P.S. The italicized titles found in each chapter beneath the mains are music pieces I've decided to insert. And I know most people wouldn't be familiar with the titles because they're not the same music you'd hear in the series. Nope. Just modern classical music, a few instrumentals, and scattered soundtracks which I thought would suit the theme. Trust me. It still works for the story.
-X-
All in a Day's Work
Haste to the wedding
A fresh morning breeze blew on the various acres of fields that seemed to stretch on for miles outside of Golden Crown, sending loose stalks of newly-sprouted corn flying and dancing in the wake of the wind. Unlike the cold and harsh winter, spring brought about a fresh, new change to the fields of the town, workers growing and nurturing their crops in order to prepare them for the autumn harvest. Each acre was a hectare wide, and none failed to provide fertile soil for the people's crops. And because Golden Crown owned more than two dozen acres of fields, half of the kingdom's population found work in the fields rather than in the town. But as they worked together, crops were often helped to grow as healthy and as ripe as the people saw fit, and they were content with things as it was.
Farm animals were looked after in the number of farms and fenced-in pastures provided on the other side of the kingdom's territory, from cows, horses and sheep to farm fowl alike. Thus, the processes of milking, herding, and egg-gathering were also part of most of the workers' duties in order to gain extra money, though most undertook only this one particular job.
The people woke up early every morning and headed for the fields to begin their work, and by this time, they were already in labor either in the fields they were assigned to work in or occupied with the farm animals within the farm and pasture areas.
And where the young girl Ahiru worked was in a farm situated at the top of a small hill just half a mile away and southeast of Golden Crown.
The path towards that location entertained the traveler as they would walk. As soon as they had passed the last acre at the end, the path would curve and dive through a vast field of assorted flowers. Tulips, lilacs and wild daisies bloomed along the path and spread out, perhaps, throughout the rest of the valley. Ahiru was especially fond of picking them on her way to the farm, making crowns by lacing them into a ring as she walked and presenting them to her friends.
But now was no time for it. The girl's punctuality wasn't always as frequent as it should be for her, and when she was late, there often came a punishment.
And the punishment was never pleasant.
-x-
The farm that was Frederick Beowulf's (or Mister Frederick, as he rather liked to be called) was neither the largest nor the richest, but its simplicity captured its own beauty, and would have been enough to impress the artist's sensitive eye if he were to take the setting into his hands and with brush and palette, cast the setting upon canvas. The farmhouse was wooden and a light red, the roof sharply inclined on either side and was painted a shade of Prussian blue. Beside it lay the barn, where the horses and the cows were being kept in their stables, the tool shed planted close to it. The pigs' pens and the farm fowl were at the southeast side of the farm, while the chicken coop was settled in one corner of the fence surrounding the property. And outside the fence's borders, Mister Frederick's flock of white and black-faced sheep grazed among the pastures a little farther off from the farm, surrounded by a fence built into a large circle, complete with an iron gate.
Since the farm wasn't too big to handle, the owner needed only a few people to have to assist him with farm work. The pay was good, so the workers did their jobs dutifully. Only seven worked for Mister Frederick; Ahiru, her two friends Pique and Lillie, and four other girls.
And at the moment, only six were present, as they stood in a column before their employer, waiting for the seventh to make her appearance.
Ahiru's employer, though had a usually fair, understanding and mild-mannered nature, could also become emotionally dynamic, and frighteningly so. Especially when his workers often came in late. And curiously enough, his intentions to discipline their "erratic" behavior leaned towards a fundamental basis, which was meant to establish his own happiness.
And that of which everyone, particularly the females, clearly avoided, as you shall see.
At that moment, the purple-haired farmer had his head bowed, eyes closed, listening silently for the familiar pair of feet to make their way towards the iron gate and into his farm, all the while his own bootstrapped foot tapping impatiently on the ground. The young girls stood waiting as well, passing whispers every once in a while, sneaking a few glances at the man before them.
"Good grief." Pique muttered under her breath as she turned her head to glance around. "Where's Ahiru?"
