" Brace yourself Kravis."
Heisen said as he inched closer to the Duke on his bed and began to tickle him. Knowing his best friend's weak spots, he attacked them maliciously. The Duke woke up in a panic as his foresight was yet again activated. Louis's eyes glowed, locking onto his friend Heisen. Heisen laughed at the Duke's face saying,
"Now you're up Louis! You scared poor man Kravis to death."
The Duke pushed Heisen off his bed and took deep breaths to regain control over his foresight. He looked at Heisen, who was lying on the floor, and Kravis, who was standing by the door, still in shock,
" I've managed, finally, to get some sleep... but now I'm being attacked by a raging baboon."
" Hey! It's not nice to call your best friend you haven't seen in years, a baboon."
They both looked at each other's expressions and busted out laughing. It wasn't the ideal situation to see a friend again, but it was still good seeing each other again. The two laughed for a bit as Kravis got closer to them now that the coast was clear.
.
.
"Great, now my younger brother and the king know you were in my bed tickling me." Louis groaned.
"Sorry, I could not stop him, sire."
"It's fine, Kravis."
"Heisen means no harm."
Louis gets out of his bed and steps over Heisen, who is still on the floor. He puts on his robe and asks Kravis to prepare his attire for the day. Heisen had promised to take the Duke out around the capital whenever he returned home. When he finished dressing, Duke Louis ventured out with Heisen to spend the day in the capital.
The capital was still lively as ever, with more businesses and shops than he could remember from the last time. The Duke noticed that there were a lot more women out shopping than when he first arrived back in the capital as well. All the women of nobility were shopping for the bridal selection.
" How does it feel being back in the capital, Louis?"
" It feels so surreal, Heisen. As if the place stuck in memory no longer exists."
" Well, it has been 10 years since you left ."
Heisen pat Louis's back hard enough to lunge him forward on his horse. Louis notices many things have changed when he was gone, except his friendship with his childhood friend, Heisen. At age 17, Louis was sent to the front lines by the king after a dispute with the queen went deadly. Louis was sentenced to military training as punishment but under the guise of taking on military training as a noble to protect his public image.
Pulled in by the aroma of sweet toasted bread and braised brisket, Louis and Heisen had to stop their horses to get something to eat. They park their horses at a horse stand near the eatery. The hostess greeted the two and guided them to a table. Because the market street was busy, the restaurant was packed with many shoppers. Some of the shoppers even caught Heisen's wandering eye,
"Louis, you're lucky to be getting engaged. By the looks of it, it won't be too bad."
"I feel suffocated near women that bathe themselves with heavy perfume wearing fake faces and fake facades."
"But Louis, if you successfully get married to the one that the queen picks, you could become the next in line to the throne!"
Heisen looked around to ensure no one heard him and kept his head down. Louis sarcastically laughs and says,
" The queen would rather have my head than me being the next crowned king." Louis continues
" Any woman she brings, will be an enemy of mine, or a woman that will follow the fate of my mother, the late queen." Louis sighs..
"Sighs..."
Heisen also sighs, remembering the late queen, a graceful queen who passed when Louis was only 5 years old. The hostess who sat them also sits a group of women behind them. She returned to Louis and Heisen's table with her notepad ready for their order. The hostess asks,
"What can I get you fine gentlemen."
" Can we get two beers with the honey-toasted bread and braised briskets?" Heisen ordered, smirking at the hostess.
As the hostess was taking their order, Louis and Heisen overheard a group of women that was seated behind them,
Woman 1: " Have you heard that the royal family announced a public arranged marriage??"
Woman 2:" Yes! The bridal selection?
Woman 3:" Oh, I would die to marry Duke Henry; he's so handsome."
Woman 1:" Wait... Duke Louis was banished, right?"
Woman 3:" That's only a rumor. Supposedly it was military training but who knows…"
Woman 3:" He can't be king; he's been gone for too long. Duke Henry being king is a sure thing."
Heisen looked at Louis and shrugged. He looked back at the hostess;
" Make that two beers each... It's going to be a long day."
The hostess finished writing down their order and poured them peanuts to eat as they waited. The group of women behind the dukes were relentless gossipers;
Woman 2:" The only downside to marrying Henry is you'll have a mother-in-law."
Woman 3:" Well.. not if you marry Duke Louis..." one of the women cackled.
