Well..." Touya chirped as he swung one of his long legs over to take a seat at the table with his two companions, "mommy's pendant fetched us a pretty penny indeed!"
Samuel slid a tankard of ale over to him and raised a questioning eyebrow. "How much?"
Touya sipped his drink, eyes going from Samuel to Calliope. When the tankard came back down, it revealed smirking, wet lips. He leant forwards and beckoned them closer, tongue swiping at the froth left on his top lip. "3000 gold," he whispered, eyes twinkling in the lamplight of the gloomy tavern.
Samuel exhaled, shaking his head and taking a long swig of his mead.
Calliope managed a weak smile, torn between two emotions. 3000 gold was more than enough to keep the three of them more than comfortable for the next month or longer, if they were smart about it. Yet, it saddened her that the only tangible thing she possessed from her late mother was now gone. She remembered what she had told the boys; her mother left her more important things like her nimble limbs and her gentle hands.
"So?" Touya grinned, clapping his own together. "Who's hungry?"
And after beckoning over the pretty bargirl who had been eyeing up Touya from the moment he walked through the door, the merchant had ordered enough food and drink to fill their small table.
Calliope didn't fail to mention that he shouldn't act so brashly- their wealth needed to remain a low profile. But once the steaming food hit the table, Calliope couldn't help but dive in- the chicken and fresh vegetables sure beat fruitcake and bread.
They ate their fill while envious, curious eyes watched them. But with more than enough food left over, those around the bar who looked mutinous were soon mollified once Touya started handed out the leftovers.
However, there was one person who's face remained a disapproving scowl. It was that of a bard, notable from his red, feathered hat and the lute swung across his back. He appeared next to their table once Touya was reseated and glared down at him.
"You. Merchant." He sneered.
Despite his frowning face, Calliope thought him a handsome fellow, with his feathery, golden locks and eyes like candlelight.
Touya raised his head to look at him too and was equally frowning, though more in confusion than distaste. "Can I help you?" He droned.
The bard's face dropped closer to Touya's. When he reached into his pocket, Calliope feared he was about to pull a blade on him. Instead, he produced what looked like a rotten twig.
"This!" He spat, tossing the item on the table in front of them.
Both Calliope and Samuel watched it tumble next to Touya's tankard. Upon closer inspection, Calliope recognised the peculiar object to be that of a shrivelled chicken's foot. The princess heard the jester beside her stifle a laugh, disguising the sound as a splutter on his mead.
"The charm you sold me! It didn't work!" Exclaimed the bard, one hand clutching the back of Touya's chair and the other gesturing angrily at the chicken's foot Samuel's laughing eyes were desperately trying not to look at.
Touya pulled a theatrically puzzled expression. "Oh?" He cooed, eyebrows raised to his dark hairline. "Did you recite the spell correctly?"
Unbelievable. And people accused princesses of being gullible.
"I did!" The bard retorted. "Yet the effect was quite the opposite! I was fired from court after one performance!"
Samuel's shoulders were shaking now, his head dipped low to hide his smile. His amusement was beginning to rub off on Callie, who's lips kept twitching despite her attempts at a poker face.
"But surely the charm did bring you good fortune!" Touya exclaimed, holding his arms up either side of him. "The King didn't behead you, did he?" He gestured towards the bard's scowling face.
Without warning, the bard had lifted Touya from his chair by the front of the tunic. He dragged the merchant's smirking face into his and growled. "You're a fraud, a liar and a cheat!"
Touya grinned widely. "And all for a reasonable price!" He said with a wink.
Over the back of the chair he was thrown, crashing to the ground with a surprised grunt. All heads were turned their way now. Samuel was on his feet, putting himself between the standing, snarling bard and the grounded, smirking Touya.
"Okay okay, let's not make a scene, hm?" Samuel insisted, holding his hands up at the advancing bard.
Before the man could reach either of her companions, however, Calliope rushed forwards. Without much of a plan, she reached for the bard's arm and gripped his sleeve.
"Sir!" She called, flashing a smile when her grip caused him to turn towards her. "Sir!"
The bard cocked an eyebrow, his lips easing from a scowl, to a small frown. "Miss, now is not the time to be making requests!"
Tht wasn't her intention, but it sure did help her plan. She rolled with it.
"Oh! But she please!" She simpered, fluttering her lashes. "Today is my birthday and I'd love only to hear the ballad of Hamish the great!"
