Chapter Text
A loud thud woke Astro from his slumber. He would groggily open his eyes to a view of the high ceiling, covered in a multitude of strung-up stars. They danced between gusts of wind, welcomed inside by the open window. His brow furrowed from the sunlight that shone directly in his eyes.
He raised his arm, dragging a sluggish hand down his face. He had a loose grasp on his surroundings, but the moon became fully conscious when the loud thud repeated for a second time. Astro turned his head to the doorway.
“Astro, please, it’s been fifteen minutes! You must make it to the dining hall at once!” A voice called out from the hallway.
His half-lidded eyes widened instantly. “Oh, yes, alright! Of course! My apologies!” Astro sputtered, quickly rushing to sit upright. His hands raised to feel his nightcap. Before anything, he made sure to adjust the cap neatly.
He stepped down from his soft, cloud-like bed, his body aching with soreness from a terrible night’s sleep. Astro fought to balance himself as he began to walk towards the dressing room. He absentmindedly placed a hand on his cheek, holding his weary head upright. Oh no. I’m warm. Am I running a fever? Surely not.
Astro slipped out of his linen pajamas, folding and laying them on a wooden cabinet. He perused his clothes, which were on hangers and lined up in rows. After a long two seconds, he picked out his favorite wool shawl, with faux fur lining the hem. He knew that this was distasteful attire in the eyes of everyone else, but he was too exhausted to ponder on that fact.
He put on a long-sleeve lilac tunic with a frilled collar and sleeves beneath his shawl. He tucked the hem of his shirt into his cashmere pants, which were embroidered with assorted shapes of flowers and stars. These were not his favorites, but he reluctantly accepted this and moved on.
He walked out of his dressing room, brushing off his clothes and walking over to his vanity. He had an assortment of nightcaps lined up on hooks, varying in length. Astro looked over the different kinds, unsure which to wear.
Astro finally picked up one of the nightcaps, which was speckled with embroidered white stars. He rested it on his forehead. The fur lining tickled his cheeks lightly, but fashion mattered more than comfort. The moon took a glance into his mirror, the reflection then catching his attention. A dark circle underlined his eye, his lack of sleep responsible for this.
A disgruntled groan left him. Ohh no… What are they gonna think of me? His eyebrow upturned nervously, but he had to worry about making it on time. If anyone questioned his appearance, he’d just say it was because of his studying. Lots, and lots of late-night studying.
Astro reassured himself that everything was in order, from his outfit to the way he presented himself to the people. He cracked a smile in the mirror, and it appeared weaker than intended. The moon raised his hands to his face, exasperatedly covering his features.
It’s fine. It’ll be okay. It’s easy, just sit at a table, and think about something else.
He exhaled tiredly, his arms dropping back to his sides. Astro made his way over to his doorway, gripping the door in his hands. He looked back at his room, wishing he could lie down and get just a few more minutes of sleep.
Astro reluctantly entered the winding hallway. His shoes settled into the velvet carpet. His figure was slightly hunched over, and he yawned restlessly. He began to gradually recall the errands he had to run today.
Visit the garden, greet the visitors from distant kingdoms, and arrive at the ceremony…
The nerves returned instantaneously, a pit settling in his stomach. Astro took his time walking down the corridor, trying to delay the feeling of impending doom that settled in his chest. He examined the plants, the looming curtains that hung from the ceiling, and the maid who was cleaning to the right of him.
He thought to be respectful and say hello to her, but part of him wanted to keep walking. It’d be embarrassing if I walked by and she noticed me. But I could also walk past and she may not notice me.
“Hello Tisha,” He reluctantly greeted her, cracking the same weak smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.
The tissuebox turned to him, instinctively curtsying at his presence. Her eyebrows raised in shock that she was being spoken to by the prince. “Why, greetings, your highness! What can I do for you?”
“Nothing at all, I just wanted to say hello,” Astro spoke amiably. He fidgeted with his hands incessantly, looking Tisha up and down. He tried so hard to distract himself from the apprehension that gnawed at him, resorting to making small talk with the people he met along his walk.
