A/N: Ok, now that the vacationing part of my summer is out of the way, I can get these out more frequently. This is one of the few chapters I'm really proud of and really like. I hope you all enjoy! And if you're so inclined, please review! I love hearing anything from those who read my story. Enjoy!
~Chapter 8~
The sun is just beginning its descent when Nicholas sets out to deliver the letter. He looks at the address for a moment and starts formulating a route in his head. Despite not moving around much in his childhood, he still has a good idea where everything is.
The house the letter is addressed to is located in the northeastern corner of the town. The shortest route would be to ride along the edge of town, but Nicholas decides to detour slightly and heads through the center of town to see it for himself. He nudges his horse into to trot.
Nicholas enjoys riding. The cool breeze ruffling his hair, the warm sun at his back, and the livelihood of the town all bring a smile to his face. It reminds him of the lessons he got from his dad in the fields by his childhood home.
It doesn't take long to reach the center of town and even less to know when he's near. The noises of busy people, extravagant vendors, and many horses reach his ears blocks away. The nearer he gets, the more polished the marble pavement becomes. Nicholas turns the final corner and gazes upon the open area.
It amazes him how much more lively Nohr is since King Garon's rule. A mix of people mill around the large, dark, cobblestone square. Many people are simply walking around; enjoying a day to themselves or with a partner, just taking in the fresh outdoor air. One side of the massive square is designated as a marketplace. Many stalls are lined in neat rows housing all manner of goods from fresh produce to handmade jewelry. As Nicholas slowly rides by, a few stalls catch his eye, and he memorizes their location to visit later. Finally, he examines the fountain in the middle. The fountain is outlined with dark purple marble, common in Nohr, with many people lounging on all sides. Except for its size, Nicholas notices that the one in his small town is designed exactly like the large one here. "How clever of them to do that," he muses to himself. He rides through all of this slowly until he comes out the other side and speeds up for the rest of the way.
When Nicholas arrives at the address, he efficiently ties the horse to the fence, pulls the letter out of the satchel on the horse's side, and walks up to the door. He gives three short, strong knocks. After a few seconds, a man in simple clothes opens the door.
"Why, hello there," the man greets. "What can I do for you?"
"I have a letter for you from King Xander," Nicholas responds and holds the letter out.
"Oh!" the man says surprised. "I did not recognize you so I did not think you would be delivering something. Thank you! I have been expecting this. What is your name?"
"My name is Nicholas, sir. I was recently hired as King Xander's butler and this is my first official day. I apologize if I have caused any inconvenience," Nicholas answers.
"Oh, not at all. Though I have to say, I am quite surprised to see someone of your age in such a high position," the man says. "You must be very skilled at your job and quite lucky too."
"I have practiced for many years preparing for such a job as this. I am very honored to have this position and I thank you for your compliment." Nicholas replies.
"You are so polite too!" the man says delightfully. "I think you fully deserve this. Must be very excited too for a boy your age to get to spend time with the king. Why, I find King Xander to be a wonderful role model. Don't you agree?"
"I agree wholeheartedly," Nicholas responds smiling. "If you will excuse me, sir, I should be returning."
"Oh, of course. I am sorry for keeping you waiting. Enjoy the rest of the day." The man gives a short wave and retreats back into his house. Nicholas stands there for a second, thinking. He finds it amusing that two people have called him lucky in the same day. He doesn't believe in luck but rather the result of hard work and fortunate circumstances as a result of that work. Nicholas rides back peacefully.
Once back at the castle, Nicholas sets right to work preparing dinner, chatting with Teresa for most of the time. He finds it fun to have someone being so friendly to him. Abel also wanders through the kitchen at one point and Nicholas waves to him.
"Are you still going to the market after dinner?" Abel asks.
"Of course I am. I'll come down and get you soon," Nicholas assures.
"Thanks a bunch, sir!" Abel says then prances off. Nicholas laughs. It'll be a long time before he can get Abel to stop calling him sir. Time passes quickly and before long, Nicholas is already heading back upstairs.
At the top of the stairs, Nicholas shifts the platter to his right hand and pushes the door open. Much to his surprise, the door stops midway and he hears a small, surprised squeal let out. Calmly he steps out to apologize.
