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A Cut Above the Rest [ART2015]

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posted on Mar, 20 2015 @ 12:08 PM
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non writer

A Cut Above the Rest.

12 Dec 1800's

Even though Prince Alto knew what the day represented, he gazed into his bedroom mirror and watched his finger tips slowly trace the outline of the top of his ears with sadness. At the tender age of eight years old, he knew the importance of the start to the five year long ceremony, for which he was about to undertake. One which, one day, would allow his Mother and Father to once again look at him in the eyes. Not since his birth had that happened, not that he could remember, but he knew that was the case.

'As a Prince, I must be different' he told himself automatically, one of many phrases drummed into him by his mentors. His ears were misshapen much like that of his friend Deppa's.

For a few minutes he yearned to be like Deppa, he was allowed to do so much more than him; to feel the sun on his face, meet the people who made all those strange noises of happiness, anger and excitement that he'd often heared through the walls from his windowless dwelling, a place he'd only ever known.
Deppa was his servant, a boy from the D class, not a commoner but from a lineage of upper class, roughly his own age he assumed. A class that was beneath him but to be treated with respect.

He shook his head and cursed himself.

He hated his ears, they were very telling, they made him feel dirty like an inferior, like a person beneath his standing in society. Sure, his head had been shaped by grace of 'the crown' since birth, that tight fitting metal brace which on tightening days made him cry, not with the pain, well that was always soon forgotten, but the fact that wanted to feel what he looked like. Not that he was ever allowed to of course as he was still imperfect. He knew how the commoners looked, their round long faces, gormless and stupid but he wanted to feel how his features felt.

Every tightening day was the same, the abrupt entrance of three people from the B class, two to hold him down, the third performed the precise turning of a key whilst uttering rhythmic chants.
Each turn of the key squeezed and moulded his head into the contours of the metal head brace to achieve the perfection Prince Alto was to be blessed with. The key tightene's never spoke to him, never gave him a touch of comfort in those many times when he broke down and sobbed. They were there to perform a duty, who completed it with cold endeavour.

On his seventh birthday, the crown was removed. For the first time in his life, he could see who he was, within the new mirror brought into his dwelling by his then mentor, Beatrice. That in itself was one of the most wonderful days he'd ever had in his life. The fascination and fear of seeing such a magical item overwhelmed him. He wondered in amazement at who the boy was looking back into his eyes, a boy that seemed very familure, yet strange. His mentor smiled and explained it all. For weeks Alto played with the mirror, he pulled funny faces, placed his hands over his own, tried to 'out move' the person on the other side and once even thought he'd managed to.

That was when he began to become inquisitive , why he looked so different to the others, all of them, B's, C's and D's. He asked Beatrice if the E's and downwards all looked the same too, as he hadn't seen any. She smirked and bowed her head then explained that they were all imperfect and that Alto was still on the journey to become perfection. Once achieved, he could then travel onto Whitby Castle on his Eighteenth birthday and perform the Oath of Allegiance to the Prince's.
An oath he was familure with by name but he never fully understood what it meant. 'It was his destiny'. Yet another phrase muttered to him on numerous occasions, and in those times when his B mentors deemed his attitude as 'awkward' they uttered ' if he's lucky' onto the end of it, implying that his future destiny wasn't guaranteed at all.

He missed Beatrice. She was the first woman whom he began to question things with. He wanted to know who the others were, the other outside people who he could hear. She told him of the class system and the important place he was to take ruling over it. How he was destined for greatness, that he must work hard, study and listen to what he was to be told over the years.

Some time after his crown was removed he realised the full extent of his power. Beatrice was beneath him, that woman who told him what to do, how to behave and corrected him when he wasn't doing as she asked, came into focus whilst she was telling him not to harm Deppo so much.

He'd only poked him in the eye with a quill. It drew blood and made Deppo squeal but that was the point. Deppo beat him at a game of 'coin flip' and Alto punished him, put him in his place. Deppo didn't resist, he just stood there and let Prince Alto bring the sharp end of the quill up to his right eyeball and let him stab it. Just as Alto had said he would do. He was just a D class after all, he'd still be his friend though......contd



posted on Mar, 20 2015 @ 12:10 PM
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Beatrice was in the middle of explaining that all D classes were there to nourish theirs and her Master's and that Deppo was to be one of his, in his later years once he himself had passed the transition, undertaken through the taking of the 'Oath of Allegiance to the Prince's', when he calmly walked over to her and slapped her hard across the cheek.

