“Hello, dad.” he said meekly.

Ralsei was never sure of what a ‘corpse’ was. Monsters turned to dust when they died, though he would swear that his entire kingdom was filled with them. It always felt like it was his fault somehow. Like all of this was his fault. 

His gaze focused first on the massive portrait hanging over the fireplace there; of a woman he’d never met but could only assume was his mother. Looking grand and regal, ashy grey goat mostly obscured in the painted darkness of the painting. It didn’t hide the sunset-like eyes that seemed to pierce him to the core whenever he entered this room and inject ice into his nonexistent SOUL.

Ralsei busied himself with going to start the fire in the fireplace, tossing logs into the empty alcove before a brief mutter and flick of the wrist brought a roaring flame to life in an instant.

He opened the curtains by the massive windows, as if to bring the sunlight in. Naturally, all there was would be the darkness all around or the unnerving glow from the Fountain. Nothing that would be comforting to him now when he needed it.

Next came the bookshelf, which he used his scarf to brush the dust off it, occasionally pausing to pluck a volume off the shelf to skim. He didn’t register any of the words on the pages, naturally. This was just all stalling so he could avoid looking at the thing that anyone else would have stopped dead to gawk at from the doorway.

His supposed father. 

A sigh escaped the young prince as he finally turned toward the master bed, spotting the misshapen massive doll on the bed. It looked like a massive goat monster when you squinted, with curling horns on either side of his head and a crown somewhat messily squeezed between them-- with a menacing build that would likely scare most any that spotted him. However, once the immediate shock left most, they’d realize the obvious. Nothing seemed to quite fit. One arm was a different color than the other, slightly smaller and stitched on sloppily to his body. All over his body, different patches of color and poor stitching told the same tale. 

It was an old doll. One that shouldn’t be kept anymore. 

Ralsei made his way over, dusting off the poor thing before going to the bedside drawers and sliding the uppermost one out and placing it on the empty part of the bed. He took the sewing needle and thread out, followed by the large roll of fabric he’d found in another room. 

He had always meant to do this, though every day he came up with another reason to put it off. Focusing on the warm hearth across the room, the prince finally began his duty.

Scissors expertly sliced through the fabric, moving as if possessed before vanishing once their task was complete. Ralsei never had much reason to use this magic, despite how easier it came to him than the others. Another pair sliced through the stitchwork of a notably ragged piece on the massive doll’s body, allowing it to fall and be replaced by the new patch. Green glow enveloped the needle and thread as it swiftly knit it into the doll with far more care than there was before.

“I’m sorry it took so long,” Ralsei said at last, filling the silence in the room. “It’s just... I don’t even know who you are.” 

It was odd. This was the only plush in the kingdom he couldn’t think of a voice for. Everyone else he could give a name, personality, and even entire imaginary life to .Yet every time his gaze fell on this one, he couldn’t focus over the stinging in his eyes that left his gaze warbling. 

Such as now, where he surely would have messed up his stitchwork had it not been done magically. As the young goat sobbed, he clutched onto the leg of the doll on the bed and hunkered over it. 

“Why me? Why couldn’t it be someone else?! I didn’t ask to be alone. I didn’t ask to even be alive! Why am I the only toy in this entire place that has to live?!” He screeched, knowing there would be no answer to his cries. Same as every time before.

Though when he felt the doll shift, Ralsei froze entirely. A paw was on his back, feeling different from the cold fabric of before. He couldn’t move, staring at the chest of the doll. 

If I move, the moment would be over, Ralsei knew. 

Though he couldn’t help but glance behind him at the paw. 

...

It wasn’t alive. Of course it wasn’t. The heat was just from the room itself heating up. Ralsei must have pushed the doll while he was busy whining to himself again.

Sighing, the prince wiped his eyes-- not that there was ever real tears on them. As fake as everything else. 

“There. That should hold up better.”

He put the fabric and tools away again, sliding off the bed and hurrying for the door again.

How stupid can you be? He thought, stomping his feet as he went. To think that someone was finally going to answer these questions for you. You’re alone like you always were. Nobody will ever really be there for you. 

Ralsei hated these thoughts, though he couldn’t find a way to make them stop as his pace faltered in the doorway.

He looked back, gazing at the slumped over doll in the bed. It truly did look like it was sleeping...