Hunting the runaways

Will 4

  Despite my saying that I didn't care if my dad killed me, I put on the long cloak and sash. "Ah Well," James teases me. "Ha Ha Ha," I fake laugh. James tosses me a ball and I catch it, we play catch-the-ball as we walk down to the ball room. As we near the ball room, James takes the ball and tells me that he'll be out side playing with his cousins and their friends, even though at this moment he should be fallowing his dad around, going to the village and taking suggestions from the villagers. "Stay with me," I whisper to him. "What would I do there, and plus this is for you," James says. "Should I just ditch? I feel like I'm just going to get a lecture anyway," I say. 

  "Why would he make you wear nice if it was to lecture you?" James says. "Notice how he made me wear the most uncomfortable things? He probably wanted me to sit in his lecture uncomfortable," I say. James smiles and shakes his head, "Your on your own on this one, plus I know it's not a lecture, It's something else," James smiles knowingly. "Then what?" I ask. "Figure it out," James tosses me the ball and walks backwards. I throw him the ball and he runs down the hall to outside. I stare after him until the door closes. I take a big breath in, Smile my most charming smile and round the corner to the ballroom. I stop by the door and my smile fades when I see my dad smiling and laughing with a lady who looks his age, maybe a little younger with long, almost-white blond hair, a long black dress sharp icy-blue eyes and cheek bones so high a bird would nest on them. The woman touches my father at the shoulder lightly and laughs at what he says.

  Anger in me rises up and suddenly I'm feeling furious, just as I'm about to go in and say something, I don't know what but something, mom walks down the stairs with a young maiden with darker-than-brown hair color, light honey-brown squinty eyes, and small thick lips. Her robin's blue dress seem to swallow her in some places and choke her in others. When mom sees me standing in the doorway, she smiles at me. "William," She says. Dad looks up and so does the woman who smiles a toothy grin. I look at all of them my anger turning to confusion. "Well don't just stand there boy, come here," My dad squints at me, his eyes angry but his lips grinning from ear to ear. 

   I start to walk to where they are standing, almost tripping on the long cloak I gather my composure and walk there. "William, this is Duchess Rohesia of Vedda and her daughter Juliana," My father says. Both courtesy. "What a fine boy you have," The Duchess says smiling at me, her wide ruby lips parting to show big, square teeth. I bow my head a little, plastering on my charming smile. My dad claps his hands, "Why don't William show Juliana around while we chat, and they can get to know each other," He says smiling. I look at Juliana who looks down shyly. "That sounds marvelous," The Duchess agrees. Mom smiles. 

  "Go on boy," My father tells me. God I hate it when he refers to me as boy. "Yes father," I say. "He's not always this air-headed," Father says it as a joke, but he glares at me. I mock a laugh and immediately regrets when I see dad shoots daggers at me with his eyes. I stick my elbow out to Juliana and she takes my arm. "What would you like to see first?" I ask. "Anything you would like to start with," She says. "What a lovely maiden you have," I hear my father say. "What a lovely maiden you have," I mock father in my head. I lead Juliana out of the ballroom into the white tiled hallway. "Would you like to see the garden first?" I ask her. "Sure," She says. "I like going there when I want peace and quiet, but that's rare," I say. "Ah," She smiles. 

  I usually go there when I want to get away from my father, especially when I know that I'm going to get in trouble, he doesn't dare go there because he claims that he is allergic to the "filthy things" called flowers and plants, but I know it's because he hates bugs, he just won't admit it because he's a man, the King. I take Juliana to the garden and she genuinely looks amazed. "Wow, this is beautiful," She says. "Yeah, do you have a garden back in Vedda?" I ask. "Yes, but not as beautiful as this, nor as big your highness," She says. "Please, call me William, or Will," I smile. She smiles. "What do you like to do, your hobbies, your hig--William," She asks. 

  "I like going on adventures, going out to sea, playing ball with my friends, sneaking into parties, and festivals, undercover of course," I smile remembering the days when James and I would wear the cooks clothes, put a little powder on them, mess up our hair and put on a hat and go to parties in the village, our fathers would have the guards look everywhere for us and later we would sneak in, change our clothes and act like we were there the whole time. "Wow, very active, I like reading books, especially romance and mysteries, I like helping the princess with her charity work, and needle work, I usually like it when it's quiet, I don't like too much noise," She says. "Well, you won't like it here then," I smirk. 

  "Shall we see the library?" She asks. "I don't even know where it is," I say. "Really? Surely you go there to learn the history of your kingdom," She says. "Well, I used to go...When I was still in school, but now not so much," I say. "Oh," She says. I change the subject bored. "So how is Vedda? I've only been there once...I didn't know the queen had a sister," I say. "It's great, and the Queen doesn't have a sister, the king does, my mom is the King's sister," She says. A look of passes over her face, but I don't quite know what it is. "Let's go to the yard, shall we?" I ask her.