Chapter 5- Nothing to fun OK?
Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song, and make it better,
Remember to let her into her into your heart,
Then you can start,
To make it better.
Hey Jude, don't be afraid,
You were made to go out and get her,
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start,
To make it better.
--Hey Jude (The Beatles)
"Mathew have you ever been in love?" I asked plucking an out of line straw from the bed of hay beneath me.
"Actually yes." He sighed.
Alex had been roped into some diplomatic duties so we were back to a duo, a duo presently inhabiting the roof of the kitchen. It was cold but the heat from the stoves beneath us seeped up even through the thick thatch and kept us warm. I flipped over onto my side to get a better view of him. "This I've never heard this, you must enlighten me, who was she?" I begged.
"Her name is Allison Le Belle and if you want to know, yes, I am still in love with her." He sighed wistfully.
"Well who is she?" I asked, I didn't know her and I was entranced by this part of my best friend I had never been privileged to see.
"She used to live in our court but her family moved when we were seven, it was before you and I met." He explained.
"Does she still love you?" I asked quietly.
"I haven't the foggiest idea, she's never written and I don't have her address so I doubt I'll ever see her again." He clasped his gloved hands behind his head and surveyed the landscape before us.
"What's it like to be in love?" I asked following suit.
"It's nice actually, I suppose it's different for everyone but for me it was nice.kind of like floating actually." He said finally.
I nodded even though I didn't really understand what he was talking about.
I wanted to meet Allison, she must have been wonderful if she could keep Mathew's attentions ten years after she had left. I wondered if she ever thought about him, I hoped she did, Mathew was my best friend and I did feel some need to protect his feelings.
I was going to ask if she ever made his palms sweat when Mathew raised his head slightly and called out to someone across the roof. "Ah the hero returns from battle."
"And what a bloody battle it was." Alex groaned flopping down next to me. "At one point I had to beat one courtier to death with his own legs."
We were silent for a moment. "What would you like to do tomorrow Alex while Lei is tortured?" Mathew asked suddenly.
I pouted. "Don't do anything to fun ok?" I begged.
"Of course not milady, we wouldn't dream of having any fun without you." Alex said in his most charming voice sitting up and taking my hand to kiss it gallantly.
"I'm serious," I said jerking my hand away from him partly because I didn't like him making fun of me but more because my palms were already sweaty enough. "It's not fair for you guys to have fun while I suffer."
"And just why will you be suffering tomorrow?" Alex asked.
Mathew started laughing so hard it looked like he was going to slide off the roof, I wished he would. "Did you forget that tomorrow night is the Christmas Sing or are you just daft?" I snapped.
"No, I remembered but what does that have to do with anything?" He asked running a hand through his beautiful hair.
I rubbed my temples. "You tell him Mathew, I don't want to talk about it." I groaned.
"She has to spend most of the day with her sister getting ready and all, doing that girl thing." He shuddered. I scathed him with my best glare. "But really her sister knows what she's doing and however much Lei complains she always looks really great." He amended quickly.
A pink blush spread to my cheeks, which I hid by cupping my hands over my mouth and noes as if to create a pocket of warm air. "Lei always looks great." Alex said with a strange, half-smile at me.
My blush deepened to a dark red. What was that supposed to mean? I forced the blush away and the curiosity, it didn't mean anything, he was just trying to make me feel better about spending the whole day with Harmony.
"Thanks." I said meekly.
"But why would you be sad about spending the day with Harmony? I met her and she seemed very nice." Alex sounded puzzled.
"Of course she's nice." I amended quickly before Mathew could get the truth out. "I'm just upset about spending the whole day doing girl stuff." I gave him a silly grin and Mathew a just-shut-your-mouth-and-smile look.
Mathew quickly closed his mouth and nodded dumbly but when the sky began to darken he offered to walk me home. "Why did you lie to Alex back there?" He asked once we were out of his hearing.
"Huh?" I had forgotten all about that.
"You told him Harmony was nice, why?" He pressed.
"Oh that." I tried to laugh it off. "Don't worry about that, it's nothing."
"What was it?" He asked again.
"It's nothing, drop it Mathew." I said, a little more forcefully this time.
This time he grabbed my elbow and pulled me around to face him. "Tell me and I will." He said firmly looking right at me.
I nervously ran long fingers through my straw filled hair, the intensity of his gaze was scary. "It's nothing." I said weakly.
"Don't lie to me Lei." He half shouted.
"Stop pushing me." I really shouted yanking my arm from his grasp. "Why do you want to know? And why should I tell you? Why do you care?"
There was a moments silence as he tried to remember if I had ever spoken to him in that tone and I tried to remember if I had ever spoken to anyone in that tone. He had been stunned by my assault so I was first to come back to the real world. "That's what I thought." I sneered and spun on my heel.