Beatrice winced, her eyes looked shocked and fearful into his own and bowed her head down apologising for any of her wrong doing. Alto in that moment felt a rush of satisfying power fill his body. He wanted more.

He dismissed Beatrice and waited for her to arrive after he awoke. Beatrice didn't come, instead Brody took over her role, explaining that Beatrice's teachings were complete and was no longer fit to further serve Prince Alto. Brody quietly advised the Prince the position of B and C classes again, in that without those two classes, the D's could eat what they wished or had opportunity to eat leaving their blood impure and prone to a sour, displeasing taste, much to the annoyance of their superiors. It was all about control. Treating even D's too badly could bring disruption and displeasure onto them too. Brody explained how history had a habit of repeating itself and that wise rulers treated history with repsect.

The B's were superior to the C's in intellect and managed public affairs under the guidance from their Master's. The C classes generally looked after the B classes and kept watch over the D class dwellings, ensuring all the D's were fed with the correct types of food ensuring their Master's had a variety of flavoured blood and sometimes flesh to gorge and feast upon. The E's and below were not worthy of any significance, beyond hard labour.

It was Brody who entered his room following the attachment of the somewhat painfull looking ear modification mechansim. A crude looking device that clamped the ears whilst holding in place the newly inserted metal strip that pushed the ears outwards to a point at the tip. Prince Alto winced in pain, his anger muted by the sheer joy at having the procedure started. Oh how he so wanted to look so very different to Brody. Alto noticed Brody holding something in his hands.

"What is that?" Alto hissed.

"This, is a boat Sir." Brody looked down and stretched out his arms to give it to Alto. "Its a model of the boat that will take you to Whitby Sir". His eyes remained fixed to the floor.

Alto snatched the boat from Brody and marvelled at its shape and dissappeared off into his study slamming the door shut behind him.
Prince Alto liked Brody but would often think about killing him once he matured and returned from Whitby.

He never stabbed Deppo again too, his best friend. He did keep making a point of finding out what foods Deppo didn't like and telling him that's what he was gong to make him eat, for the rest of his life, always without a smile or a hint of it being a joke, because it wasn't.

15 Nov 10 years later.
Prince Alto stood on the deck, dressed smartly in black, his hat balanced perfectly on his head, the castle which once he called home lay behind him. He looked out into the dark night beyond and smiled contently. Noticing a series of black marks on building near the shore, he glanced, eyes strained reading the words written under what looked like a drawing of a black bird. 'DEATH TO THE SUCKERS"

"What is that Brody?" he snapped.
Brody looked nervously at the image and message before bowing his head and not quite knowing what to say, then looked back up at the Prince and said.
"It's a bat, Sir."
"What does it mean?" Alto probed.
"Errrmm." the awkward silence Brody gave infuriated Alto and he hissed "I'll ask you one more time Brody, tell me what it means!"
"Sorry Sir, it's the lower classes Sir. Well some of them. They," Brody's voice quietened and looked sheepishly at Alto, " they, errr, think you look like Bats Sir..."
Prince Alto forced a smile and Brody's fate was sealed.



edit on 20-3-2015 by ProleUK because: typo and baad gramar

edit on 20-3-2015 by ProleUK because: typo



posted on Mar, 20 2015 @ 03:22 PM
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This was good ! I was surprised how it ended.. Wanted to read more. I hope you continue with the story



posted on Mar, 21 2015 @ 07:37 AM
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a reply to: ProleUK

I like this! Please consider adding to it!!
Well done. Very Well Done Indeed!!!

S+F for You!!! Later, Syx.



posted on Mar, 23 2015 @ 08:24 AM
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Prince Alto's one scary Prince!

Well done story.


CdT



posted on Mar, 23 2015 @ 08:39 PM
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a reply to: ProleUK

Once again we see power corrupts. Nicely done.



posted on Apr, 2 2015 @ 12:40 PM
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This was one of the first I read a while back (already gave an S&F to you, but didn't comment at the time).

Very creepy - the creation of a sociopath. Poor kid! Not to mention all the people, I mean future dinners, in the story...

Well done!!

- AB







 
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