(Evander sat in the windowsill, peering out at the moon, a waning moon)
Sitting there, a feeling of Anxiousness eating him alive- Evander couldn't bear the fact that he had been taken far from his home. He turned his head to the candle beside his bed, a teardrop slowly running down his cheek. He got out of bed and walked to the door, opening it and peeking out into the hall, no guards in sight.
Evander continued down the hallway, walking to Alexander's room. He crept close to the door, his ear pressed along the wooden door, Listening in. A piece, something Alexander had been working on, can be heard through the door- this prompts him to open it to find Alex sitting at his piano.
Startled, he paused, looking up at the boy.
"What are you doing awake at this time?" He asked.
"I should be asking you the same." He struts into the room, standing beside the piano.
"I'm working on a very important piece." Alex looks back down at the keys, readying himself to play, "and I would like to not be disturbed."
"C'monnnn, Live a little. I'm trying to explore this castle and it just wouldn't be fun without a friend."
Alex tilts his head, processing what he had just said.
"Did you just say, Friend?" Confused.
"Yeah, you saved me from a cell and somehow got me a room up here- of course you are my friend. Now throw on your slippers and come with me, a new adventure awaits!" He shouts, tapping Alex on the shoulder and silently sprinting out of the room.
The musician shakes his head, hiding a smile. He comes to his feet and softly closes his music folder. Sliding his Royal Blue slippers on, he walks to the door; Evander jumps out and spooks him.
"JEEZ!" He shouts, holding his hands up defensively.
"SHHHHH!" Evander holds his finger to his mouth, "We don't want the guards to hear us."
The two boys then continue down the hall, looking at the row of framed portraits nailed to the walls; Amadeus, his father (King Lionell), Prince Elspeth. Evander stopped in front of a portrait of Amadeus standing tall and mighty, A body full of muscle and a head full of luscious brown hair.
"Woah, woah, woah- When did the King look like this?" He asked, chuckling under his breath.
"Way before I was born. I've heard stories of his old Cavalry he led, The Golden Crusaders; 8 Knights in shiny spiked golden armor, galloping through the hills on their Royal steed."
Evander comes closer, observing the king's Royal weapon; a leather-bound handle, diamond encrusted, with a 5-foot steel blade- engraved by his father, King Lionel, "Life, Death, Rebirth."
"What was the purpose of this group?" He asked the musician, curiously.
"I believe they were a bounty group, I'm not really certain though; It was a long time ago."
A sudden creak catches both of the boy's attention, a guard turning the corner. In a quick escape, the two hid behind two knight statues- unseen by the guard. Alex and Evander giggle, Evander shushing him. The guard marches by, holding an iron longsword, a letter in his other hand.
They observe the guard walking to a door; a steel door with snakes engraved into it- the one Evander had seen earlier. His eyes widened, turning to Alexander.
"That's the door I saw earlier when Charles was walking me to the training room; he just pushed me and told me to keep walking."
The guard opens a tiny pocket on his jacket, pulling out a 2-inch iron key- gemstones embedded along the bow (The top of the key). The key is placed inside the oddly shaped keyhole, turning it, the gemstone eyes of the snakes glow bright; they slither down the door- forming a handle.
Entering the mysterious room, the boys remain hidden- following the guard down a dark musty corridor. As Evander and Alex couched low to the ground, the musician places his hand among a wooden barrel- a slimy slop touching his fingers. He retracts his arm, disgusted.
"Ew,Ew,Ew!" He frantically swings his hand- trying to remove the goop.
"Alex, shut up!" Evander slaps him on the back of the head, "We need to stay quiet."
A loud thud startles the two; the guard lying on the floor rubbing his back. Evander leans out from behind the barrels, holding in his laughter. The guard comes to his feet, wiping with both hands the gooey slop from his behind.
"God- damnit!" Picking up the dropped letter, he looks around- still blind to the two hiding in the back.
He limps further into the darkness, still in pain from the fall- meanwhile, the two boys follow behind. The cold stone floor, covered in a slimy substance, led to a tall door. The guard approached the double doors and pulled out the mysterious letter, sliding it through a slit towards the base of the doors. Evander and Alexander observed the guard, curious of what that letter had contained.
"Hmmm, what do you think was written inside?" Alex asks.
"I don't know. Whatever it is, there's something on the other side of that door."
