Part I|II|III|IV|V|VI|VII|Setting|Bonus
~~~~
Orion woke up at the crack of dawn, as he did every day. He slid out of his bed, not even attempting an extra few minutes of sleep; the butler had no time for that. The blonde youth briefly checked the watch resting on his nightstand, it read 6:17 am. “Drat, overslept by 7 minutes,” Orion muttered as he slipped into his servant uniform. The transformation from a young man just stepping out of bed to a professional butler occurred in a mere 48 seconds, only 2 seconds behind his record. The young man rushed out his door and to the end of the hall to complete his morning ritual, but not before knocking at Serena’s door to ensure his close friend was awake on time.
“I’m awake,” was Serena’s reply, “see you at breakfast.”
Orion darted to the shared bathroom at the end of the hall, he was always the first awake, so there was no need to rush. However, he never wanted to risk not being the first in. Orion couldn’t stand the idea of getting even a slightly late start. The youth slipped into the bathroom and out in a flash. With his teeth brushed, face cleaned, hair combed back, and deodorant and cologne applied, Orion strode out to the servant’s dining hall.
The young man sat alone at the far side of the hall until Serena casually strode in ten minutes later. The young woman’s raven hair was still unbrushed and her uniform a bit sloppy, but Orion knew she preferred to deal with that after breakfast. The two sat in silence for their quick meal, not a word said as they scarfed down their food as fast as they politely could. Once they finished, they exchanged knowing glances and wished each other good luck for the day ahead.
Orion briefly checked his watch; it now read 6:52 am. He’d have 8 minutes to make it up to the third floor of the palace to the first princess’s room before she woke up. “No problem,” Orion smiled as he bolted through the palace halls with superhuman speed.
~--~
Orion arrived at Princess Atlanta’s bedroom door with nary a moment to spare. As he entered the room, the blonde young man took a deep breath and put on his best serious face (Lady Aphros assured him the princess loved it when he did that). The princess was already awake and waiting for him in her favorite chair, still dressed in only her overly long nightgown. She didn’t look up from her book as he walked in.
“Orion, you’re 30 seconds late,” she said flatly.
“Apologies, Princess, there’s still construction on the second floor after your sister’s escapade last week, so I had to take the long way around,” Orion explained.
“Excuses, excuses,” the princess kept her nose pressed in her book. “Brush my hair and prepare it for the day. That charming tutor is coming by this afternoon to teach me, and I must look my best.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer your maids to handle that?” Orion inquired.
“I like how you do it better,” the princess replied, her nose still pressed into her book.
“As you wish,” Orion bowed and moved to perform the task. ‘Please don’t ask me to help you get dressed. Lady Aphros nearly hung me from the rafters last time,’ the young man thought.
~--~
The princess’s breakfast came and went by peacefully. Afterward, Orion checked his watch, it was 7:44 am, which meant it was time for Atlanta’s morning stroll. The servant dutifully led his lady to the palace gardens, where they walked among its massive plants, trees, and flowers for some time.
“Orion, the time,” the princess inquired as she stopped dead in her tracks at a crossroad in the garden.
“It is 7:59 am, twelve seconds to eight,” Orion answered.
“Of course,” Atlanta sighed as she closed her eyes. “Three, two, one,” she counted down. At 8:00 am sharp, the third princess, Irene, came charging past them at full speed.
“Princess, not again!” Serena chased after the runaway royal. The two disappeared around a corner, only for a resounding crash to echo through the garden.
“Never change, sister dear,” Atlanta shook her head while Orion turned his head to see if the other two were okay. Serena came around the corner moments later, the third princess carried under her arm. The child kicked and fought playfully, as though their chase were part of some elaborate game.
“Good day, princess Atlanta,” Serena bowed her head as she walked past. The first princess eyed the two as they walked back to the way they came.
“Hmm,” Atlanta hummed.
“Is there a problem, princess?” Orion bowed.
“Take me to my morning lessons, Orion,” the princess ordered. “The fast way.”
“Are you sure that’s wise, princess?” The young man asked. “You know how upset that makes your teachers.”
“I don’t care,” Atlanta replied.
