WHAT? PETER, wanting to be friends with me? He despised me! I loathed him! Suspicious of his offer, I took only the tips of his fingers as I shook his hand only once. He smiled, but I couldn’t be fooled. The smile — more like a grimace — was noticeably fake. I rolled my eyes once they were closed. “So… Bert.” Peter asked, breaking my chain of thought. “Yes?” “How do you like it at WWP?” “It’s fine. The rooms are slightly unpleasant and chores are torture, but it’s fine overall.” “I don’t have any objections to that reasoning; I feel the same way.” I nodded, understanding exactly where he was coming from. Maybe there is something good in him after all. I thought. I still couldn’t forget about this morning when he took me aside and threatened me to stay away from him and Hana. Why does Peter need to be with her that badly? “I understand you were my teaboy!” “Oh… no, I thought I told you already. Prince Vigilius looks nothing like you.” I glanced at the bulletin board across from the fountain at the very center of the square. Even though I already knew what I looked like, it was still nice to have a reminder every once and a while. There my poster was! In large, black letters, my name was proclaimed. Wanted: Prince Vigilius Ouellette XVI for resisting arrest. Reward: 400 Rona. I doubted it. Resisting arrest, me? The prince, resisting arrest he wasn’t even supposed to be allowed in?! That was absurd. Maybe they didn’t know the whole of the story. Here I was, pretending to be a servant for a girl who already had her someone. Suddenly, I seemed like a fool, even in my own eyes. “That may be,” Peter responded. “But I want to know what it was like, being a servant.” I was stricken with a bang of fear. I coughed, giving me a reason to look down before I calmed myself. “It was about the same as here, though it was kept in better repair. The prince was rather contemptable, but deep down, I believe there’s some good in him.” Peter hesitated, taking in everything I had just said. “Mm-hmm… And how were the living conditions?” I nodded rigidly. “They were fine.” “Mmm… yes. How much were you paid?” That, I didn’t know. “I don’t really know. Everything I earned was sent straight to my family.” “That’s so sweet!” Hana exclaimed. “Yes, I appreciate that you both have taken such an interest in my previous post.” I lied. “Mm-hmm!” she nodded brightly. “Back to the matter at hand,” Peter continued. “Did you like it there? Did you have all your needs tended to?” Peter was trying to break me. I could tell that much. He was, however, running out of questions he could ask me without raising any suspicions in Hana. “Yes, to your first question.” “And—” “And to the second question, I say the latter. I don’t know why, Peter, you are inquiring about me in such a manner.” “I’m just interested in…” he paused, thinking. “Learning about the lifestyle of the monarchy, and you are the closest source I have.” That would now make sense. A commoner such as himself, wanting to learn about the lifestyle of one like myself. People all over Kemar envy me, I’m told. I nodded, partly in pity for this commoner. “Envious?” “Of who? You?” “Peter! Bert! You are supposed to be friends! Stop this!” “Fine,” Peter gave in. I was still ready for a verbal fight, but Hana was still in the vicinity. “Good,” she grinned. I glanced at the clock, eager for a way to get out of this conversation. “I have to get back to my chores! Sorry!” I sprinted away. After long and monotone work, I remembered that I had mail. The mailroom was only a ten-minute walk from Wildwood, so I decided to check it. The walk was decent. Wildwood was surrounded by mountains on all sides, save the front which took a break from the mountains to make way for a road. Wind rushed past me, almost blowing my cape out of my grasp when I threw open the heavy doors. I fastened the clasp just as I had taken a step onto the drawgate bridge, which had been left lowered for the week’s end. The blatant water in the moat rose and fell as it should, lapping at the rim of the land. The sun was hidden behind a cloud, and no birds sang. The grass looked dim and tired too. The walk was lackluster. My thoughts continuously turned to Hana, and the way those eyes glanced at Peter. How I wished they would glance in my direction at least once! I got to the mailroom flushed in the fresh air blowing in my face. Zarola was there too, helping anyone who didn’t know their mail number.
Read ^ first! ------------------------------------------------------------------ “Hello, Bert!” I nodded in reply, eyes searching the wall of boxes crammed with mail. “Do you know your mail number?” “No,” “That’s okay!” she walked to a box filled with folders. “Thank you,” “Oh, it’s no big deal.” I nodded, glancing around at the wooden house-like room. “Here, box three-hundred-twenty-one,” she said, shuffling to a box with two envelopes in it. She took them out and handed them to me. I took them gratefully and started back to the school. In my room, I carefully opened the first envelope, careful not to break the seal. Mr. Javernick, You are cordially invited to the servant’s ball on March the twenty-first to celebrate the coming of spring. Dress in your best clothes. It is expected and required that you arrive with a beau or belle you have found among the other servants. You will arrive at seven P.M. sharp in the great hall. —High Master Wilkes M. Kieser. That was pleasant. I didn’t have anyone to go with. Hana had Peter, Zarola had Braden, and all the other girls probably had people of their own. I overturned the envelope, being done with its contents. The next one had the same seal. I guessed it was likewise from Kieser. Elbert Javernick, It has come to my immediate attention that you have taken a photograph from the storage room. I insist you put it back promptly. I do not tolerate stealing in my school. —High Master Wilkes M. Kieser. How did he know I took a picture from the storage room? I sighed, and picked up the photograph to memorize it before I put it back into the book to collect dust all over again. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you all for coming to the chapter that has brought me to exactly 100 pages! That formatting, man. It's hard to transfer these things from Google docs to here. So... momentous occasion, I've hit 100 pages. A'ight. Byeeeeeeeeeee -OREO Hey, random person... Could you please not continue? I told you.... Follow @Shyli-The-M and @doughnutca_dough >:) Why did Peter want to be friends with Vigilius?
