Young Writers Society

Belrose l Physician Office


The word of the King’s kidnapping spread throughout the kingdom. Even though I was the one who drugged the King and hid him inside my basement, I was doing this for the greater good.

“You have twenty minutes to explain yourself." Avery spoke with curiosity in his eyes. Even though the actions I took were horrible, considering that I have lost the King’s trust, the reasoning was good. Great, in fact. I started walking to the cabinets filled with potions. “I have my reasons.”

“You must tell me, Belrose.” Avery’s curiosity grew stronger.

“I had a vision.”

“A vision? What vision?”

I took out a small bottle that was labeled ‘Sleeping Aide’ and placed it on the table in front of me. “That King Tuesday was going to be dethroned. And not in the best of ways.” I sighed softly, turning to Avery. “Hold out your hand.”

Avery seemed hesitant, but he held out his hand anyways. I placed the sleeping aide in the palm of his hand. “This world has become distasteful of our new… Kingship. Now, people will find ways to dethrone him. From poisoning to complete murder. I need you to do a simple task for me.”

“What kind of task….?”

“Don’t worry, I am not a killer. There is someone I need you to bring to me. See… in my vision, there was someone who was part of… my plan. She is known as the Vodka Thief. Hopefully, you have heard of this thief.” I looked at Avery as he nodded slowly. I walked around my chambers slowly, explaining why the Vodka Thief is needed in her plan.
“You two are master thieves, therefore, if you drug her and drag her here, you two might be useful to… helping me get something valuable.”

“Why do I need to drug her if I can just ask?”

“Asking is out of the question. She’s too drunk to answer such things. If you do this for me, I’ll give you a wonderful payment.”

I didn’t want to force Avery to do this. He was just a mere man, trying to live, but I needed his help at all costs.

Maude of Penny Pie, On the way to Mount Lune

"He's been kidnapped." I said through gritted teeth. "Do not jest with me, sir."

The hooded figure laughed and patted my head. We were in a carriage on the way to who knows where. I was sold by the head cook when she caught me stealing a wheel of cheese. Stealing was a strong word. I was merely "borrowing without her knowing".

"I do many things but jesting is not one of them." He said when I slapped his hand away. I deserved a whipping for that, assuming he was a highborne. "Leave that to the King's fool."

I did not believe him. "Look, Sir, I don't deserve this. I am nothing. I am a mere scullery maid. I only know how to clean and cook. I know nothing of other so-"

"You and I both know you are so much more than that."

My mouth fell open in shock. "How do you-"

"It is nought of import. What I say is true, you are to be the King's cupbearer." The stranger said with finality.

"But, sir, I am girl."

"Then you will also warm his bed. If there is a need. Simple as that." He answered bluntly.

I gasped in shock. "Sir, He is but of sixteen years!"

"And you are of fifteen. I don't see a problem." He waved it off.

I gripped my skirts and hid the blush that burned my cheeks. "I am honest, sir. Never have I done nor plan to do such acts without marriage."

"Then I suggest, Lady Maudelyn of House Timely, to keep your mouth shut if you do not wish such things to happen to you." He said harshly.

I bit my lip. He had said my highborne name so carelessly that I felt that my derelict of a brother could hear it from across the sea.

Minutes later he spoke again. "Right now you are Maude of Penny Pie, the King's cupbearer. You must do all duties and responsibilities of a cupbearer. You are devoted to your King and do whatever he asks of you. And most importantly you will keep your king alive."

I nodded.

"Don't be sad, girl, think of this way; you're the Maudlin’s serving wench." He cackled once more.

I wanted to punch him in the face.

The carriage ride was getting bumpier as we went uphill. Our weight pulling us in the opposite direction it goes. Even so, the cloaked man appeared to be in deep slumber as his snores filled the space surrounding us. I pulled on my shawl as the crisp mountain air chilled my spine. I stared out the window and watched as the lush greenery get thicker and thicker.

