Table challenge: Prussia, Angst/#15: Abused
Title: Poor Fritz
Author: kira
Claim: Prussia
Character(s): Prussia, Frederick II, Frederick William I, and an unnamed doctor
Table/Prompt: Angst/ Prompt # 15: Abused
Word Count: 758
Rating: PG13 for child abuse
Summary: Prussia is shocked at the level of abuse young Frederick is subjected to by his father
Author’s note: Thanks go out to my beta, Kat, for looking this over.
The first time Prussia saw Frederick William abuse his eldest son, he was so shocked, he wanted to drag him out to the stables and horse whip the king. Instead, he went over to little Frederick and gathered the sobbing child in his arms. Glaring at the king, he said, “Your Majesty, he needs a doctor.”
“He needs some sense knocked into him,” Frederick William replied. “Only girls play the flute.”
“Yeah? Those musicians at last night’s dinner party looked like men to me.”
Frederick William narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you doubting my word, Beilschmidt?!” He raised his cane as if to strike him.
While Prussia never flinched, he felt Frederick wince as the child braced himself for the blow that never came. Narrowing his eyes in disgust, Prussia replied, “No, Your Majesty.” He looked down at Frederick. “Sssh… Fritzchen,” he said softly. “Now if I may be excused? The Crown Prince needs his hand seen to.”
Frederick William just glared sullenly at them.
“Seriously, Your Majesty. If the boy is to become a soldier, then he’s going to need his hands.”
“Very well. Get out of my sight, the both of you! You disgust me!! And I’d better not hear of you coddling him, understood, Beilschmidt?!”
“Oh, I understand you perfectly, Your Majesty.”
“Good!” the king spat. “Now go!!”
Prussia scooped the Crown Prince up in his arms and carried him out of the room. Frederick tried hard not to cry, but his hand hurt from when his father brutally slammed his cane down on it while the Crown Prince was practicing his flute. He was happy his tutor took him away from his father, but he was afraid of what the king would do to his sister, Wilhelmine. Fear for his sister broke his resolve and the six year old Crown Prince started to cry.
“Did I hurt, you, Fritzchen? If I did, I’m sorry.” Prussia carried him to his room. Encountering a servant, he sent word for the king’s field surgeon to meet them there. Once he reached his room, Prussia set Frederick gently down on his bed. He did not like how swollen and bruised the Crown Prince’s hand was.
The field surgeon arrived shortly and when he took one look at Frederick’s hand, he said, “I think it’s broken, Herr Beilschmidt.”
“Yeah?”
The field surgeon nodded as he examined the Crown Prince’s injury. “I’ll need to set it, so it’ll grow properly.”
“Verdammt!” Prussia swore.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be; just do what needs to be done.” Prussia gently stroked Frederick’s cheek, “Your Highness, the doctor has to set the bones in your hand. If he doesn’t you won’t be able to play your flute.”
“Yeah?”
Prussia nodded. “But it’s gonna hurt and even grown men cry when they get injured like that.”
“Oh… I’m scared, Herr Beilschmidt.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Fritzchen. I’ll be here with you.”
In the end it took two servants and Prussia to hold the wailing Crown Prince down while the field surgeon set his hand. Frederick thrashed out, screaming until he was hoarse and by the time his ordeal was over, he had fallen into an exhausted sleep on Prussia’s bed.
“Will he be okay?”
“He should be fine, Herr Beilschmidt, as long as he doesn’t knock his hand. I’ll come by in a day or two to see how he’s doing, but if he develops a fever, send for me immediately.”
“Will do and thank you.”
The field surgeon nodded. “One of these day, and I pray to God it never happens, but that man is going to kill the boy.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t understand how anyone could treat a child like that, let alone their flesh and blood.”
Prussia sighed. “I know… I had heard stories, but I never imagined it was like this.”
The field surgeon nodded. “I know. Anyway, I’d best be going before the king gets wind of this and he heaps more abuse on that child.”
“Danke…”
“It’s my job,” he said as he left.
Prussia walked over to his bed where the Crown Prince lay, sleeping. Sitting down on his bed, he brushed the hair from Frederick’s eyes with his fingertips. “Oh, Fritz, I had no idea things were this bad...” He sighed. “I promise, Your Highness, I’ll do my best to shelter you from anymore of this happening.” Getting up, Prussia pulled a chair over and sat down with a book, so that he could watch over the Crown Prince while he slept.
