Lance Brigham's Story

Lance walked about the forest trail, keeping an ear open for anything out of place. The castle was in sight, but he was hesitant to approach it. He didn't particularly enjoy his visits with the queen. In fact he saw her as nothing more than a woman with some sort of inferiority complex, trying to feel powerful by ordering around a bunch of men. She also had this habit that he absolutely despised; she enjoyed to touch people. Although he was positive she meant nothing sexual by it, a chill went down Lance's spine whenever he felt her icy fingers on his skin. Despite his own feelings, he obeyed. He couldn't remember a time before she came in to power. Perhaps she'd just always been in charge.

He sighed, stopping in his tracks. He wouldn't visit the queen just yet; he would pretend he was held up at work. Sighing, he sat in a patch of grass by the path. He propped his back up against a tree, shutting his eyes for a moment. He wasn't tired, he just wanted to relax before he was forced into another session with the queen.

Lance sat up in surprise as the blue sky was soon blotted out by dark clouds. These weren't rain clouds though, they were too ominous for that. He stood and looked around. Not a single thing moved. Even the wind had ceased knocking the leaves about. He took in a deep breath of air and sprinted towards the queen's castle. Whatever was happening, it couldn't be good.

As Lance approached the castle gates, he noticed the state of pandemonium arising. Servants were running in random directions, knocking into him as they passed. He made his way down the twisting hallways until the queen's security personnel advised him to report to the great hall. When he asked why, they shot icy glares in his direction. Surely he knew better than to question an order issued by the the queen herself!

Without another word, he entered the designated room, and soon found that he hadn't been the only one to receive orders. At the opposite end of the room, bound at the arms, was none other than Chris Pierce. Queen Bella had never been fond of the man, yet she kept summoning him to her palace for some strange reason. Still, Chris's company was a pleasant surprise for Lance.

"Hey there!" He called out, approaching the man. "It's about time the queen brought you back to work." Lance laughed, slapping Chris on the back and nearly knocking him over, "What, does she want you to test to see if any of the women in the castle are guilty of 'improper conduct'?" He was obviously kidding, although he wouldn't put it past the queen to do something of the sort. In fact, he'd assume that had it not been for her complete and utter dislike of Chris.

"Sadly no improper conduct here, not for the lack of trying of course. It is good to see you again my friend." Chris chuckled and was relieved that the first person he had seen was a friendly face, Lance was a fun individual and on many occasions, Chris had stumbled in to a village in which Lance was staying in, only to invite him out for a drink at the nearest inn. " You were always the one with your ear to the ground, so to speak, so please tell my why her majesty had two wonderful conversationalists, barge into the room of a very confused farmer's daughter, pull me up, clasp me in irons and the drag me through town like I was a show pony?" Chris paused to flash a smile at his friend " and only when we had ventured far enough out of town, did they throw me my clothes, I made many a maiden blush and many a man jealous that day." Chris let out a hardy laugh that bounced off of the fine stone, echoing through the hall.

"But in all seriousness, what am I doing here? The last I had heard her majesty wanted nothing more than to cut off my will to live and throw it to the sharks, now I am back in the castle and I doubt it is for my charming demeanor."

Altair Hassan

Altair walked into the grand hall as fast as his companion Dao. Upon entering the room his eyes fell on a familiar sight. Chris in chains. "Ah some things never change my friend." He smiled walking over to him and leaning down. "I thought last we spoke you said something about your girl a village tour? You cant be done so quickly, Or maybe you can I have heard rumors that your a little quick on the draw." He said with a mischievous smile. He glanced up at Lance and smiled again. "Dammit it would seem I beat you here i swear one day I will get here after you." He smiled extending his hand.

Richard Tyler

Richard ran down the hall towards Cale's lab. He always hated the smell. It smelled of burnt mushrooms and ear wax. He opened the door and saw Cale laying in his bed sipping tea. If the man ever didnt drink tea Richard had yet to see it. "Cale it is I Richard. Our queen has summoned us to the great hall something is very wrong." He pulled out letters he had drafted along the way. "And i have need for some...ingredients" He set the letters on Cale's desk. " I have drafted these for the Lords not in the castle. It wont bring them here instantly but it'll let them know of the summons, I just need some piece of them so the letters know where to home in on."

