Chapter 1 – Training for
Greatness
It’s typically for princesses and
butlers to receive special training for their jobs. Princess Blair and her
butler Baxter are on their way to receive this special training when the horses
pulling their carts go out of control and get them in an accident. They manage
to survive. Since they’re close to their destination, Baxter leads Blair the
rest of the way on foot. With the rain pouring down on them, they hurry in the
hopes that they’ll find shelter soon.
“This sucks so much,” Blair complains.
“Don’t worry, princess. We’re almost
there,” Baxter says as he holds an umbrella over Blair and getting wet from the
rain and carrying their bags.
“I still think it was a better idea
just to go home. Maybe that was the training my mom and your dad wanted us to
do.”
“I don’t think so. We’re on the
right track to the place they wanted us to go. They would’ve written down a way
for us to make our way home instead of showing us a way to this place I’ve
never seen before in person or in any other map I’ve read.”
“You have to stop being such a pushover and be strong. Don’t let other people tell you what to do all the time. Except
for me, of course.”
“That’s what my job as a butler is.”
“But you shouldn’t always do what
you’re told.”
“Kind of like now since we’re doing
what I’m telling you to.”
“Ugh. Shut up.”
“Yes, princess.”
Baxter and Blair follow the map until
they reach a cave with a hole in it.
Baxter reads the map and says, “There’s
an arrow sign near the hole, so I guess we jump down?”
“I can’t even see down there. I don’t
like this and think we should still head back. Do you remember what I said
about not letting other people telling you what to do all the time?”
“Yes, princess.”
“And?”
“Hmmm.” Baxter looks down the hole
and the map then takes Blair’s hand.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Doing what you said,” Baxter says
before taking Blair down the hole.
They fall until they go through the
leaves of a large tree and land in a bush that breaks their fall.
“That was fun,” Baxter says as he
gets up.
He holds out a hand for Blair to
help her up.
When she’s up, Blair smacks him and
says, “Don’t do that again! That big fall really scared me!”
“I won’t do it again, princess.”
“You could’ve got us killed!”
“I trusted the map our parents gave
us and it didn’t put us in any harm.”
“Hmph. Let’s just go.”
“Yes, princess.”
Baxter picks up their bags and continue
to walk with Blair into the underground forest.
“This place is weird,” Blair says
as she stays close to Baxter, “I can see the night sky as if we didn’t fall,
but it’s not raining like it was up above. This is like a place in a fairy
tale.”
“I know. This place is interesting
and cool in a way.”
“This better not be some weird
place with creatures or witches that want to eat us.”
“Look! There’s a town over there. It
looks decent and has the symbol that the map says to look for.”
“That half-smiling and frowning
face is a weird symbol to have on the gate.”
Baxter knocks on the gate and says,
“Hello. My name is Baxter and I’m Princess Blair’s butler. We’re here for our
training.”
The face on the gate comes to life,
“Ah! We’re expecting you. Come in and get to know us.”
The gate opens its mouth to allow
Baxter and Blair into the town.
“Wow,” Baxter says.
“This is nothing like I expected.
Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Blair asks.
“I’m sure.”
“Hmmm.”
The town is filled with people dressed
in suits and dresses with their faces being half happy and half sad. Houses and
businesses have a certain pristine and wealthy look to them with variations of the
smiling and frowning face on them just like everything else. A tall skinny man
with one black eye and the other red approaches them and bows. He has a white
suit jacket, black pants, and a gold shirt and black tie. With him, is a woman
with golden hair, one yellow eye and one red eye, and a mix of black, red, and
gold on her outfit. The woman curtsies and tries to make the frown side of her
face smile.
“Who are you two?” Blair nervously asks.
“Allow us to introduce ourselves as
your teachers,” the man says. “My name is Leighton and this is my helper.”
“My name is Lynette. It’s a
pleasure to meet you, Princess Blair and Butler Baxter.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,”
Baxter and Blair say with Blair saying it with a bit of uneasiness in her
voice.
“Oh, what’s wrong, Princess Blair?
Are you feeling well?” Lynette asks.
“Is this really where we’re supposed
to be?”
“Of course. Our town has personally
trained your parents and the parents of theirs and the parents of theirs and so
on. You can check the records in the library here if you don’t believe me, but
first, you should rest. We’ll take your bags and you to your room where you will
be staying.”