"You've chosen a particularly shady man to be sharing your birthday celebrations with..." the bard grumbled, jerking his head towards Touya, who was now getting to his feet.
Calliope sighed girlishly, flicking her long hair and pouting her lips. She'd seen Mina use this technique on the guards at the castle and hoped the bard would fall for it too. "One does not choose the members of their family." She cooed, hunching her shoulders and peering up at him through her lashes.
She caught Samuel and Touya exchange glances in the corner of her eye. The former shrugged his shoulders.
"This charlatan is related to you?" The bard asked, eyes scanning her features. Calliope looked nothing like Touya. Then again, family trees were wild in these parts.
"Unfortunately, yes." She pouted, tucking her hair behind her ear and keeping her voice a feminine purr.
It seemed her story, paired with Mina's technique to beguile men, had worked on the bard. His expression softened immediately into one of sympathy.
"Dear girl. Fear not. Your dear bard, Keigo, will help raise your spirits on such an important day! Come!" And he offered her his arm with a dashing smile. It seemed Touya and his faulty chicken foot had long since been forgotten to her syrupy expression.
As Keigo the bard lead her away to a candlelit table by the window, the red feather in his hat bobbing merrily as he went, the princess cast a look over her shoulder. Both her companions were chuckling to themselves. Samuel lifted his hands in quiet applause while Touya flashed her a thumbs up. Once again, she'd helped the shady merchant out of a sticky situation. It seemed she was the lucky charm so far.
Keigo pulled out a chair for her and bowed deeply. "I dedicate this song to this fair maiden!" He declared, strumming his lute as he positioned himself in-front of the bar.
Not even half way through the first verse and Calliope could see why he had been dropped from court. He didn't exactly have the voice of an angel. However, his theatrical delivery and overflowing confidence made up for it. He soon had the entire tavern singing along and stamping their feet.
The song was one her father loved for it spoke of a noble warrior who vanquished wrongdoers no matter where he went. King Toshinori was most fond of epic tales of heroes conquering evil.
Calliope clapped along through the chorus then clapped again as Keigo ended the ballad with a dramatic strum of a chord and the bend of his knees. The tavern erupted in a roar of inebriated applause, demanding for more.
The ovation had certainly boosted the formerly angry bard's spirits and he soaked in his praise with theatrical bows and kisses. Then, once he'd had his fill, he set about another tune, this time an upbeat song about a pretty farmer's daughter.
Tankards of mead and ale immediately began to slosh to and fro as the first verse kicked in. Calliope used the ruckus to retreat away from the splash zone and back towards Samuel and Touya.
"Well well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine to everyone's lives this evening!" Touya laughed, handing her a drink then clinking his own against it. "Well played, Princess!"
Calliope would have chastised him for speaking her title out loud, but the bellowing voices around them drowned it out. Instead, she flashed him her own impish smile and drank deeply from her tankard. Her palate was starting to get used to tepid beverages and the lack of jewelled chalices.
People were up and dancing now, linking arms and spinning as the chorus about the pretty girl with skin so fair and chestnut hair rang out.
"Sam, you know this one, don't you?" Touya slyly asked, casting the jester a sideways stare.
"This song?" He responded, raising a brow.
"This dance!" Touya corrected, as the bodies in the room began to bow to each other then mirror one another's steps.
The jester rolled his eyes. "It's not exactly complicated," he muttered, watching the dance over the rim of his beverage.
A bow, a claps of the hands, one step, two steps, a twirl...
"Have you ever danced to this one before?" Touya asked, this time to Calliope. Samuel inhaled and exhaled deeply, knowing what Touya was attempting to set up. The jester sat his tankard back onto the table and slouched back in his seat as Calliope grinned and shook her head.
"No. We don't dance to these sort of songs in court!"
The song was rather lewd in parts- her father wouldn't have such things sang about in the presence of his daughter, let alone her dance to them.
"Ah! Well then..." Touya grinned mischievously. And he didn't need to elaborate for her to know what he was going to suggest next.
"I'd rather not dance..." the jester grumbled, as the song entered it's second verse.
Calliope found his defiance both cute and disappointing. She cast her smirk into her mead as she drank down the last mouthfuls.
"What? Can't perform without your bells on? Is that it, jester?" The merchant taunted, ruffling Samuel's already scruffy, platinum head of hair.
The smaller man swatted at his hand and shot him an irritated scowl. He opened his mouth to shoot back a response but Calliope spoke first;
"And if your princess orders you to teach her the dance?" She pushed to her feet with her hand presented to him. She kept her face neutral but felt her eyes twinkle with mischief and the buzz of liquor.
