The Wedding
This was originally written on Feb. 24, 2012.
AN: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. The mushrooms from last chapter were in reference to the hormone powder that appeared in Wallabee Reversed, I just LOVE adding that stuff to my stories, Hehehehe.
Words: 7,182
Disclaimer: I own KND and Ella Enchanted just like I own NASA and a kiss from Darren Criss…HAHA PSYCHE, though I really wouldn't mind kissing Darren Criss… :3 He's SO dreamy and SuperMegaFoxyAwesomeHot!
Okai! Enough of my over obsessive crush on Darren Criss and A Very Potter Musical and Sequel, and on with this super long chappie!
Previously on Kuki Enchanted:
Kami was gazing at me with trepidation. "Kuki? How are you feeling?"
I gripped my hands in front of me, they were trembling so much. "Thank you for undoing that fool faerie's command, Kami," I said quietly. I sat back down, the effects of the elfin mushrooms rushing back as my overwhelming feelings abated.
Kami picked up an envelope from the counter with my name on it. "Lovey, I hate to add to your current distress, but your mother left you a letter. I think it would be a wise for me to read it over first, in case it contains any orders."
I nodded my agreement tiredly. I finished my roll and drank a tall glass of milk as she read over the letter.
"It's safe," she said, handing it to me with a small, crooked smile.
Kuki,
You did splendid last night. I am convinced that you had that dithering idiot completely infatuated with you. Unfortunately, the lying money-grubber has a penchant for gambling and is not nearly as rich as he needs to be to keep our family in good spirits and health. He confessed as much to me this morning.
Poor, unfortunate Evangeline and Elizabeth. It looks as though their inheritance would be lost either way.
I do not have the time or, if I am being honest, the care to find you a new groom on such short notice. We must act quickly if we are to stay in the lifestyle to which we are accustomed. I will find you a wealthy heir at some point. Josephine Johnson does not know the word failure.
For now, however, I shall be the one to take a knife in the side for both our sakes.
I have recently received a proposition of marriage from a well-to-do gentleman. I have not yet given my consent to the arrangement, but I will tell him that my heart belongs to him in the next letter I write. Once our engagement is official, I will send for you so that you may become reacquainted.
I paused and shut my eyes. Reacquainted? Perhaps some part of me knew what was coming next, because I felt my chest fill with dread.
Be sure to keep our financial situation a secret from him and his family, although I'm sure the only reason Sir Monty desires this marriage is because I am irresistible and a champion.
I shall see you soon,
Your Mother
Mother was to wed Sir Monty. Ace would be my brother.
Mother and Sir Montgomery were officially engaged that very evening, and I joined them at Sir Montgomery 's estate two days later. When I arrived, he threw his arms around me in a suffocating embrace.
"Ohhh this is simply marvelous! Kukihana, Sir Montgomery sounds so formal for your new father –" I fixed with him with the most withering of stares. The anniversary of Father's death was fast approaching, and I wanted to punch Sir Montgomery in the gut for suggesting that he could replace my beloved father. "You should call me something much more familiar to you…" He trailed off, oblivious to my glare. "I know! Something with flare. You must call me…Poppa Monty!" he said, I tried my best to keep from murdering him as he commanded me to call upon him in that manner.
I looked at him with bewilderment and loathing. "There is no chance that I will ever, at any point in time, refer to you by that name," I informed him icily. I clenched my jaw tightly as my complaints settled in and my legs began to shake. I took a deep breath and tried to still my shaking knees.
"But you must!" he exclaimed, "I am to be your new father, so you must." he said
My mouth twisted in disgust. I hated to follow the order, but Poppa Monty he would be, at least when I spoke aloud.
The wedding was to take place in two months time. Mother had wanted it to be next week, surely because she didn't want to risk the secret of our financial ruin to become known to Sir Montgomery. Sir Montgomery wanted a lavish wedding, one that would take ample preparation and would attract only the most important and esteemed of guests from Frell and maybe from around the entire of Kyrria. Mother had nodded her agreement at this last sentiment, a power-mad gleam in her eyes.
