Feeling Adversity

Chapter 4: Schemer

Larisa bumped into Maynard as he was coming from the outer court and finally her anxious heart calmed down, she was afraid she had missed him due to the many delays that morning.

He closed his scroll and gave her a bow as he said respectfully, "greetings princess."

She gave a curtsey and said softly, "greetings young lord Maynard,"

"Is princess on her way to the library?"

Larisa answered with a smile, "Aha, is Maynard going to find my brother?"

Maynard answered as he walked along with her, "yes."

The air turned awkward quickly, Larisa was thinking of a new topic they could talk about to ease the atmosphere when she felt something wet hit her nose, she looked up at the now fully covered sky, it had started to drizzle.

A white umbrella appeared above her head and she couldn't stop the smile that came to her face.

She looked at Maynard and teased, "Is Maynard a magician?"

Maynard replied with a chuckle, "What makes princesses think that."

"Well, it seems like you pulled the umbrella out of thin air."

Maynard lightly shaked the handle of the umbrella and Larisa regarded the silver hook at the handles end with interest.

He went on to explain, "The weather is always unpredictable during the summer. My servants aren't always with me so I got this hook made and attached to the umbrella. That way, I can hang it on my belt and it's always hidden in my robes."

"That is very creative; can you make one for me?"

"Your wish is my command princess, in what colour do you want it."

She answered in a heartbeat, "yellow." Then she shook her head while waving her hands, "no, it should be red."

Maynard just agreed with a small smile on his face.

They arrived outside the study hall. Larisa hesitantly probed, "we have arrived, shouldn't you be going in and find my elder brother, you can just lend me your umbrella and I will be on my way."

Maynard lifted the umbrella higher when she was about to take hold of it.

"What? Are you afraid I won't return it?"

Maynard answered in a hurry, "I don't mind if you take it and don't return it."

She glanced at him with a raised brow, "then?"

He gazed at those red orbs with determination, "princess, let me drop you off at the library first."

Larisa looked down as a huge grin broke out on her face but she still spoke calmly, "but my brother will be angry if you arrive late again and he may scold you like last time."

Maynard still did not hesitate in his answer, "last time was not princess's fault. His highness was upset because I forgot something he had asked me to get and you are his highnesses only sister, I cannot possibly let you walk alone in the rain."

The library was not that far away from the hall, but she wasn't going to say anything like that. Larisa was about to agree when the voice of a male version of Fay interrupted her.

"The rain has already stopped, what are you doing standing around under the umbrella for?"

Prince Dario stood ramrod straight at the door of the study hall, hands behind his back as he scrutinized the pair at the bottom of the steps with a not too happy expression on his handsome face.