the ground for a moment, "Philip, you are the prince of Nirethia, heir of the throne, you know that dear, you have to accomplish your duties, and if in your duties says to marry Princess Cinderella, you must, not to mention that you haven't even met her" the queen began to say in her usual compassionate tone, she understood her son in all the senses in that moment but she was a queen as well.
"Is it all because of that girl?" she asked knowing the answer already it was obvious.

[Occ: I will wait to step in until you two have "finished" what you're talking about teheh]

((YAY!!! DADDY!!! I mean, oh no....))

"Exactly," Philip exclaimed, gesturing to his mother. "I haven't met this girl. I don't know what she's like. Sure, she could be nice enough, and maybe I might like her. But she could be really horrible, and rude, and I may end up hating her." He was pacing now, and talking with his hands, not looking into his mother's eyes. It helped him to get these things off his chest if it felt like he was just talking to himself.

He stopped though and turned to look at his mother again when she brought up Jasmine. His heart beat quickened just at the thought of her. "This isn't just about Jasmine," he said defensively. "I've been feeling this way ever since you told me I was betrothed to someone I didn't know." He was almost glaring at his mother now(But not quite. It was his mother), and he had his arms crossed against his chest. "I've had enough with this 'my duties' speech," he said, throwing his hands in the air, exasperated. "Why can't I decide what my duties and responsibilities are?" he asked as he put his hands on his hips angrily.

(( oh my loove XD Philip don't avoid your mother's gaze!))

Queen Leah shook her head trying not to laugh, it wasn't because of disrespect, it was because of everything and how some memories came back to her. "There's only one way to find out about that Philip, and that is by getting to know her. Do not judge her yet." she said looking at his son and how he couldn't handle his stance as before.

The queen then looked at him compassionately and sighed, she walked towards him and crossed her hand through Philip's hair ending up on his cheek in order for him to face her eyes. "Because you were born destined into one of the biggest jobs anyone can think of Philip. By being prince you have more than duties, you have a responsibility and a link to the people of your land, your people" she said giving him a saddened smile, "People think is easy but it's not, sure we are born in a luxurious world but that's not what matters, what matters are the sacrifices we must make in order to bring peace and order in the kingdom, you have no idea my son how much I understand you right now" she said as she placed her hand on Philip's chin, "But you must understand that your duties are more than that...sometimes we must even sacrifice our lives for not just a good cause, but for a better and prosperous age...sometimes we must forget what we want, stop being selfish and think on what is best for everyone"

Philip let his mother hold his face, knowing better than to fight her hold, at least, until the end of her speech. As she finished speaking, Philip felt his anger and frustration build up again and shook his head out of the queen's hand, turning his gaze to the ground. "Surely I can take care of the people and the kingdom with a wife of my own choosing." He looked back up at his mother and crossed his arms, a hint of a pout on his lips. "Why must it be a princess I don't even know?" he asked tiredly. "Or you know, Anya could just take the throne and I could live my life how I want to," he suggested. "I'm sure she'd do just as well as I would as far as ruling the kingdom goes."

The Queen blinked a bit in surprise as the prince rejected somewhat her hand in the end, she listened to him widening her eyes the more Philip spoke, this discussion was definitely breathtaking for her. She took long on answer because she had to debate weather to answer as a mother or as queen.
"You are the heir, always the first born, even if you weren't about to become king you still had your duties as prince, there's no escape on who you are, and what you must do. Besides an arranged marriage is something more than just a deal, it doesn't only brings more territory but peace between two kingdoms, if there is a disagreement because you don't want to marry her do you realize it could even cost a war? With your marriage we will gain allies as well, try to understand" she said placing a hand in her chest and thinking for a moment, "You must do this Philip, for the sake of the kingdom, for everyone, I know this is something you're hating but trust me, it won't be as bad as you think, give the princess a chance, and start being the man I know you are"

Philip let out an angry huff as he crossed his arms and looked off to the side of the room. "What if the princess doesn't want to marry me? Then can we call it off?" he suggested, somewhat as joke, but with real hope in his eyes as he looked back up at the queen. He had been told when he was young that his eyes were powerful, that he could get people to do things just by looking them in the eyes with his 'charming gaze.' Philip didn't know if it was true, but he always tried. "And Anya and I are the same age," he pointed out triumphantly. "Why can't she be the heir?" he asked, not entirely serious, but still hopeful. It wasn't like he hadn't asked these things before, because he had. He knew all their reasons and excuses, but he couldn't just give in and accept them, especially not now.