I don't think either of us got much sleep that night. I know I didn't. I knew Mathew had just been trying to look out for me, and I had thrown it back in his face but what was I supposed to tell him? The truth would never do and he wouldn't believe any of my lies, they were never very good anyway.
Harmony didn't know Alex and I were friends, I had kept that from her very carefully. It was easy enough, at sings he sat with everyone so as not to make anyone feel slighted and other then that our social calendars rarely crossed. But now I was beginning to wish she did, at least then she wouldn't keep telling me about him. I didn't want a play by play recount of everything he ever said to her.
"Fetch the dresses Lorelei." She said as she pulled the last bit of hair through and finished the intricate weave of braids she had some how talked my hair into.
I took the dresses carefully from where they hung in the closet and laid them on the bed. The dressmakers had sent them in a protective wrap that couldn't be resealed so neither of us knew what they looked like as I carefully laid them on the bed and broke the seal.
Mine was a light, shimmery blue that somehow put me in mind of pixie dust and in keeping with the latest fashions had only a small train, a square neck and long sleeves. Harmony's was much the same as mine (no one was very imaginative in how they dressed) but her's was silver. The minute she saw them her face got really red and she began to emit this sort of weird energy that made my palms sweat, though in an entirely different way then Alex.
"What?" I asked, fighting the urge to throw down both dresses and run.
"He gave you the blue dress." She said quietly.
And then before I knew what had just happened she had rammed the metal brush into my belly. I toppled to the bed and she went with me. She was so close I could smell her, she smelled like the expensive perfume she had lavished on both of us but beneath that there was a slightly metallic sent. But then her face relaxed and I was sure I had just imagined the sent.
"He gave you the blue dress." She repeated but she was calm again.
"What does that mean?" I asked still a little confused clutching a palm to my bruised belly as she stood up.
"It means that father wants you to marry Alexander, even though I am older." She said matter-o-factly, I didn't have to ask which Alexander she meant.
I thought she was reading to much into it.
"Why do you say that?" I asked sitting up very gently so as not to injure the already forming bruise.
"That shade of blue is Alexander's favorite color." She sighed as if trying to explain this to an exceptionally slow child.
I just sort of half nodded, I guess that made sense.
If I didn't know my sister better I would have thought she had forgiven me, but I did and I knew she would get back at me for this later.
(AN: This is going somewhere I promise! Please review! One really long really nice review can inspire me to write up to a chapter! xoxoxoxo Locke)
Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song, and make it better,
Remember to let her into her into your heart,
Then you can start,
To make it better.
Hey Jude, don't be afraid,
You were made to go out and get her,
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start,
To make it better.
--Hey Jude (The Beatles)
"Mathew have you ever been in love?" I asked plucking an out of line straw from the bed of hay beneath me.
"Actually yes." He sighed.
Alex had been roped into some diplomatic duties so we were back to a duo, a duo presently inhabiting the roof of the kitchen. It was cold but the heat from the stoves beneath us seeped up even through the thick thatch and kept us warm. I flipped over onto my side to get a better view of him. "This I've never heard this, you must enlighten me, who was she?" I begged.
"Her name is Allison Le Belle and if you want to know, yes, I am still in love with her." He sighed wistfully.
"Well who is she?" I asked, I didn't know her and I was entranced by this part of my best friend I had never been privileged to see.
"She used to live in our court but her family moved when we were seven, it was before you and I met." He explained.
"Does she still love you?" I asked quietly.
"I haven't the foggiest idea, she's never written and I don't have her address so I doubt I'll ever see her again." He clasped his gloved hands behind his head and surveyed the landscape before us.
"What's it like to be in love?" I asked following suit.
"It's nice actually, I suppose it's different for everyone but for me it was nice.kind of like floating actually." He said finally.
I nodded even though I didn't really understand what he was talking about.
I wanted to meet Allison, she must have been wonderful if she could keep Mathew's attentions ten years after she had left. I wondered if she ever thought about him, I hoped she did, Mathew was my best friend and I did feel some need to protect his feelings.
I was going to ask if she ever made his palms sweat when Mathew raised his head slightly and called out to someone across the roof. "Ah the hero returns from battle."
"And what a bloody battle it was." Alex groaned flopping down next to me. "At one point I had to beat one courtier to death with his own legs."
We were silent for a moment. "What would you like to do tomorrow Alex while Lei is tortured?" Mathew asked suddenly.
I pouted. "Don't do anything to fun ok?" I begged.
"Of course not milady, we wouldn't dream of having any fun without you." Alex said in his most charming voice sitting up and taking my hand to kiss it gallantly.
"I'm serious," I said jerking my hand away from him partly because I didn't like him making fun of me but more because my palms were already sweaty enough. "It's not fair for you guys to have fun while I suffer."
"And just why will you be suffering tomorrow?" Alex asked.
