Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from people or places that you won't recognise.
AN: Hello! Firstly, I want to say that just because I am writing that doesn't mean I have stopped writing my other fic, 'Life Is Unfair Or Is It." I am just having a little trouble concentrating on it right now. This is an idea I have had for at least a year or so… Some of the pairings have been inspired to me by Camilla Richard; I hope you don't mind that I am doing that! In theory, this should have action and I shall try not to make it too mushy… This chapter has to be a little though because I am setting things up. =S
Also, I am dedicating this to two people. Camilla Richard who, not only inspired this story but showed me how wonderful fanfiction could be and Artemisia Thrip who really had me hooked with her amazing story and helps me catch the school bus every morning! :P
I really hope that someday, I can write as well as you guys do! Well, I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1
The sky was bluer than it had been this year and the sun was giving a twinkle to the colourful and sparkly party banners. People were everywhere. Dancing and swaying to the music, gossiping in bunches near the trees, buying food in the shops and stalls, taking walks with their sweethearts… There was not one person at the outdoor carnival that would have a decent reason to be unhappy.
Jenna Heap, the princess and soon-to-be queen of the castle, was sitting on a bench under the refreshing coolness of a widely open tent and talking animatedly to her best friend, Isadora Delmor. Izzie was her childhood friend since pre-school and the two girls shared a bond that nothing could ever replace.
They were having a heated discussion over something – or more exactly someone – who had been troubling Jenna for quite a while.
"Honestly Jen! I really think you should do something!"
"Like what? And besides, it's up to the boy to make the first move!"
"Oh for Heaven's sake Jenna! You know he's far too much of a gentleman to do that!" insisted Isadora.
"What does being a gentleman have to do with anything?" countered her friend indignantly.
"Well, he won't dare say much because you're the future queen and it wouldn't be fitting!"
There was a teasing touch to the last four words and Jenna had to smile. She knew Izzie felt strongly about stereotypes and, considering there wasn't much the girl felt strongly about, Jenna was glad to see her 'toughening up'.
"Gosh! Firstly, I won't be the queen until I'm seventeen which is in two years and secondly, since when do I care about what is fitting?!"
"Ha-ha you might not but others will!" laughed Isadora, pulling back a loose strand of her curly brown hair, tied up in a bushy braid.
"Pffff well they can care all they want but I'm the queen and I'll decide who I love!"
At that, Izzie gave her best friend an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder and the pair strolled over to the refreshments table.
Meanwhile, two other boys were having a conversation along the same lines.
"God Beetle, just ask her, you have nothing to loose!"
"Yes I do! She might say no!"
"Well why would she?"
"Sep, she's the princess!"
"Yes and she's the future queen of the castle Beetle. We already established that! Come on! In the worst-case scenario, she politely refuses. I know Jenna, she won't be mean to you!"
"But, if she does say know, what will I do?"
"Well at least you'll know!"
"Don't you see Sep? I'm better off not knowing! At least, I can still hope."
"Oh Beetle, you're being ridiculous. Hey look! There they are!" Septimus Heap exclaimed, pointing in a direction his best mate, Beetle, couldn't see.
"Where?"
"Over there. Next to the refreshment table."
The two boys ambled over to the same table Jenna and Izzie were pouring apple juice in big glasses.
"Hey you guys!" greeted Septimus brightly.
The princess looked up from her task and, noticing who it was, she cried in glee.
"Oh Sep!" she yelled, throwing her arms around his neck. "I haven't seen you in ages! How are y—oh hi Beetle!" added Jenna, catching sight of the boy behind her brother, who was grinning shyly at her.
Isadora, who had just finished helping a little girl cut herself a slice of cake, smiled at the two arrivals.
"Hello Sep, Beetle, how are you?"
"Oh I'm good," answered Septimus. "What are you girls doing?"
"Pffff…Not much really…Just enjoying summer and things…" replied Izzie. Both were attempting to spare their respective best friends an awkward conversation with their crush by making small talk.
Suddenly, Beetle decided to be brave. "Um Jenna, can – can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, trying unsuccessfully not to blush.
