IMPORTANT A/N!-- I will be gone from July 23-31, so there will be no updayes during that time.
Chapter Seven: Freedom's Calling
Yumi awoke the next morning to a loud thunderclap that echoed dully around the stone walls of her vast, empty chamber. Awake with her eyes closed, she heard Aelita enter and light a fire in the hearth. Finally she rose, wincing slightly as her feet touched the cool marble floor.
"I have an idea," she announced from behind Aelita as the younger girl stood, a fire crackling merrily now. It had come to her the night before at the ball.
"An idea for what," the maidservant inquired, moving to make the vacant bed as she spoke. Yumi had always had ideas, most of the prone to causing trouble. Aelita was sure this was no exception, but it was better to hear the Princess out first before commenting.
"On how to get out of here." Yumi moved to the window gazing down as far as possible. Hands on her hips she looked from the bed to the window, measuring with her eyes. The bed was against the wall next to the window. There were at least three sheets on the bed, plus a large comforter and several extra blankets stashed underneath the bed itself in case she should get cold. She gauged the distance from the window to the ground to be about forty feet, and the blankets, large things that they were, probably would cover about thirty feet of that. That left a ten-foot drop from Yumi to reckon with. "Don't bother making the bed now Aelita."
Aelita looked up at her, clearly shocked. "But it's so high," she gushed, having caught on as soon as she saw Yumi by the window. "And that storm...! You can't!"
"I'll need one of your dresses," the Princess continued, obviously pretending not to have heard. "All of mine are too fancy I'm afraid." She moved into Aelita's chamber as she spoke, emerging with a plain dress that any village girl would wear. "This will do."
The maid watched in detached horror as the Princess began tying the sheets together to form one long rope. Yumi tied one end to the bedpost and dragged the rest over to the window. Abandoning it for a moment, she slipped out of her nightgown and into the dress selected from Aelita's closet. "This is madness," she choked out finally, "pure madness!"
Yumi gave her a wry smile. "Well, they do say that there's a fine line between genius and insanity." The dress was simple, a white peasant top giving way to a dark green skirt. It was more comfortable than any of Yumi's own dresses, and she found herself enjoying the freedom of movement it allowed.
"Shouldn't you at least wait until nightfall," Aelita cried as Yumi started towards the window, hurrying towards the older girl. "To leave now would be foolish! Especially with that storm, you'll catch a dreadful cold if you go out in that rain!"
"I'm not staying one more minute in this awful French court," declared the Princess. "Oh, now, don't worry so much, Aelita. I'll be fine, even if I have to live out the rest of my days as a village girl. Besides, the storm is going to let up soon anyway, it's been going for an hour or two already, it can't last too much longer." With that, Yumi thrust open the windows and threw the coil of sheets-turned-rope over the edge into the rain.
Not looking back, Yumi grabbed the rope and slowly lowered herself down into the rain. She 'oofed' slightly when she dropped to the ground. As Aelita watched anxiously from the window, Yumi ran towards the castle wall. Fingering the slick stone, she scaled the wall with slight difficulty due to the wetness, but made it to the top, disappearing over the other side into the dawn. The whole escape took little more than five minutes.
Suddenly the full impact of what had just happened hit the young maidservant. Dashing towards the door, she threw them open with a swift cry of "Ulrich, Odd,"---
---And found herself face-to-face with Prince Jeremie with one hand raised, poised to knock. Off to either side, Odd and Ulrich could be heard chuckling lowly. Aelita stepped outside, quickly pulling the doors shut behind her to prevent him seeing into the empty room.
"Ah, um, Your Highness," Aelita managed, feeling the blush creep up into her cheeks. "What brings you here?" 'Not now,' she screamed metally at him.
"I wanted to speak with the Princess," he said. "Is something wrong?" He watched keenly as the maid visibly paled. Odd and Ulrich noticed too, and the muffled laughter stopped.
"Of course not, why on earth would anything be wrong, my Lord?" This was said a little too loudly from the surge of adrenaline. aelita knew how fake it sounded, but it was too late to take it back now.
"Well then, I would like to see her. Please let me pass." Jeremie moved to go around Aelita, who in turn moved to block his path. He moved the other way and forward a bit, trying to duck in, and she moved again to block him, consequently pressing their bodies together.
Fighting the imminent blush, Aelita stammered out an excuse. "The Lady is still in bed, Sire, and it wouldn't be proper for you to see her."
The Prince stared at her. She was at eye level with him, making it hard to break eye contact in their present condition. This proved uncomfortable for the both of the, so eventually he sighed and spoke."Very well. I shall return later to see her." He turned and left, striding off the corridor, his feet making quiet shuffling noises.
As soon as he was out of earshot the guards wheeled on her, eyes wide and faces anxious. "What's wrong?!" Odd asked as he bore down on her.
"Is the Princess okay," Ulrich pressed, looking fearful.
In response Aelita swung open the doors and allowed the men to enter. Taking in the scene immediately, both guards rushed to the window and looked down at the rain-soaked sheets that were slapping an uneven rythm on the carved stone wall.
"She's gone then," Odd asked, turning to face Aelita, who gave a nod in agreement, not capapble of words at the moment.
"We have to go after her," voiced Ulrich, still staring vacantly out the window.
"You go," Odd told him. "Aelita and I will remain here and try to keep people out of this room. If anyone find out we'll all get in trouble."
Ulrich nodded once, giving Odd a grateful smile. Then he leapt over the window ledge and slide down the rope, taking off across the lawn the second he touched the ground.
"Are you worried about her?" Aelita realized the question was meant for her, and she turned to Odd slowly and nodded. "It'll be okay. If anyone can bring her back it's Ulrich."
"I hope you're right," Aelita whispered as she moved to look out the window, watching the sky as the storm cleared up and the morning started to break free into sunlight.
