Red, of the Ruby Kingdom

Chapter 6

Edge walked aimlessly around the castle for a while, trying to get tired enough to get sleepy and go to bed. So far, no good. He had never been one to tire easily and sleeping was a waste of time anyway. According to him at least. Maybe a breath of fresh air would help. He headed for the gardens. Once out in the open Edge noticed the immensity of those places. It was like being in the middle of a forest and if he didn't pay attention to following the main path he could get lost. Fortunately, the street was lit by lanterns hanging from tree branches. Suddenly he heard the sound of music in the distance. It was barely audible, carried by the wind. Intrigued, he headed in that direction. As he got closer he noticed that the trees were growing thinner and soon he came out of the forest. But instead of an open space he found himself at the entrance to a hedge maze. What the heck was a maze doing here? And damn it, from what he could see it was huge. But Edge wasn't at all discouraged. Quite the contrary. He was super excited. He loved puzzles. And it had been a long time since he had had a chance to solve one. Apparently the day could still end on a positive note. He wasted no time walking into those natural corridors. The hedge walls measured eight feet high and two feet wide. The path Edge was walking on was five feet wide and consisted of white pebbles that creaked under his boots. He walked calmly, memorizing the route he had already taken and fully enjoying the puzzle. He didn't want to solve it too quickly and miss the fun. Turn after turn and the labyrinth became more and more interesting. It was full of surprises: turn a corner and find a flower bed, go straight and you will arrive at a marble fountain representing a huge sea monster. Once there was a tank full of colorful fish, another time it was the turn of the polished bronze sculpture of a warrior ready to throw a spear. The further he delved into its intricacies, the more strange things began to appear, especially traps. They were nothing dangerous or deadly: a labyrinth of mirrors within a maze of ... empty mustard bottles? ... Whatever! An area imbued with gravity magic that crushed or floated the unfortunate who ended up in it or even a huge crossword puzzle that made fart noise if you mistake a word. Why a fart noise of all things!? That was ridiculous and stupid! Edge had mixed opinions about whoever it was who designed those traps. He was a skeleton with standards and would never, never fall so low to resort to such scandalous sounds! But in general he had grown fond of that labyrinth. By now it was already late at night. The sky was cloudless, allowing the stars to lighten the darkness. Edge shouldn't have been able to see anything in the dark. But luckily the path was littered with Echo Flowers and glowing crystals that shed their bluish light around them. They created an atmosphere of tranquility and peace, if not a little mysterious. It added more suspense to the adventure! Benches were scattered all along the way, ready to welcome any weary explorer. Of course the Great and Terrible Edge didn't need them! He wasn't tired at all! Even if he had been walking nonstop for two hours now. It had become a sort of mission: he would complete the labyrinth and discover the origin of the mysterious music. At any cost! Edge began to think. Was the music part of the labyrinth? Another trap? A sound call? If it was, it was working perfectly. He felt a bit like he was drawn there like the bee to honey. But now that he knew, he wouldn't be caught unprepared! It seemed to come from the center of the labyrinth and was becoming lauder and lauder. Excitement rattle every bone in his body. At that point Edge could clearly distinguish the notes and his desire to unravel the mystery doubled. Because, damn it! That was really good music. His footsteps increased speed and soon he was marching briskly through the entrance portal of the circular clearing in the very center of the labyrinth. He stopped in the entryway, looking around. He had to watch out for any signs of danger, not that he saw any. The place was absolutely lovely: cherry trees grew along the entire contour of the clearing with their pink and white flowers, colorful flower beds flanked the path that led to the center of the garden, where a circular pavilion stood. It was raised two steps above the ground and was very spacious: it was fifteen feet in diameter and twenty feet overall height. Eight white marble columns supported an architrave decorated with floral motifs. Above it was a large glass and metal dome that gave a glimpse of the starry sky. Marble seats ran between the columns and along the perimeter, ready for any spectator who stopped to observe the incredible spectacle that was taking place in those places. There, in the magical atmosphere conferred by the light of the crystals, sat a small skeleton monster at a piano, creating the most beautiful sounds that Edge had ever had the honor of hearing. He was speechless and forced motionless in place by the shock, because they were the maid he had met at the dance, but also ... not? Huh? Something was wrong. They were a maid, right? So why were they now dressed like a noble? Something was definitely wrong. But at the moment all those thoughts were set aside in favor of listening to that overwhelming and emotional music that threatened to mesmerize any listener. Edge was not an exception. He was completely dumbfounded and fascinated by those melodies that seemed so full of the emotions and passion of the performer. But he wasn't just impressed by the music. His eyes were fixed on those fingers moving fast on the keyboard. The movements were fluid and precise, a sign of years of practice. The little skeleton wasn't even looking, closed eye sockets and relaxed face. Ah, they were beautiful. Edge could watch for hours. In fact, that's exactly what he did. For at least another hour he remained silent, for fear of alerting the other and disturbing their concentration. It would have been rude and insensitive and he wasn't such things! In addition, it would have been a shame to interrupt what was most likely the first and last time he witnessed such a beautiful sight. But unfortunately the moment could not last forever. The last notes reverberated in the air, the pianist took his hands off the keyboard and placed them in their lap, the silence of the night took over the clearing. At least until Edge decided to break it with a loud applause. It had come instinctively, an involuntary reflex to express his appreciation. Obviously it alerted the other who turned around alarmed. For a moment they stood staring at each other, unsure of what to say or do. Edge took advantage of this to get a better look at their choice of clothing. It was a long blue dress, of heavy and warm material, designed to protect from the coolness of the night. The lower hem was decorated with embroidery of intertwining red and orange leaves and flowers. Above it they wore an orange surcoat, edged with gold. Pearls adorned their waist and neckline, supporting a gold and ruby ​​pendant on their chests. Over their shoulders a dark blue cloak dropped to the ground, where it stretched out in a small train. The most shocking aspect of all, however, was the diadem delicately placed on the other's skull. An intertwining of gold ​​threads and rubies, carved in such a way as to represent small flowers.

