a/n: Well this was fun XD
Now we get back to these characters, from the very beginning...the mystery POVs :3 They may seem unnecessary, but they'll be important in the end. You'll see ;)
Here it is! THE DATE! mweheheh
?'s POV:
The orange glow of sunset glazed over the yellowness of this Kingdom. I stared at the cloaked figure, taking this story in, before they finally stopped talking.
"So, basically you're telling me this story about some servant and a Queen? With a bunch of screwed up nonsense to substitute as lazy comedy relief? What are you getting at here?"
"That, you'll have to find out for yourself." The stranger's hood dipped over their face. I tried to catch sight of those unearthly golden eyes again, but no such luck. Then they exited the alleyway.
"Wait, that's all? That's the end?!" I yelled after them.
"For now. Come back tomorrow, same time same place. If you wish to hear the rest."
But before the stranger could shoot off again, I asked them a question I should have asked awhile ago. "What Colour are you, anyway?"
"Um, that's a question I would prefer not to answe-"
"Oh oh, let me guess! Are you Azure?"
The cloaked figure sighed. "Maybe."
I tried again. "Crimson?"
"Possibly."
"Verdigris? Oh! Or are you Xanthine?"
"Who knows?" They answered.
I slumped back down, pouting. "You're no fun."
"Life isn't made to be fun, kid."
And then, gone. As if night had swallowed them back into non-existence.
However, the next day, I dropped by when the sun was high in the sky. Surely, in the same alleyway, the figure watched me. I hid my face behind the groceries, and was about to bolt before I do something I regret, but they addressed me instantly.
"Hey. You listening or what?" Same voice, same anonymity. The sun reflected in their eyes, searching my face for an answer.
I sighed, still ready to run if they attacked me. "Fine. Just the date part, ok? Then I'm leaving. You'll never see this face again!"
"Fair enough." They chuckled, sounding strangely feminine. And so it continued.
"She should be here any minute..."
Kyle's eyes flew to the clock and back, anxiously waiting for her arrival. Honestly, he had never felt so nervous in his life. And this was just a date.
He thought back to what his father's adviser had said, tips to keep the girl swooned. Laugh. Compliment her. Be courteous, charismatic, romantic...all the things that he was good at. Heck, half of all the females in the Blue Kingdom would kill each other to score a date with him. Riliane wouldn't be that hard.
"But then again, she isn't like most females."
He knew very well of the Yellow Kingdom's reputation, which rose since Riliane gained the throne, at age eleven. Since then, she has made her image clear...hardly anyone's left in the castle. The economy of the Xanthine Kingdom was falling apart, people losing their jobs to the heavily inflicted taxes and punishments. Yet the young ruler takes no note of this, smiling her evil grin before turning her back to her kingdom's cries.
The Prince tried to remember what caused him to be so attracted to her. In the Blue Kingdom, the ability to carry two different personalities was admired. Not necessary bipolarity, but more of the subtle way of changing one's attitude and expression in an appropriate time. Riliane seemed like a sweet, innocent girl on the outside...slightly naive, too. But she can also be cruel, wicked, and just plain conceited. What he wanted was to see what type of person she was like on the inside, which was a mystery to him. And as a major in human psychology, it was something his career prompted him to do.
He had fallen for the eyes first. How they carried the look of diabolism and daintiness, and their colour was only a few shades lighter than his. Then it was the way she acted, so proud and elegant, that drew him in. Before long, he was completely addicted to her.
"When is she going to get here?" He paced the empty foyer, as he had ordered all the servants to take the rest of the day off. Kyle fixed his clothing for the umpteenth time...some expensive suit that the seamstress made him wear, white but with blue linings.
Kyle was snapped out of his thoughts, as the massive bell tolled several times. His heart lit up...she's here!
He threw open the double doors, just as she was escorted out of her carriage by his guards. It bore just a single horse. When she emerged before him, he couldn't get over how beautiful...but nervous, she looked.
Something was off, and he couldn't put his finger on it. But he ignored the feeling, because she was here. And that was all that mattered at the moment.
"I have been awaiting for your arrival." He smiled, getting down on one knee and kissing her hand. He rose, to meet her face, and was greeted by the eyes he loved so much. "Welcome, my dear Riliane."
She coughed, still looking tense. Her voice was quiet, as if she was afraid of anyone else hearing them. "Let's keep the honourifics to just 'queen', Kyle."
Kyle couldn't help it, as he found himself checking her out. She was definitely taller than before, and some parts of her body had changed. As well, though her eyes shone with the life that she was know for, they had dulled the slightest bit. Had she been sick recently?
