The Kingdom of Belmar

Chapter 16

"But that's a whole three hours from nowww," Grace whines, hanging onto Percival like a bird on a perch. "Percy let us go take a walk around the grounds. Will you really be the reason four poor souls aren't granted the privilege to satiate their urges for exploration?"

Percival shakes his head while trying to unhook Graces arm. "If you wish no longer to be a poor soul, do your job correctly and receive pay for your work. Why is it that all you ingrats think about is mindless, spontaneous fun."

It's now Geoffrey's turn to annoy the poor knight into allowing us a few hours of play. "Percival, maybe if we were able to get this energy out of our systems we might just bother you less, though I doubt our bothering really is as annoying to you as you make it out to be. Feel free to join us, or stand here for three hours like the boring man you pretend to be."

After a few more "pleases" from Grace, and stifled laugh from myself, Percival relents and allows us to roam the palace as we please. While the rest of us start to walk away from the meeting room, I turn around and see the disappearing figure of a young knight choosing to remain by the door.

* * *

One can only take Grace, Philip, and Geoffrey's presence for so long. Philip is much too loud for the tranquil walls of the palace, and the amount of disapproving and disgusted looks on the faces of maids, knights, and footmen make it clear that I'm not the only one that thinks so. Grace and Geoffrey aren't much better. While they might not be as loquacious, Geoffrey matches Philip's energy whenever they're together, and Grace appears to have a bad habit of touching everything worth twice her livelihood. I, myself, have lived in the Ewell estate for long enough that a palace as large as this one doesn't have the same effect on me; though I have to admit that I stumbled around in awe for my first week in this world. I've learned to hide my wonder and admiration as the original Lady Amalie would have grown up with luxury like this.

Groups of interconnecting hallways open into foyers with high ceilings and masterpieces painted along the walls. Granite columns hold the ceilings up, painted ivory to demonstrate their wealth; the sheer magnitude of which is impossible to deny.

I stumble around the estate for an hour or two with my three goons, laughing at Geoffrey's jokes, confiding in Grace, and teasing Philip. While I do enjoy their company, their behavior contrasting with the pristine palace has worn away my patience. The hallway we travel down opens into a courtyard with the finest flowerbeds I've ever seen. I excuse myself from my friends, informing them that I need to rest for a bit, and I navigate my way through the courtyard while listening to their voices echo and fade around the corridor.

The cool breeze from the open garden brushes aside a loose curl between my eyes, flashing a bit of red as it passes my line of sight. It smells like dandelions and poppies despite the only flowers around me being rows and rows of orchids. Maybe all flowers smell the same to me.

My hands caress one of the bulbs as I lean over to get a better taste of its scent, when someone around the corner catches my eye. Only a few feet behind the bush I'm admiring, sits Percival. I can't tell if he's admiring the orchids with me or if he just came to the garden to think.

"Percival?" I ask, and I see his ears perk up at his name. He sits a little taller and turns to look at me as I walk over towards his bench, slightly hidden within the leaves of the bush.

"Lady Amalie, what a surprise. I had thought you took the opportunity to explore with the rest of our companions." He offers me a seat before he himself sits back down, and the both of us perch on the bench. It's cool and gravelly, like an art piece that wasn't meant to be sat on. Even their benches are fancy.

I don't think I realize I've done it, but my back slouches slightly to the poor posture I've missed so much. Percival might see me as a lady, but as he's the only one around, I'll allow this small slip up in manners for only a moment. "I love them to death, but I can only take so much of their loud and enthusiastic natures. Leave the three of them in an isolated town and it'd seem like a hurricane billowed through."