Thank you to all my reviewers. You are great people. Yes you are. Here,
have a cookie. Is that good? I bet it is. Ok, let me stop. Well, I believe
that there were a couple of comments on how my chapters were short. (Or
maybe it was one, I can't remember. Whatever.) So, by the request of those
people, I will try to lengthen my chapters.
Also-I know it's been a very long time since I last updated. Well, this is because my internet is all screwed up so I can't use my computer for the internet. I have to use my stepdad's, which isn't fun because he doesn't trust me and he thinks I'm going to download porn or something. (I'm not!) So it might be a while in between updates, but when it's updated I think it will be worthwhile as they will be humongous updates. And it will never be given up. This is never a lost cause. So, without further ado, I give you chapter four of King Lack-Beard.
Antony massaged his temples, attempting to avoid the sulky glare of Miranda. For the past quarter of an hour, ever since he had dragged her into the house, she had been whimpering and staring at him in a most unsettling way. Finally, he couldn't take it. HE stood up.
"Will you please stop staring at me like that?" He snapped.
"What?" Miranda asked innocently, acting as if she had never done anything.
"Never mind." Antony sighed. "Well, I suppose you don't know how to cook." Miranda stared at him quite blankly. "Didn't think so. Well, if you are to live here with me, you must learn how to take care of yourself. There are servants no more. You must do things for yourself now."
Miranda didn't take this well. She started sobbing again.
"It isn't fair!" She whined, jerking about in her chair. "I can't believe daddy made me marry a common beggar! This is so unfair!" She again jerked, reminding Antony very much of a small child. He began to laugh. He tried to repress it, but the more he tried the more it began to bubble up. Soon the small cottage was filled with the sounds of Antony's laughter. Miranda was quite taken aback. This hadn't been the reaction she had expected. She stopped her temper tantrum and stared at Antony.
She was sure he had gone mad the way he was laughing. Maybe she had gone too far. She watched as he doubled over and fell on the floor, laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. Antony didn't know why he was laughing so hard, it really wasn't that funny. He knew Miranda must think him mad.
As it is with the human race, when one laughs, others tend to laugh, even if they don't know what's so funny. Not soon after Miranda started watching Antony rolling on the floor with laughter she started to laugh too.
"What's—what's so funny?" She said in between giggles.
"It's—it's your tantrum!" Antony gasped. "You—you looked so—so much like—like—like………."
"Like what?"
"Like—like—a child! The way you were jerking about so! I couldn't help but laugh—laugh at you childish--behavior!"
Miranda stopped laughing.
"Well, that's not funny!" She cried, placing her hands on her hips.
"Yes—yes it is!" Antony managed to suppress his peals of laughter and got up, brushing off his pants.
"Why was my behavior so funny?" She seemed a little hurt.
"Well, it was just the way you were jerking about, it reminded me of a child's temper tantrum."
"I don't see why that's funny." Her voice was slightly edgy.
"Well, it was."
"No, it wasn't!" She screamed. "I don't see why you draw from my misery your personal amusement."
"I wasn't!" He yelled back.
"Why do you think the way I act is so funny?" She cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's not fair!" She ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Antony followed, for even though she was a brat he was still concerned for her well-being.
"Curse this!" Antony yelled at himself. "Why are you running after her? She is a brat who needs to be taught a lesson!" But he pressed on, cursing his compassion for her. It was growing dark, as he walked down the dirt road to the stream. There he saw her, sobbing at the water's edge. "Come on, Miranda."
"No."
"For once can you not argue with me? Just please come back to the house with me."
"No!"
"God, why don't you quit sulking for once and just come back?"
"Because."
"Because?"
Miranda sighed. "Look, Antony………." She paused. That was the first time she had ever called him that. "Look, I was taken away from my home. I left my mother and father and the only life I've ever known. I was taken to a far- off village to live with a complete stranger for the rest of my life, doomed to a life of menial labor. All on one day. I think you might understand why I am so upset." She sighed, and after he said nothing, continued. "And to think, if I just hadn't been such an awful person to those suitors. I could be sleeping in my own bed right now, eating at a feast, or watching an amusing jester."
