Disclaimer- I own nothing.
Chapter two is fluffier than the first. Just Steerpike entertaining Fuchsia with a game.
"What are you, lady Fuchsia?"
"I'm a princess!" She had called in return, sweeping her long skirts about her feet and twirling in a dance. "Can't you see? Here is my gown-" she said, draping a long sheet around her shoulders, "and here is my castle!". She jumped onto the bed, sending pillows flying. "What are you?"
He grabbed the dark throw off an armchair, made a hooded cape with it, lunged for her ankles, crying, "I am the evil wizard, come to steal you away!"
"Why?" she squealed, leaping off the bed and flinging open the little door that led to her playroom.
"Because," he called, chasing her up the narrow staircase, "You are far too beautiful for anyone else to see you but me!"
He swooped up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, spinning her round, met with shrieks of fear and delight. He carried her all the way up the little staircase and set her on the balcony landing, pretending to lock a door.
"Now you're trapped for ever" he told her, and took some small, sick joy from the look of anguish across her face. He tiptoed back down the stone staircase in a villain's crawl, an evil smirk around his lips.
She began to cry, stamping her feet on the floor. "Oh, no!"
He ducked behind a chair, and came back up again without the chair-throw cloak, instead clutching a length of wood in his hand.
"What are you now?" she asked, turning off her tears immediately and leaning over the balcony's ledge to peer down, her long dark hair falling around her face.
"I'm your dashing prince, come to save you," he told her proudly, and she beamed, clapping her hands together.
"Oh, good!"
"But here comes the evil wizard!" He bellowed, pointing to a spot a little way off, thin air only. She gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth. "Don't let him kill you!"
And here- here he staged an elaborate swordfight between himself and the imaginary, lunging with his wooden sword, light on his feet as a dancer, avoiding the make-believe weapon of another.
Lunge, step, clatter.
His sword fell to the floor, he stumbled backwards, clutching his shirtless chest, his face wrought in an expression of pain.
Fuchsia gasped again, leaning right over the ledge. "Oh no, Steerpike!"
But he was on his feet again, and with his wooden weapon in hand he made one final lunge and let out a cry of triumph.
Fuchsia cheered, laughing, "good! Now, come and save me!"
He bound up the staircase towards her, his long legs taking him three steps at a time. He pretended to break off the lock and fling the door open.
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "My prince saved me!" she laughed, and he clung back just as tight.
"I braved great dangers for you, my lady." He told her modestly as he led her down the stairs. "As well as defeated the wizard, I have slain a dragon, overcome two witches, and flown on the back of a great white eagle .All for you."
She glowed, tears of happiness shining in her large dark eyes. The weakness of his knees was nothing to do with taking three steps at a time. She went to hug him again, but he flinched and withdrew.
"Have you hurt yourself?" She asked, deep concern in her beautiful face.
"Yes- I was stabbed-" he pointed to his chest, near his heart, "-here."
"Shall I kiss it better?"
"You would do me an honour, lady Fuchsia." He said softly, meaning every word.
She glanced up at him, unsure for just a minute, and then stepped forward and brushed her lips over his heart. Once, twice.
"Thank you." He said. She smiled.
There was a most wonderful, serious pause.
Then, there was a loud knocking on the door. Nanny Slagg's voice drifted up into the room.
"Lady Fuchsia! Lady Fuchsia, you wicked girl!"
Fuchsia stamped her foot again, calling back, "Go away, Nanny!"
"I heard screaming!" came the indignant reply. "It sounded like someone was being killed. That awful boy isn't up there with you, is he? That kitchen filth?"
Fuchsia would have cried back, "No Nanny, go away!", but she couldn't speak for laughing. Steerpike, his back bent, was doing a wonderfully crude impression of the old woman, waggling his finger in her direction and shaking his head.
Then he stood up straight again and aimed his middle finger towards the general direction of the old hag's voice. Fuchsia gasped, but he swept her up again and spun her round till she was too dizzy to stand straight.
"My beautiful queen!" he cried, changing the spin into a dance, "My lady Fuchsia!"
"Yes!" she agreed dizzily, still laughing, she asked him, "who are you being now?"
"I am being your entertainer, madam. Your humble servant."
"Don't be that." She told him. He paused, and then asked,
"Who shall I be for you, my lady?"
She glanced at him, and then in a moment of sudden sureness, and defiance to everyone, she leant against his shoulder and said quietly,
"be Steerpike."