Suddenly, the guard stops in his tracks- overhearing one of the voices. He pulls his sword, standing his ground, defensively.
"Who goes there?!" He shouts, searching the area.
Frantically, Alex pushes Evander- trying to inch over to the exit. His hand reaches for the doorknob when the point of a sword presses against the musician's neck. The guard could be seen standing tall behind the boy, looking down at him.
"Lower your hand, boy." The guard commands, grinding his teeth in anger.
He lowers his hand, realizing he had just been spotted. Evander tries to sneak away but suddenly kicks a piece of rubble- giving away his position. The guard quickly turns his head to the swordsman.
"Reveal yourself!"
Evander slowly rises from behind a giant stone block, holding both his hands up- surrendering. He approaches the two, obeying the guard's commands.
"These premises are off limits, ESPECIALLY to children like you." He grabs Alexander's wrists, turning his body and finding out that he had been rough with the King's grandson.
He jumps back, frightened for what he had just done.
"ALEXANDER!?" He quickly gets down on one knee, lowering his head to the royal child, "I sincerely apologize for the way I had treated you, forgive me."
Evander walks around to Alex, looking down at the guard with a grin on his face. He turns to the musician, watching as he adjusts his robe.
"You don't have to be sorry; we were following you and clearly were caught."
Evander gazes at Alex in disbelief.
"WHAT!? Alex, we were just caught and he's surrendering to us- we can walk away like nothing happened!"
"I'm not going to use my "Grandfather" to get out of situations that I put myself in. If I was too idiotic and foolish to get away, then I should have to pay the price."
"But ALEX!" Evander shouts, "Look at him!"
The guard begins to whimper slightly, scared for his life- his legs shaking in fear.
"No!" Alex turns to the guard, "Come on, stand up."
He stands up, adjusting his armor.
"I want you to take me in, to my father."
"But I-" the guard tries to speak but is interrupted.
"Stop. I promise you no harm, and I will make sure my grandfather doesnt rip your head off. You have my word."
Evander places his hands on the sides of his head, trying to comprehend the situation.
"You've got to be kidding me." He turns to the guard, "if you're going to take him then you gotta take me to- as I was the one who forced him into this conniving act." He holds both wrists out, waiting to be cuffed.
The guard turns back to Alex, accepting his plea. He grabs both boys, walking them out of the darkened cellar. They made their way down the hall, passing stationed guards and fellow workers until they had entered the prince's quarters.
As they sat down on a small bench the guard approached Elspeth's room, the door shut with a small sign reading "Do NOT Interrupt." The sound of a woman moaning intensely came from the other side, along with the loud grunts from the prince. The guard knocks twice, awaiting a response- but nothing. Knocking once more, the noise comes to a halt- the door opening slightly to reveal his face.
"I'm BUSY!" He shouted, meanwhile, a woman in the back can be seen draping the sheets over her naked body.
"Who is it, hunny?" The prostitute asked softly, trying to regain her stamina.
"It's NOTHING! Play with yourself until I return." The prince commands the woman, opening the door and revealing his long bright red suede robe, tied around his waist.
Evander's eyes widened, catching a view of the woman in the room for a split second. He turns to Alexander to see if he had seen the same thing but finds him pondering off at the ceiling.
"Sir, I have the prisoner and your son here. Both were caught prowling around the Holy Sanctum." The guard proclaims, pointing to the two on the bench.
The boys look at each other, overhearing "Holy Sanctum" Evander becomes curious about this room even more, something inside him just makes him want to venture back and explore further. Elspeth closes the door for a second, opening it while he is fastening his belt. The woman begins to complain in the back, urging him to come back to bed. He turns to her, pulling out a wad of cash- throwing her a couple Galo.
{Galo is a type of currency used internationally; a yellow bill with a bird engraved in a round golden circle with the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100.}
"We're done, I don't require your services anymore." He turns back to the guard, meanwhile, the woman begins to shout at him.
"Fucking asshole!" The prostitute shouts with a thick accent, jumping out of bed and picking up the loose bills.
Elspeth walks over with anger in his eyes, back-handing her in the side of the face- sending her to the floor.
"God damn." Evander mumbled, holding his head down.
