Condescending Requests (unfinished)

Chapter 8: Condescending Requests 1

“Hold still Princess!” said the seamstress, pins in her mouth as she tucked a ruffle of silk up, pinning it.2

“I’m trying, but it’s really hard to stand still for so long” Demitri replied sighing. 3

“There! Done! Now go look in the crystal pool. Go see if there’s anything else I need to take up.”4

Demitri hopped off the stool, and walked to the other side of the room, where there was a small pool of prismatic water. Almost reluctantly, she looked at her reflection. She wore a sparking sky blue gown spun of spider silk, which had flowers embroidered everywhere. There were white roses across the neckline that glimmered with fresh morning dew. Crystalline dragon tears were scattered about the hem as if trying to consume the dress.  Demitri didn’t know whether to be horrified or amazed at the sugarplum dressed that adorned her white skin. The dress indeed was beautiful, but it was not Demitri Greenwood she saw in the pool. Instead she saw the soon to be Queen Green Rose, with all of her maturity and splendor. It was as if all of the memories she had from the other realm were swept away, off to a land she would never find again. In the pool, she saw her subjects fawning over her, like they did with her grandmother. She realized that she would soon have the weight of a country in her hands, now shaking and fragile.5

“Well?” asked the seamstress bustling over and looking in the pool. 6

Demitri stood silent as the seamstress looked over her shoulder.7

“My, don’t you look lovely,” she said tucking a strand of Demetri’s hair behind her ear. “Just think: in a few years you will be married, and our realm will have a King again!”8

Demitri snapped back down to earth at hearing this. “Marry?”9

“It was such a shame that young friend of yours died. What was his name? You know the two of you were betrothed? Such a shame, he was a nice young lad.”10

Demitri knew whom she spoke of: her best friend of old. His name was Toad, a scrawny little member of the Faye court, who was son of a knight. They had been friends up until the very end when she was fifteen. At fifteen, Toad had started to court her when the war broke out. His father had set off to the Great War, but died in battle. By choice to avenge his father, Toad nobly went off in his father’s place. The youngest boy in the army, he took up his father’s sword and set off. He was killed only a month later, defending the main arsenal in an enemy raid. There wasn’t a night that went by that she didn’t dream about the boy, who she thought of as her first and last love. 11

“I know. I remember,” Demitri replied sadly.12

“Yes, pity. But there is a bright side Princess. Colonel Jonquil Aster has taken quite a fancy to you. He seeks to court you, lady.”13

Demetri’s eyes widened. “Does he?”14

“Yes indeed. Fancy that. He’s a fine gentleman. Leader of his brigade, and a hero. He received the Everlasting Zinnia of honor from the late King for bravery. He’s a fine handsome as a man could ever be. A lovely match, I say. I see him out there on the green all the time trouping his army about.”15

“I must say they are incorrigible, the lot of them” said a voice from across the room. A man with jet-black hair and a sturdy oval face was leaning against the white archway of the entrance to the room. He smiled, revealing perfectly straight white teeth.16

“Oh speak of the devil himself! Princess, this is Colonel Aster.” The seamstress said as the man walked over to Demitri and took her hand.17

“Your highness” He said kissing her hand and bowing his head.18

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Colonel.” Demitri said politely. 19

“Jonquil, if you please” he said with a smile.20

“Yes of course.”21

“Now, now Colonel, what brings you to this wing of the palace?” The seamstress said, suppressing a giggle.22

“Well, the messenger boy was going to bring the lady seamstress a message from the spinner, but I met him on the way and relieved him of his task.” he said handing the note to the seamstress.23

She took it from him, muttered, and went bustling off back to her quarters. Demitri stood adjacent to the Colonel, her eyes on a tiny little bug crawling across the floor. 24

The Colonel made a coughing noise, then edged closer to her.25

“You look lovely, Princess” he said, a serious tone in his voice.26

“Thank you sir.” She said rather fast, shrugging.27

“You don’t seem very happy about your coronation, Princess”.28

“It is my duty as a future Queen to assume the role I was born to.”29

Just then, the seamstress came back, tutting to herself, and handing the Colonel a sealed envelope. They all stood silent for a moment, before the Colonel began to speak again.30

“Ah, yes, well…Princess…I have been meaning to inform you…The Queen has given me permission…to court you. I remember when you were a little girl, and your mother brought you here for the first time…I was only a lad myself at the time of course. Well, anyway, Princess…I wanted to invite you to have tea with me on the balcony tonight...perhaps I can amuse you with some of my old war memories”31

Demitri looked to the seamstress, who nodded profusely behind the Colonel’s back.32

“I accept, kind sir.” She replied, almost in a melancholy voice. 33

The colonel smiled. “Then I shall tell you all about the glorious battle of Cookshire upon our next meeting” he said.34

Demitri nodded and grinned, trying not to let her real thoughts seep through. If Finn were in her purse, Demitri knew he would have been gagging at the proposition of the meeting.35