“Oh, good heavens!” Paul clutched his chest and flung back in his chair as though he were having a heart attack. “My dear boy, what are you doing here in my home?”
My left eye twitched, “This is the same pompous asshole that I met back when I first got here!”
I darted my head towards Cathy, who was sitting at the other end of the dinner table.
“This is your dad!?”
“You both already met each other?”
His hand hammered into the table, “Mother, what would possess you to bring this filth into my house?”
“Now, now, Paul. No need to be so rude. He will be joining Cathy to go see the king.”
Paul gasped at the mention, his eyes snapped open, “Woman, are you mad!?”
With one powerful swing, Meemaw slapped Paul sharply across the face.
“I told you to never refer to me as ‘woman’, I am your mother!”
“I’m sorry mother, but this is outrageous! Preposterous!” Paul’s voice cracked as he tenderly rubbed his bright red cheek.
Funnily enough, that was the first time I’d ever seen her lose her composure.
Cathy’s mother placed her hand gently on Paul’s shoulder, “Paul, don’t ruin this for Cathy. She’s finally making some new friends.”
“But with a lowly commoner!? To see the king!? We are nobles, or have you all forgotten? Look at his attire!”
He gestured violently to my moss-scented loose clothing, complete with a string of yarn tied to my waste. Yeah, I guess I couldn’t really blame him for being shocked, but him talking shit right to my face still rubbed me like sandpaper.
“We will dress him up in fine linens before departure,” Meemaw declared. “He will look no different from one of us.”
“I beg your pardon? Linens from where, mother? Surely you can’t summon a tailor on such short notice!”
“Linens from your wardrobe, Paul.” Meemaw said firmly.
He inhaled sharply. I could sense that he wished to staunchly refuse her demand, but Meemaw’s voice took on a subtle edge of assertiveness that forced him to watch his tongue.
A low grumble escaped his throat, “...Absolutely not. I’m not letting the boy touch my boxers.”
“Good lord! Not your boxers, Paul. Just everything else.”
The mother interjected, “It would be nice to have somebody accompany Cathy. It’s better than her going all by her lonesome. I say we should allow him to join, my dear.”
The man glared at me with a scowl sharp enough to cut through steel. The room sat in an awkward stillness for a while until Paul finally broke the silence.
“What exactly are your intentions with my daughter?”
My mouth fell wide open. “Please… Please make it stop…”
“I’m just going to the castle with her. I want to give my respects to the king, that’s all.”
“My daughter is of noble blood, do you understand?”
“Okay…”
“That means you must keep your filthy hands off of her, or I’ll see to it that you are strung up in the street and left to die!”
“I wouldn’t touch her if you paid me!”
Cathy raised her hand, “Uhh, I’m still sitting right here…”
…
After Cathy went off with her mother to get dressed, Meemaw led me to Paul’s wardrobe so I could pick out an outfit.
Nothing in there really interested me. It was all too gaudy and flashy. But I eventually decided on some nice checkered dress pants and a black vest with a pair of walnut-colored loafers as shoes.
“This good?” I asked, looking at Meemaw for affirmation.
“A little underdressed for the occasion… How about this?”
She proudly presented a hanger donning a purple velvet suit with a puffy white undershirt and golden buttons.
“Hell no.”
Meemaw tried her best to look disappointed, but I caught her flashing a grin before turning to place the suit away. “Then I suppose the vest and pants will have to do. Let’s head back to the family room, the king’s carriage should be arriving at any moment.”
As we waited for a while, Meemaw lectured me about proper royal etiquette until we heard the faint rustling of trotting hooves slow to a stop right outside the front door.
She strolled over and opened it to reveal a white and silver carriage waiting outside.
“Cathy, the king’s escort has arrived!” she announced.
The light clacking of heels grew steadily closer to the family room. Cathy emerged from the doorway—her arm latched around her mother’s. Her cheeks were lightly powdered in a faint red blush. She wore a slim white dress and had her hair slicked back into a shiny, tightly-packed bun. A thin golden necklace hung from her neck, and both of her wrists were adorned with bracelets embellished with dazzling gemstones.
“Oh my! Look how beautiful you are darling,” Meemaw placed her hands on Cathy’s cheeks.
Cathy blushed, “You’re going to smudge my makeup.”
“Ahh, that’s right! I’m so sorry my dear… Oh! Make sure to give this as a gift to the king, courtesy of the Baxter Noble Family.” She handed Cathy a small rectangular case. It was a Blu-Ray copy for season 19 of Family Feud. “This is an exceptionally rare edition, dear. Please ensure it gets to him safely.”