The woman then comes running out, half naked with Galo bills hanging out of her loose bra. Her left eye bruised and bloodshot, while she held her clothing in her arms. She leaves the area in a panic, fleeing from the abusive commander. Evander follows the woman with his eyes all the way down the hall until she exits through the large wooden doors- a concerned expression on his face. Elspeth exits the rooms and can be seen buttoning his shirt- turning to his son. A look of disappointment in his stone-cold eyes.
"So, I'm interrupted in my "meeting" because you two decided to sneak around the premises?" He asked, fastening the final button.
"Well-" Evander tries to lie but Alex instantly shuts it down.
"Yes, father. I'm sorry and I promise it won't happen again." He holds his head down, dropping to his knee as a sign of respect, Evander on the other hand.
Elspeth turns to the swordsman; a smug grin appears on the commander's face- intrigued by this kid's courage. He leans down, staring the boy deeply in the eyes.
"So, you think it's okay to lie to me?" He asked.
"Well, to be honest, I don't like you." Evander mumbles.
"Oh, you don't like me. Well, if we're being honest here, I don't like you either- and personally, if I was king, I would have thrown you in the hole by now- where the rats would be devouring your flesh, but the king sees something within you."
"Oh really? Well, isn't that a shame." Evander responded, with a small grin, back-talking to the commander.
The prince shoves the boy into the wall, pressing his forearm into the swordsman's throat. Alex, stunned by this act of abuse, turns his head- afraid the prince would do the same to him; or worse. Evander holds onto the prince's arm, trying to release himself from his grasp.
"Don't give me that attitude you little shit." He shoves the boy once more, releasing his arm from his throat.
Evander leans forward, trying to catch his breath, meanwhile, the prince stands upright, pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket and tossing it to the boys. He fixes the wrinkles in his shirt as he explains what this note contains.
"You two are going to run some errands for me when the sun rises in the morning. Alexander, you will take our "prisoner" with you into town and complete this list of commands."
Evander unfolds the paper, reading out the list.
"A couple dozen cartons of eggs, vanilla extract from the small extract shack in the south district, pick up your sword from the blacksmith!? Why the hell are we doing your shopping for you?" Evander asked, Alex snatching the list from his hands.
"It's okay father, I'll make sure we complete these duties and report back to you." He proclaims.
"Thank you, son. GUARDS!?" He shouts, two guards come running up, "Take these boys back to their rooms and stand outside of their doors until morning. I want to ensure they don't try to sneak out again." He flaunts his cape, strutting down the hall towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the two boys are both taken to their rooms, where they will stay until morning. The guards stood outside of their doors, holding their blades ahead of them. That night, the castle rested peacefully that night- awaiting morning.
(Hours pass and the sun has risen)
Evander leaves his room dressed in formal attire: Green silk shirt tucked into black breeches, his feet resting in delicate leather shoes. He turns to spot a guard awaiting him in the hallway.
"Good-morning Evander, the Prince and Herr Alexander are awaiting your arrival in the Main Hall."
"Um, okay." He answers, following the man blindly down the hallway, to the grand staircase.
Alex can be seen near the entrance, along with the Prince, Charles Jr, Lucille Lee, and Charles Lee (Lucille's husband; the face of Levington). Lucille had been wearing a brightly colored dress with her corset tightened around her waist and her hair lifted 3 feet above her head; Makeup plastered on her face like a doll. Coming down the stairs, Alexander comes running up- hugging the swordsman.
"You ready to see the city!?" He asked Evander.
"Yeahh, about that-" He turns his direction to the prince, "Why are we doing this again?"
"Well, it was part of punishment of course." He grins back at the boy.
"No, why are we shopping for ingredients when you have a personal kitchen built within the castle- full of chefs that can actually go out and purchase these themself?" Evander states.
"If you actually took the time to think about why you are doing this then you would know that my "Chefs" hadn't tried to sneak into an unauthorized room behind the King's back." He crosses his arms, "I'm actually curious on how my father would respond to such a deceitful act."
Evander looks up at the prince, a cold stone look grows over his face. He turns to Alexander, then back to him, accepting this blackmail.
"God damnit." He mutters.
"Great! Seems you like you understand the conditions. Now head along, don't want the day to go to waste." Elspeth turns to his sister and her husband, "And I would like to speak with you guys when the boys leave- it's an urgent matter."
"Of course, brother." Lucille answers.