Lance chuckled. "You shouldn't put it past the queen to do such a thing, Chris." Regaining his composure, he continued. "I'm afraid I can't explain much of anything to you right now, considering the fact that I was ordered to report here and told nothing more about the situation. I'm a bit out of the loop since I missed my appointment with the queen this afternoon." He said it so casually, as if meant nothing. If a typical worker had missed an appointment, they most certainly would've lost their head.

Two figures entered the grand hall as Lance finished his sentence. He turned and smiled when he noticed their identities. It was pleasant surprise to see Dao and Altair after what seemed like an eternity. He didn't get to spend as much time with the other men due to his line of work. He watched as Altair spoke with Chris, making jokes that none of them would dare to tell if they even suspected that the queen might hear. Lance burst out into fits of laughter, unable to contain his childish personality any longer. It felt nice forget about being "refined", a trait required of every one of Queen Bella's workers. Now, he was with friends and no longer cared if anyone noticed him acting in an improper way. In fact, he would've paid to see the look on the her face when she heard of his conduct.

Then again, maybe it was just Altair's personality rubbing off on him.

He faced Altair, grabbing his outstretched arm and putting a friendly hand on his shoulder. "There's a chance of that , but then again, there's also a chance that Chris will give up his womanizing ways," He sent a playful glance in Chris's direction, "And we all know how likely it is that that'll happen."

((I am going to do boys first lol.))

Mayur Bishari

Mayur was snoring away in his private chambers. Unlike some of the other men who worked for the queen, he actually lived within the palace walls. There were rumors that the two were lovers, but the same was said about Chris Pierce too. Both were untrue rumors. Mayur did seduce a good number of ladies, but never the queen. True she was gorgeous, but something felt very off about her that made Mayur cringe at times. Still, he was loyal to her and have served her all his life. At least as far as he can remember. He was still sleeping away, not knowing all that had happened so far. Last night he didn't go to bed until after midnight, due to his mind being filled with thoughts. Suddenly though there came a loud knock that jolted Mayur awake. Grumbling, he got up and put on a robe before answering it. It was a servant, one of the many male servants.

"Good day my lord, Lord Richard Tyler has been told to tell all the queen's closest works be summoned at the great hall immediately." he said.

Mayur frowned. "This early?"

"Uh my Lord, half of the day has already been spent."

"Oh fine, I'll be there soon." grumbled Mayur before closing the door in the servant's face.

He didn't mean to take his temper on the servant, but Mayur was never much of a morning person. However, he knew he couldn't be late for the queen's wrath was great and he seen it himself. Nothing scared him more. It was a good thing he was quick at getting ready. As soon as he was done, he left his quarters and entered the main hall to see several faces already. He was curious to see why they were all being summoned. This had never happened before, as far as Mayur could recall.

"This has better be good. I haven't had any tea yet so I apologize for being cranky." he told the others.

Corwin Huntley

After the dreadful deed was done, Corwin had to take a couple minutes to himself. Unfortunately, before he could, both him and Eric were approached by Richard Tyler and told to meet in the great hall. Forcing himself to shut down his anger and regret, Corwin nodded and started for the hall. When he made it there, he saw there was already a good number of men there. Staying silent, he merely went over to a corner and leaned against it.

((I am going to wait and see how Richard Locksley is going to be contacted before I post for him hehe.))

Cale

Cale starred at the man who had barged into his room, irritation winning over common sense, he cocked his arm back and threw his tea cup, smashing it right next to the mans head, a devious smile crossed his face. "Richard my good man, I would recommend you knock the next time you enter a man's room." Cale slowly got out of his bed and with but a thought, sent the room into motion, walls shifted and the floor moved sending Richard out of earshot and behind a large bookshelf. He carefully looked through his lab until he found a pinch of horse hair, belonging to Little John, the less vexing of the two Richard's horse and tossed the vial he had placed it in, casually over the bookshelf. "Please make haste out of my lab, her majesty is waiting and it would be a shame to keep her for very long. Cale broke our into a fit of laughter as he opened the door and stood waiting for his guest to leave.

