03x02 - The Crown

[bunniefuu]

Ba-bum.

Previously on
The Dragon Prince...

I'm not going with you to Xadia.

I have to face my responsibility.

Now that I'm king, I have to go home.

Maybe I can help the world
better from the throne.

I can do whatever I can to stop the w*r.

This is it, Callum.

Xadia.

Soren, what did Dad ask you to do?

k*ll the princes.

They must be in Xadia by now.

Someday, we'll make it there.

I don't know
if I'm ready for this, Bait.

Oh...

Oh, man.

This is crazy, Rayla! Everything here
radiates with Primal Energy.

- Yup. That's Xadia.
- Wait.

What? You're kidding me.
You are kidding me!

Magic dirt? What?

Save some of that
googly-eyed amazement for later.

We still have a mission.

I'm taking you to my home.

The other elves will help us get Zym
to the Dragon Queen as fast as possible.

And if we get home by dusk,
I can show you something special.

- Really? What is it?
- It's a surprise.

You're home now, Zym.

May I offer His Majesty
a freshly baked jelly tart?

Uh, really? It's okay?

Um, sure.

The king requests
a tart of jelly!

Of course.

May I have another?

The king requests
another tart of jelly!

You don't have to repeat everything I say.

The king requests
that you stop repeating!

Uh...

I realized as soon as I said it.

You may have as many tarts
as you care for.

Corvus!

All packed for your journey to the throne?

Would you like a tart of jelly?

No, thanks.

Don't worry,
we can have as many as we want!

I wasn't worried.

Good morning, King Ezran.

High Council meetings
are attended by the council itself

and necessary security, and no others,

unless specifically requested by the king.

Oh, well, I'd, uh... I'd like to request
Corvus to come. Specifically.

That checks out.

Well, what do we do now?

The first order of business is to
review messages received by the kingdom.

Crow Lord?

Crow Lord!

Oh! Sorry, the Crow Lord isn't here.
He's taking a personal day.

And you are?

The Crow Master.
It's similar, kind of like his number two.

If the Crow Lord were to die,
or to be otherwise incapacitated...

Okay, yes, I think we understand.

Can you please read the king his messages?

It's so small.
There can't be too much stuff, right?

You have
417 unread messages.

Your Majesty, if the king so desires,

we could begin
with the messages marked "urgent."

Uh... I do so desire.

That checks out.

It plays music!

Yup. It's a melodaisy.

Rayla. You're pushing us to move too fast.

You know, there's a human saying,

"Sometimes you just have to stop
and smell the roses."

Or listen to them, or whatever.

Maybe you're right, Callum.

Did you know there's a Xadian flower

with a more fascinating scent
than anything in the human kingdoms?

Go ahead, stop and smell this one.

Ugh!

What was that?

Some call them flatu-lillies,
toot-lips, peri-stinkles.

They go by many names,

but at the end of the day,
it's a fart flower.

Zym, no!

Ugh! It's even worse.

I wish Ez were here to smell this.
He'd love it.

Oh, dear. Um... uh...

What's wrong?

I'm not really comfortable reading
some of these things out loud.

Well, can you summarize?

There have been some bad events.

Maybe we should just wait for the
Crow Lord to return, so he can, uh...

Ugh, give me that.

This one also has similar...
bad events.

Assassins.

What?

There have been att*cks in other kingdoms.
Successful att*cks.

King Florian and Queen Fareeda are dead.

King Ahling is gravely injured.

It appears that Xadia is waging w*r
on all of humanity.

We are in the middle
of an important discussion!

We've arrested two traitors.
We need the king's judgement immediately.

- How are we going to get down?
- To go down, we need to go up.

Wow. This must be the biggest
tree in the world.

- What do you call it?
- A tree.

Up we go!

Uh...

What's going on?

Why are they chained up?

Your Majesty,
they're Lord Viren's children.

- So what?
- The high mage is in prison for treason.

We suspect they were involved
in his conspiracy.

No, you've got it all wrong.

When Dad sent us after the princes...

Viren sent you after the princes?

Uh... Uh... "Sent" is a strong word.

My point is, he wanted us
to rescue the princes, not k*ll them!

"k*ll them"?

Who said anything
about k*lling the princes?

No one. That's what I'm saying.
Or not saying.

Ugh, Soren, help!
Tell them we didn't do anything wrong.

King Ezran, they need to be locked away.
Give the order.

But... I'm not really sure
what they were trying to do.

Ezran, please, we talked about this...

Silence!
My king, you need to make a decision.

Okay, but let them rest while I decide.

