The sun arched high in the sky, beating down on the large city and sand. Cloth billowed in the gentle wind and merchants bustled by, shouting out what they were selling and restocking their stalls. In the center of the bright city stood an impressive castle, the walls high and ceilings round, decorated with gold and blue lapis lazuli. This was the place of royalty, where the king, queen, and prince lived. It was a lavish life, filled with endless joys and privileges. On this day, the prince sat in his room, atop a nook littered with cushy pillows and light blankets. He took a sip of some fine wine, his golden hair glittering in the sunlight that streamed through the open room. He stood, moving languidly to the balcony where he looked upon the kingdom, gazing down at the villages and vendors with curiousity and satisfaction. The cool air flowed briskly past him, and he leaned against the railing and watched. *** Meanwhile, Wren walked briskly along the cobblestone streets, the ground damp from rain earlier that morning. Her look was severe as she stared ahead, sword resting at her side. Her gait was steady and powerful, and people moved out of her way from intimidation. She paid them no mind as she entered the bakery. She bought a scone and tea, not for herself, and quickly left afterwards, taking them to give to Sir Charles, who she was expecting to see soon. Her job didn't generally pertain to simple errands, but she felt towards Charles in a friendly way, and often helped with the more menial tasks that faced them. ( @Eluuna )
Music streamed lazily up towards his balcony, drawing his attention to a small crowd that had gathered on the bustling market street below. A small musician's group, armed with lyres and horns and accordions, produced a jovial, fast-paced tune for a girl with sunlight in her hair. The girl was dancing, her long blue skirt flowing and her feet moving along the dirty cobblestone streets. Her twirls and spins were elaborate, yet they matched the nature of the tune. A flourish in the song produced a flip from her and the crowd cheered. As the prince watched, gold coins slipped from the hands of the spectators, landing in a large purple hat. * * * Charlie was in the library as usual, his tall frame bent over a microscope as he studied it intently. He frowned, backing away and considering the experiment, his hand on his jaw thoughtfully. A light of inspiration seemed to grab him and he hurried away to his desk, pulling open drawers that contained stains and matches and burners and caramels (sometimes he got snackish) and finally pulled out a petri dish. He returned to the microscope, lowering his glasses to look through the microscope, adjusting the knobs and peering in curiously.
He watched intently, her head cocked slightly with curiousity as he observed the unfolding scene. His green eyes were wide and catlike as a slow grin took over his face. He returned inside, grabbing a shawl that was soft, but not too inconspicuous. He wrapped it around his shoulder and put the hood over her head before hopping over the balcony and carefully climbing down to get a closer look. He had done this often and was quite used to it. He approached the crowd, appearing rather small as he tried to remain mostly unseen. He weaved through the onlookers, going for a closer look. *** Wren entered the library, the tea balanced perfectly in one hand and holding a bag with a scone in the other. She approached the table, gently placing them down. "I've brought you tea and a scone. I hope those suffice."
She twirled as he approached, the music getting faster and faster. Her lips were curved upwards in a smile, and she laughed as the lyre player pushed the tempo , her hair swirling in the breeze. She noticed the hooded figure and moved, the crowd parting like water as she reached out and took his hand, her grey eyes earnest and playful. She pulled him to the dancing circle, taking both his hands gently. *** Charlie looked up brightly, approaching her. “Wren! Wren, you need to come see this,” he said enthusiastically, taking the scone and tea out of her hands and setting them on the desk before pulling her towards the microscope. “I’ve isolated colonies of E. Coli!”
Ezekiel was clearly surprised, but didn't object to this. He held her hands as well for a moment, a wide grin on his face as he danced with her, spinning her around with a smug look. *** She peered into the microscope, squinting slightly. She was not a scientist or a scholar, and struggled to understand most sciences and math. She did excel at English and writing, but this often did not help her. A small frown crossed her face as she looked into the microscope. "I see..."
She laughed in surprise, joining in as the dancing grew faster and faster, spinning around and around, her skirt flowing in the movement. The music swarmed them, flourishes and horns blaring as they entered a tight twirl, the crowd clapping to the beat. *** “Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” he asked earnestly, sitting up straight. He noticed her expression and frowned, tilting his head. “Perhaps not,” he allowed with a small nod. “No matter.” He noticed the tea and scone and his frown deepened. “You don’t normally eat breakfast.”
He seemed very caught up in the dancing, his eyes bright and movements fluid. He didn't even notice when his hood fell back from the twirl his golden hair and crown glinting in the sun as he grinned with a smile that was just as bright. *** She stepped back, folding her hands smoothly, a sign of obedience. Her gaze searched his face, as if analyzing his emotions. "Apologies. I never excelled at sciences." She looked down at the tea and scones with a small frown. "I brought those for you."
