Chapter 66 - Daniel's Pranks
Hello again! I apologize for long absence, I had a real writing block with this next chapter. I'm honestly not sure if I'm 100% satisfied with it, but it didn't turn out as bad as I feard, so… I hope it's enjoyable anyway.
Daniel was walking alone in the corridor, looking around in search for something. Then as he crossed a corner, he spotted a guard standing alone. The boy stood a moment behind the corner, looking around to ensure that there were others around. There wasn't. Smirking, he approached from his hiding place and walked over to the guard.
«S'cuse me, Sir?»
The guard looked down, getting the boy's attention.
Daniel put on his best smile. «Could I try on your helmet please? It looks so awesome, plase?»
The guard was a bit taken aback, but he smiled at the boy's request. «Why eh…? Of course, young man! I suppose it would be alright for a moment. Here you are.» he said and immidiately took of his helmet and handed it to him.
«Wow, thanks!» Daniel said exited and immidiately tried on the helmet.
«Suits rather well, young man.» the guard replied enthusiastic.
Daniel giggled as he looked up. Then he got his eyes fixed on something above the guards head. «Oh wow, that's a huge spider!»
«Hm?» the guard looked up. «Where?»
«Right there!» Daniel pointed.
The guard turned around and looked up at the cealing, but failed to spot the spider Daniel was talking about. «I don't low, lad. I can't see anything.»
«Are you sure? It was right there above the boarder!» Daniel urged and pointed up.
As the guard turned around and examined the cealing closer with his head bent backwards, Daniel quickly found the little pepper pot he had been hiding in his belt pouch. He carefully sprinkled some of the brown powder into the helmet before he hurried to hide it again.
«I… I can't see anything.» the guards turned back to him and shook his head shrugging.
«Oh oh, I hope someone finds it before my cousin does. She's expreamly scared of spiders and tends to scream. And I mean really sceam. I'm not sure you've heard?»
The guards suddenly became a bit alert. «I… may have caught wims of it.»
Daniel could easly see he had. His cousin's screams was well known by now.
«Well, I'll make sure to tell my fellow guards about it.» the guard ensured him. «So don't you worry, young man. The spider will not show itself on my watch.»
«Good. Thanks for borrowing this.» he handed him the helmet back. «I must go, I gotta find my Dad. Bye!» Daniel said and ran back to the corner he had appeared from.
«Bye, young man!» the guard waved and smiled. «What a funny boy.» then he put his helmet back on.
Behind the corner, Daniel waited just a few seconds. It didn't take longe before he heard the guard started sneezing violently. He chuckled and ran away.
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There was a knock on the door to the salon where the royalties sat with their afternoon tea. Friedborg had just finished serving everyone tea, and walked in the background. They all looked up and Frederic stood up and cleared his throat. «Come in!»
Secons later, Nigel appeared through the doors. He closed the door and bowed to them before he spoke. «I'm so sorry to disturb, Your Majesty, but I thought it would be best to report immidiately. There has been at least three new incidents with the guards mysteriously finding pepper in their helmets. All after… speaking to the young Prince.»
Lars sank down in his chair. «Hevans give me strength…»
Annabelle twirled around in the couch and scowled at Nigel. «Didn't I tell you to hide whatever you had of pepper pots and things like that?»
«He must have gotten hold on one already before.» Jonas said. «He's quite good hiding things. He might even have brought something with him before we left.»
«There has also been some insidents with the maids…»
«Again?» Arianna asked, raising an eyebrow. «But they're not even using the servant corridors now. We even put guards near every entrance.»
«Oh, Your Majesty, he has found other means. He tends to hide and scare them randomly in the corridors, causing them to drop and sometimes break things. He even managed to hide a frog in the laundry and HEVANS how they cried when it was found.»
«A frog?» Frederic had to choke a chuckle, but cleared his throat when Arianna turned towards him. «Well, that was… rather unfortunate. Poor little creature!»
«Perhaps when his teacher arrives, ther might be some more diciplin on the boy.» Arianna said and added a spoon of sugar to her tea.
«Hmph!» Annabelle scoffed. «I can't wait for that!»
Arianna ignored her comment and drank a sip of her tea, then yanked and frowned, hurried to put her tea away before covering her mouth with her napkin and coughing.
«Are you alright, my dear?» Frederic asked concerned.
«Your Majesty?» Nigel approached worried.
«Not again!» she sighed. «I don't understand how it's possible. This is the firfth time in two weeks.»
«Salt?» Jonas asked carefully.
«Yes.» she nodded and stuffed a macaron in her mouth to drown the taste.
«Oh dear…» Nigel sighed.