Cathy’s face flushed with excitement, “Aww Meemaw, thank you! I’m sure the king will love this!”
“You gotta be freaking joking…”
Meemaw shifted her attention, “Are you ready to go, Daymond?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright then! Off you go!” Cathy made a few last-minute tweaks to her hair clips in the round mirror before I followed her outside. “Oh, and Daymond…”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
I turned back towards the house to see Meemaw, “I know sometimes she can be trouble, but please be sure to look after my little girl,” her eyes narrowed and her face beamed a gentle hue.
A faint smile tugged at my lips, “Er… alright.”
Lifting myself up the step, I slipped inside the carriage.
…
As we approached the bridge’s entrance, the knights stepped aside and allowed us to pass right through without any trouble. The bridge was probably a mile long, so I was relieved I didn’t have to fight for my life running across the whole thing by myself.
“This is way better than having to force my way in, I gotta admit…”
“Uhh, Daymond…” Cathy whispered.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
Cathy leaned her hair up against the window. Her face clouded in sorrow.
“You remember how earlier you said I was annoying?”
“...Yeah.”
Her gaze shifted towards me, eyes locking on to mine, “Do you… Do you really think that?”
“Why would you care what I think?”
“Others in the village say the same thing about me… That’s why I don’t have many friends. They all think…”
Her voice trailed off as she began picking at her nails, “Y–You’ll be my friend… Right?”
Cathy stared at me, her eyes filled with longing.
“No.”
“W–What!? Hey, I know we had a few problems at first, but that doesn’t mean you have to always be so mean to me!”
I grunted, “I’m not trying to say that you’re a horrible person, I just don't even know you. And if you need me or anyone else to validate your own self worth, then you’re never gonna be satisfied with yourself.”
Cathy exhaled a trembling breath.
I couldn’t believe that I was wasting my time bickering with one of Rae’s weird ass manifestations.
She cupped her hands together slowly and placed them on her lap.
“Okay, I’m sorry for bothering you…”
For the rest of the ride, I stared out at the rushing water deep at the bottom of the canyon as it roared over rocks and rushed up the sides of the gorge.
The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the castle, a sprawling red carpet spanned across the ground and led all the way up the stairs to the giant oak doors at the castle’s entrance. The doors to the castle swung open, and a man donned in a luxurious black suit approached our carriage to unlatch our doors.
“Welcome, our esteemed guests. I am the king’s humble servant, Ferdenand. If you would be so kind as to follow me to the throne room, His Majesty awaits.”
Inside the castle was a plethora of hallways with tiled floors, and an abundance of meticulously carved decor and stained glass reminiscent of an extravagant catholic cathedral.
Dozens of armed guards lined the castle walls. The walls, crafted from polished stone, rose to the ceiling, towering at least 80 feet high. With each step Cathy took, her heels echoed through the hallways, sounding as if they could be heard for miles.
As we approached a red, padded door, Ferdenand motioned for the knights to step away, then extended his hand to push the doors open.
“Right this way, madame.”
The room behind the door was tremendous, it had to have been at least a hundred yards long—with sunlight spilling through the windows near the ceiling. At the far end of the room sat a grand throne where Rae rested, adorned in a crown crafted with gold and diamonds, and wearing a golden chestplate and purple royal robes.
Six guards surrounded the foot of the throne, with one guard standing out from the others. While the other guards wore polished silver armor like traditional medieval knights, this particular guard wore solid gold armor, similar to the chestplate Rae wore beneath his robes. Additionally, this guard was not wearing a helmet, or any faceguard for that matter.
“Is he supposed to be a special royal guard or something?”
“Stop there,” the royal guard called out to us.
Me and Cathy halted. We were still quite a ways away from the throne itself.
Immediately, I was a bit confused.
“I thought we’re supposed to be his esteemed guests. Why is he treating us like a threat?”
Rae perched himself up on his seat, “Who the fuck is that?”
Rae stared directly at me, his eyebrows furrowed in anger. Cathy stared at me too, her face wiped with stark concern.
“The fuck? What the hell are you doing here?”
Cathy flicked her gaze between me and Rae, stunned, “Daymond, do you and King Rae know each other?”
“Umm…” I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. I knew Rae would recognize me, but he kinda put me on the spot. I was hoping to be able to get close enough to him so I could actually attack him before he had a chance to notice. But at this length, not even my airstrikes could hit him.
