Chapter 6- From the frying pan to the fire
When I find myself in time of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness,
She is standing right in front of me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be.
And when the night is clouded,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine until tomorrow,
Let it be, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be,
--Let it be (The Beatles)
"Mathew was right, you're beautiful." Alex complemented me as I twirled quickly to allow him to see the full effect of my dress. "And that color looks good on you."
I wish Harmony thought so, if she did my stomach wouldn't be hurting so badly.
I could never tell if Alex meant complements but this time it sounded more sincere then usual. It wasn't uncommon for older courtiers to have a close guard on their emotions and reactions but it was sad to see in someone my own age. He was impeccably polite and very nice but Areida had told me one of those slow afternoons I spent absorbing her feminine knowledge and enjoying her company he had very few friends.
"Ella worries about him and I have to agree, he's to much like Char for his own good." She had laughed then but that hadn't made sense to me.
"I thought the king was nice." I had protested.
"Of course Char's nice but he and Alex are to noble for their own good. You and my son are the best thing that ever happened to him, but put yourself in his shoes for a moment Lei." She had commanded. "What are the stipulations of being first in line to the throne?"
Dutifully I had closed my eyes and imagined I was Alex. It was an interesting experience. "Well I guess that I would be in danger of assassination." I had said finally.
"Yes, I guess that would be scary but what about the other children who don't want to play with you because they're worried they'll offend you. How do you react when everyone is distant and formal around you?" She had pointed out.
I had opened my eyes quickly, even now it would be horrible, and at six it would have killed me.
I returned to the present and smiled, Alex also looked more handsome then usual in a simple but elegant set of white poet's shirt and dark blue breeches. It made me glad I was wearing gloves. My light blue shoes had high heels and the provided me with a good inch but still only brought the top of my head to eye level, usually it came to his chin.
"Thank you good sir." I joked showing him my best curtsey and ruining the effect by wobbling. "By the way have you seen Mathew?" I asked nonchalantly once I had gotten back my balance. I hadn't seen him sense I had yelled at him last night and it was eating at my consciousness.
"No I haven't." Alex sounded surprised, usually Mathew and I acted like we were tied together, we were rarely out of shouting distance from each other.
I didn't want to tell Alex that Mathew and I were fighting and he was to polite to ask about the puzzlement.
"Well I need to tell him something, tell him if you see him?" I asked.
Alex nodded, he had to go sit with some stiff courtiers during most of the sing so it was rather unlikely that he would see Mathew, but still the slightest chance would be better then nothing.
I got a cup of the spiced and sparkling juice that was always served at sings and wandered around looking for my (hopefully) friend. I found him sitting by himself near a fire, perched on a puffy ottoman. "Hey." I greeted him meekly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hey." He said not really looking up at me.
I took a deep breath and sighed. No one liked to apologize but Mathew deserved it, I had been totally horrible to him earlier. "Look Mathew, I'm really sorry about last night, it was late and I was tired. I didn't mean what I said." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
Mathew thought about that for a moment and then looked up at me and smiled, a wide, happy smile. "What are you talking about?" He asked.
I grinned, a sense of calm washing over me. I felt the muscles in my stomach relax as the knot of tension they had been holding dissipated. I collapsed into a nearby overstuffed chair.
I don't remember falling asleep but I must have because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Mathew. I sat up quickly.
"Wake up Lei they're doing the last song." He said urgently.
As custom dictated I had to sing the last song with my family. I was a little tired and bleary eyed from sleep as I tried desperately to locate father and Harmony but try as I might they were no where in sight. Mathew, his father and Areida hands gently clasped together were rocking slowly back and forth a few feet from me. A tiny pulsing of jealousy shot through my being but I shook it off, I couldn't begrudge Mathew his parents, he more then deserved them.
I spotted Alex too, standing looking a little forlorn amongst the people who all had their family about them looking so happy and I realized how much he must miss his own parents. But his face brightened when he saw that I could find my family and he held out his hands. Without a thought in my head I had cleared the distance between us and taken his hands.
You learn a lot about someone when you sing with them. Alex's voice was deep and well rounded, it sounded much like his father's laugh. He was not he best of singers and he didn't know all the word but it was somehow better then singing with Harmony and father.
The song wound down slowly much to my regret, it was nice to just sing with him. Over his shoulder I saw something that made my hear stand still with fear, Harmony was looking at us with the utmost malice. Instinctively I dropped his warm hands and ran for the exit. No one noticed as they were all busy with their families as I ran as quickly as I could on the impractical shoes.
In our younger years Mathew and I had set out to map the entirety of the castle but after the first forty rooms, the magic and adventure had gone out of it so we gave up. But the experience had given me a clear view of how big the castle was and how easy it would be to get lost in it so I didn't venture to far into it before I sat down against the hall wall.
