Once in the land of the Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy there lived a wise and learned king, Randall by name, who would take for himself a wise and learned queen,  Sandrine by name, who would in her later years come to bear for him four extraordinary children: Lords Adam and Lucas and their sisters Ladies Abigail and Emily, the latter (Lady Emily)who in truth wouldn't come to be borne until later in Her Majesty Queen Sandrine's lifetime but would be a welcome addition to the family just the same as brothers Adam and Lucas and sister Abigail, the elder three having thusly been shining examples of Their Majesties King Randall and Queen Sandrine's love for one another, a love which in and of itself would know, if not had known, no bounds no matter whatever would come to befall the family Worthington in all its' glory, for there would be much to befall them, not the least of which would be the eventual death of family patriarch His Supreme Majesty King Gerhardt, husband to Her Supreme Majesty Queen Ella and father to of course daughters Queen Sandrine and sister Janice and sons/ brothers Lords Jerold, David and Philip, who would in their own rights marry mates of their own and go on to further the Worthington bloodline, as of course would Queen Sandrine's sister Janice, who would bear with husband Father Reuel three children of her own, sons Princes Timothy and Benjamin and daughter Princess Amanda, a fourth child, Princess Hope, having long since passed on, a most unfortunate passing to be sure, but one which was tragic nonetheless, and as for Princes Timothy and Benjamin and Princess Amanda, well, they were happy and healthy just the same, though it was and otherwise would be Prince Benjamin's birth which would in and of itself come to take a turn for the worse, not because his fate would be the much more the same as sister Princess Hope's, perish the thought, but because he would come to suffer, if not have already suffered, complications, nee setbacks,  of his own, not the least of which was his inability to be mobile (i.e., walk), one inability which would come to affect his ability to be free and have the kind of life he himself desired, not to mention affect his outlook on life in general, and that was perhaps the greatest detriment to him as well as any other would come to be, given the fact that for him life was as complicated and predictable as it came for almost, emphasis on almost, anybody in his situation, which was as dire, if not half as much so, as it would be for anyone and everyone who didn't have to worry about their hopes and dreams and aspirations being quashed at the drop of a hat, most notably that of living normally, not just emotionally but physically as well, one dream the prince had had for he didn't know how long, and would continue to unless and until the time came when he was able to make it happen, which if anything was chalked right up there with any and all others he'd had thus far, including, but not limited to, telling a certain young maiden just how much in love with her he was, which of course wasn't going to be easy, given the fact that just as soon as he'd gathered up the courage, if not nerve, to do so both would be shot straight to hell and a handbasket, what with Mum Janice and Dad Reuel, themselves being, if not having been, king and queen at one time or another, being so overprotective it would seem that that was more of a detrement to Prince Benjamin's wanting to live normally than anything else, including, but not limited to, being mobile, though come to think about it it was as if they went hand-in-hand, and so in the end it seemed as though he'd been dealt a double whammy, but then again what did one, including he himself, in and otherwise do  when dealing with parents like his?, I mean it was one thing when it came to being at home but when it came to being out in public and Prince Benjamin being so caught up in the moment it was like any and all else didn't matter, but then once the euphoria wore off it was business as usual, not that he actually knew what that felt like, or even if, and that was a big if, he did it'd probably be no more than an afterthought, given the fact that with him his flair for being keen on everything if not everbody wasn't all that great, including, but not limited to, practically anybody and everybody he came in to contact with, which was due in part to the fact that along with his condition, shall we say, things were in and of themselves about to get  interesting to a fault, and then once they did everything as he had known it was bound to take on a whole new meaning, both literally and figuratively, if not literally, including, but not limited to his whole outlook on life, which for him was colored by his experiences inside and outside Castle Worthington's walls, the latter of which would be true, given the fact that he would spend many a  year away from home, the first eight to be exact, with the only time for togetherness being during summer, Christmas, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving vacations, other than that their wasn't much else, unless of course their were a death in the family such as their was soon to be with Grandpa King Gerhardt, the first ever in recent memory for Prince Benjamin, given of course the fact that his (i.e., King Gerhardt's) would be seared in Prince Benjamin's memory, so it wasn't as if he'd had any cause to raise a ruckus, at least not unlike that concerning Grandpa Emil, not that he (i.e., Prince Benjamin) would, it's just that when it came to remembering , or rather not remembering, people and events, the former of which was more true than the latter it was that and that alone that really was the bee in his bonnet, so to speak, if for no other reason than that of him having been anything and everything from too little to remember to just plain not being able to remember at all, given the fact that due to those headaches he was known to suffer, if not have suffered from, and so the immediate remedy for that was nothing short of having his brain being operated on, one such operation which in and of itself would quite literally wipe his mind clean, or if not only that then mess with it in such a way that he quite literally wouldn't know which way was up, not to mention leave him feeling groggy and disoriented, which if anything would explain his memory being wiped clean, that is if it hadn't been for the fact that after having had it been so the messing in and of itself would begin, and then God help him because it itself would lead him to go places he hadn't even dreamed of both literally and figuratively, if not literally, which in turn would only fuel his carnal desires, desires which he in and of himself knew he oughtn't not be having, but was anyway, if for no other reason than that of being led down a dark and dangerous path, one which it would seem was unavoidable at best, given the fact that with his condition anything, and I do mean anything, was possible, not to mention the fact that their were so many undue influences out in the world already and to have anymore would be adding more fuel to the fire, so to speak, and that was the last, and I mean the last,  thing Prince Benjamin himself needed, given the fact that his life as he knew it was complicated enough already, what with having to be bussed back and forth from the school for the physically and mentally infirmed, at first on a weekly basis then eventually on the weekend, the latter of which had him more besotted than anything else even could or would for that matter, and so in the end he found himself having to trudge through the monotny of even being there, needless though it was, the monotny and not having to trudge through it that is, well maybe they were together, but that's neither here nor there right now, what is, or rather was was the fact that no matter how things were or even seemed to be the one thing that was clear was that Prince Benjamin was in and of himself in for a helluva bumpy ride, and that was the last thing, and I do mean the last thing,  he in and of himself expected, though he knew if not had known it was bound to have happened sooner or later, if not sooner rather than later, in which it was bound to throw him off his guard, messed up his a-game, or however the hell you wanted to put it, though anyway you sliced it someone if not something was bound to take an already tense situation and make it even more tense, in which case that so-called bumpy ride was bound to get even bumpier, hell, it might as well have been rocky, oh wait, it had been, the prince was just too starstruck by ye olde certain other maiden to realize what was going on all around him, but then again who wouldn't be?, I mean she was alluring, after all, and that above all else should've been enough of a reason, but sadly enough it wasn't, she was in fact so much more than that, she was kind and caring and thoughtful and downright inclusive of other people, the prince ought to know, given of course the fact that it was during the summer festival when she another maiden would bring immense joy to Prince Benjamin's world, however different from her  own it maybe, or not, but regardless the fact that they cared enough to do what they did was enough to carry the prince into his darkest days, and trust me there were enough of those to go around, though maybe not too much so, at least not where the rest of the family Worthington were concerned but more so where Prince Benjamin himself was concerned, seeing as though he was the one who above all else is, was and always would be the one who was affected the most, whether it would be by Grandpa King Gerhardt's eventual death, though in all truth and honesty their wasn't anything 'eventual' about it, seeing as though it was bound to happen sooner or later if not sooner rather than later or by Mummy and Daddy Worthington being so overprotective that it was bound to drive Prince Benjamin nuts or if not those then a whole host of other reasons Prince Benjamin himself couldn't even fathom, or even if, and that was a big if, he could they'd probably leave him in stunned silence, in which case he'd be bolting out Castle Worthington's front door nothing doing, and that was just if he'd decided to take the coward's way out and leave everybody including Ma and Pa high and dry, which of course he would never do, at least not subsconsciously, or even consciously for that matter, not in this any other lifetime anyway, of that you could be sure, even surer than sure, hell, it was more like sure x 10,000, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that despite all the lies, half-truths and whatnot he'd been led to believe about families in general was nothing compared to the real thing, I mean sure they had their fights now and again but eventually they made up, such is/was the case with the Worthington family, or at least it seemed like it, but in the end it was nothing but just one big fallacy, created by none other than the family Worthington themselves, oh they were good, how good was the proverbial $ 64,000 question, more or less, I mean sure they loved each other as families should, don't get me wrong, it's just that when it came to making that love stick it was in and of itself a virtual impossibility, given the fact that their were almost always going to be dissensions within the ranks, or in this case the family, more like fights. spats even, and some of them could get even uglier then others, so much so that there could be more than just feelings hurt, emotions could and eventually did run high, words cutting to the quick the very fibers of the beings whom they were directed at, degrading their self-esteem until it was practically nonexistent, in which case they were sure to be prime targets for those who were seeking, or had sought to, corrupt their very beings from the inside out, in speech and thought and action, basically your trifecta of evil, first comes speech, instead of it being pure and and undefiled it was impure and defiled, thought was the next to go, more or less, impure just as much as speech though it came with the added bonus of unholy images running through your head like a bullet train on steroids,  either that, or whose conductor was on a Grade A bona fide caffeine rush, up next was action, and I ain't just talkin' action toward your own family but also toward society in general, whether it be physically or monetarily it didn't matter, what did matter was the fact that you, who in this case would be Prince Benjamin, was practically ready, willing, and able to contribute to the betterment of the society of the land of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy, a society which in and of itself let down Prince Benjamin time and time again, but then again nobody's perfect, right?, not the prince, or his brother or his sister or his mother or his father or even society in general, and that was what would in the end become the bane of his existence, insofar as it would all the more apparent that their were other forces playing Russian Roulette with the prince's feelings, so much so that he wasn't sure what to believe anymore, but then again who would be, especially in condition?, with every possible limitation known to man, if not he himself, including, but not limited to, being physically intimate with his one truelove, I mean when it came to holding hands that was one thing, kissing yet another, but sexual relations was, if not were, completely and utterly out of the question, especially since not only was it physically impossible for Prince Benjamin to do so but also because he was himself holed up tighter then an oil drum, as in no way in hell was he about to be confronted with seeing the female form in all its' naked glory, especially when it came to the female bosom, the very same which was known to give life to he himself, and so in the end would he become increasingly reticent about sex (i.e., the act as well as the gender, the female gender that is) in general, but that wasn't the only thing he would become increasingly reticent about, given the fact that at some point he was and otherwise would be invariably forced to glance The Dowager Grandma Ella's scar from a procedure she had done, a most unsightly image to behold to be sure, well, that and when King Reuel, Prince Benjamin and Princess Amanda were out at the petting zoo at the marketplace during the week of the county fair and he spied a goat doing its business and became, if not had become, mortified at the very sight of it being right there, for everyone else to see no less, including, but not limited, to His Royal Highness himself, and in so being cause him to lose his lunch, as the saying goes, either that or lock himself in his bedchamber and suddenly and irrevocably yet violently purge himself of any and all things farmyard related, memories and all, which at this point included and all trips outside the limits of the land of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy, I mean it was one thing for people who could stomach, both literally and figuratively, that sort of thing but when it came to the prince things in and of themselves were quite different, seeing as though one look, one smell even was and otherwise be enough to be sending him retching straight to the bedchamber bathroom, that is if he were that lucky, given the fact that he in and of himself had had one helluva  delicate constitution, make no mistake wherever their was an occasion for Prince Benjamin's constitution to be toyed with he himself was sure to follow, no matter whether it was sickness or injury or some unsightly image of one of God's creatures relieving themselves in the best way they know and-or knew how it was bound to make His Royal Highness a bit uneasy, given of course the fact that he'd had a helluva time accepting who he himself was and what his place in the world was not to mention why his parents chose the one place on this God's green earth to send him off to if  only to leave him corrupted beyond all thought and reason, and that he would be no matter how anything and everything seemed so wrong and inhumane and just plain nasty it was like he knew what the end result would be, like he expected to be challenged by all the outside world offered him, more or less, like it was a test of his mettle to see if he'd be up to the challenge of living in the world of those who were able-bodied, interacting with them at every turn while at the same not letting any and all undue impure thoughts cloud his judgment, if not his reasoning, which if anything was next to nil at present, what with him not being able to get a word in edgewise not to mention the fact that when it came to being assertive he was less than stellar in that department, mostly because he was too afraid of turning into Father Reuel, all tough and aggressive and unwieldy, not to mention