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Food Story Continued in Focus On Setting 1
Food Story Continued in Focus On Setting 1
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Beyond the crowd, at the West Entrance, William noticed a few of his men who
were on duty collecting with strange looks as they pointed in the direction the two
girls fled in. He noticed Victor who was running towards him, pushing through the
crowd just as Lady Courtland was, only much more elegantly and politely. “William,
where’d she go? The girl you were dancing with?”
William shook his head, “Victor? She ran off with her friend. Why, what
happened?” Up close, he finally noticed the shiny orange liquid smeared across Victor’s
jacket, “Did she attack you with the peacock?!”
“No, no. I took her by surprise! It was my fault for underestimating her reflexes.
Anyway, aside from eating a good portion of the food table,” Victor looked down on his
satin jacket and chuckled as he remembered seeing the brown-haired girl shuffle away
from a disapproving guard, “I think this might be what the soothsayer was talking
about. I have a really strong feeling that she knows something, Will.” Victor’s eyes were
twinkling with excitement, the scent of orange zest and cinnamon radiating off him.
“She’s running away from you, why are you smiling?” William laughed.
“I could say the same about you, couldn’t I?” Victor smirked. The two nodded as
they ran to their horses that were already waiting at the West Entrance.
The music grew fainter and fainter as they drew further and further from the
ballroom. The warm, stifling air was left behind as the cool night’s breeze washed over
them. The royal gardens outside the entrance were fragrant and sweet, a much needed
replacement for the suffocating perfumes and colognes that were all melding together
with sweat and breath in the ballroom. In unison they hoisted themselves up on their
steeds and approached the group of guards that were gathering outside the door.
“Stand down, guards,” Victor held his hand up as William’s team and more men
draped in the royal guard uniform began to gather and await orders, “There is no need
for a mass search, I sense no threat.” Victor glanced up at the sky: not a cloud in sight,
just a white, glowing moon, and the stars sprinkled across the inky beyond.
The guards glanced at each other before one spoke. It was Harper Parsifal, a
guard whose position was just under William’s. “Your Highness, those two maidens are
completely unknown. It is in our best interest that they be found and questioned
immediately.”
The horses clipped and clopped impatiently, their hooves clicking on the
cobblestone, itching to dash off on a chase.
Victor looked at the men and they all seemed to agree. Victor and William
exchanged looks, a moment passed. Then two. “Alright,” said Victor, in a hurry to find
the ladies as soon as they could. “We shall do a mild-threat search and watch. General
Parsifal, divide your men into three groups; each positioned in the North, South, and
East ends of the castle. Sir Eversteen and I will question the guards on the West side
here. If any news of the ladies—er, I mean, escapees—comes up, immediately notify me
and hold them secure.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards saluted together before being organized into
groups by General Parsifal. The horses whinnied before striding off into separate
directions with their teams.
A new air of adventure filled their lungs as William and Victor rode off towards
the gardens. “You know, you could not make your lack of impartiality to this mission
more obvious.” William snorted after they were out of earshot of the others.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Victor protested with little
conviction.
“Oh please. It’s been a while since you were t his easy to read by anyone who
wasn’t me. You may as well have been wearing a c harming maiden: must find sign on
your forehead.”
Victor rolled his eyes, “Oh and I’m sure that her friend that you led to the
dancefloor and completely swooned over was just another one of your, oh what do you
call them again? Your ‘air-headed admirers’?”
“Touché, my friend.”
The two raced in the dark night as silhouettes of neatly-trimmed shrubbery,
botanical statues, and grandiose topiaries flew by in the peripheral vision. The royal
gardens was one of the illustrious jewels of the Brisiana Castle (not that that was such
an exclusive title, seeing as everything in the castle was considered a proud article and
noteworthy component, but nonetheless, it was still one of the greatest of the greats).
Many exotic specimens of flora were transported there from lands across the
seas and planted all across the acres that made up the labyrinth of a garden. Being on
the southern coast of the country granted Brisania a very nice, warm climate for
almost the entire year and with enough precipitation to keep their plants thriving.
There were 65 royal gardeners who always ensured that the gardens were in the most
impeccable shape possible.
Never was there a blade of grass too long, or a flower too dull that could be
found. For as long as Victor could remember, the gardens were always vibrantly
colored with the most beautiful and interesting plants. He could recall his excitement
every time his mother would invite him out to watch as new fruit trees and vegetable
plants were being arranged in new extensions of the garden, and how he and William
spent summers running through the paths on the hunt for ripe ones to eat, even if they
got scolded for accidentally leaving seeds and pits on the ground. This was definitely
the best smelling place in all of the castle grounds.