Touya gave a low chuckle and twitched his brows in Samuel's slumping direction. "What say you, jester?" He teased.
Samuel gave a slow shake of his head as his fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose.
Keigo was now loudly reciting the part where the protagonist takes the farmer's daughter into the barn for a roll around in the hay...
Calliope laughed at both the lyrics and Samuel's exasperated face. Still, it didn't take long for his dimpled grin to reappear as he took her hand and let her lead him into the circle of dancers.
Once in position, he assumed the male lead and soon had her spinning, twirling and leaning under and over his arm. He had been right, it was an easy dance to learn, far less complicated than those she had had to master at court. But this one was way more enjoyable. Her face was aglow with laughter and alcohol as Samuel's equally smiling face watched her with glee.
With so many punters enjoying the music, Keigo strung one song into another and was now belting out another raunchy tale about a busty barmaid. Calliope had often heard the kitchen staff singing this one so she was able to join in the chorus along with Samuel and the rest of the tavern as her jester swayed her left and right.
Too distracted by the good time they were having, no one noticed the lanky, dark haired figure dipping his ringed fingers in and out of pockets and satchels and swiping anything remotely valuable.
Keigo ended the medley with yet another flourish of his hands. When the crowd demanded more, the confidence-filled bard gladly accepted.
"Okay, well if you all insist!" He mused, winking an eye. "How's about something new?" He called, adjusting the strap of his lute across his shoulder. "Here's a song I wrote recently- a saucy tale inspired by recent rumours stemming from the court of King Toshinori..."
The smiles on both Samuel and Calliope's faces vanished in an instant.
The bard went on-
"...the story of a charming jester and a lonely princess."
The crowd cheered. Some whistled. Samuel and Callie merely stared, slack-jawed as the song began;
'Twas late one evening in the court of Toshinori, the King
That occurred the events of the tale I shall sing!
Of the forbidden courtship between one fair maiden and yes!
A comical fellow who's profession's to jest!
'Twas none other than the King's dear only child,
That caused his jester's bells to go wild!
And luckily for him, the Princess would bed,
A fool of a man with a silly hat on his head!
It surprised neither of them that Touya's laugh was the loudest in the room. The merchant was clutching his ribs and rocking in his chair with tears in his eyes.
Samuel could only blink as Keigo reached the chorus.
Calliope was torn between amusement and outrage at the bard's exaggerated recounting of events.
Take me! Do shake thee
bells on your hat!
Cried the Princess, as her fingers did claw like a cat's
At the jester's costume, as he pulls up her dress
In the pantry, where the lovers did like meeting best!
Calliope felt her cheeks heat. She couldn't bring herself to look at Sam, though Touya could still be heard laughing over the stomping feet and clapping hands.
Well, the only upside to this embarrassing situation was that at least Samuel and Calliope clearly weren't recognisable without their usual attire. Then again, Calliope barely ever left the castle so her appearance was limited to descriptions and likenesses in portraits. Samuel clearly wasn't known outside of the city walls neither. At least not by his face.
Relentlessly, the song went on. The next few verses mentioned her father finding the two of them fornicating behind the stables and sentencing the jester to death. The Princess was to be locked away forever.
As the jester lay his head beneath the executioner' blade, his last words were;
Woe is me! To face such wrath!
When my only desire was to make my countrymen laugh!
Alas, I suppose I should think myself lucky,
To have been the man to make the princess purr like a pussy!
Then down the sharp, bloody blade did fall!
And round and round the poor jester's head did roll!
Jingle jangle- the bells did sound,
On the dead fool's hat as it went spinning around!
Calliope snuck a glance his way and found him scowling once more. When his eyes swung over to meet hers, she held his gaze for a moment. Then, with little other choice but to do so, they joined in the laughter.
They looked Touya's way to find him bleary eyed and grinning. His raised his tankard as the chorus kicked in one final time. This time, Touya belted out the words, along with the rest of the tavern, with relish.
Take me! Do shake thee
bells on your hat!
The tavern door burst open and in walked five, armour clad figures.
Every head turned to face them as Keigo's lute stopped abruptly. Samuel cursed quietly and grabbed Calliope's hand. Touya snatched up their belongings.
"Time to go!" Samuel exclaimed, pulling Calliope towards the back door just as Sir Bakugo's crimson eyes found them.
"Halt!" He barked, raising his sword.
