Leap 4: A Royal Breakfast

'Mum, Ah found them all by themselves in th' forest,' Merida waved her hand at Robert and Ruby. 'They say they're lost. Ah thought ye should meet them'

Edging away from the siblings' earshot, she whispered ever so suspiciously,' They micht be spies, ye know'

Queen Elinor smiled at her daughter's excessive caution and addressed the visitors.

'Come in children. Join us. Ye must be hungry'

Merida started ,'But mum-'

Her mother cut her off mid-sentence ,'Come now dear. They look tired and surely must feel hungry. Ah say they need some proper food. They can dine wi' us'

'Aye. Have yer full kids,' King Fergus bellowed with genuine enthusiasm.

Robert, on the other hand, was rooted to the spot where he stood. Meeting Merida meant that meeting the king and queen was also inevitable. But now that he was in their presence, it was still as weird as the time when he first saw the wisp, what seemed like months ago.

Looking to his side, he could tell that Ruby was equally surprised, if not more.

Robert knew how the royal family seated themselves. King Fergus sat at one end of the long table while Queen Elinor sat at the other . Princess Merida sat anywhere along the lines of the king's right and the queen's left. Her triplet brothers, several years younger, sat along Merida's opposite side.

The three seats, however, were currently vacant. As Merida took her place at the table (grumpily. She still did not understand why the two kids were being treated so well), Robert and Ruby timidly occupied two of three empty chairs.

'Maudie!,' Queen Elinor called.

A few moments later, a plump woman with rosy cheeks entered the great hall. Her clothing indicated that she probably worked as a maid in the castle.

Elinor turned towards her ,'Maudie, git these kids something tae eat'

'Yes, milady,' And Maudie was off. A few minutes later, she came back carrying a large tray laden with rich and healthy breakfast for two.

'Umm, Thank you very much, your highness,' said Robert.

Ruby followed suit,' Thanks a lot'

'Mum, whit are ye doing?,' Merida blurted out. They were in the hallway just outside the royal dining table. The queen had excused herself from the table and Merida had taken this opportunity to confront her. 'They cuid be spies. Look how odd they are. Th' wey they talk. Their clothes. An' yet ye treat them like long expected guests.'

Queen Elinor gave the most patient of her smiles. 'Merida, mah darling, Ah understand how an' why ye feel the way ye do right now. But trust me in this, there is something about these kids that seem unique. Nae, not their way o' talking, moving or their clothes, but there is something else in them. Ah believe 'twas by fate that 'twas no one but ye who found them. Ah cannot say more but for now, please, treat them as ye would treat your friends."

'Ah don' have friends,' said Merida.

'Then make some. Ye can start with two,', said Queen Elinor

'An' whot do ye mean 'unique'?,' Merida demanded. 'Ah know those two are weird but ye don't have to say it in such a mysterious tone.'

'Later,' Queen Elinor proceeded to her bed chambers without a glance back.

The suspense was enough to make anyone berserk but all Merida could do was make an unsatisfied remark and go back to the royal dining room where her father was keeping the other two kids company.

There was an un-natural silence when Queen Elinor and Princess Merida left the room. Robert thoughtfully poked at the haggis on his plate.

King Fergus was never good with conversations but he always tried his best.

'So-um-ahem-how did ye kids get here?,' King Fergus asked nervously. He immediately brought a mug of water to his mouth in a helpless effort to try and clear his crackly throat. 'Ah mean, how exactly.'

Ruby was the first to reply ,'We followed a wisp through a magic door.'

King Fergus spurted out the entire mouthful of water he had been drinking, barely missing Robert.

'Are…King Fergus…Your Majesty, are you all right?' he asked.

King Fergus waved a careless hand ,'I'm fine. I'm fine'. He then immediately turned his gaze towards them. 'If what yer saying is true, then it sounds just like the time mah daughter unleashed a spell on her moth-'

BANG!

Merida could have been kinder to the door as she furiously pushed it open, sending it crashing against the wall. However, her temper was not to be curbed so easily, what with such strange things happening and no one having any explanation.

Merida stormed up to the table and grabbed her bow. As she made to leave, she turned around.

'Whot did ye say yer names were?'

'Oh, I'm Robert Bonham and this is my sister Ruby Bonham.'

Merida looked at them like a commanding officer looks at his soldiers, with power and fury. 'Robert and Ruby,' Merida's voice resounded with strength and dignity. 'We need tae talk'