(Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!)
The crowd gasped in shock.
People bowed as Arianna ran past, still greatly concerned for the queen.
All Arianna wanted to be was alone. Away from the judgement, away from every aristocrat, away from every royal. Away from humiliation. Away from embarrassment.
Arianna lay down on the grass, breathing heavily. Her throat was dry, and she was thirsty from running.
Just Keep Breathing.
She looked up and saw a sign. 'The Snuggly Duckling' it read.
A place that Arianna knew where Eugene and his mates hung out. More like a bar, or a pub. No place for a queen.
But it was exactly what Arianna needed. It was away from royals. It was away from judgmental beady eyes.
Arianna inhaled deeply and shakily stood up, making her way to the Snuggly Duckling. She feared who might be there to greet her, but she knew she was the mighty Darianna too.
Inhaling deeply, Arianna turned the knob with shaking hands. She leaned against the heavy door as it opened with loud creeeeeeeeak.
Arianna stepped through the door. Instantly, the bar went silent. Every head turned to the queen, angry faces piercing right into her own eyes.
Arianna gulped. "Heh…..hi?"
Everyone blinked.
"Just here for a drink…?" Arianna said awkwardly.
Life returned to the bar and everyone returned to what they were doing.
Arianna awkwardly stumbled over to the bar, breathing heavily. What the hell was she thinking.
"Greetings Your Majesty." A deep voice said behind her. A tall shadow towered over Arianna.
Arianna gasped, she paled, ready to faint. With her heart pounding out of her chest, she slowly turned around, bracing herself for whatever she was about to come face to face with.
"Cupcake?" The voice said.
Arianna blinked. "Attila?!"
Attila was one of pub thugs that always was at the Snuggly Duckling. His broad arms were always visible. He had a tattoo of a cupcake on his right upper arm, due to his love of baking and cooking. He had a large metal helmet that covered his whole face.
"What brings you to The Snuggly Ducking? Can I get you a drink?" He asked.
"O-oh. I don't drink." Arianna said awkwardly.
"I mean tea." Attila said.
"Oh! Heh. Right. That makes a lot more sense."
Through his helmet, Arianna could tell Attila was looking right through her. She obviously didn't look her happy self.
Arianna took off her crown and set it down on the table. At least it would help her blend in.
"Is something bothering you, Your Majesty?"
"What…no. no! Absolutely nothing. Mmhmm."
"Pardon my intervention, but you look skinnier than usual."
"I-I do?!" Arianna replied, slightly shocked at his comment.
"Luckily I just cooked a chicken!" Attila said. He cut off the wing and a leg of the chicken and set it on a clean plate. He spooned some vegetables on the side and set it in front of the queen.
Arianna looked at the food awkwardly, too nervous to argue with Attila, but at the same time, grateful that he had even an ounce of sympathy behind the tough exterior.
"You look like you could use a hot meal. Now eat something and tell me what's wrong."
"I….errrr…." Arianna stammered, but her loud grumbling stomach interrupted her, in a rather unqueenly manner.
"We don't judge here. We all have our hopes and we all have our dreams, much like your daughter. We all have our issues."
At the mention of Rapunzel, Arianna slowly picked up the fork, spooning a piece of chicken into her mouth.
Half of her was afraid she was about to be poisoned, but the other half of her was so ravenous she would eat a horse at this point.
Her hands shook as she chewed the chicken. There was no sudden nausea, she wasn't turning blue and everything seemed fine. Attila really was a good cook, and it gave her a new light on him. A new light on all the thugs in The Snuggly Ducking.
Yes, thugs they were, but they were Corona citizens, just like her, no matter how scary or criminal-like they looked.
Arianna sipped her tea. Strawberry. Her favourite.
"How did you know?" Arianna asked Attila.
"Uh…well you are plastered all over the boxes." Attila held one up.
Arianna blinked. Then she began to laugh hysterically, attracting the attention of everyone in the pub. Her loud laughter echoed through the pub.
She abruptly stopped, putting her hand over mouth. "Oh…excuse me."
"No…no…it was normal. Natural, in fact."
"Natural?" Arianna asked.
"Yes. Natural. We all do it.
"Now…" Attila said, placing a tray down full of freshly made cupcakes. "Tell me what is troubling you, Your Majesty."
Arianna put her cup down, clearly caught off guard by the sudden question. "N-nothing."
"Pardon my comment, Your Majesty, but you really are a terrible liar."
"I beg your pardon!?" Arianna exclaimed, but before she could say anything else, her voice cracked, and she burst into tears.
Attila jumped over to Arianna's side of the counter and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder.
Arianna flinched on contact but was surprised at his empathy. It gave her enough strength to steady her breathing.
"M…My sister, Idunn."
"The one who had the heart attack in the harbour a few days ago? I saw that."
Arianna tensed up at the mention of the event. "Yes…too many people saw her in pain. Too much for me. No one will understand how much emotional pain I'm in! People will try to sympathise, but they'll never get it!"
"Actually…..I do. My best friend John was in a carriage accident. Knocked him straight over. Didn't even see him. One moment he's standing next to me then BAM, he was totally unconscious.
"He was in a coma for two weeks and that was the hardest two weeks of my life. I spoke to him every day. I obviously had no reply, but it helped. When he woke up he told me he heard everything. Everything I said. I used to play the violin by his bedside.
"No matter how bad he looked, it always seemed to calm him. Perhaps you could try the same for Idunn. I've never met her personally, but I'm sure you'll think of something. Something she'd like."
Attila wrapped up four cupcakes and set it down in the queen's hands. "I'd probably put those in the icebox if I were you, when you get back. Give them to your sister when she wakes up."
"I know I'm nothing more than a simple pub thug-baker-cook, but I know everything will be alright, Your Majesty. I am sure of it."
Arianna felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I cannot thank you enough. You have truly humbled me."
Before Attila could reply, the queen pulled him into an unexpected hug.
The bar went silent and everyone looked in their direction.
"It was nothing. Really. You're stronger than you know, and even when you think you don't, you're always welcome here. Now go, be strong and support your sister." Attila replied.
With a cupcake in hand and a wave to the other pub thugs, Arianna caught a carriage back to the castle. Nervously she ran her palms up and her knees and inhaled deeply, nervous about the condition of her sister. If she was safe, if she awake…..if she was alive.
(Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!)
