Coronation of A Monster King
It had been exactly four years today. Four years since his father, the father from his original file, had disappeared. Hugo stood in his bedroom, looking at himself in the mirror. There he stood, so elegantly dressed, and yet he felt so hollow inside. Normally he would be ecstatic to be so dressed up, and to have so many people in the castle for once. Ever since he was little, he dreamed of the day he would be called King. But today, there was no smile on the boy's face, no bright-eyed glance or witty comment.
Because today was the day he would replace his father. Today was the day that he would be officially legally declared deceased. Today was the day that Hugo would ascend to the throne, and his father, the Batter, would be forgotten. And it tore the boy up inside. He would watch his subjects cheer for him, so happy they would see the boy that saved the kingdom once already coming to power. They would smile and clap and rejoice at the boy who replaced the sugar, who let them all feel safe, who brought the guardians back down to where they belonged. But still, Hugo didn't want to move.
His shoulders were tense, and his throat was dry. Despite his clothes being perfectly fitted to him, Hugo felt like the most uncomfortable man in the world. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Not with the ceremony so soon. He would have to put on a smile, fake enthusiasm, shake hands with his subjects, eat at the banquet.... He didn't want any of it. He just wanted his father back. He would give up the throne to bring him back. Not one of the many coded copies of him that ran rampant throughout the files, no. His first, true father.
Now that he stood at the cliff's edge of adulthood, he longed for the peace he had as a child. He ached to run to the outlands where he had spent much of his teenagerhood after his father disapeared. He felt his throat getting tighter. He couldn't cry, not now, he had to be strong for his subjects....