Early mornings were the best time to visit the gardens. In the tranquility of the
absence of people, these days Victor made it a habit to rise shortly after the sun and
stroll through the gardens. There was something about the misty air, the refreshing
smell of the dewy plants mixed with the sweet smell of the fruit and flowers, and the
view of the blazing sun slowly bathing all the plants in its light as Victor made his
rounds. Nothing could compare to the clarity and peace of mind that these early
mornings here gave him.
“How are we supposed to find them before the others?” William spoke, his voice
lilting in rhythm to his horse’s canter. They guided their horses left at the next corner
beneath a flourishing canopy of fuchsia magnolia trees. The petals crunched softly
beneath their hooves.
“The one that I met, I heard her mumbling something about the orchard as she
ran towards her friend that was with you.” Victor replied, “That could only mean
here—OOF!” he grunted as a low branch that stuck out a little too far took to his gut.
id send the boys to the other sides of the castle on purpose. I knew it.”
“So you d
Victor could hear the smirk in William’s voice without needing to face him at all and
couldn’t help the smile tugging at his own lips.
It was fortunate that the boys knew this garden like the back of their hands, or
else, what with the construct of the place, anyone who was new to the place would be
spinning in confusion in the maze. Victor hoped that that would become a deterrent
that would slow down the girls and make it easier for them to be found.
“Oh! I forgot to mention: I gathered some information while you were away,”
William recounted his accidentally meeting them at the food table and everything that
happened there.
Victor nodded intently, brows knit, deep in thought as he tried to find any
strong indicator that these girls were a threat. “A neighbouring town? Did they specify
which one they came from?
“No,” replied William.
“And you said their names were. . .?”
“The blonde was Lady Laverdee and the brunette called herself Lady Courtland,”
averdee. Courtland. He didn’t recognize any
Victor pondered for a moment. L
noble families he knew under those names.
By now their eyes were better adjusted to the dark, the only illumination
coming from the moon. They could make out more defined shapes of the flora that
lined the pathway and could see fireflies flickering all around them. They were drawing
near to the orchard, the apple trees coming into view.
William signalled for them to slow down and remain silent. They stopped and
waited. Sure enough, they heard slapping footsteps against the stone. They
dismounted their steeds and continued by foot as they followed the sounds of the
steps and panting.
“I think—we lost—them.” a voice whispered, her panting much louder than she
probably intended for.
The sound of laboured breathing cut through the dark, tranquil night. By now
the ballroom was far behind them and the orchestra’s music could be heard quietly in
the distance. William and Victor hardly breathed as they tried to follow their trail of
sound. Low standing flower beds were replaced with trees tall and great that loomed
over their heads. They followed for a few more corners, the moon’s light dimming as
tall trees of the orchard shrouded them in blackness. They snuck behind bushes and
ducked behind tree stumps. The fragrant smell of flowers melted away as they were
soon surrounded by the nectary scent of ripening fruits. It would have been a lovely
nightly stroll worth tarrying for if it weren’t for the goosechase that the boys were on.
They rounded right at the next fork, “Wait, Quinn.” Victor didn’t recognize her
voice so he assumed it was the blonde one.
The boys threw themselves behind the shrubbery frantically and tried to muffle
their cringes as their falls were welcomed by the comfort of stabbing branches and
crunching twigs. Victor realized how ridiculous he was behaving: a prince hiding from
two ladies who he was supposed to apprehend, all while rolling around in the dirt like
an earthworm. He thanked the stars that his brothers weren’t around to witness such a
spectacle.
They heard a rustling of branches and leaves.
William and Victor stared at each other as they held their breath before a round
shadow hit William over the head before falling at his feet. He grunted as he picked it
up incredulously.
It was a peach.
Well, a now b
ruised peach.
“Nice shot, El. Now, whoever you are, show yourselves. It is improper to pursue
maidens in the dark by stalking them in the bushes.” Victor heard the girl he met speak
aloud with the dominance of a lioness. Her assertiveness was no different than how
she greeted him the first time.
He and William stared at each other’s silhouettes before drawing up to their full
heights. While they had the upper hand between the two parties, it felt as though they
were being beckoned for a dreaded scolding. They strutted out from behind the bushes
as proudly as two men could once they’ve been caught following two girls around in
the dark.
Victor wasn’t sure what to expect once they’d stepped out from behind their
hiding spot, but braced himself for impact. He and William came out onto the
cobblestone path and watched as the two girls’ confrontational expressions were
dropped as they paled once they all made eye contact.
The girls immediately dipped into a curtsy before them.
“You know, it is also improper for two ladies to be traipsing around
unchaperoned at this hour, so I suppose that makes the four of us.” Victor mused,
crossing his arms as the latters were drawing back to their full heights.
It was the brunette that spoke first, “Pardon us, Your Majesty. We were startled
by the notion of being followed.”
