Prince Charming

If you're a good boy and do what your teachers tell you, everything will be fine and you'll make some nice new friends. You sniff and wipe your nose on the sleeve of your brand-new blazer. Instead of hugging you, your father sticks his hand out and after a moment's hesitation, you shake it, wincing slightly as he squeezes it too hard.

"By Daddy," you whisper as you watch his coach rattle off down the driveway of your new school.

"Come on Charming, I'll show you to your room," Matron says, picking up your case and setting off up the stairs. You look around as you walk up; the walls are lined with pictures of stern-looking men and the carpet under your feet looks rather threadbare compared to the ones you have in the palace at home. "This will be your home for the next twelve months," matron says. The room is divided into six cubicles, each containing a narrow bed, a desk and chair, and a locker. "There's a privy at the end," she says, pointing. "It's teatime so you should leave your stuff here and I'll take you down to the dining room to meet the other boys."