Tournament Day 3 Part 7

In a damp space, barely large enough for an average adult human, two people crouched together. Their limbs had grown used to the numbing pain. The sound of a liquid periodically hitting the ground kept them awake. The few streaks of light which peaked in was the only thing saving them from an endless darkness. The warmth had long left their bodies, but they still tried to use their breath and stiff hands to generate heat for each other. 

 "I… can't… s-sorry," said the shriveled almost lifeless woman.

 "N-no, d-d-don', p-p-pple, s-so-sorry," said the equally diminished man.

They were both in a pitiful state, however, the woman was much worse. Due to her smaller body frame and the amount of time she had been in the space, she was almost completely covered in frostbite. She could barely blink and was closer to being a statue. 

 "Ti-la… Ti-la…" the man tried calling out to the woman.

There was no response after several calls. The man, barely able to move, began to panic. He tried to call out for help but his calls sounded more like the painful groan of a wounded animal. He continued making this sound for several minutes. During this time, there was still no response from Tila. It ached his heart thinking that he would not even be able to look at her for one last time. He gripped her hands with what seemed like his last bit of strength and wailed. His cries filled what little space was left.

 "Hey! Shut the hell up would ya?" yelled a man in a husky voice.

Realizing that someone was there, the man continued in hopes that they would draw closer. Soon, just as he had hoped, he heard footsteps approaching him. The only thought he now had was saving Tila. He put all he had into his cries, he couldn't afford to be quiet this time.

As he continued his cries, he was suddenly shocked silent by a loud bang above him. The few streaks of light now became much greater. The door which had kept them prisoner, made a loud bang as it swung open then hit the floor.

 "What took you so long eh? We thought we were gonna have to get another one a ya. Hey, is that one dead?" asked a young man with an insidious smile as he looked down at the couple. 

The man looked up at his captors. He was shaking, his face was transformed by a warped look of fear and hope.

The matches at the B.A.D Box had grown in intensity and the crowd was fully energized, some nobles even forgot about a 'nobles' demeanor' and cheered raucously. This scene however, was a stark contrast to the room where the King and the Generals were. 

From the moment the King had arrived, it was obvious that he was in a horrid mood. The response he gave to the greetings he received were short grumbles. He obviously didn't want to be there. All the signs of stress which he had hidden away were beginning to show themselves. The generals present didn't dare to say more than was necessary. They couldn't even cheer or comment on the matches. When they ate, they took small bites and chewed slowly with their mouths closed. If they wanted something from a server, they would either gesture to them or slowly and carefully walk over to get it. 

 "Damn it…" said the King as he threw his empty usilit wine glass to the floor. 

One server quickly retrieved the wine glass, while another served another glass of wine to the King.

 "Thank God General Blare isn't here," said one of the generals under his breath.

Speaking of General Blare, he had decided to spend the last day of the tournament 'protecting' General Willey. As General Willey had been focused on doing her duty as a judge, she had not noticed the growing number of 'fans' which had gathered in the seats close to her. She would usually meet with General Blare after each tournament day and among the things they would talk about, he would mention her 'admirers'. Knowing his temper, General Willey figured that he may have been exaggerating, and given how cute he looked when he was pouting she didn't take things too seriously.

She would soon, however, find out that she had been wrong. During an intermission, General Willey looked for General Blare but noticed that he wasn't in the room with the other generals. She then decided to search for him. After stepping down from the judges section however, she felt as though there were many eyes on her. She turned to see around thirty or more males of various ages looking at her, and in the midst of it all, General Blare and General Stacks were trying to shoo them away. While doing this, General Stacks was also trying his best to keep General Blare under control, but General Blare looked as though he was close to burning a few of the 'admirers' alive. At first General Willey looked uncomfortable with the large group of 'admirers' trying to get her attention, but as she watched General Blare and General Stacks try to deter them, she felt their care for her and couldn't help but smile. Unfortunately for her, upon seeing her smile, the 'admirers' became even more enamored, as though their fanatic batteries had been recharged. General Blare also couldn't help being mesmerized by General Willey's smile. He smiled proudly thinking that she was his and he was hers. After seeing this, General Stacks couldn't help but judge General Vaughn and look at him with a bit of disdain, like a father judging his daughter's boyfriend.

 "She's waiting for you, genius! Are you gonna stand there all day?" asked General Stacks as he slapped the back of General Blare's head.

 "Hey old man!"

 "Vaughn," called out General Willey in a voice that sounded as though it was dipped in syrup then wrapped in cotton candy.