Servants appear behind the two and
take Baxter’s and Blair’s bags then lead them to their room. The building that
their room is in is a hotel that has a happy/sad face like the rest of the buildings
in the town though this one is decorated with vines, flowers, and vegetables
that grow from the vegetation growing on the building. There are various water
fountains throughout the hotel and statues of people that appear to be royalty,
authoritative, and wise. Their room that they’re led to is a mix of Baxter’s
and Blair’s room. Leighton and Lynette’s servants place down their bags and put
away their clothes and belongings in the closets.
They then bow as Leighton says, “Get
some rest for tomorrow’s training. You are already doing well because you have
obeyed your parent’s orders despite the accident.”
“The accident was planned?” Blair asks.
“Yes. If you have a responsibility
that you must attend to, you can’t let any setback stop you from fulfilling it.”
“We could’ve died!”
“But you didn’t. You’re in perfect
condition, which means you still could do what you were supposed to.”
“Hmph.”
“If you need anything, we’ll be across
the hall.”
Leighton and Lynette leave the room
as Blair and Baxter look out the window and at the strange town.
“This can’t be right.”
“What do you mean, princess?”
“Doesn’t it feel off to you?”
“Kind of, but it matches up to what
your mom and my dad told us to expect. Weird people in a weird place.”
“Yeah, but still. I feel like we
shouldn’t be here.”
“We could always check the records
in the library, like they told us to.”
“Where is it?”
“This town isn’t that big. Maybe it’s
the building labeled library.” Blair hits Baxter. “I’m serious. Look down the
street.”
“Oh, I see it now, but what if they
catch us out there when we’re supposed to be resting?”
“We’ll tell them that we just wanted
to check because it was going to keep us up.”
“Hmmm. I want to be safe about
this. Let’s sneak there.”
“If you say so, princess.”
Baxter and Blair sneak their way
through the hotel, through the streets, and into the library while thinking
that no one notices them. The library itself is empty with very few people in
it. The only light source in the library are candles that are lit with the push
of a button. They use these candles to help them see in the darkness as they look
for their parent’s names. In the family records section, they find the files
for their families with pictures of them and details like their weaknesses and
strengths.
“I see you found what you were looking
for.”
Blair drops the files and pictures
of her parents and looks behind her along with Baxter to see Leighton and
Lynette.
“You did well in coming here. You
should have your reasons to trust strangers that you work with even if your
parents tell you to trust them. It’s an essential part of business and politics,”
Lynette says.
“This calls for a special breakfast
tomorrow. Should I be the one to make it or do you want to try?” Leighton asks.
“I’ll do it. Last time you did it
was burned.”
“The breakfast I made tastes better
burnt. It’s just that you don’t have the taste for its delicate taste.”
A young boy with a happy and frowning
face approaches them and looks at them with curiosity.
“Oh, this is Prince Phillip. He is
going to be helping you with your training tomorrow.”
“Hello,” Baxter and Blair say.
Phillip continues to analyze the
two in silence for a few more seconds before saying, “I see that you don’t go
anywhere without your servant. That’s good. He can be useful to take the blame
from you and shoulder your burdens.”
Blair looks at Phillip with a bit
of disgust in her eyes while Baxter tries not to let what he said bother him.
“Does he always do what you tell
him?”
“Not always. I always tell him to
be strong and to not let others boss him around except for me, of course.”
“Hmm. Training him only to be loyal
to you while also being able to be capable on his own? That’s decent. Just be sure
he doesn’t disobey orders without good reason.”
With the information he needs, Phillip
smiles, bows then walks away. After that, Baxter and Blair go back to their
rooms and in their beds.
Unable to get comfortable, Blair
asks Baxter, “Can you come over here next to me?”
“Yes, princess.” Baxter goes over
to Blair’s bed and sits next to her. “Do you need me to tell you a bedtime
story or sing to you?”
“No, I just want you to stay here
with me until I say to leave. I still don’t feel comfortable here.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure everything
is going to be fine.”
“Thank you for saying that and
staying by my side.”
“It’s my honor, princess.”
“Mmm.”
Blair starts to feel comfortable with
Baxter by her side as the two rest for the beginning of their special training.
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