Chris

Chris laughed heartily at Altair and Lance's comments "It seems they ran out of Women and villages before I ran out of desire my friend." Chris looked down at his shackles and grumbled "Her majesty is getting wise in her later years, this time I can't move my wrists to unlock these, Altair, would you be so kind as to help a friend out, after all, what is an artist without the use of his hands?" He winked at his two friends and looked past them to see all of the other men entering the room,Dao, Corwin,Eric,Nate and even Mayur. " You two do know it has been ages since we last spoke and yet there you are huddled by yourselves instead of joining us all in a one in a lifetime event. Worry not we are not measuring manhood or speaking of deeds long forgotten, for I am sure our good master Eric would defeat us all!"

Altair

"That doesnt surprise me even in the slightest Chris.Neither would Eric winning but I'm sure I'd give him a run for his money." He walked to him and went to kneel down pulling one of Cale's hat pins from out of a pocket in his pants. The others look confused." What? I saw him use them once and decided i might have use for them. So i took it. he wont miss it he has hundreds." Altair use the pin to pick the lock and then stood slapping Chris's shoulder. "Might as well be ready for whatever the queen needs us to do eh?"

Richard

Richard looked impassively at Cale. He was very used to his theatrics by now and did not find them even slightly amusing." I will give knocking a serious thought next time you have my word." Richard reached up and then took the hair placing it on the letter he then focused his power turning the paper into a bird and then sent it flying out the window to find the other Richard. Richard then glanced at Cale and then nodded turning out. "Do make haste. I know how dreadfully late you can be and this promises to be a very important date."

Lance looked around, still listening to his friend's comments. The room was filling up quickly and he couldn't help but feel restless. What plans did the queen have for them? Surely it couldn't be so important that she'd summon Chris despite his banishment. There was a worried look in his eye, an uncommon thing for the playful young prince.

"I don't like this one bit." He muttered under his breath. "The queen has never been one to act without thinking, so what would be the point in calling us all here so suddenly?" Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young girl run past the room. He didn't recognize her as one of the servants, but decided to just ignore it for now. He had other things to think about.

Lance sighed and turned to his fellow workers, desperately trying not to over-think the situation like he always tended to do. "Somebody please tell a joke or do something to distract me." He pleaded. "I think I'm starting to go mad just standing here."

((Okay time for my boys, and that includes my own Richard. If it makes things clearer, some of the guys can call him Locksley too since he was called that in several Robin Hood movies.))

Richard Locksley

Richard was not a happy camper. He got a message return back to the castle with all haste and he had just got back home too all drenched. Still, a command was a command and he had no choice. Something must have been wrong if the queen was summoning him back this quickly. Well, there was no way he going back into the rain with his already soaked clothes, he would catch a chill for sure. He quickly changed and went to get another horse. Wanting a fresh horse, he took one of his quickest horses, Scarlet, a feisty amber coated mare. She also could ride well in any type of weather. Mounting her, he left his mansion for the palace.

Corwin Huntley, Mayur Bishari

One by one, Corwin watched as several others showed up. They were still missing Cale, both Richards, and several others. He grinned a bit at Altair and Chris's antics. Those two and Naveen were definitely three of the most 'playful' of the workers. He would have counted Richard Locksley and Cale with them, but something didn't add up right to Corwin with Richard and Cale was a bit more strange than funny. Lance was also a clown too so Corwin would include him. He decided to speak up.

"It might have something to do with the weather. I have never seen a storm come up so quickly before. It wouldn't surprise me if magics were involved here and that might be what's concerning the queen." he said.

Naveen listened to the others and agreed with Lance about distractions and listened to Corwin's comment. For once he was a bit serious himself.

"Well, I just hope that her majesty doesn't get too irritated that she decides to take her wrath on us." he said before turning to Lance.

"It's a darn shame we don't have any fair demoiselles here entertain us hehe." he added.