"Samuel! Your highness!" Called Sir Russel, pushing through the crowd of bewildered people.
Low mutters rang out as eyes followed Samuel and Calliope as they made their escape.
Keigo looked particularly startled as they pushed past him. "You mean to say, they're the-" he began, holding up a finger as they disappeared out the door.
"Princess! Stop!" Sir Midoriya's voice called out behind them.
"Get back here, jester!" Sir Bakugo's angry roar echoed through the darkness.
"Good lord! It is them!" Keigo guffawed.
The three companions bolted for the cart. The horse stomped anxiously as they approached in a hurry. Touya leapt into the driver's seat while Samuel and Calliope clambered into the back and dove under the animal hides. Luckily, neither jester nor princess had been seen leaving with Touya, who had slipped out through the front door behind the knights. Therefore, the merchant was able to steer them casually past the frantically searching knights as they circled the perimeter of the tavern. When Sir Kirishima eyed him curiously, Touya merely nodded his head in greeting. The knight returned the gesture without a second thought and off went the cart back towards the dark, dirt roads.
Once Touya declared the coast clear, Samuel and Calliope popped their heads back out from under the stuffy animal hides and sucked in the cool, night air through greedy nostrils. Around them were tall trees and an overhanging canopy- it appeared Touya had opted for a forest trail. A smart move. The Knights would likely split up to search all the roads leading in and out of the town once they realised the three of them had once again given them the slip. Luckily, it was a cloudy night, meaning there was little moonlight to reveal their tracks. However, that also meant that there was very little light to help navigate the narrow, forest trail. Lamps still weren't an option.
"We should stop here," Touya suggested, pulling on the reins. "We can hide the cart and take the horse with us further into the forest where we can set up camp for the night."
"Good idea," Calliope commented, gathering up their most valuable supplies into her satchel, just incase the cart was discovered. Though the possibility seemed unlikely, this forest had an uninviting aura about it that made the hairs on her arms stand on end. Though not wanting to seem superstitious, she put it down to the cold. And what choice did they have but to sleep rough? It wasn't as if they could travel at all in these conditions. And there was a high chance the knights would catch up with them again in the next town.
Samuel seemed rather quiet as they picked their way through the woods, lighting their trail with a single candle each.
"Seeing your brother really got to you, huh?" Touya questioned, stepping over a stump before helping Callie over it. He turned to watch Samuel hop over it and land unsteadily on the wet moss underfoot.
"Na..." He drawled, hitching his bag further up his shoulder. "I'm sure I'll be able to explain everything soon enough."
Calliope appreciated his attempt at an optimistic tone, even though his anxiety was as clear as day.
"I'm sorry I'm putting you both though this..." she grumbled, lifting her skirts as she stepped over a fallen branch.
Both men scoffed simultaneously. "You kidding?" Touya began, stopping to examine their surroundings as his horse snorted at his side. "Today has been the most fun I've had in a while! Not to mention the most profitable." He gave his hefty poach a shake to emphasise the point. It jingled loudly.
The sound reminded him-
"And Sam! You're famous now!" He guffawed and immediately began to sing-
"Take me! Do shake thee bells on your hat!"
Laughter rang out throughout the forest as the three of them joked about the night's events and the ridiculous song.
Eventually, the group found a suitable place to spend the night.
As they laid down some deer skins and stoked a small fire, a light drizzle began to tap at their heads.
"We sure picked the perfect night to go camping," Samuel joked, pulling the hood of his riding cloak over his head.
Calliope nodded, a yawn splitting her features. Despite the light rain, she found the smell of forest dew and woodsmoke rather pleasant. When she cast her eyes skywards, she marvelled at the patch of bright stars the clouds allowed her to glimpse.
Around them, the sounds of the wilderness gently met heir ears; the hoot of owls, the chirp of crickets and the crackle of their little fire.
As her eyes grew heavy, she was barely even aware of the fact her head had dropped to Samuel's shoulder.
Touya's face smirked at her through the flames.
It was the last thing Calliope saw before the forest lullaby lulled her to sleep.
As dreams of red-winged birds and armoured deer played merrily through her mind. Gentle hands laid her down onto the soft, forest floor and cast her beneath the furs of a wolf.
As the night air grew cold around them, Touya and Samuel settled either side of her, facing outwards like sleeping sentinels.
Somewhere high in the treetops above them, a gentle voice sighed contently at the heartwarming sight.
Author's Note: This is the second time I've written a song for a fanfic...what is life.