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The joyful laughter of a child rang through the air and across the field. A young boy with the bluest eyes flushed in delight at the sound. The boy he found in his field seemed so stern and sad, and the happy smile made his heart flutter a bit. He would stumble to the ground and try to recover by offering a flower every day if only to see that smile.
It wasn’t meant to be though. The smile faded quickly, and knights came to collect the boy not long after, who left with only a glance over his shoulder. It was then that Lance realized that the boy was the Prince, and the Prince kept the flower that he offered. Even then, as a child, Lance realized that he wanted to fall in love.
It was said that the last time Prince Keith smiled was before his father died. The funeral of the King was a dreary affair, with polite condolences from the lords and ladies of the land. The common folk wept for the kind King, but took comfort in the stern figure of Queen Krolia, beautiful and fierce. The King was dead, but the Queen would not let harm come to them.
Prince Keith was of a similar nature. At the funeral, the young boy stood tall and strong. He did not cry for the father that had been taken from him far too soon. The nobles whispered that the last time the Prince smiled was when the King told him that he would be the greatest king that would ever sit upon their throne.
Only a common boy with blue eyes knew otherwise. It was a secret the Prince kept close to his heart. As the years passed by, Prince Keith grew in body and mind. He became known as a man both equally handsome and beautiful. Trained as a fierce warrior in the image of his mother, but taught to be a fair and just ruler. As far as those around him knew, the same could not be said of manners of the heart. To the world he remained closed off and cold. None were able to bring him joy enough to grin.
Not the silly Squire Matthew. Not the clever Chef Hunk. Not the absurd Academic Pidge. Not even the Prince’s closest companion and protector, Knight Shiro. None knew that he worked so hard to be strong in an attempt to protect the common folk. To protect that blue eyed boy that made him laugh as a child even in his saddest moment. To protect the boy that stole his heart at first glance.
To the world he was cold but fair, and it made people whisper. Whisper about how a king that could not smile and love was not suitable to be a king at all. Whisper about how that would lead to a tyrant.
Prince Keith did know love. He knew the love of his mother, to which he returned just as strongly. He knew the love of his country and people despite the stories about him. He knew the love of a companion from his star wolf, Kosmo. He knew the love of a brother from Shiro. He knew the fleeting love at first sight of a boy. Despite this, not the mother, nor the people, nor the wolf, nor the brother could put a smile upon the Prince’s face.
“There is humour and joy in the world,” Shiro told him one day. “There are many reasons to smile and laugh.”
“And there are more not to,” Keith responded simply. “I have no desire to smile. Even if I would want to, by now, it would be impossible.”
The Queen hired jesters and jokers. She trained the star wolf to twist on his hind legs in a dance. None could make his lips twitch in the slightest.
“I would marry the man that could make me smile,” Keith decided, mind conjuring blue eyes of a memory that ceased to fade. He longed for the companionship of a heart he briefly touched long ago, but knew he would never again meet.
And so Queen Krolia put forth a proclamation. The first man that could make the Prince smile, be he of noble or common heritage, would be his wedded husband. Many men came forward to claim their prize, but not a single one could prompt even the smallest of smiles from the Prince.
…
In a small village not too far from the castle, a young man waited in front of the old fisherman that he worked for. He denied the desire to shift from foot to foot as the old man counted the silver and bronze coins with his gnarled, dry hands.
“Lance, you are a good and honest worker,” the old man noted as he handed the young man the coins. “I have a reward for you.” He motioned to the box on the shelf. “In there, I have gold coins. You may take however many you desire. Use it for yourself and not your family.”
Lance stared at the gold coins that could easily aid him in the beginnings of his adventure. He longed to see the castle, and perhaps even gain a glance of the Prince once again. The stories spoke of his scowl, but Lance knew that he could make the Prince laugh. He had once before, and should he do it again, he might gain a husband. None had stolen his heart like those indigo eyes had long ago.
Despite this, Lance only took one coin as thanks. He could not simply take the wealth of an elderly man that needed it as much as he did.
The days that followed went similarly. The old man offered him however many gold coins he wanted as a reward for his hard work. When Lance inquired as to why, he explained that he never had such an honest worker before. Anyone else would have robbed him blind. To him, Lance deserved a reward that matched his heart of gold.