"Stumbling and tripping along the pathways with all of the clumsiness in the world, no doubt." came Lillie's piping soprano, enjoying such a thought.
"But this is the fifth time this week!" Pique hissed. "If this keeps up, Ahiru's going to have to—!"
Just then, a lock of red hair appeared bobbing up the hill, followed after by a head, and soon, the rest of the body.
"There she is!" Lillie announced, catching everyone else's attention towards the approaching figure.
Ahiru came running up, panting as her shoes pounded along the dirt path towards the gate.
Pique sighed. "It's about time."
Mister Frederick, on the other hand, hadn't moved from his spot, nor gave any indication that he'd heard Lillie's exclamation or the tardy girl's arrival.
Pushing the iron gate open and racing towards the others, Ahiru came to a halt just feet from her two friends, and nearly collapsed from exhaustion from running. Instead, she stood bent over, resting her hands on her knees.
"I'm…sorry…that…I'm…late…!" Ahiru managed between gasps as she took gulps of air. "I…was…er…um…"
She couldn't reason truthfully without having her employer exploding at her. Getting sidetracked by the Prince's return and the fault caused by her own clumsiness was no excuse even for a man like Mister Frederick.
There was a pause, and then he lifted his eyes towards the red-haired girl. Wordlessly, he raised a hand and with a finger, beckoned for her to approach him.
Not wanting to aggravate him more by her disobedience, Ahiru quickly scooted towards Mister Frederick, quivering blue eyes on his form, too afraid to expect what was to come, when she already knew what was to.
"Ahiru-san." he began, and she gave a start.
"Y-y-yes, sir?" she responded. She could feel herself shaking at the knees already.
"What excuse in particular do you have for being so late on this fine morning?"
As he spoke, Mister Frederick's tone of voice was calm and seemingly good-natured, as if there wasn't a problem he had in the world at the moment. But Ahiru knew better. The more pleasant the farmer's voice was during times like these, the more frightening the end of the conversation would be.
Still unsure of the truth, the redhead tried. "Er…well…um…I…"
"Yeeees?"
Fumbling with her words and voice quivering, Ahiru let it all out in one long string. "One-of-my-socks-had-a-hole-in-it-last-night-so-I-tried-to-fix-it-but-then-I-wasn't-too-good-in-sewing-so-it-took-me-all-night-and-then-after-I-was-done-I-fell-asleep-around-3-in-the-morning-and-then-I-woke-up-again-and-I-realized-that-I-slept-for-too-long-and-I-panicked-and-got-dressed-as-fast-as-I-could-and-then-I-ran-and-ran-and-ran-all-the-way-here-and-that's-it!"
After she'd finished, the girl refilled her lungs and exhaled.
What a lie. A good one, for once, apart from her previous ones. Still, a lie. But it was better than telling Mister Frederick the actual truth. Otherwise, things could've gotten worse.
The man stood there regarding the red-haired girl, deciding whether to believe such a tale or not. Ahiru didn't move from her spot, returning her employer's gaze and trying to look as innocent as possible. Behind her, her two friends looked on at the scene, one with anxiety on her face, the other with forest-green eyes as bright as emeralds with excitement.
But at last, Frederick Beowulf sighed heavily and said to Ahiru, "I suppose that's…plausible a reason, for you Ahiru-san. Therefore, I'll let you go."
Light shined in her blue eyes as he'd said that, both with happiness and relief. Lillie squealed for her as Pique put a hand over her heart and closing her eyes, sighed thankfully.
"Thank you, Mister Frederick!" Ahiru bowed low. "Thank you!"
"However…!"
The girl balked at the sudden sharpness of his tone, and very slowly, brought her entire face up to look at the purple-haired farmer, whose entire demeanor began to change, and she could almost sense a dark and ominous cloud looming over his head.
"I stand to reason that before, you've come away from the punishment with terrible excuses, and thus, I believe I've become too soft to let your tardiness slide any longer!" Mister Frederick boomed, his voice carrying all over the farm as he towered over the young girl. "Today I let you go as since now you have good reason to be unpunctual, but next time…!"