“As you wish,” Orion ceased his argument.
~--~
Orion’s watch read 8:12 am, a mere thirteen minutes before the princess’s first lesson of the day. Normally, reaching the chambers where the private lessons were held from the gardens would take at least fifteen minutes at a decent walking pace. However, the “fast way,” as the princess called it, would cut that down to about three.
The teacher waited in the comfortable chamber, a former sitting room painstakingly redecorated into a one-on-one classroom. Complete with a chalkboard, mountains of books, and a mahogany desk for the princess to sit at. The teacher drummed her fingers as she stared out the open window, wondering how late Atlanta would arrive today. That was until Orion leaped inside the window, the princess carried in his arms.
“Sorry, if I’m late, I-” The princess began as she stepped down to the ground. “Lady Herme? Where’s that charming tutor from up north?”
“And a good day to you, princess,” Lady Herme adjusted her glasses. The woman had medium-length black hair, just a few shades off from a dark navy blue. She certainly dressed the part of a teacher with her conservative attire. However, the white lab coat thrown over a nearby chair betrayed her true profession. “Apologies, but your new tutor had to take a leave of absence this morning.”
“And why is that?” The princess inquired, her eyes shifting into a glare.
“Your sister got to him first, tackled him down a flight of stairs during her last escapade,” Herme explained. “Don’t worry, he’s already recovering in the infirmary and should be back on his feet in a few days. I shall act as his substitute in the meantime, although I wouldn’t expect him to be eager to return.”
“Grrr,” the princess grumbled while Orion tried his hardest to remain stoic. Although, that was quite difficult when watching her make such an embarrassing and unladylike face.
“Now then, according to his lesson plans, you last left off at advanced calculus, is that correct?” Lady Herme pulled out a massive math textbook.
“Grrrrhhhh,” Atlanta continued to seethe. Orion could only sigh as he checked his watch again, 8:17 am, it would be a long lesson today, he could tell.
~--~
Orion found himself unconsciously rechecking his watch, it read 11:12 am, the morning lessons had run a little late. Lady Herme never skimped on the details in her teaching, much to the princess’s frustration. Now the two found themselves out on the far side of the palace, at the shooting range Atlanta frequented.
“The ten-gauge,” the princess ordered.
“Are you certain, princess? Wouldn’t you prefer something-?” Orion tried to propose.
“You’re right, the super ten-gauge then,” Atlanta declared.
“Super ten-gauge, my lady?” Orion didn’t know what she was talking about.
“The big one,” the princess explained simply.
“As-as you wish,” Orion gulped as he retrieved the so-called “super ten-gauge” shotgun from the princess’s collection of weapons. The behemoth of a gun dwarfed both of the youths. Orion wondered if the princess could even lift it, let alone shoot it. “If you don’t mind me asking, is super ten-gauge the weapon’s proper name, my princess?”
“Not exactly. It’s one of Chrona’s creations, and I didn’t bother to remember the real name,” the princess explained.
“One of General Chrona’s?” Orion shivered. “Are you sure it’s wise to fire such a thing?”
“I don’t care,” Atlanta grumbled.
“Princess, it is my duty to ensure your safety,” Orion reminded her. “I can’t in good conscious allow you to handle such a dangerous device.”
“Save it,” the princess snatched the weapon out of her butler’s hands. By some miracle, she managed to wield the oversized weapon quite well and even aim it at the nearest target.
“Princess, I must protest,” Orion tried one last time to stop her.
“Shut it.” Atlanta snapped. “Oh, and cover your ears. This is going to be loud.” Orion held his breath as the princess pulled the trigger.
~--~
Orion checked his watch again, the glass was cracked, but it still functioned fine enough. It read 12:32 pm, only thirteen minutes to the princess’s preferred lunchtime. Alas, that would have to wait a little longer. The “super ten-gauge” certainly lived up to its name, although it sounded more like a cannon than a shotgun. So much so that the entire royal guard flooded into the shooting range thinking there was an attack. Which led to their current situation.