«I did warn you to have someone taste the sugar before adding it.» Annabelle said as she sipped her own tea, with no sugar.
«I'm sorry.» Lars sighed, hiding his head in his hands rested on his knees, clearly shameful. «I'm so sorry…»
«Hmm…» Frederic wrinkled his nose. «So how is mine then…» he had a short sip of his tea, and his face became a frown. «Here as well! So this is… normal behaviour?» Frederic asked, turning towards Lars.
«It wasn't as bad when his mother was alive…» Lars started, but Annabelle broke him off.
«Wasn't as bad? Uncle, there is barely any difference in his behaviour now than when Helga was there to protect him from all kind of blame. The only difference now its that there's no one to protect him, so he doesn't bother to hide it and put up and act and show off crocodile tears like he always did with her.»
«I find it frustrating to admit, but… Annabelle has a point. You said so yourself.» Jonas said, a bit ashamend of pointing this out to his already strugling brother, who burried his head deeper into his hands.
«Poor lad… the loss of a parent can't have been easy on him.» Frederic said. «Such a loss… seems to bring out the worst in… a child.» he found himself thinking of someone else for a moment, another boy, slightly older, but with a loss greater than anyone could imagine. At least Daniel still had one parent alive…
«It's almost two years, uncle dear.» Annabelle replied sarcastically and took a bite of her macaron. «I was younger than him when my mother died, and I managed quite well within a year.»
Lars let out another heavy sigh. «Well if you have any other option availible, dear niece, I am open.» he replied, a bit sour.
Annabelle smirked. «A solid round of spakning would serve him right!»
Lars frowned and stood up from his seat. «I'm not laying a hand on my son!» he said, a bit louder than intended.
«Good luck with that.» Annabelle replied and took another sip of her tea. «You're going to crack within short, I know it!»
Jonas, in hope to soothen the conversation a bit more, turned to Nigel and asked. «Eh, speaking of Daniel's teacher… Nigel, has there been any words of his arrival?»
Nigel, who was getting slightly sweat from the tension in the room, was relieved to change the subject just a bit. «Hopefully within two weeks, Your Grace. It was rather difficult to get him to change his scedule in such short notice, but he ensured he would arrive as fast as possible, reguarding whom his student is. He wouldn't miss such an uppertunity.»
«I strongly doubt he is aware of what that uppertunity really involves.» Annabelle gave a chukle, and Arianna gently nudged her side and gave her a look to make her stop, something the Princess just rolled her eyes from.
«I don't know… the boy need some structure, and for all we know, he might even find it interesting and enjoyable.» Arianna tried.
Nigel pulled out his handkerchief and waved air at his own face, already being worked up from earlier. «I surely hope it might improve the situation. It isn't idea-ah-ah-ah…» Nigel hitched suddenly and then sneezing loundly three times.
All of them got startled. Jonas got up and hurried over with his own handkerchief, grabbing Nigel's before offering his.
«Here, take mine! he insisted. «I fear yours has been contaminated.»
Nigel gratefully accepted it and sneezed thrice more times into it, and then giving his nose a blow that made Annabelle crinch.
«Delicate!» she muttered and rolled her eyes.
«Looks like you too got pranked, Nigel. The old 'pepper in the handkerchief ' trick. One of Daniel's favorites.» Jonas said half chukling, carefully wrapping up Nigel's handkerchief, which still had some pepper hidden inside it. «Might wanna deep clean this one.»
«Gracious me, I am so sorry…» Nigel said behind the cloth, blinking tears from his eyes from getting a bit of pepper in them.
Jonas chuckled and patted his back. «No need. You've been lucky so far to avoid his troubles.»
Frederic couldn't help but give a short laugh. «You and Friedborg has been the only ones not getting to suffer from this. Now there's only Friedborg left.»
The Lady-in-waiting just smiled her characteristic smile in the background.
«I don't even understand how…» Nigel contined, finally able to breathe.
«None of us do. Daniel's like a magician.» Jonas said. «Even I have found odd things in my pockets now and then.»
«You too?» Lars sighed. «I thought he resepected you?»
«Untill recently.» Jonas laughed nervously and rolled his eyes. «I found a little thorny stick in my jacket the other day.» He held up his hand. «Had to borrow Annabelle's sewing kit to get out a few throrns.»
«I did warn you…» Annabelle started.
«And you were right. I'm sorry I didn't take your word for it. It… literally stung.» he joked.
Nigel cleared his throat, trying to regain a compose before bowing. «Well then, I should take my leave. I realize there's some spices to be examinated in the kitchen.»
«Be careful now, Nigel.» Frederic said, half joking.
Nigel gave a half-hearted chuckle as he went through the doors. «Oh I will, Your Majesty. Trust me.»