PeaceMaker

There was silence from Regina and Theodore while the king just looked down at Dominic. 

"What do you mean my dear son?" The king asked. 

Dominic looked up at the king with innocent eyes and smiled. "I remembered big bro talking about how big sis Adria was going to be in pain after their game. Then doesn't that mean that I'm going to be in pain too? Since I'm going to play the game like big sis Adria."

The king's head tilted to the side and he pursed his lips as he thought of a way to answer his son's question. 

He was in slight confusion though. He was never the one to be prejudiced and definitely not towards his own family members. He was not one to be completely unaware of people that go against nature for their love. He was well aware of their presence in the world and in his kingdom. He worked side to side with them after all so it wasn't hard for him to understand them. But… that was his son. His 2nd to the throne. The one that was going to rule over this very kingdom. 

He knew he was wrong to think about what a little boy said from that POV but in case of it becoming like that when he was gone, he needed to give an answer that would not be something that could hurt him in the future. At the same time, he was reluctant to answer like that. He knew the prince would have a harder time and he would hate to watch his prince have trouble rule the kingdom simply because of that once fact. 

He wanted to steer him away.

"You can play it however you want. But, you're most likely going to be playing the game like your big brother," the king replied with a smile. 

Dominic thought about it for a second. He wondered how his big brother would play the game but didn't really want to play the game like big bro. He wanted to show that he could do better than his big brother since his brother never really made time for him. He wanted to make him regret not giving him that hug two days ago or another hug the day before now or a hug on any day. 

He looked up at his father and smiled. "Ok!" he grinned, "I can't wait to play the game with big sis!"

The king chuckled, "You have to play the game with the one you marry."

Dominic pouted, "You said I will marry someone that I love more than anyone else in the entire world."

The king laughed, "And that is big sis?"

Dominic nodded his head immediately. 

"Oh wowww," Theodore rolled his eyes, "what about me? Do you not love me?"

Dominic shot Theodore a glare. "I do love you but I do not love you the most. I love daddy more than you."

Theodore pretended to be hit with an arrow from Dominic's words. He was hurt by it. It was to no surprise though. He knew it was his fault for not trying to make time for his younger brother. Rather, he didn't know how to come about it anymore so he didn't try. 

Dominic was in better hands with Regina rather than him.

He smiled. "How rude!"

Dominic giggled in return, his little face creating the brightest, cutest smile that they have and will ever see.

"Sigh… you're going to be one hell of a prince and king when you grow up," The king smiled, ruffling Dominic's head. 

Dominic tilted his head, a frown forming on his face. "Is dad saying that I'll be a bad king?" 

The king immediately shook his head. "Of course not! I was saying that you're going to be one hell of a prince and king because you'll grow up so well that you'll give everyone a run for their money. You're already starting to be like that too even though you act like a baby much more."

"Isn't he?! A full 13-year-old lying in his father's lap and being petted like a baby," Theodore huffed. 

"I do what I want big bro," Dominic rolled his eyes. 

He was a sheltered kid from his younger times to even now as he reached the age of a teenager. 'Baby' was his nickname to mock him for how babish he behaved for his age. In all actuality, he was a lot more mature than he put across to his father and in fact, already had an idea of the game they were talking about. 

"You really should quit acting like a baby," Regina added, "everyone's going to start thinking there's something wrong with your head."

Dominic pouted. "Really?" 

"Boi-" Theodore's hand raised to bonk Dominic away but Dominic locked eyes with him. 

"You're really going to hit me at an event with these many people?" Dominic turned to Theodore, his eyebrow raised, "I'm sure you don't want to hear rumors about the royal family tomorrow."

Theodore paused and looked away from Dominic, resisting the urge to hit him on the head. "God, you're such a hard thing to control. Especially with that face of yours."

Dominic still looked like a child. He hadn't grown much for his age and was shorter than all the rest of his peers but made up for it by being emotionally and mentally more advanced than them in academic and normal everyday life. 

He had the concept of manipulation which he liked to exercise on his siblings daily to take advantage of things a little baby would have and the things a big boy his age would have. In one word, he was good at one thing, and that was manipulation. Due to the fact that he was so short and looked so young, he could easily fool others in the crowd to believe he was younger than he actually was and get some bonuses out of it.

It wasn't something he did to make fun of people, but rather to discern the bad people around him. People tended to show face facades when he acted his age. When he was the 13-year-old second prince. But they showed their true colors in their eyes when they thought of him to be younger. It made it much easier for him to be able to pick from the crowd.

There was also the side effect of being a baby in everyone's eyes but he didn't mind that. As long as they were all real to him, then he would be whatever they wanted him to be. 

His mindset was something Regina and Theodore weren't completely sure about but knew he liked acting like a baby and his father went along with it every time. He knew this was the last time he was going to be able to act like this though. After this meeting, his academics would double in size, and his sword practice and war strategy teachings would take up his time. He would no longer be allowed to baby his way out of things. 

He was going to make his best out of now.

Dominic shot Theodore a glare as he stood up from his dad's lap and walked back to his throne beside Theodore's. He looked down at Adria and then at his brother. He didn't really know who Lusinda was or her relation to his brother nor did he care one bit about her, but if he had to guess he would say a relationship gone wrong. 

He looked back up into the audience. It wasn't in his place to say anything about it though, it was only in his place to watch the scene unfold and to look for suitable people for his brother's bride, Adria.

She was one of the most beautiful women he ever looked at, second to only one, his mother who was a beauty in her own league no one could touch. 

'Big bro is a lucky one,' Dominic thought to himself. 

He also was there to remove any possible names that could come up later when they tried to get him engaged with any beauty that came to the meeting today. He didn't want to get married, at least not now. And it was certainly not going to be one of the beauties that came to the meeting today. If he had to pick one from them, he would have picked Litian. She was the only real one.

A queen from this kingdom would only give him more things to worry about.

He hated worrisome things the most. 

He wanted to be like his father and marry someone who was from outside of the kingdom or from a different world he was unaware of. One that would look at him realistically from the very beginning. One whose eyes would show the truth and one the truth when they looked into his eyes. 

None of those people would be here so he was just keeping himself entertained by the performers and except for one, none had done something to interest him. All he had heard so far was pieces of love and peace. 

He looked down at the one that was walking in and the instrument she had, being pushed behind her. 'A harp…' he thought to himself.. He let out a sigh, it was going to be another flowery piece.