Did Ceci hear March right!? Did he really just outright tell January about her planned escape!?
"...What genre of buffoonery is this…?" January's voice was as frosty as winter.
And March's smile was as easy-going as spring, "None! Since I know you hate buffoonery!"
But January was not impressed at all. A small gust of wind began to unfurl in the room. March's long black hair danced in waves.
"March!" The Princess cried, scandalized and stunned, "Just what the heck are you even saying!?"
March just chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Was I unclear? I guess I'll repeat them just for you, Princess. You're going to run away from your homework and I'm going to help you escape! And if I were you, I'd start running right about now!"
The Princess yelped and stumbled out of her chair, barely dodging a potted plant lunging her way. "What the heck!" She cried, exasperated. But January was already screaming profanities and March was laughing so she did what she had to and bolted right out the room!
Luckily she wasn't that far from the east entrance of the castle and could just make her escape that way! Princess Ceci dashed down the hall for her life, trying to ignore the chaos the was brewing from the way she came.
But only five steps down the hall, the door swung open again and from it emerged an angered January whose eyes were bloodshot in rage and howled like a scorned mother, "Get back here you brat!" She raised her hand and summoned a large gust of wind.
Princess Ceci squeaked and leaped forward, grasping onto the door in front of her to keep herself from being sucked into January's powerful vortex. Just what was March doing!? He couldn't keep January busy for even five minutes!? She cursed her useless Knight and raised her hand. A golden glow erupted in her palm and she was surrounded with a shimmering light.
Her little cloud fluttered before her and Ceci climbed up on her floating steed. But it was difficult to move forward even an inch with January's powerful wind! "C'mon, you can do it!" She shouted at her cloud encouragingly.
But it was no use! And January was inching closer and closer, with each slow clatter of heels stomping down against the ground! January was going to beat her dead! Princess Ceci cried out in desperation.
And was then she heard something like a whoosh that sliced through the air. January howled in outrage and for a split second, her winds were relinquished.
Ceci didn't have time to look back and pointed forth, "Now's our chance!" The little cloud desperately dashed forward, escaping January's evil grasps!
Just when they made it out to the east garden, January was back again, bellowing, "Don't you dare, Princess!"
And this time the winds picked up with even more aggression! Princess Ceci had to hold her hair out of her face as her red locks whipped around in the violent gusts. She squealed as her little cloud was tossed around by the force of a monstrous tornado! Princess Ceci barely managed to reach out in time to grab the straining branches of a tree to avoid being sucked in. "January!" She whined, "I'm innocent, this is all March's fault!"
Seriously though, what was that idiot even thinking!? And where was he!?! He should know better than anyone that January was a woman without mercy!
The chime of light laughter was carried across gusting winds and Princess Ceci thought she had dreamed it at first. But when she peeled her eyes open, she saw March before her! His long hair trailed behind him like a tail and was giving her a wide playful grin, hand outstretched. "Let's go, Princess!"
Just how!? But she didn't have time to think about it and just grabbed ahold of his hand. He pulled her to his chest and it was then that she realized that he standing atop a flying sword! Ceci wrapped her arms around March's neck and prayed for her dear life.
They whizzed through the air and away from January's wild rage. March's flying sword was a lot faster than her little cloud. And he laughed as the wind whipped through hair, basked below the everlasting summer warmth. Ceci smiled, the adrenaline in her heart melting into blissful joy. She wanted this moment to last forever; with March atop his flying sword, sunlight upon his eyes and wind in his hair.
They eventually came upon a quieter part of the city, somewhere in Upper Zion. Their clothes and hair were a mess and March snickered as he ruffled her red locks further, "Look at this! It looks like a ball of yarn after a cat's gotten to it!"
She flailed beneath his hand, cheek turning as red as her hair, "You're just making it worse!" She shoved him off and summoned a little glitter or magic that fixed her appearance in an instant. "It's not like you're any better!" She glared at him.
