Chp 5 - Prelude to Tragedy
Earth/Europe/Bertotia Kingdom/05_09_2020 (a few days after Ivan escaped):
(Ivan): Ohhh I see, so you saw some food through the window and decided to steal it because you had no way of making money…I was wondering why you would do something as stupid as run around willy-nilly in an Arachnophobe’s house…
Looking around, from the tattered corrugated iron roof, to the dirt floor and wooden-plank walls, Andresia lets a small sigh escape her mouth.
(POV Andresia): So, after all that, we’re resorting to squatting, huh? Although, I don't exactly think anybody's going to miss this place…
(Ivan): But didn’t you say you had some companions? What happened to them?
Ivan wraps a t-shirt around his hand and grabs the pan, pulling it off the fire and putting it down in a corner of the room, to clean later. He stamps out the fire with the sole of his shoe.1The food is being cooked indoors as both Ivan and Andresia are on the run, so they are attempting to minimise the time they spend outside
(Andresia): I’m not entirely sure myself…I remember when I woke up, I was being carried by one of the Royal Knights, however, I couldn’t move, it was like I was paralysed. After about 20 minutes of being carried, I could hear shouting in the distance, obviously the Knight could too as he panicked, putting me down somewhere off the track we were following. Hidden in some kind of berry bush, I heard him and the other princess run off before a large group of armed soldiers turned up. Fortunately, I wasn’t found, but I’m guessing they weren’t as lucky…
Grabbing her legs and tucking herself into a ball, Andresia nestles her head into her own legs. Seeing that there is little he can do to cheer her up; Ivan simply pats her on the shoulder and prepares to leave.
(Ivan): Using the money we got from clearing out that nest of Spiderlings the other day, I’ll be able to get some more soup ingredients and a few big containers of water. I’ll go grab them now, but once I get back, we’ll head over to the Union2Union for Arachnophobes and Affiliated Occupations, they connect people with Arachnophobes, updating the board at their entrance with new requests, they also protect the rights of Arachnophobes to look for another job. By the way… Thanks for removing my collar, it really helps with stuff like this…
Andresia looks up at the blushing Ivan and giggles, nodding in agreement. Standing up and nodding to signal his imminent exit, Ivan leaves the shack, attempting to close the door behind him. Perhaps due to the fact that the door is an old one, it slams shut behind him, knocking over a lamp, which is now lying in front of the door.
(Ivan, from the other side of the door): W-whoops. Sorry!
Andresia giggles once again before beginning to ponder to herself.
Earth/Europe/Bertotia Kingdom/same time
(2nd Lieutenant Harvey): Lieutenant, sir, are you sure this is the right way, if you don’t mind me asking, sir?
The Lieutenant jumps at the words of his junior. Turning to face the younger man, he hesitates before trying to look as responsible as possible.
(Lieutenant Couture): A-are you saying that you doubt my ability to navigate, 2nd Lieutenant?!
(Harvey): N-no sir, not at all! It’s…i-it’s just that we’ve passed this house 3 times now sir, and from what we heard from the women at the bakery, this is the wrong direction…
Freezing up once again, Lieutenant Couture’s face tries to decide if it should go pale or bright red. Suddenly, he has a brilliant stroke of genius. Breaking into an imposing smile, he turns to the rest of his squad, addressing them.
(Couture): As 2nd Lieutenant Harvey has expressed how eager he is to prove himself in this squad, he will be placed in charge of all navigational responsibilities henceforth!
(Rest of the Squad): *Notable sighs of relief*
(POV Rest of the Squad): I feel sorry for Harvey, but at least the Lieutenant isn’t navigating anymore
All eyes flicker over to Harvey, offering their condolences. He feels dread unlike any he has felt before. His goal in life is to live easy, the only reason he pointed out they were going the wrong way in the first place was so he wouldn’t get shouted at by their superiors for being late. Unfortunately, he had inadvertently forced a metric tonne of work upon himself. Please consider taking a moment of silence for a poor, overworked soldier. RIP, 2nd Lieutenant Harvey.
(Couture): Roberts and Milner, you two go on ahead as scouts according to the 2nd Lieutenant’s directions. The rest of you, prepare to depart!
At the Forough Street Market in the Capital of the Bertotia Kingdom/~10 minutes later:
(POV Ivan): I mean, I feel sorry for her and all, losing your home and family all in one day must be pretty traumatic…But it doesn’t excuse the fact that she’s completely useless at everything!!! Other than Weaving, that is...
Upon escaping from Andrew Briggin’s house, Ivan and Andresia found an abandoned shack to stay in, cleared a request from the Union and used the money they earned to support themselves for a few days…Or rather, Ivan did. Andresia, being a former noble, has no idea how society functions for commoners. Aside from helping exterminate some Spiderlings on the Union’s request, she has not helped in any capacity.
(POV Ivan): I swear, she’s just so useless, I should just abando~
(Random person #1): Hey, did you know they’ve deployed some soldiers towards the West of the capital? Apparently, there’s some runaway princess living there.
(Random person #2): What’re you talking about, the western region is practically a ghost town, why would there be a prince~
Blood begins to pump around Ivan’s body too fast for him to regulate. He starts to feel dizzy and his vision begins to blur slightly at the sides.
(POV Ivan): Woah, holy shit Ivan, calm down, Jesus Louisus3a more intense version of the phrase "Jeez Louise". Just think, be calm. If it’s been made public knowledge that they’ve been deployed, the soldiers likely don’t know the exact whereabouts. They’re spreading a rumour and then listening to people’s responses to gather information. Therefore, they might not have reached her yet, so if I leave now, there’s a good chance I can get her out of there.
Grabbing the bottles of water, throwing money at the clerk and thanking them for the water all in one motion, he prepares to sprint away in order to save his useless new roommate.
(POV Ivan): Let’s just pray I make it in time…
Veg of the Chapter: Mushrooms
Fact: While they may be gross and slimy, they are thought to have some pretty decent health benefits. For example: They contain useful anti-inflammatory agents, they exhibit anti-oxidising properties. (Even if they're horrible)