Ahiru visibly shook now. She thought her knees were giving under her. She knew what was coming, and though she wasn't really going to get it yet, she couldn't help but quake in her shoes.
"NEXT TIME…!" the man continued with pure menace, beady eyes bulging out of its sockets. "YOU WILL HAVE TO MARRY ME!"
At his outburst, all six girls backed towards the fence behind them as one as every farm animal went berserk, neighs, squawks and bleats filling the air.
The redhead, rooted to the spot and too bewildered to say anything else, managed to reply at least with a squeaky, "Yes, sir!", before she was dragged off by her two friends, away from the now-hyperventilating farmer.
-x-
"Cheer up, Ahiru!" said Pique to her friend moments later, as they each held a pitchfork in their hands and were pitching hay and straw from a medium-sized pile into the stables inside the barn. "At least you didn't actually get threatened with marriage to Mister Frederick for being late! It was just…a future threat."
The redhead's shoulders slumped. She knew Pique was just trying to make her feel better, but she just didn't have it in her to be so. She was still exhausted from this morning's event.
"And anyhow, you're lucky that you could think up of a good excuse for your tardiness!" Lillie piped up. "And also that Mister Frederick doesn't even know that you don't know how to sew anything in the first place!"
Pique arched an eyebrow as she realized it. "Yeah. That is true."
Lillie beamed affectionately at her friend. "Oh, but don't worry, Ahiru! I still think that's a cute thing about you!"
Ahiru nearly choked as the blonde abandoned her pitchfork and suddenly grabbed her around the neck tightly and nuzzling her forcefully with her cheek, she continued, "After all, being clueless and clumsy is just what makes you so adorable and irresistible! That's why you should never try to change because you'll always be this way!
"Ne, ne! Never stop being, Ahiru! Okay, Ahiru?" Lillie quipped as she poked the girl's face affectionately with her finger.
"Gck…" was all that the redhead was able to say in the girl's deathly-tight grasp.
Sensing Ahiru's discomfort, Pique quickly pulled Lillie away and watched as Ahiru sank lifelessly to the hay-covered floor with her pitchfork still in hand. "Honestly Lillie. Be careful with Ahiru! You can't just simply hug and squeeze the life out of her, you know!"
"Eh?" the blonde-haired girl blinked quizzically at the salmon-haired one. "What do you mean? What did I do?"
"Ugh…!" Pique exclaimed as she struck herself on the forehead with her palm. "Forget it…"
Turning to her friend sprawled on the floor, she added, "Ahiru, don't feel so bad. I mean, if you'd just wake up a bit more early and stop dawdling along the way, you wouldn't be in so much trouble with Mister Frederick. I swear! I thought you were going to exchange wedding vows with him today!"
Groaning, the girl rose from the floor very dazedly, eyes unfocused. "No, that's not it, Pique."
She tapped Ahiru on the shoulder when she'd turned to talk to the brown and white cow she'd mistaken for her friend. "Over here."
The redhead whirled, recovering, as the cow mooed in response. "Oh! Uh, yeah! No, it wasn't about that that I was worried about."
Pique arched a brow as Lillie perked up with a curious and almost manic smile, and asked, "Really? Well then, what were you thinking about?"
Ahiru blushed slightly. "Umm, I was…just thinking about…the prince."
"Ahhhh!" her friends said in unison.
"You see, I sort of…met him along the way." she explained, blush deepening, grin crossing her face. "He'd come back from his trip south, and everybody was gathering to see him, and I stopped to watch, and, and…"
"…and that's the real reason why you were late." Pique finished for her, crossing her arms.
The redhead laughed uneasily as she scratched the back of her head. "I guess you were right when you told me to stop dawdling, ne Pique?"
"Oh, my silly Ahiru! Pining for the affection of His Majesty is just not good for you!"