Nigel and Ace were to return from Gallagher's a week before the wedding, and they were each bringing a female companion that they were to take to the wedding. Nigel was now exclusively courting Elizabeth, and Sir Monty informed me that Evangeline had demanded that Ace court her so as to be with her sister. "And then the boys shall stay home with us," Sir Montgomery told me, though he raised his voice for Mother, who stood gazing at a set of his silver candlesticks appraisingly, to hear, "For who shall offer me comfort and solace to ease my pain when your mother is away on her trading ventures?"
I saw Mother purse her lips in distaste and shut her eyes briefly. I knew she was willing herself to say something suitable in response. "And who shall ease my pain when I am parted from you, dear Monty?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the candlesticks.
Her words certainly seemed to please Sir Montgomery. He let out a little affected sigh of infatuation and scurried over to her, clinging to her arm and pecking her cheek. Mother's eyes met mine for a moment and I did not bother to suppress my smirk. If she was going to put me through the torture of gaining this family, then I would not pity her suffering such a husband one bit.
Unfortunately, Sir Montgomery had taken a liking to me. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, but he often found out my hiding places and insisted on showing me around his manor. His collection of swords (I counted over one hundred) had me quite worry some, though, as Mother later told me, they were worth a fortune. He also showed me his study that was filled with the severed heads of animals, ranging from snow rabbits to black bears. I swallowed hard at the animals whose heads decorated this foul man's study.
My birthday came and went with no acknowledgement or celebration, though Kami, Lee, Sal, Jess, and Ben had sent me letters. It appeared that Mother either did not remember or simply did not care enough to mention it, and no one else at Sir Montgomery's manor knew about my turning sixteen.
With the anniversary of Father's death just days away, I ended up throwing myself into assisting with the wedding preparations as a distraction. I reasoned that if the fools insisted on a spectacle to draw attention to their impending sham of a marriage, I could at least try to make the occasion a little less mortifying for all who were to be involved in said impending sham of a marriage. My involvement turned out to be quite fortuitous the more I learned of Sir Montgomery's plans for the celebration.
Most importantly, I was able to convince the idiot that I was not to wear an awful shade of a magenta ball gown with green side trimming and golden lace, a horrible combination of the wedding colours, which had been chosen by Sir Montgomery for me to wear. As for Nigel and Ace, they were to wear a magenta shirt with golden cufflinks and dark green pants.
"Think about it, Poppa Monty," I spoke with a honeyed voice, "The day belongs to you and Mother. It stands to reason that nothing should draw attention from the two of you. If you dress Ace and Nigel and me in such beautiful eye catching ensembles, there is a chance that not everyone will be focused on you."
Sir Montgomery looked aghast. "Kuki, darling, how could I have not thought of this? You are a genius! Just like me! Of course you are right!" he yelped, patting my hand absently enthusiastically. But he saw this as not enough and enveloped me in a bone crushing hug, he pulled back and thought for a moment, then spoke. "You and my precious boys will wear black. I am certain you will look exceptionally beautiful and the boys will look quite handsome, if understated beside my radiance."
For her part, Mother completely ignored Sir Montgomery's color scheme and chose a white dress with long sleeves that were a pinkish colour, the dress had a wide collar that was sequenced with beautiful blue jewels.
Sir Montgomery asked me to create his own ensemble, due to my high fashion creation skills that I had obtained though days of being forced to listen to Sewing Mistress. I helped a young servant of Sir Montgomery's household named Jackson make the ensemble for his wedding.
Jackson was very skilled in creating men's clothing, a skill he shared with his older brothers, James and Barney. Jackson had dark skin and swimming pools of chocolate for eyes. He was medium built and had long legs.
"You are very talented," Jackson told me as I made a few more stitching in the atrocious fabric that Sir Montgomery had picked for us to create his wedding outfit. I looked up at Jackson, who was making another adjustment on his parchment paper that contained the designs sketches for the ensemble.
"Why thank you," I told him, smiling sincerely at him. "Your designs are quite interesting, never in all of my leanings from Sewing Mistress have I seen a design this elaborate before." I stated, indicating the design before us.