Finally, when he earned enough, he went to his parents and expressed his desire to travel to see the castle and perhaps make his Prince laugh. Though they doubted he could make the Prince smile, for no one had yet, they allowed him to go.
Along the way, he spied four mice that were stuck on a rock in the middle of a stream that flowed swiftly. Lance could swim like he was born of the sea, so he swam out to the mice and gathered them in his hands to bring them to shore.
Lance went to fill up his own water skins, but when he did, he stumbled upon his own two feet and fell right into the water. Two of his gold coins escaped his satchel and were swept away by the water. For as hardworking as he was, he was a little clumsy.
The mice suggested he use that to make the Prince smile, but Lance did not think that would work. Surely others tried as much.
Lance continued on, but stopped again when he came across the cow. The heat of the sun was too much for her, the water too far away. Lance offered her the last of his water to drink, and the cow was so grateful that she offered to take him to the castle herself. He agreed, but when he tried to climb on her back, he slipped and rolled into a field. Mud and dirt stuck to him, and he lost two more coins.
The cow suggested that he use that to make the Prince smile, but again, Lance truly did not think that would work.
They were almost to the city when they came across a massive wolf with fur like the night sky. The paw of the star wolf was stuck in a trap. Despite the deep growls of the creature, Lance released him from the trap, and ripped his satchel to wrap the wound, the last of his coins gone. As Lance worked, he explained that he wanted to go to the castle to make the Prince laugh, if only because everyone deserved to smile. He told the wolf of how he made the Prince laugh once long ago.
Lance asked for no reward, but the wolf offered some wisdom. “The Prince will see your hard working heart full of kindness and strength. Do not shy away if you see him, no matter what else may happen.” The wolf left, as if he was never there to begin with.
As they reached the city around the castle, Lance thought of the advice from the mice, the cow, and the wolf.
With no coins of any sort, Lance knew that he would have to find work for food and shelter. He was a hard worker, and was sure he could find something to do.
His journey led him to the walls of the castle, where he looked up and saw the most handsome man he ever laid eyes on. Lance knew his Prince from the small glance alone. So distracted as he was, Lance did not watch where he stepped, though the cow tried to warn him.
He stumbled, flailed, and flipped over into a cart and knocked the apples in it to the ground. He apologized to the owner of the apples and tried to clean them up, only to trip over them and fall into the trough for the horses.
As Lance spluttered and pushed himself out, his cheeks burned. He straightened his shoulders and tried to move away from the mess. Several steps were all he could take before he slipped on the wet ground beneath his feet. The cow tried to save him, but he fell down into the mud.
Lance laid there and looked up at the walls around the castle. His Prince was still there and had seen the entire thing. The man who worked hard all his life did all that he could do in the situation. He pointed his index fingers at his Prince, smiled his flirty smile, and said, loud enough for him to hear, “Hi. I’m Lance, and I think I’ve fallen for you.”
There was a long silence as his Prince stared at him, before his lips curved upward, and a loud, joyous laugh rang from his throat. It was a beautiful sound, deep and merry just as he remembered. Lance felt blessed to hear it again. Then it hit him. He made his Prince laugh.
Knight Shiro came to fetch him, and allowed him but a moment to clean up his messy appearance. He was then led to his Prince.
“You are even more beautiful than I remember,” Lance blurted out upon meeting the Prince.
Another smile rose up on the Prince’s face. “You’ve found me again. I’m glad. I thought of you when I proposed that I marry the first man that made me laugh.” Prince Keith stared at him with interest. “My star wolf tells me that you saved him without demanding a reward. You had a good heart years ago, and you continue to now. Would you desire to be my husband?”
The hearts of two young boys united years ago in a brief moment of laughter. They would continue to grow together in love, and strength, and joy, and laughter. It was not a hard choice to make. “Yes.”
The first time Lance kissed him, in the gardens and beneath the stars, Keith knew that he made the right choice to wait for the man that made him laugh. The man who kept him honest and prevented him from becoming lazy and unfair.
Their wedding day was a joyous affair, and Queen Krolia nearly wept at the way her son smiled the entire day.
With Lance in his life, Keith smiled and laughed every day from that day forth.