When the carriage came to a halt, I nudged the man awake.

"What is it girl?" He hissed beneath the hood.

"We're here." With a whisper I added, "I think."

He groaned and urged me to get out.

"What about you?" I said

"I will not be joining you."

I nodded, feeling relieved that I wouldn't have to bear his presence any longer. "So I guess this is goodbye then."

"Don't be sentimental, girl." He scoffed, "Word of advice; take advantage of your situation now if you ever want to get back at that idiot brother of yours."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you helping me?" I asked.

"Am not. This is a loan, if you will."

With that I stepped out of the carriage which immediately left and into a wide clearing - which I can safely say - on Mount Lune. In the center of the clearing was two men having a brawl. They stopped short all of a sudden when one said something. The other replied and both turned to look at me.

I've only seen the King two times in my life. One, when I was 12 and just arrived in the palace, he was 14 and stealing dessert from the kitchen while the staff watched adoringly. And two, when he was being presented as the king I snuck out from the kitchen to see a glimpse of him looking regal. I was dragged back in by ear. The only thing certain was his haunting blue eyes, like it was touched with a bit of madness.

Now the same blue eyes stared daggers at me. I felt bare though I was wearing a hundred skirts.

"What are you supposed to be?" He asked.

"I am t-t-to be your c-cupbearer." I stuttered.

He raised a brow.

I curtsied clumsily. "Your Highness."

Avery Fowl, Streets of the Weekday Kingdom

I looked down at the sleeping aid resting on my palm. Then, slowly, I curled my fingers around it in a fist and chucked it into the sewer.

"Venna the Vodka Thief," I murmured to myself. "One of the most talented thieves of all time. I hear she steals vodka from the king himself."

I turned away from the sewer water that rippled in the sunlight and started into the heart of the city. "Pheh. That physician knows nothing of thieves. A good thief knows to never get tipsy, and Venna is the best."

I had to laugh at Belrose's ignorance, even given the gravity of the situation.

"What're you laughing at?"

I shifted my gaze to the side to see a red guard flanked by a blue guard and a yellow guard. "What's not to laugh at?" I replied in amusement. At that moment, Flit, who had been sleeping in my pocket, shook himself and poked his head out.

This tiny movement drew the guard's eye and he took a step forward. "What's that, there, in yer pocket?"

I pulled Flit out carefully, but reached for my dagger with the other hand, just in case. This guy looked like trouble. "A bird," was the simple answer.

"A bird, eh?" The red guard advanced, narrowing his eyes further. "And just who carries birds around in their pocket, eh? The 'Prince of Birds', perhaps?"

In a single movement, I spun on my heel and fled. I could hear the guards grunting to keep up, but they weren't my main concern. Children stared, shocked, out of their windows, and I was suddenly glad I hadn't needed the dagger. No blood needed to be spilt. This thing was, it had been years since I had last visited The Weekday Kingdom, and I didn't know the streets quite as well.

One corner more and I turned onto a street full of gossipers. I caught my breath and began to assimilate myself. I pretended to listen to the gossip and found myself actually listening to it.

"Did you see when the brought 'er past?"

"Yeah, all beat-up and bloody like."

"No criminal can hide forever."

"Finally Venna's turn to go."

My gut twisted. Venna? Caught? But...how? If Venna is captured, then these are dark days indeed, and I've only just arrived.

"Where did they take her?" I asked above the dull roar of rumours.

"To the dungeon," said a lady, turning towards me. "And then the guillotine at dawn and her head kept as a prize, if Tagena has her way."

My blood ran cold. Tagena? The grand knightress? She was feared among many people, and although I doubt she would actually keep someone's head as a trophy, you never know.

After checking that Flit was still hovering in the air beside me, I ran off towards the castle, and the dungeons.

I had no idea what to expect, but I had to try something.