"Thank you, I call it a suit. It was inspired by early wardrobe of Kyrrian History." he said, and I made a mental note to have him not meet Sir Eric upon his mention of the word 'History'. "My brothers and I share a passion for it. You are lucky, I have never had formal lessons from a Sewing Mistress, my mother was a seamstress for Lady Hazel Uno, Sir Montgomery's mother. She taught me and my two brothers everything we know."
The door opened and a servant woman with pearly skin, curly blonde hair, and a beautiful shade of chocolate brown eyes. "Hey, Jack," She said, walking in fully with a silver platter of food that held two croissants, two bowls of hot, steaming soup, and a glass of water.
"Hey, Mom." Jack replied, and I had to do a double take. This was Jack's mother? I would never have known. But now that I looked closely, her and her son shared the same shade of melted chocolate brown eyes.
"Kuki," he addressed me, "this is my mother, Loretta Daniels. Mom, this is Kuki, she is the daughter of Lady Josephine." I stood and curtsied to her.
"I am pleased to finally meet the new lady of the Uno residence." Loretta said, returning my curtsey. "I brought you kids some dinner." She said, placing the tray on a table.
"Thanks you." I said.
"Thanks Mom." Jack amended, putting down his piece of fabric and taking some of the soup.
"You're welcome, now I have to go keep an eye on Barney and James, I fear they are up to their old habits…" She trailed off, Jack shaking his head as his mom left.
"Don't ask." He said when I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Okay then, I won't." I said, still confused.
The anniversary of Father's death passed without mention. Mother and I exchanged a significant look that day and she certainly seemed even surlier than usual, but no speeches were made, and no songs were sung in honor of his memory. I avoided everyone in Sir Montgomery's manor that day, even Jackson, and had wandered about outside, wishing to visit Father's grave but taking comfort in the gentle wind that I felt, like a reassuring caress from his hand.
The following day, I set out to return home after a conversation with Mother.
"Kuki," she had barked at me as I made my way to the kitchens to visit Jackson, "Wait for a moment. I want to talk to you when my precious, dotting fiancé can't hear us."
I rolled my eyes but had to obey her order.
"I want you to go back to our manor. Monty wished to have the wedding there, but I have appealed to his sentimental sensibilities and told him it would be much more romantic at the old castle. Nonetheless, I have made the arrangements with Kamilla, and I need you there to help her clear out and sell all our things. I know you have some Johnson blood in you, so get the best prices you can. After the wedding night" – she shuddered – "We will all be coming back here. Sir Montgomery expects that we will be staying at our home, but by the day of the wedding, it will no longer be ours, and an empty manor will be a very obvious clue as to my financial state. That is why it is essential for you to go back; I can't handle the selling of our things from here and risk Montgomery finding out before the marriage contract is binding."
I shook my head at her machinations but gladly heeded her request. Once I arrived home, Kami and I embraced readily. She seemed to be quite frazzled.
"Oh, I've missed you, sweet. I've a lot to fill you in on." She slipped her arm through mine and pulled me along inside the house. Much progress on the hawking of the objects of my entire life had been made. "Sonya and Lee have gone to live with Lee's sister, Mollylee, apparently she married into the Gilligan family and has a manor house. From what I hear, Molly and her husband, Tommy, have nine daughters, Hollylee, Oaklee, Analee, Ginnylee, Inlee, Ellielee, Pennylee, Whitlee, Gillianlee, and one son named Timothee." My eyes widened at remembering so many names. My mind wondered back to my travels with Wally and his knights. There was a Sir Hoagie and a Sir Tommy, who were brothers. Sir Hoagie had talked about Sir Tommy's daughter named Holly and his wife Molly. I wondered if they were the same people. I was sure that they were.
".pwoch ech jdgumkwu azzoogH" I heard Buddy squawk and the fluttering of wings as he flew to me and rested on my shoulder. He burrowed his head in the crook of my neck.
I ruffled his feathers and chuckled as he took off and flew to a perch that Kami or Lee had made for him.
