The vigorous sword-fighting lessons from last night had left Elias with a serious crick in his neck.

Groaning as his body awoke, Elias allowed his mind to catch up just in time for a small headache to form. Great, even better. He'd have to send for the castle's apothecary, they should be more than able to heal his ailments. For now, Elias eased his tall frame out of bed, feet slipping into plush moccasins as he slipped on his thick house coat. The morning air was chill against his skin, his fingers tingling ever so slightly. He wondered if the weather would be warm again today. Perhaps he'd be able to lounge in the garden and evade his classes.

The early knock at the door told Elias that his hopes were just that, hopes.

"Good morning, your majesty. Are you awake?" the familiar voice of Tabitha, Elias' chamber maid, floated through the metal of the door between them.

"Good morning, Tabitha. Unfortunately I'm not awake, I'm currently speaking to you from my dream realm." Tabitha could hear Elias' coy grin in his voice, and she sighed in feigned exasperation. She knew the prince must have been aching from his practice yesterday, but she had been sent to fetch him, and would have to coax him from his room.

"Miss Genevieve has arrived early, she's attending our morning meal with us. Sir Garfield will be expecting you for your next swordsman lesson when the sun is at its highest."

Elias wasn't sure why his father was adamant about him learning so many languages. Perhaps it was for future foreign affairs. Scoffing softly, Elias trudged to his wardrobe, opening its wide oak doors so its contents could greet him. "Miss Tabitha, I'd love to partake, but as I said, I'm in a dream state, I cannot possibly--"

"Julian made those pastries you really like." The head chef knew exactly how to get Elias out of his room.

The Crown Prince smiled. "I suppose I'll go wake myself up then, hm?"

~ ~ ~

The Crown Prince's room was truly something to behold, with an impossibly large bed wrapped in expensive looking silks and furs, piles of pillows lining the headboard. He worked to fix the disturbed sheets, erasing the evidence that he had slept with a few quick, graceful movements. He ran his hands down the fur blankets as if they were still alive, thanking them quietly for once again providing him with such comforting slumber.

There was a large, black rug that kept Elias' feet from having to touch cold floor in the morning. beside his bed was a nightstand that usually housed his latest tonic to help him sleep. Beside that was his wardrobe, a large oak closet that had a rather sizable black maine coon snoozing on its top. That was Elias' familiar, Rorschach. He often followed Elias around during his morning routines, but this time was taking the opportunity to get a few extra hours of sleep while his owner went about his business.

A large, yawning window let plenty of sunlight in, lighting up the cold walls and beginning to slowly warm them. Large black curtains framed the sides of the window, pulled back almost permanently due to the perfect view of the gardens it offered its owner. There was a large sill with a few pillows and an opened book that told of where Elias liked to spend his time.

Elias glided easily down the stairs, fixing the ruffles on his chest before he hit the ground level. His hair was pulled back into a blue ribbon tied in an intricate bow. His locks were smooth and silky-looking, the morning rays that seeped through the windows bathed him in their golden hues. His matching navy-blue coat was in stark contrast to the ice in his eyes. His pants were charcoal-grey, with white stockings and dark brown leather shoes that had been polished to an impossibly impeccable degree.

His brothers had already made their way into the dining hall to take their fill. He saw the dark-brown mop of hair that belonged to the youngest, Arthur, disappear around the corner just as he entered the foyer. Hopefully those bottomless pits hadn't already ransacked the morning spread before he had a chance to even lay his eyes on the thing. Picking up his pace slightly, Elias brushed a stray lock from his face, leaving it to frame his jaw where it rested along the side. As he approached the hall, he could hear the normal morning chatter, seeing servants milling about as the royal family took their plates, and then their seats. Genevieve caught sight of her student first, offering a small curtsey as he came towards her.

"Good morning, your highness," she purred, coming back up to a relaxed stand and meeting his clear blue lakes with her own deep green forests. "I hope you don't mind that I arrived so early."

Elias let one of his signature smiles grace his face, the charm practically making his eyes glitter like diamonds. "Quite alright, Miss Genevieve. It's never too early to see you." he gave a friendly wink before making himself over to the breakfast spread that the cooks had put together. Tabitha had been right, he soon spotted a pile of strawberry tarts that lay untouched, cooked in a crisscrossed pattern that exposed tiny bits of the delicious strawberry filling within. He snatched a few, setting them on his plate along with a peach and some fresh strawberries as well. He took his seat, waving for Genevieve to do the same while he got comfortable. "Go get yourself something, miss, you can sit with me this morning." Genevieve nodded graciously, taking a plate of her own to fill.

The dining hall was huge, with gigantic stained glass windows letting in the morning light and casting multi-coloured rays down onto the seating family. A large round table house the chairs while a long, rectangular table housed the feast-like ensemble.

As Elias took a bite out of a succulent strawberry, he spotted his sister coming through the doors and waved to her. "Well, good morning, sunshine!" he called sweetly, his eyes lighting up. Octavia and him had always gotten along much better than him and any of the boys, so much so that they had become extremely close over their lifetime, especially after their mother died.

"I see you managed to brush the sleep out of your hair for once, well done, sister!" he smiled coyly.