Author: kira
Claim: Prussia
Character(s): Prussia, Frederick II, Frederick William I, and an unnamed doctor
Table/Prompt: Angst/ Prompt # 15: Abused
Word Count: 758
Rating: PG13 for child abuse
Summary: Prussia is shocked at the level of abuse young Frederick is subjected to by his father
Author’s note: Thanks go out to my beta, Kat, for looking this over.
The first time Prussia saw Frederick William abuse his eldest son, he was so shocked, he wanted to drag him out to the stables and horse whip the king. Instead, he went over to little Frederick and gathered the sobbing child in his arms. Glaring at the king, he said, “Your Majesty, he needs a doctor.”
“He needs some sense knocked into him,” Frederick William replied. “Only girls play the flute.”
“Yeah? Those musicians at last night’s dinner party looked like men to me.”
Frederick William narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you doubting my word, Beilschmidt?!” He raised his cane as if to strike him.
While Prussia never flinched, he felt Frederick wince as the child braced himself for the blow that never came. Narrowing his eyes in disgust, Prussia replied, “No, Your Majesty.” He looked down at Frederick. “Sssh… Fritzchen,” he said softly. “Now if I may be excused? The Crown Prince needs his hand seen to.”
Frederick William just glared sullenly at them.
“Seriously, Your Majesty. If the boy is to become a soldier, then he’s going to need his hands.”
“Very well. Get out of my sight, the both of you! You disgust me!! And I’d better not hear of you coddling him, understood, Beilschmidt?!”
“Oh, I understand you perfectly, Your Majesty.”
“Good!” the king spat. “Now go!!”
Prussia scooped the Crown Prince up in his arms and carried him out of the room. Frederick tried hard not to cry, but his hand hurt from when his father brutally slammed his cane down on it while the Crown Prince was practicing his flute. He was happy his tutor took him away from his father, but he was afraid of what the king would do to his sister, Wilhelmine. Fear for his sister broke his resolve and the six year old Crown Prince started to cry.
“Did I hurt, you, Fritzchen? If I did, I’m sorry.” Prussia carried him to his room. Encountering a servant, he sent word for the king’s field surgeon to meet them there. Once he reached his room, Prussia set Frederick gently down on his bed. He did not like how swollen and bruised the Crown Prince’s hand was.
The field surgeon arrived shortly and when he took one look at Frederick’s hand, he said, “I think it’s broken, Herr Beilschmidt.”
“Yeah?”
The field surgeon nodded as he examined the Crown Prince’s injury. “I’ll need to set it, so it’ll grow properly.”
“Verdammt!” Prussia swore.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be; just do what needs to be done.” Prussia gently stroked Frederick’s cheek, “Your Highness, the doctor has to set the bones in your hand. If he doesn’t you won’t be able to play your flute.”
“Yeah?”
Prussia nodded. “But it’s gonna hurt and even grown men cry when they get injured like that.”
“Oh… I’m scared, Herr Beilschmidt.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Fritzchen. I’ll be here with you.”
In the end it took two servants and Prussia to hold the wailing Crown Prince down while the field surgeon set his hand. Frederick thrashed out, screaming until he was hoarse and by the time his ordeal was over, he had fallen into an exhausted sleep on Prussia’s bed.
“Will he be okay?”
“He should be fine, Herr Beilschmidt, as long as he doesn’t knock his hand. I’ll come by in a day or two to see how he’s doing, but if he develops a fever, send for me immediately.”
“Will do and thank you.”
The field surgeon nodded. “One of these day, and I pray to God it never happens, but that man is going to kill the boy.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t understand how anyone could treat a child like that, let alone their flesh and blood.”
Prussia sighed. “I know… I had heard stories, but I never imagined it was like this.”
The field surgeon nodded. “I know. Anyway, I’d best be going before the king gets wind of this and he heaps more abuse on that child.”
“Danke…”
“It’s my job,” he said as he left.
Prussia walked over to his bed where the Crown Prince lay, sleeping. Sitting down on his bed, he brushed the hair from Frederick’s eyes with his fingertips. “Oh, Fritz, I had no idea things were this bad...” He sighed. “I promise, Your Highness, I’ll do my best to shelter you from anymore of this happening.” Getting up, Prussia pulled a chair over and sat down with a book, so that he could watch over the Crown Prince while he slept.