The other girls were so shocked by her words that they couldn't say anything else but laughed. Stunned by the crude joke, one of the women shouted the girl's name. Heisen stood up as Louis's jaw clenched tightly shut. Hearing the women mock not only his status as a Grand Duke but also the late queen had upset him greatly.
The waitress comes back with their beers but sees the two standing. To stop them, she says,
" Leaving already handsome?"
" No... it's just embarrassingly loud here. Like flies that won't stop buzzing in your ear." Heisen snaps.
" Heisen, pay the hostess for our meal. I'll wait outside."
" Okay Louis, I'll see you in a bit."
The girls looked back at Louis's table as they heard Heisen's comments. Their faces turned red, colored with embarrassment, as the grand duke left. They turned back and continued talking amongst themselves. As Heisen was about to pay for their tab, the hostess shook her head, denying the payment. She slams the beers down on the table where the women sat.
Hostess : " Don't mind them."
Hostess : " These lovely and honorable ladies decided to pick up your tab, gentlemen."
" Please be sure to stop by our humble establishment again."
Heisen smiled, bowed slightly to give his thanks, and followed the Duke. Surely their day couldn't get more hectic...or so they thought.
.
.
******************************
"Huff.."
"Huff.. gasping for air."
Emerie and Marlene were clinging to each other from exhaustion. They have been trying to find a dress shop that would accept them, but their efforts were to no avail. Out of fifty dress shops, the two had failed to find a shop. They took a break from walking as they needed to overcome the exhaustion they faced. Marlene, who was out of breath and agitated,
" M'lady, All these... shops but.. none of them.. want to help us. This is Illegal!!"
" It's obvious they're showing clear favoritism now since all the higher nobility need to shop."
"Marlene, let's just take a break here before we head home."
Emerie sat down on a nearby bench to bask in the cool breeze that blew the sweet aroma of bread and braised brisket. Emerie took notice of a boy looking around the horse posts. His pants were covered in dirt, with a shirt that was tattered and covered with holes. He begins to check each saddle bag for money. Finally reaching Duke Louis's saddle bag, he felt coins. Excited to find something, the young boy pulled the coins from the saddlebag. Before he can get away with the money he stole, Emerie goes to the boy and stops him by holding his hand that held the money.
"You shouldn't steal from others. Come put it back."
" Please don't report me. I need money for me and my sister to eat." The boy begs.
"It's not right to steal... But it is okay to ask for help when you need it. Emerie continues,
"Here, give me the money and take this."
Emerie pulls out her purse and shows the young boy some money. The young boy exchanged the money he had stolen for the money she was willing to give him. Emerie smiles,
" Promise you won't do this again."
" I promise nice lady."
The boy put the money in his pocket and dashed away as quickly as possible. In the direction the boy was running to, was a little girl hiding behind a wagon cart. The little girl smiled at Emerie, then reached for her brother's hand as they ran away together. Marlane, looking at the kids and says
" Usually children don't need to steal.. the soup kitchens will always give them food."
" Maybe with the war, it's even harder for them to get what they need." Emerie rebutted.
" hmm, maybe.." Marlene slightly agreeing.
Emerie pulled the Duke's satchel out of his saddle bag so she could put the money away. She put the satchel back into the saddle bag but was stopped. With her hand on the bag, she felt an overwhelming crushing sensation on her wrist that almost brought her to her knees. She turned to see who was behind her, but a blare of sunlight blocked her vision. Pulling Emerie's wrist higher into the air,
"Pretty bold of you to steal from a horse that's not yours."
" Too bad, there's nothing of value in there."
Duke Louis steps closer, blocking the sunlight as he towers over Emerie. The light that illuminated her dark brown eyes and light brown hair left, leaving only the Duke's presence. Emerie used her other hand to try and free herself from the grip of Louis's hands.
"Please let go, this is all a misunder-"
" I will be reporting you to the knights and let them deal with you thief."
" Your greed knows no bounds for someone dressed better than most."
Marlane, seeing her lady tied up by the Duke, jumps into action. She starts hanging from the Duke's arm, hoping to free Emerie.
" Please let my lady go; she means no harm."
Marlene starts to cry hysterically as she tries her best to free Emerie from the Duke's grasp.
.
.
" Please!!!" Marlene cries...