Mathew started laughing so hard it looked like he was going to slide off the roof, I wished he would. "Did you forget that tomorrow night is the Christmas Sing or are you just daft?" I snapped.
"No, I remembered but what does that have to do with anything?" He asked running a hand through his beautiful hair.
I rubbed my temples. "You tell him Mathew, I don't want to talk about it." I groaned.
"She has to spend most of the day with her sister getting ready and all, doing that girl thing." He shuddered. I scathed him with my best glare. "But really her sister knows what she's doing and however much Lei complains she always looks really great." He amended quickly.
A pink blush spread to my cheeks, which I hid by cupping my hands over my mouth and noes as if to create a pocket of warm air. "Lei always looks great." Alex said with a strange, half-smile at me.
My blush deepened to a dark red. What was that supposed to mean? I forced the blush away and the curiosity, it didn't mean anything, he was just trying to make me feel better about spending the whole day with Harmony.
"Thanks." I said meekly.
"But why would you be sad about spending the day with Harmony? I met her and she seemed very nice." Alex sounded puzzled.
"Of course she's nice." I amended quickly before Mathew could get the truth out. "I'm just upset about spending the whole day doing girl stuff." I gave him a silly grin and Mathew a just-shut-your-mouth-and-smile look.
Mathew quickly closed his mouth and nodded dumbly but when the sky began to darken he offered to walk me home. "Why did you lie to Alex back there?" He asked once we were out of his hearing.
"Huh?" I had forgotten all about that.
"You told him Harmony was nice, why?" He pressed.
"Oh that." I tried to laugh it off. "Don't worry about that, it's nothing."
"What was it?" He asked again.
"It's nothing, drop it Mathew." I said, a little more forcefully this time.
This time he grabbed my elbow and pulled me around to face him. "Tell me and I will." He said firmly looking right at me.
I nervously ran long fingers through my straw filled hair, the intensity of his gaze was scary. "It's nothing." I said weakly.
"Don't lie to me Lei." He half shouted.
"Stop pushing me." I really shouted yanking my arm from his grasp. "Why do you want to know? And why should I tell you? Why do you care?"
There was a moments silence as he tried to remember if I had ever spoken to him in that tone and I tried to remember if I had ever spoken to anyone in that tone. He had been stunned by my assault so I was first to come back to the real world. "That's what I thought." I sneered and spun on my heel.
I don't think either of us got much sleep that night. I know I didn't. I knew Mathew had just been trying to look out for me, and I had thrown it back in his face but what was I supposed to tell him? The truth would never do and he wouldn't believe any of my lies, they were never very good anyway.
Harmony didn't know Alex and I were friends, I had kept that from her very carefully. It was easy enough, at sings he sat with everyone so as not to make anyone feel slighted and other then that our social calendars rarely crossed. But now I was beginning to wish she did, at least then she wouldn't keep telling me about him. I didn't want a play by play recount of everything he ever said to her.
"Fetch the dresses Lorelei." She said as she pulled the last bit of hair through and finished the intricate weave of braids she had some how talked my hair into.
I took the dresses carefully from where they hung in the closet and laid them on the bed. The dressmakers had sent them in a protective wrap that couldn't be resealed so neither of us knew what they looked like as I carefully laid them on the bed and broke the seal.
Mine was a light, shimmery blue that somehow put me in mind of pixie dust and in keeping with the latest fashions had only a small train, a square neck and long sleeves. Harmony's was much the same as mine (no one was very imaginative in how they dressed) but her's was silver. The minute she saw them her face got really red and she began to emit this sort of weird energy that made my palms sweat, though in an entirely different way then Alex.
"What?" I asked, fighting the urge to throw down both dresses and run.
"He gave you the blue dress." She said quietly.
And then before I knew what had just happened she had rammed the metal brush into my belly. I toppled to the bed and she went with me. She was so close I could smell her, she smelled like the expensive perfume she had lavished on both of us but beneath that there was a slightly metallic sent. But then her face relaxed and I was sure I had just imagined the sent.
"He gave you the blue dress." She repeated but she was calm again.
"What does that mean?" I asked still a little confused clutching a palm to my bruised belly as she stood up.
"It means that father wants you to marry Alexander, even though I am older." She said matter-o-factly, I didn't have to ask which Alexander she meant.
I thought she was reading to much into it.
"Why do you say that?" I asked sitting up very gently so as not to injure the already forming bruise.
"That shade of blue is Alexander's favorite color." She sighed as if trying to explain this to an exceptionally slow child.
I just sort of half nodded, I guess that made sense.
If I didn't know my sister better I would have thought she had forgiven me, but I did and I knew she would get back at me for this later.
(AN: This is going somewhere I promise! Please review! One really long really nice review can inspire me to write up to a chapter! xoxoxoxo Locke)