was a real bear when dinner wasn't right on the table when he rolled into and otherwise through the front door, of Castle Worthington no less, and although he wasn't of the kingly persuasion any longer he was still very much an integral part of the Worthington clan, their spiritual leader nonetheless, well, him and Lord David, and let's not forget the once and current king King Randall, but other than that that pretty much rounded out the spiritual realm of the family Worthington, any and all others, Lords Jerold and Philip included, were either of the farming or electrical trades, with Ladies Agnes and Linda playing their dutiful wives, Lady Aletha was of course the teacher of the family, well, at least one of them, the other was Lady Charlotte, all others, including Ladies Diana and Cheryl were due to follow their own paths, including animal husbandry and child care, respectively, if not one than both, especially of the latter, which was basically saying that they raised both animals and children, oh hell, they were your typical housewives, only thing was they weren't of the desperate persuasion, and thank God, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that they were in it for the long haul either way, only humans were more civilized than animals were and as such didn't require being cleaned up after, it was in fact just the exact opposite, they did the cleaning up after themselves, and that was after some haggling from your parents, though if you were of college age it was a completely different story, but again that was neither here nor there right now, suffice it to say that whatever age you were or even whatever your station in life was you felt compelled to embrace whatever it was, now as for where Prince Benjamin was concerned, well, he hadn't begun to scratch the surface as of yet, though he was sure to sooner or later, if not sooner rather than later, and when he did he would be no better off now than he was if not had been in the beginning, given the fact that he was just starting to get his bearings, get his firmly planted on solid ground, physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, you name it and that pretty much cinched it for the young royal, in perhaps more ways than one, especially when it came to his spirituality, I mean sure their were more aspects to him, but it was more his spirituality that was the key to him as well as his well-being, given the fact that even as he was going through so much with being bussed back and forth from the school for the physically and mentally infirmed to the hallowed halls of Castle Worthington it was, if not had become, increasingly apparent that his spiritual being in and of itself was soon to take a hit, hell, it was more like a barrage, nee volley, of hits until he was reduced to nothing short of rubble, either that or a shell of his former self, either way, he was darned if he did and darned if he didn't, and at this point he just as soon wished he was neither, particularly because it not only bore a otherwise nasty mark upon his soul but because it came with some pretty nasty mojo, and that was the last thing Prince Benjamin needed, especially since it would be an otherwise direct representation of his physical self, if not attached to himself in some otherwise unholy way, like a pox almost, one which he wished he could get rid of but in the end just couldn't, try as he might, and that was perhaps his biggest hang-up above any and all else, not even if he tried, to get rid of it that is, and so in the end it would always and forever be following him around like some big, though not humungous, black cloud, following him wherever he went, whenever he went, which at this point basically included the school for the physically and mentally infirmed, more specifically every single inch thereof, and that was on a good day, not that Prince Benjamin would ever knew, if not had known, what that had felt like, given the fact that moments such as he would experience would be fleeting at best, as in one minute he would be experiencing joy beyond measure and the next it'd be gone faster than you could shake a stick at it, one such example being during the day of the summer festival, and more specifically the time Prince Benjamin was spending with maiden number one and how it made him feel just to be with her, a warm almost, emphasis on almost, tingly feeling, though not too much so or else it would've felt just plain weird and uncomfortable and downright sexual, which ironically was how the prince had thought everything to be these days, and bendy and twisty and filled with innuendo until it was ready to burst at the seams, the end result being nothing short of leaving him wanting more, so much more in fact that it was as if it were a drug, one whose effects were long lasting, maybe too long lasting, but long lasting nonetheless, that is until by some miracle of fate or luck, or vice versa, or whatever have you he was weaned off of it slowly but surely, one weaning which was in and of itself sorely needed, given the fact that once a person were on it, say Prince Benjamin for example, it would take whole helluva lot of strength and willpower just to wean him off of it, and that was strength and willpower he just didn't seem to have, or even if, and that was a big if, he did it was in short supply at best, either that or he was holding, nee bottling, it up inside him until it was needed, a sort of 'saving it for a rainy day' thing, ya know, only thing was it wasn't exactly a rainy day, more like cloudy with a chance of drizzle, or however you wanted to put it, the point being, and yes oh yes there is one, that no matter how you put it, in the literal as well as figurative senses, their was just no way around it, their really wasn't, but then again their wasn't really around anything, including, but not limited to, the fact of who Prince Benjamin was as well as who he could be, which if anything was far more than he ever knew, if not had known, he'd just needed the proper guidance, though where he would get it was anybody's guess, including his own,; Father Reuel, he certainly wouldn't be any help, or if he was he'd probably just start imposing his ideas on Prince Benjamin at the drop of a hat, Mother Janice was another story, though with her Prince Benjamin found something in common with her he never expected to find in common with her, a love for the performing arts, and although it wouldn'tve  necessarily led to a viable career at least it was something, something which he'd never shared with anybody but Mum Janice, and so therefore would their  relationship, and only their relationship, be cemented, and as for any and all others they would begin to eventually fall into place, though who they would be with or how long that would take was anyone's guess, including the prince's himself,  though eventually their would be some he'd wished were better than others, if for no other reason than that of the protections that were afforded him in and otherwise through said relationships, more specifically how they were meant to build him up physically and emotionally,  if not just emotionally and how the furtherance of that very build would make him virtually impervious to anything and everything that was thrown his way, and there were many a thing that were thrown his way, including, but not limited to, the fact that he was never going to be able getting around who he was, both literally and figuratively, if not literally, because in the end their was just no way, their really wasn't, no matter how hard he tried, and believe you me he did, the fact remained that he would always and forever be pining away for the one that got away, that special someone who brought just as much joy and happiness to his life as he did theirs, so it wasn't as if it didn't cut both ways when in fact it had, so far and so deep in fact it might very well have pierced his princely soul, which when you think about mightn't not seem so bad, save of course for the fact that on a purely personal level the prince hate the stuffing out of anything and everything that pierced anything and everything within an one hundred mile radius, give or take a mile, but that was neither here nor there right now, well, at least not entirely, what was was the fact that no matter whether the pain being inflicted upon a person was real or imagined it was there and there was no way of getting rid of it, no matter how much a person, in this case Prince Benjamin, tried, no matter whether it was the fact that he was just as lazy as he could be or the fact that he took an interest one of the many maidens he would come to encounter, that is if he hadn't already, taken an interest in them, that is, the very same one he would come to invite to the premiere of the latest picture show, which of course is why he had taken an interest in her in the first place, either that or he was just trying to get out of Castle Worthington and even more specifically his four-walled bedchamber, the one place he wasn't sure whether loved it or hated it, or both for that matter,, but then again he ventured anybody in his condition would be feeling the same way he did, that is if their were anybody else in his condition, which their might very well have been, or not, he wasn't sure, all he knew if not had known was that if he didn't start making a move and started making it soon he would miss out on the one and only chance he'd had, at a romance, at life,  at a romantic life, and nothing else, no bendy twisty innuendo-laden awkward moments, no screwing it up in any way, at least by him, others  yes, him not so much, including, but not limited to, Princess Amanda, seeing as though all it would take from her would be one single solitary thought or action if not though or action and then whammo he would be sunk faster than the TItanic after having been hit by the iceberg in the movie of the same name, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that no matter who sought to get the ball rolling for whatever reason the intended target is, was and always would be Prince Benjamin, given the fact that he was just as gullible, which in the end made him fair game for any and every charlatan, huckster and the like, not to mention his many detractors and the outlying lands' naysayers, of which their were many, if not half as many, waiting and watching for the young royal to slip-up and then whammo!, they would have him right where they wanted him, right within their purview, keeping tabs on him like he was some social experiment, watching, waiting with bated breath until he in some small otherwise insignificant way made the least likeliest slip-up, faux pas or whatever the hell you wanted to call it and then when he did he was finished, finito, done, you get the picture I'm sure, the point being, and yes there is one, that once the masses got their grubby little paws on him their was no telling what would happen, including, but not limited to, how far they in and of themselves would go to put the prince's life under the microscope, analyzing this, scrutinizing that, and doing anything and everything else under the sun to undermine not only his confidence and his credibility but his self-worth because in their eyes he could never ever love another person, not physically, not now, not ever, given the fact that no prince could ever truly love a maiden heart and soul, especially the way Prince Benjamin could've and perhaps had loved Maiden Echo, better known of course as maiden number one, or as the Spanish say numero uno, with a love so deep, so far and so wide it was as though she was his one and only, at least the one and only of them all that he cared about, given the fact that their were others, but not one of them could ever compare to Maiden Echo, sorry, I mean maiden numero uno, the way she herself did, well her and her cousin Maiden Ruth, yet another maiden thrown into the mix, and although Prince Benjamin treasured the time he spent with her just as much as he did with Maiden Echo, aka maiden numero uno, which he did, don't get me wrong, it would always and forever be Maiden Echo would be in his heart, starting with the day of the summer festival and continuing to the day of her confirmation at then-Father Reuel's country parish, and then of course their would be the day of her graduation from university, the one time Prince Benjamin wished in and of himself he could tell her just how special she was, if not had been, special to him, if for no other reason than that than that of her being able to show him how good a time they could have with things getting complicated, emotionally or otherwise, or if not only that then be able to draw him out of his otherwise protective shell, one which had gotten that way if for no other reason then the world corrupting an otherwise suggestible mind, his mind in fact, by virtually bombarding it with image after image of debauchery until he wasn't sure what to believe anymore, not that he hadn't not been already, okay so maybe he had, the point being that whether he was cognizant of the fact that the images he was viewing was before he after the fact they were what they were and their was no way of changing that, not physically or even emotionally, for that matter, and so in the end he'd had no choice to accept them as is, just like had no choice to accept himself as is, one acceptance which he just couldn't seem to shake no matter how hard he tried, and tried he did, so much so that it was as if he were trying to move a boulder the size of all four presidents' faces on Mt. Rushmore, or even bigger, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that no matter how hard tried his hand at something, if not in general, in this case accepting who he was if not as is, he could never seem to accept the fact that things in and of themselves were never going to change no matter how much he wished they would, and believe you me that was high on his list of wishes, right next to him wishing he'd had the guts to tell Maiden Echo, er, maiden numero uno just how he felt about her, in which case he would be able to put to rest, more or less, his anxiety about doing just that, only thing was he wouldn't get to, in part because of Mummy and Daddy Worthington's interference upon the conclusion of the summer festival, well, maybe it wasn't interference as it was them coming to collect him and spirit him back to Castle Worthington, in which case it would be back to business as usual, though what exactly what that business was he hadn't a clue, though if anything he could hazard what it could be, which of course was that of any and all princes kingdom wide, as in bowing and scraping if not bowing until they were virtually bored to tears, in which case they themselves would be yearning for some much needed quality time with their beloved, time which they themselves didn't have to worry about being unjustly monopolized, especially since their parents weren't able to snatch it away from them like Mummy and Daddy Worthington were doing to Prince Benjamin, and as such were virtually destroying his chances at happiness with the one and perhaps only person who meant anything and practically everything to him, but of course they didn't care, oh no not them, all they cared about was making their second eldest son's life a living hell, or if it wasn't them then it was the staff at the school for the physically and mentally infirmed, making nothing short of demand after demand, more specifically that he be brought back sooner than expected, and in so doing rend him from the bosom of hearth and home, one rending which he had no choice to accept as is even though it meant not only rending him from the walls of Castle Worthington but also from the arms of  one Maiden Echo Thorngoode, also known as maiden number one, perhaps the one and only who brought true joy to the prince's life, at least outside of any and all others known to him, including, but not limited to, Maiden Marjorie, aka maiden number two, Maiden Jennifer, aka maiden number three, Maiden Donna, her sister Maiden Jennifer, aka maiden number four, and those were just prior to entering Sussex County Preparatory School, those who came after were thus, Maiden Emily, who coincidentally would be asked out by the prince to the premiere of the picture show if only to be turned down by her, in favor of one whose clout was more accessible, more favorable then Prince Benjamin's ever was or even would be, Maiden Theresa, who, unlike Maiden Emily, wouldn't leave Prince Benjamin completely, totally and utterly devastated by turning down his invitation to the picture show in favor of someone with a little more clout then he had would come to favor someone a step above her in the academic ranks, in the end leaving the prince to admire her from afar, though the possibility existed that he wouldn't not being seeing the last of her anytime soon, seeing