"Excuse me, I did not realize…" he starts as he looks at the person he bumped. In front of him is a girl about a foot shorter than him, but only slightly younger looking. She has bright blonde hair, like Xander, arranged in two large ponytails. She's wearing a beautiful but practical dress and appears to be stifling a laugh. He immediately recognizes her as Elise, the youngest of the royal family. He panics.
"I am so sorry, milady! It is all my fault. I should have been more careful to see if someone was on the other side. I can take care of any bodily harm you may have and I hope my sincerest apologies are enough to…" Nicholas spits out rapidly, Elise all the while putting her finger to her lips and hissing, trying to get Nicholas to be quite while simultaneously stifling a laugh. Eventually, she gives up and just starts laughing. "Milady, I fail to see what is so funny. I just hit you in the face with a door."
Elise lets out a few more giggles, takes a deep breath, and then crosses her arms and stares directly at Nicholas with a determined frown. "You ruined it!" she shouts.
Nicholas's heart beats faster. "Exactly what of yours have I ruined? If it is material-based I can assure you I will mend it as soon as possible but if it is something else…" he says hurriedly.
"No, silly, that's not it at all! You ruined my prank!" Elise shouts back, trying desperately to maintain her frown.
Nicholas just stands there with his mouth partially open. "I...um...what?"
"It was so perfect!" Elise whines. "Camilla was away and you were about to come up the stairs. I was just about to hide and you ruined it!" Then she looks at Nicholas's completely bewildered face and burst into a fit of giggles again.
"Milady, I am at a loss for words…" Nicholas apologizes.
Still giggling Elise says, "It's okay, it was funny anyway. You look so silly when you're confused." Then in a hushed whisper Elise adds, "Don't tell Camilla about this by the way. She'll shut me in my room if…" But then she looks behind Nicholas down the hallway and lets out a small squeak. Nicholas swivels to see what scared Elise and finds Camilla standing outside her room.
"There you are, my sweet sister. Now be a dear and stop scaring the poor butler. Wouldn't want him to leave on his first day, now would we dear?" Camilla coos while sauntering over. She takes Elise's arm softly but firmly. "Apologize to Nicholas, dear."
"I'm sorry," Elise says sounding like a child caught sneaking a bite of candy.
"Quite unfortunate we have to meet in person under these circumstances," Camilla says. "Though it is good to meet you."
"The feeling is mutual, milady. It is always an honor to meet a member of the royal family," Nicholas comments.
Camilla smiles. "Oh, a polite one are we? Careful not to get too boring, Elise might try and prank you again." she says coyly.
"Thank you for the advice. I will have to keep an eye out for lady Elise then," Nicholas says, smiling at Elise.
"All I wanted to do was scare him. You make it sound like I'm a criminal…" Elise complains, pouting.
"Oh, you poor dear. A criminal is a very unfitting title for you. Perhaps you are more of a jester," Camilla kids. Before Elise can protest, she continues. "I trust you will take great care of big brother. He has certainly become quite the mature king, but he can be a bit of a child sometimes."
Nicholas starts to respond in disbelief before Elise pipes up, "You should have seen him when I put a spider in his bed last week! He jumped so high I thought he would put a hole in the ceiling."
Camilla rolls her eyes. "How you haven't given him a heart attack is a mystery to me…"
"Hehe! He's so gullible! I think he's getting used to it though. He didn't even flinch when he found the one I put in his bed the next day."
"Really, I can't imagine why," Camilla comments. "Anyways, we shall take our leave now, dear Nicholas. Enjoy the rest of your day." She heads down the hall with Elise in tow. Just before heading into her room, Elise turns around and calls back, "I'll get you next time!" Nicholas just stares her down.
After a moment Nicholas remembers he's still holding a platter of food in his hand. Gathering his composure after the interesting introduction to the ladies of the royal family, he enters Xander's room.
"For the record, I did not jump as high as Elise claims I did," Xander says smiling slightly.
"You could hear us outside?" Nicholas asks, slightly embarrassed.
"Nicholas, you can hear Elise from the other side of the castle on some occasions," Xander says matter-of-factly.
