He shifts nervously on his throne, fingers tapping an irregular rhythm against the polished armrest. The grand hall feels suffocating today, with its high ceilings and echoing footsteps of servants moving silently about their duties. He's been searching for an opportunity to slip away all morning, but the palace staff seems to materialize whenever he approaches a door, their watchful eyes never straying far from the crown prince.

The weight of his future presses down on him like the heavy velvet robes he's required to wear. Each hour brings him closer to a marriage he doesn't want, to a woman he can never love. The formal announcement his parents made yesterday still rings in his ears—he's out of time. They've selected his bride, and the wedding preparations have already begun.

Finally, he spots his chance as the royal advisor ushers the visiting dignitaries into the east drawing room for refreshments. With a quick glance around, he rises from his throne and slips through the side door, moving swiftly down the corridor toward his sleeping quarters. Once safely inside, he locks the door and shoves a baseball cap over his head, barely concealing the crown beneath it.

He climbs out his bedroom window, using the familiar path of slightly protruding bricks to lower himself to the ground below. The jump from the final brick sends a painful jolt through his legs, but he barely notices as he hurries toward the overgrown section of the castle wall. The weeds tower above him, their scratchy leaves brushing against his face as he forces his way through to the other side.

There, by the river that marks the boundary between castle grounds and kingdom, he finds his knight friend sitting on one of their sand-covered blankets, skipping stones across the water's surface. The knight looks up as he approaches, and though he says nothing, he shifts closer to make room for him on the blanket. Playdoh removes his cloak and crown, placing them carefully beside him before putting the baseball cap back on—it was his friend's cap originally, a gift that means more than either of them has ever acknowledged.

After several minutes of companionable silence, broken only by the sound of water and the occasional bird call, Playdoh turns to him with a weary expression. "So... What should I do?"