The guards escort the two boys to the doors- meanwhile- Prince Elspeth, Lucille, and Charles Lee can be seen talking quietly- Charles Jr standing on the side positioned with the other guards. Elspeth turns to the guards, motioning the group, along with Charles Jr, to give the three adults privacy as they spoke about a classified matter.
As the group leaves the lobby, Elspeth turns to the two, bowing to them as a sign of respect.
"Thank you, guys, for coming at such short notice. I know how frenetic the fashion world and media can get- especially at times like this."
"Eh, it's no issue whatsoever. This actually came at a perfect time. There has been an issue in the South District involving the townspeople and the new ruling that had just been placed." Charles states.
"An issue? What ruling are you speaking of?" Elspeth curiously asked.
"The ban on certain market goods being sold within the district and agriculture. It would seem that they want to grow their own crops and sell them."
"How would that affect you guys? If anything, it would affect the King and Prime minister, Bennet."
"The townspeople are eating us alive out there. They want their crops, and we honestly don't know what to tell them." Charles states, hoping the prince can offer assistance.
"I'll speak with father and see if he can make a statement in Center Hall. For now, try to come up with an excuse and that should hold them off for a small period."
"Thank you, brother." Lucille says.
Elspeth pulls out a small envelope, handing it to his sister and her husband. They open it up, reading it.
"Father has requested that the both of you meet with President Corozza in Croanix regarding the war."
"Why would we meet with the President?" Lucille asks, confused by this demand as only High-End officials are allowed to request a meeting.
"It's regarding the armor being forged for the war; Corozza has his concerns and father would like you guys to go over and try to clear up any miscommunication that has struck out in the past month."
"Armor? We only deal with casual and fine attire- not war armor. Who does father think I am?" Lucille argues.
"It's more about persuading him than anything. You don't have to deal with the armor, but he would like you two to try your charm on the president- like when you make deals with basic attire."
She turns to her husband, his face looks concerned, turning back to her brother.
"Fine, we'll go. But I would like a full carriage with Fruit and Wine presented for the trip- and no substandard crap too." She demands.
"And an escort through Croanix; that place is crazy over there." Charles follows up with.
"We can arrange those things. Thank you for being so cooperative. I will let the father know as soon as possible."
Charles shakes Prince Elspeth's hand, followed by a hug with his sister. The two depart as the prince stands beside the open window, staring out into the beautiful City of Levington- a smile on his face. He flaunts his cape, turning to the Grand staircase.
(A beautiful white dandelion field, just slightly out of the way of the city of Levington)
The wind had been crisp, a gentle breeze that swayed the flowers and long streams of grass. Evander showed his energetic personality, leaping through the flowers with a smile on his face- Alexander on the other hand walked silently, overlooking his friend. They continued on their war to the city to complete the list Elspeth had given them.
Evander stops in place, turning to Alex- noticing his saddened mood. He walks over, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Why so down? We are finally out of the castle for once!" He laughs.
"I'm just trying to focus on this job." Alex mumbles.
"C-monnnnn, we're free- enjoy yourself a little."
"I've already gotten into trouble twice with you, I'm not doing it again. Besides, my father could be watching." He looks over his shoulder, worried."
The two look around their surroundings, Evander turning back to Alex.
"Stop being Paranoid, have some fun in your life- Christ, you literally focus your full attention on music." Evander says, slapping the musician on the back.
"I enjoy music though..." Alexander says with a frown.
"And I'm not attacking you." Evander comforts Alex, "I just think you should let your mind take a break from the composition for a while, enjoy the life you've been given. I mean come on, there is so much happiness out there." He guides Alex to the edge of the city.
They glance out into the open city, full of people walking around with baskets on their heads and animals running around the pens. Evander turns to Alex,
"You see, happy individuals just enjoying their peaceful lives."
"Yeah, I see what you're saying, but this is the South District."
"So?" Evander replies confused on what the musician meant.
"It's the poor district; they're treated horribly down here." Alexander shakes his head in disapproval, continuing in way into the city- leaving the swordsman behind.
Evander awkwardly places his hands on his hips- a loss of words. His jaw dropped from the news he had just received. Turning to his right, Evander catches the sight of a man slaughtering a pig. He then scurries to Alex, ignoring the horrific sight he had just witnessed. The two enter the city, on their way to the North-Side, the Market District.
To be continued...