Note: obviously, I don't own LGW. I did come up with Young Alyss, Nolan and Emalie (and some characters that haven't yet been introduced), however. Hope you like this chapter
Two: Only a Picnic
A few lunar hours later, Nolan and Alyss were sitting in the palace garden, talking quietly. Emalie was watching them from a balcony up above. Alyss found her there with her imagination's eye and moved closer to Nolan. She whispered, "Nol, Emalie's watching us. She's up there." She subtly gestured toward where Emalie was standing.
"Do you think she's trying to listen in on us, Lyss? Trying to figure out what our plans are?" Nolan asked. Alyss nodded. He added, "Well, she's not going to hear anything, is she?"
Alyss replied, "Of course not. As if we would ever discuss our secret plans on the day of Emalie's birthday. We're far too professional for that!"
"I think professional is the wrong word to use here, Lyssie," Nolan said, laughing. Alyss adjusted the knit lavender hat that she always wore over her mess of curly brown hair. If she flicked it a certain way when it wasn't on her head, it turned into a set of 3 blades that she could either lock together into a shield or throw individually as weapons.
"Nol, I'm plenty professional. I get to be your bodyguard, don't I?" Alyss replied defensively.
"I don't know that that's based on your professionalism. It's more the fact that you can keep up with me, I think," Nolan answered. Alyss adjusted her hat again, something she always did when she was embarrassed or nervous. Nolan pulled her hands away from the hat. "Al, I don't' mean you're not an amazing bodyguard. I just don't think 'professional' will ever be the right word to describe you."
"Then what do you think is the right word?" Alyss snapped, pretending she was angry. Of course, she wasn't – she was pretty much incapable of staying angry with Nolan for more than 15 seconds. They were too close for that.
"Manipulative," replied Nolan. Alyss rolled her eyes. He continued, "Lyssie, don't forget that my mother asked that you wear an actual dress to the party this year."
Alyss tugged at the edge of her loose-fitting grey shirt and looked down towards her bare feet, which were poking out from the end of the black pants she was wearing. She said, "Aw, Nolan, do I have to?"
He laughed and said, "I think so, Young Alyss. Mother seemed like she wasn't going to let you get out of it this year."
Alyss sighed. Just at that moment, Homburg Molly found her way into the garden that the two teens were occupying. She said, "Alyss, please come inside. I have to see if you even own a dress that you can still fit into."
Alyss rolled her eyes. "I'll be there in a moment, Molly," she said. She turned back to Nolan and whispered, "Green?" He nodded.
Alyss walked off after her mother. They discovered that, yes, she did own a dress and not only that, it still fit. In no time at all, Alyss was wearing a pale blue dress that was not quite ankle-length. Molly insisted that she take off her lavender hat for the party, but Alyss kept it clutched in her hand as she walked down to Nolan's room. When she knocked on his door, this time he answered immediately. He had also changed for the party. His clothing wasn't that different from his normal clothing – just a dress shirt and black pants – but he was completely stunned at how radically changed Alyss's clothing was. He paused for a moment, making sure that it was still Alyss that he was looking at – then he saw her hat in her hand, being held the way some small children cling to their security blanket. He said, "Oh, Lyss, you look great!"
Alyss blushed. "Nol, can we just get on with the plan?"
He nodded. They sat down on a small couch in Nolan's room. They talked and joked and sat around killing time for a while. Then Alyss closed her eyes for a moment. "Done," she said. Then they heard the scream.
"Green?" asked Nolan.
"Green," agreed Alyss.
Emalie stormed down the hall toward Nolan's door. She was wailing, "NOLAN! ALYSS! YOU TWO ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE THIS TIME!" She thundered into Nolan's room. The angry 11-year-old was wearing a pink party dress and had her hair half done – her bright green hair. Nolan and Alyss burst out laughing. A minute later, Emalie and Nolan's father, King Dodge Heart, ran into the room after Emalie.
"Really? Green?" Dodge sighed exasperatedly. Nolan and Alyss both immediately pointed at each other. Dodge laughed.
"Don't worry, Emalie, it'll wear off in a few hours," Alyss said amusedly.
"HOURS! NOLAN, ALYSS, YOU KNOW THAT THE PARTY IS STARTING IN A FEW MINUTES!" Emalie roared.
"Think of it this way, sweetie, at least it looks fantastic with the dress," Dodge said, trying not to join in the uproarious laughter of the 17-year-olds. The fuming princess stormed away, screaming for her mother. Dodge turned to the two teenagers and said, "So that was the prank this year?"
"Yep. And I think she handled it quite well, on the whole. Remember that one year when we imagined her dress orange?" Nolan replied happily.
"I sure do. She started throwing stuff at me!" Alyss exclaimed.
"She was six, and to be fair, it wasn't a particularly nice shade of orange," Dodge reasoned. "You know, she has one thing right – the party's starting. Older Alyss and Homburg Molly are going to want you two down in the garden soon."
"Indeed they will. Come, Young Alyss," Nolan said unnecessarily formally, offering his arm. Alyss brushed past him, still clinging to her hat as if letting go would be the end of her. Which, knowing Alyss, it might be.
A few minutes later, they found themselves at yet another extravagant royal family birthday party. Once they had proven that they were there to Homburg Molly and Queen Alyss and apologized half-heartedly for turning Emalie's hair green, the two teenagers found their way to a quiet corner of the party.
"I don't know why they always make us apologize," Nolan said, just like he had every year for the last 9.
"It's just part of the tradition, Nol," Alyss replied patiently.
Nolan glanced around them and then whispered to Alyss, "Lyssie, let's leave the party."
"What do you mean, Nol? Just leave? What would we do?" Alyss asked concernedly, knowing that if anything happened to Nolan whilst they were away, it would technically be her fault as his bodyguard.
"Relax, Lyssie, it'd only be for the afternoon. I've got a picnic all ready," Nolan replied.
"But Nolan, what if Molly or Bibwit or Dodge or Older Alyss catches us leaving? What if something goes wrong while we're away?" Alyss asked.
"Lyss, there won't be any problems!" he answered. Alyss must not have looked convinced, because he continued, "Lyss, you're usually the one leading me into trouble!"
"First of all, that's hardly true. Second of all, as your bodyguard I'll be held responsible if anything goes wrong. And there's so much that could go wrong here!" Alyss retorted.
"Al, I'll go even if you don't – and you'll be responsible if I get myself into trouble without you there, because you won't be there to guard me, making you a pretty lousy bodyguard," Nolan replied, knowing that he'd won the argument. "Lyssie, it's only a picnic. What harm can it do?"