((I just think he would have those amazing eyes...>.<I couldn't think of any better arguments for him. You're good. ))

(( DON'T GIVE IN PHILLIP! FIIGGHHTTT!!! XDDD *goes back to lurking* ))

The Queen smiled saddened looking at the roof, "It would depend really" she said thinking that even if that was the case she could at least try to talk to Cinderella's parents, after talking with her husband of course.
She then noticed the way Philip started to look at her, oh no, the charming gaze, she thought. "No! Do not look at me that way Philip!" she scowled slightly frowning, she was well aware he had an intense stare but she was his mother she knew when to look away and besides a queen, she couldn't be manipulated.
"Philip, even if you are the same age I am well aware who was born first" queen Leah said with a small grin, "I had to be there" she added trying to joke of it, but think that perhaps she would fail. She stared at her son, feeling an urge to go with him, and hug him, and tell him to follow his heart. But she had a duty as well, and the agreement was made,"You are hating all of us right now aren't you?" she asked feeling pain in her chest for causing such misfortune to her own son.

(( He is good xD you are really good too, you always make me think on how to reply to you bravo! :3 Jasmine! oh my! sssshhhhh you are no queen nor a princess so argument invalid! XD-joking I still like you- ))

((Oh Bri. I'LL NEVER GIVE UP OUR LOVE!!!! XD And thank you Lily. I do try.))

Philip smiled triumphantly as the queen looked away, but it fell as he sighed deeply and looked at the ground as his mother's question ran through his brain a few times. "You are hating all of us right now aren't you?" "Mother. I could never hate you." He walked closer to his mother to hold her shoulders, giving her a small, reassuring half-smile. "Or father for that matter," he added, dropping his hands. "I just-I feel like I have no say in this. In any of this stuff. This stuff that makes up my life." As he spoke, he messaged his temples with one hand, the other on his hip, but he still maintained eye contact with his mother.

Of the two of his parents, Philip hated fighting with his mother more. She was his mother, she raised him, took care of him when he was sick or hurt. His father was The King, always. He sighed again and went to sit on a step leading up to the King and Queen's thrones, leaning his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands as he looked at the ground.

((I saw how my sister and her rp partners rp. I felt so bad about myself. They like write several paragraphs. It's intimidating. ))

The queen looked at her beloved son as he spoke with his reassuring smile, she tried to smile as well, but how could she if Philip was being miserable in a way? She took his hand for a second when it was placed in one of her shoulders, but he soon drop his hand. Personally the queen hated to argue with any of her children, and seeing Philip this way broke her heart slowly.
Queen Leah took a moment to stare at Philip sitting in one step, a faint smile appeared as she remembered that little boy who used to complain about doing his lessons, of wanting to go outside and play instead of reading the whole library. She walked towards her son and sat at his side, she passed a hand through the back of his hair, stroking it gently, her free hand placed in one of his arms and slowly began to rub him, "Come here" she said as she opened her arms to hug him like she always did when he was scared or sad, "Come, I'll tell you a secret"
She was a queen true, but first she was a mother.

((d'aww you two XD and really? xD don't be afraid you're really good if you want we both can try to write a novel? XD ))

((YES!!! Let's write a novel!!! It's just so hard sometimes.))

Philip stayed in the position he was in when his mother came over to sit next to him, glancing up only slightly at her over his shoulder. He sat up and smirked when she offered a hug to him, remembering many times when he had been in this same place. He turned so that his leg was bent on the step and returned his mother's hug, leaning his head on her shoulder, turning it to face away from her. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, just take in the feeling of his mother's embrace and remember that she did love him and wasn't just trying to make his life miserable.