Antony sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her. He thought that perhaps, even though the last part of her statement had been superficial, that maybe, just maybe, there might be the slightest hint of human feeling and compassion in her.
Also-I know it's been a very long time since I last updated. Well, this is because my internet is all screwed up so I can't use my computer for the internet. I have to use my stepdad's, which isn't fun because he doesn't trust me and he thinks I'm going to download porn or something. (I'm not!) So it might be a while in between updates, but when it's updated I think it will be worthwhile as they will be humongous updates. And it will never be given up. This is never a lost cause. So, without further ado, I give you chapter four of King Lack-Beard.
Antony massaged his temples, attempting to avoid the sulky glare of Miranda. For the past quarter of an hour, ever since he had dragged her into the house, she had been whimpering and staring at him in a most unsettling way. Finally, he couldn't take it. HE stood up.
"Will you please stop staring at me like that?" He snapped.
"What?" Miranda asked innocently, acting as if she had never done anything.
"Never mind." Antony sighed. "Well, I suppose you don't know how to cook." Miranda stared at him quite blankly. "Didn't think so. Well, if you are to live here with me, you must learn how to take care of yourself. There are servants no more. You must do things for yourself now."
Miranda didn't take this well. She started sobbing again.
"It isn't fair!" She whined, jerking about in her chair. "I can't believe daddy made me marry a common beggar! This is so unfair!" She again jerked, reminding Antony very much of a small child. He began to laugh. He tried to repress it, but the more he tried the more it began to bubble up. Soon the small cottage was filled with the sounds of Antony's laughter. Miranda was quite taken aback. This hadn't been the reaction she had expected. She stopped her temper tantrum and stared at Antony.
She was sure he had gone mad the way he was laughing. Maybe she had gone too far. She watched as he doubled over and fell on the floor, laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. Antony didn't know why he was laughing so hard, it really wasn't that funny. He knew Miranda must think him mad.
As it is with the human race, when one laughs, others tend to laugh, even if they don't know what's so funny. Not soon after Miranda started watching Antony rolling on the floor with laughter she started to laugh too.
"What's—what's so funny?" She said in between giggles.
"It's—it's your tantrum!" Antony gasped. "You—you looked so—so much like—like—like………."
"Like what?"
"Like—like—a child! The way you were jerking about so! I couldn't help but laugh—laugh at you childish--behavior!"
Miranda stopped laughing.
"Well, that's not funny!" She cried, placing her hands on her hips.
"Yes—yes it is!" Antony managed to suppress his peals of laughter and got up, brushing off his pants.
"Why was my behavior so funny?" She seemed a little hurt.
"Well, it was just the way you were jerking about, it reminded me of a child's temper tantrum."
"I don't see why that's funny." Her voice was slightly edgy.
"Well, it was."
"No, it wasn't!" She screamed. "I don't see why you draw from my misery your personal amusement."
"I wasn't!" He yelled back.
"Why do you think the way I act is so funny?" She cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's not fair!" She ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Antony followed, for even though she was a brat he was still concerned for her well-being.
"Curse this!" Antony yelled at himself. "Why are you running after her? She is a brat who needs to be taught a lesson!" But he pressed on, cursing his compassion for her. It was growing dark, as he walked down the dirt road to the stream. There he saw her, sobbing at the water's edge. "Come on, Miranda."
"No."
"For once can you not argue with me? Just please come back to the house with me."
"No!"
"God, why don't you quit sulking for once and just come back?"
"Because."
"Because?"
Miranda sighed. "Look, Antony………." She paused. That was the first time she had ever called him that. "Look, I was taken away from my home. I left my mother and father and the only life I've ever known. I was taken to a far- off village to live with a complete stranger for the rest of my life, doomed to a life of menial labor. All on one day. I think you might understand why I am so upset." She sighed, and after he said nothing, continued. "And to think, if I just hadn't been such an awful person to those suitors. I could be sleeping in my own bed right now, eating at a feast, or watching an amusing jester."
Antony sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her. He thought that perhaps, even though the last part of her statement had been superficial, that maybe, just maybe, there might be the slightest hint of human feeling and compassion in her.