“...Are you sure you didn’t need anything?” Tisha examined his face. His brow furrowed in anxiousness, and the corners of his mouth tugged down into a slight grimace. His eye was half-lidded, the dark circle underneath highlighting the gloom in his eye.
“Not at all!” He quickly responded. “I just.. had a bit of trouble waking myself up.” Astro’s nervousness was quick to return full force, his palms sweating in response.
“Alright then. Have a good morning!” She smiled enthusiastically. Astro looked over her genuine expression, his stomach churning for some reason. He didn’t have the time or the energy to converse with anyone, so he silently continued walking.
The moon eventually retreated into his own mind, taking a backseat to the world around him. His mind was wrapped around the gathering of many that would commence today. An all-encompassing feeling of dread washed over him, a shiver going up his spine.
Dandicus’s kingdom and representatives would arrive today to share information over a feast. Being the prince, naturally, you’d think he would know what they were discussing. But he didn’t. He pondered endlessly on what it could be about.
Could it be bad? Maybe a war would occur over meaningless disputes? Dandicus was prone to turning a blind eye to the necessities of their kingdom. Astro spiraled down a rabbit hole of negative alternatives and didn’t even notice that he stopped in place.
A hand was placed on his shoulder. He could feel the cold, metal surface of an armored glove rest against his shawl. Astro jolted instinctively, his brows knit together anxiously. He knew it was going to be his mother’s knight, demanding he make his way to the dining room immediately—
“Are you alright, sir Novalite?” The knight spoke sincerely, an intrigued expression on his face. He held Astro with intent, with genuine concern. To see the prince of his kingdom, walking down the hall with his head in his hands, who wouldn’t be concerned?
Astro’s attention was instantly captured by this toon’s sudden appearance, but he quickly nodded his head. “Ah, yes.. Thank you.” He mindlessly spoke, his eyes searching the knight’s face. Astro recalled that he had seen this toon once before. In the castle courtyard, where he was accompanying the Duchess Scraps.
The way this knight appeared, Astro wasn’t sure how he ended up assuming the role of a defender. Someone who would slay a mighty beast to protect his kingdom. The toon seemed kindhearted, loyalty shining in his eyes. This piqued Astro’s interest, his mind focusing purely on the toon in front of him.
“Have we met before?” The moon asked. Astro’s devotion to making it on time for the ceremony quickly ceased, the nerve-wracking thought being pushed to the back of his head for the first time in an hour.
“I don’t believe so. I’m honored to be able to speak with you!” The toon expressed, the corners of his mouth upturning. He stepped backwards, standing to the side of the hallway. He subtly examined the prince’s disheveled figure, an eyebrow perked. “Mustn’t you be at the gathering?”
Astro’s heart sank. Yes. “Oh! Yes! Goodness, I.. really can’t keep track of the time!” He started to rush down the corridor again, but took a moment to gaze at the knight one last time. Before he could realize, his mouth moved before his mind could process what was happening.
“What was your name, again?”
No. Noooo… Why would you ask that?!
The knight’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but the same humble smile returned to his face. “My name is Sprout.”
Sprout… Astro nodded excessively at this, his mind shuffling through too many things at once. He picked up the pace, dashing to the end of the hall wordlessly, to Sprout’s confusion, but the moon managed to muster up a rushed, but heartfelt, “Bye!”
Why did I do that..???
He burst through the doors in front of him. Astro quickly pushed them closed, his back resting against their surface. Panic settled in his chest, and he wasn’t sure why. His cheeks felt flushed, his hands raised to feel his face. The same warmth he felt as he woke up this morning, but more intense. Embarrassing…
Why did he talk to a knight of all people? They aren’t supposed to be disturbed during their work. Something inside his head nagged at him and he asked for the toon’s name. His name! That wasn’t formal at all! The lines between informality and accordance with the rules blurred gradually, and Astro didn’t know what he was doing anymore.