And in a flash, Lillie had her in her deadly grasp once more, and was now rubbing her on the head with great friction, much to both Pique and Ahiru's dismay. "The noble Prince Mythos is a splendid figure who rules and watches over us and protects us from every imminent danger and threat that comes to our kingdom! He's so wise and brave, compassionate and courageous, selfless and giving, strong yet gentle!"
Pulling Ahiru's head around towards her with a painful crack of the neck, the blonde went on in her piping voice. "But a clumsy, unladylike and poor common girl such as you couldn't possibly have anything to do with the handsome prince, Ahiru! Oh no, there isn't a chance of you being with him! Ever! That's why you must stop these dreams and fantasies of you two together because they can never be fulfilled! Why, you're not even a princess!
"Ne? Ne?" she lilted and poked her friend with her merciless finger.
Pique looked on in aggravation at the scene, but she didn't make an effort to pry Ahiru from Lillie's claws again, as she added, "It's true, though. Seriously. You don't have a chance to win the prince's heart. It takes wealth and royal blood to get that opportunity. And unfortunately for you, Ahiru, you don't have any of those."
"I know that!" Ahiru claimed when the blonde was at last, dragged away. "But…I can't help but dream."
That's true. she added to herself, discouraged. I can only dream about me and the prince. I'm just a normal girl and he's a royal figure. I'd never get a chance with him, that's for sure…
"Well, dreaming won't get you anything." Pique replied firmly to Ahiru, who looked up from her thoughts to the salmon-haired girl. "You shouldn't even have had such a crush on Prince Mythos in the first place! The prince, of all people! Just because it's Golden Crown and it's small doesn't mean you should pick him! Why can't you just have gone for somebody else? Someone who's at least, well, on staff at the palace?"
"Eh? Like who?" Ahiru queried.
It was Pique's turn to redden and gush. "Oh, you know. Like…Fakir-sama, the head knight and official protector of the prince!" she clasped her hands tightly to her heart at the name.
"The prince's guard?" Ahiru twitched in disgust, remembering how he'd openly insulted her. "That guy? I think you'd rather marry a toad than go for him, Pique."
Then the redhead realized that this was a mistake to say, as her friend did a move similar to what Lillie had done moments before, only much harsher.
"Who are you to insult Fakir-sama like that!" she hollered with her hands around Ahiru's throat and shaking her hard enough to rattle her teeth.
"Gaaaaaah!" she cried, getting strangled for the third time that day.
"I didn't say anything that bad about His Majesty and you as far as I'm concerned! And anyway, I wouldn't have, since bad-mouthing Prince Mythos is a reason for me to be beheaded, or worse. But what right did you have to counter me with THAT?"
Lillie watched with a pleasant and delighted air as the salmon-haired girl continued to throttle Ahiru, who was struggling to break free with all of her might. "Ne, Ahiru. You said that the prince has returned, didn't you?"
"Y-y-yeeeeees!"
"He certainly has been a busy one nowadays." stated the blonde, finger to her chin. "I do wonder where he has gone off to, hmm?"
"Who knows? It could be urgent." Pique had at last released Ahiru and let her drop to the floor again to join in on the conversation. "I heard he went to visit another kingdom far away from here."
"Really? Which one? And what for?"
Pique shrugged off-handedly. "Social call? Maybe."
Behind the pair, Ahiru slowly rose from the floor, her head spinning, swaying from side to side.
"Maybe he was establishing an alliance with our neighbors." the salmon-haired girl continued. "Maybe a war's issuing."
"Oh indeed, a war!" Lillie cried shrilly, eyes sparkling in sheer excitement. "What mayhem and chaos there will be if that's so!"
Stumbling along as her vision stayed as blurry as ever, the redhead tried to find her way dizzily towards the tap for water to help straighten her senses.
Pique stared at the blonde disbelievingly. "Then it's not just monsters we'd have to worry about anymore! Even the prince can't keep Golden Crown standing with that much happening! There might not even be anything left of our kingdom after it's all over!"
