Chapter 13: Welcome to Far Far Away
The Kingdom of Far Far Away appears to be located at the edge of the sea, on a peninsula, or an island. The kingdom. The city/town is the main and only town of Far Far Away. Its structures are similar to the Medieval/Renaissance architecture style. Most houses and structures are similar to castles and fortresses. Far Far Away features an extravagant shopping district. It is the most visualised structure in the land and can be seen from anywhere in the town. The kingdom appears as the residence and home of many fairy tale creatures and princesses that live happily ever after in luxury. Most of the kingdom is based as a tourist attraction, where residents can visit their fairy tale stars through coaches/carriages and star maps.
"Whoa..." Braedey commented, as they rode their way through the streets, taking note of the buildings and the carriages around him. "This place makes Duloc look like a water fountain. Eat your heart out, Farquaad." He added in.
Shrek took note of some of the signs, including one of some kind of fairy woman. "We are definitely not in the swamp anymore." He muttered to himself.
The carriage stopped at an intersection, while a rather long carriage pulled by six horses passed by, as well as a red sporty-looking carriage. A cleaner walked up to give the horses pulling the onion carriage, getting Braedey's attention. He gave a whistle, getting the man's attention, and threw a gold coin over to him. The man thanked the draconic humanoid, as the carriage began to move away.
As this happened, some people have taken notice of the carriage, and they began to follow, realising it might be Princess Fiona onboard, while the carriage continued on towards the castle. Inside the carriage, Fiona had noticed that Shrek didn't look too sure about the new change in scenery. She placed a hand on his, getting his attention, and she smiled gently to her husband, and he smiled softly back to his wife.
Braedey smiled at the ogre couple, then looked back behind the carriage, as he saw a large crowd of people now following. "Wow. Didn't think we'd gain such a crowd." He commented with surprise in his voice. He then looked to where they're going. "Whoa. So, Fiona used to live there when she was young..."
Where they were approaching was none other than the palace/castle of Far Far Away, the home of the Royal Family. The palace contains many erect towers, keeps, fortress, drawbridges. It has a garden stretching out to the sea, which is on top of a huge grand balcony shape like building on the cliffs. It has 108 turrets, has a moat, which has a bridge connecting to drawbridge. Under the cliffs where the castle is located, there is a small pier that works as a port for boats and ships at sea.
"Amazing..." Braedey whispered to himself.
The carriage soon began to cross over the drawbridge, while the guards stopped the crowd of people from following onward. The carriage began to make its way towards the large courtyard, where a crowd and fanfare were all there. It was beyond extravagant. The carriage came to a stop at the foot of the red carpet, and the elderly regal couple, King Harold and Queen Lillian, came out of the castle to meet their daughter for the first time since she was seven. Bugles then played a fanfare for the arrival of the couple.
"Announcing the long-awaited return of the beautiful Princess Fiona and her new husband!" The herald announced, which made the crowd go wild.
"Well... This is it." Fiona said to Shrek.
"This is it." King Harold whispered to his wife.
"This is it." The herald smiled as he was going to open the door for the couple.
"This is it!" The old man with a dove cage smiled back.
The herald soon opened the door for the couple, and the old man to released the doves. Shrek and Fiona stepped out together and stood beside each other. The crowd then looked rather shocked at the display, while a dove even slammed into the wall and landed flat on the floor, while a baby cried at the sight of the two ogres.
'This... just became awkward.' Braedey thought. He then snapped his fingers to the carriage rider, who rode off to park the carriage and horses. "I guess... it's time." He whispered to Shrek and Fiona.
This was awkward for Shrek and Harold, as they were going to meet. "So, still think this was a good idea?" Shrek asked to Fiona.
"Of course!" Fiona replied nervously. "Look, Mom and Dad look happy to see us."
Braedey, with his draconic abilities and now-advanced hearing, listened in on both the King and Queen's conversation, as they walked on.
"Who on Earth are they?" King Harold whispered to his wife referring to Fiona, thinking they had brought someone else other than their own daughter.