Get them some food.

Thank you, Ezran.

This is a mistake. They're too dangerous.

You can't just release them.

Fine, fine, keep the chains on.
Until I can make up my mind. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Ugh! How long are they going to keep us
like this?

We're prisoners in our own home.

Well, at least we have bread.

They're still going to give us bread
in the dungeon, right?

We're not going to the dungeon, Soren!
We didn't do anything wrong.

Claudia, I told you,

Dad wanted me to k*ll the princes.
That means we're guilty.

At least I am.

No, you're not.

I don't know if you misunderstood,
or mis-remembered, or mis-listened,

but there's no way
Dad would tell you to do that.

It doesn't matter anyway.

Dad's in prison, and everyone's
telling Ezran we're guilty, too.

Ezran thinks for himself.

He'll see through this mess,
and he'll do the right thing.

Why are you stacking the bread like that?

It's a bread sandwich.

Ugh!

King Ezran, a visitor has arrived.

Prince Kasef of Neolandia,
eldest son of King Ahling.

Prince Kasef, I heard about
what happened to your father.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you for your condolences.

And the tragedy of your father's loss
breaks my heart.

But the important thing
is that we're here now.

Yes. I'm happy to meet you.

My army stands outside your city gates,
at the ready.

At the ready? What do you mean?

Forgive me,

but was it not a week ago
your regent called on us

to unite against the rising Xadian thr*at?

Uh... I'm not sure.

Xadia has att*cked the human kingdoms.
All of us.

There must be a proportionate response.

I'm sorry,
but, um, I'm kind of new at this.

I'm not really sure what you mean.
What kind of response?

w*r.

What? No. The people of the human kingdoms
and Xadia want peace.

Am I missing something?
Why is the child on the throne now?

Isn't there an adult advisor
I can speak with?

I'm right here. You can speak with me.

If you can't take action against Xadia,
you have failed as a king.

And you have failed as a son.

Enough! You have a disagreement,
but you are in the court of King Ezran.

Who are you to interrupt
a royal discussion?

I'm Corvus. I was specifically requested.

I'm sure once King Ezran
has had proper council,

he will make the correct choice.

I will remain in Katolis
awaiting your decision.

Get ready. Hold on tight.

- Uh, are you sure this is safe?
- As long as you hold on tight.

- Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to...
- It's okay. It was a bumpy ride.

May I join you?

Sure. Have a seat.

- I noticed you aren't wearing it.
- Wearing what?

Ezran, the crown is
a heavy burden to carry.

There's so much happening.
I don't know what to do.

There's no shame if you aren't yet ready.
No one blames you for being a child.

I feel like
I'm letting everyone down.

- There may be a way out.
- What?

There are capable people around you

who can take up the burden of ruling
for a few years, while you...

just focus on growing up.

You're saying... a regent?

Yes. Someone you trust.
You choose who it is. For a few years.

The crown will be here for you
when you're ready.

Just think about it.

This is so much to handle.

So what do you say, Bait? Be my regent?

I agree. You'd be a tyrant.

We made it just in time.

So, what did you want to show me?

I used to come to this meadow
when I was a kid.

I would spend hours on my own,

exploring and making all kinds
of colorful little friends.

Friends?

What is it?

It's an adoraburr.

They're so cute!

Look! They stick together.
I thought you'd like them.

I love them.

That's nice.
No, really, that look suits you.

Hey...

Hey, these things come off, right?

Have you given thought
to what we discussed?

I have. And I have something to say.

All of you knew King Harrow
as a great king.

He was a leader, a warrior,
and a champion.

But I knew him as my dad,

who loved me and my brother and our mom.

And sometimes told really bad jokes.

I didn't see
everything he had to do as king,

but I do know that my dad
had to make very hard decisions.

I'm just a kid.
I haven't fought in any battles.

I haven't read many books of wisdom.

I haven't gone through the things
that made my father the king he was.

So, I've decided...

that I don't have to be the king
my father was.

My father made choices
to keep fighting battles

that started hundreds of years
before he was born.

To punish enemies for crimes
their parents committed.

I don't want to be that kind of king.

Set them free.

Soren and Claudia will not pay
for the mistakes their father made.

But Your Highness, they are criminals.

Take their chains off!

Katolis will not go to w*r.

I'm sorry about what happened
to your father,

and what happened to mine,
but we don't have to avenge them.

We don't have to strike back.
We can choose peace.

King Ezran, I admire your courage.

But peace will require
just as much strength as w*r.

Are you prepared to defend it?

Yes.

I am.