Prince

He sighed, staring out of one of the large windows in the ballroom at the bustling city below. The large room was empty at that moment, leaving the Prince to his thoughts.

It was lonely, waiting in line for the throne. He was constantly nonplussed by the foreign princesses he met at balls, none of whom seemed interesting enough for him to wed. Why else would he have to meet them all, after all? A king needs a queen if he is to continue the royal lineage.

He sighed again. Everything seemed more interesting in the city beyond the palace walls. He frequently imagined what it would be like to go down there, to explore like a normal person. He wasn't completely oblivious to the general rules of common society. He figured he knew enough to keep from making a scene or getting into trouble. The only problem was he never had a chance to escape, even just for a few hours.

The door at the opposite end of the room opened subtly.

"Your Highness?"

"Yes, Isaac?" He did not turn to face the butler.

"The King and Queen have departed for Rivia."

Departed. They were gone...

"Thank you, Isaac."

With a bow, the butler exited the room once more.

Only seconds later, the Prince was sneaking his way back to his room, forcing the smile off of his face. With everyone in the palace still distracted with the departure of his parents, this was the perfect moment for him to slip away.

In his room, he got his disguise out from its hiding place-- clothing simple enough to pass as commoner's garb. Quickly, he changed, knowing that each second he took was another closer to the close of his window of opportunity. The moment he was done, confident he looked enough like a commoner rather than a prince, he snuck back outside, hurrying quietly towards the nearest exit.

To his amazement, he was soon bathed in direct sunlight having seen not one soul on his way out. A smile crossed his face, and he hurried off towards the city.

It was just as fantastic as he had hoped. The marketplace was full of people bartering and making trades, sales, and purchases. The smells of spices and freshly prepared foods pervaded the air, making his mouth water. Everyone looked different, unique, with so many variations between them all that his head began to spin trying to process it all. He simply walked around, taking everything in as discreetly as possible.