The Places We Go

Chapter VIII; Anastasia

     The battle had been won, despite the realization that the archers would require more training. That was tomorrow's problem, for today was for celebration. A few had brought their musical instruments along on the journey to boost morale while marching, and they organized a makeshift band for the party. Everyone changed out of their armor and into the nicest clothes they had, which weren't all that nice but was still something, and helped move a few tables into the giant ballroom. The best home cooks that had accompanied them did what they could to make a somewhat fancy breakfast for everyone with what was left in the kitchen . It was the best food they had had since they began their trek through Mirirejar, and everyone was grateful. Soon, couples began to dance as the "band" began to play. They didn't have instruments that went together, but they made it work. It was quite the interesting sight, seeing the doctor playing her banjo, a few other townsfolk playing their instruments, and, perhaps most interesting of all, Scheven playing the trumpet. Anastasia watched fondly of the dancing, longing to be out there. Across the room, her eyes met Beau's gaze. He was staring at her from where he sat with his guy friends, who were all trying to talk to him. He bid them farewell and came over to Anastasia. He offered his hand, proposing to go to the dance floor, at which Anastasia accepted.
That night, Anastasia made numerous realizations about the people around her. She had realized how much the trumpet fit Scheven, how much she truly enjoyed dancing, and how good of a dancer Beau was. She enjoyed being out on the floor with her friend, the person she knew best and knew her the best. She loved Arlie and Soleil, but the comfort of being with a life-long friend can never be matched. They were both extraordinary dancers, and soon the other couples left the dance floor to watch their performance. Both always wanting to put on a good show, they requested a certain tune from the band. They obliged, Scheven a bit too excited and blasting his trumpet to the point where the room almost went deff as Anastasia and Beau began to dance.
Midway through the performance, Anastasia made another realization. The dance that they had begun to do was the same one that she found herself doing while captured here. The look on her face must have been obvious, because it had caused Beau to mouth "Are you ok?" as he took her hands. "Yes, I'm ok" she mouthed back before he spun her. As he dipped her, signifying the end of the performance, the rest of the villagers applauded. Beau bowed, Anastasia curtsied, and the band and party returned to how it had been.
     Beau's face was blushed, but Anastasia figured it was from the strenuous dance. She needed a moment to herself, so she excused herself and began wandering the halls. "Anastasia!" She heard behind her. She turned to see Beau, who was still blushing from their performance. He ran to her and she ran to him. She hugged him, sobbing, as they both knew what was happening. She was returning to the twisted state she had been in when she was here last. To calm her, they went to the one place that had some power to keep her sane; the garden. They walked around the many flower beds, looking at the large hedges shaped like animals. After Anastasia's nerves had been calmed, they sat on a bench and Anastasia told him her story.
"At first I had Cordelia to talk to. But, after we were separated, I had nothing to do but daydream. I walked around the edges of my tower and looked out to this garden. I could only sleep in the day, they had to wake me up so I could eat, then I would go right back to sleep. When I was awake, it was all a blur. I only ever danced. The dance I was doing, without realizing, was the dance that we just did in there." Beau stared at her with a knowing look. He nodded, then hugged her. She had tried to remain calm, but she could hold it in no longer. She buried her face in her hands and felt Beau's arms around her. His head was resting on hers, and she felt calmer in his warm embrace. He rubbed her arm, and soon her tears stopped. They sat there in the moonlight, just enjoying each other's company. Anastasia drifted off to sleep, for she was exhausted from the battle and the extravagant dance from before. They slept there together until noon.
     When Anastastasia woke up, Beau was still holding her while he slept. Anastasia slowly moved his arms to be able to get up and go to her tower to stand watch. The Mirirejar villagers were nowhere to be seen today. They had been meeting in the square daily, but after the defeat last night the village was still. She stared out to the horizon and remembered fondly of the stress-free bonfire nights filled with laughter and stories. They told ghost stories and legends, as well as the story of the three royal families. Anastasia, as well as Arlie and Soleil, had been forced to memorize it. They had been prompted to tell it one night, and after reciting it they had all gone to bed after singing the ceremonious song of Zellarid.
    The song was one of Anastasia's own creation. She had written is at the time of her parent's passing, and had it play at her coronation. Since then, it had been a sign of her, as well as Arlie and Soleil's reigns. Anastasia began to hum the tune before realizing it was the same tune that she had hummed when she went insane. She couldn't stand that so many things had been ruined for her, but she knew that she just had to assign new meanings to them. She now associated the dance and song with Beau. She now associated walking a perimeter with the beauty of nature, not specific to the glorious garden here. She thought back to the dance that very early morning. The way that everyone had flocked to the edges of the room to make way for her and Beau to most might be an odd sight, but is the dream of a theatrical mind. It was magnificent, they were on beat even though they hadn't done the dance together since their early teenage years. They did it every year before, but after Anastasia's study time increased and Beau's work on the farm followed suite they soon were unable to practice and participate. They obviously still remembered it, for the dance was as if they had been practicing their entire lives. The crisp choreography always brought the two closer, and it had that night as well. A little into her shift, he came to check on her.
     He came up breathing heavily, for the staircase was quite long, and collapsed on the ground behind her. He sat leaning against the wall and Anastasia sat across from him, glancing over her shoulder every now and then, knowing Charlotte was on guard and could keep full watch for a while. "How are you?" Beau prompted after he had caught his breath.