Ahiru failed to notice her pitchfork, which lay forgotten on the ground.
"Yes, I know! Isn't that just war?" Lillie clasped her hands to her chest at the words. "The beauty and the poetry of a raging battle. The violence, the agony, the burning need to dominate your foes and take what they own! Death either at the hand of an enemy or theirs is what is worth fighting for!"
"Now, you're just—" but before Pique had a chance to finish herself, the redhead tripped on the pitchfork handle with a yelp, pitching forward towards the wooden post and collided headfirst into it. And in the process, a pail full of water perched on a low wooden beam attached to the post shook when Ahiru crashed into it, and the pail tilted and fell over, tipping its contents on a chestnut horse with a dark mane and tail, and it whinnied loudly in surprise to find itself soaking wet from top to bottom.
The pair turned as one at the commotion, and Pique exclaimed, "What the--!"
Groaning and holding her head, Ahiru sat up from the floor, her pains having doubled, and then snapped out of it as she heard one of the horses making a fuss, and looking up, realized what she'd done.
"Ahiru! What did you do now!" Pique demanded, shocked.
"N-nice horsie! Calm down! It's okay, you're not hurt!" Ahiru tried to assure the unsettled stallion, arms flapping rapidly from side to side, not sure of what to do.
The chestnut shook its head disagreeably and bumped its side against its stable, turning away from the girl. The contact caused vibration to issue from the stable to the post attached to it, to the beam where the now-empty pail still lay. And without warning, it fell directly on top of the horse's head.
Ahiru, seeing this, gasped. "Ah!"
The horse threw a fit at once; the pail obscuring its vision, and it kicked and neighed in its stable, knocking the door loose.
"Ahiru! Watch out!"
The redhead watched in horror as the metal latch for the door broke in only two kicks from the horse's front hooves, and it swung wide open for the stallion, which leapt out towards Ahiru.
"AAAHHH!" she cried, and out of instinct, dropped to the floor immediately, the horse flying over her small form, and it landed back onto its feet. The other two squealed in fright and divided when the horse charged between them before coming to a halt in the center. It began to run in circles as it bucked and reared, neighing and snorting loudly, the pail still on its head, before it made blindly for the open barn doors.
Soon enough, the racket had attracted the attention of Mister Frederick, and he came storming in, hollering, "What is going on he—" and was cut off immediately by the sight of one of his horses charging at him with a pail over its head, and he gave a great exclamation as it bowled him over, galloping out into the open and outside in broad daylight, the purple-haired farmer sprawled on the ground in a daze before passing out.
Ahiru jumped up. "Oh no!"
She ran towards the doors, her two friends on her heels. "This can't be good!"
Reaching the doorway, the three watched in both astonishment and shock at the scene opening before them; the horse wreaking havoc in the farm with its fit.
The stallion, broad and incredibly strong, also happened to be nervous and jumpy, making it hard for anyone to calm it down without the aid of Mister Frederick. And at the moment, it was in a high frenzy, what with a pail covering its eyes and unable to see, and it galloped and whinnied around the farm, oblivious to the commotion it was creating. It passed the chicken coop and the duck pond, sending feathers flying as the farm fowl flew out of the way of the crazed horse. It knocked over a wagon full of hay, kicked the water trough over and spilling its contents, and broke two fence posts when it crashed against the fence surrounding the farm. The four other girls working on the farm shrieked and screamed, having had their work interrupted by the hysterical horse, and fled into the house for safety.
"It's destroying everything!" Pique announced as the chestnut ran off once more.
"Oh, the humanity!" cried Lillie excitedly, who didn't seem at all disturbed by the havoc being wrought.
Ahiru watched as the horse sped across the ground.
I have to do something! she thought wildly. It's my entire fault, after all!
"I have to stop it!" she declared, coming to that decision all on her own.
Pique whirled on her, disbelief crossing her face at the outburst. "What? Are you crazy! NO! Ahiru, WAIT!" she tried to call out as the girl ran after the horse at once.