(This picture is made by me. My second ever digital work. It took forever).

This only reinforced his suspicions. A maid could never wear such elegant and expensive clothing and jewelry. The little pianist was definitely part of royalty. Edge wasn't sure how he should feel about it. As the minutes went by in silence the situation was getting a little awkward and Edge didn't appreciate it. The other seemed to be at a loss for words, so it was Edge's turn to start a conversation. He cleared his throat, "I apologize for scaring you: it wasn't my intention. I introduce myself: I am Prince Edge of the Fell Kingdom.", he bowed his head a little and continued, "I happened to be passing by and I heard some music, so I came to investigate. I have to admit that your performance was magnificent and well executed, I must pay you my compliments. But I have some question if you don't mind: it's not my place to say what one should wear, but your clothes are very different from the ones you wore hours ago at the ball. I must admit to be surprised and intrigued by the reason behind them. If it isn't a bother, could you tell me what title should I address you by?". Now that the magical atmosphere of the music was over Edge had to admit he was starting to get a little irritated by the whole situation. He disliked when he didn't understand something or when people lied to him. From what he could understand that last thing was exactly what had happened and the other had pretended to be a maid for some unknown reason. They had made fun of the nobles at the ball and most importantly they had made fun of him. No matter how charming or talented with the piano he found the other, his pride could not allow it. But Edge wasn't even one to act without having a complete picture of the situation. That's why he wanted answers. He wanted to know the reason behind such rude and dared him to say unseemly actions. After all, it wasn't often that a member of the aristocracy disguised himself as middle-class people just to play jokes. If they had been caught, (like now), the humiliation and shame in front of the society would have been heavy. At that moment Edge had the power to completely destroy their reputation and if the ill-concealed anxiety stamped on the other's face indicated anything, it was that they also knew it well. But, even though it was very tempting, Edge didn't let his ego take over. He had to proceed with caution. He didn't know the identity of that skeleton and therefore didn't know if it was acceptable to have them as an enemy. He had to think about his kingdom and act like the prince he was. And losing a business partner or political supporter due to a risky action wasn't something he wanted to explain to his father. He shuddered at the very thought. A deep and unexpected voice for such a small body brought him out of his thoughts. His attention completely turned to studying the other. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Edge, I am Princess Red of the Ruby Kingdom. I would ask you to use masculine pronouns when addressing me, please." A little reverence accompanied his words. To say that Edge was shocked would be an understatement. This was the Princess of the kingdom? The one who did not show up at the ball that he himself had hosted!? The one who had caused all that havoc among the nobles, showing a high degree of rudeness and disrespect for the guests!? And now he was here, playing the piano as if nothing had happened. Edge frowned. This conversation wasn't shedding good light on this Red guy. And Edge was beginning to regret even thinking the other was interesting. But even so, his curiosity was not yet sated. He still did not know the reason behind his disguise. So he did his best not to let his disapproval show through and continue the conversation. But like hell would he show one more drop of respect than was strictly required. "Very well. I shall call you whatever you prefer. Though I am still curious about your choice to show up dressed as a maid at your own ball. I am sure it is a very interesting story that I would like to know. Since you haven't had the pleasure of chatting with the guests at the ball, I'm sure you'll be grateful for a pleasant conversation with me. Shall we sit on a bench? " And already he was heading to the nearest seat, not giving the other time to refuse his request. He would get his answers whether he liked it or not.