Chapter 5
We spent the first couple of weeks playing tricks on my brother and his now sweetheart, Cynthia. Gradually, Bran and Cynthia joined in, partly because Bran was too smitten with Cynthia to notice that we were behind the pranks. Cynthia joined in only because Orion and I left a little surprise in her bath water.
Being out in the halls became dangerous because one would never know when a bucket of water would come from the nearest window. Soon a full out war was being fought between siblings. The servants in the castle were soon divided. Mandy and the kitchen crew were on our side because Mandy said, "girl (Cynthia) needs to be put in her place." Loyalties were constantly changing, especially with the knights and squires.
Ella and Char decided that they should keep out of this war because neither could choose who was right. To them we were a source of summer entertainment. That only lasted for the first week, only because Mandy lassoed Ella into joining our side to "teach the princess a lesson" as she worded it. It was more like inflicting torture on little miss bossy.
That left Char on the outside. Poor man was torn between his loyalty to his wife and son, and his daughter. Eventually, Ella knocked some sense into him, only after hitting him on the head with a large frying pan. He had a major headache the next day, but he soon saw the better of being on his son's side. He even got involved with the pranks themselves!
After a month of the war, both sides had not come to a winner. Finally, Orion and I decided to take things into our own hands. It took another week of planning, but finally it was ready. We only needed two things to ensure our success, my brother and Cynthia.
The night before our plan was supposed to be played into action; both Orion and I were up late in Char's study. A map of the castle was spread out on the table before us and we were finishing the last details of our plan. Both of us were in deep concentration when Orion asked:
"What are we going to do to your brother after we catch him?"
I looked at him with a shocked expression. "What do you mean?"
"Are we going to string him up, have him tarred and feathered, torture him?"
"I didn't think about that." I said, looking up at my friend. I really hadn't. Maybe it was because I was so caught up in the moment that I hadn't thought about what came after we finished the war. "How do you punish someone for falling in love with a snob?"
"If anything, this only makes things worse." Orion paused for a moment, trying to think. "This will make him think that he's such a great man because he survived the worst for her. If only we can bring the worst out of her..."
"Tried that." I said. "If Bran can keep fighting this war and not surrender after enduring all of Cynthia's bad moods, they are definitely in love."
"That would not be good at all." Orion said.
"I have a better idea." I said, casting our best plan ever aside.
We spent the first couple of weeks playing tricks on my brother and his now sweetheart, Cynthia. Gradually, Bran and Cynthia joined in, partly because Bran was too smitten with Cynthia to notice that we were behind the pranks. Cynthia joined in only because Orion and I left a little surprise in her bath water.
Being out in the halls became dangerous because one would never know when a bucket of water would come from the nearest window. Soon a full out war was being fought between siblings. The servants in the castle were soon divided. Mandy and the kitchen crew were on our side because Mandy said, "girl (Cynthia) needs to be put in her place." Loyalties were constantly changing, especially with the knights and squires.
Ella and Char decided that they should keep out of this war because neither could choose who was right. To them we were a source of summer entertainment. That only lasted for the first week, only because Mandy lassoed Ella into joining our side to "teach the princess a lesson" as she worded it. It was more like inflicting torture on little miss bossy.
That left Char on the outside. Poor man was torn between his loyalty to his wife and son, and his daughter. Eventually, Ella knocked some sense into him, only after hitting him on the head with a large frying pan. He had a major headache the next day, but he soon saw the better of being on his son's side. He even got involved with the pranks themselves!
After a month of the war, both sides had not come to a winner. Finally, Orion and I decided to take things into our own hands. It took another week of planning, but finally it was ready. We only needed two things to ensure our success, my brother and Cynthia.
The night before our plan was supposed to be played into action; both Orion and I were up late in Char's study. A map of the castle was spread out on the table before us and we were finishing the last details of our plan. Both of us were in deep concentration when Orion asked:
"What are we going to do to your brother after we catch him?"
I looked at him with a shocked expression. "What do you mean?"
"Are we going to string him up, have him tarred and feathered, torture him?"
"I didn't think about that." I said, looking up at my friend. I really hadn't. Maybe it was because I was so caught up in the moment that I hadn't thought about what came after we finished the war. "How do you punish someone for falling in love with a snob?"
"If anything, this only makes things worse." Orion paused for a moment, trying to think. "This will make him think that he's such a great man because he survived the worst for her. If only we can bring the worst out of her..."
"Tried that." I said. "If Bran can keep fighting this war and not surrender after enduring all of Cynthia's bad moods, they are definitely in love."
"That would not be good at all." Orion said.
"I have a better idea." I said, casting our best plan ever aside.