"Oh sure," she agreed, following him along the path leading to the forest.
After a few minutes of walking in reflective silence, the young scribe cleared his throat to break the ice.
"Look…Jenna, I'm sorry if this sounds sudden but I just want to tell you how much I care about you. I mean, for the past four years or so, you've been a really good friend to me…sometimes even more than that. Jenna I—I, well I really don't know how to say this but I—" Beetle was struggling by then, he couldn't say it. So, praying his cheeks weren't as scarlet as they were hot, he went for an alternative.
"I wonder if you would meet me sometime, just the two of us…wherever you want…whenever you want…"
Jenna felt as if her heart would explode any second. She had been head-over-heels for Beetle for at least a year and he said he loved her and was asking her out – or was he?
"You mean … like a date?" she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Err well…yes…well, of course, only if you want it to be." The boy felt his heart sinking and cursed himself for being so disappointed. It was obvious from the princess's stunned expression that she was about to say no but he should have anticipated that instead of hoping otherwise.
Jenna realised she was daydreaming and pulled her mind out of its reverie.
"Oh Beetle of course I want it to be! What day would be convenient to you?"
"Huh! You really would?" he stammered. "Well, maybe tomorrow evening would be fine?"
"Yes, that seems nice," confirmed the girl, slipping her hand into Beetle's strong one. She sighed happily and leaned her head on his shoulder. They had reached the forest and all was calm except for a few birds chirping merrily.
Beetle found himself gazing into Jenna's beautiful eyes and, all of a sudden, as violet met brown, there was a spark of love, a multitude of feelings that were transmitted through that contact and both understood that no matter the path that lay in front of them – and it was to be a rocky one – they would always have each other.
Trusting his instinct, the scribe swiftly closed the distance between their faces and kissed Jenna full on the mouth, enjoying for the first time – though most certainly not the last – the sweet taste of her lips. Soon the two shadows stretched on the twig-covered ground merged together as the princess and her boyfriend enveloped in a tight embrace.
While all this was happening, there was another couple who were busy discussing their relationship under the summer sun.
Snorri Snorrelson loved the feeling of the cool water on her legs which were dangling in the lake but even more, she loved the way Nicko – sitting next to her – inadvertently brushed his hand against her thigh for the second time. There was something about the timbre of his voice that was so entrancing that she found herself drawn to his every word. He stopped talking about the different types of boats that could come in the port at different times and examined her face for an instant. Feeling her heart race at the sight of his bright green eyes, Snorri opened her mouth to say something but he beat her to it.
"Snorri," She smiled loving how her name sounded in his enchanting tone. "How long are you going to stay here?"
"I don't really know yet. I'm definitely not going back to my mother though!"
"Snorri, I want you to stay with me. You've changed my life and I cannot imagine how empty it will be if you leave. Listen, I—I know I should not be telling you like this but I don't see the point in making a huge speech to say what I could in three words." He paused to fish a flower floating on the river which he tucked behind her ear.
"Snorri, I love you. I love you and I want to remain with you for ever. If you go, then I shall go with you. Please understand, I—"
The young girl put a finger to Nicko's lips to silence him and, without another word; she bent down and kissed him. After what seemed like an eternity later, they broke apart slightly panting for breath and the boy asked:
"So are you staying with me?"
"Always and forever!" she replied, leaning in to kiss him again.
Back at the food stalls, Septimus and Isadora were talking politely to one another. Izzie was a very amiable person and always courteous. In fact, when he had first met her, the apprentice had thought she lacked in personality and liveliness. But he had learnt that it was her terrible shyness that made her keep a distance and as she grew closer to people, she became a wonderful person to spend time with. Or at least, she was in Septimus' opinion.
"So," questioned Izzie, "How are your magyk skills improving?"
"Oh well, it's going okay…"
"Are you becoming our future extraordinary wizard?" joked the young girl, her hazel eyes twinkling with laughter.
"Haaah well I wouldn't go that far but yea, I'm enjoying it a lot. Marcia's a really good teacher."
"Yes, she looks like a really nice person too."
