Chapter 5.5: Games and Dancing
A/N: This chapter is set back when the Egbert/Harley/Crocker/English kids moved into the castle. I took several liberties with this, and made them really childish, because, well, they had to grow up missing many pleasures of being a kid with parents and minimal responsibilities. Remember that these kids provided for themselves. Also woot woot, I reached 12,345 words!
You woke up from a nightmare sweating in the stuffiness of the castle bedspread, being used to the thinness of your own sheets at home. Outside of your room, which they, for reason unexplained to you, had assured you was temporary, burned one of the constantly ablaze candelabras. Several minutes of trying to fall asleep again proved to fail. Soundlessly, you crept out of bed and towards your relatives' rooms. Soon each of you roamed the castle's corridors.
"Just look at all of this space!" You gleefully shouted into the area, producing a satisfying echo. "What could you possibly need all of this room for!?"
"I hear the galas they held here back in the king's younger days were legends!" Jake slowly spun around in the center of the room. Jade, at his side, burst into a fit of laughter. "Why are you laughing?"
"We're in the castle ballroom!" She could hardly stand. "Why wouldn't I be laughing!?" Her laughter was contagious, while bizarre, and soon we were all running around, yelling, playing children's games, and giggling uncontrollably. Loud callings of tag accompanied the enjoyment.
"Jade! Come here!" John yelled from across the room.
"No! You're it!"
"Now I'm not!" He yelled as he tagged Jake. John was freakishly agile.
"Owww."
"No tag backs."
Jake started racing after you. That boy was something else all of the time, including when he tripped over his own feet. He had taken off his glasses and was a useless navigator when he did so.
Jake squinted his eyes at his surroundings. "Which wall did I put my glasses on?" John and Jade suspiciously giggled across the room.
"Idiot. You know you're blind as a bat without them!" You knelt down to place the glasses back on his face. He blinked a few times and smiled in the charming Jake-esque way he had.
"You're it." Before you exploded with rage and hysterical laughter, music filled the room.
John called out to each of you when the music began. "Remind you of anything, guys?"
"When we played Princes and Princesses! We'd throw parties, make speeches, and all." Jake laughed more at the memories.
"Jake would lead the imaginary knights around." You remembered his kiddy chivalry so well.
He looked offended. "You would boss us around!"
"I tried to keep you hooligans in order!"
"You didn't do it too well."
"That's because John kept messing it up!"
John jumped in defensively. "I played pranks!"
"What kind of prince plays pranks?" Jade contributed.
"What kind of a princess leads in dancing!?"
"Oh? You wanna go there? I am a perfect dancer."
"Can you prove otherwise?"
Just like in the old days, you all danced and danced until the moon was reaching the end of its path. Although when you were kids people would yell at you to go home and quit dancing outside of the tavern. You never listened. Jade danced like a "proper" girl when John challenged her, but as soon as she switched with you, she started leading Jake around the floor. The laughter resumed and you forgot all about the argument previously. Jade used her magic for the music, and eventually added floating lights to the mix. It was beautiful.
"Look at John and Jake trying to dance over there." Jade and you barely held up from laughter. Switching partners as much as possible was the best plan. "You take the lead."
You let out an exclamation of surprise. "Huh? Why would I do that?"
"Because, you're going to be a princess, and may be a future queen. You should know how to do everything that your future husband can." You flushed to a bright shade of red, having not thought about the future like that before. You are a princess. You will probably have to marry someone. You may be a queen. What responsibilities await you? More importantly, how are you going to deal with them? The sudden seriousness settles in.
"Or maybe they'll just assassinate me before then."
"Hey! Don't be like that! You have us!"
John and Jake had begun dancing a more informal dance, laughing and piercing through the peculiar dusk light. Neither of them filled out the royal clothes they were given considering they were both gangly boys with a little bit of muscle, if any. Jade and you also struggled to adjust. She had already torn her gown on who-knows-what. But despite the ragged and informal looks of your family, they were trustworthy and some of the most responsible people you knew. All of you ran the family, how hard could a kingdom be?
End of chapter 5.5
