A second that lasted a lifetime passed while everyone froze in shock. Then, Felix let out a terrific scream, started to drop the bee producing jacket before catching himself about to damage the merchandise due to temporary bee induced insanity, then caught it again.

“Is anyone allergic?” Nannette asked calmly.

“Yes, of course I am.” Valor said. His blank expression had dropped, revealing a sort of resigned misery. The face of someone getting what he hates, but exactly what he expected.

Prin grabbed the jacket from Felix and snatched the cloud of bees from the air, all in one motion. This all happened almost too quickly, an astounding show of reflexes.

Unfortunately, one escaped and was still heading in the direction of Valor, truly showing what the term “beeline” was invented for. Aster and Elwin both went after it, knocking into each other in a cartoonish fashion, as they both lunged forward.

The hapless boy, Felix, stood, mouth agape, frozen again.

While Elwin was attempting to help Aster, who he had knocked roughly to the floor, and Lottie was opening a hidden side door and motioning Prin through it with his arms full of bees in a jacket, Nannette watched them all from a distance, arms crossed over her chest.

Valor stood perfectly still. Which would have been a fine strategy for one allergic to bees, if not for his supremely unlucky status.

Elwin felt time slowing, it was a strange sensation. Aster had a drop of blood at the corner of her mouth and appeared dazed. So, no help there.

Not knowing what else to do, he pushed Felix, who was standing the closest to Valor, forward, hoping to jar him out of his stupor.

Felix tripped and fell like a domino, fortunately taking out the bee mid air in the process.

By the time the prince ran back into the room, face flushed and wincing in pain, everyone was a mess. The only thing left to have happen was someone light a match and set the whole flammable palace of cloth on fire.

Nannette, who actually was not a mess and had stayed entirely above the fray, struck a match, causing Elwin to immediately imagine himself grabbing Prin and lunging for the side door. She took a little pipe from the breast pocket of her suit and lit the contents, taking a puff and blowing out a little smoke ring.

“That’s the first time that has happened, I assure you.” She said.

“I don’t hear it anymore.” Valor said. His already pale complexion had turned roughly the shade of ashes.

“They’re gone. Got me though.” The prince said.

Felix stood up, holding the crushed bee in his hand. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “I don’t know what happened.”

“You just saved Valor’s life.” Elwin told him, hoping he wasn’t resentful about being shoved. It had worked hadn’t it?

“That, plus the earthquake? Nature itself is in revolt.” Lottie said. She looked to the ceiling, hands clasped. As though wondering which gods to pray to to stave off further incidents.

“Let’s not be dramatic.” Nannette said. “I’ll get us some tea. Some of you may need it to steady your nerves.”

Lottie went to Prin and examined his arm. “Get us a cold compress for this.” She said. “It’s the best thing for it.”

Aster looked around herself, face registering a sort of mild disorientation. “Do you bring chaos with you wherever you go?” She asked Valor. Her tone not accusatory, just a simple question.

“Yes.” Valor began to shake. He took a step backwards into a rack of coats, as though trying to sink into it and disappear. His face had gone from ashen to flushed, or somehow both ashen and flushed at the same time. “I should have never come out today, it was a terrible mistake. It’s not so bad if I stay at home.”

“Oh baby-doll! I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it to be taken so seriously.” Aster took a handkerchief from her bodice and dabbed at her bleeding lip. “I just had two falls today, clumsy me.” She hurried to Valor’s side. “I guess it scrambled my brains, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“No, you’re right. It’s all my fault.” Valor said. His voice held tears. “If something happened to you, my father would be so upset. What if the next time . . .”

Aster took his arm. “Me!? I’m sure papa would be much more worried about you then he ever would me. I’m a dime a dozen.” Aster laughed. “You’re his one and only son.”

“I want to go home. I have to go home right now before anything else happens.” Valor said.

Aster put his arms around the frighten boy. Although Valor tried to wriggle away, she held firm. “Everything is going to be alright.”

“No. No.” Valor shook his head violently enough that is glasses fell off and clattered to the floor. “No.” His gaze wandered the room aimlessly, eyes side to side and up and down, as though searching for an escape from a centerless labyrinth.

“Don’t go until I am back with the tea.” Nannette instructed, before disappearing into the back.

Prin took his bee stung arm away from Lottie, resisting Elwin’s attempt to detain him and have a look at it for himself, and went to Valor’s side. He firmly moved Felix aside, and went to Valor.

