"Announcing, King Jace and Queen Clarissa! With their guests from the faraway land of Wood Luminescent….Queen Isabelle and King Simone!"
Simon tapped on the Herald's shoulder.
"It's Simon, not Simone."
"My apologies sir."
The Herald regained his posture once again.
"Queen Isabelle and King Simon!"
Isabelle smiled inwardly as she and Simon continued through the procession. Up ahead of them Jace tugged on Clary's arm and pulled her backward. Straining to address the Herald.
"It's Supreme Overlord Master Jace!"
He shouted gleefully, yet completely serious. This time both Isabelle and Simon giggled as Jace stood waiting patiently for the Herald to renounce him.
"Of course my apologies sir. Queen Clarissa and …..Supreme over Lord Jac..."
"Master Jace."
Jace cut the Herald off, then continued to stare at him with expectance.
"Master Jace."
The Herald finished and slumped already looking exhausted from the few minutes' worth of activity. Clary managed to tug Jace back into the procession as he smiled smugly as he blew kisses to the townspeople that had gathered to watch. The crowd watched with awe as the two couples made their way to their respective carriages and were off. Soon, the crowd swerved into movement as they made their way to follow the carriages. Leven and her brothers stayed back. Her head and face were almost completely covered by the cloak she had borrowed from one of her ladies. Her brothers Max and Gabriel were also dressed in commoner's clothes, but theirs were wrinkled and smelly and had come from two of the stable boys.
"Leven."
Gabe started.
"Leven, we need to go now if we are going to have enough time to bathe and be ready for dinner."
Leven turned and followed her brothers aimlessly as they made their way back to the castle. Her mother would be worried s if they showed up late for this dinner and her father would act upset , but would probably ask them about their adventures once the formalities were over. Although Leven knew tonight was different. She had just turned of age and a gala was being hosted in her honor. Her parents told her that it was just a celebration for her birthday, but from hanging around with her maids all the day before she knew they were trying to find her a husband. Leven had no clue why any man would want to marry her. She was frightfully thin and fair to the point of translucence. Not to mention long, wavy caramel hair that always hung in her face, which she liked because it covered up her huge eyes and tiny nose. Her mother constantly told her that she was beautiful in her own right, but she just could not see it. The only part of her that might be considered attractive were her eyes. They were big for starters and green laced with gold and a splash of light blue jutting out from her pupils. Other than that, Leven did not see any part of her beautiful or exotic. She wasn't even mysterious, her life was an open book in a public library that everyone could read.
"Leven….Leven…BY THE ANGEL ARE YOU LISTENING!?"
Leven snapped herself out of her daydream as Gabriel shouted at her. They were now on the palace grounds hidden in the hedges only a few steps away from the nearest guard. This as the tricky part …sneaking back in. As it was everyone thought that they were resting in their rooms before the gala. To get back in they would have to climb back up the sewage pipe, into the kitchen and then sneak up the servant's entrance without being seen. Gabriel went first followed by Max and finally Leven. Leven followed her brother's shadows against the light from the kitchen. Suddenly, Gabriel dropped out of view and Max followed Leven picked up the pace and found them crouching at the entrance to the kitchen. Forgetting that the tunnel slopes don she scurried forward and went flying into her brothers , who flew out of the pipe as they landed in a heap at their parents feet.
Leven looked up, grinned and pushed a strand of hair covered in sewer grime out of her face.
"Well, fancy seeing you here."
Her father extended a hand to Leven, as her mother fussed over Max and Gabriel. Leven stood and wiped the grime off the smock the best she could. Leven winked at her father and walked over to her mother with arms outstretched. Her mother, not thinking twice embraced her , then realizing the intentions of her daughter's hug pushed her away laughing , then gestured at her own dressing gown.
"Looks as if you and I both need to go change."
Leven knew her mother didn't mind being messy , because after all she was a painter through and through and Leven knew that before long there would be a painting based on this experience hanging in their parlor soon enough. Leven giggled at the thought as she skipped up the steps to her room to get changed. At least she would have a fond memory to force her to smile if the princes were boring.