Lady Ze scolded the princess for being so careless as to use one of Chrona’s inventions, especially inside the palace walls. Orion was certain Lady Ze was making excellent points. Alas, neither he nor Atlanta could hear a word the guard captain was saying. Being so close to the weapon firing had rendered the two temporarily (hopefully) deaf. The ringing in their ears was far louder than any yelling Ze could do.
It was not until 1:17 pm that the princess was finally given time to sit down for lunch at one of the tables by the garden. However, despite Orion presenting her with her usual favorites, Atlanta seemed to have lost her appetite. The butler thought to himself how best to approach this situation, mainly concerning the princess’s foul mood.
“Princess, shall I-?” Orion began.
“No,” Atlanta rubbed her ears. She hadn’t quite shaken off the ringing in them yet.
“But I didn’t even-” Orion tried to reply.
“No!” Atlanta snapped. “Quit trying to cheer me up.”
“As you wish,” the blonde youth sighed. ‘She always gets like this when the slightest thing goes wrong. Considering the course this day has taken recently, she’s being remarkably pleasant. Relatively speaking.’
“This has been the most unpleasant, wasteful, and stupid afternoon I’ve had in a while,” the princess grumbled. “If only something exciting would come by and reinvigorated it.”
“Princess, you know better than to say that out loud,” Orion warned.
“Of course, I do. Why do you think I’m doing it?” Atlanta shot him a wry smile.
‘Oh dear,’ Orion sighed again as he looked to the sky. “It seems you’ll get your wish, my princess.”
“Oh, what is it? A visitor from another world? Monster have invaded the garden?” The princess beamed with excitement.
“No, but I think it would be best if we moved,” Orion gently lifted the princess out of her chair.
“Why?”
“No time to talk,” Orion hoisted the princess off her feet and jumped away from their table. Mere moments later, a small hovercraft crashed into the area, leaving a crater. The backdoors were busted open from the inside, revealing Serena carrying the young princess, Irene.
“Let’s go again, let’s go again!” The third princess eagerly shouted.
“Apologies, Princess, that is a request I cannot grant,” Serena stated, the imprint of an airbag on her face.
“That’s what I get for opening my big mouth,” Atlanta sighed.
“Shall we go see if they’re alright, my princess?” Orion inquired.
“Nah, they’re fine. I’d rather be clear of here before the royal guard arrives,” the princess insisted.
“As you wish,” Orion carried the princess away.
~--~
3:03 pm, Orion found himself guiding the princess through the lower halls of the castle. Atlanta made a point to avoid her afternoon and evening classes while Orion was simply along for the ride.
4:22 pm, the two hid themselves among the massive bookshelves of the royal library. Atlanta snuck peeks at all the adult novels while Orion watched for Lady Herme or one of the librarians. The princess’s mood had improved significantly, and the butler found himself smiling at the sight.
5:47 pm, dinner fast approached, but Atlanta decided she didn’t want to explain to her mother why she skipped out on all her evening lessons. Thus, she had Orion sneak out of the palace and grab a meal from the nearest place he could find. The young man could only find a cheap burger joint that catered to the palace workers. Atlanta didn’t care, and the two ate their dinner among the palace rafters.
Orion checked his watch and the cracked face displayed 6:31 pm. The princess’s curfew was at seven. While it was more of a formality, the rule was usually only stretched when she was with someone like Lady Aphros or performing an official function. Running off with her butler to do heaven knows what was neither of those things. It was only a matter of time before someone came looking for them and shepherded the princess back to her quarters.
“Orion, thank you. Thank you for putting up with me today,” the princess stated as she stared out into empty space.
“Princess?” Orion was surprised by her sudden thanks.
“I’ll admit it, I was being a complete child this morning,” the princess admitted. “I just couldn’t stand the fact everything didn’t go exactly as I desired. I’ve grown into such a spoiled woman.”
“Princess, don’t say such things about yourself,” Orion urged.
“Well, just try and stop me then,” Atlanta laughed. “You know,” the princess sighed, “when I was Irene’s age, mother gave me far more freedom. She even let me play soldier and the like.”
“Is that the ‘pretty soldier dress-up’ her royal highness speaks of so fondly?” Orion inquired.
