Very rushed. I apologize. It's been forever since I last updated this book.

"Alcott! I have big news!" Mom rushed into my bedroom one day. I was currently reading a book of fairy tales, "the Archmage has found a way to remove the curse! You'll be able to talk!"

"He's right here," she beckoned the Archmage to step in. My body shook with excitement. If he managed to break the curse, I'd be able to talk and I won't have to write everything anymore!

"I'm afraid it'll hurt a little. Are you ready to start?"

"Alright, please excuse me for a minute." The Archmage placed his hands on my temples and muttered a string of foreign words under his breath. A wave of agony washed over me and I thrashed in his grip. The pain gathered in my throat, then it vanished.

"Did it work?" Mom anxiously clasped her hands together.

"Yes, I do not feel the curse's presence anymore. He should be able to talk now. However, he may need some help from a professional since he's never talked before."

"I... can talk!" A small voice came from me. Oh my god! I can speak now!

"M-My precious baby can talk!" Mom burst into tears, "I'll go get Blake!" She dashed out of the room, yelling "BLAKE!"

"Does your throat feel alright?" The Archmage asked.

"Yep!" I gave him a bright smile, "thank you!" I squeezed him in a tight hug. He gave a small chuckle and patted my head with a fond look.

"You're welcome. I'd hate to go so soon, but I have many things to do."

"Okay! Bye!" He walked out the room, giving me one more glance and smile before disappearing from sight.

I sat there for a minute or two, reveling in the fact I had my voice back. Then came the loud footsteps of two certain people. Dad rushed in, with mom right behind. They were both out of breath.

"Daddy!" I jumped down from the bed and ran to dad. His eyes teared up and he squished me in his strong arms.

"You can talk! I can't believe it!"

"We should hold a banquet!"

"Get the butler!"

"W-Wait! You don't have to-"

"Nonsense! This calls for a celebration. Besides, you'll be able to meet kids your age and make some friends!" Dad threw me into the air.

"Uwah!" My tail poofed up in fright.

"Fufufu, be careful, honey." Mom giggled as she watched dad spin me around in the air.

"Whee!" I began giggling and my cat ears twitched.

So cute! Servants nearby thought, witnessing the father and son pair.

~

"Can't I help?" I asked a maid.

"You don't need to worry about a thing. Besides, I believe it is your nap time in six minutes."

"Since when do I take naps?" The maid giggled.

"You'll need it since the banquet will be going until tomorrow night." That's about twenty four hours!

"...I'll go take that nap."

"That would be best," the maid giggled before resuming her task.

I walked to my room and flopped on the bed. Closing my eyes, I attempted to fall asleep.

Attempted being the key word.

"..." For some reason, I couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking of how I can finally talk and I may be able to make a friend! Even in my past life I didn't have any friends. Sure, I had companions, but it wasn't a friendship thing, it was more for surival than anything else.

"Stupid brain! Shut off already will you?"

~

In the end, I slept for a good four hours. Unfortunately, I was extremely sleepy when they woke me up to get ready for the banquet.

"Fufu, someone looks tired." Mom chuckled when she saw me dozing off.

"Sleepy..." I mumbled.

"You gotta wake up for the banquet. Come on now, keep those eyes open."

"Dun wanna... cuddles," I hugged mom and closed my eyes.

"Aw, isn't that the cutest?!" Maids squealed. I felt mom's body shake, but she didn't say anything.

A maid grabbed me and took me to the bath room. One maid washed my hair while another maid had to hold my head above the water and made sure I didn't fall asleep.

"Please wake up, Prince Alcott! You're making it hard for us." One of the maids begged.

"Deal with it. I'm sleepy," I mumbled grouchily. They made me get up, now they get to struggle a bit.

I'm petty like that.

After a while, I was all prepped and ready for the banquet. I was already fully awake by now and mentally prepared to face the onslaught of social interaction for the next twenty four hours.

It'll be worth it if I get a good friend or two and a few things of ice cream... preferably coffee flavored.

"Let's go, Alcott." Dad scooped me up in his arms with a proud smile on his face. Mom placed her hand on his arm. We walked out onto the raised platform in the banquet hall.

(Get ready for some awkward wording :D)

"Today we celebrate the breaking of the curse placed on the prince!" Dad held up a crystal glass of what I'm guessing is red wine. Adult nobles returned the gesture with their own glasses.

"To Prince Alcott!" The nobles chorused. Then everyone took a sip from their glasses.

Well, excluding a group in the back of the banquet hall who I noticed never raised their own glass. If anything, they looked displeased and stared at me with a scrutinizing look.

People talked and whatever else it is they do during socializing time.

However, I was gonna go to the noble kids and see if I could find one or two good eggs in the most likely bad batch of eggs.

Hey, I'm not stupid. I have the brains to suspect nobles will use their kids to get close to me. After all, whether they approve of me or not, I am the son of the queen and therefore a son of the king.

The kids were off in a section of the banquet hall. Kids being kids, they hadn't payed attention to what the adults were doing and didn't know who I was.

"Hey, who's this?" A few boys and girls glanced my way as I approached the group. The boys looked to be around ten years old.

"Pfft! He's so scrawny! Hey, you. How old are you?" The biggest boy stepped forward. A mean sneer spread across his face.

"Nine," I replied.

"Pfft! There's no way he's nine! He's probably seven." The girls hid their smirks behind their ridiculous hand fans and giggled.

You see what I mean by a bad batch? You best believe they wouldn't act like this if they knew I was Prince Alcott.

"Leave him alone." A girl with long straight brown hair and cold charcoal eyes stepped in gracefully. She radiated an aura of "don't fuck with me".

"So nice to see you, Lady Renee." The boy mocked.

"Stop being a bully!" Another small boy popped out from behind the girl.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Alright, I may as well reveal myself since I've found two potential friends.

"I would walk away if I were you. My father isn't going to be happy about this." I smiled at the group of kids.

"Don't get cocky! Who do you think you are?!"

"Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure I am Prince Alcott." The kids visibly paled as they realized they messed with the wrong person.

"P-Prince Alcott, pl-please forgi-"

"You finish that sentence and I'll personally rip that tongue of yours out."

"E-Eep! Let's go!" The kids scurried away like frightened mice. I turned to the two kids who helped me. The boy quivered with a surprised and scared expression while the girl remained the same.

"I apologize about that," I bowed and gave them a friendly smile.

"I-It's fine! We had no idea you were the prince!" The small boy came up to me. Now that he was closer, I noticed he wasn't little compared to me.

"Those boys are a bunch of idiots." The girl- Renee- remarked.

"That's not nice, Renee!"

"They weren't rays of sunshine to us either, Travis." Renee smacked Travis upside the head with her fan.

"Ow! Meanie!" Travis rubbed his head with a pout. "Oh, do you want to hang out with us?"

"Manners, Travis." Renee smacked him again, "you need to address the prince properly."

"It's fine, really!" I assured her, "you can call me Alcott."

"Yay! A new friend!" Travis threw himself on me and gave me a huge hug. We fell on the floor, catching the attention of nearby nobles, including my parents who were watching me.

"You idiot! Get off of Prince Alcott this instant!" Renee saw my flustered face and managed to get Travis off of me.

"Heh heh, sorry about that. I got too excited."

"I-It's fine." My face burned with embarrassment. "H-How about we go somewhere else?"

"Sounds good to me!" Travis cheered.

"Hush, Travis. We will be happy to anything you want to do, Prince Alcott." Renee replied.

"Let's go then!"