The Boondocks~Medieval Times

1) The Royal Garden

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"Hahaha!" The two boys ran in the field, chasing each other with sticks for entertainment. The younger one with hair in braids tripped over a stone and cried in pain. "Huey! I will slay you for that!" He sits up.

His older brother smirked at him, pointing the tip of his stick at his face. "En garde!"

Riley glared at him before standing up with his stick. He waved the stick in any random direction, really trying to hit Huey. Huey, unlike his brother, actually knew what he was doing. He dodged and ducked before he hit the sword out of Riley's hand. Riley glared at him. "Cheat!" He cried.

Huey rolled his eyes, tossing his stick in a random direction. "You're such a baby."

The eight year old sucked his teeth. "Bite your tongue."

"I--"

"Huey! Riley! You'll never guess what I found!" The boys looked ahead and saw their friend walking to them, minding the corn and long grass in his way. He breathed hard when he reached them, tired from his run. Riley asked, "What is it?"

"Come! I'll show you!" Caesar had begun to walk back, but Huey grabbed his arm. "Caesar! Slow down," Huey whirled him around, "You know well we are to be back in the orphanage before sunset. Grandfather is expecting us soon, and we not haven't even one basket of corn."

"Huey, you worry too much. Grandfather will do nothing."

"Except beat our bottoms until they turn red," Riley spat, making Caesar glare at him. "Please, friends. It will be quick. In. And out."

~•~

Huey frowned deeply when he realised where Caesar was taking them. The path they took only led to one place, the place everyone was restricted from. He could see the castle in the distance. He glared at his friend's back. "Caesar, why're you taking us here?! We'll be shood like rats!"

Riley stayed quiet. He had always wanted to go beneath the tall brick walls and taste the rich life, the life of a blood royal. No, instead he was a peasant, a disgusting peasant with no money, stuck living with his grandfather. He made himself sick.

"Caesar, we must turn aro--"

"Shush!" Instead of continuing up the path, Caesar ducked into the bushes to the side. "This way!" Riley followed without a second thought. Huey sighed heavily before following them both. Caesar continued to lead, walking to the side of the great wall where vines grew. Huey was irritated, "Why did you bring us here?"

Caesar smirked at him before walking closer to the wall. He pushed one specific boulder away from its spot in front of the wall, revealing a hole and making the boys' eyes widen. "A secret entrance! May the gods bless you!" Riley began to rush for the hole, but Huey grabbed his braids, yanking him back. "Oww!"

"How did you find this?" Huey demands, still grabbing Riley's braids. "You realise if we are caught, the king will have our heads!"

"You tell me you don't want to go inside? See what's beneath the palace walls?" Caesar asked, surprised.

"I do!" Riley whined. "Let go of me!"

"Riley. This is a bad--ow!" Riley had kicked him in the stomach, causing him to let go. Without another word, he bolted to and into the hole. Caesar shrugged before kneeling and following him. Huey cursed under his breath, rubbing the spot over his crotch. "Riley!" He called. Hearing no response, he knelt on his knees and crawled in after the two. "What're you imbeciles--" He was interrupted when he looked up.

The garden was wide with flowers of different kinds and colours growing out of the soil. Between some huge patches of flowers were paths were people could walk. "By the gods, its even better than I pictured..." Riley said, clearly in awe. "So this is what royals watch for entertainment."

"Alright, Riley. We've seen the garden. May we go?" Huey had an uneasy feeling.

"More!" Riley bolted away from the two, running in one of the narrow paths. "Riley!" Huey hissed before following him. It was too late, Riley had already turned the corner, but Huey grabbed him once again by the braids and pulled him back. "Have you gone ma--" He stopped talking when he realised they had been seen.

A pair of lunar eyes stared back at his chocolates. Her skin reminded him of sunlight and her hair looked like his, only slightly bigger, and the colour of strawberry blonde. She wasn't dirty like he was, nor the other girls on the streets. Instead she was clean, what made Huey's eyes widen was the gold tiara on her head. It was Princess Jazmine. He panicked. "Go!" He pushed Riley before him and they sprinted back the way they came.

"Wait!" Huey and Riley didn't bother stopping at the sound of her voice. They even trampled on some flowers to get away from her. "I command you to stop!" She screamed behind them, picking up her dress as she chased them. Huey's legs didn't listen to his mind that told him to keep going, he did as the princess said and stopped. Unlike Riley who bolted for the hole. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" Huey turned around and noticed she had caught up, still walking closer. She was prettier up close. Huey had never seen her up close. Everyone had gazed at her from the cheap seats in the jousting arena, and that was the closest anyone had seen her. If that even counted.

Huey swallowed. Ten or not, her blossoming beauty was obvious. He slowly got on one knee and bowed his head. "Your highness. I am called--"

"Princess! Princess where are you?!" A male voice boomed. Huey panicked, but made no move. There was no use escaping; she would report him. His family would be on the hit list. The princess glanced over her shoulder and down at Huey. "Up!" She whispered, pulling him to his feet by his arm. "Go! Go before he sees you!"

Huey blinked at her. She was letting him escape? "Your high--"

"Go now!"

Huey glanced over her shoulder and at her again before turning around and ducking out the hole, without looking back. The princess watched as the hole was covered from the other side. "Princess! What happened to the flowers?!" Jazmine whirled around to see one of her servants. "And your dress! Goodness!" He rushed over and brushed the soil off the hem of her previously white dress.

The princess laughed nervously. "I got carried away. My apologies, Helga. I shall clean it mys--"

"Nonsense! You are royalty, leave it to me."

The princess just sighed, glancing at the spot the boy disappeared into. I wonder...

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