He sighed deeply, the moon anxiously gripping onto the sides of his shawl. It had been thirty minutes since he was woken up, and his morning was already going terribly. On top of that, it was too late for him to make it on time. This registered in his head, and he groaned defeatedly.
There was nothing else for him to distract himself with, so he continued walking down the corridor. Astro attempted to fix his disheveled attire, straightening his slightly tilted nightcap and brushing off his shawl. He gazed up, taking notice of the empty hallway.
The moon couldn’t tell if nobody was making an appearance, or if everyone was already gathered inside. He assumed the latter. Astro quickly collected himself, taking in a deep, anxious breath. He walked up to the large double doors that stretched to the ceiling, pushing them open with more force than was necessary.
Overwhelming, incessant banter met his ears as soon as he entered the room. He looked around to see the crowd lined up in wooden chairs at the table, already beginning their feast. Okay… everyone’s here.
Everyone paused abruptly at the sound of a door creaking closed, and their eyes all landed on Astro. He was trying to make himself look as small and unnoticeable as possible. A disgruntled voice rang out from the head of the table, which belonged to none other than the ruler of their kingdom.. Shelly.
“Astro.” Her voice was laced with displeasure. Her arm raised, gesturing to the chair arranged beside her. The crowd of at least 30 people watched him walk begrudgingly to his seat at the dining table.
He pulled the wooden chair out from underneath the table, hesitantly sitting down. All pairs of eyes were on him right now, which made his heart drop to his stomach. Thoughts raced through his head, but his nerves lessened when nobody addressed him. The moon took quick, subtle glances to observe all the people invited to the gathering. A few, he vaguely recognized, but nothing stood out prominently about them.
Shelly, after taking a resentful glance at Astro, continued with her speech that was cut short. “I’m so glad you could all make it to the banquet today,” She gestured with her arms to everyone surrounding her. “Our feast will be shared enjoyably over the latest news from your territories.” Astro attempted not to make eye contact with the man at the opposite end of the dining table.
“And I’m well aware you will do the same?” The man inquired. Astro had only seen this toon once, which was a very long time ago. The only new thing he noticed was that the flower looked… older. His multicolored petals drooped, and their vibrant colors had desaturated immensely.
“Indeed!” She nodded enthusiastically. “Now.. let us begin our feast!” She raised a glass above her head, waiting for the other people to follow suit. Everyone’s glass raised, Astro raising his sluggishly. The crowd erupted into laughter following their loud cheer, commencing their breakfast.
Astro tuned out the conversations around him gradually, distracting himself by pressing his nails into his palms. His mind still lingered on the embarrassing encounter he engaged in earlier, a frustrated groan threatening to leave him. He knew that initiating a connection with townsfolk around the kingdom was positive, but not with one of the armored lieutenants.
This practice was considered shameful inside the castle walls, especially by his mother. All his mother wanted him to focus on was studying, her turning a blind eye to the importance of connections with the people around him. Shelly was impeccably ignorant of most of her son’s needs, and he wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or not.
Astro continued to dig his nails into his palms, which left him with crescent-shaped impressions that faded after a few seconds. He rarely paid attention to what was being discussed at the table, catching the occasional belt of a word or two. He assumed it had been around a few minutes, but people were starting to stand up from their seats.
His halfway shut eyelids fluttered in surprise at this, the moon having zoned out for an extended period of time. He looked to Shelly, who was waving goodbye to the people of Dandicus’s kingdom. What time is it?
He looked at the ever-ticking grandfather clock which was in the corner of the room, the hands pointing to… 12:15? We’ve been here for that long?! He immediately grasped his surroundings, placing his hands on the table and sitting up. “Hey,” Astro heard from beside him.
“Make your way to the throne room in a few minutes.” His mother tapped his shoulder lightly, beginning to walk away from her seat. Guards waiting outside the doorway greeted her, escorting her out of the room. Astro watched as the maids started to clean up what was left of the breakfast.