"I sincerely hope you find this evening wonderful." Kyle said. "I've been through so much just to give it to you tonight. Then, we can discuss other matters."
"If this includes the marriage, I will not speak of it." She smiled, the slightest. She hid most of her face with her fan, muffling her voice a bit. He also realized it sounded quite odd. "I can't say I've been feeling well lately. Excuse my voice if it sounds strange."
"Of course. I wish you a swift recovery, my dear...er, I mean, my Queen. Now, this way if you'd please."
She ignored his hand, which was an action he was expecting anyways, so he lead the way to the dining hall, where a lavish dinner had been set up, with blue roses as the centerpiece. Once both dates had taken their seats, Kyle started talking.
The rest of the night went like this: Kyle spent most of the dinner just asking Riliane questions, but she either shrugs them off or answers in one-word sentences. When he tries to say something romantic, she retorts with something cynical and sarcastic, flashing a smug grin. Although he was trying to get the conversation to revolve around her, she seems to be evading his attempts. He raised an eyebrow every now and then, at her interesting attitude.
"You've interrogated me enough, Kyle. Now, let's talk about you."
So Kyle spent the rest of the time lavishly recounting everything that had happened to him so far, rambling about business and economy and psychology. He talked and talked about books, and how much he loved them. Riliane nodded at appropriate times, though she looked concerned and distant, cringing when he tried to discuss the marriage. She interrupted once in awhile requesting the expensive antidote to snake venom, which was one of the reasons for the date. He kept on assuring her that it will come.
"Patience, dear. I swear, if Allen had been here, be would've tried to steal it from right under my nose. But he's not here now, is he?" Kyle shook his head, answering his own question. She just smiled.
Afterward, he took her on a tour of the palace. The Queen became suddenly alert, before losing interest after a few rooms. However, she walked through the tour and became thoroughly intrigued by the medicine room. Her eyes darted around, trying to locate the antidote.
"Don't worry, it's right here." The small bottle of clear liquid was protected on its own table, by a glass surrounding. "Bitis arietans, a deadly little beast. We have one in the animal testing department, though you wouldn't want to see it. Death comes slowly, taking over the victim's body one limb at a time." He removed the vial from the glass case, slipping it into his pocket.
Riliane face turned pale for a moment, before she insisted they move on. As the night grew deeper, Kyle decided to end the tour with the ballroom, hopefully getting to have a dance with her before they part their ways.
"May I have this dance, Riliane?"
She answered with a glare and a shrug, but it was good enough. With a pianist that the piano, they began a slow waltz under the ancient clock that hung over them. The mood was perfect, as the frosted glass windows casted the perfect light on the two dancers.
The clock struck twelve. The song ended, as Riliane was keen on leaving. She made a hasty, insincere speech on how much fun she had, thanked him, and quickly made her way back to her carriage.
"Wait, the antidote." He reached into his pocket, but it was gone.
"I got that covered. Now, if you'd excuse me..."
But before she could step past the threshold, Kyle grabbed her hand. It was customary to give her a kiss before she leaves, although since she didn't seem to be in the mood, he went in with an embrace.
"Thank you for coming, Riliane. It was quite enjoyable to be in your company." Although he meant most of it, he was getting more and more suspicious of her...and why she did want the bottle so badly?
"Please, I have to-"
Riliane felt...strange against him. Kyle readjusted himself, although something was still bothering him...
That's it. Her chest...
"Wait, what do you have in here-"
"Hey, hands-"
Even though he felt awkward doing that action, he did it because he finally took his toll. He wanted to confirm his suspicions, and so he quickly slipped his hand inside her dress, and pulled out...a loaf of bread.
"What the he-" He stumbled back, the brioche in hand. His mind couldn't comprehend what had happened. But then again, the entire date felt like an excited blur to him, details left out.
Her voice, her unusually docile manner, her awfully masculine figure, the way she had stolen the antidote-just how he had predicted her servant will...
By then, Riliane had already fled the scene. He watched, stupefied, as her carriage drove off into the night. He just stood there awkwardly, holding the brioche in one hand and scratching his head with the other. Then his senses came back to him.
"ALLEN!" Kyle yelled out. He wanted to lie in his covers and disappear from the world...how could he be so stupid? First Allen had made him drunk, then this. He was a smart, educated prince...but Allen always brought out his embarrassing side. He was ROYALTY...and yet a stupid servant thinks himself of higher superiority -and intelligence- than him. How could he be so stupid? Of all the women he had dated, he just had to fumble at Riliane. And not even Riliane HERSELF, and that.
