Outside the Gate

The day continued with a feast. Fruits, vegetables, pork meat, chicken thigh, lamb, beef, bread, honey, butter, juice for the kids, and wine for the adults. Deem it edible, and it's on the table waiting to be devoured. The jester provided the entertainment, and the orchestra filled the castle with lively music. Nicolas and Alisa had never had this much fun before; they are happy with each other's company, but having lots of new friends is a different level of fun for them.

"Glad to see you both enjoying yourselves." Arthur still has strict surveillance on them.

"Of course, this might never happen again, so you might as well enjoy every bit, right, Nicolas?"

"But you know what is even more fun?" Nicolas held her by the shoulder as they nodded at each other. "Are you reading me?" he added.

"Going outside, of course!" They went for a high five before begging Arthur to help them. Using their birthdays as an excuse to wish for a trip outside. The poor old man only sat there, unable to give an answer when the head maid came.

"There will be no one going outside."

"Ah, thank God, someone they will listen to," Arthur sighed in relief.

"But—" the prince and Alisa said in chorus, but they are no match for Elisa.

"No buts," she firmly said. Although her tone was never an angry one, the two can't argue, not to Alisa's mom. "Why the long face? The Queen is calling you both at the royal table; come on now, chop-chop, and Alisa..." she dusted her daughter's dress and fixed her ribbon. "I know our King and Queen are used to both of you and Nicolas's fidgets but please behave. The Royal family of Algernon will be there with you."

"Yes mother"

"Yes, Mrs. Valorona."

They were greeted with the other maids as they prepared both of their seats, all eyes on them as they finally sat on their respective chairs. The Royal family was seated on opposite sides of the table. Both the kings are happily pouring themselves another glass of wine while the Queens were sharing various stories that Nicolas does not care about.

"Here they are," Natalia presented both of them. "This is Nicolas, my mischievous son, and beside him is the daughter of my friend Alisa. Come on, children, say your greetings to our visitors."

"Nice to meet you Queen Herina," Alisa started, followed with Nicolas, who did the same.

"Such polite children, anyway. Here is also my princess, Meriane; she's a bit shy, but I'm guessing you three are around the same age, so please be good to her."

Shy is an understatement. Nicolas tried to talk to her, and Alisa too offered her food and instigated a chat, but they got no reply—not even a single nod or grunt. Nicolas even thought and whispered to Alisa that the princess is either a snob or just mute, into which Alisa slapped him on the side in protest.

"At least get to meet her first before judging her," she whispered.

"Fine," the prince said, not paying much attention as he chewed down the chicken thigh.

Little did they know that Meriane was more bewildered than shy; she can't speak, not because she's afraid but because he looks at Nicolas as if he were sparkling—a perfect image, a glistening jewel that she would like to preserve. She wanted to be his friend badly but her awe is what comes first. Nicolas, on the other hand, finds it weird that the princess is not talking and just eyeing both of them from across the table. If his parents did not raise him well, he knows he must have spewed every bit of his inner monologue on how much that girl, Meriane, is creeping the hell out of him.

"Are you done, Alisa? Can't we just move on, I really want to get out and we're burning daylight," he said, putting down the sparkling clean thigh bone onto his plate.

"I was just thinking the same thing, but look—" she gestured at Arthur.

The butler is also busy indulging himself in some wine; they can say he deserved it. It is not every day that the high-grade wine from the basement cellar is available for leisure drinking. This will only be the second time he gets to drink such fine wine since his long service at the castle. He was just about to fill his glass when his little devil runts decided it's time for them to go, after politely asking the Queen to leave the colorful yet desolate dining table.

"Arthur, are you drunk?" Alisa poked him.

"No, young master, at least not yet," he cackled.

"Then you still have time to ask our parents and accompany us outside, right?" Nicolas added.

"I thought Head Maid Elisa made it clear to the both of you that there will be no one going outside, right? Tell me you can understand that. You're seven years old, and Alisa is hours away from being so. Spare this old man a minute from my butler duties, will you?" he pleaded to the two, which left both of them disappointed.

But children this age do not take rules and regulations well. If they wanted something, they would either cry as loud as they could or lay on the floor and then wiggle as if they were struck by lightning. Luckily, these mischievous mice have more shame and are better at planning an escape than kids their age.

"Well, I guess it's up to us now."

"So? What should we do, I don't want to get spanked again like last time, you know," Alisa reminded Nicolas of the last time they tried something.

It was just a week ago when they decided to run around the halls full of gigantic vases just their height. It was fun at first, sprinting and tagging each other around the castle, not until they knocked over one of those porcelain vases and its breaking sound echoed though the walls. They were lucky only to get scolded by the King, because if it's Alisa's mother, she is the type of parent who's strict on morals and disciplinary action.

"Oh, come on Alisa, it's not like we are going to be long; we'll be back before the fireworks even starts," Nicolas argued. "Now, once the guards are distracted from what I'll do, we run like hell outside, got it?"

"I don't have much faith on your plan, but I guess we can try."