General Blare immediately froze in place upon hearing this. The 'admirers' around him also became statues. General Blare's state didn't last forever though as he jumped over the protective barrier and in a smooth motion landed before General Willey. Before she could speak, she felt herself being lifted. General Blare had swooped her into his arms, in a perfect princess carry position. He then turned to the 'admirers' and stuck his tongue out at them, all while giving them a mocking look. General Willey didn't even seem to take notice of his actions, as she was still flustered by the fact that he had her in his arms in public. Although she had certainly accepted his feelings, she wasn't ready for such a public display so soon. General Willey couldn't find any words to say and the moment she tried to get General Vaughn's attention by raising her hand, she accidentally put it on his chest. The moment she did, her face plumped up like a ripe tomato. They were both dressed in stylish uniforms, which was a tailored jacket which had a geometric type cut/opening going across which revealed an inner shirt buttoned to the neck and tailored pants. The uniform was in the Briswold Academy's colours and had strategically placed buttons on the jacket and cuffs. These uniforms were made for them by the Briswold Academy for the tournament. The difference between this uniform and the uniform the generals usually wear for official events is that this one prioritized style and showcasing one's figure. The uniforms were made of a more expensive material but were still functional. It was so amazing that it was said to make anyone seem as though they sparkled while wearing it. The moment General Willey touched General Blare's chest, the inner shirt he wore felt almost non-existent beneath her finger tips. She couldn't take it, her mind was becoming overrun with lewd thoughts. They were not in that stage of their relationship yet! General Willey sheepishly and slowly looked up to see General Blare's expression. He met her gaze. From General Blare's point of view, General Willey looked like a kitten that was after his heart, while from General Willey's point of view, General Blare seemed to be looking at her with puppy dog eyes. General Willey's 'admirers', a group of women who would normally flock around General Blare and even General Stacks couldn't help but give the loving couple an envious look, they were definitely judging. The women especially had sour faces as they watched the scene.

Then without a word, General Blare rushed off with General Willey. The 'admirers' and the other group that were present, threw menacing looks at each other as though to say: "keep him/her away from her/him!" 

 "Don't take too long now... Oh how nice it is to be young," said Principal Snow as he watched the two leave.

While Principal Snow had not married and was rarely connected to any woman in an intimate sense, he too had a few admirers. He was in his early fifties, tall and had soft glistening white hair and a similarly white thick beard and mustache. He had a muscular build, which was usually well-hidden, broad shoulders, blue eyes and long legs. There were a few noble women who had been enamored with him since their teenage days but he had shown no interest in selecting a partner which caused many women to marry late. 

Principal Snow was soon reminded of Stefan. "I wonder if that kid will be able to move on and find someone to settle down with. Who knows, who knows…"

Although most places of business would either be packed or closed due to the tournament's festivities, there was one that was in neither situation. The owner of the popular cafe "Sweet Bloom", where the princes and Viola had first visited when exploring the kingdom, decided to close the cafe for the day in order to check and restock his inventory. He would normally attend the tournament whether to sell pastries or simply spectate the matches but since Viola and the princes' visit to his store, more often than not, they would have extremely busy days and run out of pastries and ingredients much earlier than their closing time. They had already been popular but these days the waves of people who would visit the cafe were much more than they had experienced in the past. The cafe owner didn't ask any of his staff to come in to help since he knew how exciting the matches could be and he didn't want the young ones to miss out on it. He instead asked them to have fun and make sure to watch everything so that he could hear the details from them later. He had gotten up before the birds could wake up and it was now almost noon. Due to the cafe's large windows, it was easy to see how the day changed and it also allowed for the interior to be easily seen by anyone passing by. As the streets were practically clear due to the tournament, the cafe owner moved around however he liked without a second thought. He moved his small body around gracefully as he carried containers of various ingredients such as fruits like strawberries and a variety of nuts. After packing each container, he would stop then strike a pose while praising himself for his hard work. After all, praise helped him to work harder, especially if it came from himself. As he was unloading the last bit of inventory, he started to sing a simple song, making it up as he went along. It went something like: "Can you pack the berries like me? - No, you can't because you're not me! Can you look as good as me when packing? - No, you can't because you're not me! Can you shake it as well as I can? - No, you can't not with that body! Can you -"

And just like that, the cafe owner's solo concert was interrupted by the bewildered stares of Viola and the Second Prince. As he stood there looking at them and them looking at him, the cafe owner now regretted not covering the windows.

Deep within the outer forest of the Ancillian kingdom, a group of men wearing hooded black cloaks were moving stealthily. Despite the dense forest, they were able to move about easily. At the sound of footsteps, however, they immediately hid themselves. A group of soldiers appeared who were patrolling the area. They were dressed in a simple uniform and carried bags filled with food and other necessities. As the soldiers walked, they dragged their feet and talked amongst themselves. 

 *Yawn* "How long do we have to keep walking around here?" asked one of the soldiers impertinently. He was a bit on the heavier side and smelt of alcohol.

 "It's the King's orders," responded another soldier, clearly annoyed.

 "What does it matter? *hic* We still get paid and being out here is better than that creepy *hic* dungeon anyway," said another soldier as he struggled to walk straight.