"Hey that's funny; you're the only person who I've heard thinks that. I mean, don't get me wrong I love Marcia but loads of people seem to believe she's…"
"Grumpy?" finished Isadora. "Yes I've heard stories about that, but none which agree with what I feel."
"What you feel? I had no idea you knew Marcia so well!"
"Oh I don't really but she's never given me any reason to believe that she's not nice so I suppose she must be," she replied airily.
Septimus tried not to show his surprise. He had always heard about Izzie's tendency of seeing the good in everybody and of, most importantly, not accepting the bad but that was just too naïve. He was very fond of his tutor but he also knew she was bad-tempered and, soon, Isadora would be trying to persuade everybody that DomDaniel had a heart.
As she stood there, the sun giving various high-lights to her brown curls, the boy could not help noticing how lovely she looked. Her features were not particularly good-looking, despite being quite unique, but it was the rays of kindness, emanating from her slim form that composed her beauty. It was the trust in her eyes, the love and care written in her smile that made her so special.
Abruptly, Septimus shook himself mentally; why was he having these thoughts? Izzie was his friend, practically his sister's twin and he knew his brothers had grown up with her, seeing her all the time when she came to their home to see Jenna, or when they went to pick Jen up from hers. Yet, he had been in the young army the whole time.
"Well, speaking of the devil," commented Isadora out of the blue. Puzzled, Septimus turned and saw Marcia coming up towards them, purple robes streaming behind her.
"Hello Septimus, Isadora," she said, smiling at them.
"Hi Marcia."
"Hello Madam Marcia." Responded Izzie cordially, trying to fight the shyness such an imposing person rose in her. The latter's apprentice felt butterflies in his stomach at the difference with which she reacted to 'strangers' than to him.
"Septimus, do you know if there's anything eatable in this place?" demanded the extraordinary wizard. The boy had to suppress a chuckle. It was just like mentor not to find anything to her liking in a selection of about fifty different food stalls.
"Well, there's some pretty good ice cream by the lake…" offered Isadora.
"Oh well thank you, I'll give it a try…"
On those words, Marcia Overstrand turned and walked off. She had almost reached the water fountain when something shiny caught her eye. She kneeled to get a closer look and saw a smooth black stone with polished edge. A glint of the sun had reflected on it, therefore making it shiny. The wizard shrugged and decided to keep the stone in her pocket, in case of a later use. She continued until the ice cream shop where she got a carton of strawberry sorbet. Marcia went back in the same direction she had come while scooping ice cream absentmindedly in her mouth with the dark green plastic spoon given to her. She was not the only one lost in her thought and walking across the way and someone bumped into her, falling nest to her and getting splashed in red paste.
"For heaven's sake, can't you watch where you are going?!" snapped Marcia, who luckily had not been touched by the ice cream she was carrying. The same could not be said for the person lying next to her and he was trying to wipe it all out of his eyes.
"I apologise Madam!" he responded, politely, in a very strange accent. "I was not looking where I was going and I accidentally crashed into you! I am terribly sorry!"
"Well yes, you should be!" began the wizard before gasping in surprise. "Marcellus Pye!" she exclaimed.
"Yes it is me," he said, standing and offering his hand to help her up.
Marcia was meaning to say that she most certainly did not need his help to get up and that he had quite a nerve to act all refined when he had just wasted her whole carton of ice cream – she did not consider the fact that she was as responsible as him for what had happened and that at least, she was not the one trying to get sugar out of her hair – but that was not what came out.
"Thank you." She surprised herself by saying, before using his arm to hoist herself off the ground.
"You are welcome," answered Marcellus. "Well I must be off. Hopefully I shall see you soon!" realising what he had just said he blushed. "I mean, I am terribly sorry for knocking you over. Hopefully, you can forgive me."
"Humph..." was Marcia's only reaction.
At that, both walked off in opposite directions, the sun finally setting on that joyful day and making the sky burst with colours.
AN: I know that, in the book, Beetle has black eyes but I thought brown eyes would sound better in the story. If anybody minds, I'll change it! Please read and review. If there are mistakes or improvements to be made, please tell me! I want to get better!
