[A while ago, as Oliver stood in the pitch-black closet after Fennel left.]
Oliver scratched behind his ears. The air inside the cramped little closet was making his scalp itch.
He wondered if it was safe for him to leave the confines of the tight space. He felt his body was being attacked by a variety of heavy winter clothing, which was hung up on either side of him.
The scent was familiar. It was the same scent he pinpointed on Fennel when they cuddled in bed the night before.
He grinned to himself and leaned into a heavy, woolen coat. He took a whiff and sighed.
The clothing definitely belonged to the prince.
Oliver shook his head. He needed to snap out of any weird thoughts he was having. It was an important day, and he would be required to play classic pieces from the box the Queen had gifted him as well as Fennel's song.
It was going to be a long night of performing at the ball. He wasn't sure how he would keep his composure while he watched a woman try to charm the man he had fallen for.
The bard waited a few more minutes as he tapped his fingers against the wall.
He waited too long.
He heard the voices of two females enter the bed chambers.
"We have to move all of this?" A high-pitched voice asked.
"You know the drill, Lysse," a lower-pitched voice groaned. "The king resides in a special chamber, so all the items must be moved and the entire room tidied up."
"Oh, bless the creator," Lysse sighed. "Why were we chosen to do this?"
"Shut up!" The low voice snapped. "It's not going to take long. All we have to do is load his belongings on the royal cart and leave them outside the new chambers. That stupid green-haired fool will unload them."
"Why aren't we allowed in there?" Lysse asked. "Doesn't that seem odd?"
"Tradition."
"Some of the traditions don't make sense,' Lysse said.
"You're not the judge of them," the other woman responded.
Oliver raised a brow. He hadn't realized Fennel would be switching rooms. He also wondered what the chatter about the maids now being allowed inside the room was about.
"Why are only the queen and personal guard allowed in the room?" Lysee asked. "Like, what is the rationale behind such a thing?"
"It gives the king privacy," the woman replied. "He has to have privacy for baby making."
Oliver frowned.
"I can't wait until there is a royal baby," Lysse cooed. "It'll be so adorable to have a prince or princess roaming the castle."
"Yes, I remember when Fennel was small," the other woman reminisced. "It's a shame no other children were born from Queen Anise."
"I wonder if our new king will have a lot of children?" Lysse hummed.
"He's young, so probably," the older woman laughed. "Young men have a lot of stamina."
"Oh my."
"He's probably going to be on the woman he chooses tonight like a rabbit in heat," the woman chuckled.
"Oh, dear," Lysse giggled. "Prince Fennel has such a pretty face. I bet any woman would love to be in his arms."
Oliver cursed under his breath. His tail flicked with displeasure at the conversation topic his ears were forced to listen to. He felt his tail thump against the wall.
"Did you hear something?" Lysse asked.
"Hear what?" The other woman asked. "It's probably just a mouse. We need to set up traps. It's been a problem lately."
"Gross," Lysse groaned. "I hope it wasn't a mouse. I hope there isn't mouse scat all over the closet."
Oliver froze. He wondered if they were going to open the closet. That would make it his lucky day.
He heard a few thuds. He imagined the maids had loaded some heavy items onto the wheeled cart.
"What else?" Lysse asked.
"The closet?"
"Yes."
He heard footsteps approaching. His forehead began to sweat. Those women were really going to open the closet door?
"Woooooo, booooooo," Oliver attempted to moan, the best impression of a ghost he could muster up.
"Eek!" Lysse shrieked.
"What the hell?" The older woman asked.
"There's a ghost. Let's leave the closet alone."
"No," the woman sighed. "We must clean it out as well."
"But there are rats and ghosts inside."
"There are not. Ghosts aren't real."
"Says you."
"Hisssssssssss," Oliver imitated a snake. "Hisssssssssss!"
"S-s-s–snake!" Lysse stammered.
"You're imagining things," the lower voice responded.