as though it would be during their senior year that she, along with another maiden, Maiden Eustacia, would similarly swoop in and save him from a fate worse than winding up as royal roadkill, thanks in no part to another schoolmate, Lord Daniel, having had no experience in handling people in Prince Benjamin's condition, as in trying to lower him off a ledge while the prince was in his wheelchair, which if nothing else went horribly wrong, or at least it would have had Maidens Theresa and Eustacia not done their due diligence and save him when they did, in which case he is, was, and perhaps still will be thankful to them to this very day for having done it, oh and of course their were Maidens Caliope, with whom the prince danced at homecoming senior year, Maiden Anne with whom he danced at prom junior year, and Maiden Elizabeth with whom he danced at prom senior year, to of course round out that particular list, though it if anything seemed almost useless for him to have categorized the first eight or so they way he did, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that no matter whether it was before or even during prep school when he'd made their acquaintances the fact remained that they each were an integral part of his life,some perhaps more than others, not that Prince Benjamin was one to count anybody out in particular, it's just that when it came to separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were, it was hard, though not as hard as he let on, but just enough to try and keep his head on straight, more or less, though actually it was more like doing the who 'it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman' thing, no, I'm definitely going with the 'trying to keep his head on straight' angle, much more simpler than going back and forth and otherwise invoking the name of a character, though fictional at best, who wore a cape and flew around fighting crime and saving lives, all in the name of not only defending the defenseless but also for the common good, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that it was hard as well as hell being someone like Prince Benjamin, especially with all the problems he had going on, not the least of which was having his desire for having a romantic life go up in flames just because dear ' ol sister Princess Amanda had an otherwise underlying urge to complicate things for him, to wit, by listening in on his private conversation with Maiden Emily, which if anything was more of an invitation than just a conversation, one which quickly went downhill, and that was once Princess Amanda had stuck her nose where it didn't belong, but then, oh but then once Mum Janice came on board, more or less, then things went further downhill, as in Mum Janice not being able to act fast enough to do damage control, more specifically keep Sister Amanda's nose out of where it didn't belong, but unfortunately Mum Janice was too late, and so in the end Prince Benjamin was invariably forced to go to the picture show alone, sit through it all, including the previews, and then when it came time for the picture show itself to start he sat there, in the theater, with tears streaming down his face wondering what the hell wrong and where it went wrong, though if anything he most likely knew the answers to both those questions and in doing so was probably, nee most likely, try to justify why what happened happened, though he could probably fathom a guess or two, one such being that everything was ill-timed, ill-planned, so much so that what he'd waited for for all if not half the summer was destined to fail and fail miserably, of course then he wouldn'tve had the impetus to blame Princess Amanda or Queen Janice for their roles the whole matter, and although he most likely would've taken great pleasure in doing so he suddenly and irrevocably abandoned the idea because in the end it would serve no immediate purpose, save of course for sending his blood pressure, yes that blood pressure, shooting straight into the stratosphere, and so in the end he was forced, more or less, to go along with the second most likeliest scenario, which of course was to call and invite Maiden Emily to the picture show in the sure and certain hope that she would say yes and that in doing so he might have the chance, the one in a million chance, of spending some quality time with the one girl, the one girl who'd been in his heart since Maiden Echo, not only once but twice, first and foremost because of the time that they spent together at the summer festival and secondly because of how he come oh-so close to relaying his congratulations to her on the day of her confirmation, the latter of which never happened, but then again neither had the former, not that their was all that much to brag about if not be said, I mean their was but not in some big, overtly flashy way, for that was not what, or even who, or vice versa, Prince Benjamin was, he was in fact nothing short of a Grade A 100% simple-minded, though in a good way and never a bad, person who led the best life possible, title or no title, and in doing so got caught up in the thrall just like anybody else would, as in letting life if not society in and of itself dictate how a person thought and felt and how those thoughts and feelings, the thoughts especially, got in the way of their views on such issues on marriage and premarital sex, especially premarital sex, not to mention their way of thinking in general, and how that in turn formed the basis, nee core, of their very being, such as it had with Prince Benjamin, no matter whether it was while he was still at the school for the mentally and physically infirm or whether he was at Sussex County Preparatory School, or rather Sussex County Prep for short, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that throughout his whole life, if not just the first eight years thereof, his views if not perception of things and events going on around him were swiss-cheesed at best, or maybe that was just his mind, either way he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, especially since it was during his time at the former that things were sure to confound him beyond belief, so much so that it was almost as if he needed a deprogramming, either that or a good swift kick in the rear, the latter of which was more preferable than the former, given the fact that that for everything to go if not have gone one for as long as it did was just unconscionable,  not to mention that it just plain went against everything the prince believed with every fiber of his being, or if not that exactly then the ones that weren't being manipulated to serve other people's' own ends, including, but not limited to, those of any and all otherworldly forces, such as Prince Benjamin had been experiencing even now, as in prior to entering Sussex County Prep, and that was one experience he'd just as soon forget, in part because he was in danger of heading down one helluva rocky path, physically, emotionally, spiritually, you name it and that was basically the icing on the cake, more or less, not to mention the fact  that their were one, maybe two experiences thereat that weren't the greatest for him to have gone through, including, but not limited to, unknowingly calling out a classmate on if not who or what she was, which at this point included anything and everything from her being like the prince himself to the color of her skin, the latter of which the prince would never ever consciously or even subconsciously do, but in the end he had and that in part had sent him down a rocky path, one which he would continually be traveling down unless and until he no longer had cause to, at least then, what happened after was anybody's guess, including his own, though he very well could be changing course and yet be on the same path, only a different direction, in which case he would be taking on a whole new set of circumstances, including, but not limited to, facing down a whole lot more now then he did in the beginning, no, make that the very beginning, as in while he was still at the school for the physically and mentally infirm, biding his time until the day came when he was and-or would be able to be home with his family again, which of course wouldn't be easy, given the fact that things weren't if not hadn't exactly been kosher, I mean sure he loved being home and all, don't get me wrong, it's just that when it came to certain situations, shall we say, they were quite another matter, including, but not limited to, the summer of the aforementioned summer festival, when Prince Benjamin found himself to be in the company of Maidens Echo and Ruth, though as it was previously stated Maiden Echo was the only one who was in his heart, and that of course was the first time, the second time being during the night of her confirmation at Father Reuel's thirdmost parish, the one out of the two which if not where he was almost sure he would and otherwise could get to express his feelings of gratitude towards her for the time they shared during the summer festival, but even that wasn't possible, given the fact that first and foremost his third most parish was way out of the way, as in out in the country, and so in the end it would've been near impossible for anything more to have happened, as in having Mum Janice and Dad Reuel wait in order for son Prince Benjamin to gather together his token of thanks in order that they might be able to present it to Maiden Echo on his behalf, but unfortunately time was a-calling and so there wouldn'tve been enough for Benjamin to do so, and so as a result he'd missed out on yet another opportunity to express his thanks toward her, thanks which in and of itself had been welling uo within Benjamin since that first ever encounter during the summer festival, and would continue to do so unless and until he was able to let it go bursting forth from his very soul, but instead of allowing in to be so he was invariably forced to keep it all bottled up inside him until it made him want to plotz, which ironically was how it was upon KIng Gerhardt's death, more specifically after having viewed King Gerhardt's body in ye olde pine box, I mean coffin, for then and only then had the tears started flowing, well, then and the Christmas thereof, two as equally unpleasant moments in his life, second only to his inability to not take a stand and let Maiden Echo know just how he felt about her,  in which case he would be unburdening  himself from all the hurt and torture, though not physically but emotionally, he'd had to go through even then, including, but not limited to, his time at the school for the physically and mentally infirm, given the fact that Father Reuel had had so far to drive from Castle Worthington to the school for the physically and mentally infirm and back now and again, not to mention the demands they made that he be brought earlier than expected, which if anything was really what burned his biscuits, or in this case crumpets, all in the name of him not missing anymore schooling than was humanly possible, or at least that's the excuse they gave at the time, though it could've been just so they could torture him by keeping him from anyone and everyone he loved so dearly, including, but not limited to, Maiden Echo, aka maiden number one, or whatever the hell you wished to call her at this point, not that Benjamin, prince or otherwise, would think of her as anything less than she already was, which he wouldn't, besides which he'd already been done that road with yet another maiden, make that two, Chastity and Marjorie, respectively, more specifically how the one (i.e., Chastity) overheard Prince Benjamin tell the other (i.e. Marjorie ) how good she looked, yeah, in her dress, and most certainly not, and I repeat not, because of the tan she'd gotten in preparation for the school for the mentally and physically infirm's' spring formal, one which was in and of itself supposed to be a fun time in addition to a magical night but instead it was the exact opposite if not only one but both, and that was even after Prince Benjamin had met Maiden Marjorie's parents, who although they were the nicest, sweetest couple that the good Lord ever put on this earth were enough to send his Prince Benjamin's  emotions straight into overdrive, especially her father, not that he wasn't just as affable and outgoing as her mother  was, it's just that when it came to being around him and the way he made the prince feel it was a whole another story altogether in that he (i.e., Prince Benjamin) wasn't sure to take him (i.e., Maiden Marjorie's father) at face value or not, as in whether to laugh at a joke or not, depending on if it was in fact a joke he should be laughing at at all, or if he was just trying to test Prince Benjamin's reaction to things in general, in which case Prince Benjamin needn't worry about anything, yeah, good luck with that, especially since he was known to be a walking, talking worry wart, enter the day of the summer festival and him not being able to make it into the venue on his own, that is not without some help, which he all too graciously accepted, if not was obliged to accept, and that, that was when it all came to a head, more or less, you know, the need for help and otherwise dependence on if not upon other people, the fact that in doing so you would .forever be craving more attention than was humanly possible, attention you weren't sure whether or not would be good or bad, and then once you had it paid to you it was like you just couldn't get enough, which normally mightn't not be such a bad thing, save of course for the fact that it was considered to be the norm for people in your situation and any and all others like it, only problem was that once it happened you could never ever hope to rid yourself of it no matter how much you tried, and tried you had, in the end resigning  yourself to the fact that unless and until  your were able to get out from your parents' thumbs and live life on your own terms that was perhaps how it was going to be for the rest of your life, and that in part had scared the almighty crap out of you in part because it meant that you were never ever in any way, shape or form going to be recognizable to anyone without riding if not having ridden your parents' coattails, in which case you'd always and forever be their little boy, you know, the one who grew up never really knowing where he came from or what his circumstances were, though he pretty much had that one down pat, who experienced love and the loss of that love just as fast as he found it, both personally and physically, literally and figuratively, and in doing so resigned himself to the fact that he would never find a love like that as long as he had breath in him which, unlike his or anyone else's, was meant to cleanse and soothe from the inside out, which is what Maiden Echo was meant to do in much the same way, more or less, given the fact that she was just exactly what Prince Benjamin needed in his all too mundane life, well, maybe not mundane mundane exactly, more like to the point where one minute he would be totally engrossed in merriment and then the next he would be holed up in his bedchamber, through no fault of his own, of course, though if anyone were truly at fault it'd be Mummy and Daddy Worthington, given the fact that they were at the forefront of son Prince Benjamin's romantic troubles or whatever the hell you wanted to call them, in which case the likelihood of you, meaning of course Prince Benjamin, ever, and I do mean ever, having the slightest bit of a normal life would be next to nil, and in so being lead him to greater things than even he knew he was capable of not to mention that of once and finally having a relationship with Maiden Echo, one virtually unencumbered by the fact that he was royalty and she a commoner, but more important then that the fact that he was physically challenged and she was able-bodied, the one fact that although it was harder then hell for him to accept he had had no choice but to, as a result leading to a life less normal and more chaotic, one which he hated, he hated  because it would mean kowtowing to the powers that be and not living the kind of life he knew he could live with the person he knew he could if not would be able to live it with, in the end fulfilling both ends of the fantasy life he'd conjured up, only it wasn't a fantasy, oh no far from it, at least not in the way most people would dream them up in order to avoid life, however boring and bland and virtually lifeless it was, okay so maybe it was like that after all, the point being that when they were around each other, her him and him her, it was Grade A 100% pure magic, like they only existed to be around each other for as long as was humanly possible, which when you considered that it would be only for  parties, balls,  and special functions, whatever they may be, it