"She certainly is very high spirited. She is almost like a perpetual source of energy," Nicholas comments, setting the platter of food down in front of Xander.
"She certainly is. She may be rambunctious, but she had a kind heart. I'm glad you could meet most of my siblings. Leo tends to keep to himself often but I'm sure you'll run into him eventually."
A brief lull passes before Nicholas says, "Earlier you offered to let me explore the market after dinner. If you don't mind, milord, I would like to do that now."
"No, I don't mind that at all. Enjoy yourself. Thank you for being so loyal on your first day," Xander answers.
"Thank you very much, milord. I will be off now. Have a good night," Nicholas says.
Afterward, Nicholas heads downstairs to find Abel. It turns out Abel was sitting right by the door waiting for him. "Oh! That was easy to find you. Are you ready to leave, Abel?" Nicholas asks.
"Sure!" he says, but then frowns. "But, I don't have a horse."
"That's alright. I'm allowed to use some of the horses from the castle stable so we can ride together on one."
Abel's face brightens immediately. "Cool!" he comments. "Let's go then,"
Nicholas leads Abel out the back and around the castle where he takes a chestnut colored horse for the both of them. He helps Abel get up on the horse, and then they're both off to the town square with the sun riding low in the sky.
"Have you ever been out much?" Nicholas asks Abel.
"No, not really. I was born at the castle and was raised there so I haven't really gotten out much. I think my parents used to take me on walks when I was much younger but I don't really remember much," he answers.
"Well, if it's any consolation to you, I've never gotten to go to the deeper parts of town either. I spent most of my life in the neighboring town outside the capital, so this is going to be brand new territory for me too," Nicholas assures.
"Really? I would have thought you to be someone who's been everywhere. Like an adventurer or something." Abel comments.
Nicholas laughs out loud. "If you think that's the kind of person I am then you have very high expectations of people."
Abel asks, "What did you do as a kid?"
"I worked as an apprentice butler most of the time," Nicholas explains. "My parents were fiercely loyal to King Garon, even after his drastic change. They wanted me to be a butler too and made sure I had the most training I could have."
"Oh, so that's why you're really good," Abel says. Then he asks, "Were you still loyal to Garon after he changed?"
Nicholas sighs, remember those days. "No, I was not. I played along with my parents for a while, but I was never fully comfortable with their decisions. The man I apprenticed under with a good friend of Xander's retainer at the time, Gunter, so I heard a lot about everything. I remember that during the war, we heard from him all about how Xander was secretly defying his father and trying to save as many people as possible. He was the one that really impressed me."
"That's so cool!" Abel shouts. "You really admired Xander as a kid and now you're his butler! That's like a dream come true."
"Yes, I suppose it is, isn't it," Nicholas muses. The rest of the way there, Abel starts chattering about what he wishes could happen to him which Nicholas just listens.
After a short while, they reach the town square marketplace. Nicholas ties the horse in the stables there and takes Abel to the stalls.
"Is there anything you're looking for, Abel?" he asks.
"Not really. I just wanted to see what this place looked like. It's so cool, though! Look at all these neat things." Abel says as he looks around at everything.
"Why don't you go off and look at what you want. I'm going to look for a few decorations in my house. I'll meet you back here in around thirty minutes. How does that sound?" Nicholas offers.
"Great! See you later!" Abel says eagerly, skipping off to explore for himself.
While Abel went off on his own, Nicholas goes around to find the things that intrigued him before. First was a glass works stand. At the stand, he finds a beautiful blue glass vase, expertly crafted and uniformly shaped. The man at the stall even offers to have it specially delivered so that it wouldn't break on the horse ride home. Along with the vase, he buys a bouquet of chrysanthemums, his favorite flower. The next stall he visits sells handmade rugs. After looking for a bit, he chooses a small rug with a gray and purple diamond pattern. Finally, Nicholas visits a stall that sells stationery. He picks a stack of paper with a simple flower design printed on it, a feather pen, and a bottle of ink. As he's returning to the horse to put everything in the satchel, he sees another stall he didn't notice before and wanders over.