"I think that's our little girl." Queen Lillian replied quietly, she and Harold now making their way forward.
"That's not little. That's a really, really big problem." King Harold shook his head. "Wasn't she supposed to kiss Prince Charming and break the spell?"
"Well, he's no Prince Charming, but they do look..." Queen Lillian's voice was cut off when Braedey heard Shrek speaking.
"Happy now?" Shrek asked Fiona nervously. "All right, we saw them. Let's go before they light the torches..." He noticed some folks with pitchforks and torches.
"These are my parents." Fiona whispered back.
"Hello? They locked you in a tower." Shrek reminded.
"Hey, that was for my own good!" Fiona defended.
Soon enough, Shrek and Fiona were right across from King Harold and Queen Lillian.
"Mom... Dad..." Fiona smiled as she then hugged her parents for the first time in ages. "I'd like you to meet my husband, Shrek. And this is our special guest; Braedey the Nightfury."
"Your Majesties." Braedey greeted with a bow.
"Well... Uh... It's easy to see where Fiona gets her good looks from..." Shrek smiled nervously. He felt very awkward.
'I have a bad feeling about this.' Braedey thought.
That evening, the family all gathered up in the dining room. Fiona and Queen Lilian were on opposite sides of the long table, with Shrek and King Harold at the ends. Braedey, however, was nowhere in sight, which was confusing. King Harold didn't seem to like or trust Shrek at all.
Fiona took a drink herself, and then let out a burp which made her sheepishly smile. "Oh, e-excuse me..."
"Better out than in, I always say, eh, Fiona?" Shrek chuckled, then he and Fiona laughed, only to see the King and Queen not laughing. The laughter then died down as it was awkwardly silent again. "I guess not."
"Hey! Watch the tail!" Braedey's voice snapped back, getting everyone's attention. It sounded close. "Oi! Be careful with that oil. That can burn someone. Take care with that." He then emerged from the kitchen, and sighed in relief when he found Shrek and Fiona. "Oh! Shrek and Fiona. Finally." He sighed in relief, walking up to the table. "This place is a maze, I can tell you that.." He then sat down at the table.
"No, no! Bad dragon! Bad, down!" King Harold scolded the draconic, Braedey narrowing his eyes at him.
"Dad, it's all right, it's all right. He's with us. He helped rescue me from the dragon." Fiona spoke up.
"Yes. Son of the Night fury King, at your service." Braedey introduced himself.
"Oh, boy..." Shrek groaned before he took a spoon in his bowl, and sipped the liquid that was inside of it.
"Um, Shrek?" Fiona whispered.
"Huh? Oh, sorry..." Shrek asked, then thought maybe he forgot his manners. "Great soup, Mrs. Q... Mmm..."
"No... Darling..." Fiona then said, putting her fingers in the bowl to show it was a washing bowl for washing up before kitchen sinks had been invented.
"So, Fiona." Queen Lillian smiled to her daughter. "Tell us about where you live."
"Shrek owns his own land..." Fiona smiled nervously. "Don't you, honey?"
"Ah, yes. It's in an enchanted forest." Shrek chuckled nervously. "Abundant in squirrels, and cute little duckies, and-"
"Shrek, are you sure you're alright?" Braedey asked, nearly snickering. "I mean, I think you're meant to say the swamp-"
"Braedey..." Shrek glared.
"An ogre in a swamp. Oh, how original." King Harold commented.
"Actually, it's not that bad at all." Braedey countered. "There's lush trees lining the area, with a lake or two nearby, and a treehouse as well."
"Well, I suppose that will be a fine place to raise the children." Queen Lillian smiled to Fiona.
That made Shrek and King Harold cough and sputter at the mention of children. The two of them coughed and spluttered, and Shrek coughed up a spoon he had accidentally got stuck in his throat, the spoon clanking against the wooden dining table.
"It's a bit early to be thinking about that, isn't it?" Shrek smiled nervously.
"Indeed." King Harold agreed before muttering. "I haven't started eating..."