wasn't if not wouldn't be nearly enough to appease the young royal's need for companionship, one need which he'd harbored, more or less, within himself for he didn't know how long, and would continue to do so unless and until it was fulfilled, for then and only then would he feel complete, but unfortunately that was one need which would have to go unfulfilled if for no other reason than that of Mummy and Daddy Worthington's staunch objections to Prince Benjamin's involvement with someone of Her Maidenship's caliber, character or whatever the hell you wanted to call it, one which he found to be very beguiling to say the least, if for no other reason than that of her willingness to accept a person for who they were, in this case Prince Benjamin, and how that acceptance would in all eventuality come to mean so much, if not half as much, to the prince himself, given the fact that up until the day of the summer festival if not when he'd first entered the school for the physically and mentally infirm he'd had no hope, absolutely, positively no hope of finding the kind of love, companionship really, with anyone else the way he'd found it with Maiden Echo, I mean sure there were others, but none of them were as special as she was, and that was what had instinctly if not instantly attracted her to Prince Benjamin, one attraction which while it wasn't necessarily as sexual as most attractions were was enough to bolster Prince Benjamin's spirits to the point where he could overcome virtually anything and everything that was thrown at him, including, but not limited to, the time he spent while still at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, time which was just as hard on him as it was on anybody else, the only difference being he was and had otherwise been able to articulate his feelings rather than let them be bottled up within himself until they exploded at the first sign of pressure, and believe you me there would be pressure, so much in fact that Prince Benjamin could hardly handle any if not all of it and then bam! he'd be at the mercy of the gods of emotion, that is if there were any, not that he was discounting the possibility that their weren't, it's just that with the level of anxiety he was known to if not have experienced anything was possible, including, but not limited to, having the one he loved, he truly loved, being unjustly denied him all in the name of ruling alongside if not as his kingdom's' next monarch, one ruling which he was unsure whether or not he would be up to the task of accepting, if for no other reason than that of choosing to rule over her and the kingdom's population rather than be with her and forsaking any and all others, including, but not limited to, Mummy and Daddy Worthington, in which case he would once and finally be able to to stand up to Mummy and Daddy Worthington and tell them what's what with their being any repercussions, emotional or otherwise, whatsoever, but unfortunately that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, and so in the end Prince Benjamin had had no choice but to yield to Mummy and Daddy Worthington, and that was one yielding he hated, he hated, doing given the fact that it'd mean if not had meant that they'd win out in the end, and that was just as equally loathsome as him having to yield to them, and so in the end he'd ended up plotting his escape out from under their thumbs, well, maybe it wasn't so much of an escape as it was charting a new course in life, his life to be exact, one which it was hoped would take him far away from his life of wealth and privilege and into a life less demanding, though in truth it was anything but, a life of wealth and privilege that is, given the fact that the prince had required so much extra special care than he himself was willing to let on to, including, but not limited to, where his physical self was concerned, well, that and his mental self, given the fact each in turn could either make or break his spirit, and that, well, that was enough to drive anybody to distraction, the prince himself included, but then again their were plenty of things that drove him to distraction, including, but not limited to, Mummy and Daddy Worthington themselves, or if they weren't now then they were sure as hell gearing up for it big time, emphasis on big time, in which case they were bound to stay stuck to him like barnacles to a fishing boat, it was either that or zebra mussels, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that unless and until he was once and finally rid of any and all interference in his life he would in all wise be put under a microscope, both literally and figuratively, if not just literally, in which case his every move would be scrutinized, again both literally and figuratively, including, but not limited to, any and all he would seek to make on Maiden Echo, that is if he could, I mean it was one thing physically but emotionally it was another, given the fact that he hadn't had all that much experience with girls, no dates, no nothing, well, almost no dates, given there was the time before the commencement of the school for the physically and mentally infirmed's spring formal whereupon he partook of the evening meal with Maiden Marjorie, Citizen Joel and another maiden Maiden Angela, one partaking which it in and of itself would've gone off without a hitch had things not taken the turn they did, as in the infamous remark about how good Maiden Marjorie looked in her dress when in fact Maiden Chastity had taken it as an affront about if not to her skin color, one remark which Prince Benjamin had regretted making ever since, though had it not been for the fact that the environment in which Prince Benjamin found himself played a part it wouldn'tve made a bit of a difference but since it had than things were quite different now weren't they?, especially given the fact that second eldest son now Lord Jerold was known to be a bit of a handful, as in he had had a mouth on him that just didn't if not wouldn't seem to quit, and that was in essence what would eventually contribute to Prince Benjamin becoming the kind of person he would turn out to be, now as to whether that would be a kind and caring person or whether it would be nothing but a Grade A mean, cold-hearted son of a b----- was in contention, what wasn't was the fact that Grandma Queen Ella I saw something in him even he couldn't, or even if, and that was a big if, he could it was most likely clouded by  the fact that he'd had a very low opinion of himself, either that, he was just trying to get by like anybody else in his situation by making the best of a bad situation, well, maybe it wasn't all that bad, more like uncontrollable, though not so much so, but more so to the point where he felt as though he was being railroaded, and that was the last thing, and I do mean the last thing, he needed, especially from his family, save of course Queen Ella I, she was the real deal, all others were just who they were, not that she, or even they for that matter, weren't any less then they already were, oh dear God no, it's just that when it came to each of them in their own individuality it was something quite different, though not quite that different, I mean sure Grandma Ella had had more years of experience on her than most other people ever would've not to mention the fact that she'd birthed the once and future heir to the throne of the House of Worthington along with the remainder of the royal court (i.e., Queen Sandrine and sister Janice, whom Prince Benjamin affectionately called Mummy Dearest, not to mention Uncles/Lords Jerold, David and Philip), and as such was the stabilizing force behind the Worthington family, as was husband King Gerhardt though that was in and of itself soon to change, given the fact that that each of them were soon to meet their own untimely ends, and then things were sure to take on a whole new meaning as far as the Worthington hierarchy was concerned, not that it wouldn'tve otherwise, it's just that with things being the way they were it was hard to tell whether or not a change would be in order, given the fact that some were wary about it coming, including, but not limited to, Prince Benjamin himself, what with he and change not going together all that well, but that was neither here nor there right now, I mean it was, it just wasn't representative of the whole picture as far as Prince Benjamin was concerned, and so in the end he'd had one helluva tough time comprehending the way things were with how he himself saw them, not that they weren't all that different, which of course they weren't, it's just that with is condition and all it made it extremely difficult for Prince Benjamin to function as is, oh and as if that weren't enough  they would also being all those boring kingdom functions he was invariably forced to attend, not that any of them warranted all that much strength, mentally or otherwise, at least by most other people, but for Prince Benjamin it was a whole different story, it's just he'd had an otherwise low tolerance for things droning on and on and on, so much so that he was bound to go screaming out into the kingdom's streets that he couldn't take it anymore, all that bowing and scraping and scraping and bowing, not to mention that it would take him away from any and all time he wanted to spend with Maiden Echo, especially if any and all other maidens were thrust his way, I mean it was if not would be one thing  if it were her and her alone, it'd be another if all other remaining maidens (i.e., Jennifer, Donna, Jennifer, Emily, Theresa, Anne, Caliope and Elizabeth) were thrown into the mix but to have anyone other than them would be unconscionable, in which case the likelihood of Prince Benjamin accepting anybody who wasn't those he knew was less than stellar, or however you wanted to put it, the point being that to have someone, anyone be clamoring for the prince's attentions and affections that wasn't any and all of the aforementioned maidens, especially Maiden Echo, would crush his spirit, do away with his resolve and God only knows what else, in which case he might as well give up, give in and cede his life over to the gods of fate because whatever he was hoping was working really wasn't, not as long as Mummy and Daddy Worthington were involved that is, and so in the end he was invariably back to square one, more or less, and that was the last place where he'd wanted to be, both literally and figuratively, if not literally, because in his mind it meant giving up on everything if not everybody he ever loved if not held dear in general, and that in and of itself began with Maiden Echo and only Maiden Echo, but unfortunately it hadn't ended with Maiden Echo, at least he hadn't thought it had, but then again maybe it had, yep, it definitely had, given the fact that from the very minute Mummy and Daddy had caught a whiff of what Prince Benjamin was up to which if nothing else was less then nefarious they shut him down and shut him down good, okay so maybe that was a bit harsh, hell it was was past harsh, more like brutal, the point being that when it came to Prince Benjamin having the slightest, and I do mean the slightest, interest in reaching out to if not in a girl in general, in this case Maiden Echo, well, let's us just say that after all the time they'd spent together thus far he felt like he really knew her in perhaps every sense that counted, and of that one could be sure, how sure was unknown at the moment, though if his gut was right about her, especially while being in close proximity to her, he knew he was in good hands, though sooner or later, if not sooner rather than later, that would all change and then whammo! he'd be right back where he started, well maybe not started started exactly, more like at the midway point a mere two feet back, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that to be in Maiden Echo's all too capable hands one minute and not be the next was for Prince Benjamin a little unsettling, especially given the fact that once he wasn't his level of anxiety was known to go straight through the roof and never stop, unless of course their were say, oh I don't know, someone with the presence of mind as well as body, if not mind alone, who could somehow allay the prince's fears about who he was and how it was he came to be so different from everybody and feel the way he felt and not have the slightest inkling of how to control how he felt the way he felt without letting his carnal desires get the best of him, and that they would, and that they would, so much so that he wasn't sure how he would be around other people without letting his mind run rampant and be filled with all manner of unsavory images, and unsavory they would be, so much so that it was as if he were completely, totally and utterly possessed by the dark side, as in Satan, Beelzebub, or whatever you wished to call him, and as such felt overtaken, trapped really, in and unto a world where things were not totally kosher, for lack of a better word, and in so being were meant to test his mettle, his faith, or vice versa, and in so doing either toughen him up or leave him vulnerable, the latter of which he seems to have succeeded in doing, not because he wanted to or even needed to but because he felt he had had no other choice even though he did, have a choice that is, one which he in fact knew he had and yet he chose to stray from the fold, more or less, though it was as if he was in it alone, what with Mummy and Daddy Worthington having summarily put him in the position he currently found himself in, in part because it was at the insistence of the staff of the school for the mentally and physically infirm that he be brought back earlier than expected and thusly was wrested away from the bosom of hearth and home and virtually everything that was right with the world, or at least that's what he tended to believe, given the fact that even at as impressionable an age as he was at he would''ve, and eventually had, fallen for everything hook, line and sinker, in which case the road he currently found himself traveling down was/would become even more rockier and bumpier than he imagined, if not more so, one such bump being that of the school for the physically and mentally infirm and virtually all that came with it, including, but not limited to, the pre-spring formal feast, or whatever the hell you wanted to call it, the very same which would become his downfall once the offhanded comment was made to Maiden Marjorie about how good she looked and otherwise interpreted by Maiden Chastity as an affront to her skin color, even though Prince Benjamin had meant to be about Maiden Marjorie's dress, one which she looked stunning in, by the way, and one which Prince Benjamin would've continually gazed upon seeing her in had he not high-tailed it out of the school's gymnasium like a bat outta hell after feeling/having felt the heat, in both the literal and figurative senses, if not the literal itself, tears welling up in his eyes,. all the while wondering why his previous invitee had turned him down, was it him? was it her? who, or even what, was it?, perhaps the one question  whose answer he had sought ever since that night, and perhaps would continue to do so unless and until he got it, though it wouldn't be easy, but then again when was, if  not had, anything been easy for him?, I mean look at him, a Grade A glorified cripple who was no more or less capable of loving if not being loved by the simple,most  uncomplicated of all individuals that ever lived, one who unlike he himself could go and do as she pleased without having to be watched like a hawk 24/7 or had trouble keeping his emotions in check in the event of a tragedy occurring, in which case people might quite possibly think him in capable of ruling his kingdom one day, thereby proving them right in the end, and that was the last thing, and I do mean the absolute last thing, he needed to have happen, especially since he was capable of far more than they gave him credit for, oh sure he may not have the moxie to capture most women's hearts others in his situation would have, or have enough wealth to satisfy their every whim if not emotional energy to pleasure them the way they needed to be pleasured, or even within himself to stand up for himself, though God only knows he wished he did, because then he would and otherwise could stop being everybody's doormat and start being the person he knew he could be, no baggage, no nothing, including, but not limited to, the fact that for the first eight years of his life he'd had virtually no semblance of one whatsoever, at least not one that was permanent, meaningful even, I mean sure their was Maiden Echo and all she stood for, which basically was all that was good and right in the prince's life, and although he wished, and I mean really, really wished, it could be more of the same