"Come, I'll tell you a secret"

Philip opened his eyes again and turned his head to look at the queen's face, leaning slightly out of the hug to see her face. He leaned out of the hug and put on an over-excited smile as he clapped his hands on his legs. "OO. A secret? Do tell." He then leaned on his hands, his elbows on his knees, like he was listening intently. Joking around helped him deal with stressful and frustrating situations, it was his coping mechanism.

(( yeaaah hard yet not impossible ))

The Queen smiled by seeing his son willing to hug her back, once she felt his head on her shoulder sha placed a hand on his cheek touching slightly with one of her fingers to Pilip´s hair, and began to rub his back.
Because of their positions the queen could freely close her eyes and erase her smile. She was proud of Philip, she was glad he spoke his mind, she loved him as her other children. But soon she would give them all, they had to live their lives eventually, in Philip´s case a new woman would appear in front of her eyes. Personally the queen would never find another woman good enough for him, weather is a princess from another kingdom or a woman from the wonderland dancers.

As she saw him react quite excited the queen simply shook her head, looking at him made her even doubt to tell him, "What I´m going to tell you, is a secret between mother and son" she explain to him because even if they already argued she feared that her secret would bring another one- She leaned closer so Philip could hear her whisper, "I was just like you when I found out I would have to marry your father back when I was a girl" she confessed with a grin. Right now that thought was funny for her.

(sorry if I took long on replying...you are just that good )

(( That's true. And I am so good. XD))

Philip's face became more serious when his mother whispered to him, and he looked at the ground, concentrating on what she was saying. When she finished, he turned his face up to look at his mother, his face exuding a mixture of both light shock and intrigue. "Your secret is safe with me," he assured her warmly, his eyes softening as he met hers and took her hands in his, giving them a light squeeze. He sat there like that for a couple seconds before looking down nervously at their hands, playing with them a bit. "So, when exactly did you warm up to the idea? I mean, how long did it take you to fall for dad?" he asked shyly, honestly curious. Hearing that his mother could really understand where he was coming from, it filled him with hope, hope that somehow, he could get things to go the way he wanted.

(( Oh the modest of you ))

"Once I met him really", she answered with honesty, "Let me tell you a story" she said looking at Philip.
Queen Leah smiled gently as she saw Philip´s expression much calm and soften, a grin appeared when she felt him slightly playing with her hands, she just let him do it. She then looked to a side remembering the event, " I was desperate and pretty upset" she began to explain turning to Philip´s gaze, "I was younger than you in that time, I was tired of the rules, of always doing what everyone told me and expected from me back then, just like you. I am not a puppet, I used to repeat to myself. One day I actually run to town, it was way before coming to Nirethia" she said actually grinning about it, who could actually believe that coming from the queen?
"While hiding in town I realized many things, I saw the people, some of them were very dependant from others, and some needed hope. Pretty similar here, and I realized that by doing this I could avoid a dispute, I could avoid a war...I could protect those people, I would have the power to help them, and even if it was with a complete stranger even if it wasn´t the man I chose, I had a choice" she said looking at her son, "I could disappoint everyone and lose all the power I could gain to help those people that needed me, or accept my responsibility and this fate -meaning to finally grow up- to actually gain the power for my people. It would be for them. I originally saw my marriage as a way to help and protect my people" she said realizing she had been talking too much, she stroke Philip´s hair again and added, "But by the time I met your father and I actually got to know him I saw through the royal robes a man not so different from my people, I saw him as my equal, another prince who had gone through the same rules and couldn´t choose as well, but I couldn´t help it...I just fell in love with him and couldn´t imagine my life with anyone else, for many years I thought he would disgust me, or that I wouldn´t even like him but it turn all way around" she finished looking at her son. She then realized that probably between all her talking she ended making it worse, "I loved your father since the moment I met him, and I loved my people and I actually got a chance to help them in what they needed".
"I perhaps am boring you, or probably I didn´t say what you wanted to hear, but trust my words when I say that I know how suffocating it can turn, but when you give your heart to others, such as your people or your family..." queen Leah sighed and looked at him, "Besides Philip, either if you choose your wife or in this case you don´t, I still believe that there is no woman good enough for you at all, I raised you, played with you and listened to you and and will always love you, you must know that, and so does your father, you must not forget it, he just...is hard for him to show it but it´s true"

((there´s your novel? D: ))

((Oh I'm so humble. ))

Philip watched his mother as she spoke for a little while, before turning his gaze to the floor and holding his hands between his knees as he leaned his arms on his legs. Every once in a while he would crack a small half smile whenever his mother brought up a similarity between them, but for the most part his face was serious as he took in everything his mother was saying. He only looked back up at the queen as she neared the end of her story, and began running her fingers soothingly through his hair. There was a vulnerability in Philip's eyes as he processed the information he had just received.