Multiple soldiers agreed with this sentiment while the one leading them seemed irritated.

*Snap*

 "Shh! Did you guys hear that?" asked the soldier leading the group.

 "Hear what?" asked one of the soldiers.

The soldier who was leading the group kept looking around but couldn't detect where the sound came from. At first, he thought it may have all been in his head but soon he heard another branch snap.

 "Something's wrong… Everyone be on guard, get ready to-"

 "Ah, shut up! You're really starting to piss me off, you know that!" shouted the soldier who smelt like alcohol. 

The soldier then went up to the soldier who was leading the group and grabbed him by the collar.

 "This isn't the time to be messing around you idiot!" shouted the other soldier as he struggled to break free.

 "I'll show you messing aroun-"

A circular ball, about the size of a bear cub, which was made of an unknown material rolled towards the soldier and landed by one of his feet.

 "What the f-"

*Boom* 

 "Aah, fuck, my eyes! What the hell just happened?!"

 "Aah, I can't see!"

The soldiers screamed in pain. The ball which had approached them exploded, revealing a scentless thick black gas which completely covered them. They had all been blinded.

 "Now!" shouted a voice.

 "Who's that? Who was that?" asked the soldier on the heavier side.

*Thud*

 "What was that? Wha-what was that? Who's there?" asked the man as he got to his knees and tried moving around on all fours.

*Thud*

 "Please, don't, don't hurt me."

*Thud*

 "Please, I, I'll do anything you want, please!"

*Thud*

 "Who is that?! What do you want?!"

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*

 "No, I can't, I can't die, please no," begged the man as he curled up in the fetal position.

 "Aw, look at tha little piggy," said a man in a cold tone.

 "Who? Who's that?"

 "Bye, bye piggy."

 "Plea-"

The gas had dissipated and the full scene was now on display. All the soldiers were dead with a clean slit to the throat. Their bodies covered the area.

 "Take care of the bodies and make sure there isn't a speck of blood on those uniforms," said the man who had initiated the attack. 

The other men then began cleaning up the scene and 'handling' the bodies. A masked man, who was not involved in what just took place, approached the one who initiated the attack.

 "Are the preparations complete?" asked the masked man.

 *Ha* "Is he sure about this?" asked the man in the hooded black cloak.

 "After all we've been through, do you even have to ask? You know how he is, if he wants it done today then it needs to be done today."

 "After all our planning… Damn it! Fine, everything will be ready."

Viola was now happily on her fifth slice of the new pastry and after she was done with each slice, the cafe owner would gleefully bring out another. Luckily the cafe owner was the type to quickly recover from any uncomfortable situation, so after hearing from Alexander that they wanted to try his new pastry, he was more than happy to oblige, especially since Viola was there. The pastry he created was in a circular shape similar to a pie and started with a chocolate cookie crust as a vessel, then a layer of chocolate fudge, then a thin layer of moist chocolate cake, then a layer of smooth and creamy chocolate and peanut butter mousse topped with small chopped peanuts, then a layer of rich chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate chips covered with chocolate syrup then a fudgy cakey brownie with a light coffee syrup glaze and dollops of lightly sweetened vanilla cream, with a glass of milk and water to complement it. It was called "A Pound of Sugar". It was decadent to say the least, but despite that Viola was going through the slices quickly. At first the cafe owner was stunned when Viola finished her second slice and wanted another but then his eyes welled up with tears of joy. He rushed his little legs to get more and more of the dessert for Viola. After leaving the sixth slice, he went back to the kitchen for more. Meanwhile, Alexander had been happily watching Viola as he had his mini strawberry shortcake. He would turn his glance away from her every now and then so it wouldn't be too obvious but it was still very much so, even the cafe owner mischievously raised his eyebrows at Alexander every now and then. Although he knew Alexander was the Second Prince, at that moment, the cafe owner noticed that he simply wanted to be treated like everyone else so he had no concerns about teasing him.

 "To think such delicious things could exist. I'll miss this when I have to leave," said Viola nonchalantly. 

The moment the words left her mouth Alexander froze in place. His fork fell to his plate and the clanging sound drew Viola's attention.

 "Is your hand tired? Would you like me to feed you?" asked Viola as she put down her dessert.

 "Oh, um, no. I'm fine. It's just… What if you stayed? Would you like to stay… with… me?" 

Their eyes met. Viola had her usual emotionless expression while Alexander looked at her with a slightly pained expression. They were sitting next to each other at their table so the distance got even smaller.

 "If my duties have been fulfilled then I must leave. I was not made to stay here," said Viola with a slightly confused expression.

Their kingdom had summoned many Blossoms before, so Viola felt that it was strange for him to ask such a question.

 "... If staying with me, forever, was a duty, would you be willing?" 

 "Of course. I have sworn to serve you."