Kami continued to speak. "Jess and her mother have returned to their family and secured a position closer to their home. You Mother refused to write a reference, of course, so I…so I forged one in her writing magically," Kami looked at me and smiled wryly, "Small magic. I managed to locate Ben's parents and their lord sent a carriage for him. He left just two days ago, and thank goodness, for yesterday I received a letter from your Mother demanding that I turn him out into the streets because he was costing us too much money to feed. I would have done no such thing of course, but at least this way I can avoid her wrath. Now, as for the household items, I have managed to pack everything up. I stowed away most of your father's old outfits; he had some very fine items I am sure your son may one day like to wear them. I also saved your grandmother's and aunt's clothing, I know you will one day grow into them. I have also saved most of your own wardrobe as well as your Rainbow Centaur collection. I only need you to help me sell everything else off before the wedding. Now, is there anything else you'd like to save?"
"Only the faerie rug, my book, and my gifts from Fanny and Patton," I said firmly, "and I shall hide those fastidiously. It would not do well for Ace or Poppa Monty to discover them."
Kami wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Poppa Monty?" she questioned.
"An order, unfortunately." I explained with a long-suffering sigh.
In the midst of our task, I did not have much opportunity to venture outside. On one outing, I visited Father's grave with Kami at my side. I sat by his headstone, tracing his name with my fingers over and over. Kami was crying silently. I could not look at her; the sight of the tears on her face was too much for me.
I did on one occasion manage to sneak away and visit Apple, the centaur colt Wally had captured for me that now lived at the menagerie by the old castle. I was glad Mother had never learned of his existence, for she would have sold him for quite a price. I brought Buddy along to visit his fellow birds. Matthew greeted us with a smile, his brown hair longer and shaggier than ever, and took Buddy from me so I could go to the centaurs. As I walked away, I could hear him speaking to the bird in Gnomic.
There were three centaurs in the pen, and Apple was easy enough to spot, based on the illustration of him and Wally in my faerie tale book. I clicked my tongue softly and held out an apple. He turned his head to look at me and trotted forward eagerly once he spied his namesake in my hand, a vapid smile on his face and his white hair shining in the sunlight.
I found myself spilling all my secrets, my feelings and frustrations, to the sweet but simple creature in front of me. He said nothing, naturally, but stared at me as though enraptured as he munched on his snack. I told him of Ace, not of the kiss as Ace's order stopped me, of his cruelty and self-loathing, and how he had forced me to sever ties with my best friends. As I vented my anger and pain, I gradually started to talk of happier things. I recounted my meeting Patton and Fanny, how I had rescued Ben, and my friendship with Jackson. Soon enough, I was pouring out my soul to Apple about Wally.
"Of course, you've met him. You know him better than you know me at this point," I babbled as I combed his long hair with my fingers, "You know how…wonderful he is, I'm sure. How kind, and gentle, and warm. How…handsome." I flushed and darted a glance at the centaur. He stared at me as though he was hanging on every word, his bright blue eyes wide with attention. "I am honoured to have him as a friend. I know that my feelings for him run deeper than that, but I am content…I am ecstatic, even, to simply remain his friend. But I long to tell him... He is such a caring and earnest fellow; I feel as though I can tell him. But what if he rejects me? I could not bear that." Apple simply nuzzled against my cheek, and I drew courage and strength from his comfort. "I suppose I should tell him. I want to be honest, and tell him how I feel." I concluded, trying to feel the confidence with which I spoke the words.
Mother and Sir Montgomery arrived early the morning of the wedding, with quite the entourage in tow. Jackson was one of the servants in attendance, along with his two brothers. He waved at me before dashing off to help finish the last minute decorating. I longed to go join him and Kami and escape my horrid family members, both new and old. I took one last glance, only to see James and Barney trying to sneak away to a group of maidens, only for them to be caught by Loretta, who then dragged them by the ear back to the servant door entrance.
Sir Montgomery swept me into a suffocating and rotting fruit-scented embrace. I watched over his shoulder as Nigel stumbled out of the carriage and held up a hand to help Elizabeth down the steps. She held her nose high in the air, but she looked tired and a little sad. I had never seen anything but icy coldness on her face. I wondered if Nigel noticed, but he just smiled at her awkwardly before waving at me. Evangeline came out next, and instead of fixing me with one of her nasty glares, which I had grown quite used to during our days at Gallagher's, she gave me an appraising look before pursing her lips and examining her nails.
Ace was the last to emerge from the carriage, and he actually greeted me aloud.
