Drabble – Train
In hindsight, the train of events seems insignificant. Each act, each move, on its own would not matter but the timing couldn't have been better, or worse, depending on whom you asked.
It was Roxanne's big hour. She had planned for many days for this one moment, not missing even one little detail, even designing the outfits everyone wore. She had the movements of everyone coordinated to a tee. No detail had been overlooked; at least that is what she thought. But the Fates had another ideas, and she wasn't going to like them.
The Queens royal procession made its was slowly into the throne room. The King sat in his seat and glowed with pride at his young wife. The line started with several little girls throwing flower petals for Roxanne to walk on. Slightly older girls carrying bouquets of flowers wrapped in silk followed them. Next came young maidens with their long trains bearing trays of fresh fruits and nuts. Every group in front of the young Queen got progressively older, but there was no question in any ones mind who was the star of this show. She was not going to allow it.
All was going well and proceeding as the Queen had ordered, but a shiny little apple started the disaster. It decided to escape the confines of the tray it was riding on. The young girl carrying the tray saw it's intent and tried to stop it. The one beside her tried to help. In their haste to prevent disaster, they hesitated but a moment. The moment was enough to set everything in motion.
The ones walking behind the two with the trays didn't see the misstep, so when their feet came down directly on the long trains in front of them, they too fell out of unison. But the damage had already been done. The long trains halted any forward motion except for the trays of fruit beginning to fall among the flower petals on the floor. The girls lost control of the trays and began their fall from grace. Seeking a hold of anything to help them, they reached out and grabbed the one thing that fall across their path to help them. The dark blue silk they both grabbed onto followed them down to the floor.
Roxanne saw all of this unfold in front of her. She watched in horror as the long slender shapely legs of the one trying to help appeared. She heard the whistles and sighs around the procession at the sight they were seeing.
With grace and dignity, Hephaestion calmly pulled his Persian pants back up and helped the girls to their feet, then stepped back to let them pass.
The room was a mixture of emotions. The witness' were still smiling and teasing, the girls were modified and the Queen was glaring at Hephaestion. Her stare never left his face until she passed him on her way to her husband.
And the Fates were thoroughly enjoying themselves.