The King's Crest

Chapter 12

Somewhere through the night I switched shifts with Rem and was able to get some sleep. I barely remember the switch though seeing as I was already pretty much asleep by the time I woke Rem up. I was instantly asleep next to the fire. It didn't last long though, it was only a few hours before the early morning rays of the sun were shining through the trees above me and onto my face. The warm sun on me made this morning the warmest we had had since we left for our adventure. The warmth made it easier for me to get up.

I looked to the side of me and had to suppress a laugh looking at the still passed out Kenneth who would clearly not be waking up on his own easily today. I gathered my new dresses and walked off to go find privacy to start getting ready for the day. I went off with everything and began to change into my new dress. It would have gone well except I forgot these dresses were nice and required to be laced up in the back. I tried to stretch my arms back as much as I could but I simply could not lace up the dress completely right on my own.

"Jeremiah," I whispered as loudly as I dared without waking Kenneth. "Jeremiah!" This time he showed up cautiously. "Does this dress look alright? I wasn't able to lace it up super nicely, but it is on. I want to make as good of an impression as I can." I waited for an answer but he didn't say anything. "Jeremiah?"

He stared at me for a little but longer. It was long enough to make me feel uncomfortable and make me start blushing. "Yes, you look wonderful. I don't know how you wouldn't make a lasting impression in anything you wear. That just happens to be even nicer than most," he finished with an awkward smile. I smiled even though the rest of me still looked like a mess, I knew he was trying to be nice.

I felt the dress snuggly fit my delicate frame. It fit me perfectly and exaggerated my already thin waist. I turned a little bit to make me dress puff out. The dress I chose was the one Charles sent me. It was a deep purple with traces of light purple in it. It was simple but expensive for a Lady. As I put my hair up and neatly away I whispered to myself, "You are now Lady Grace Abrenth. You are one of Princess Charolotte of Temari's ladies-in-waiting." Talking to myself was helping me to prepare for the next apart of the quest. I was completely cleaned up before I walked back to the camp to Jeremiah.

I walked up to him and, as I walked back, Jeremiah stared at me a few minutes. "Woah, Kat, I forgot you could actually look like a nice, beautiful lady," suddenly feeling awkward he stumbled over his words again, barely adding "you look very nice."

"Thank you? That was kind of a compliment, but also you implied I've been looking terrible, but I can't deny it," I said smiling. He tilted his head to the side for a minute staring at me like he was trying to figure out what was wrong. Finally, he came up to me and tucked back a fly-away hair and looked at me again. He inspected closely making sure everything about me made me seem as if I were a real Lady. He nodded approvingly before going back and sitting back down.

Kenneth was just waking up, unfortunately he woke to find himself quite sick and ran to some bushes where he proceeded to be sick. Another reason not to get drunk. Seeing as I am a Christian and have a relationship with God and He commands me not to get drunk I haven't ever been drunk. But nothing about drinking so much to where you make irrational decisions and wake with pounding heads has ever sounded appealing anyway. Eventually, Kenneth came back looking completely pale and miserable as he simultaneously rubbed his stomach and temples as he moaned on agony.

"Rough night for you?" I teased sarcastically while also splashing water on him. "I know you cannot think well today due to your poor choices, but we need to know your plans as soon as possible because they affect us, too. In the future realize you are traveling with others and you could ruin everything for all of us. Stop being such a selfish pig. Also, you better not be running off and getting drunk when you have a child." I chided clearly bitter.