"Rachel, we can't do this! It's too much! Too—"
"Too much what, Mariella?" her colleague snorted, crossing her arms and turning away from her. She thought her friend had gone crazy out of nowhere; why else would she want to spy on the queen and princess?
"We can't infiltrate! It's forbidden!"
"It's only the dining room, why would it be forbidden? We can make up an excuse, ask someone to give us their shift..."
"Why do you insist? Ask the princess, if you're so curious!" Mariella sighed when Rachel looked at her, confused: they never understood each other about this kind of thing. "I always ask the princess, but Snow White prefers to remain silent about her beloved queen."
"Sh! Are you crazy? What if someone hears you talking like this? Rachel, you're overstepping your bounds!"
"Excuse me..." The two women jumped, surprised by the presence of a third person in the corridor leading to the dining room. The young man who had spoken smiled sheepishly and quickly stepped aside, carrying a tray with a red velvet veil on it. The two maids stared at the boy's figure as he quickly advanced toward the dining room: "What do you think he was carrying?"
"Oh dear..." Mariella raised a hand to her forehead. Rachel giggled a little.
Meanwhile, in the room where the lunch was being held, numerous guests were gathered at the long table, having been brought to the castle by order of the queen. Princess Snow White was smiling as usual, her eyes sparkling with amusement, and her cheeks were slightly red, probably not from the wine. Indeed, at that exact moment, she found herself faced with a scene she had never seen before: the dwarves, her beloved saviors, were devouring the entire banquet, oblivious to the confusion and mess they were creating on the long table or to the presence of the Queen of Arran, who was watching them with a smile on her lips and an incredulous look.
Some servants had attempted to restore order, clearing away plates and food that threatened to fly to the floor, but it was useless; the little men were eating at a frenetic pace. At a certain point, Grimilde spoke, interrupting the group, and the princess returned her full attention to her beloved queen: "I am truly happy to see you enjoy the food you have been served, but please, breathe a little." The woman laughed, eliciting smiles even from the tense servants and the stiff-necked guards near the entrance to the hall.
The dwarves then slowed their pace, and Doc, the only one who seemed less chaotic in his eating, restored some order to his company: "Your Majesty is right! With these savage ways, you won't win anyone over..."
"To tell the truth, Doc, I think a person should be loved for who they are." The girl glanced at the queen, who, noticing the seductive gaze, hid her embarrassment by taking a sip from her goblet. "The princess is truly wise..." Doc smiled with satisfaction, and at that point Grumpy grunted something, gulping down some of the soup. Bashful glared at him and then turned to Snow White, waving. The princess returned the greeting with a broad smile, and the dwarf blushed. Sleepy looked around boredly, while Dopey was truly perky with joy at being at the castle. His energy was palpable throughout the room, which greatly annoyed Grumpy.
One of the dwarves took courage, noticing the cheerful and light-hearted atmosphere of the room, and asked the princess if she was in love with someone. Grimilde swallowed, feigning attention to her meal, while her ears were hypersensitive to the sound of the princess's voice: she wondered what she would say to the dwarf, whether she would hide her true feelings or reveal part of the truth. Grimilde knew something had blossomed between them and would never deny it.
"There is someone... but I won't reveal their name." The princess's sly smile caused the group to erupt into a confusion of whispers. Sneezy, who had asked the question, was the most thoughtful, while Bashful was sulking, and Grumpy was staring at him in disbelief. Doc tried to clear up the new confusion by changing the subject: "Did you finally find that guy?" he asked the queen in a low voice, without naming the man who had attempted to kidnap the princess.
The queen stared at him for a moment and then said faintly, "If you like, we can discuss this in my office later..."
The princess realized she hadn't even considered the possibility that the man from the forest was still wandering around, perhaps seeking revenge; this shocked her.
"Me too! I mean... Could I intrude?"
The princess's exclamation was muffled by her next words; she hadn't noticed her impetuosity regarding the conversation between the queen and Dotto, too excited to find out what had happened. Grimilde watched her with smiling eyes: the interruption didn't bother her, precisely because it came from her beloved princess. Dotto was of the same opinion, but for different reasons.
"Then we'll all meet in the royal office..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing important, Dopey, eat some more!"
And while many people were eating their meals or busy with their work, some were wandering the streets seeking entertainment, admiring the capital at night, hatching plans to disrupt its streets. Astrael finally felt alive and free to act; he was ready for a long, pleasant night. For a demon of lust, the climax of the evening would have involved partners sharing a warm bed and long hours of sex, but Astrael would have been content to flirt with and kiss beautiful women and charming men, if it weren't for one man who had decided to disrupt his plans. Truth be told, the demon might have ignored the scruffy-looking boy sitting at the bar where he was. Astrael recognized the scent of his fear: it was Aron, the man from the shelter in the woods who had been tricked by the queen and princess a few weeks earlier. How dare he show up in the capital of Arran?
Just steps away from the royal palace! Astrael smiled amusedly and decided to play with him a bit: he would enjoy the evening, whether it was sex or the gratification of the young man's terror!
~•~•~•~
What do you think will happen to Aron? ; )