"I'm doing better. Thank you."

"Of course!"

"No, I mean, thank you for everything. No just for asking about me. Thank you for this morning."

"Oh! Anytime."

"You didn't have to come for me."

"Yes I did. I lost you to this place once, I'm not letting it happen again."

"Thank you, but still not just that. Thank you for that dance."

"Just like old times, huh? We were still really good."

"We were! It was the most fun I've had since, well, you know."

The two sat there, looking into each other's eyes, remembering the peaceful days with great fondness. When they were young and free, not having to deal with war and insanity. Before everything had changed. "I've wanted to go back to those days for so long. Before I had to deal with Luna and war and such. You know what I've been through the past few months, I'm glad to still have time to be with you. This morning was what I needed." Anastasia continued. "You're welcome. Anytime. I needed it too, in a sense." Beau responded, his face blushed as it was that morning. A cool breeze blew through, causing the two to shiver. "It was really cold this morning, wasn't it?" Beau continued. "It was, I'm surprised we stayed out there for as long as we did." Anastasia responded.
    They talked for a while longer, when Arlie came up to the tower. "Oh, do you want another shift?" she said as she saw them. "Oh, is it shift change? I have to go then. I need to do more archery training, apparently." Anastasia responded as she got up. "You're right, I've got to go to my shift then. Let's go." Beau claimed as he followed Anastasia, who decided that after the training, should it still be his shift, she'd go and visit Beau as he had her.
"Alright, You're going to stand perpendicular to the target. Now turn your body towards the target, draw, and aim. Remember crosshairs, that's what I told you at the first training. For me, if I aim for the target." She shot. "It's too high. So I aim below." She readied another arrow. "I aim for below the target" She shot again. "Then I get the bullseye." She retrieved the two arrows. "Does everyone remember theirs?" The archers nodded. They shot again, and a few hit their first bullseyes. Soon, she had gotten them into good shape. They went back inside, so Anastasia headed towards the tower where Beau would be. When she was almost to the top, she heard Beau singing the chorus of the song that they had danced to. When she was at the top, she saw him leaning against the railing, looking out to the horizon.

"Walls have ears
Doors have eyes
Trees have voices
Beasts tell lies
Beware the rain
Beware the snow
Beware the man you think you know
Be like glass, if he breaks you, cut him
Cause a fish with its mouth closed never gets caught"

As he finished the last note, Anastasia clapped, startling him and causing him to turn around. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know you were there." He said after he had calmed down. "I knew you could dance, but I didn't know you could sing!" She said, sitting down. "Yes, I guess I can." He said, sitting down across from her. They discussed that further, then resumed their previous conversations. Soon the night came again, and they returned to the castle to go to bed. When Anastasia laid down that night, she couldn't help but hear Beau's voice in her mind. His version of the song rang in her head until she went to sleep, and woke up with it stuck in her head the next day.