 "Sworn to serve me, huh? I would prefer if we could serve each other." 

 Alexander, still maintaining eye contact with Viola, moved closer to her. He then moved some hair from her face and placed it behind her ear. As the tips of his fingers brushed across her face, he could feel her warmth. Alexander again grew closer to Viola. 

 "Does this…make you uncomfortable?" asked Alexander in a low voice.

 "No. I feel… warm."

The tip of Alexander's nose gently brushed against Viola's. It was the first time Viola and Alexander had been in such a situation, and while it was new, Viola did not find it unpleasant. Alexander closed his eyes, slowly approaching Viola. Viola felt his lips press against her. The place where his lips touched was heating up. What this feeling was, was all Viola could think of but soon, the distance between them slowly grew once again. Alexander seemed to have eaten something. He took his napkin and gently wiped the area that was touched.

 "Why was he wiping it?!" Viola wondered.

 "You had something here," said Alexander in a whisper-like voice as he pointed to the place above Viola's lip.

 "Oh… I see."

 "Were you thinking about something e-"

*Creak*

Alexander turned to see the cafe owner peeking his head, from behind the door of the kitchen, with his mouth and eyes wide open. The cafe owner had witnessed Alexander place his lips somewhere close to Viola's mouth then lick some crumbs and cream off. 

 "You- This- We- How long have you been watching us?!"

 "He's been there for some time."

 "Y-you knew?"

 "Of course. I knew from the moment he got there," said Viola as she took another slice of dessert from the cafe owner.

The cafe owner looked at Alexander as though to say "I can't believe you did that".

 *Ahem* "We need to leave soon. Please pack the rest to go," said Alexander.

 "Of course! I'll have that done for you right away," said the cafe owner, after which he raised his eyebrows a few times, winked and then puckered his lips a few times while looking at Alexander.

Alexander was in utter shock to say the least, this old man was really too much! But the moment he wanted to speak up, he couldn't. He heard the most melodious sound tickle his ears; Viola was laughing. No pretense, no obligations, just an unrestrained and hearty laugh.

 "Take your time, please," said Alexander to the cafe owner.

 "Of course."

As the Crown Prince was about to enter the B.A.D Box, he heard footsteps rushing towards him. As he was about to block the figure, he quickly moved his hand away. Blocking this person would only cause a bigger headache later on. 

 "William, it's been so long!" exclaimed Julie as she wrapped her arms around the Crown Prince.

 "Yes, it has," replied the Crown Prince as he carefully unlatched Julie's arms. 

Ember gracefully greeted the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince smiled in response. "It's nice to see you, Lady Dawson. How are things going with your garden?"

 "Oh my, you remembered such a thing? Well, since you asked, it's been growing wonderfully. I've had quite a few orders so far. The townsfolk near our estate can be so kind."

 "Oh, I'm sure it's more than that. You should have some bouquets of flowers delivered to the castle too. Just let me know in advance. It would be a great chance for you and the Queen to talk."

 "Oh my, I could never."

They went on and on with their conversation, while excluding Julie. They didn't speak of anything of great importance but simply spoke, as if to say they would rather speak to some people than others. The twins were upset by this but they knew they had to remain calm. Julie had expected such a response so it didn't come as a shock but still, it did pain her. Could she have acted like Ember? Of course she could have but why should she? Julie had a reason for doing things her way, she was willing to be flexible but some things had to be done. 

William stopped mid-sentence as he seemed to have noticed something in the distance. The girls turned to see what it was. The figures of two people approaching became clearer and clearer. 

 "Your Highness, who is that woman with the Second Prince?" asked Ember.

 "Oh sister, just looking at her, can't you tell that must be the Blossom. Who else could look so ethereal?" Julie interjected. 

 "Yes, that's the Blossom, her name is Viola," said the Crown Prince.

 "But shouldn't she be with y-"

The Crown Prince walked off before Ember could finish her question. Julie smirked at the sight of Ember's distorted expression and her failure at trying to hide it. Julie was actually quite excited to meet Viola. There was something about her that simply made Julie smile.

Viola and the princes talked for some time before joining the other group. Ember, who had now regained her gentle expression, wanted to know more about this Blossom. The Crown Prince introduced Viola and everyone exchanged greetings. Julie and Viola seemed to get along well from the get-go but there was an awkwardness between Viola and Ember. Viola looked at her coldly. Ember noticed this but had no choice but to remain calm. The Crown Prince was surprised by Viola's attitude towards Ember but didn't think too much about it. Since they were all going in together, the Crown Prince invited the Dawson sisters and their maids to join them where they would be watching the matches. The sisters happily accepted. They soon left to enter the B.A.D Box. As the sisters watched the trio in front, they were surprised to see how these two, once estranged brothers, seemed to be on better terms and Viola who seemed to have been the cause. They wondered just how much had changed since they'd been away.