“HAAAA!” The stifled sound of Chris’ spirited cry came from the trunk.
CREAK! CRACK! SNAP! The sound of thick wood breaking filled the air as Chris burst out of the trunk with sword in hand.
“Take that! You’ll need to do better than that to wipe me off the face of the planet!” Chris declared with a mighty laugh, drawing the dumbstruck stares of everyone present.
Stealing a quick glance at the trunk he destroyed, Chris said, “Whoops!” and turned to offer Sonia words of apology while rubbing the back of his head.
“Ah...Princess, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to destroy one of your trunks,” he apologized.
“It-It’s fine... I don’t mind that...” she replied.
I don’t think that’s the problem at hand... Sonia thought to herself while fielding Chris’ endless apologies.
Shortly after the incident, several more maids resigned and left the castle. Chris sent the King a letter requesting that he recommend Clare Castle to anyone in search of employment. He made sure to stress a preference for thick-skinned folk who would think nothing of the extraordinary...
✦ ✦ ✦
“SIR Chris, are you sure you’re all right? Do you hurt anywhere?” Sonia asked.
“They’re just a few scratches. At most, I’ve got some bruises, so you don’t need to worry about me,” Chris assured her.
Seeing the wounds covering Chris grow with each passing day made Sonia’s face darken with concern. On the other hand, the knight seemed extremely cheerful, as if he were striving to show her there was no need to fret. In fact, he seemed positively radiant for some odd reason.
“It’s almost like the castle’s misfortune is being directed at you. I’m practically beside myself with worry...” It was hardly surprising for Sonia to voice such fears. The paranormal phenomena may have stopped plaguing the castle, but only because they now occurred around Chris instead.
Wherever Chris went—wherever his feet carried him—something was bound to happen. If he mounted a horse, it would suddenly spook and try to throw him off. If he took a walk in the yard, part of the wall deemed safe would come crashing down toward his head. If he lit a fire outside, a gust of wind would blow live embers toward him and catch his clothes on fire. If he walked along the garden path paved with chiseled stones, they would suddenly cave in. The incidents ranged from ones like the aforementioned that could prove fatal if not careful, to other silly little things.
For instance, if he plucked fruit from a tree in the orchard, a shower of fruit juice would rain down on him. If he walked on the grass, the grass in front of him would tie in a knot to catch on his shoe and trip him. When he ate, the ends of his knife and spoon would be bent. He was plagued by a variety of such nonfatal trickery.
If asked which was more frequent, the nonfatal pranks happened far more often.
“The majority feel like pranks played by a mischievous kid. They’re nothing serious. I’m simply integrating them into my daily training. Honestly, it’s exciting, the way he keeps thinking up new pranks to keep me on my toes,” Chris said with sparkling eyes. A sense of fulfillment emanated from his body.
So that’s what’s going on. He’s having the time of his life. His optimism was astounding. Sonia had always considered herself optimistic, but she acknowledged he had her beat with a wry smile.
“Hmm,” Chris said, “I do think it happens more often when I’m with you. Perhaps he’s jealous.”
“Jealous?” Sonia asked back, eyes wide with surprise at Chris’ opinion.
CREAK! CREAK! They heard heavy sounds as the area overhead was slowly overtaken by a shadow. When the two looked to the source of the oncoming shadow, they realized a tree was falling their way.
“What?!”
“Princess!”
Chris lifted Sonia and darted to the side. He openly laughed with glee as the deciduous tree fell to the earth with a loud boom that made the ground tremble.
“I’d say he’s embarrassed I hit the hammer on the nail!” Chris cheered. Sonia gave him a sidelong glance as he then admitted that even this was going a bit too far while rubbing his beard.
“I get the feeling the falling tree was furiously asserting, ‘Don’t get the wrong idea’...” she remarked, the tip of her lips quirking into a smile.
Is he being too optimistic...? For the first time, Sonia questioned Chris’ judgment.
“Ah!” Chris must have suddenly remembered something, for he stopped rubbing his beard and turned to face Sonia. “That’s right! There was something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about the chapel in the castle...”