Venna, Weekday Kingdom Dungeons

My hands wrapped around the iron bars of the cell these idiots had thrown me in, I watched as the two guards drank the vodka, MY vodka, which I had rightfully stolen from his royal idiot King Tuesday. He wasn’t even here, it wasn’t like he could have used it anyway.

When they had dragged me down here, my big bag of vodka was with them, and before they had tucked it away to return, they had each taken a bottle out as a little token for the capture of the vodka thief. Our little secret, they told me. They weren’t exactly supposed to be drinking on the job. Not like that wasn’t common among other certain officials anyway.

I put on a nice little show, ranting and raving to them about giving me back my vodka, and to that they simply shook their heads.

“To Venna, the greatest vodka thief in the land!”

The two of them laughed as they took great big gulps of the stuff, and I almost couldn’t contain that smirk from showing up on my face. The bit of little sleight of hand that I had learned from a passing magician had come in handy a few times over the years, but now was the time it would shine.

Still cursing them from inside the cell, I watched them as they drank down the vodka, and eventually saw the effects of the extra little treat I had slipped in for them. Both of them looked over at me, and I smirked at them.

“What’s wrong? Something a little off?”

The one with the keys frowned and got up from his seat, wavering a bit. I watched as he stumbled towards me and fell to the ground in front of the cell. I looked, and the other one had passed out right there on the table.

Smiling, I reached out a hand towards the unconscious man, stretching for the keys that had fallen from him when he fell. Unfortunately, they were just out of reach. Curse these short arms of mine.

I spent a good twenty minutes at least stretching as far as I could to grab at the keys, but failed. Then, suddenly there was this small creature in my face, flying around my head as I reached for the keys. It was a little hummingbird, and I shooed it off with my free hand.

“Off with you! Can’t you see I’m busy reaching for my freedom over here?”

With that the little bird went off, but soon came back with someone else. I looked up from my reaching to stare up at the man for a moment. Then I figured out who he was.

“Ah, you’re the Prince of Birds, aren’t you?”

“That I am. And it seems you’ve already got half the job done as well. Good job at finding her too, Flit.” He gave the bird a little pat on the head, and I rolled my eyes.

“If you’re done commending your little pet over there, I could use some help here.”

Avery moved forward to grab at the keys, and I quickly stopped him.

“No no, don’t just hand them to me. Scoot those keys a little closer. I want to get them myself.”

My bit of pride had kicked in, and I watched as Avery raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Come on, just give them a little kick.”

He sighed and stood back up, nudging the keys a few inches closer with the toe of his shoe. I reached and grabbed it, bouncing back up to quickly shove them into the lock of the cell, then swung the door open and stepped out, dropping the keys on the head of the guard and leaped right over him.

“I didn’t even need your help anyway. I would have gotten them eventually. But since you’re already here, why don’t you go ahead and lead us out.”

Knightess Tagena, the Throne Room

I knew I have caught Venna. Stealing the king's vodka AND could be linked to the crime that of the King's kingnapping, since she was thief of vodka. I was in the Throne Room, glancing over paper work for the beheading of Venna Damnex as an red guard barged into the room with a red puffy face and sweat lining his face. I turned around, my hand on table glaring at the red guard who had came in.
"She has escaped, Tagena."

"Who had escaped?"

"The vodka thief. Venna had escaped fro-" he didn't finished as I ran past him, leaving everyone in the Throne Room confused. I didn't want Venna to escape, again out of my sight and this time it would be the last time the vodka thief would escape. I jumped atop my horse, riding with the mud sticking to his hooves as we raced down the cobbles roads to the prison cells. People looked at me, disgusted in their eyes and some dropped their fruit on the road with animals screaming in fear. The wind blew my hair, with anger in my eyes as I kicked my horse to go faster.