it just wasn't possible, not as long as Mummy and Daddy Worthington had had anything to say about, and so in the end he had had no choice but to accept things the way they were, as in Mummy and Daddy Worthington calling the shots, which didn't exactly sit well with Prince Benjamin, I mean sure he could have, emphasis on could have, said something, anything to let them know where he stood, but in the end the words just eluded him something awful, either that, or he was just plain chicken, though the third possibility almost always, though not too much so, existed that he was as slow on the uptake as they come, well, that and the fact that he always, always let everybody else have the last word, in which case he would forever be ruled by the fact he was, and perhaps never would be, able to live down who he was or who his parents were or even the fact that he would never every get anywhere unless he started becoming his own person, and that if anything was something he all be dreamed about for as along as he could remember, well, maybe it wasn't so much a dream as it was a yearning, one which had been percolating in him ever since the day/night of the summer festival and more specifically since the time therein he spent with Maiden Echo and admittedly enough Maiden Ruth, though once and again it is, was and always will be Maiden Echo who will have forever been in his heart, given the fact that she and she alone was the one who'd brought the most joy into his life, and in addition had made him forget for just one single solitary moment about his troubles not to mention purge him of all evil and impure thoughts, thoughts which, if unheeded, would seek to destroy Prince Benjamin from the inside out if not only do a number on his emotions something awful, one which he mightn't not be able to recover from, or even if, and that was a big if, he were able to it might in all wise leave as confused as hell, which when you think about it was just exactly how he'd been from day one, though he conceivably hadn't had the reason or even know-how to comprehend what was going on at the tender age of six, maybe seven years old, if not only as he grew and matured on from then and suddenly became if not had become more aware of himself as well as his surroundings and started formulating thoughts and feelings about people, Maiden Echo included, feelings which had become ever so strong as each moment they spent together passed, one by one into the collective consciousness of time, space and history, if necessary until it in and unto itself was nothing but an afterthought, one which Prince Benjamin would in and of himself strive to hold onto for all eternity, or if not that long than unless and until such time as it was absolutely, positively, unequivocally yet irrevocably stripped from his mind, and as such left nothing behind but the remnants of the sweet smell of ecstasy, not so much a physical ecstasy, mind you, but an emotional ecstasy, the kind someone, anyone for that matter, especially the prince, would and could  only experience given the fact that things were for him, shall we say, difficult for him in the physical realm, seeing as though his mobility was inherently, nee severely, limited and as such he'd couldn't given anyone, especially Maiden Echo, the kind of emotional support she needed nor pleasured her in the way she needed to be pleasured, I know I know, so tell you something you don't know, the point being that when it came to the physical v. the emotional the emotional was much more up Prince Benjamin's alley than the physical, given the fact that that was the kind of guy Prince Benjamin was, perhaps a little too emotional at times, but emotional nonetheless, and as such was a target for any and all detractors within the kingdom itself, not that he paid them any mind, perish the thought, it's just it was hard having to live his life with anyone and practically everyone waiting for you, in this case Prince Benjamin, to slip up and commit an egregious injustice in one form or another, in which case they would have enough ammo to take him down and take him down good, even gooder than good, even that x 10,000, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that as long as there was someone out there seeking to exploit Prince Benjamin's weaknesses, of which their were perhaps many, too many to be named to be sure, his life as he knew it would never ever be the same, at least not while the kingdom's version of Big Brother was found lurking hither and yon in virtually ever nook and cranny just waiting to snatch up any and every little bit of information they could use to their advantage, though what that advantage was was unclear, I mean sure Prince Benjamin was royalty and all, and with it came all the perks afforded him as such, though in truth he never really seemed to carry about any of it, not the wealth or the balls or the state dinners or even his title (gasp!), one which he never really felt comfortable with anyway, but what, or rather who, he cared about was the one person, the one person who meant the most to him and the love she had had beating in her heart, a love which was itself pure and undefiled by the trappings of this world and would remain just so, one such purity and defile which the prince wished he'd had the chance to experience, for then and only then would he come to know the goodness within people, and he had, in a sense, though were it that and that alone, the 'in a sense' part that is, it'd be enough, but it wasn't, not really, in part because along with his condition came an added bonus, a sixth sense, if you will, one which despite any and all evidence to the contrary gave him insights into people's' hearts and minds, insights which  he wouldn'tve otherwise known existed, or even if, and that was a big if, he did, they'd probably stayed buried deep down within himself, so far in fact that he wouldn'tve known they were there to begin with, in which case he'd be just your Grade 100% average Joe shmo, absolutely, positively, completely devoid of any and all thoughts and emotions, however negative they may be at times, but he wasn't that, if at all, what he was was someone with a gift, one which he ought to be proud of and not be shunning, not that he would be or actually had, perish the thought, it's just with him and all that came with him one could never tell what was going on with him, not even Mummy and Daddy Worthington, not that they'd actually tried, I mean between the coming and going and going and coming back and forth and vice versa it was about to drive a person nuts, and it did, almost, but Prince Benjamin, well, he was know to keep a cool head, if not totally then just enough to the point where he wasn't totally losing it, of course if he'd had then that'd be just another reason for people, more specifically ye olde nook and cranny lurkers to find fault with him and in addition be the final nail in his coffin, so to speak, given the fact that a a doubly added bonus of his condition came his ability to have if not go through head trips aplenty, an all to apparent side effect, one which would stay with him for as long as was humanly possible, along with any and all memories still bottled up in that princely little head of his, that is unless and until the time came for them to be permanently erased, in which case all he would ever have left is feelings, Grade A 100% unabashed feelings, for then and only then would anything and everything he ever experienced come back in full force, in which case not one single soul would be left standing, no not one, including, but not limited to, Mummy and Daddy Worthington, well, them and Prince Timothy along with Princess Amanda, for they were and otherwise would be dead center in Prince Benjamin's purview, given the fact that they were if not had been the bane of his existence, and as such were to blame for everything bad that happened in his life thus far, including, but not limited to, surprisingly enough the summer festival, although that one rested squarely on the shoulders of Mummy and Daddy Worthington themselves, though sooner or later, if not sooner rather than later, any and all other instances involving Prince Timothy and Princess Amanda would be revealed, in which case everything would be blown wide open, all their attempts at forestalling Prince Benjamin's desire to if not at living a normal life would be exposed, though not too much so, at least not in the way of splashing suggestible photos     all over the internet or being caught in a scandal, no, that just wasn't him, though when he was vengeful it was usually because he had been wronged in some way, say, oh I don't know, after being if not having been dropped off at the school for the mentally and physically infirm the night before he originally would've been brought back,(i.e., Sunday night and not Monday morning) in which case he would come to have developed nothing short of a deep-seeded hatred for those who so unjustly wrested him from the bosom of hearth and home if only to make his life a living hell, both literally and figuratively, if not literally, in which case they would be in his heart and mind in every way that counted, and in being so would be messing with him from here on out, including, but not limited to, his eventual transfer, entry or whatever the hell you wanted to call it into the hallowed halls of one Sussex County Preparatory School, previously attended by brother Prince Timothy, though the name in and of itself was unchanged, but you get the idea I'm sure, the point being, and yes there is one, that even between the times of Prince Timothy's graduation from and Prince Benjamin's entry into said prep school there existed the largest, if not the largest, disparity in time known to them and them alone, insofar as when Prince Timothy was attending/in attendance Prince Benjamin was still at the school for the mentally and physically infirm and was thus starting to feel comfortable around people who weren't like him, albeit at sporting events and whatnot, if not society in general, in which case he'd have a whole helluva lot of learning about what it was like living in a world of able-bodied folk, most if not all he knew since childhood if not during father King Reuel's tenure as their spiritual leader, which as luck would have it was when if not how he came to have formed an attachment to if not have a crush on Maiden Echo, perhaps the one person who he, as was previously stated, had become so smitten with during the day/night of the summer festival that he wished with every fiber of his being he could tell her how much that might meant to him but instead that decision or whatever the hell you wanted to call it was absolutely, positively, unequivocally vetoed by Mummy and Daddy Worthington, as was and otherwise would be the night of Her Maidenship's confirmation, when after finally having gotten himself out of his bedchamber faster than his wheelchair could carry him he finally got the nerve to go racing out to the jewelry store and purchase a trinket in hopes of giving it to her that very night as a token of thanks and esteem for her friendship the very night of the summer festival, but even that one got vetoed, and so in the end he'd ended up having to scrap the idea altogether, one scrapping which had angered him greatly,  in part because once and again Mummy and Daddy Worthington were involved, and that was one involvement he absolutely Grade A 100% no holds barred loathed, but in the end had had to accept on account of them being the only ones he could have ever depended on then as well as when it came for his entry into Sussex County Preparatory School, one which unlike brother Prince Timothy's was and otherwise would be different, how different was unbeknownst to everybody including Prince Benjamin himself, given the fact that it was soon after he'd left the school for the physically and mentally infirm that things were in and of themselves going to get interesting, hell, they were way past interesting, more like exciting, though if anything  neither word could hardly describe how his years there would be, especially his first time out when he'd had to put everything on hold in favor of having those surgeries on his back, ones which would by the way take sizable chunk out of his already hectic life, academic or otherwise, in which case their was no possible way of ever reclaiming them, or rather it, as a result leaving Prince Benjamin absolutely, positively, completely, totally and utterly bereft of the basics of preparatory school English, basics which were in and of themselves a far cry from those taught him at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, and ones which would eventually form the basis for his career as a writer, though that unlike any and everything else wouldn't be easy, given the fact that he would in his later years come to face obstacle after obstacle in that quest and that quest alone, the one quest which above any and all else meant more to him than life itself, well almost, save of course for the love of one Maiden Echo Thorngoode, sister to Citizen Thomas Thorngoode and cousin to Citizen Megan Thorngoode, the one bright spot in his life that not only was just that but also the one thing in his life that made any sense to him if not kept him going, that is until the night of the summer festival when, after having had his time with her, he was suddenly and irrevocably wrested from her grasp, one wresting which he found to be in entirely poor taste, if not completely, totally and utterly beneath them, as in Mummy and Daddy Worthington, but one which they felt was necessary nonetheless, though if anything it seemed to Prince Benjamin to be the exact opposite, unnecessary, and in so being was paramount to the success during his reign of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy, one reign which it was indeterminate as to whether or not he could shoulder, given the fact that he was unversed in the day-to-day operations of the one place he'd called home since he couldn't remember, check that, practically since he was little, as in two to five years old, and in so being was never able to fully comprehend the world around him much less what it took to truly be his kingdom's next monarch, and as such judge fairly and judiciously so that everybody might have a chance to live the kind of life they were being to live without having their livelihood being wrested unfairly and unjustly, in which case the ability to feed much less provide for their family would at best be nonexistent, if not extinct, thereby leaving them absolutely, positively totally leaving them bereft of the ability to live and function as a member of the society of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy, but not as long as Prince Benjamin was around to help, that is if he could be persuaded enough to help, which isn't to say that he wouldn't it's just that when it came to his charitable side if not his desire to help people you'd almost, emphasis on almost, have to light a candle under his rump in order to get him to do anything, not the least of which help out around Worthington Manor, I mean sure they'd had servants and all, and that was great, but occasionally Mummy and Daddy Worthington would've like to drill in his head that the best way to do something was to do it yourself, and not be such a lazy a---, but then again they weren't not the only ones that felt that way, what with Princess Amanda holding firm that it was a cop out to be staying in bed for half the day, in which case Prince Benjamin would be wasting away to practically nothing, either that, or giving new meaning to what being a royal was all about, lounging around in bed, being waited on hand and foot, catering to his every whim, fulfilling his every desire, well, almost every desire, basically turning the whole idea of being if not becoming a royal on its ear, that is if it hadn't  been so already, the point being, and yes there is once and again one, that with Princess Amanda or any one of them really, though she was the one who'd foreseeably had it in for Prince Benjamin, once they, or rather she, got a burr in her butt about something, in this case Prince Benjamin milking being a royal for all it was worth, and then some, well, there was no escaping anything like that, or anything where he was concerned, for that matter, including, but not limited to, the fact that while was holed up in the school for the physically and mentally infirm others were having it more easy than he was, well, maybe not all that easy, but just enough to where they didn't have to worry about any and all obstacles getting in their way, be they physically or emotionally or whatever have you in much the same way Prince Benjamin had to, enter his being smitten with Maiden Echo from the get-go, so much so that she was all he could ever think about in order to