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S hit, was this another kidnapping attempt? Where were my guards? And when were these plebeians going to realize I wasn’t even close to having my arse on the throne? My parents had spares like everyone still pissed in the street and we could all die from diarrhea.

I had three older brothers before I’d even be close to being king, but did they ever get kidnapped? No. It was always me and frankly, it was exhausting. My guards usually swooped in and stopped it, but sometimes these unwashed miscreants touched me.

I hated it when people I liked tried to touch me. I mean, I hated most people because they were idiots, but there were some I tolerated and I didn’t want them touching me, either.

These guys were organized and much better dressed than previous kidnapping attempts. I enjoyed fencing, but boxing was for savages and I told my brother that when he tried to get me in the ring. It was uncivilized to punch people in the face for sport. And to think he was closer to the throne than I was.

I couldn’t fight these men off with my fists and they were standing between me and my sword. Ugh. My idiot brothers were going to give me the hardest time if I got kidnapped for real this time. One was into boxing and the rest of them were into hunting. They were going to say if I could throw my fists or had a gun, I wouldn’t have gotten taken.

And I’d tell them if my guards had done their fucking job, these miscreants never would have gotten close to me.

And they were touching me now. How dare they? I wasn’t going to be king, but I was still a prince. This was treason and they’d die for this. They seemed interested in the back of my neck.

“He’s got it. Grab him.”

I didn’t have anything on me. I was in my boxers because I didn’t enjoy sleeping in clothes. The indignity of my kidnappers seeing me like that had me seething. I only let people see my body on my terms. They would pay for this with their lives.

I felt a needle plunge into my neck and black spots started invading my vision. I had one thought before the blackness took me.

My guards would pay for this, too.