The Dance of the Keepers

Chapter 6 A Princess's Word

Now let me just say, that is never a good question to ask. 'What could possibly go wrong?' Is rather like tempting fate to hit you in the face with a frying pan.

"Everyone, make a single file line and bow to me."
The little girl ordered in a shrill voice.

My eyebrows raised significantly towards my hairline and I exchanged a look with Kyle. Dutifully we all fell into an orderly line and bowed to her little highness, offering birthday wishes. All the while she sat in her chair with a smug expression plastered across her face, that I wanted to forcibly remove.

Jasper stepped up in front of me and gave a polite bow, offering birthday wishes to the little girl.

"Shockwave!"
She exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

Ah, so that's who was calling him that.

"I just loved your last lighting trick! That was the coolest thing ever!"

Trick, yeah that's all it was. He hadn't killed three people or anything with that little 'trick'. Jasper seemed unsure of what to say.

"Navia, move over, I want Shockwave to sit next to me."
Cymber ordered her sister.

Navia looked understandably surprised and glanced questioningly towards her mother.

"Do as I say Navia! I'm in charge tonight!"
Cymber snapped.

The Queen nodded to her younger daughter and the Princess moved over a chair.

"Here, sit."
Cymber told Jasper.

He miserably obeyed. Now it was my turn.

"Congratulations on your birthday, your highness. I hope it's a good one."
I said, dropping into a bow.

"No, no, you're doing it wrong!"
She squealed.

I blinked.

"You're a girl! You have to curtsy!"

I may have mentally said a bad word. With a grimace, I attempted a curtsy and did surprisingly manage a halfway decent one. Cymber scowled at me anyways and shook her head.

"You'd never make a proper lady, guess it's a good thing you're just a competitor."

I bit down hard on my lip. Mouthing off to the bratty princess wasn't going to do me any good.
I dipped my head and stepped to the side, my cheeks burning. The rest filed through the praise the Princess line and then came the fun ordeal of being ordered where to sit.

"I want the Keepers down the very end, because they're boring."

I snorted and glanced at Kyle who I was certain was scowling beneath his mask.

"Then those three can sit down with them because I don't want to look at their ugly faces."
Cymber pointed to the three scarred boys.

I couldn't entirely disagree with her on that point.

"I want Deluge next to Shockwave, Navia move over another seat."

The younger princess looked incredulous but obeyed anyway. Deluge apparently was what 'they' were calling Teagan Blair.

"Dearest little sister, may I chose who sits next to me?"
Ranen asked politely.

Cymber gave her older brother the first genuine smile I'd seen out of her yet and nodded.

"Of course! You may choose whoever you like, just as long as it's not Shockwave."

Geesh. Someone had a little crush on Jasper.