Dawn Trudy

Dawn looked at the dark skinned girl.

"Yes it did. I also saw something, like I was briefly someplace else. It looked like I was inside a castle and there was a couple there. They looked like a king and queen and the queen was holding a small bundle. I think it was a baby because I could hear them talking about it and the man called the baby Aurora. I know it sounds crazy, but I saw it. Did either of you see something like that?" she asked them, awe still in her voice.

Corwin Huntley and Mayur Bishari

Mayur frown at Dao. The man was too serious for his liking and never seemed to know when to have fun.

"I am just trying to keep the mood light, Dao. Do you have any suggestions to pass the time before her majesty gets here?" he asked a bit rudely.

Corwin didn't want things to get out of hand here, so he spoke up.

"Mayur, there's no need to act that way, and Dao, I don't think Mayur meant any harm in what he was saying about the fairer sex." he replied.

Lance rolled his eyes when his friends began to argue. Rather than trying to intervene, he just sat down on the cold tile floor. Upon seeing the confused expressions on the faces of his companions, he sighed. Looking up at them, he replied, "I'm really not in the mood for listening in on some stupid argument." Nodding in the direction of the door, he continued, "If you really can't put up with each other, then just leave. It's not like she can do anything if she's not here." There was silence for a moment. Lance scoffed, "I didn't think so." Despite everything that he and the other princes said about the queen, all of them were powerless to do anything to oppose her.

Sighing, he decided he'd been a downer for a bit too long. "Anyways," He continued, "I'm not sure that our beloved queen would be able to handle having Mayur and Chris in a room filled with young ladies." He smiled a bit. "We are all too aware of their talents in that particular field."

Cale

The door the the great hall swung open and Cale looked at each of the princes one by one a very large grin crossing his face. He made his way to a cluster of unused chairs, meant for conferences of diplomatic relations between the village leaders and the Queen. Picking the one in the best shape he sat in it, crossing one leg over the other, rested his elbows on his leg, interlocked his fingers and watched the rowdy group with more than a little passing interest. To have all of the Queen's favorites in one place meant that the situation that Richard had described was more pressing and certainly more dire than he once thought...how interesting.

Chris
Chris saw the door open and Cale walk in, something about that man always gave him the creeps, he once lost a game of lairs dice and was forced to give Cale a part of his sleeve, for what purpose Chris had no idea. Letting the man fade from his mind he saw Lance sit on the floor with a concerning look and placed a hand on his head to ruffle his hair. "Would you like to hear a joke Lance? Dao having a sense of humor for one. and let us not forget the last time Mayur and I had a contest about who could bed the most women. I do believe we were even, until we came about those twins...then it was a tie one apiece!" Chris exploded into laughter, he moved in front of the other men and strutted like he was a fair maiden. Then changed roles and acted out Mayur and his brilliant compromise, to keep the other men entertained.

Lance watched as Chris strutted about, telling tales of the many women he'd seduced. Unable to to contain himself, he burst out into a fit of hysterical laughter. Not only was he amused by the humor brought to the dull situation, the laughter of his friends was contagious. Even the seemingly rigid Dao seemed to be enjoying himself for once.

Although Chris and Mayur were the two men known for their antics with the ladies, it didn't mean that the other workers were devoted entirely to the queen alone. Lance had been known to sneak a glance or two at a passing servant girls. It wasn't so much that he wanted them in a way that Chris might. It was actually much more complicated than that, at least in his mind. He, like the others, had been denied by the queen the right to engage in any sort of romantic relationship. Knowing that he would never be permitted to love another, that was precisely what he desired.

Yet for now, he would forget all of that and just have a laugh with his friends.

Bella left her secret place, returning to the palace interior. Quickly, she hurried her chamber. She had to ignore the strange looks she received from her guards, considering she still held the appearance of a young girl. They couldn't tell the difference. Regardless, she managed to return to her room and resume her own identity. Looking into her mirror, she couldn't help but feel proud. Despite the great youthful beauty of the other face, her own had a much more refined feel to it. Much more fitting for a lady of her standing. Throwing her cloak across her bedspread, she stood tall and proceeded down the corridor leading to the great hall.

