A Baffling Beginning

Another short in the Prince and Jester story. New Characters!

“Ildiko, Ákos, come here a moment!” Queen Mathilde’s voice rang out across the throne room to the far wall, where two jesters sat chatting. The two snapped to attention, cart-wheeling over to the Queen and sweeping into identical bows upon arrival. “Oh, enough of your antics,” The Queen laughed, “I want to talk to you two about something.” The smaller figure, Ildiko, grinned cheekily.

“We are supposed to amuse, your majesty, I’m not sure we can be serious!” She chirped. Her brother whacked her upside the head.

“Be good, sis, mind the Queen’s orders.” He growled, but his eyes sparkled with laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Really though Ákos, you’re worse than I am!” Ildiko replied, rubbing her head and pouting. The Queen cleared her throat and the Fools returned their attention to her, the taller looking sheepish.

“As I was saying,” Queen Mathilde continued, “I need one of you to go on a mission for me. You two can decide between yourselves which one shall go.” The Jesters exchanged looks, mirth gone. The brother spoke first.

“You… You’re splitting us up, your Majesty…?” Ildiko slipped her hand into her brother’s. They only had each other since their parents died, and they had always hoped they could remain together.  The Queen frowned.

“I’m afraid so. I want one of you to remain here, while the other goes to comfort my friend. He just lost his father, and he could use a Jester to cheer him up. I promised you two that I’d never force you to separate from each other, but I was rather hoping you could do this for me. Besides, whichever one of you that goes is only going to be a kingdom away. He might even send you right back, I am not certain.” The siblings looked back and forth between each other and the Queen, and then nodded.

“We shall do as you command, My Queen” The elder replied, bowing smartly. Beside him, his sister curtsied.

“I shall give you two days to decide which of you is going. Choose well. You are dismissed for today.” The two bowed again and left without another word, traveling back to the servant’s quarters. Ildiko followed Ákos into his room and sat on his bed while he paced the floor.

“What’ll we do, Sis?” Ákos sighed, slipping his mask off and setting it onto a desk, looking distraught. “I don’t want us to be apart.” The man had worry lines on his face, and Ildiko wondered how long they’d been there. Surely her brother didn’t get upset that easily. He was the less serious of the two! But her brother was still pacing, brow wrinkled and frowning.

“Ákos?” His sister finally broke in after a few minutes of silence.

“Hm?”

“I’ll go.” Ákos whipped around and gaped at her.

“You’ll… what?!”  Ildiko stood.

“I’ll go on the mission. You should stay here.”

“No way, not happening, Sis. I should go, I’m the oldest. You must stay here where you’re assuredly safe.” He looked at her like she was crazy –more than usual, that is – and wrung his hands as he spoke. “I can’t just let you go off to another country!”

“You love her.” Ildiko said, without a bit of uncertainty in her voice.  Her brother turned an interesting shade of red.

“Wh-What are you talking about? I d-do not. You can prove n-nothing.” Ildiko clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“I don’t need to. You need to stay here where she is. I’ll almost eighteen; I’ll be fine, Ákos. You’re her favorite anyway.”  The smaller jester smiled sweetly and new that she’d won. Her brother was a pushover. Plus, he had a weak spot for his sister.

“I shouldn’t give in…” He sighed, tugging on his auburn hair, but his tone suggested he was about to give.

“It will all be alright Bro. Besides, it’s not like I’m going across the world, just a few days travel away.”

“Fine…” He said, sitting down on the bed with a groan. “There isn’t any winning against you. You always get your way.” Ildiko plopped down beside him.

“Yep!” She chirped, and kissed him on the cheek before hopping up and leaving the room, giving a little curtsy at the door.

“Ugh…” Ákos said after she had gone. “I hope she knows what she’s getting into.”

~Kels