His shirt was askew, a few buttons had come loose, exposing much of his chest. Ceci could see more scars and she quickly found herself looking away. March chuckled again and she could hear him straightening out his clothes. "Think you can spare some of that magic of yours for me?"
She crossed her arms and clicked her tongue, "As if! What were you even thinking back there!?"
"I helped you get out didn't I?" She dared a peek. March had walked to her side, his appearance presentable.
"You didn't help at all!" She pointed an accusing finger at his chest, "You only made things worse!"
But the mischief in his eyes had yet to die. He put his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey! I mean, we escaped didn't we? Why are you so mad about that!"
She rolled her eyes and turned away. This man was always so outrageous! No wonder why he couldn't get a wife. In the midst of her fuming, Princess Ceci spotted a quaint little pastry shop ahead of them.
And just like that she snapped out of her fury and grabbed her Knight by the sleeve, "March!" She pointed, "Let's go there!"
Though confused at first, his gaze followed her lead and chuckled, "Okay, okay. No need to be so pushy. Your slave here is at your service."
She grumbled at him, "You're not my slave, stupid! You're my Knight!"
The two of them found themselves in the little pastry. It was quite an adorable establishment, with walls and decor all dipped in pastel hues. The tables were rounded and were draped with intricate lace that matched the ones on the curtains. Even the desserts matched with the little shop with swirling icing colored baby pinks and blues.
Princess Ceci hummed and kicked her feet out from beneath her little wooden chair, adorned with a coral velvety cushion. She felt like she was a girl about to have a tea party in wonderland! A cute little tea set was placed before them along with a tray of bite-sized snacks. The owner as well was suitably adorable. She wore a flared, mint green dress and had hair in pigtails and appeared no older than twelve. And the only place that looked glaringly out of place was that hunk of a man sitting in front of her.
March raised a brow as he slipped a red velvet cake past his lips and was rude enough to ask with his mouth half full, "What?"
His lack of decorum was unbecoming so she gave him a light kick from below the table that he infuriatingly ignored.
Displeased, Princess Ceci instead focused on her snacks. She took little chipmunk nibbles, slowly savoring each wash of flavor that danced upon her tongue. The speckle of hazelnut and delicate sprinkle of minty vanilla. It was art! And she loved it! If only there was a magical device that could capture pictures of these masterful desserts to immortalize them instantly into paintings and then her trip to this shop would be complete.
"What's so great about this place anyways?" March groaned. Boredom was written all over his face and Ceci was wrought with disappointment and displeasure. She kicked him again and chided him for his lack of good taste.
"What's there not to like? Everyone's into cute little shops like this nowadays! It's aesthetic!"
March opened his mouth and then closed it. Princess Ceci could complain for days on end about boys' lack of refinement. This idiot in front of her present a very telling case.
"Whatever it is you're thinking," March hummed as he reached over to steal another dessert, "You should probably stop."
What the heck? She kicked him again and huffed. It would be best if she just ignored him so she did. She twirled her wrist and thud! A book fell into her hands. Peeling it open about halfway, Princess Ceci scanned the rows of words in her eyes.
March found himself intrigued. The Princess was reading a book in her own free time? Now that was something new. His eyes flitted over the cover and 'Hugo Strays, The Cowardly'. "That doesn't look particularly interesting," he mused, "Don't tell me it's also for homework."
Red eyes flickered up at him before they turned back down towards the pages, "No, it's for the Reading Club. It's okay," she admitted. But just okay. March wondered if 'The Art of War' counted as okay as well.
"Hugo was a good kid," he muttered under his breath.
It was only when Princess Ceci asked, "Did you know him?" That March realized he had uttered his thoughts out loud.
He blinked at her and said, "Not sure. It's been too long."
"Oh."
"Can't remember if he lives at the end."
Princess Ceci tapped her feet in annoyance, "No spoilers!"
But March just laughed at her displeasure, "I can't even remember if Prince Liang lives at the end of 'The Art of War'!"
She groaned at his antics and scolded him as she would an ignorant child, "That's not a novel, idiot!"