"Do you think," he started to ask, pausing for a moment and letting out a small sigh as he looked back to the ground, reforming the question, "Is it possible to be in love with more than one person?" He looked up at his mother once again, an innocence in his eyes. "or is there only one person for everyone? Can you make yourself love someone? Or can it not be forced? Or is love just an illusion and you are never really in love with anyone?" He was rambling now, spilling out question after question. This is what happened when he got nervous, once you got past his surface layer of jokes and flirting, he rambled and stuttered and re-phrased things over and over again. He looked at the ground, elbows on his legs, and ran his hands furiously through his hair, totally flustered, a rarity for him but people close to him could bring it out.

((Now to get this all published...))

(( LoL Come to Momma Now :3 ))

The Queen blinked for a moment as she listened and looked at her son. Philip's frustration was obvious, and his questions were quite similar, she looked a bit sad by seeing him like this. She knew how hard it used to be to follow rules but she got used to it, though that didn't mean she didn't understand.

Queen Leah took a moment before answer, a faint smile appeared and soon vanished. She placed a hand on Philip's back near his heart in order to calm him down for a bit, she was glad they were alone, that was another bad thing, how most of the times there wasn't privacy. But not right now, they had all privacy they could get.

"I believe son, that love is a mystery..." she said in a calm voice as she was trying to find the right words, "One could spend a lifetime trying to resolve all those questions, but in the end it is what it is...it's...magic that happens to everyone at some point. It comes from a hopeless place to the most unexpected time weather is with family, a lover, a pet, friends...a stranger or even a place..." she added gently, "Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Of course it is, because love will never be the same, it's...like the water Philip. It's never steady, sometimes it comes as a storm...and sometimes it comes as a deep lake...or like a river with different ways the one in a way or another choose to take"

(( Loool yeaaah! we need an agent xD ))

Philip let out a deep sigh as his mother rested her hand on his back and focused on keeping his breathing slow and calm. He looked up at her sideways as she spoke, his eyes growing sadder the more she spoke. This wasn't exactly the answer he had been hoping for. He needed answers, help, something to guide him and tell him what to do. "But," he paused, sighing again quietly, trying to phrase his question correctly. "Do you think someone could be in love with more than one person? Like how you love father? Or is that only a one person/one time thing?" he asked, desperation in his voice and eyes. What if she said it was only a one time thing, and Jasmine was his? How could he marry this princess then? His head was pounding and his hands for sweating from the stress and tension he felt, but he ignored it and waited for his mother's reply.

The Queen smiled and hold a laughter that was invading her, she knew exactly what he meant and she knew exactly what she said. She knew it perfectly she just needed some time to actually gave him the right answer to such question. Queen Leah soon turned serious as she blinked and turned her gaze at Philip while rubbing his back softly.
"I think...that maybe you meet two people and develop just crushes, but your feelings are so strong that you're easily confuse making someone question if it's in love with two people, but in the end it's up to us to choose the one we believe, no the one we're sure it's the right one" she answered and then paused for a moment, "I think, that if you fall for someone, and then meet somebody else and you fall for that other person as well and now you're questioning yourself, logically you should probably choose the second option, because ...if the first option was the right one...why you doubt and fell in love with the second option?" she added calmly. In her mind the second option was the princess, but was it the case of her son? Time could only tell.

Philip nodded his head lightly and looked at his hands that dangled above the ground as he listened and took in what his mother was saying. So maybe what he felt for Sara was just a crush? And maybe he was in love with Jasmine? "How-" he cleared his throat as he rubbed his hands nervously, "How did you know you were in love with father? Like, what did it feel like to be in love?" He looked up at his mother only slightly, and only from the side of his eyes, nervous.