I decided that I would just wait for morning when everyone would be sleeping before leaving for home, there was a chance that Harmony might have gotten over it by then, but it was a very remote chance.
I was surprised when I heard footsteps coming towards me but I was even more surprised when Alex rounded the corner. He had come after me, I was in worse trouble then I thought, Harmony was sure to have noticed and that would just make her more angry with me.
"What's wrong?" He asked a hint of panic in his voice.
"Nothing, I was just feeling closed in? You ever feel like that?" I asked praying to anyone who was listening that he would believe me.
"Well next time tell me and we can leave, you scared me." He reprimanded me. I nodded my agreement. "I didn't know you could run that fast on those shoes." He snorted.
"You've underestimated me good sir." I raised a curved eyebrow.
"Apparently." He laughed outright.
He was looking around the hall at this point with apparent fascination. "What?" I asked, I had been in this hall a thousand times playing hide-and-go-seek with Mathew as children.
"Well this architecture is phenomenal, is the rest of the palace like this?" He asked. "I haven't been able to see much but the courtroom and banquet hall."
"I suppose so, we could go look if you'd like." I offered.
"Could we?" He sounded so excited that it almost made this worth the beating I would receive from my sister.
"We can but we'll have to think of some way not to get lost." I cautioned.
A nearby room produced a roll of thick twine that hadn't been eaten by mice, which we fastened around the waist of a nearby statue of a singing goddess. "What shall we do if she follows us?" I giggled.
"We'll ask her the way back of course." He replied, sharing my joke.
We wandered though many rooms, most of them in disrepair but still holding traces of lost beauty. But finally we arrived at a staircase that looked as if it had been used not long ago, the carpet was still intact and the rail polished. "We must be near the inhabited parts." I said slightly awe struck at the room.
It was huge and as I spoke the sound reverberated back to me from the high domed ceiling. The oak-paneled walls were bedeck with pictures and half charred torches which we didn't bother to light because the morning sun was spilling in through the skylight at the top of the dome and illuminating the room. But the staircase was surpassed anything else in the room, sweeping up to meet our balcony it was broad and long and beautiful.
"Lei, would you like to slide?" Alex asked a look of painful hope on his face.
(AN: Well what do you think will happen? Did that ch. Suck? Is it lame? Should I trash this whole story? Review!!!)
When I find myself in time of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness,
She is standing right in front of me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be.
And when the night is clouded,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine until tomorrow,
Let it be, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be, let it be,
--Let it be (The Beatles)
"Mathew was right, you're beautiful." Alex complemented me as I twirled quickly to allow him to see the full effect of my dress. "And that color looks good on you."
I wish Harmony thought so, if she did my stomach wouldn't be hurting so badly.
I could never tell if Alex meant complements but this time it sounded more sincere then usual. It wasn't uncommon for older courtiers to have a close guard on their emotions and reactions but it was sad to see in someone my own age. He was impeccably polite and very nice but Areida had told me one of those slow afternoons I spent absorbing her feminine knowledge and enjoying her company he had very few friends.
"Ella worries about him and I have to agree, he's to much like Char for his own good." She had laughed then but that hadn't made sense to me.
"I thought the king was nice." I had protested.
"Of course Char's nice but he and Alex are to noble for their own good. You and my son are the best thing that ever happened to him, but put yourself in his shoes for a moment Lei." She had commanded. "What are the stipulations of being first in line to the throne?"
Dutifully I had closed my eyes and imagined I was Alex. It was an interesting experience. "Well I guess that I would be in danger of assassination." I had said finally.
"Yes, I guess that would be scary but what about the other children who don't want to play with you because they're worried they'll offend you. How do you react when everyone is distant and formal around you?" She had pointed out.
I had opened my eyes quickly, even now it would be horrible, and at six it would have killed me.
I returned to the present and smiled, Alex also looked more handsome then usual in a simple but elegant set of white poet's shirt and dark blue breeches. It made me glad I was wearing gloves. My light blue shoes had high heels and the provided me with a good inch but still only brought the top of my head to eye level, usually it came to his chin.
"Thank you good sir." I joked showing him my best curtsey and ruining the effect by wobbling. "By the way have you seen Mathew?" I asked nonchalantly once I had gotten back my balance. I hadn't seen him sense I had yelled at him last night and it was eating at my consciousness.
"No I haven't." Alex sounded surprised, usually Mathew and I acted like we were tied together, we were rarely out of shouting distance from each other.
I didn't want to tell Alex that Mathew and I were fighting and he was to polite to ask about the puzzlement.
"Well I need to tell him something, tell him if you see him?" I asked.