"Ara! Ahiru's gone after it, even though she doesn't know a thing about horses!" Lillie stated affectionately, cupping her cheek with one hand. "How cute!"
"This isn't funny, Lillie! She could get killed!"
"Are you going to go help her, then?"
"…Er, no."
The redhead followed the trail of destruction left by the chestnut, wondering all the while what she would do once she caught up with it.
If I could just get it to calm down!
At last, she found it near the pen where Mister Frederick sheared the sheep for their woolly coats before wintertime came, running in circles again and trying to shake its head of the pail that still remained on its head.
"Hey!" she called out, and realized a few moments later that this was a stupid thing to do, as it froze for a second, then reared and neighed, unsure of whether the unseen speaker sought companionship or trouble with it.
Ahiru was taken aback, fear creeping into her heart. This was the second time that day that she'd had to deal with a horse driven into a crazed fit. Only now, the difference was that there was no Prince Mythos to help her.
The chestnut was so tall when it reared on its hind legs, taller than the prince's white horse, and the red-haired girl was frightened. Somehow finding the strength to move away from within range of the aimless horse's hooves which were pawing at the air, Ahiru came to stand at its side and tried to calm its nerves down.
"C-c-calm down!" she told it. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"
I have to get that pail off its head! she thought, and made to reach for it by trying to climb onto its back.
Ahiru wasn't too sure she wanted to do this, as she'd never ridden a horse before. And after this, she might not want to for the next few months.
Just then, the horse reared one last time and with a whinny, took off once more. And this time, it took a passenger by accident with it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ahiru cried, having latched onto the horse's mane and was now holding on for dear life as the stallion galloped around the farm aimlessly. As it passed the barn, her two friends caught sight of her clinging to the horse.
"Ahiru!" Pique exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Ahiru, what on earth are you doing?" Lillie called out to her.
"I tried to stop the horse!" the redhead answered back. "The pail's gotta come off its head! Please guys! Do something!"
"But what?"
"Anything! Just make the horse stop!"
"THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!"
Pique and Lillie gave audible gasps as Mister Frederick sprung up from his position on the ground, and turned to glare at them both.
"M-M-Mister Frederick?" Pique stammered.
Standing resolute, the farmer turned and entered the tool shed. When he returned, he was clutching a meter of strong, thick rope and began to busy himself with it.
Suddenly the stallion came running back towards the barn with Ahiru, circling the ground again as it tried again in futile to get the pail off its head. And all the redhead could do was keep herself from falling off lest she be trampled once she hit the ground.
As her two friends watched, Mister Frederick looped the rope and held it in his hands. Then, he lifted the looped end high over his head and began to swing it around over his head, eyes focused on the stallion and the girl holding tight to its mane.
"He's…not going to lasso the horse, is he?" Pique queried, rather dubious of the idea.
But as they looked on, the farmer threw the lasso in the direction of the horse, which had now decided to charge in the opposite direction, putting further distance between the farmer and itself. But the rope was long, and Frederick Beowulf's throw strong. And luckily, his aim was true. It fell over the horse's head and around its neck.
The stallion jerked to a halt as its master pulled on the rope with a grunt, the heels of his boots digging into the ground at the strain. As for Ahiru, she managed to seize the pail off the horse, much to both her triumph and despair, as she was thrown off the horse and sent sailing into the air.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"AHIRU!" Pique yelled as Lillie gasped.
After her scream followed a disgusting squelchy sound, and the pair winced. "Ewww…"
As luck(or perhaps, misfortune) would have it, Ahiru had landed in the pigs' pen, and was now sprawled in the mud, dizzy all over again, the sows and the boars snorting and snuffling at her form before turning away to wallow in the mud again.
"Ahhh!" Lillie said after a long silence, the lilt in her voice returning. "At least she didn't fall into the bushes of poison ivy over there..."
-X-
A/N: Okay. So like, how the heck was that?
:D Just keep reviewing me, 'kay?
¬.¬ Or I'm gonna be very depressed.