Grant Whitson

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

*This article is about the fourth son of Whitson Mariner. For his grandfather and namesake, see Grant.*

## Book information

### Appears

*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**G****rant Whitson** was the fourth child of Whitson Mariner and Lillie. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Lord Grant.

## Biography

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

Prince Grant was first introduced as Lander's younger brother. During the events of *Prince Lander and the Dragon War*, Grant was brown-furred and described as being barely of age. He expresses his doubts to King Whitson about the peace treaty, saying that Grimble will not keep his word. He contradicts Whitson's plan to take the princes with him to the treaty, saying that they must keep a leader with a stronger force at camp.

Whitson inquire if Grant is king now, and if he wishes to argue again. Grant replies that no, Whitson is king and Grant is his servant, but Whitson corrects him, saying that Grant is not his servant but his dear son. Grant agrees, saying that he will follow Whitson anywhere, and that he is not afraid to die. Whitson inquires if he is certain that he knows better that a dimwitted oldster who can't remember what day it is or who is where half the time. Grant assures him that no, he is not, and Lander tells him to leave Whitson to leave. Prince Grant hisses that Lander always says that, but that one day the kingship will fall to Lander, Lemual, or himself, and he doesn't want everything to be lost by then. Lord Arben snaps at him, saying that Lord Grimble was right about Grant, that he is a hotheaded fool and he is sure to wreck everything. Lemual steps forward, rebuking Lord Arben for talking to his brother like that. Whitson beckons for his son, putting his arm around Grant's shoulder. Whitson tells Prince Grant that Grant reminds him of Grant's grandfather Lord Grant, who followed his son-in-law loyally every day of his life in Natalia, and who died defending the Trekkers when his grandson was knee-high. Whitson tells Prince Grant that his grandfather knew what it meant to act nobly. Grant shrugs, saying that it is their duty to protect their own. Whitson nods, asking Grant what the duty of a king is. Grant answers, saying that the duty of a king is to serve, to do rightly, to be first into danger and last out, and to rule so that those under his rule are as free and good as they can possibly be. Whitson tells him that what he says is true, but that the duty of a king is also to inspire those under his rule to follow, if he can, and if he cannot, invite them to follow, and if he cannot do either of those, he must insist them to follow.

Grant looks from Whitson to the bucks around them, trusted officers and armed soldiers, many of whom had been fighting by Whitson's side since the beginning of Whitson's voyage. Grant, understanding, sighs, asking Whitson to forgive him, that he will close his mouth and keep his place. Whitson whispers to Grant that he has laid a trap for Grimble, as they have a traitor among their innermost councilors, and he needed to confirm some suspicions. Grant exclaims that he is mortified and very sorry that he has ruined the plan, but Whitson smiles at him, telling him that he has not ruined the plan but carried it out. Prince Grant is puzzled, but Lander realizes that Whitson knows who the traitor is. Whitson then turns around, and asks Lander if he will arrest Captain Danker and Lord Arben (the one who insulted Grant earlier).

After the arresting of the spies is taken care of, Prince Grant expresses his doubts that Massie will ever return, and Whitson inquires if he is that full of doubts. Grant once more asks that Whitson forgive him, as he feels that he is always letting Whitson down. Whitson tells Grant that, while feeling without thought is wild, thought without feeling is not alive. He urges his son to keep being alive, and Lander shakes his head at Grant, saying that maybe one day Grant will be alive enough to grow a brain. Grant throws up his hand, accepting Lander's gibe. Lander hears a noise in the ranks of soldiers, and looks around until he sees a exhausted messenger making his way up the line. Lander groans, saying that this may be bad, and Grant says that they are at war, so even his tiny brain knows it isn't good. The exhausted rabbit bows, a gash on his head bleeding badly, and reports to Lander that they were ambushed and he was the only one to get away. Lander calls for a medic, and comforts the soldier, who tells him that Grimble's faction are trading half the young rabbits to renew their alliance with the dragons.