I have to be in the throne room? What for? He pondered, following after Shelly and leaving the room. He waved quietly to the people he passed through the dining hall, attempting to remain unaddressed. As he suspected, no one tried to speak to him, so he made his way down the corridor that stretched for yards.
It seemed that every time Astro walked through this hallway, he would get incredibly anxious about something he needed to do. He wasn’t sure if he was in trouble for the scene earlier, but he was definitely sure the reason was his being tardy. He thought to distract himself with his little nail pressing habit, but he had already reached the doorway.
He placed his right hand on the surface of the door. Whatever was going to happen here, he’d have to get over it and prepare for tomorrow. Like always.
The door opened with a faint squeak, revealing Astro who was partially obscured behind it. He stepped forward slightly, letting the door close behind him. The sound echoed lightly throughout the room. His eyes landed on a set of four thrones, the middle one being occupied. Shelly rested complacently atop her seat, gazing down at Astro.
“I didn’t appreciate that you were late today. What kept you?” She inquired with a tinge of venom in her tone.
Astro slowly walked forward, until he was just a few feet away from Shelly. “It took me longer than usual to get ready this morning,” He shifted his balance from one foot to the other. “I apologize.”
“And you’re positive that’s it?” It seemed that his mother didn’t believe him. Astro looked upward nervously, swallowing down his nerves. It had been plenty of years since he started lying to his relatives, but it still managed to sting every time.
“...Yes.”
Shelly stood up from her seated position. “Alright then. Don’t let it happen again.” She stated sternly, with little to no compassion in her voice. The moon awkwardly bowed his head at this, thinking it was shame that was chipping at him, but rather irritation. “I won’t.”
The ammonite trailed off, looking around the spacious ballroom. “Since you’re here, I thought it’d be fit to give you a notice. Since there are other, foreign, townsfolk staying within our walls, I’ve assigned you a guard.” She folded one leg over the other. “He’ll be staying outside your door tonight, just in case.”
What? I mean, okay… Astro was slightly puzzled after receiving this info, he’d never thought of anyone meaning harm to him or the people residing inside the castle. “I see…” He waited silently to see if his mother had anything else to say, absentmindedly searching her face to get a grasp on what she was thinking.
“You may leave now.” She gestured towards the door with her hand, almost in a motion of brushing him off. Astro gently nodded, turning his back to Shelly and approaching the door. He heard her speak up at the last second, a wave of frustration washing over him.
“Oh yes, by the way, I can tell you haven’t been studying. You need to pay attention to your priorities instead of messing around.” She spat angrily, her eyes burning holes through Astro. This just made him grip the door in his hands harder, as he left the room quietly.
I have been studying. I’ve been trying my best. I don’t understand how no one can see that.
The corners of his lips downturned into a grimace, frustrated tears threatening to spill down his face. Another day of being barraged by his mother, another day of accepting the fact that he would be like her one day. Stuck-up, careless, and ignorant of the people around him. Considering the way he was being treated, he wasn't sure he had the willpower to keep to his own morals.
At the same time, he wasn’t sure he had the willpower to be cruel either. Someone who projects their mournful feelings and opinions onto others, just to make themselves feel powerful. Astro couldn’t be like that.
He sighed wearily, recalling the tasks he had to do today. It was a distraction, and even if he didn’t have anything else to do, he’d become occupied with something aggravating. So he continued his day, running errands, socializing, and masking the true exhaustion and anxiety that brewed in his chest.
The hours seemed to pass by excruciatingly slowly, but also too quickly for his liking. He found himself entertained by things that weren’t so nerve-wracking, which gave him a sense of comfort and stability. Unfortunately, before he knew it, everyone had returned to their quarters for the night.
And Astro was still trying to find something to do. He tried his hardest to ignore the fact that it was now the evening, and he needed to prepare for tomorrow. He paced endlessly, trying to think of what to do. After twenty minutes of the moon trying to find alternative things to occupy himself with, he ran out of ideas.
So, he sluggishly walked back to his room. His eyes were glued to the floor, due to his head feeling too heavy to hold upright. After he had nothing else to do, the sleep didn’t hit him in waves like usual. It slammed into him like a freight train that came out of nowhere, leaving him disoriented and mildly irritated.