“Hey now, none of that. No crying.” Prin said. He touched Valor’s cheek. “You’re not a baby, remember? I can’t return you to the captain in tears.” He picked up Valor’s rose tinted glasses from the floor and held on to them.

“I don’t like all this touching.” Valor protested.

Aster finally let him go. “I’m sorry. I messed up again. Just thought you needed a hug.”

“Let’s all have some tea and relax a minute before we decide to head back.” Prin suggested.

“I was thinking we could go get ice cream after this . . .” Aster suggested. “Do you like ice cream? I do. I like the aesthetic of eating strawberry, since it matches my outfit so nicely bu-uut my favorite is chocolate. I think you’d have to be crazy to not like chocolate ice cream, don’t you? What’s your favorite?” Aster’s chatter had taken on a nervous tone, anxious to appease the tearful Valor.

“I just want to go home. I can’t take it. What will happen next? And it’s all my fault.” Valor fretted.

“It’s not like that.” Prin impulsively kissed Valor’s cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, nothing is your fault. In fact, look, your luck has already turned around with me here! And the lucky necklace right? You didn’t get hurt at all!”

Valor was startled enough by the kiss that he momentarily stopped shaking and his eyes stilled from their frightened wandering. “It’s because you sacrificed yourself for me.”

“Na-aah, it was nothing.” The prince insisted.

Nannette returned with a tea cart loaded with delicate china cups and saucers, and homemade cookies, as well as the kettle of hot water, tea and sugar, etc.

“Glad you’re still here.” She said, little pipe hanging jauntily out of the corner of her mouth. “I would hate to see a few bees ruin a good fitting.”

“I still want to go home.” Valor said. Calmer now, taking deep breaths.

“Technically we have what we need, as long as you don’t have any preference for what the clothes look like. I can make sure they fit. We could come to your house before the party and make final adjustments.” Nannette said. She poured herself some tea, adding an ungodly amount of sugar cubes to the cup.

Lottie began to pour tea for the others, handing them out along with cookies.

“We usually don’t offer this to customers.” Nannette warned.

“In other words, don’t spill on the clothes.” Lottie said. “I’m sure they won’t.” She added.

“Man, am I as useless as tits on a boar hog.” Felix said, instantly turning red at the uncouthness of what he had said.

Aster laughed. Charmed by his country side coming out.

“It all happened very fast.” Elwin said. “Felix got the last bee that escaped from Prin.” He wondered how much of everything that happened Valor had been able to follow without being able to see. Beyond, bees equal bad.

“I know.” Valor said.

Elwin went to Prin and examined the angry red swollen place on his arm. “This doesn’t look great.”

“It’s fine.” The prince assured.

Nannette handed him a towel full of ice to hold on his arm.

“Does anyone have tweezers?” Aster asked. “In case there’s a stinger.”

Lottie dug around in a drawer and produced some tweezers, handing them over to Aster.

The prince held out his arm for Aster to examine, turning his face away.

Aster removed the stinger and kissed his arm. “There, all better. It’s a lucky thing you aren’t allergic yourself. Did you know?”

“Come to think of it, no.” Prin’s blue eyes widened to swallow the sun. “I had no idea. It just didn’t even occur to me to think about it.”

“What a good friend you are.” Aster said sweetly. “Little Valor, you are so lucky to have him.”

“Are we really friends?” Valor wondered. He held the china teacup carefully in both hands, blowing on the tea before taking a sip.

“Of course we are silly.” Prin shook his head.

“I guess a paid friend is better than nothing.” Valor said.

Aster rolled her eyes and gave Elwin a look like, how can you stand to put up with this kid?

Elwin just shrugged.

“I wouldn’t capture bees for someone I didn’t like.” The prince said dryly.

Nannette snorted a laugh, causing tea to come out of her nose. She started coughing and Lottie patted her back.

Aster put her hand over her mouth, trying to hold the laughter in.

“It’s okay.” Nannette said, “You can laugh. I don’t take myself so seriously.”

“I really thought you did.” Felix pointed out.

Aster burst out laughing and soon Prin and Felix had joined her.

Valor quietly sipped his tea. Elwin could see he was calmer now, and maybe they would get through today.

But, between the bad luck induced disasters and the emotional melt downs, Elwin had to wonder how in the hell they would get through the night of the party.

At least they would be well dressed.