Alyssa's room was so quiet that she could clearly hear her own breathing. She was tapping a finger on the table--- as if counting the seconds. She had nothing else to do but to wait for tomorrow evening to come. With more than a day to spare before the club's meeting, she was bored. These were times where Kiva would usually show up and spend time with her, but the door was not opened by the expected visitor. She would usually not notice the time for Kiva would always be by her side to entertain her. She found it unusual that Kiva was not around to pester her today.
Taking the initiative, Alyssa decided to visit Kiva's room this time around. She would invite Kiva to babysit Ysa together. But upon a quick peek inside Kiva's room, her best friend was not around. As an attendant saw her exiting Kiva's room, Alyssa was informed that Kiva was in the food storage. With Eli following silently behind her, Alyssa went downstairs to see her best friend.
Kiva was indeed there, sitting on the floor, hunched on something in front of her--- boxes of fruits and empty weaved baskets surrounding her.
Alyssa peeked above Kiva's shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"Kyah!" Kiva threw the apple she was holding in the air. "Oh, Ali! You scared me!" The apple crashed on the floor and was cut into half.
Kiva reached for a box and took another piece of apple, placing it on the basket in front on her. "Just gifts for our people." Kiva pointed at the pile of boxes and named them one by one. "Apple, Banana, Mango, Pineapple and… orange!" Kiva announced. "I need to repack them for later." Kiva reached for another box, on her left this time, and took two pieces of banana, then decided to make it three on the basket she was filing. "The queen had spoken," Kiva cleared her throat. "Lady Kiva and Lord Ziloh Arquall." She used a deeper tone to imitate the queen's voice. "You are tasked to be the royal's emissary to appease our people. To remind them that everything is under control inside the palace and no harm shall befall upon them."
That made sense to Alyssa, the towns people would have already heard of the incident by now. Problem as big as that would be known by the public no matter how much it was kept a secret.
For the public to have doubts about the royal's ability to protect them would make the kingdom fall. There should be trust between the royals and the people. The royals would govern, and the towns people would keep the system--- the economy going. The royals would provide protection and in exchange, the beautiful clothes and foods of the royals will be provided by the public. One cannot survive without the other, and an imbalance in this relationship would mean chaos and death.
Alyssa sat beside Kiva, her legs crossed. "But where are the attendants to help you?"
"Well, there's nobody!" Kiva simply said. "Everybody's short-handed these days, besides I don't mind doing these!" Kiva beamed. "One of the main reasons why I was to be sent to town, people are afraid to work in here… Barn is having a hard time to hire people. Can you believe that? They used to like working in here. Now, they fear it."
Alyssa hoped Barny was fine and not too stressed with work, she noted to herself to visit him when he becomes available—she doesn't want to show up and be a chore for him. The only thing she could do for Barny is to help Kiva and hope that people will apply for jobs inside the palace.
Alyssa took note of Kiva's basket. "I just need to put each one on a basket?" Alyssa dragged an empty basket towards her and filled it with various fruits just as how Kiva exactly did it. "Like this?" she shoved the basket to Kiva for inspection.
"Just one more thing," Kiva wrapped a red ribbon around the rim of the basket. "Yep! Just like that."
Alyssa slid her first work on the pile of finished baskets. "Aren't Ziloh supposed to be in here to help you?"
"Well, he's hunt---gry." Kiva bit her lower lip. "He's probably eating right now."
Alyssa knew Ziloh always ate in private, she never questioned it, nor asked details about it. "I see…" "A way to escape chores, as expected…"
Both of them drew into silence as they focused on their work. An hour had passed by when Alyssa began to feel the ache in her back, she looked at the boxes and knew they still had a long way to go. It was obvious what baskets Alyssa had done depending on the ribbon, Kiva's were not perfect, but Alyssa's knot could not even be called a ribbon.
"With our pace, we'll probably be finished by tomorrow morning." Alyssa said sarcastically, but it was not too far from becoming a reality.
"I agree." Kiva stared at the piles of fruits and sighted. "I guess we have to delay our visit."
"Maybe another pair of hand won't hurt." Alyssa was proud of making twenty---or maybe more--baskets by herself. "Eli!"
