Lucas was sat at a table across from his tutor, a balding man who sported a lisp. Usually he was captivated by history lessons, but today he was exceptionally restless. His feet swung back and forth in his chair, a good foot from the ground. He was rather small for his age, several inches under the average four feet. His growth rate may have been a bigger concern if all the castle's eyes weren't on the health of his father. This lack of attention caused Lucas to act out regularly, and his short attention span was detrimental when he was with his tutor. It was difficult for him to pay attention to his lesson when it was so sunny outside, the first clear day they had experienced after nearly a week of rain. Lucas was just itching to go outside, his gaze fixed on the grounds beyond the window.

His tutor took notice, and clicked his tongue at the boy to grab his attention. "Why don't we take a break?" If Lucas were more observant, he may have noticed the frustration in the man's tone. Instead, he nodded happily and hopped down from the chair, not forgetting to push it back under the table afterwards. His tutor was strict about manners, and Lucas wanted to be on his good side today. The two of them went to the grassy yard of the castle, the tutor sitting on a bench in the shade and keeping a closs eye on the boy as he ran around. His concentration was interrupted when another man approached him, bringing urgent news of the king's health. They were both very engaged in the conversation, neither of them taking notice as the young prince wandered closer to the castle gates.

Lucas had always dreamt of what laid beyond these gates. He imagined life was much more exciting, and the people were more neighborly and less stiff, and there were other childrem to play games with. Filled to the brim with excitement, Lucas managed to slip past the gaurds, his small build working to his advantage. It took him several minutes of walking to reach the village, but he wasn't at all tired from the trip. He took in all the new sights and sounds, awed by all of it, despite how truly unimpressive the village was. Lucas was unaware of the guards that had been sent to retrieve him as he walked around the shopping district, going with the flow of the crowd on the streets.