Chapter Seven: Freedom's Calling
Yumi awoke the next morning to a loud thunderclap that echoed dully around the stone walls of her vast, empty chamber. Awake with her eyes closed, she heard Aelita enter and light a fire in the hearth. Finally she rose, wincing slightly as her feet touched the cool marble floor.
"I have an idea," she announced from behind Aelita as the younger girl stood, a fire crackling merrily now. It had come to her the night before at the ball.
"An idea for what," the maidservant inquired, moving to make the vacant bed as she spoke. Yumi had always had ideas, most of the prone to causing trouble. Aelita was sure this was no exception, but it was better to hear the Princess out first before commenting.
"On how to get out of here." Yumi moved to the window gazing down as far as possible. Hands on her hips she looked from the bed to the window, measuring with her eyes. The bed was against the wall next to the window. There were at least three sheets on the bed, plus a large comforter and several extra blankets stashed underneath the bed itself in case she should get cold. She gauged the distance from the window to the ground to be about forty feet, and the blankets, large things that they were, probably would cover about thirty feet of that. That left a ten-foot drop from Yumi to reckon with. "Don't bother making the bed now Aelita."
Aelita looked up at her, clearly shocked. "But it's so high," she gushed, having caught on as soon as she saw Yumi by the window. "And that storm...! You can't!"
"I'll need one of your dresses," the Princess continued, obviously pretending not to have heard. "All of mine are too fancy I'm afraid." She moved into Aelita's chamber as she spoke, emerging with a plain dress that any village girl would wear. "This will do."
The maid watched in detached horror as the Princess began tying the sheets together to form one long rope. Yumi tied one end to the bedpost and dragged the rest over to the window. Abandoning it for a moment, she slipped out of her nightgown and into the dress selected from Aelita's closet. "This is madness," she choked out finally, "pure madness!"
Yumi gave her a wry smile. "Well, they do say that there's a fine line between genius and insanity." The dress was simple, a white peasant top giving way to a dark green skirt. It was more comfortable than any of Yumi's own dresses, and she found herself enjoying the freedom of movement it allowed.
"Shouldn't you at least wait until nightfall," Aelita cried as Yumi started towards the window, hurrying towards the older girl. "To leave now would be foolish! Especially with that storm, you'll catch a dreadful cold if you go out in that rain!"
"I'm not staying one more minute in this awful French court," declared the Princess. "Oh, now, don't worry so much, Aelita. I'll be fine, even if I have to live out the rest of my days as a village girl. Besides, the storm is going to let up soon anyway, it's been going for an hour or two already, it can't last too much longer." With that, Yumi thrust open the windows and threw the coil of sheets-turned-rope over the edge into the rain.
Not looking back, Yumi grabbed the rope and slowly lowered herself down into the rain. She 'oofed' slightly when she dropped to the ground. As Aelita watched anxiously from the window, Yumi ran towards the castle wall. Fingering the slick stone, she scaled the wall with slight difficulty due to the wetness, but made it to the top, disappearing over the other side into the dawn. The whole escape took little more than five minutes.
Suddenly the full impact of what had just happened hit the young maidservant. Dashing towards the door, she threw them open with a swift cry of "Ulrich, Odd,"---
---And found herself face-to-face with Prince Jeremie with one hand raised, poised to knock. Off to either side, Odd and Ulrich could be heard chuckling lowly. Aelita stepped outside, quickly pulling the doors shut behind her to prevent him seeing into the empty room.
"Ah, um, Your Highness," Aelita managed, feeling the blush creep up into her cheeks. "What brings you here?" 'Not now,' she screamed metally at him.
"I wanted to speak with the Princess," he said. "Is something wrong?" He watched keenly as the maid visibly paled. Odd and Ulrich noticed too, and the muffled laughter stopped.
"Of course not, why on earth would anything be wrong, my Lord?" This was said a little too loudly from the surge of adrenaline. aelita knew how fake it sounded, but it was too late to take it back now.
"Well then, I would like to see her. Please let me pass." Jeremie moved to go around Aelita, who in turn moved to block his path. He moved the other way and forward a bit, trying to duck in, and she moved again to block him, consequently pressing their bodies together.
Fighting the imminent blush, Aelita stammered out an excuse. "The Lady is still in bed, Sire, and it wouldn't be proper for you to see her."
The Prince stared at her. She was at eye level with him, making it hard to break eye contact in their present condition. This proved uncomfortable for the both of the, so eventually he sighed and spoke."Very well. I shall return later to see her." He turned and left, striding off the corridor, his feet making quiet shuffling noises.
As soon as he was out of earshot the guards wheeled on her, eyes wide and faces anxious. "What's wrong?!" Odd asked as he bore down on her.
"Is the Princess okay," Ulrich pressed, looking fearful.
In response Aelita swung open the doors and allowed the men to enter. Taking in the scene immediately, both guards rushed to the window and looked down at the rain-soaked sheets that were slapping an uneven rythm on the carved stone wall.
"She's gone then," Odd asked, turning to face Aelita, who gave a nod in agreement, not capapble of words at the moment.
"We have to go after her," voiced Ulrich, still staring vacantly out the window.
"You go," Odd told him. "Aelita and I will remain here and try to keep people out of this room. If anyone find out we'll all get in trouble."
Ulrich nodded once, giving Odd a grateful smile. Then he leapt over the window ledge and slide down the rope, taking off across the lawn the second he touched the ground.
"Are you worried about her?" Aelita realized the question was meant for her, and she turned to Odd slowly and nodded. "It'll be okay. If anyone can bring her back it's Ulrich."
"I hope you're right," Aelita whispered as she moved to look out the window, watching the sky as the storm cleared up and the morning started to break free into sunlight.