"Kuki!" He said, smiling as though happy to see me. I took a step back as he came forward, arms wide as if intent on hugging me, no doubt to whisper an order in my ear. I froze as he wrapped his arms around me, his bulk far too close to my body for comfort. I fought to keep down the bile rising in my throat as images of our last encounter flashed before my eyes.
"If you say one word to me today, I swear I will rip off your glasses so that everyone can see." I hissed.
He drew back a little. "What? But –"
"One word," I repeated firmly. I watched with satisfaction as his eyes widened in alarm and he shifted his gaze to Evangeline, who was staring at us with a frown on her face. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief once he had released me. I felt my knees tremble at the queasy feeling in my stomach with his close proximity produced.
I visited Apple once more and then spent the rest of the day helping Kami prepare the food for the banquet. The afternoon passed with regrettable haste, and soon Kami was ushering me out of the kitchens. I was glad when she did not instruct me to attend the wedding.
Almost all the guests had made their way inside to await the bride and groom, though a few still lingered outside the doors. Nigel was one of them. I tried to duck away once I saw him, but to no avail.
"Kuki, wait!"
I sighed and stood rooted on the spot and watched as he jogged towards me.
"Are you not going to go watch the ceremony?" He asked as he came to stand beside me. "Can I stay out here with you? Lizzie is confusing me so much lately; it is as though I can do nothing to make her happy. She is so mad all the time when I am with my friends or even by Rachel. Can I talk to you about her? Can I talk to you about Rachel? My head is all messed up right now."
I eyed Nigel wearily. I did not wish to hear of him stringing along my friend, nor did I wish to hear about his courtship troubles with Elizabeth. "I'm going in," I told him. He followed after me like an overgrown puppy.
"Can I sit with you?" he asked pleadingly. I sighed and nodded my head.
We slipped into a row at the back. Luckily, it was not customary for the wedding attendants to stand at the bride and groom's sides during the ceremony in Kyrria, so my duties to the wedding were limited to preparation.
High Chancellor Lincoln began to drone on and on, and it was not long before I realized he was reusing several phrases from the speech he had made at Father's funeral. Before long, I felt a weight on my shoulder and looked down to see Nigel slumped at a very awkward angle, eyes closed, head resting on my shoulder, snoring. A few rows ahead, I could see Evangeline examining her fingernails. Elizabeth's shoulders were slumped and she stared at her lap, unmoving. Ace wore a blank expression; his gaze was fixed blankly on Mother and Sir Montgomery, who stood on the elevated steps at the front of the room, hands clasped. Mother looked as though she were in physical pain, but Sir Montgomery seemed none the wiser, and beamed at all the people collected in one space to witness the abomination taking place. He was wearing the outfit that Jackson and I had created, only instead of the white shirt and black coat he wore a hideous combination of a magenta shirt with gold trimmings and a green coat, much to mine and Jackson's protests, which he had no ear for.
His ensemble with mother's white and pink dress made the whole affair look like a complete joke, and in all truth, it was."
As the ceremony wore on, it was quite obvious that absolutely no one had any interest in what was happening. This only made the one viewer whose wet eyes focused on the exchange of vows with enthralled attention stand out to me even more. There sat Henrietta, clutching her hands to her heart as though she had never witnessed anything more romantic in her life.
Panic set in and I slid down in my pew. Nigel, still asleep, simply moved with me, snuggling a little closer. I would have been annoyed, but his tall frame served to hide me a little, so I welcomed the unwitting shield.
Once High Chancellor Lincoln had concluded the ceremony, Henrietta jumped up and strode toward the altar.
"My friends," she cried out, "I have never been more touched than I am today by what I just now paid witness to."
High Chancellor Lincoln beamed and said, "Success!" He raised his fist in success.
"Not because of your tedious monologue," Henrietta told him snippily, "But because of the love of this couple," she addressed the whole room once again, "Who are no longer in the bloom of their youth." I held back a giggle and bit my lower lip.
"Lady, I am going to punch you in the face," Mother growled.
Henrietta seemed to ignore her. "I am Lady Henrietta, I am a faerie, and I am here to bestow upon you a magical gift."