Lander sets off on a solo mission to rescue the younglings, only to be joined by Nickel Drekker, who Lander tries to get to leave, but Nickel asks if Lander will permit him to ask one more question, and Nickel proceeds to ask if Lander spotted the archers high up waiting for him to enter the clearing, so they could kill him. Lander realizes that, in his anger and eagerness, he had run ahead foolishly, and would have been dead if Nickel had not intervened. Lander wonders if he is not as different from his youngest brother as he thought.

After rescuing the younglings, Prince Lander sleeps, as he is exhausted and needs to recover from his injury. He wakes to Grant knocking on the door, and Grant hurries in, bowing to his parents, and telling them that dragons have been spotted on the west ridge. Lander tries to get out of bed, and, forgetting his leg injury, nearly falls, but Whitson catches him, and Grant hurries over to help. After Lander thanks them and assures them that he is fine, Whitson asks how many dragons they've seen, and Grant tells them that there are at least six. Whitson asks him to prepare five teams to go to the east ridge, and two to go to the west. Grant resists his urge to argue, and instead bows and rushes out to do as Whitson wishes.

As Lander is preparing the camp, he hears some young soldiers talking about how King Whitson is an old geezer, and that Prince Grant will probably be killed because he only sent two teams to the west. The bucks want Lander to be king, because they think he would not do that. Lander tells them that no, he is not their king, but one shouts that if it's not him, they want Grant or Lemual to be king instead. As Lander and Brindle Cove try to control the band, Lander sees a band of bucks carrying a limp rabbit into the camp. One of the bucks runs ahead, telling Lander that the dragons have gotten Prince Grant. The field medic tells Lander that, while Grant is wounded badly, he is not yet dead. Lander kneels by his brother, telling Grant to hold on, that they are going to get him fixed up. Lemual sends a buck for Doctor Grimes, then notices that all of the bucks are wounded, and there are less than there were before. He instructs the bucks carrying Grant to let some fresh rabbits carry him, but the bearers scowl at all the rabbits who step up, clearly intending to see Prince Grant to his bed. Lander muses that it makes sense that the young soldiers respect Prince Grant, as he is impatient, rash, and leans toward action instead of thinking.

The soldiers carried Grant inside, where doctors and nurses began to work on him. Lander went to kneel by Grant's side, but realized that Doctor Grimes needed room to work. Lander reluctantly left his unmoving brother's side. His mother came to him, and he hugged Queen Lillie as she wept quietly. Lander, still dazed by the blow of someone he loved so deeply being so badly hurt, tells his mother that Grant is in good hands, and that Doctor Grimes will save him... if he can be saved. They waited next door for half an hour, until Whitson and Lemual arrived. Whitson asks what the news is, only to be told that they have not received any. The family stood in silence for a moment, until Captain Walters entered, saying that there was a bit of a problem outside, and that it would be best if Lander saw to it. As Lander and Walters walked, Walters told of the problem. The young bucks were angry, as they loved Prince grant and have heard him question Whitson, and they thought he had the right ideas. Walters told Lander that the young bucks thought that the king was eliminating a rival, and that they were near rioting. When Lander opened the door, he saw the king's guards lined up against the rowdy young soldiers. When Prince Lander approached, silence fell, and then one of the bucks shouted, asking if Whitson had killed Prince Grant. Lander asks that they put forth a leader to speak for them, assuring them that he guarantees the leader safety, while in his heart he wanted them arrested for treason. After conversing for a while with the leader they put forward, Filmun Derkson, Filmun informs Prince Lander that if Grant is dead, the frustrated bucks will revolt, and won't stop until there is a new king. Lander stands for a moment, trying to figure out what to do, when a scream comes from inside the king's quarters, Queen Lillie's scream. They all knew what it meant. Lander is shocked, realizing that he has just lost his brother, and that they will see a civil war.