get through his time of being at the school for the physically and mentally infirm, the one place between itself and the kingdom where he'd wished with every fiber of his being he didn't have to be, but in the end he'd had to simply because it was the only place for people  like him, however ungodly it was, and not just spiritually ungodly but emotionally ungodly as well, given the fact that it was there that Headmaster Vernon had unloaded on him in the worst possible way by not only yelling at him but also revoking his chances at returning home and threatening to call the then headmaster at Sussex County Prep and make sure he never set foot in there, ever, which normally would've been just fine and dandy with him, or maybe not, given the fact that they were responsible for all the pain and hurt they caused him by doing none other than demanding he brought back earlier than expected, which of course he hated to the Nth degree, in part because it meant having to go from the frying pan straight into the fire, more or less, given the fact that even when he was home it was all wine and roses and whatnot one minute and the next it was a literal hell on earth, meaning of course that when you take if not had taken him out of his comfort zone, which consisted of sports nonetheless, and whisked him away back to Castle Worthington if not only to have him holed up in his bedchamber but to be staring at its' four walls, well, let's us just say it didn't exactly bode well for the prince to be cut off like that, given the fact that first and foremost he'd wanted to be able to be independent, which he was, to a certain extent at least, not to mention the fact it left enough leeway if not gave power to Mummy and Daddy Worthington to call the shots, and that was by and large the last thing he'd ever wanted, well, that and to be forever reminded of the fact of just how needy he'd come to be if not had been on Mummy and Daddy Worthington, in part because of how much time thereto had been wrested from him and Mummy and Daddy Worthington by those nudniks at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, time which in and of itself could've been better spent teaching young Benjamin about the birds and the bees and the ABC'S of life and love, love in particular, because it meant that he would a fair enough chance at having a relationship with Maiden Echo, a Grade 100% no holds barred relationship, no questions asked, no strings attached, at least physically, emotionally was a different matter, given the fact that that was how Prince Benjamin was, emotional, whether it was having come off a whiz bang night of excitement with Maiden Echo at the summer festival or after having seen Grandpa King Gerhardt's body lying in state after his death, the various contingencies of the Worthington family huddled together as they wept over the loss of their patriarch, or even being if not having been left at the school for the mentally and physically with tears streaming down his face wishing and hoping and praying that he could spend one more minute, just one more minute with them and not have to be so unjustly wrested from their grasp at the drop of a hat, in which case he would in all wise be cursing God, his life, the staff at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, and basically anyone and everyone who wasn't a mindless drone catering to the whims of those whom they worked while at the same time making the lives fo those who were under their care a living hell, as a result affecting their lives in the worst way possible, Prince Benjamin's included, given the fact that he was so, well maybe not so so, suggestible that he would take the word of any and all non-authoritative figures over those of his own kith and kin, especially when it came to a higher power, if you know what if not who, or vice versa, I mean, which if anything was far and away the worst thing that could ever happen if not have happened, because then, oh because then everything he knew, or at least he thought he knew, would end up blowing up in his face and then bam!, he'd be no worse off now than he was in the beginning, and then just to finish the whole affair off anyone and practically everyone would become nothing short of a pawn in the game that was his life, from anyone to Maiden Echo on down to Maiden Elizabeth not to mention any and all others in-between, hell, even Mummy and Daddy were themselves pawns, and not just where Prince Benjamin, Maiden Echo and the summer festival were concerned but where those nudniks at the school for the physically and mentally infirm were concerned, more specifically their demand that he be brought back sooner than expected, one demand which hadn't quite sat well with the prince himself, in part not only because of the distance they had had to go in order to get there but also because of the fact that even when they did get there it was on less than stellar terms, as in Mummy and Daddy saying their goodbyes, followed by hugs and whatnot then just as fast as you could say Jack Robinson or whoever the hell pops in your head they were out the door before Prince Benjamin could so much as even think to blink, or even shed a tear for that matter, or maybe it was just the former, either way, the fact that he was remarkably calm surprised even Mummy and Daddy, or at least that's how he liked to make them think he was, remarkably calm that is, and that was on the outside, on the inside he was nothing short of a quivering mass of Jell-O just waiting to explode at first glance, either that, or make every volcano from Mt. Vesuvius to Kilimanjaro look good, either way, he was bound to unload on someone at some point and then God help whoever was in his purview or line of fire or whatever  the hell you wanted to call it, because then and only then would his true nature or intent or whatever have you be revealed, though what exactly that was even he himself didn't know, all he did know was that deep down inside him there was a part of him yearning, longing to break out and show everybody what he was really made of, so much so that he didn't care who he had had to walk all over in order to get what he wanted, just so long as it was nobody who didn't not deserve to get trampled on, including, but not limited to, Maiden Echo herself, seeing as though he'd fallen hard for her enough already, and she believe it or not was one of the lucky ones, all others not coming close, well, maybe one or two, but that was it, the point being that regardless of their worth to him, not that he was trying to downplay it in any way, mind you, was that their was something alluring about them whether they, or even he, realized it or not, and as such they were able to drawn him in with their feminine wiles, make him forget about any and all maidens within earshot of him, including, but not limited to, Maiden Echo, perhaps the one and only one who meant more to him than life or even some silly title in and of itself, and in so being meant little to nothing to him since the day he was born, all that ever did was the love of a woman, or rather girl, as the case maybe, but that was neither here nor there right not, what was was the fact that what he desired, all he desired in fact, was the love of a maiden, and that maiden in and of herself was Maiden Echo Thorngoode, sister of Citizen Thomas Thorngoode and cousin to Citizen Megan Thorngoode, virtually the one and only one of the maidens who could keep him honest and on the right path, more or less, given the fact she knew him inside and out and vice versa, plus the fact that he didn't have to try, emphasis on try, and impress the hell out of her family the way he'd felt he had to do with Maiden Marjorie's parents the night of the spring formal at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, the very same where he not only committed that faux pas against Maiden Chastity but also ran out on Maiden Marjorie near the very end of the festivities, something which he in and of himself swore to himself he would never do to Maiden Elizabeth during prom senior year, although he did come close to it, though in the end he staunchly vetoed doing it, all in the name of keeping it together and not letting anything and everything come creeping up on him unawares,  though that if anything was nothing short of the biggest fallacy ever, which of course was that Maiden Echo, Maiden Echo of all people not to mention the chiefest of all the maidens from one end of the kingdom to the other, the one whom the prince truly loved with everything in his heart and soul not to mention with every fiber of his being, would and otherwise could make it with someone like, if not remotely similar to, Prince Benjamin, I mean it was one thing to try and do it on a purely physical level but on an emotional level it was quite a different matter, given the fact that their were many, if not half as many, limitations, obstacles really, for Prince Benjamin to overcome, not the least of which was/were Mummy and Daddy Worthington getting the way of his happiness, well, that he was absolutely, positively, unequivocally incapable of providing pleasure to Her Maidenship physically, now on the emotional level it was quite different, given the fact that that was the one area of expertise he experience in and I ain't just talking sporadically but a whole s----load of it, from meeting and otherwise falling in love with Maiden Echo to seeing Grandpa King Gerhardt's boy lying in state in Castle Worthington's chapel, his funeral to follow the next day, if not the same day, no, it was definitely the next day, to living through the hell that was the school for the physically and mentally infirm, including, but not limited to, the spring formal trifecta (i.e., the infamous comment made to Maiden Marjorie about how good she looked, yeah, in her dress, and not, and I repeat not, because of the tan she'd gotten in preparation for the big night, which of course Maiden Chastity unfortunately had overhead and then later that night thie was meeting Maiden Marjorie's parents which of course was just hunky dory.... not!, and last but certainly not least, their was running out on her near the end, which of course hr foreswore he would never do to another living soul, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that instead of staying and seeing her off he cut and ran at the first chance he got, all in the name of not being able to take the heat, literally as well as figuratively, if not literally, but again that was neither here nor there, what was was that instead of being the perfect gentleman and waiting until she took her leave he just decided to leave here there hanging by a thread, a thread, I mean talk about people's lives being snuffed out but to do if not have done what Prince Benjamin, it was just unconscionable, absolutely Grade A 100% unconscionable, enter his promise to never ever do that to another living soul....ever!, in which case he would and otherwise could have a nice, pleasant night without any worries, yeah, right like that was gonna happen, or rather not, as the case maybe, especially when that's all he ever did was worry, practically from the day he was born that's all he ever did, and with decidedly good reason, given the fact it wasn't just some lump of clay or even a Ming vase people were dealing with but a Grade A 100% living, breathing human being with thoughts that were wrong and contrary to what he believed, albeit impure, either that, or he had had one hell of an overactive imagination, either way he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, the point being, and yes there is one, that no matter whether it was impure thoughts popping in and otherwise through his head nonstop or his imagination running wild in general the fact remained that he was in and of himself nothing but one helluva white hot mess, or however the hell you wanted to put it, in which case their would be no telling what he was bound to do next, not that he could do all that much, at least physically, emotionally it was a different story, in part because that's how Prince Benjamin functioned, more or less, though if nothing else it was purely on instinct if not running on fumes alone, in the end proving just how resilient he was, or at least that's the impression he'd like to give people, when in reality he was nothing but a Grade A 100% seething ball of emotion yelling, crying, screaming out even in order to make his voice heard, one which had been silenced by those who in essence never knew if not had known what it was like to be the second eldest child of Their Majesties King Reuel and Queen Janice, though to him they'll always be Mummy and Daddy Worthington, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact title or no title he was in and of himself just your regular Joe Schmo who was himself a prime target for anything and anyone if not everything and everyone who came his way, and as such had to be on guard practically 24/7, no exceptions, no exclusions, no slip-ups of any kind or else someone, in some way, would end up claiming his life as their own and then whammo! he'd be toast, and that someone would, in essence, be The Devil himself, prowling around like the lion he was seeking to devour soul after soul until their was nothing short of a zombie left in its place, waiting to do his bidding until not a soul was left to be had, in which case the dark side will have already won out, and that was the last thing, the last thing the prince or even anybody else for that matter, expected, especially since the kingdom was known worldwide for its renowned idyllic yet peaceful existence, that is as long as their were no disturbances to be had, in which case anybody and everybody could could go on living as if nothing were amiss, though if anything were to be such the whole of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy much less the existence of everyone therein would and otherwise could become nothing short of a fleeting memory, now that of course wasn't to say that they got ripped straight out of a Star Trek- The Next Generation episode, it wasn't, what it was meant to say was that should said kingdom ever come under attack by otherworldly forces and on the off-chance that everybody were annihilated if not claimed by said forces then everything as it was known would cease to exist, which of course would upset the balance of all things governmental as well as environmental, given the fact that not only would any and all kingdoms crumble but also that the entire ecological system would be thrown out of whack in part because of the mismanagement and/or complete and udder lack of respect for all that God had given them, the earth, the sea, the sky, you get the picture I'm sure, basically the nuts and bolts of the environment, the very same which Prince Benjamin had championed as one of his causes but in the end had gotten thrown back in his face if for no other reason than that of those nudniks at the school for the physically and mentally infirm claiming that it was too unhealthy, unsafe and unsanitary for him to keep doing what he did which of course was collecting cans, or whatever have they, to be recycled, which was his project and his project alone, but eventually they caught wind of it and put an immediate end to it, one which the prince in and of himself wasn't exactly happy with, no not one bit, but had had no choice to accept, one acceptance which would be hard, and so in the end he'd had no choice but to defer to the powers that be, thusly feeling helpless and virtually impotent, but in a nonsexual way to be sure, in which case his confidence level would drop and drop like a rock, seeing as though that was how he coped with being who he was, what he was, where he was, especially where he was, given the fact that it was well outside the realm, no pun intended, of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy, and as such wasn't under the jurisdiction of the law therein, not that they had had all that much in way of a lawmaking body, at least nothing permanent if not earth-shattering, not that their was all that much earth-shattering about the government of a principality such as The Kingdom Where Everything Was Pure and Holy, at least nothing that would pose a threat to Prince Benjamin personally, though he would soon be proven wrong on that count, and if their was one thing he hated, he hated it was being proven wrong, not that it'd happened all that much, if at all, but still, the fact remained that everybody seemed to, if not was/were right just didn't seem to sit with him all that well, I mean sure they were only looking out for him the best way they could, that is if you could call what they did looking out for him, if at all, I mean sure it may have seemed like it in the beginning but other than that no such luck, which if anything was just exactly what Prince Benjamin had needed from the