Mother's demeanor altered in an instant, and that greedy glint appeared in her eyes. Sir Montgomery clapped his hands together in delight.
Henrietta paused, perhaps for a thespian outcome. I knew I should have been trying to be slipping out of the room so she would not see me and discover I was in fact Kyrrian and had deceived her; I had no wish to become a skunk like Ben had had the misfortune of becoming for six long years. Yet, I stayed rooted to my seat, unable to tear my eyes from the inevitable disaster.
"It is the perfect gift for a newly married couple. Exquisite. No one shall call this gift stupid!" Henrietta's jaw was set in defiance. "I give you the gift of eternal love. As long as you both live, you will have one another's undying love."
I watched as all the color drained from Mother's face. Sir Montgomery let out a fawning squeal, "Oh! My beautiful Joy! What a wondrous gift!"
Mother's look of absolute horror shifted into one of complete infatuation in a matter of seconds as the spell took hold. "Whatever makes you happy, my love," she replied, a look of confusion and dawning wonder in her eyes. I almost gagged.
Elizabeth, Evangeline, and Ace were all rushing to the altar with hungry looks in their eyes, perhaps looking for gifts from Henrietta as well. The fools. "A real faerie!" Elizabeth exclaimed, looking truly animated for the first time since her arrival.
I took the growing distraction as an opportunity to duck out of the hall. It would not serve me well if Henrietta spotted me.
It had grown dark outside and the brisk night air made it a little too cold for me to hide outside. I decided to explore the second level of the old castle. I made my way down the dark corridor that stretched out from the staircase landing, running my hand along the wall to keep a sense of balance and orientation. My fingers skimmed across a doorknob, so I pulled the door open and slipped inside, letting the door click shut behind me. I slid to the floor, uncaring of the cheap material Sir Montgomery had chosen for my dress. I breathed slowly, letting my heart gradually return to a normal pace, and thought about the repercussions of Henrietta's newest gift. I wondered if Mother would be any happier now.
I must have been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I did not hear the footsteps looming closer. The door suddenly swung open and, caught unawares, I tipped backwards a little, my back falling against pair of legs. I looked up.
"Wally!" I exclaimed, attempting to stand gracefully. He offered me a hand up, grinning. Then he pulled me into a hug, laughing good-naturedly. I stuttered out a breath as he wrapped his arms around my waist and hesitated only for a moment before returning the embrace. This was a very welcome hug, unlike Ace's and I felt myself relax against my friend a little, drawing comfort from the slender, yet strong frame pressed to mine.
When he pulled away, he didn't let go; instead, he gripped my arm and ushered me into the room, closing the door shut behind us. My eyes were still adjusting to the new darkness, so it was hard to make out Wally's face, but his eyes were shining in what little light the cracked windows of the room afforded.
"Are you well, Kuki?" He asked me, his ocean eyes staring into mine
"As well as one can be expected considering the days events" I replied wryly.
"I arrived just in time to see you dash up the stairs. It seems that I've missed the ceremony," he observed with a tinge of amusement, "Was it quite exceptional as the rumors at court predicted?"
"Exceptional. There is a word for it!"
I could see a little more clearly know, and his smile turned into a frown. "I apologize, Kuki. I should not jest at what I am sure is an unwanted union on your part. I know you do not get along well with Sir Montgomery's sons."
"It is quite alright," I assured him, amused at his perfect manners. "It does do well to keep a sense of humour about things one cannot change." I added airily.
I was about to ask Wally how he was doing and when he had arrived, for I had not seen him in the hall during the wedding ceremony, but I heard rather loud giggling coming from the corridor outside. Wally glanced at me mischievously and then darted back to the door, opening it a crack. We crowded its opening and peered outside, just in time to see a pair of bodies rush past us. Wally opened the door a little more and we stuck our heads out to watch the two people run past.
It was Evangeline, stumbling a little in her bright green dress, clinging onto the hand of…Jackson? As they continued to run down the hall, Evangeline ducked under Jackson's arm and did a little twirl. She giggled madly and they disappeared around the corner, and Wally and I stepped into the corridor for a moment.
"That was Miss Evangeline of Roberts," Wally observed quietly, "but I did not recognize the lad."