Alex nodded, he had to go sit with some stiff courtiers during most of the sing so it was rather unlikely that he would see Mathew, but still the slightest chance would be better then nothing.
I got a cup of the spiced and sparkling juice that was always served at sings and wandered around looking for my (hopefully) friend. I found him sitting by himself near a fire, perched on a puffy ottoman. "Hey." I greeted him meekly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hey." He said not really looking up at me.
I took a deep breath and sighed. No one liked to apologize but Mathew deserved it, I had been totally horrible to him earlier. "Look Mathew, I'm really sorry about last night, it was late and I was tired. I didn't mean what I said." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
Mathew thought about that for a moment and then looked up at me and smiled, a wide, happy smile. "What are you talking about?" He asked.
I grinned, a sense of calm washing over me. I felt the muscles in my stomach relax as the knot of tension they had been holding dissipated. I collapsed into a nearby overstuffed chair.
I don't remember falling asleep but I must have because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Mathew. I sat up quickly.
"Wake up Lei they're doing the last song." He said urgently.
As custom dictated I had to sing the last song with my family. I was a little tired and bleary eyed from sleep as I tried desperately to locate father and Harmony but try as I might they were no where in sight. Mathew, his father and Areida hands gently clasped together were rocking slowly back and forth a few feet from me. A tiny pulsing of jealousy shot through my being but I shook it off, I couldn't begrudge Mathew his parents, he more then deserved them.
I spotted Alex too, standing looking a little forlorn amongst the people who all had their family about them looking so happy and I realized how much he must miss his own parents. But his face brightened when he saw that I could find my family and he held out his hands. Without a thought in my head I had cleared the distance between us and taken his hands.
You learn a lot about someone when you sing with them. Alex's voice was deep and well rounded, it sounded much like his father's laugh. He was not he best of singers and he didn't know all the word but it was somehow better then singing with Harmony and father.
The song wound down slowly much to my regret, it was nice to just sing with him. Over his shoulder I saw something that made my hear stand still with fear, Harmony was looking at us with the utmost malice. Instinctively I dropped his warm hands and ran for the exit. No one noticed as they were all busy with their families as I ran as quickly as I could on the impractical shoes.
In our younger years Mathew and I had set out to map the entirety of the castle but after the first forty rooms, the magic and adventure had gone out of it so we gave up. But the experience had given me a clear view of how big the castle was and how easy it would be to get lost in it so I didn't venture to far into it before I sat down against the hall wall.
I decided that I would just wait for morning when everyone would be sleeping before leaving for home, there was a chance that Harmony might have gotten over it by then, but it was a very remote chance.
I was surprised when I heard footsteps coming towards me but I was even more surprised when Alex rounded the corner. He had come after me, I was in worse trouble then I thought, Harmony was sure to have noticed and that would just make her more angry with me.
"What's wrong?" He asked a hint of panic in his voice.
"Nothing, I was just feeling closed in? You ever feel like that?" I asked praying to anyone who was listening that he would believe me.
"Well next time tell me and we can leave, you scared me." He reprimanded me. I nodded my agreement. "I didn't know you could run that fast on those shoes." He snorted.
"You've underestimated me good sir." I raised a curved eyebrow.
"Apparently." He laughed outright.
He was looking around the hall at this point with apparent fascination. "What?" I asked, I had been in this hall a thousand times playing hide-and-go-seek with Mathew as children.
"Well this architecture is phenomenal, is the rest of the palace like this?" He asked. "I haven't been able to see much but the courtroom and banquet hall."
"I suppose so, we could go look if you'd like." I offered.
"Could we?" He sounded so excited that it almost made this worth the beating I would receive from my sister.
"We can but we'll have to think of some way not to get lost." I cautioned.
A nearby room produced a roll of thick twine that hadn't been eaten by mice, which we fastened around the waist of a nearby statue of a singing goddess. "What shall we do if she follows us?" I giggled.
"We'll ask her the way back of course." He replied, sharing my joke.
We wandered though many rooms, most of them in disrepair but still holding traces of lost beauty. But finally we arrived at a staircase that looked as if it had been used not long ago, the carpet was still intact and the rail polished. "We must be near the inhabited parts." I said slightly awe struck at the room.
It was huge and as I spoke the sound reverberated back to me from the high domed ceiling. The oak-paneled walls were bedeck with pictures and half charred torches which we didn't bother to light because the morning sun was spilling in through the skylight at the top of the dome and illuminating the room. But the staircase was surpassed anything else in the room, sweeping up to meet our balcony it was broad and long and beautiful.
"Lei, would you like to slide?" Alex asked a look of painful hope on his face.
(AN: Well what do you think will happen? Did that ch. Suck? Is it lame? Should I trash this whole story? Review!!!)