“Please don’t say that again. In fact, forget you ever heard her say that. Royal orders,” Atlanta grumbled.
“As you wish,” Orion smiled and bowed.
“As I was saying,” Atlanta resumed her previous thought, “mother gave me so much more freedom back then. I feel like I squandered it, not knowing what I had.”
Orion picked up on something in the princess’s mood, and a question bubbled to the surface of his mind. “Is there something you’d like to do about that, my princess?”
“Perhaps it’s time to stop playing,” Atlanta declared. “Tomorrow, I shall ask my mother for permission, and perhaps the day after, I shall begin my journey to adulthood at last.”
“Princess, what are you going to do?” Orion was bewildered.
“You’ll see,” she smiled at him. Orion felt a warm jolt through his heart. He suddenly felt so proud of his princess.
“Until then,” the princess leaped to her feet, “I wish to spend one last night as a child. And Orion, you shall be my companion. What do you say?”
“To the ends of the Earth, my princess,” Orion bowed. The two raced off into that night, burning the midnight oil till the dead of the night.
~--~
Orion groggily checked his watch. The cracked device read 2:37 am, and the butler let out a great yawn. His escapade with the princess was wonderful, but now he could only pray that Lady Aphros or the Queen would take it all in good humor. If not, he was prepared to assume the brunt of responsibility for the whole situation. Although deep down, he knew that Aphros would never let him take the fall for this.
The blonde youth turned the corner of the familiar hall where his bedroom lay. Sitting in front of his door was Serena, sitting on a borrowed chair. Orion crossed his fingers, hoping that his peer hadn’t stayed up all night waiting for him.
“And where have you been, young man?” Serena joked, although her exhaustion was apparent.
“Alas, I have not the energy nor the capacity to make a bald-faced lie,” Orion admitted. “I was with Princess Atlanta. She wished to enjoy her last day as a child before embarking on some self-ascribed goal.”
“So that’s what you were doing on the rafters,” the raven-haired girl giggled.
“Y-you know about that?” Orion was taken aback.
“Everyone knows about that,” Serena revealed. “Rumor has it you spirited the princess away tonight for a night of romance and passion.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Orion’s foggy brain didn’t have enough power to process the allegory.
“The other maids were practically tripping over themselves to deliver the news to Lady Aphros,” Serena explained.
“Oh no, she must be furious,” Orion felt a tinge of panic.
“Furious?” Serena laughed. “She was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.”
“Wha?” Orion missed the joke.
“Poor, sweet, innocent Orion,” Serena quoted. “That’s what she always says, right?”
“Wait,” Orion’s exhausted brain finally caught up with the flow of the conversation. “People didn’t think that…Serena, how could I ever do such a thing with the Princess? That would be improper, a violation of my duties, a-!”
“I get it,” Serena laughed as she stood up, grabbed her chair, and moved towards her room. “Lady Aprhos thinks you have a chance,” was the last thing Serena said before disappearing back into her room.
“Honestly, the nerve of some people,” Orion sighed. “No point in dwelling on it. I’ve got a long day tomorrow and no time to sleep.” The young man entered his room and prepared for bed. He checked his watch one last time before laying down, it read 2:49 am, only three hours of sleep at best. But Orion didn’t care, he had a job to do, and he’d do it. He’d work until he collapsed if he had to, or more likely, work until Lady Aphros scolded him into taking a break. With that last thought, he slipped into sleep. When he awoke, he’d be ready for whatever the day had in store for him. That’s just how the young man was.
~--~
The next day, Princess Atlanta enjoyed a cup of tea with her mother. She had a great deal to ask her and even more to prove. However, before the Princess could even broach the subject, her mother had a question first.
“So, Atlanta, how was your date with Orion last night?” The Queen inquired. Atlanta replied with a spit-take.
“Mother, it’s not like that,” the Princess replied. “Don’t believe those ridiculous rumors. He’s my butler and nothing more.”
‘Dammit,’ the Queen muttered under her breath. ‘And after all that work to get that blockhead of a tutor out of the way too.’
“What was that?” Atlanta asked.
“Nothing, Dear,” the Queen smiled.
~~~~
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
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