I hesitated. It was very odd to see a beautiful Kyrrian maiden such as Evangeline, from a wealthy and noble family, rushing off into the dark corners of the old castle with an Ayorthan servant.
"His name is Jackson Daniels," I finally informed Wally, "He is a servant of the Uno household."
I looked at him closely, curious to see how he, a royal prince, would react to a member of court cavorting about with a servant at the wedding of two nobles. He didn't say anything, but continued to look down the hall where they had disappeared, a tiny smile playing on the corner of his mouth. It occurred to me that I was once again staring at Wally's lips, so I moved my gaze accordingly.
"What do you think they were doing?" I asked thoughtlessly.
Wally slid his gaze to mine and for a moment I forgot to breathe. Perhaps it was simply the low lighting, but Wally's normally light hazel eyes were quite dark, dark with…some meaning, some knowing I could not determine. I felt incredibly flustered and hoped the darkness hid the stain on my cheeks.
But suddenly he was smiling, all white teeth and sparkling eyes. "It matters not." He placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me back into the room. "Now, I believe you were hiding? I suppose you would like to continue doing so?"
I waited for him to ask me why I was hiding or from whom, but he did not. I certainly was not going to offer the information to him, and I supposed he was too polite to pry. I thought of something to say to him s he steered me back into the room.
"Your ogre-hunting adventures did not last as long as I'd imagined they would," I observed as I shut the door once more behind us.
"Yes. Your hunting technique certainly helped speed along our efforts."
I smirked at him. "And did you find yourself a skilled speaker of Ogrese?"
Wally shook his head with a rueful smile. "Alas, no. My ineptitude with languages remains as you remember it, completely atrocious that the speaks of the languages would could not bear to be in my presence. Ethan was the most fluent, and Hoagie had by far the best accent. Nearly as good as yours. But not quite," he said, winking. He looked around the room and chuckled to himself.
"You chose a good room to hide in, Kuki," Wally commented. I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. "My father spent his boyhood in this old castle, when it wasn't in ruins. Before my grandfather had the new castle near Frell constructed. He told me of old rumors of a secret passage in the castle, and that it was in fact located in this very room."
"Did King Xavier ever find it?" I asked him.
"No," Wally chuckled, "This room was, once upon a time, my grandmother's private study, and Father was forbidden to enter. Of course, as a mischievous young boy, he tried several times. Needless to say, my grandmother's staff were ever so vigilant, having been trained under General Moody." I vaguely recalled a history lesson with Aunt Morgan in which we talked about General Moody, who had fought and won many battles during his time as general. I remembered walking in the courtyard of Frell as a young girl with Father and Aunt Morgan and seeing his statue that was carved of him from marble in his honour when he had died.
I remember that the statue had frightened me, for General Moody's face was covered in scars due to injuries from his long career as General and looked as though his face was roughly carved from a hunk of wood. He had a chunk of his nose missing and he had a circular eye patch over his left eye. And his right leg had been replaced by a wooden peg. He had a long staff made out of what father told me was an ancient oak tree. His hair was a dark colour and grizzly looking.
"Where does the passage lead?" I asked him.
"Father told me it is supposed to take one to a tunnel that passes under the moat." He said.
"Would you like to look for it?" I asked him hopefully.
"Do you want to?" He replied eagerly, looking so young, like an excited child, "Though you'll miss the ball."
"I'd like nothing better than to miss the ball." I said with genuine enthusiasm. "It can't be that difficult, if our search is limited to just this room."
At Wally's happy smile, we began to search. Wally inspected an empty bookcase, while I ran my hands along the brick walls. Many of the bricks were cracked and chipped. Several were missing. As we conducted our search, we came up with possible uses for the passage.
"To warn Frell of danger," Wally said sincerely.
I thought of Henrietta. "To escape a bad-tempered faerie."
"To avoid a sound lashing."
I thought of my favourite story that was the tragic tale of Pyramus and Thisbe, "To sneak out to see a secret lover."
"To escape from an arranged marriage." Wally said, it made me think of the story of Jasmine, and how she had escaped from the palace so she would not have to be forced into marriage. It made me think of Mother's own scheme to marry me off to Sir Thomas.