get-go, especially given the fact that life, his life in fact, as he knew it is, was, and perhaps always would be complicated, there was no mistaking that, but then again there was no mistaking how it got that way, I mean sure he could go straight for the jugular and blame the staff at the school for the mentally and physically infirm and them alone, but in the end it was in and through Mummy and Daddy Worthington that they had achieved their ultimate goal of controlling him unlike any and all others in their care, the only difference being that they couldn't speak up for themselves, that what was happening to them was was just the gold standard in the care they received and that anything less then what they were receiving was sub par, well, that, and the fact that it was more than just horseplay that was taking place, in which case they couldn't do a damn thing about it and so they just let themselves be used as pawns in their (the caretakers )sick and twisted little games, games which Prince Benjamin knew wrong to be playing but instead of standing up and saying something he just sat by and said nothing, did nothing, just like Teacher Alberta didn't and/or hadn't when Prince Benjamin was getting reamed out by Headmaster Vernon for not completing the work assigned to him but instead was working on something else which in the end it turned out he wasn't very good at to begin with, or as was previously eluded to the night of the spring formal when after meeting if not having met Maiden Marjorie's parents he stood, or rather sat, there like a blithering idiot and said next to nothing when Maiden Marjorie's father made a joke, or even if he, meaning Prince Benjamin, had it'd been lost on him a long time ago, as would a million other things, well, maybe not a million a million, more like half a million, including, but not limited to, the fact that his circumstances in and of themselves were never ever going to change, no matter how much he wished they would, and believe you me he did, it just wasn't in the cards, if at all, and so in the end he'd had no choice but to accept his circumstances as they were thus far, one acceptance which was in and of itself just as hard as that of living, yes I said living, at the school for the mentally and physically infirm, day in and day out with next to no chance of ever being home, or even if, and that was a big if, their was which of course their was, it'd probably not lasted all that long, I mean sure the weekends were one thing and holidays yet another, but in the end it just didn't seem to enough, at least where the weekends were concerned, holidays like Christmas and New Years Eve and New Years Day and Halloween and such were entirely just that, holidays, oh and let's not forget Christmas and Thanksgiving and especially Easter, just to round them out, though regardless of how many and how much time was allotted for each of them especially Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, if not Easter alone, the fact remained that so little time was left for Prince Benjamin to spend with the folks, and that was by and large the one thing, the one thing, that got if not had gotten to Prince Benjamin the most, as in irked him to no end, and that was the last thing he needed, especially where his blood pressure was concerned, and even more so the fact that it was reminiscent, more or less, of how Daddy Worthington was known to blow a gasket now and again, and that was one promise Prince Benjamin had made himself, however inwardly, given the fact that Prince Benjamin was terrified, absolutely, positively, unequivocally terrified of becoming Daddy Worthington, insofar as his temper was one that was bound to make any one person run for the hills without giving it so much as a second thought, the prince himself included, I mean it was one thing where Mum Queen Janice and Brother Prince Timothy and Sister Princess Amanda were concerned but it was quite another where Prince Benjamin was concerned, insofar as it would quite literally take the patience of Job not to mention a whole lot of moxie in order for him to get away from Daddy Worthington, I mean don't get me wrong he loved him and all it was just when it came to his temper that was where their was a lot left to be desired, more or less, including, but not limited to, keeping it if not helping him keep it down, especially where the noon meal was concerned, more specifically the Sunday noon meal, given the fact that he'd had so far to traverse between parishes and with someone in his condition it was imperative that he eat and eat right away, which if anything was one of the reasons he'd expected the meal to be on the table posthaste, not to mention the fact that he was known to take an afternoon siesta every once in a while, if not every Sunday afternoon after services, but that was neither here nor there right now, I mean it was, it just wasn't the whole story, the big picture or however the hell you wanted to put it,  the point being that when it came to keeping Worthington Manor in tip top shape, not to mention certain inhabitants therein, it was a tough go altogether, one which unfortunately Prince Benjamin wouldn't if not couldn't get any better, or rather worse, than it already was, which in part was due to the fact that Daddy Worthington not only had had a helluva temper on him but also the fact that Sister/Princess Amanda was if not had been known to get in there and deliver one helluva wallop to Prince Benjamin's ego if not his confidence, enter Maiden Emily and the premiere of the picture show two weeks prior to him starting school at Sussex County Prep, the one time he in and of himself thought he would get a chance to prove his worth, his mettle even  at what it was like to be out in normal yet polite society and not have anybody and practically everybody follow him around like a lost puppy until he subtlety yet politely had to shoo it away, in which case it would and could be just the two of them (i.e., himself and Maiden Emily), but in the end it hadn't been, it in fact had been the two of them Princess Amanda and Queen Janice, a most unholy dramatis personae, to be sure, but one nonetheless, beginning  with the fact that that it was Prince Benjamin's dream, nee desire, to escort Maiden Emily to the premiere of the picture show that summer, one desire which would in and of itself prove to the whole of The Kingdom Where Everything was Pure and Holy as well as his detractors that he was in fact capable of being in her presence without letting anything or anybody for that matter getting in his way, including, but not limited to, Princess Amanda and her damned nosyness, well, that and the fact that instead of Queen Janice heading Princess Amanda off at the pass she practically led her right through it, and that, that was something Prince Benjamin in and of himself could never forgive her for, not even if he tried, which he did, it's just, it was hard trying to, forgive her I mean, given the fact that she was first and foremost his mother as was Princess Amanda his sister and that alone should've been enough but it wasn't, not really, and so in the end he'd felt nothing but absolute contempt for the both of them, no, it wasn't just contempt, it was hatred, sheer hatred, for what they did, or rather what Princess Amanda did which Queen Janice helped along, however unknowingly, or maybe not, the point being, and yes there is once and again one, that no matter whether one or even both were in on the plot to destroy Prince Benjamin's love life thus far, the fact remained that he could never consciously or even unconsciously, whichever the case maybe, see himself with someone, anyone really, like Maiden Emily, at least not in the way he was thinking, which when you consider his state of mind, or rather lack thereof, was so far off it wasn't even funny, and I ain't talkin' funny weird I'm talkin' funny ha ha, or vice versa, so much so that it was a complete miracle, if not just a miracle in and of itself, that he was able to keep things under wraps, as in buried so far down deep inside himself he never even knew they were there, only trouble is/was somehow, in some way, they were sure to be resurrected and then once they were whoosh! out they would come in a torrent of of absolute Grade A 100% unbridled emotion and passion, or vice versa, one such torrent which Prince Benjamin was in and of himself unprepared for, if for no other reason than that of it taking, if not having taken, him to places he never ever would have dreamed of in a million years, well, maybe not in a million million years exactly but just enough as he had been living on this earth, which when you think about it was considerably more if not less than most people had had in their own lifetime(s), and so in the end they had had a whole helluva lot more under their belt than Prince Benjamin had ever had under his, given the fact that he'd not had nearly enough experiences to even qualify for Citizen of the Year or even Humanitarian of the Year or whatever award there was available for him, not that he'd felt particularly deserving of any at the moment, except maybe his spelling bee award in the eighth grade, oh, and then their was his yearbook award, both of which he'd earned in and through had work and determination if not dedication despite anything and practically everything that life ever threw, nee lobbed, at him, and there were many a thing that had been lobbed at him, of that their was no doubt, including, but not limited to, the fact that he is, was, and never would be able to except that he was inadequate in some areas. including that of being able to pleasure any and all members of the female gender, not that he actually could(n't), it's just that with the way he was built, not to mention the fact that he did if not had been known to engage a little foreplay with Princess Amanda, however unintentional it may have, emphasis on may have, been, it's just kids his age were so impressionable they, if not he alone, mightn't not know what was real and what wasn't, hell, with the way his life was going I seriously doubt he would've been able to tell the difference between the two, one which quite possibly would mean if not had meant the difference between distinguishing good from bad, right from wrong, fantasy from reality, which of course would've benefited him and benefited him greatly in the long haul, though were it not for the fact that he was drifting back and forth from the land of the physically challenged to the land of the able-bodied, and thusly could never ever get if not seem to get a firm grip/grasp on anything, but then again who couldn't, especially in his situation?, I mean the fact, the mere fact, that he felt like nothing short of a bargaining chip in the game which was his life was an all too clear indicator that he was nothing short of gullible when it came to understanding, if not trying to understand, the way in which the world worked, one working which in all wise absolutely, positively, unequivocally confounded his brain to no end, or if not his brain then he himself, given the fact that the impressionability factor played an integral part in how he viewed the world as a whole, not that he was all that foreign to it, oh dear God, no, it's just that when it came to being, if not having been, away at the school for the mentally and physically infirm for all those eight years with of course little to no time to spend at home save for holidays and summer vacations it could leave a helluva lot of questions unanswered if not floating through his brain like clouds in the sky, preferably during the daytime, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that once    his brain got going on something if not someone, or vice versa, it was hard to stop it, I mean really hard, really really hard in fact, so much so that to try and put the brakes it, in perhaps the literal as well as figurative senses would be, if not prove, futile and so in the end he'd had no choice but to let it run its' course, that is unless and until the time came when they were in and of themselves halted, as in wiped clean, which in Prince Benjamin's case would require some heavy-duty work, a  reworking  of his brain nonetheless, one of perhaps many which he would be receiving throughout his lifetime, in which case he would be put through the ringer many, if not half as many, times, each time feeling more and more different than the last,  if, not never, knowing whether or not he would wake up being the same person or someone entirely different, Dr. Jekyll is one that comes to mind, all surly and out of sorts, a monster in and unto himself, that is until he reverted back to his sweet self (think: the Bugs Bunny cartoons), one reversion which Prince Benjamin all but welcomed, given the fact that when it was all over he himself could go on with life nothing doing, that is after some very well-deserved time in the hospital overnight, for observation no less, during which time he felt if not was in absolute heaven due to how comfy-feeling the sheets, but moreover the covers,  felt as they lulled him into a deep yet restful sleep, one which he couldn'tve gotten anywhere else, especially at Worthington Manor, I mean don't get me wrong or anything he loved living there and all, hell, he'd almost had to, well, maybe not had to had to exactly, more like had an affinity for the place, but then again who didn't?, regardless of how long they lived there, in this case Prince Benjamin, in which case it'd grown on him exponentially, if not half as much, which if nothing else had made it exceedingly difficult to leave there every time and be delivered straight to the front door of the school for the physically and mentally infirm, or as Prince Benjamin liked to call it 'the lion's den,' given the fact that they would just as soon steal away each and every bit of your happiness instead of letting you experience it like you never have before in your life, but oh no not them, they just HAD to go and steal it piece by piece bit by bit, or vice versa, until virtually all of it was claimed by them in some way or another with nothing left for Prince Benjamin himself to enjoy, in which case he in and of himself would be absolutely, positively, unequivocally doomed to a lifetime of darkness and despair, if not one then the other, for all eternity, unless and until someone were to help lift him out of it and that someone, or rather those someones were Maidens Echo and Ruth, if not just Maiden Echo herself, for she alone was the one who'd meant the most to the prince, and in so being was the one who would carry him into and through his darkest days with nothing more than her kindness and her willingness to accept the prince for who he was rather than just give him the brushoff like anybody and practically everybody else would come to do, including, but not limited to, once and future classmate Maiden Emily would come to do when he, shall we say, requested her presence at the premiere of the picture show if only to be turned down by her in favor of her courtship with Master Jay, one which he would come to have practically live through at the start if not only the end of their tenure at soon-to-be Sussex County Preparatory School, with the whole of its' population walking around all lovey dovey while he himself had not one single living, breathing soul to call a girlfriend, I mean sure he would come to have many girls who were friends but never a solid, sustainable girlfriend in and of itself, especially not after the ever present debacle he'd experienced with inviting Maiden Emily to the picture show if not only to be turned down by her in the end, one which would stay in his mind for all eternity unless and until it was no more, which even for him was no stretch of the imagination, not that that he'd actually had one to begin with, at least not creatively, if at all, no sirree Bob, not one creative bone in his body, and that, that was enough to send him retching, either that or scare him silly, well, maybe not silly silly exactly, as in ha ha, more like silly as in straight, if that could be believed, or maybe not, the point being that up until then the only way, and I do mean the only way, his imagination would've even so much as been kicked into high gear was in and through all the movies and TV and images floating throughout  his life, and not one, no not one would've or even could've been an original one, which if anything also scared the crap out of him, and rightly so, given the fact that to not have one single Grade A original thought coming out of him meant that he was being overruled by life and all it had to offer rather than being able to stand on his own two feet in perhaps every way that counted, literally, figuratively, or otherwise, and of that you could be sure, correction, of that you and he could be sure, and that was big, even for him, waiting