There was so much emotion he was feeling, right now. But all he could do was stand numbly and stare, with the brioche in his hand.
"Oliver, can't you go any faster...?"
"If we want to make it through this trip, I'd say we should keep Miss Josephine at moderate speed."
Allen sat in the back of the carriage, gripping the antidote he had worked so hard to get. Oliver was right...a royal carriage and two people were far too much for just one horse to handle. But then again, Josephine wasn't like other horses. Just like how Allen wasn't like other servants.
"Great, I gave myself away. At least it's over now. " He scowled at his chest, pulling out the other piece of brioche. He tied up his hair, and rubbed his eyes, smearing the makeup. Oh, the things he would do for Riliane...
"I got the antidote, Oliver."
"I know." The adviser who was forced to steer the carriage smiled. Allen shivered as he recalled the moments with Kyle, up until the part where he had stuck his hand down the front of his dress, pulling out a loaf of bread.
The cross dresser sighed. "I'm really going to die this time."
"Is that so?" Oliver raised an eyebrow. The carriage lurched, as they hit a protruding stone.
"Kyle knows who I am." Allen grimaces at the black stuff he had all over his fingers, trying to fathom why women bothered to dirty themselves with it. "It's interesting, though. He grew up with scholarships and libraries, and yet infactuation got him in right the eye. It was as if he was blinded by love...blind from seeing who 'Riliane' truly was."
"That's great, Allen."
He continued. "He may be a seemingly intellectual man, but he's vulnerable to feelings. Many too vulnerable. I thought I had him until he freaking touched me. My true gender had been revealed when he grabbed the bread. What a pervert..."
"Wait, you had BREAD stuffed down there...?!" Oliver averted his eye(s) on the road, turning to Allen. Then he burst out laughing, something he had never done before.
Allen wasn't keen on joining in for once. To him, the only victim of this prank was himself. "Oliver."
When the one-eyed boy didn't respond, a loaf of bread rebounded painfully off the front of his skull.
"OH GOD IT'S WARMMM..."
"My Queen?"
The sky outside couldn't have been blacker. Allen opened the door to her room, finding it empty. The sheets lay strewn on her bed, but with no one occupying it. His heart skipped a beat, there in the dim inkiness of the lifeless room.
"No, it can't be empty..."
Frantically, he ran downstairs to search for her. She couldn't have gone far, but he was worried nonetheless.
"Riliane!" He yelled, eyes darting around in the dimness of the foyer. He was only answered by his own echo. Allen darted into the kitchen, finding her lying curled up on the floor. Her sheets had been wrapped around her shoulders, a fever breaking out.
"Oh, Riliane..." He rushed over to her barely conscious body, carefully lifting her head up. He opened the vial, bringing the liquid past her lips, stroking her throat to urge her to swallow. Finally, after what seemed like forever, her body cooled.
"A...Allen.."
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in bed?" He scolded her, before suddenly embracing her. "You could've died without anyone knowing where you were. Don't you ever scare me like that again!"
"I...went...to...find..you.." A trembling, pale hand reached up to brush some of his hair away. "I'm...sorry.."
"No, I'M sorry. I was the one who left you...with all that pain.." His voice cracked, as he imagined her stumbling blindly through the castle, without knowing where he went. She struggled to sit up.
"I'm not feeling pain, Allen. I feel...happy. Happy that you found me."
"Happy" wasn't a word Riliane used often. He carried her upstairs, even though she had insisted on walking. Blisters and boils had begun taking form, so she went on his back, instead.
"You're going to live, Riliane. Hang on."
She suddenly realized Allen's clothes felt remarkably like her own. "Allen...you're wearing my dress. And you have mascara everywhere."
"Yes, I'm not very presentable at the moment." The servant sighed.
"Did you...dress up as me?"
His head bobbed once. "Am I going to be burned at the stake now? For cross-dressing?"
"Tortured. And then gutted. And then burned at the stake. And then hung."
The two laughed. Xanthines never took execution seriously, since it was part of life. It was difficult for a foreigner to understand this type of humour as a display of familiarity with someone.
"You dressed up to date Kyle, didn't you? That's how you got the antidote?"
"My, I'm getting more and more predictable, aren't I?" He creaked the door open, as they reached the bedroom.
"Precisely..." Riliane's pause was significant.
"Thank you, Allen."
a/n: Thank you LittleMissReviewbox for that informative review. It really helped me know the parts of this story that I've probably rushed! :) I do my best to improve for the future
As for the ? characters...should I make them in another chapter? If it seems distracting then let me know. I won't take them out though, because they'll be important as the story draws to a close. Thanks!