At this stall are little ceramic animals. He sees cats, dogs, horses, llamas, and even mice. One particular cat catches his eye. It's yellow with a purple collar, blue eyes, and white paws. For some reason, the cat reminds him of Elise. Nicholas impulsively decides to buy it and carefully puts it away with the other things. Then he looks around for Abel.
Nicholas searches for a few minutes but can't find him anywhere. He goes up and down all the stalls, but no Abel.
"Abel?" Nicholas shouts. He hears nothing. Then a thought pops into his head. "Maybe he went back to the horse." he reasons. But when Nicholas goes back to the horse, Abel isn't there either.
Nicholas is just about to find a guard when he hears a voice call out, "Nicholas!" He glances to his left and sees Abel running from the marketplace. "I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"
"Where have I been? I could say the same thing about you. I've been looking for you everywhere," Nicholas scolds.
Abel laughs quietly. "Apparently we must have been going around in circles. It's getting late, don't you think? We should be getting home now. Sorry for worrying you so. Let's go then!" he says hurriedly.
"Yes. Let's go," Nicholas agrees relieved that he didn't lose Abel in the square. They pack their things and head home. Nicholas drops him off at his house and then ties up the horse back in the stables. But before retiring for the night, he heads inside the castle and up the stairs to the hallway outside Xander's room. But instead of going to Xander, he heads to Elise's door and knocks.
"Who is it?" calls out Elise's childlike, happy-go-lucky voice.
"It is Nicholas, milady. I was wondering if I might have a word with you," Nicholas explains.
Only a second passes before the door is flung open by Elise. "Hi, Nicholas!" she greets. "So, what's up? If this is about hitting me, don't worry yourself about it. I'm all right."
"Actually, the intent of this visit was not to apologize for that incident. Rather, King Xander graciously allowed me time to go to the market to find some things to furnish my home. As I was looking around, I found something for you," Nicholas says. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out the little ceramic cat he got at the market. "I found that it reminded me of you and thought it is a fitting decoration for a lady's room."
Elise's eyes widen at the cat. "Awwwwwwww!" she cries out. "It's so adorable! I love it so much!" She takes the cat daintily. "I'm gonna call it Mr. Fluffy and I'm gonna keep it right by my bed. Thanks a bunch!"
"I think you deserve it, milady. And now if you will excuse me, I must retire to bed," Nicholas states.
"Thanks again! And goodnight!" Elise says happily and waves before closing the door. Nicholas smiles, glad he could make someone so happy.
Nicholas returns to his house to find the vase with fresh flowers sitting in crystal clear water in a neat, little cushioning case sitting on the front step. He brings it inside and sets it on top of the mantelpiece. Then Nicholas takes out the rug and rolls it out in front of the fireplace. After examining and readjusting a few times, he settles on a position and orientation. Then he takes the stationary and writing supplies and sets them down on the table. It isn't much, but he likes the homier feel the items give.
Finally, Nicholas sits down in front of the low table, dips his feather pen in the fresh ink, and begins to write.
Dear David,
First of all, how have you been? I know it has only been about a week since I last saw you, but it feels like months for me. Everything has happened so fast.
Working for Xander is everything I imagined it to be. He is often reserved but is very kind to me. He let me visit the marketplace today where I bought this stationary.
I've met so many other nice people too. Through a very unfortunate incident, I met the ladies of the royal family, Elise and Camilla. Elise is a very sweet child and I can tell Camilla cares for her very much.
Teresa is the head cook of the castle and is quite a character. She always carries around a rolling pin. Other than that, she is a very kind person, always eager to talk, and makes the most delicious bread.
There is another boy working here named Abel. He is a little bit younger than me and quite shy. Once I got to talking to him a bit, though, he turned out to be a very friendly person and we quickly became friends. I took him to the marketplace with me and he enjoyed that quite a bit. I almost lost him, though. Fortunately, he found me in the end.
In conclusion, I am writing this to say all is well! Everything is going smoothly and I'm enjoying it very much. Thank you for preparing me for my dreams.
-Nicholas
Nicholas sets down his pen, folds and seals the letter in an envelope, and heads off to bed.
As usual, many thanks to prowessMaster44 for editing and reminding me that pronouns exist. What would I do without you.