"To escape a pretentious wedding ball," I countered, biting on my lip in amusement.
"That was certainly it," Wally agreed with false conviction, laughter in his voice.
I spotted a section of wall that looked more intact. None of the bricks were missing, and they seemed to be held together with a slightly different colored plaster. I was about to point it out to Wally when he spoke.
"Kuki, did you see this?" he asked, striding towards the very patch of wall I had just noticed. We rushed to inspect it closely. "Do you think this is it?" Wally sounded almost overwhelmed in his enthusiasm. I tried to hide my fond look, attempting to transform it into a mask of judgmental amusement.
"Wally, did you know at times that you appear like an excitable puppy, rather than an elegant young prince?" (another inside joke! I have an illustration for it!)
He turned to stare at me, stunned. For a moment, I worried that I had offended him, but he let out a laugh and rolled his eyes at me. "Well, I suppose you have deportment school to your advantage. Never have I seen such a transformation from a terribly clumsy girl to a sophisticated young maiden of court," he teased.
I gasped in mock outrage. "I'll never be a young maiden of court," I vowed, only half-joking. I had a feeling I would never truly be welcomed in what Mother deemed civilized company.
Wally simply looked at me for a long moment before returning his attention to the wall. I watched as his long, elegant fingers brushed over the bricks, finally stopping on one placed at chest height. "This one is different," he murmured. It was. Most of the other bricks were dull and worn away, but this one seemed to shine a little, if I focused my gaze on it.
"I wonder how it has lasted where its brothers have worn away." I breathed, suddenly sensing we were in the presence of something that required some reverence, "Perhaps it is faerie made. Very old magic, if that is the case."
Wally withdrew his hand as though burned, hesitated, and then ran his fingers over the brick again. He pulled at its edges, and pushed at it, to no avail. I reached forward curiously and my hand covered his. We stilled and looked at each other. Suddenly, I realized that the passage would not admit one person alone. The magic would not permit a single individual to make a selfish escape. Something flashed in Wally's eyes, and I felt as though he had had the same revelation.
We seemed to breathe as one as we both applied pressure to the brick, the pads of my fingers pressing against Wally's knuckles. Suddenly, I was trembling. I could not tell if it was from the discovery of the magic and the passage, or from Wally, and how I seemed to be breathing him in. The brick moved under our hands and our gaze finally broke, our hands dropping away. Wally's dangled at his side, while I crossed my arms to hold myself.
Following the single brick, the entire section of wall slid back a few inches. There was a slight pause, and then the whole thing eased slowly to the right, hiding behind the real wall and providing enough space for two people to pass through. Wally and I exhaled at the same time, glanced at each other, and then laughed nervously.
"Shall we?" Wally asked, nodding his head towards the opening.
I stared at the dark passage before us. "Wally, is this a good idea? What if we become lost?"
Wally smiled at me and took my hand.
"I'm here, Kuki, nothing will happen." he said.
I smiled back.
DANG THIS WAS LONG! My neck hurts from hunching over my phone for the past 4 periods! As I am in APHUG (AP Human Geography) as I type this. I got a lot done during Study Hall, thank god, though I could have been studying for my Latin Test today in 6th hour...
Yay Wally is here! I've waited for this chapter forever!. Hehe, hoped y'all liked the little 10/11.0 on the side ;) it came to me in a dream last night...along with other, crazy weird things involving one of my best friends, a cell phone, some crazy dares, and a bunch of other things I can't remember or don't feel like telling y'all about. I was originally going to have Eva be the servant and Jack be a young lord, but I liked how this turned out. I was thinking of splitting it when Wally comes but then the chapter would fall short! I do so hope you enjoyed it!
Anyone notice the Harry Potter reference? Hehe, I'm sorry, I HAD to add it in!
Next chapter: Kuki and Wally go on an adventure. They have some fun, find some treasures, and make some discoveries. Kuki confronts Evangeline and they have a little heart to heart.
Also, if you want to see the illustration for a puppy Wally, go to this link, just take out all the spaces and put a . for dot
http: / buddygirl1004(dot)deviantart(dot)com /art/ Wally –Beatles –The –Puppy -295514866