Splash Of Reality

Chapter 2

- Peter -

~⚜~

"Oh!" I inhaled sharply.

I'd finally been able to escape my father and his band of haughty diplomats and had planned to get myself something to drink. The plum punch had been the best I could find. It was sweet but not too sweet. The perfect blend.

But as I had been walking back, something had run into my front, causing my cup to tip and spill all its contents onto my front. The purple drink splattered across the white fabric. I didn't bother trying to wipe it off, I knew the damage had been done.

Father was going to kill me.

I looked up at whoever had knocked into me. A girl, probably only a year or so younger than me, was staring at the stain mark. But her face was neither horrified nor embarrassed. More just annoyed. She was dressed in a very uncomfortable looking dress, only the skirt was a little dirty at the edges and there was a large scuff mark on her left shoe.

My gaze began at her feet and slowly raised up to her face.

The girl had light reddish-brown hair that had been tied up to look like a stream of copper flowing down her back. Her eyes glowed amber which complimented her warm skin tone. She was smaller than me by a few inches and had a very sleek figure.

She held herself in a very undainty fashion and leaned to one side as she inspected my stain.

"That's not gonna come out easy." She said. As she spoke her eyes drifted down to the two sticks of fairy floss that'd slipped from her hand and had landed on the floor.

I stared back down at my now purple front. Her reaction wasn't quite what I had expected, and I stood there waiting patiently for an apology. But it never came. But I didn't push for one.

"You can tell your maids to try putting some vinegar on that." She suggested, pointing to my stain whilst holding a large stick of fairy floss.

"Oh, thanks." I rubbed at it uselessly with my sleeve. When I looked up again she was staring at me. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. It was like she was expecting some huge reaction from me. Did she think I was going to yell at her or break down crying? She seemed to be silently daring me to with her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Me?" She replied, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.

"Yeah. You look... bothered."

Hey eyebrow twitched upwards for the hint of second and she continued leaning to one side, her hand on her hip. "It's not your business whether something's bothering me or not."

I wondered if she would ever talk to my father like that. Something told she would.

I could've stood up for myself. I could've put her in her place. It's what my father would have wanted. But I didn't. Instead I stumbled over an apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. And I'm sorry for running into you, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Clearly." She grumbled, crossing her arms. There was pause where neither of us moved or said thing. Her eyes were boring into mine, again expecting something from me. "Well?"

"Huh?"

She was weirdly flicking down to her feet continuously. My head cocked in confusion, then I finally followed her gaze to the two sticks of fairy floss lying on the ground. "Oh... sorry."

A fed-up frown was all I got in return. The girl skidded around on her heel, apparently having had enough of me, and walked back off towards the arena. "Hey, wait!" I called out. "Let me buy you another."

She froze and I walked up to the fairy floss stand. "Two please." I mumbled and later carried the newly spun festival treats over to the girl. "I am sorry." I repeated earnestly.

She hesitated, looking at the fairy floss' as if deciding whether or not she should take them. Eventually, she did and held them in one hand. "Thanks." The word slipped from her lips so quickly it might not have even been said.

"It's impressive isn't it?" I motioned to the fairy with my thumb. "Who knew magic could be used like that."

Finally, a smile appeared on her lips. Although it was more mockingly amused than sweet. "It's not magic."

"It's not?"

"No. Fairies naturally produce this stuff." She ripped off a piece of the fairy floss and popped it in her mouth. "Didn't you know that?"

I shook my head, tucking both hands into the pockets of my pants. "No."

"Would have thought you'd have figured that out for yourself. You do know magic is illegal, right?" Her eyebrow raised and I felt a strange pit in my stomach.

"Yes, of course I know that." I replied, trying to regain some evidence that I was not as idiotic as she believed I was. "But not unless it's been permitted by the King himself, right?"

"Right."

"So, naturally I thought it had been permitted. I mean, why would you ban magic as innocent as whipping up sugar?" I could see from the way she shifted her stance that the question was also something she had pondered before. She was quiet, thinking silently.

"Well," she began very matter-of-factly. "Again, it's not magic. And if you're so curious, maybe you should ask the King yourself?"

I made a scoff. "You think that I'd actually get a chance to talk to his majesty himself?" She nodded certainly. "What makes you think that? Because I'm the Lord's son?"

"No, because you're drop dead gorgeous." She laughed loudly and that weird pit feeling returned. "Of course because you're the Lord's son!"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I have never once seen the King in my life."

"Has your daddy?"

"No."

"Huh." She looked somewhat surprised. "Well, guess even lords aren't high enough on the hierarchy to see his majesty."

"Guess not. I'm Peter by the way. Peter Evans."

She tentatively shook my extended hand. "I know. Poppy won't shut up about you. I'm Harper."

"You got a last name, Harper?"

"Nope." She slipped her hand back to her side and little quickly. "Don't have or need one."

"You're an orphan." I said, putting the pieces together.

She smirked a little and her stance easing up. "Congratulations detective, you cracked the case. Yeah, I'm an orphan."

"Oh. What's that like?" I tried saying, being careful not to offend her again. She opened her mouth slightly to reply but another voice cut her off. The voice had come from behind me, by the entrance to the arena. "Harper! There you are. You were taking forever so we thought we'd come check on you. Peter's practically disappeared from the arena-"

I turned around and the two girls stopped dead in their tracks, both gawking at me silently. I heard a hint of a giggle escape Harper's lips. "Peter these are my... roommates, Poppy and Jade." She introduced. "Poppy, Jade... Well, you know who this is."

"Y-y-you're..." Poppy's mouth was open so wide it looked like a giant black hole in the centre of her face.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Peter I- Oh my good goddess!" She'd noticed the stain on my suit. "What on earth happened?"

"Oh that?" I looked down at it and was reminded of the conversation I would be having with my father. "Yeah, that was an accident. Wasn't looking where I was going." I stole a glance at Harper and blinked when I saw her smiling casually up at me.

"Come on Pops." She took her friend's hand. "We'd better go. I got us something to eat and I'm sure his lordness needs to return to his fellow diplomates." All three girls strode back to the arena. Poppy and Jade were still watching me over their shoulders. But I found myself wishing that Harper would also glance back. But she didn't.

Soon they'd all disappeared into the crowd.