The dance ended loudly, and she swept him close as the gesture, her hands on his shoulders. After a moment, she looked up at him with a sunny grin as the rest of the audience cheered. She was breathing hard, her gaze tracing his face for a moment before her eyes flickered to the crown and she paused, her entire face falling. She pulled away quickly, picking up the large purple hat with the coins and hissing to the musicians in a language unfamiliar to Ezekiel. “Doth zete!” They all turned their heads to look at Ezekiel and their eyes widened before they packed up their instruments and hurried away, disappearing down the street. Meanwhile, the girl with golden hair strapped the hat to her belt and heading down the street at a brisk pace. *** He brightened, looking down at her. “For me?” he asked, sounding touched. “You know you don’t have to do that. Your duties do not involve getting me tea.”
He looked up in confusion before hastily pulling his hood back up. He hesitated before following her, trying to catch up with her again. *** "I know," she replied easily, looking up at him. "It was on the way."
She was moving quite quickly through the crowd, but he was able to catch up. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, slowing to a stop as she realized that he was next to her. As she turned to him, she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact, almost as if she were awaiting punishment. “Is there something I can do for you, sire?” she asked, her voice low and soft. *** He gave her a grin, tilting his head. His glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose and he eyed them before heading to the sink. “Well, thank you. Will you have some of the scone? I can’t eat until I wash my hands.”
He looked confused at her hesitance, his brows furrowing as he looked around, pulling his hood further up. "I.. no? Why is everyone so afraid of me?" *** She paused, as if considering the offer before shaking her head slightly. "No, thank you."
Her gaze flickered up to him and she frowned, taking a step back cautiously. “Well,” she ventured, her brow furrowed as she watched him. Finally, she pointed up to the crown resting on his head. “You’re royalty, sire. You don’t exactly permit the interaction of my kind with yours. I apologize if I’ve caused any offense.” *** “Oh, go on,” he said, glancing at her over his shoulder as he washed his hands. “I shouldn’t really be eating too much while I’m working anyway.”
A frown crossed his face and he shook his head slightly. "I've not disallowed anything. It's never that lively in the castle." He looked hesitant to continue, pulling the shawl tighter around himself before starting back towards the castle wordlessly. *** She still seemed uncertain, but took a corner piece nonetheless.
She watched him start to leave, her head tilted curiously as she considered him. Biting her lip, she frowned before speaking. “Wait,” she said, her voice a little more confident. “What do you mean you’ve never disallowed anything?” *** He returned to her, his expression still warm. “And you got me tea. I swear, Wren, you might be my favorite person.”
He looked a little confused, eyeing her thoughtfully. "I don't make the rules of the kingdom. I'm not very well versed in them." *** She allowed a small, warm smile. These were rare and often fleeting, but nice. "I appreciate that."
“But...” she trailed off, eyeing him with focused eyes. “Aren’t you royalty? You wear a crown upon your head. Why don’t you know the laws you help to create?” *** He grinned back at her before returning to his telescope. “I might have to go out to town today,” he said distractedly. “I need to pick up some broths.”
He shook his head slightly. "I'm not the lawmaker. I'm just the prince. It's really a title." He frowned. "I am not included in the lawmaking process." *** She gave a slight nod. "Alright. I'll accompany you. As usual."
This seemed bewildering to her and she tilted her head, her frown deepening. "So, you have the power to change things, to make real differences, and you don't give it any notice?" she demanded, raising one eyebrow. * * * He nodded, putting a few bottles in his bag. "Of course. I am quite excited. You see, Wren, this particular combination might help me isolate other colonies, which-" He stopped himself, looking over at her. "Apologies. I forget that this isn't interesting to you."
He looked over at her sharply, his demeanor changing as he stared down at her. "Excuse me?" *** She observed him quietly from the side, as she always does. "It is quite interesting," she clarified. "I'm afraid I just don't always understand."
She hesitated, her survival instinct telling her to back off, but her indignation winning out. "I meant what I said," she said quietly, choosing her words carefully. "You see gypsies being locked up. You have to see that. Everyday, we lose people to imprisonment. You hold a title of power, and yet you don't yield it to protect those who can't gain justice on their own. Instead, you join in on dancing when it's convenient and get offended when people are scared of you. I apologize, your Highness, if I have caused any offense, but you have to understand my confusion." * * * "I don't need you to understand," he said cheerfully, clipping his pouch to his belt. "Your company is enough. Come along, then. We have quite a bit to do."