When she arrived, she noticed that her men had made themselves rather comfortable. All of them with the exception of Cale hadn't even noticed her immediate arrival, for they were too busy laughing at the antics of Chris Pierce. "Ah Chris," She muttered through gritted teeth, "It truly is a pleasure to see you again after so long." She made no effort to cover up the fact that she was lying through her teeth. If there were any of her former princes that she absolutely could not stand, it was Chris. Something about him, whether it be his uncontrollable personality or his womanizing ways simply disgusted Bella.

Eric ignored most of the men's ramblings. He was more worried about why they were there in the first place. It was extremely unusual for all of them to be there at the same time, let alone Chris. He crossed his arms, watching the men joke around. As soon as the queen spoke, however, he turned to her, bowing low, glad that he hadn't been the only one who hadn't noticed her immediate arrival. Everything else had been forgotten, and only their loyalty to the queen was important at this moment. He only hoped that the reason they'd all been called together wasn't a horrid one.

Chris
Chris danced about the room until a voice ran a chill up his spine. "Ah Chris, It truly is a pleasure to see you again after so long.". Chris spun around into a low flourish, both hands going wide to show he was freed from his chains. "Your majesty they say lying causes wrinkles, but it is an absolute pleasure to be in the presence of the fairest of them all again, but don't tell Corwin or it will go to his head." Chris knew he was pushing his luck as he spoke, he was determined however to face down the one woman who had always spurned him and kept his friends under her iron grip. "Then again if you did maybe Eric might crack a smile."

Cale
Cale noticed her grace enter and he allowed himself a wide smile as he watched her glace his way. He then shook his head as Chris talked, the entire time studying his emotional threads, silver and yellow, daring, but afraid of what would happen if he pushed her majesty too far. He took his hat off as he rose bowing low, his curiosity rising at what all of the men in the castle were doing in the same room. It looks like our future has become quite interesting

Bella was silent, an unreadable smirk plastered across her face. Even as Chris spoke to her with such disrespect, it remained the same. "Oh my," she muttered, "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you weren't happy to see me." Advancing further into the room, she was delighted to see many of her princes take a few steps back. It pleased her to know that they feared her, for fear is often the most effective method of control.

"Now dear," she continued, noticing that Chris had been freed, "When I ask my guards to restrain a worker, you aren't supposed to free them Altair." The queen sighed. "Men like Chris need to be taught to control their urges." Bella clucked her tongue, almost like she was addressing a child. "As the queen, it is my duty to ensure that he learns quickly." Her hand drifted towards her hip in a threatening manner, reaching for her wand. She looked at all of her other princes.

"One of you should replace his chains," She said, more of an order than a suggestion. "That is, unless you want to upset me. The choice is yours." She looked expectantly across the room at her other workers. There was dead silence.

Eric stood up, walking towards Chris and pulling his hands behind his back, holding him firm. "I'll hold him here, your grace. He won't escape from me. He himself has joked about my strength tonight, and I have no doubt that he will cooperate with me for fear of my executioners axe."
He made the threat, knowing in his heart that it was an empty one. He would never be able to hurt any of them men in this room, not even for the queen. He felt as if they were his brethren, whether he was close with them or not. He only hoped that she would be pleased with Chris' restraint, and his own willingness to serve her.

Lance turned in his spot and froze. The queen had entered and didn't seem happy with Chris's presence. Cringing, he remained silent. His friend seemed to be trying to hold his own, a tactic that never worked when facing someone with the sheer power that Queen Bella possessed. After a moment of rather stupid remarks on Chris's part, she seemed to have had enough of his antics. She ordered for one of her workers to replace his restraints.

Taking in a deep breath of air, he didn't move an inch. He wasn't a convincing liar, so pretending to comply would be pointless. Eventually, Eric stepped forward. Lance began to breathe easy. Who better to intimidate than the queen's executioner? Turning to him, Lance nodded a bit and tried his best to maintain a calm attitude.