And so Nicolas started to distract the guards, spewing lies as if it were as natural as breathing. "The king said you can now take a break," which the guards did not argue. Why would they? They have been standing there since morning, watching people get their fill and share of fun. With his wide, big smile, he had gestured the ok sign to Alisa and they both escaped. Arthur, on the other hand, despite being a bit wonky from all the wine, had taken a glimpse of the two slipping out of the gate.

"Those two—" he just sighed, quickly stood up, drank the remaining wine from his glass, then followed.

For Nicolas and Alisa, the outside was a wide place, a common view if you had spent your whole life inside an enclosed perimeter. Outside is where they can finally have an adventure aside from the forbidden dipping on the pond at the back of the castle, playing beside the deep well, and trampling over the tulips in the garden. They met with the other children on the bridge, and they finally felt that they were really outside.

"Can we join?" Nicolas asked while Alisa tailed him from behind.

"I don't know, can you run?" one of the children asked.

"Are mocking the prince?" Alisa retaliated upon feeling offended from the question.

"You are the Prince?" the others began crowding in.

After a bit of explanation and introduction, they are now playing tag with Hunter and the other children. Could this be life outside? Happy and free without restriction, you can do what you want and no one will forbid you from anything. That's what both of them thinks as they play until they can taste their own sweat. Not until they saw Arthur closing in from the distance.

"He's here—Alisa?"

"I know; I'm not blind."

"Guys, are you familiar with the town square?" Nicolas asked as he slowly made his way to the other end of the bridge, farther away from the castle.

"It's not that far. Do you want to go there?" Hunter presented. He must have been the leader of these children, because most of the time, he is the only one who answers.

"I would love to!" The prince felt more ecstatic. He knows he should not be doing this, but it felt good to do what's forbidden.

"I would also like to see the statues of the past Kings, the flowers, and the fountain!" Alisa added.

As soon as Arthur finally recognized them, both of them and the children were sprinting towards the town square. The sun started to say goodbye, and the streetlamps began to glow. It's a mysterious thing, but it's a simple trick. Glowing moss, abundant at the sides of the root-like river that spreads over the capitol of Gregoria, providing a picture-perfect scene for the eyes with the occasional armies of fireflies.

"Hold up, you two!" Arthur caught his breath as he too had reached the town square.

It was a square lawn, and in the middle were the statues of the past Kings except for one, Alvor Valorona, Alisa's father, a great knight who fought for Gregoria's sovereignty and safety against the invading kingdoms and, sadly, lost his life after a request of assistance from Yggdryas, the oldest city believed to have been created. Beside it, he found the two, telling tales from the past war.

"Have you met him?"

Alisa shrugged her head from Nicolas's question, "He died at the war, remember? I never got the chance to meet him. Maybe I did, I guess so, but a 2-year-old's memory is hazy. Although my mother did not forget to tell me what kind of person he is, seeing this statue was the top reason why I wanted to go out."

"Have you at least felt close to him just by seeing his statue?" Arthur settled behind them as the other children started to head back.

"I guess so."

"We can always come back, you know, if you somehow miss him," Nicolas empathized.

"You should have told me earlier that this is what you wanted to do. I could have accompanied you properly."

"We tried, but you're too drunk to reconsider, remember?" the prince said as he sat down on the grass.

"Well, your majesty, at least Alisa had some real reasons to do so, unlike someone we know."

Alisa could not help but laugh when Nicolas made the excuse "I just wanted to see my grandfathers," which Arthur did not buy, but since they are already there, they might as well take their time.

"So, did you at least enjoy your stroll outside. With this kind of stunt, I doubt you're going to get another chance at it. Well, not if I don't tell any of your parents."

"You would do that for us?" Nicolas eagerly lent his ear.

"Sure, but this will not be a fair trade if you can't give me something in return."

"You know you're posing yourself as a bad example by presenting those terms, right?" Alisa laughed.

"Well, Anton, my son, had become a fine man despite my not so good example ways as a father, so your argument is weak," Arthur replied with his own fashioned out of breathe laughter. "Isn't it time to head back soon, The King and Queen, especially, would be worried and furious if they found out about you sneaking outside without proper supervision."

"Yeah, I finally got to do what I want, and now there's nothing left but to watch the fireworks," the prince stood up.

"Uhm, Logan—" Alisa got both of their attention as the gentleman dusted the prince's clothes. "Isn't the designated area for the fireworks the empty space after the moat behind the castle?"

Arthur wondered why the girl would ask such a thing, he assured her that it really would be there and the sky would soon be filled with bright lights of joy.

"Then, what are those dark-hooded men doing?"

"What do you mean?" Nicolas wondered.

"I'm certain that there are no changes of plans for today's event," Arthur pushed, but his eyes went wide when an explosion finally occurred and obliterated one of the houses in the vicinity.

"RUN," he immediately ordered, as he recognized those cylindrical things that sparkle at the tip before it explode. It was dynamite, and as soon as they decided to run, the three of them got flung several meters away before hugging the ground.

"Alisa! Nicolas! Run!"

It was the last thing they heard from Arthur before both of their hearings were filled with the ringing sound of panic and disorientation.