“Why the hell did you bring along another man?!” Rae spat.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, “Uhh, so I guess this dumbass really doesn’t remember me…?”
Cathy’s cheeks became red, “M–My apologies, Your Grace! You had sent a notice saying that I could bring along another guest of my choosing. S–So I choose to have him accompany me.”
It surprised me how effortlessly Cathy could switch from unruly to completely formal. She was speaking like a whole different person. I guess she and I both had that skill…
Rae carefully adjusted his crown with the tips of his fingers, “When I said you can bring along a guest, I assumed it would be a hot older sister, or a cute friend of yours or something.”
Cathy cupped her hands at the front of her dress and bowed her head, “Oh, I see, I am sorry to disappoint you…” A brief silence befell the room as Rae and his royal guard exchanged quiet murmurs. Cathy carefully interposed, “I did bring a gift, courtesy of the Baxter Family.” She extended her arms, brandishing the DVD. “It is a Blu-Ray copy… umm… copy for the 19th season of Family Feud. I hear that you are quite fond of that show.”
Rae paused, then leaned over to the royal guard and whispered in his ear.
The royal guard stepped forward, “Is that a season with Steve Harvey as the host?”
“U–Umm, I believe so.”
The royal guard motioned to a silver knight who marched forward to retrieve the DVD, and briskly marched back to hand it over.
“Enough chatter, what is your name?” demanded the royal guard.
Cathy perked up as if she were shocked with a taser, “My name is Cathleen, sir!”
“Cathleen?” the royal guard slicked back his dark gelled hair. “I am Claudius, the king’s sword and his appointed royal retainer. You are here because King Rae has taken an interest in you, Miss Cathleen. He would like for you to stay the night with him here in the castle. As you know, it is a great privilege to sleep in the same bed as His Majesty, but as a further reward, you may also accompany him at the town festival being held tomorrow as a guest of honor.”
Cathy’s eyes widened in horror, she glanced over at me as if she were trying to telepathically send a signal of distress.
“Invigorating, isn’t it, Miss Cathleen?” asked Claudius brazenly.
Cathy yanked her head back towards the throne. “M–My apologies. This must be a huge misunderstanding. I was under the impression that this meeting was completely platonic.”
“Your assumption was incorrect, Miss Cathleen,” snapped Claudius.
Rae placed his head on the palm of his hand and let out a sigh, “What else would I possibly have to gain from meeting with you? A nice conversation? You should have known what this invite was for. Don’t act like an idiot.”
Cathy bowed. She looked as if she were ready to curl up into a ball and explode, “My deepest apologies, Your Majesty! I–I–I’m just not at all experienced. I’m sorry for my ignorance and wasting your precious time, but I wouldn’t be any good—”
“I don’t care how good you are, I just need you to lie there…”
“B–But–But, I’m not worthy, Your Majesty!”
“Silence!” Claudius commanded, “The King has so graciously summoned for you, Miss Cathleen. You should be eternally grateful. Don’t tell me that you are attempting to deny his advances!”
Cathy lowered her head and kneeled down as far as her body could manage, rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks, “I–I’m so sorry, Your Grace,” she stuttered. “I pray for your understanding, and endless mercy. Although I am not worthy, I can not bring myself to do what you are asking. I ask that you request any other gift, and I will see to it that it shall be given to the throne with haste.”
A prolonged silence swept across the room for an excruciatingly painful amount of time.
Claudius glanced at the king, who responded with a nod.
He eased his sight back onto Cathy, and shook his head, “Rejoice, for the King's infinite mercy has spared your life.” At the snap of his fingers, the knights scrambled to grab a glowing pendant placed on a red cushioned pillow. “Please accept this token as an apology. His Highness does not mean you any harm, and respects your decision. In return, we only ask that the Baxter family remain in good standing with the throne.”
The knights extended the pendant to Cathy, “O–Of course! It was my mistake! I thank you for your mercy, Your Highness.”
Cathy grabbed the glowing pendant and placed it around her neck.
“Thank you, Your Grace. It’s beautiful. Although, you did not have to give me such an extravagant gift, or any gift for that matter. It was my fault after all.”
Claudius smiled, “Please, we insist, Miss Cathleen.”
The knights walked behind Cathy, and placed their hands on her shoulders.
“Wh—”
“Ensnare.”
The amulet flashed a bright fluorescent green light, and ropes slithered tightly around Cathy’s body like serpents, causing her to fall to the ground with a hard thud.