"Harold." Queen Lillian glared to her husband.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shrek also glared with a hand on his hip.
"Dad, please..." Fiona said, trying to stop her father from going overboard. "It's great, okay?"
"Sire, please." Braedey said.
"I just don't want any of his type." King Harold said.
"My type?!" Shrek glared.
"Uh, I think I should go and leave the dining room." Braedey said nervously.
"Dinner is served!" The head chef called out, as the servants walked in with many plates of food.
"Dinner is served!" The head chef called out, as the servants walked in with many plates of food.
"Never mind." Braedey smiled nervously.
The servants laid out all the foods for their dining patrons. There was lobster, turkey, a roasted pig, plus fish, and other such dishes for the dinner.
"Bon appetite." The head chef bowed to them, and walked back into the kitchen.
"Ooh, this is beyond nice." Braedey commented.
"Well, let's not let our tummies rumbling. Everybody, dig in." Queen Lillian also smiled.
"Don't mind if I do, Queen Lillian." Braedey smiled back. He was about to try the lobster in front of him, until the king took it from him. 'I can tell this will start a fight.' Braedey sighed mentally.
Shrek and King Harold argued as they got their food ready; the turkey for Shrek and the lobster for King Harold. They had an argument about Shrek and Fiona's future children being ogres and how it wasn't a good idea and Shrek mocked about how Fiona was locked away in a tower.
"So I expect any grandchildren I could expect from you would be-" King Harold began.
"Ogres." Shrek replied. "Yes."
"Not that there's anything wrong with that." Lillian said quickly, then glared at the king. "Right, Harold?"
"Oh, no, of course not. Assuming you don't eat your own young." Dad growled.
"Dad!" Fiona spoke back.
"Oh no, we prefer to lock them away in a tower." Shrek replied in the same tone.
"Shrek, please." Braedey said calmly.
"I only did that because I loved her!" King Harold glared.
"Oh, aye?" Shrek mocked. "Day Care or dragon guarded castle?"
"You wouldn't understand. You're not her father!" King Harold retorted.
Braedey and Fiona sighed to themselves, seeing as how this was not going to go well for any one of them, and it's was definitely going out of control for this dinner.
"It's so nice to have the family together for dinner..." Queen Lillian said, sounding like she was going to cry.
Shrek and King Harold fought with their food to get their rage from each other out of their systems. Then, the two glared to each other before grabbing onto the pig. The two grabbed the pig, which then they both sent it flying in the air.
"Shrek!" Fiona glared at her husband.
"Harold!" Lillian glared at her husband.
"Fiona!" Shrek cut in.
"Fiona!" Harold even added in.
"Mom!" Fiona complained.
"Harold." Lillian looked at her husband.
"Look out!" Braedey called, just as the pig crashed down onto the table, nearly making everything fall off the table.
Fiona stood up, feeling very emotional right now, and she stormed off to her bedroom. King Harold looked worried for his daughter, before glaring to Shrek, blaming him for all of this. Shrek only sadly looked to Fiona, and decided to have a word with her as soon as possible. Braedey looked to where Fiona ran off, then he snarled darkly at King Harold, storming to him.
"You!" Braedey snapped, slamming his fist down on the table right in front of the king. "How dare you, king."
"How dare I what?" King Harold asked out of bewilderment.
"Don't be stupid with me. You don't think I wasn't paying attention? You just berated not just your daughter, but as well as her husband, and on top of that, made a complete fool out of yourself tonight in front of your family, and on top of that, in front of the Queen! Your own wife!" Braedey stated firmly. "I have known Gronckles and Zipplebacks with better table manners than what I've seen in this one evening." He straightened himself up. "You'd best change that tone of yours real fast, King Harold, or I'll be forced to do something that will be... permanent." He emphasised the word 'permanent' with a glow from his dorsal plates.
After that, Braedey stormed off with Shrek to go and find Fiona, with Queen Lillian slowly leaving to head to her bedroom, King Harold in the remains of the dining room, lost in his own thoughts.