From Writing Class: 10 Minute Free-Write - "The Mask He Must Wear"

(Note: This piece was inspired by the novel I am working on. It's not included as of now, but I might find a way to work the premise of some of this into my work.)

The new king was afraid, shaken by the horrible death of his father, and the sudden disappearance of his mother. Everything he did was second-guessed. Each move was made with an air of uncertainty, despite his noble upbringing.

He sits alone each night upon his throne, feeling misplaced. A surreal feeling overwhelms him, as though he were suspended above himself, disconnected from body. A lost spirit looking on at a life he hadn't foreseen.

Whiskers sprouted up, and his eyes were bloodshot. He paces the courtyards and shivers in his sleep. He awakens in the deep twilight to retrieve his purple robes, admiring the way the velvet ripples through his calloused hands. He sizes himself up in the mirror, almost as though he dares the reflection to take him on.

With an austere look on his face, he straightens himself, putting the mightiest oaks of the kingdom to shame. Nobody knows how alone he is. He must be brave, for he is the king.