He raised his head to be met with an armoured person standing in front of him. He yelped, staggering backwards and losing his balance.
Until a hand firmly gripped his, pulling Astro to his feet.
“Goodness, are you okay?” Sprout.
Confusion and confliction was glaringly apparent on Astro’s face, his eyes searching Sprout’s. He brushed himself off quickly, trying to stand taller than he usually did. “Yes, thank you..” His tone was stern, the fatigue clear in his voice.
Astro had completely forgotten what his mother had told him, about how he would be accompanied by a guard during the night. But the fact that it was Sprout, the one person he didn’t want to run into again due to his embarrassing interaction, his stomach churned with anxiety. His face flushed, the memories of their encounter flashing back into his head. He just wanted to get to his room and go to sleep.
“Are you sure? You don’t look so good…” Sprout examined, noticing the exhaustion that consumed Astro. From his drained mannerisms, to the way he held himself. The poor prince looked like he was going to topple over any minute now. Astro gave him a disgruntled look, displeasure flickering across his face.
“I’m alright, I swear. Today has just been… tiring.” He avoided the topic. “If you wish, you may leave to do something else, I doubt I’ll need protection,” Astro suggested, silently hoping he would leave. He didn’t want to interact with the toon, because all it did was remind him of how he stepped out of line.
That even if he did want to speak to him, it wasn’t allowed.
“I don’t think I’ll need to do that,” Sprout insisted, the concerned look in his eyes burning holes through Astro. “I’m more than happy to stay here, as long as you see fit.” Then Astro saw it. The same warm smile he saw all those hours ago. It made him feel guilty to even suggest that Sprout leave, but he didn’t have time to think about that.
I don’t need you or your help. “Well, thank you dearly, Sprout. I’ll be heading to bed now.” Astro willed a small smile, a hand reaching to turn his doorknob. The strawberry stepped aside to let him enter his room, the enthusiastic demeanor never leaving him. The moon felt slightly watched, even inside his room with the door closed.
He just had to get used to it though, because it isn’t formal to tell someone like that to go away and never come back. Even if he dearly craved that’s how it would turn out. Astro walked in front of his bed, immediately collapsing. He couldn’t get himself to stand up and change clothes, or to take his shameful gaze into the mirror like he always did.
The days had passed all the same, but they started to get more tiring. Less automatic, more exhausting and a lot more draining. All he would do was speak to the townspeople, which left him extremely nervous. Then, attend what his mother told him to, which usually involved speaking to very important people. Anxiety inducing.
Even when he wasn’t doing what he was instructed to, stress would always find him. There was never a moment, a fleeting moment, where he could relax. His shoulders held their tension for months at a time, the dark circle underlining his eye never seemed to fade, and the cycle never appeared to stop. How was he going to survive this?
His eyes quickly opened, which he didn’t even know were closed, to a faint sound seeping into his room from underneath his door. He struggled to turn over and hear it more clearly, his body retaliating from the constant exertion of himself.What he was hearing sounded like a melody of some sort, and it sounded vaguely familiar to him. He tried to remember a title to place on the song, before he realized this was being hummed. The guard sitting outside his door was humming.
And strangely, he wasn’t against it.
He repositioned himself in his bed, the thought lingering on how tomorrow would turn out. Astro was going to sleep, clothed in formal attire, with barely any energy to move in the slightest, and he was supposed to wake up and act accordingly by dawn. Based on what he was thinking, he was unsure he could wake up casually the next morning.
The ‘what ifs’ would gradually tune out of his head, slumber threatening to take him under. His eyelids fluttered closed, and his body relaxed slightly. Accompanied with the melody faintly playing for him to hear, it wasn’t hard for the moon to drift to sleep. Just before he fell asleep, a thought came to him. If it was this terrible, having to follow orders, would it be worse if he disobeyed?
…Maybe he could give Sprout a chance tomorrow.
Just maybe.