• • •
"Fez!"
The mouse turned to see the Abbot going at a brisk jog across the Great Hall after him, under the colorful palette the stain glassed window threw over the floor in the afternoon sun, trying her best to keep her dignity of an Abbot. Judging by the sound of his voice, Fez decided that there was something afoot here and that he was about to be grilled about a certain rumor.
"I didn't do it!"
The Abbot reached Fezz, his arms folded in the sleeves to portray a more reverent appearance, "If you did not want me to inquire if you were up to something, I can be certain that was not the statement to make. What didn't you do?"
"Absolutely nothing, in the opposite form."
"Meaning something."
Fezz put an expression of pure honesty upon his face and gasped, "My dear Abbot, how dare you say that statement, my associates and I are involved in nothing of the sort, especially not 'something'."
Abbot's footpaw tapped against the cool stones of the Great Hall floor, the echoes carrying the sound to noise that chipped away at the nerves. As an Abbot, you need to have tactics like that, especially when dealing with a fool like Fezz. The innocence sank on the fool's expression with every tapping sound until even his jester hat was quailing.
"How did you know?"
"Instinct..."
A sound of another beast entering the room interrupted her, the sound of Molvo waltzing in, presenting a sight no one would ever predict. "Hullo Abbot. Is not today the most wonderful of days?"
Both Fezz and Abbot were slightly taken aback by the overly wide, evidently forced smile on the usually gloomy squirrel's face. He practically skipped across the room in their direction, keeping that almost creepy smile in full, face-filling scale. One would think at first glance that there were something dreadfully wrong with his mouth for it to be in that grimace of a smile. As Molvo got closer, they noticed the other thing weird about him despite his current behavior. It appeared that his tail, held high and proud, was the shade of a springtide yellow.
"Where is the wonderful Olivia?" Molvo asked, in a horribly cheerful voice.
"...ur...orchard..." the Abbot managed. Fezz meanwhile bit his lip to keep from bursting, tears flowing down his cheeks.
Molvo skipped by them, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful..."
When he exited the doors, Fezz fell to the floor, laughing hysterically. The Abbot himself giggled as he tried to scold the mouse, "Yes, see, I know that either you're up to something, or Molvo is now one tree short of a forest."
• • •
The blade hit Ces's heart, straight on it, he had lost,
"I think that covers it for swordplay today, eh?" said Duke, pulling back his practice sword from Ces, who rapidly repositioned his clothes for some reason, "You have fleas in the ol' shirt there?"
"No, no, just a scratch, a button loose, you know, temperamental clothing strike, nothing."
"Oh, I understand," he said in a voice that said he didn't. That awkward onslaught returned on his stomach like a trout was alive and thrashing in there, it had come a lot more lately after he had confronted Ces about Oliva, and it's source scared him. He pushed it away again, refusing to think about it, or even consider it. He replaced this awkwardness with another drive in the direction of Olivia.
"You must go to her again."
"Who?"
"Olivia, my heart wants her as a resident forever and it will not be appeased if I do not make another effort. I know from my mind that this might be in vain but my heart does not know it. You must try again and return that bracelet of which you were given."
That may have been the thing that Ces never ever wanted to hear. Olivia wanted Ces to return the bracelet and Ces didn't want to find out what would happen if he encountered that squirrelmaid again. The Violet in him cringed at the possibilities.
"Please, make another attempt at my proclamation of love to her."
Ces's grip on the sword failed and it clattered to the floor.
Unwillingly, he answered, "I'll go."
• • •
"Olivia."
The squirrelmaid woke up from her dream, she had been asleep under a tree in the orchard, the contents of the dream fleeted as she saw the face of Molvo above her. This confused her, or at least the odd smile confused her. It was a long moment, as she didn't know how to react to this new form of Molvo.
"Is anything wrong?"
"No, in fact, look at my yellow tail."
The black squirrel's now yellow tail threw Olivia even further into confusion. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it, closed it again.
"Are you left speechless by my devotion?"
"So that's what you call this."
"Yes, devotion, devotion for you, devotion for every fiber of your being."
Olivia pulled at a whisker to figure out if she was still sleeping because if she was, this was the weirdest dream yet. Unfortunately, she didn't wake up.
"Please, I read your letter and it told of what you required so that you would accept my love."
Olivia suddenly felt as if someone had hit her in the stomach, "What? What letter?" She was on her feet now.
"Oh, do not be so bold to deny it fair maiden."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It is no shame to fall for the figure that looked after you since Dibbunhood." He moved to embrace her.
Olivia's paw slapped the black squirrel across the face, with a bit more power behind it than she meant to, therefore knocking Molvo to the ground. She knelt next to him, "Oh, I'm sorry Molvo, I thought that you were delirious. I didn't mean to hit you like that."
"Ah, any mistake can be healed by a kiss," Molvo groaned and moved to do just that.
Olivia slapped him again, this time into unconsciousness.
• • •
As Violet neared the Abbey, her thoughts spinning at what to do. She couldn't even think of the right words to describe the situation in which she found herself intertwined. He tried to speak it aloud to see if it made anymore sense away from the muddle noise of her mind. "It is a puzzle of solving, to have love strung across the realms of hearts in this fashion. I did not mean it to happen, the Fates must have, for the moment I entered Duke's house and saw his face I should have knew it. I didn't see it though and now I love him, and he loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Ces who is also I. Oh, woe is my life."
"It certainly is mate," a voice agreed.
Violet jumped at seeing the presence of an otter walking next to her, an otter she had met before when Fezz had first brought her to Duke's dwelling, Valentine, Duke's closest friend.
"Valentine, I...my mouth does not know what the tongue should do, what matter of words could cover this mistake, I..."
"No worries Violet, Fezz told me all of your trials and secrets when you first arrived. You should have no fear of what my ears have just witnessed. I hope that you can consider this crusty otter as a friend in your turmoil."
A rush of relief fell over her mind like a silvery veil, "So you will not tell the Duke."
"Of course he won't, he is a pal of the most wondrous fools and he would not dare to upset his more jovial of companions."
Violet jumped again at the presence of Fezz walking along the other side of her. "Are you two trying to halt the heart of a turmoiled squirrel?"
"Lackaday, never would be ever mean to do just trickery at the sacrifice of a beauty," Fezz place a shocked look on his maw, "No, we stumbled upon you as we were discussing the currents of events of where trouble a-brewing."
"In my opinion, I think that secrets should be revealed Violet, or Ces, whichever title you prefer."
"For now, at least, I think I should stay as Ces, for my heart is still confused on where I should go and this mask over my true identity is what is keeping me steady, helping me to find the true path I should take."
The mouse and otter gave each other a look.
"As a wise fool I must say, that made as much sense to us as an otter marrying a fish, fair maiden."
Violet sighed, "It made sense to I and my heart, that is what matters."
Valentine shrugged and chuckled, a wide smile spreading across his whiskered face, "Well, I must head to see how the Duke is doing, best of luck on your message duties, the quivers in my whiskers tell me yer going to need it mate."
"And I cannot avoid opportunity in the infirmary so I shall run ahead fair maid," Fezz announced, bowing before heading down the path in a quick jog, his hat flopping about as he did.
This felt Violet on the dusty path, alone again with only her thoughts to accompany her. It occurred to her she didn't inquire from either of them of the reason for their fears and suggestion. Whatever it was, she figured she was to find out soon enough.