and wanting to stand on his own two feet, that is, though it wasn't going to be easy, given the fact that just as sure and certain as he was about his feelings for Maiden Echo, so was he that sooner or later or sooner rather than later they were bound to corral him back into the familial fold, which mightn't not be so bad save of course for the fact that that all he had worked for in establishing himself as his own person bound to go up in flames and then he'd have nothing, nothing at all, no chance at independence or even being independent to begin with much less living the kind of life he knew he could live not to mention rekindle any and all romances still lingering on his mind, more so with Maiden Echo than with anybody else, given the fact that she and she alone was the one who'd been in his heart the most if not for the longest amount of time, which began since they were little and she along with Maiden Ruth used to spin him around the hunting lodge's indoor rink, that is if something like that existed back in those days, which their very well may have been, or even if their wasn't Father Reuel had most likely commanded that it (the indoor rink)be built to appease young Prince Benjamin's thirst, nee need., for recreation, one which he had waited to come bursting from within him for as long as was humanly possible, either that or he just wanted and waited to have some quite time with Maiden Echo tot tell her just how much much he valued her friendship, which meant a whole helluva more to him than anybody else's, of that he could be sure, not just because he was royalty and she a commoner or because he was disabled and she able-bodied but because they were two seemingly diverse individuals who enjoyed each other''s' company and would continue to do so unless and until it was indicated otherwise, which if anything was code for Mummy and Daddy Worthington rending their bond asunder, however strong it'd come to be during their time together, time which he wouldn'tve and couldn'tve spent with a nicer person, or rather nicer people, than Maidens Echo and Ruth perhaps two of the most genuine people he'd ever come to know during his lifetime who wouldn'tve or even couldn'tve come closer to any and all other maidens before or even having started school at Sussex County Prep, including, but not limited to, Maidens Jenny, Donna, Jennifer, Marjorie, Emily, Theresa, Anne and Elizabeth, all of which were an integral part of his life, truth be told, even though he didn't know how much, I mean he did, he'd just been having trouble separating the two groups, yeah I know, big shocker, though what was even a bigger shocker was the fact that he'd actually fallen in love with one of them, enter Maiden Echo, seeing as though she was first and foremost in his heart and mind in every way that counted, physically, emotionally, psychologically, you name it and it was there, staring you in the face like a college freshman staring at a textbook trying to comprehend what it all means after pulling, if not having pulled, an all-nighter, or if not that then something quite like it, the point being that no matter who or even what is/was driving a person to act if not think a certain way the end result is, was and always would be the same way, in which case the intended, and no I ain't talkin' in the marital sense, would and otherwise could become corrupted, nee occupied, to the point where any and everybody else isn't/wasn't worth a hill of beans, coffee, green or otherwise to him, but they were, it just was that he was preoccupied with a certain someone if not someones at the moment, and trust me when I say there was no better sight to behold than being in the presence of two lovely young maidens such as Maidens Echo and Ruth of the clan Thorngoode there was really no better sight to behold than being in the presence of two lovely young maidens such as Maidens Echo and Ruth of the clan Thorngoode, so much so it was as if he, as in Prince Benjamin, could gaze into into their eyes and forever be transfixed by their maidenly beauty, but unlike any and all other fairy tales featuring princes and maidens and all that came with them Prince Benjamin had had himself some duties to attend to, duties which he'd wished he'd hadn't to have but which were his right and otherwise privilege as a member of the House of Worthington, and as such were ironclad, no exceptions, no exclusions, no nothing, that is unless of course his condition prevented him from performing them to the best of his ability, either that, or he had some wild-eyed notion to abscond with Her Maidenship to parts unknown and forgo the drudgery associated with being the once and future heir to the throne of the House of Worthington, one title which, while it was tempting enough to pass up, would mean a whole helluva lot if, if not to, the family if Prince Benjamin were to, if not had, accepted it, in which case he would and otherwise count himself among the many generations of Worthingtons who ascended the throne before him, including, but not limited to, father King Reuel, though to try and convince him of that very fact would quite literally take the patience of Job, seeing as though once he stuck to if not with something it was like pulling teeth, well, that and the fact that he was a Worthington and they were stubborn as hell when it came to their mind being changed, if not stubborn in general, well, that and ornery to a tee, and that if nothing else was what scared the hell out of him if not left him susceptible to the charms of the outside world, including, but not limited to, the fact that their were going to be some unsavory people out there who were themselves seeking if had not sought to corrupt his princely little brain to the point where he didn't know what was true and what wasn't and what was fantasy and what wasn't, in which case he would quite literally accept everything as law and gospel, no matter whether or not it was God-breathed or espoused by some false prophet, which of course was almost always the case and was therefore contrary to what he had been taught, which of course was to hate evil and love good and every other Grade A 100% unabashed Biblical principle known to mortal man, which if anything were more likely than not not kept, in which case free will would and other wise could be kicking itself into high gear therefore allowing for the possibility of their souls to become absolutely, unequivocally corrupted to the point where their families, their wives and children to be more specific, wouldn't and otherwise couldn't recognize them from a whole in the ground, though it wasn't as if it didn't' cut both ways, which of course it did, it just seemed as though men were the weaker sex, and were therefore more likely to cheat on their spouses then women were, which undoubtedly put men at a greater risk, but that was beside the point, which of course was that no matter how it played out or who instigated the cheating one sex won and the other lost, especially if if not should their ever be kids involved, which their almost always were, the trick being how to explain to them how and-or why things had become the way they had become, in which case they mightn't become scarred for the rest of their natural lives, one scarring which would in and of itself become different if, and that was a big if, their parents hadn't bothered to explain the situation to them, in which case they would've become hurt and resentful toward either if not both parents, but again that was beside the point which once and again was that no matter who instigated the cheating and in addition who the weaker sex was that won and-or lost, the fact remained that the marriage would and otherwise could be irrevocably broken beyond repair, which while it might be one thing for the citizenry in the glorious kingdom in which they lived it was quite another within the family Worthington in and of itself, given the fact that their were no more than two, maybe three if those who strayed from the Worthington fold and as such had headed for greener pastures in order that they might start fresh and anew, the only good thing coming if not having come out of it was the children they'd left behind, with people, family to be more specific, who would care for them, raise them the way they ought to be raised and strengthen them in the way they needed to be strengthened, physically, emotionally, spiritually even for their was no better part of one's being that needed strengthening then their spirituality no matter their circumstances, which in their case was all encompassing of not only the kind of mothers and fathers that had raised them thus far if only to abandon them in the end, thusly leaving them absolutely, positively, totally and completely bereft of any solid guidance in their life, the kind needed by any and all teenagers in order to succeed in life if not in love, especially when it came to facing uncertain times (i.e. getting their heart broken) in which case who they thought was the one wasn't the one after all, thusly ruining their chances at happiness, something which Prince Benjamin knew all too well, seeing as though that connection he'd felt with Maiden Echo was every bit as real as anything else was, the sun, the moon, the sky, you name it and it felt real, absolutely, positively, Grade A 100% real, no fakes, just real, so real in fact that he'd wished with all his heart that he could stay out and gaze at them all day and, ironically, all night but, as usual, duty called, and when it called you, or rather he, was expected to answer that call, loud and clear nonetheless, no matter how much you, or rather he, wanted to shirk it, all in the name of love, which try as he might he just couldn't seem to do, seriously, because every time he tried, or rather thought of trying, all it'd done was blow up in his face, every single time, well maybe not every single time, just the ones that'd involved Maiden Echo,which were anything and practically anything and everything from the day of the summer festival to the day of her confirmation, when it was purported he'd purchased that trinket to give to her then, only thing was he'd hadn't had a chance to, well he'd actually had, it was just  by the time he;d thought about getting it ready and all in way of presentation he'd had to scrap it all in favor of Mummy and Daddy Worthingon blasting out of Castle Worthington's front door with the east wind nipping at their heels, more or less, all so they could make it out to Daddy Worthington's foremost parish so they wouldn't be late, leaving Prince Benjamin and Princess Amanda to their own vices. not to mention he himself fuming as all get-out, in which case he'd resigned himself  to the fact that he is, was, and was going to be nothing but a pawn in his parents' game of How To Make our Son's Life a Living Hell, or if not that exactly then something quite like it, the point being, and yes there is one,that no matter whether or not it was on a larger scale, hence thee 'How To Make our Son's Life a Living Hell' part, or not, the fact remained that he himself was was in for a helluva bumpy ride and unless and until he got off it would and otherwise could be taking him in directions and avenues he didn't even so much as want to be going in, but do you think anyone else but him gave so much as a crap as to where that would lead him?, hell no, of course it didn't, because if it had then things would've been a whole helluva lot different for him now wouldn't they?, why yes they would, why yes they would, and that, if anything, was how he'd wished them to be in the first place, though sadly enough that was one wish that would in and of itself unfulfilled, ungranted even, thusly leaving the prince's hopes and dreams dashed beyond recognition, in which case he would and otherwise could go on living the same mundane life over and over and over again until he just plain couldn't stand it anymore, in which case he would have no choice but to change his life, and hopefully for the better, not that he'd have it any other way of course, it's just that when it came to his life in particular, well, let's us just say that he was living it for anything but the better, given the fact that his life even now was just starting to take shape and as such he was coming into being his own person, more or less, and that was a major step, even for him, but until then it was back to square one as far as Mummy and Daddy Worthington were concerned, because until he fully grew and was mature enough to ahndle any and all situations that were thrown his way and had a healthy sense of self-esteem which, while living under the roof of Castle Worthington was practically a lose-lose situation given the fact that Daddy Worthington had had a temper only him like no other not to mention the fact that Mum Janice was all sweetness and light, well, let's us just say once their personalities clashed, who knows what would happen, especially when they came from such diverse backgrounds, moreover when it came to the kingdom, if not their own, finances, I mean sure they could have hired someone to take the kingdom finances whilst they were left open to take care of their own but in the end they'd decided to take care of both, which of course anyone with financial smarts could do faster than Julie Andrews snapping her fingers in Mary Poppins ala the clean-up scene, well, maybe not that fast, more like at a moderate pace so as to not send their head reeling and in all eventuality make it explode, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that no matter who was better at keeping the family as well as the kingdom finances in check or even how good they were at it the fact remained that their were almost always going to be disagreements about how everything was being handled, hence the diverse backgrounds of each of them (i.e. keeping records versus having in all be stored in their head) in which case all hell would break loose and then nothing and I mean nothing, would or even could be the same. especially for Prince Benjamin, more specifically where Mum Queen Janice and Dad King Reuel and their constant bickering, especially given the fact that he was almost always caught in the middle of it all, oh and not just him but Prince Timothy and Princess Amanda as well, though he was perhaps the most emotionally prone, considering the fact that when it came to just being in the same with the two of them it it felt as though Prince Benjamin himself was walking on eggshells with Prince Timothy and Princess Amanda in the lead, albeit a close second, in which case they were bound to catch up to him sooner or or later if not sooner rather than later, but that was neither here nor there right now, what was was the fact that no matter who ended up outdoing who there would surely be one winner while the other would be the other one(s) would would be the losers, though quite honestly Mum Queen Janice hadn't remembered when there were any winners either, I mean Prince Timothy and Princess Amanda were one thing but oh, Prince Benjamin, he was yet another matter, given the fact his first ever attainable victory came at the hands of himself with just a smattering of hard work and determination mixed in, the latter if not both, of which would propel him to keep on so that he might graduate with his fellow classmates at and otherwise from Sussex County Preparatory School, fourth in his class I might add, despite the circumstances which he was, if not had been, dealt at the time, enter the large chunk schooling he'd had to have missed while being stuck in the hospital having those surgeries be performed on his back, granted it wasn't all that long a stay, physically at least, but emotionally and academically and spiritually and psychologically even it sure as hell felt like it, and that was what had scared the almighty crap out of Prince Benjamin, in part because of  amost being, if not having been, around the general population for quite some time, practically since he'd had to leave for the hospital in the adjoining county which is/was where the surgeries were to be performed, a most spacious facility to be sure, and that was on the inside, on the outside it was yet another story, not that is was all moss-covered and lichen-infested, to be sure, which would give it an otherwise eerie appearance as if it were ripped straight out of an episode of the latest American Horror Story franchise or trilogy or whatever the hell you wanted to call it, but because once the lights went down and everyone went home, save for the nursing staff, at least the daytime, the nighttime was a different story yet again, all hell tended to break loose in and around that time, and break loose it did, and as much Prince Benjamin wished he could quite literally wash away all of the time he spent there it just wasn't there, physically or emotionally, the srength, that is;,