I made it to the prison, jumping off my horse and running inside hoping that I wasn't late. The light dimmed so I grabbed a torch, lighting it and running down the hall to find the two guards who were suppose to watching Venna were passed out. One was in front of the cell, his hands reaching out while the other guard was passed out on a table, snoring loudly. Men, I never liked men, I thought as I took two big steps shining the light onto the knocked out table guard.
I poked him harshly as he sucked in his drool, raising his head and raising his hand to wipe his eye then yawn while stretching. He looked at me again, before he recognized me and his eyes growing big. The guard clumsily stood, raising his hand to his head then groaning from a headache.

"Good light, Knightess Tagena. How may I be of assist?"
"Where is the thief? The prisoner?"
"What do you mean? She is righ- Oh. Looks like she had escaped.. again."
"You don't think? You other stupid friend over, must have let her out because how could someone help her with her tiny arms?"
"I don't think Marty could have done that."
"Are you kidding me? Are you Fog me? Marty did it. So therefore, he must be hung for the process of letting a prisoner go."
"You cannot do that. That-that is against the laws."
"Yes, it is but your friend did something against the law too. So fight fire with fire. I shall have a someone be down here to pick him up, and please be sure he has some nice clothes."
"So you are just going to kill him?"

I looked back, smiling. I grabbed my sword, rising it to his chin.
"I am only going to give him a lesson." And with that, I left returning to the castle, leaving the guard crying over his friend.

King Tuesday- Mount Lunes

Flash Back

"Tuesday! Sunday! Where are you?" King Wednesday shouted, walking down the castle halls. He opened most doors, peeking in before residing that the two sons he had were not in there. He sighed, closing the doors before lifting a finger to his mouth. Snickering came around a corner, as two little boys were chasing each other. One was wearing a crown, his hair black like a raven while the other boy's hair was a sand dune. King Wednesday gasped, as the the black haired princes ran past the king while the other princes stopped running, and looked up at the father.

"Sunday, can you explain what you guys are doing?"

The little boy moved his mouth, while Tuesday looked back between the boy and the king unsure what was happening. King Wednesday blew out of his nose and crossed his arms.

"Sunday.."

"I was, we were, chasing each other. We were just having fun," Sunday stated blankly. King Wednesday curled his lip, turning to see Tuesday staring confused at his father.

"Why are you wearing my crown?"

Tuesday raised an eyebrow. "Cannot I not wear your crown, father?"

"You can just, not now because I need it for meeting the other royal family, the Weekends."

Tuesday took off the crown, playing it around in his hands. "Why show our royalness to others?"

King Wednesday sighed. "Because Tuesday, we need to talk about trading between places and this is only a one in a chance. Also your brother is being sent over there for training."

"Wait what," Sunday piped in.

Tuesday rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant but okay." He threw the crown to his father, who stumbled back with it. Tuesday smiled and nodded to Sunday to follow him, who was still asking questions about being moving to the Weekends.

Present

"Well this just doesn't make sense. How can you be my brother? And why in the hell would I need a cupbearer? I can use things called legs and walk to the kitchen, and give myself a cup." Tuesday stated angrily. Sunday sighed, rubbing his hands together.

"That isn't what a cupbearer does exactly, Tuesday."

"Don't start with me, my somewhat brother who I still don't believe." Sunday widen his eyes before looking at the ground, mumbling.

"I just got kingnapped by someone, being in a bag cramped inside, and also it is so hot I could die."

"That would be ironic," scoffed Sunday.

Tuesday glared at Sunday and walked over. "What does that mean?"

"Oh nothing."

Tuesday searched his face before giving up. "I am talking to a stranger who is supposedly my brother and then this little girl in her dress that seems to almost make her sweat to death. Why am I even here?"

Sunday was about to say something when a faint rumbling came up the mountain.

"What now?" Tuesday exhaustively asked. A carriage drove up the hill, three white horses driving its way up. Tuesday knew it and began to walk backwards.

"Why now? Of all things? Now. I am busy. Can you see that?"

The carriage door open, and a boot stepped into gravel. Tuesday gulped before falling into the gravel. Sunday rolled his eyes, standing next to the carriage while the cupbearer smiled.