Page 32 of The Tricksters Deception

The dress Sandy lays out for me is actually really beautiful for clothing made around here. It’s mostly white underneath with a purple top layer that has silver swirls resembling flowers around all the edges. Perhaps upon seeing the amethyst on the amulet, she decides I should stick to a certain color. I’m not against it; I think it suits me well. It’s not poofy; in fact, it sits on me nicely.

I open the doors to my room and see guards standing by it. Were they standing there the whole time?

“Are you ready to go to the dining hall, my lady?” one asks me. He sounds quite young beneath the helmet. I nod as an answer, and they direct me where I need to go. This is going to be a long and confusing day.

When I enter the dining hall, everyone looks at me. This is the first time I wear an outfit with a low top, meaning the amulet is out for everyone to see. Sandy is there, and she directs me to a seat on the left-hand side of the King. The boy I assume is the Prince sits opposite me, with Corvu beside him. Corvu also seems to have been given a new outfit. It's nice to see him a little cleaned up with a bright white tunic and a green emerald vest on top of it. It suits him. I wonder if it's unusual for the King to seat a Trickster at his table. Gecko finds his way to the free seat beside me, wearing a lovely dark blue vest that makes his ashy blonde hair look more radiant. The boys seem a lot fresher, far more relaxed, and that pleases me. The remainder of the table is filled with various knights. Though I do not know who they are, I am just excited to experience something like this. The room is quite identical to the throne room, but with three smaller candle-lit chandeliers instead of one big one. After the remaining ten seats at the long table are filled, food is brought before us. Since we haven't eaten all day, I am absolutely starving, but I don’t want to be rude. As the bustle of conversation begins to fill the room, I notice everyone has someone placing food onto the plates in front of them. Sandy appears at my side, leaning over to whisper to me.

“What takes your fancy?” She asks.

“You put the food on my plate?”

“That’s how it’s done in the royal households, yes.” She smiles. It is strange. I can get my own food. Looking out in front of me, I see that most of the food is just assorted meat and fruit.

“Whatever you think is good, then,” I respond. She nods and grabs my plate. Corvu seems rather uncomfortable with the boy serving him, but I do my best to hold back a sly smirk. Gecko completely ignores the man trying to serve him food and instead stands, grabbing the food he wants and putting it on his own plate. I suppose as a royal, he can do what he wants. I like that he helps himself.

“So,” the man across from me speaks, “it’s Tia, right? I’m Alec, Prince of Wanbourne. We didn’t get to introduce ourselves earlier.” I smile in response. At least I was right about him being the Prince.

“It’s nice to meet you, ah,” I hesitate, unsure how to respond. ‘Your highness?’ Or perhaps ‘My Lord’ like Corvu once did?

“Alec is fine.” He smirks.

“Sorry, Alec.” Bemused by my hesitance he continues.

“Do you not have royalty in your world?”

“We do, just not in my country. It’s a little complicated.” Very complicated if they didn’t have much in the way of politics around here. How was I meant to explain it?

“Would you say that your world is more advanced than ours?” It's an interesting question, “I don’t mean to ask if people are smart or stupid. What kind of stuff do you have?”

“Oh,” I exclaim as I realize what he meant, “, well we have things like electricity and indoor plumbing so in one way I can probably answer yes.”

“Electricity? Tell me-”

“Alec.” The King speaks, “Let her enjoy her meal. The girl is clearly in new territory and your insistence on asking a hundred questions will just exhaust her.” Now I just feel awkward. Corvu is barely eating, but I do notice him keeping an eye on me. I also glance over to see Gecko insisting I eat a lot of grapes because they’re good for me. I restrain from telling him what happens when you eat too many.

Yeah, I really was going to miss them both.

Entering the bedroom I was in earlier, I take off the top layer of my dress and place it over a chair. The room is actually nicer than my apartment back home, just a little more bare. I’m startled by a knock—at the window? Going over to the other side of the large, probably king-sized bed flooded with blankets, I notice that the window is actually two doors that swing open onto a very small balcony, just enough room for two people to comfortably stand. I’m not alone.

I don’t know how he did it, but standing on my balcony is Corvu, leaning on the stones that make up what would technically be considered the railing, smirking at me in his new clothes. Stepping out, I see there is another balcony nearby. I didn’t realize they had given him a room close to mine; that must be where he came from.

“How is palace life treating you, Princess?” he chuckles. Playfully, I punch him on the arm. I lean over the balcony to get an idea of how high up we are. This is easily five times the height of my apartment. “I don’t imagine Gildre will take long to figure out how to get you home. It’s probably your last night here.” That thought makes my stomach sink low. Corvu looks across to the other tower. From this room, we can see candlelight in Gildre’s tower. He’s a wizard, and everyone assures me he will figure this out. Would tonight really be my last?

I turn to face him eye to eye. We’re a bit close on this balcony and the close proximity is starting to really make my head spin. I find myself rather speechless. What do you say to someone that has defeated trolls, bandits and a giant for you? The idea of just saying ‘thanks’ doesn’t seem to cut it. He takes hold of my left wrist and pulls toward him, taking me in an embracing hug. Without a second thought or any hesitation I hold him back.

“Thank you.” He states to me. With my head facing away and to the side on his chest, I question,

“What for?” He doesn’t answer right away, it’s like he’s contemplating his answer.

“For being a really great friend to me while you’ve been here, and for trusting me to help you.”

“I was trying to think of a way to thank you that actually sounded enough for everything you’ve done for me. But I don’t have the words for how grateful I am.” Pulling back to face him I continue. “You’ve done so much for me, I can’t ever repay you for that.” There’s a lot I want to do for him to repay him, but the idea of acting on any of them would be heartbreaking when I have to leave, and by the sounds of it, that’s going to be really soon.

“Then it sounds like we’ve helped each other, and we don’t owe the other anything. If you’re okay with that.” His smile is genuine and makes me truly happy. “I’m going to let you get some sleep. I’ll come get you in the morning to go see the Wizard, okay?” Oddly I can’t help smirking at the fact that there’s a Wizard inside a mostly emerald green looking city, but I nod. He wouldn’t understand the reference.

Day Twenty-Two

It's late. And by late, I mean I wake up just as dawn breaks over the distant hills and shines a light into my room. I decide that maybe I could spend more time here. Even if the wizard has found a way for me to go home, what's the hurry? I notice that over the chair where the dress previously was, my original clothes are washed and repaired. Sandy is a miracle worker.

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