"I am not."
Oliver's attempts were futile, but he was having a little fun messing with the young maid.
The door flung open.
Oliver's eyes widened, and he began to feel his palms sweat.
He had been caught.
"AHHHHHH!" Lysee screamed and jumped backwards.
"Hello, darling," Oliver cooed.
The older maid frowned.
"Why are you hiding in Prince Fennel's coat closet?" The woman asked.
"Well, I was just enjoying a moment of inspiration," Oliver replied, stepping out as casually as he could manage. "Inspiration struck me when I saw the lovely design of the interior."
"It's just a closet!" Lysse gasped. "It's like the closet in your room!"
"Oh, is it?" Oliver asked while he looked at the young maid with a smile. "I hadn't opened the closet before."
"Whatever," the older woman groaned. "I will have to inform our new king that we found you here."
Oliver smirked. "That's fine."
"Get out," The woman made shooing motions with her hands.
Oliver nodded, then left the room.
"That went over better than expected," he muttered to himself.
As Oliver ventured back to his own room, he noticed a lot of new faces in the halls. He knew it was getting closer to time for the coronation. The time spent in the closet was longer than he would have liked. He knew the court would be disappointed if he was late for the occasion.
After he entered the room, he dressed in a hurry. He wore a long, white, and yellow tunic. It was the nicest one he had, so he figured he should dress for the occasion.
He had yet to memorize the notes for all the pieces in the royal collection, so he picked out a few of them to play at the ball.
He ran his fingers through his hair. It was probably still messy, but it was the best he could accomplish in such a short timeframe. He hoped he wouldn't look like a complete slob during such a grand event.
Oliver sighed. He felt a little out of place still. The only royals he felt at ease with were Fennel and Anise. The rest of the people in the palace were still unfamiliar to him. In time, he was confident he would get used to nobles, but in his current mindset, he still felt like a peasant man from the southern slums and the son of a whole.
Such an upbringing would be looked down upon by those in the royal circle if it were found out.
He grabbed his lute and made his way out of the room. As he walked toward the throne room, he saw a familiar face.
"Hello," the blonde man said, greeting him with a dashing smile.
"Sir," the bard bowed, then raised his head.
"You are the new court bard, correct?" He asked. "I've heard of your talents from Queen Anise. I'm her brother, Duke Louis."
Oliver rememberd the face. It was the noble who made an appearance at breakfast a few days before.
"Yes," Oliver confirmed as his ears stood straight up. "My name is Oliver Lesse. It's a pleasure to finally introduce myself."
"The pleasure is mine," the Duke said. "I am looking forward to hearing you play at the ball."
"I hope my abilities live up to your expectations," Oliver said to the Duke.
"I'm sure they will," Louis smiled. "Would you like to accompany me to the throne room? The coronation will begin at any moment now. We wouldn't want to miss this event."
"Certainly."
The two walked side-by-side.
Oliver had a good feeling about the Duke. He had a warm aura and didn't give off any negative vibes.
"I'm very proud of my nephew," Louis said as they rounded the corner. "He has big shoes to fill, but he is an intelligent young man. How do you feel?"
"He's amazing," Oliver replied enthusiastically.
"I like your confidence in him," Louis chuckled, amused by the reaction. "I hope everyone shares the sentiment."
When they finally made it to the throne room, Oliver was amazed by the crowd that had formed. He had no idea there were so many nobles. He wondered if there were some visiting from far-off kingdoms.
Surely that was the case—who wouldn't want to marry Fennel?
His heart sank. His silver ears folded.
"I'm happy with the support for him today," Louis smiled.
Oliver nodded in agreement. His eyes looked to the front of the room. There stood the current queen, Anise, and the soon-to-be king, Fennel.
Queen Anise held an extravagant crown, covered in various emerald, ruby, sapphire, and diamond jewels.
Oliver realized Fennel really was about to be crowned king, and their world would become even further removed.