A few weeks later, I had my first lesson with the musician, Kristoff. My deal with Father though, required that I keep up with my royal studies. So before there could be any music lessons, I had to learn everything Lucius had taught while I zoned out before. To make up for all the times I zoned out, I had to hit the books(and scrolls.) Literally, I spent every spare moment in the library studying various subjects I needed to know about. World geography, politics, global customs, Damcyan history, court duty, battle strategy, defense tactics, and my family's history. I remained focused as Lucius continued on teach me. Tutor Lucius fired questions at me, and I answered each one from memory.

"What natural barriers lie between Damcyan and Kaipo?"

"The Damcyan Desert and the Underground Waterway."

"What two kingdoms neighbor Damcyan?"

"The kingdoms of Baron and Fabul."

"Who has the strongest military force in the world?"

"Baron. Baron has ranks of white mages, black mages, castle guards, a navy, Dark Knights, Dragoons, and the Red Wings."

"What makes the Red Wings' squadrons so powerful?"

"The Red Wings are a military force that fight from airships that have built in canons."

"How do you get from Damcyan to Fabul?"

"Cross the Damcyan Desert, use the hovercraft to cross the nothern shoals, then scale the slopes of Mt. Hobs."

"How does Fabul choose it's next king?"

"The Fabul Monk Grandmaster becomes the next king; either the present king steps down and hands off the title, or if the king has passed, the title is given to the Grandmaster. One cannot become king without having been a Monk Grandmaster first." Lucius smiled.

"See, I knew you were bright. You know these topics almost as well as I do now."

"Thank you, Lucius," I replied quietly. A castle page walked in.

"The Musician Kristoff has arrived for the young prince's music lesson." Then he walked out. Lucius looked at me.

"Your Highness, Kristoff will most likely be in the throne room." I nodded before rushing into the throne room with my harp. I found Mister Kristoff and my father having a discussion. Upon seeing me, Kristoff grinned.

"Hello Prince Edward!" He greeted me politely.

"Hello," I said softly.

"I'm thinking we'll go over fingerings and such for the harp first. If you're talented, you may be able of learning a song today." Father looked pleased.

"Thank you for taking the time to teach my son. There is a room on the left where no one will disturb you."

"Thank you, my liege. And it is of no consequence to teach your son; an honor actually." Kristoff bowed before Father left for his quarters.

I followed Mister Kristoff to that room on the left. He opened the door that revealed an unfurnished room, empty, save for two stools and a low table.

"Let's get started now, shall we?" I nodded quickly. We each sat on a stool, and I propped my harp on my knee while Kristoff pulled his own out of a leather bag. "Have you done any playing on your own?" He asked me. I nodded briefly.

"Only a little, since I'm not sure if what I am doing is correct."

"Show me," he said. I ran my finger across the instrument. When I had not been studying, I had been fingering these strings in my room. The melody Kristoff played when I met him was always in my mind. I memorized the rhythms, and tried to piece together the notes. I thought briefly, then began strumming gently. I think I had the pitches in the right places. The melody sounded right, but then again, I probably wasn't playing right. I mean, what do I know about music? When I finished, Kristoff's jaw practically hit the floor.

"Edward..." he said cautiously. Did I do something wrong? Was I that bad?

"What did I mess up?" I asked barely above a whisper. Kristoff shook his head.

"Prince Edward, its not that you messed any of it up. Quite the opposite. You played that perfectly. Edward, you're a natural."

"Oh." I felt my cheeks redden.

"I still would like to teach you how to read music, and specific fingerings for notes-even if you can play from memory." He showed me one string. "This is an A." Another string, "this is a C, and this is D." After two hours, I knew all the fingerings for every note. Kristoff moved onto chords. "Play these strings together for various chords." He strummed three strings together and told me the name of that chord. It was harder for me since my hands were very small, but I managed to learn at least eleven chords. (I knew more chords than that, but with my hand size, I could play eleven of them.)
Kristoff even taught me another melody! "I call it, 'Fanfare B'!" He said. It had a lot of energy in it. Anyways, Kristoff was very pleased with my progress.

"I'll talk to your father about me giving you these lessons every week." He packed his harp and books away, before waving at me. "Until next time, Prince Edward!" He called to me before leaving.

I stood, wonder struck. Me? A natural? No... it can't be... The music though... it calls to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a scroll on the table. I went over, picked it up, and began reading.

Prince Edward-
I thought you were an interesting child when we met. You wanted to see the world without everyone thinking of you as the crown prince. You also have a love for music, which is odd enough for one your age. Then when I came teach you, you blew me away with your skill. You're a natural, Edward. A musical prodigy. You can play by ear, and memorize entire melodies. If your hands were larger, there would be nothing in this world that you couldn't play.

You want to venture out of Damcyan, I can tell. You don't want the attention that comes with being royalty though. So just between you and me, I have the perfect disguise for you. If you still have the same wishes when you are older, of course. Let me know, and I will help you.

Keep practicing that harp, Your Highness.
~Kristoff.

I rolled the scroll up before sliding it into my sleeve. And I smiled to myself.