Just as the young bucks are preparing to attack the gate guards, King Whitson comes out, yelling authoritatively at them to hold. As they wait for Whitson to speak, another form hobbles into view. Prince Grant. Lander hurries to help his brother, but Grant says that they must see him standing alone. Lander reluctantly steps back, telling Grant that he is here if Grant needs him. Grant speaks as loud as he can with his cracked voice, acknowledging the bucks' beliefs that Whitson was wrong to send only two teams to where the dragons were spotted, and more forces to the opposite ridge. He tells the bucks that what they might not have realized was that the king, the king's military councilors, and the king's sons all agreed that it was almost certainly either a scouting party or a trick, to get them engaged in battle there while more dragons attack from the rear. He assures the bucks that this was not Whitson making a foolish decision but following a protocol they decided on long ago. Grant, in great pain, manages to continue, telling them that he was hurt because he engaged the dragon scouts against his father's orders, endangering both himself and the bucks under his command. He tells them that, what they see as Whitson's folly and Grant's harm was actually the opposite. He asks the bucks to forgive him, but does not finish because he faints. Lander catches him, and Grant lies near death all the next day. When asked, Doctor Grimes tells Lander that she does not think that Prince Grant will live. She adds, however, that Prince Grant is stubborn, and she wouldn't be too surprised if he defied expectations yet again.

Lander asks if Whitson's memory tonic would help Grant, but Doctor Grimes tells him never, as it is mostly poison, and would kill anyone who takes it, unless they have the antidote. Prince Lander thanks Doctor Grimes for caring for their family, and then Prince Lemual hurries to Prince Grant's bedside. Lander answers his unasked question, telling him that Grant is on the edge of going. Lemual begins to cry, saying that Grant will fight to live, and urges his sleeping brother to fight like never before. As Lander and Lemual walk to go see Mother Saramack, one of the gate guards asks how the prince is doing. Lander tells him that Grant fares the same, and they continue walking. Lander tells Lemual that he is wise, which is a good trait for a king. Lemual objects, saying that it will not come to that, but Lander tells him that Grant probably wouldn't live even if they weren't about to be wiped out by the dragons and Grimble faction. Lemual expresses displeasure at going on with the Third Scouts, saying that even though some say that he can't fight like Lander or Grant, he wants to help. Lemual tells Lander that he has been a good big brother to himself and Grant.

At the Drekker camp, when Chief Heckle is holding Lander in the grip of truth, he says that Grant will likely die. When Lander and Lemual leave the Drekker camp, as they approach their house they are afraid that they will receive bad news of Grant. Lemual talks to his mother about the Third Scouts more, making Lander sad because he had already lost one brother in the war (Davis), he seemed certain to lose Grant as well, and now Lemual would probably leave with the Third Scouts. Queen Lillie tells the princes that Whitson may be at Grant's bedside. They step in to talk to the king, who looks at Grant again before turning away. As they talk about the peace summit, they repeatedly glance at Prince Grant in his bed. As they are preparing for the peace summit, King Whitson calls on the Third Scouts to embark, and Lander fears that he may never see Lemual or Grant alive again. Before the peace summit, Captain Walters tells Prince Lander that Prince Grant is as he was. As Lander is preparing to get into the boat to travel to the peace summit, he feels the absence of his brothers, and also during the Battle of Barren Point.

After the peace summit, King Lander asks after Grant, and Doctor Grimes says that he is the same as ever. As Lander goes to recover the starsword, his mother tells him that she will try to have Grant moved to the mountain where it is less likely he will be disturbed by the battle.

After the final battle against the dragons, Massie Burnson informs Lander and Lemual that he received word from camp that Prince Grant is alive and talking. He begs the brothers to forgive him for forgetting about it, but that Doctor Grimes wrote it herself and that it should give them joy, and it does.

## Personality and Traits

Grant is an impulsive buck, often argumentative and described as always leaning toward action instead of overthinking. Lord Arben calls him hotheaded and foolish, and Grant himself apologizes for his foolish actions on multiple occasions. Grant can be impatient and rash. Doctor Grimes says that his chances of surviving his injuries are greater because he is stubborn. Despite all this, Grant is very honest, admitting that he was hurt because he disobeyed his father that he is badly hurt. Grant is far from insensitive, King Whitson praising him for his feeling trait. Grant has a good relationship with his brothers, them teasing him good-naturedly (he returning the favor), and being extremely upset over his being injured.

## Family tree

 - The Royal Family of Natalia -

Note: Broken lines indicate relation through affinity or adoption or distant relation; unbroken lines indicate relation by blood.
## Trivia

* Grant is a Scottish name meaning "large".

## References

1. ↑ https://nameberry.com/babyname/grant