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Once Upon a Time, in a far away kingdom, lived a Princeling in his castle.
By day he would toil under the tutelage of his father, the King's, chosen advisor. But when the grumpy man with folds under his eyes would inevitably look away or fall asleep, the boy would write and draw at the edges of his parchment. Soft little doodles of a figure bathed in light, the words "Equinox" scribbled underneath where he imagined the figure's arms would raise, as if welcoming the whole world into his embrace.
You see, for about a decade now, since the Princeling was 10, a mysterious celestial being would grace the Kingdom with its warmth. Its appearance in the night sky wasn't predictable, per say, sometimes appearing a few times in the week, sometimes disappearing just long enough for the citizens to wonder whether it was gone for good. And the young boy had grown up in a dull and grey and lonely world, such that he felt drawn to the figure in the night sky.
Of course, it was not all droll and monotonous in the Princeling's life; he enjoyed his walks around the gardens, imagining what life might be like outside the castle walls. And he had his best friend. A ragamuffin boy about his age who would scale the wall to share stolen sweetbreads from the Prince's satchel. Warm when pilfered from the kitchens, yet cooling in the evening air between them. That, and the Equinox in the night sky, were the moments the Princeling had grown up looking forward to most.
Yet the Princeling was now a Prince, and with age he was expected to take on more responsibility for the Kingdom. To make speeches, attend events. The Prince did not know how he could possibly face so many people looking to him for guidance. To be their guiding star through famine, drought, or war in years to come. He was not as talented a conversationalist as his friend, nor as courageous. In fact, as of late, it seemed he was becoming even more withdrawn whenever the boy from the other side of the wall hopped over.
No longer scraggly youths, the raven haired boy had grown into a towering figure, sturdy with muscles from life on the other side of the wall. The flash of his teeth when he smiled drew the Prince in, but the blond could do nothing about it save write his observations and fantasies down by candlelight. The bespectacled man wished he could smile as widely as his friend, or shine as brightly as Equinox.
One day, Zeta had had about enough. Under heavy cloak, he boosted the blond Prince up and over the wall. To see the streets and lives of the people of his Kingdom. Delighting as the Prince skimmed through a new story for sale at a stall, copied by hand. A paper lantern, a children's puzzle toy. Finally Zeta grabbed the Prince's hand, flashing his signature smile as a ruddy blush bloomed across the blond's cheeks. And before he could catch his breath to protest- they were off. Running along the cobblestone roads until finally Zeta pulled the off-balance Prince to a stop at his side, their sides colliding.
The evening air cooled the sweat across the back of their necks as the Prince took in his new location, and marveled at the colors dancing across a slow-moving waterway, reflecting the lanterns being lit around them. And as he finally began to grin, wider than he ever had before, and laughed, the Equinox figure seemed to glide across the horizon just for him. Until it came to rest just above the two men.
"I just don't know, if I'm good enough for this. For everyone." the Prince said, turning to his friend.
But Zeta just shook his head, placing his hands on the Prince's shoulders, and turning the blond so that he gazed back at the waterway. Just fast enough that the Prince could catch his reflection as the Equinox disappeared and then reappeared with his turn.
"You are more than the grey walls of your station, my Prince. Why, you are the guiding light that shines above them."
The Prince pulled hastily away. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the revelation. "No. No I can't be." he protested. "I'm just me."
Zeta took his friend's chin between his thumb and forefinger to still his shaking, and huffed a laugh. "As well that may be, you are more. And you are you. And I will always love you, not your reflection."
It wasn't easy, but eventually the Prince grew into his own. Finding the light within, to carry his people towards prosperity. Worshiped by all - some more than others - and held up as if atop a pedestal. But for the few closest to him, he would always just be himself. Whether the Equinox star shone brightly above them, or made its way across the night sky and out of sight.