Upon hearing his name, Eli peeked from the door. For an hour and a half, he was standing silently at the entrance.
"Come here!" Alyssa called him. "Help us with this mess."
Eli did as what was instructed and sat down quietly on the floor, keeping a little distance from the royals. They were like a triangle in the middle of the room--- their backs facing each other.
Eli's Adam's apple moved up and down, gulping unconsciously. Out of all the fruits displayed on the floor, he was only able taste two of them in his life--- oranges and bananas. The other fruits, he was not familiar with, especially the one that looked like it had many eyes. He cannot help himself but to have a sniff of them. At home, these would be a luxurious food. He glanced for a few seconds on what he thinks is apple, turning brown on the floor. It was sad to see that these are just stored in here as they overripe when there are people out there waiting to have a taste. A shame really, he wanted Luppy to have a taste of all of these. He smiled as he imagined his brother salivating to all of these.
Kiva stared at Eli wistfully. "I wished I had an Oli." she shook her head and began working again. "I miss having an attendant at times like this."
"Eli." Alyssa corrected Kiva. "After scaring the last one, you want one now?" Alyssa was shocked, she remembered those days when Kiva pulled pranks on her personal attendant just to make her attendant give ap and resign. "I can put some word to Barn when I meet him." Alyssa squinted her eyes. "Just make sure not to bully them." Alyssa's ribbon knot was getting better as time passes by. "What are the traits you prefer?"
"No, No," Kiva sook her hands in the air. "I just wished one, not really wanting to have one."
Alyssa wondered what was the difference in that.
"Besides, Ziloh does not have one, I won't lose to him. I can attend to myself too." Kiva nodded to herself, convincing herself rather than Alyssa.
"Is you say so, but if you ever change your mind you can tell me anytime."
The three of them worked silently after that. The work was still fun for Alyssa, she would display the fruits property. She tried arranging them by colors, by shape, and the other ones she tried making a face. But after doing it repetitively, and as her back had somehow curved permanently, she began wanting all of these be over with as the pile of fruits does not seem to go down. In the end, she just decided to throw and shove the fruits in the basket messily.
"Finally!" Kiva announced as she finished the last basket to be filled. "Done!" she raised both of her hand in the air as a sign of victory. "Done!" She gave a high five to Ali. "Done!" Then to Eli.
They had no idea of the time as the sky cannot be seen from the food storage.
Alyssa stood up, stretching her arms, and arching her back to release the stiffness on her muscles.
Eli was the one who filled the most basket amongst the three of them despite joining an hour later--- the most organized too.
Alyssa grabbed a basket--- the most filled one. "Here." Alyssa shoved a basket to Eli. "As your payment."
"But…" Eli was about to refuse that these were for the townspeople.
"Take it, it's getting heavy." Alyssa's hand was beginning to sway lower. "Give it to Maya or something if you don't want it." she looked sideways.
"Thank you, princess. Lady Kiva."
"No problem!" Kiva reached up and patted Eli's shoulder. "Serve Ali well and you Oli, will be greatly rewarded. Not just by me, but also by the queen herself."
Alyssa and Eli were traveling back to the room--- Kiva was left alone to prepare for the town visit. Alyssa was stretching her hands, easing her sore muscles "It's already this late?" she did not notice the time want by this fast. Alyssa noticed Eli was carrying the basket on his side. "You know you can ask for one if you want more…"
Eli did not respond.
"Fruits, desserts, or whatever…" Alyssa continued on walking. "You can ask for them to me."
Eli stopped walking as he stared at the back of Alyssa.
"You can have all the foods in the palace. You might get killed someday, but you'll never starve." Alyssa meant what she said, she wanted Eli to have a taste of various foods especially with a chance of him dying once she tells their secret to her mother—once she cleared her mother's name.
Alyssa turned around and smiled. "We royals are hospitable with our visitors." She continued walking. "Feeding you is the least I could do before killing you."
Eli knew the princess way of hiding her embarrassment by making a joke. He followed closely behind, he was salivating earlier, wanting to have a bite. The princess noticed it and gave him a basket.
Alyssa meant what she said, she was not joking.