The Jester and The Servant

Chapter 2

Adelaide was juggling a few batons, propped up against the wall. Her grin was still bright, stiff and staring up at the batons. Cyrille watched intently, deciding not to interrupt Adelaide. She threw one of them too high and failed to catch it. "Oh!" Adelaide murmured with a stomp of her foot. Cyrille picked up the baton and handed it to Adelaide.

"Oh! Greetings, Cyrille" Adelaide smiled, taking the baton. "Thank you" she crowed, blinking her wide eyes at Cyrille. Cyrille smiled back "no problem!" Adelaide put the baton in a sack on the floor. "Oh, the King seemed quite off today" Adelaide commented. Cyrille looked at Adelaide in surprise "y-yes, I guess... I was forbidden from cleaning the Queen and King's room today.." she worried.

"Oh my!" Adelaide blurted. "Things are quite peculiar now, no?" Adelaide speculated. Cyrille nodded "what do you think happened to him?" she queried. Adelaide's smile faded. "I wouldn't know.." She stammered. Cyrille looked down "Alright, I was just worried and wanted to know" she muttered. Adelaide shook it off and smiled. "Have you finished your chores?" She asked. Cyrille looked back up "yes, why?"

"I was wondering if you were busy and wanted to take a stroll somewhere," Adelaide offered. "Oh, sure!" Cyrille smiled "I haven't had a break in a while" she chuckled. Adelaide chuckled. "Perhaps we should roam the castle? It has a lot of secret nooks and crannies" Adelaide said with a wink. Cyrille nodded "that would be very exciting!"

Adelaide took Cyrille by the hand and led her up a spiral staircase. Cyrille smiled brightly "thank you" Adelaide dipped her head, leading Cyrille to a small alcove off of the corridor. "This little place is FULL of secrets. It may look like an average room, yet has many levers and buttons" She smiled. "The castle is amazing.... It's like it has a soul of its own" Cyrille spoke in amazement.

Adelaide guffawed and found a loose brick in the stone. A trapdoor opened beside the two, leading down a dark hole. "Secrets!" Adelaide repeated, giggling. Cyrille laughed as well "It's fun going through the castle, I never realized" she admitted. Adelaide nodded in agreement. Adelaide took Cyrille by the hand once more and ran along the hallway, the loose pathway of bricks clacking under their feet. "So, what are you doing outside of your job these days?" Cyrille queried.

Adelaide was caught off guard. "Oh! Well, I suppose I'm rather a fan of taxidermy, it's quite fun to make already dead animals into something entertaining and fantastical" Adelaide cheered. "Alright..." Cyrille responded nervously. Adelaide perked her head to the side. "What's the sour look for?" She asked the servant. "Oh! Nothing" she smiled. Adelaide resumed her usual grin and skipped upon the bricks surface, still holding Cyrille's hand. "Wonder who poisoned the king," Adelaide said casually. Cyrille looked at Adelaide "I don't know.." she uttered.

"The king is sure to have many enemies, what with the way that he's ruling" Adelaide grumbled with a hint of spite. "I-I guess... he can be mean sometimes but a king has to be kind of mean to rule, he can't just be a pushover" she whispered anxiously. Adelaide stopped skipping and walked normally. Her grip tightened a bit on Cyrille's hand. Cyrille looked at Adelaide, then back down "I apologize- that was probably foolish" she laughed at herself.

"It's alright!" Adelaide quipped. Cyrille nodded "He's... once I think about it he really is bad sometimes" she looked at Adelaide. "Yeah, see?" Adelaide whistled. "I don't think anything deserves to die, though" she spoke in concern. "It's an inevitable end, we'll all one day meet it" Adelaide scoffed. Cyrille looked down again, her eyes welling with tears "I'm scared" she muttered "It's stupid... b-but I am.."

Adelaide frowned. "Oh my, are you alright?" Cyrille nodded, trying to stop herself from sobbing, but failing. Adelaide stopped and turned around to face Cyrille. She hugged her and tried to wipe her tears. "There isn't any reason to cry, don't lose face" Adelaide comforted. "Especially because yours is such a pretty one!" Cyrille looked up at Adelaide, face reddening "A-alright.." she mumbled "thank you..." she smiled weakly.