“Not to mention, aerial assault by fruit?” William threw the peach back at the
blonde who caught it embarrassedly, “Now that’s something I’ll be taking back with me
to the guards. It’s not everyday we get treated like this, eh, Victor?” he elbowed his
friend.
“Apologies, I didn't know I was aiming for the Captain of the Guard.” the blonde
chuckled timidly.
The boys looked at each other with amusement. Now that they were taking in
the situation, they noticed the girls’ shoes were in their hands, evidently for the
purpose of running away faster. Their bare feet could be heard crunching on the fallen
leaves that were sprinkled all around. Their hair was definitely messier than when they
first encountered them, but what stood out the most was that their masks were now
absent from their faces. The night was dim, but their features could still be made out
through the dark and he knew that William was just as stunned as he was by the way
his silence hung in the air.
Owls were hooting lazily and frogs could be heard croaking in the pond nearby,
while the crickets chirped a consistent rhythm. The wind rustled the trees that hung
over them and more leaves could be spotted fluttering down.
“Ahem, well,” Victor cleared his throat amid the silence, “I presume that before I
sentence you to the royal court to stand trial for one, not only laying hands on but also
pinning a prince against a wall,” He glanced down at the stain from the peacock platter
from before then back up mischievously at the brunette, “two, speaking out of
courtesy to the prince, and three, for attacking the Captain of the Royal Guard—all
offenses that could be punishable by death if deemed worthy by the court, mind
you—you owe us some answers. First of all, what are your names and who are you?”
The two looked at each other for a moment before dipping into curtsies again.
“Lady, uh, Laverdee, Your Grace,” the blonde stuttered as if she forgot her name.
“And I’m Lady Courtland.” said the brunette after her.
Victor narrowed his eyes at them and stepped closer to her, eyeing her
ou t wo to be invited to the Summer Solstice
suspicious demeanor. “And who are y
Ball?”
There was a silent pause as the girls tried to come up with an answer.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Quinn? Ella? You guys there? What’s the update? Time is running out!”
Victor and William stepped back surprisedly, frantically trying to find the face
who matched the man’s voice that suddenly came from nowhere.
“What was that noise?!” asked William, “I’ve never heard anything like that!”
“Who goes there?” Victor said aloud, addressing the mystery man’s voice.
Lady Courtland cringed as she pulled out a rectangular device that was tucked
away somewhere in the skirt of her dress.
William and Victor looked in awe at the object in her hand. A greeny glow
illuminated her face from a smaller rectangle on its surface and it was all different
colors with more miniature shaped that she pressed with her fingers.
“Not a good time, Ricky.” Lady Courtland spoke to the rectangle. She diverted
her attention back to the two shocked boys who were trying to figure out what was
happening. If she was ever nervous or timid, you would never know looking at her
now. “Listen, I know this sounds crazy but you have to take my word for it. We were
sent here to do some work, but in the best interest of the kingdom. The rebels are
gathering and collecting forces outside of the kingdom and are planning an ambush.
Their attack is happening within a fortnight and if you do nothing, there will be dire
consequences for the Stormme line.”
Victor and William were now set like steele, their focus completely fixated on
the possible threat at hand.
“How do you know this?” asked William.
Lady Laverdee answered this time, “Your Highness it doesn’t matter. What
matters is that you need to protect yourself and the castle before the ambush because
that’s where they are coming. They won’t be attacking the rest of the kingdom, just
here.”
“Why should I believe you? What proof do you have of this plot?” Victor
demanded. How could he possibly believe what these girls were saying? Of course he
planned on immediately reporting this to his brothers and setting up lockdown
procedures, but still, how could two girls who came from a small town know what’s
going on?
Lady Courtland sighed impatiently. She reached into a different part of her
dress and pulled out a sheet of paper. Its ragged edges were proof that it was ripped
out of a book. Victor’s blood turned to ice as he read the title: T
he Fall of Brisania and
the Stormme Monarchy.
Lady Laverdee pulled Lady Courtland back, “We gotta go. Time’s up.” she said to
her.
Lady Courtland nodded. She took out the rectangle again and pressed a few
more shapes. She looked back up to the two men who stared incredulously. “I’m sorry I
know this is overwhelming and a lot to take in, but trust me, you can change what’s
about to happen.” They both turned and ran down the path.
“Wait!” William called after them, “Who are you . . . r eally?”
The two stopped and turned to each other before smiling. Lady Laverdee was
the one who answered, “Where we come from, the call us Time Travellers.” and off
they went again
William and Victor looked at eachother and immediately ran after them. They
turned a corner and there was a flash of light behind the tall trees. The birds screeched
as they fled from the light and when Victor and William got there, it was empty.