- Messages
- 266
Fabian put his desk on his desk, heedless of the ink stain that was steadily growing on his cheek. His normal nine-to-five shift had only started two hours ago and already he was beginning to pass out from the monotony. His one consolation was that he was now permitted to take Ludovic into the office with him after the craggy feline started following him to work. The elderly gents who presided over his work were fond of cats and enjoyed feeding tidbits of their greasy lunches to him. The ginger cat was looking fatter every day. Fabian made a mental note to send him outside in an hour to make the lazy moggy catch a bird. He looked up as a bell began to trill at the owl-flap on the windowsill. A haughty barn owl with gold links on either foot pecked impatiently at the faulty lever to be let in, and Fabian groaned quietly before shifting to unlatch it. The owl glared at him out of one amber eye before sticking its leg out where a particularly heavy scroll lay attached. He bit his lip in sympathy for the bird; this order was huge. His sympathy waned as he realised that he would be the next to sort through the list, and he absently tossed the owl a treat before unrolling the parchment with a sigh. The very next moment, his heart stopped cold.
'The Royal House of Evans requests these items as part of the Royal Itinerary for Office Supplies and SpellCrafting, as to be delivered at the time of ...'
Fabian swallowed as he glanced down the list. All of the items were in stock, but not in such numbers and that was hardly the point ... his accountant-trained brain began cataloging each item even before it had even registered that the due date was late this afternoon and that, written in perfect penmanship in the bottom right-hand corner of the scroll, lay the words 'Received care of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince at 4pm, Monday the 16th of May.'
Eric. Coming here. was all that Fabian could think. He hunched his slender shoulders in the stiff outer robes of his station and instinctively called out for Ludo. "Come here, puss." he said in a small voice and gathered the obliging feline into his arms, inadvertently covering them in cat hair. There was definitely no wriggling out of this meeting. The order should go to his superiors immediately in order to prepare for the emissary to receive, and he would be the one to introduce his Royal Highness. Fabian swore, which he very rarely did, and looked at the clock. It was going to be a long afternoon of trying not to be noticed.
4pm rolled around far too quickly, and Fabian found himself swept up along with the excited older wizards in the building. He was shuffled down the marble steps of the Grand Quill Company and further herded into the main atrium where a flock of royal assistants waited to introduce their Prince. What a stupid job, thought Fabian, furrowing his golden brows as he slid behind a pillar. It seemed that Eric had been stuck with some of the most pointless chores in order to practice his sovereignty. He now felt sorry for the both of them, though he was certain he would not express it in front of His Highness. Suddenly the noise in the room escalated as the man himself stepped through the heavy brass doors. Fabian, despite his supposed ingenious hiding place, was a soft blonde head amongst short, gray and balding craniums. He hunched a little and tried to melt into the business suits, to no avail. Please don't look this way, please don't look this way ...
'The Royal House of Evans requests these items as part of the Royal Itinerary for Office Supplies and SpellCrafting, as to be delivered at the time of ...'
Fabian swallowed as he glanced down the list. All of the items were in stock, but not in such numbers and that was hardly the point ... his accountant-trained brain began cataloging each item even before it had even registered that the due date was late this afternoon and that, written in perfect penmanship in the bottom right-hand corner of the scroll, lay the words 'Received care of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince at 4pm, Monday the 16th of May.'
Eric. Coming here. was all that Fabian could think. He hunched his slender shoulders in the stiff outer robes of his station and instinctively called out for Ludo. "Come here, puss." he said in a small voice and gathered the obliging feline into his arms, inadvertently covering them in cat hair. There was definitely no wriggling out of this meeting. The order should go to his superiors immediately in order to prepare for the emissary to receive, and he would be the one to introduce his Royal Highness. Fabian swore, which he very rarely did, and looked at the clock. It was going to be a long afternoon of trying not to be noticed.
4pm rolled around far too quickly, and Fabian found himself swept up along with the excited older wizards in the building. He was shuffled down the marble steps of the Grand Quill Company and further herded into the main atrium where a flock of royal assistants waited to introduce their Prince. What a stupid job, thought Fabian, furrowing his golden brows as he slid behind a pillar. It seemed that Eric had been stuck with some of the most pointless chores in order to practice his sovereignty. He now felt sorry for the both of them, though he was certain he would not express it in front of His Highness. Suddenly the noise in the room escalated as the man himself stepped through the heavy brass doors. Fabian, despite his supposed ingenious hiding place, was a soft blonde head amongst short, gray and balding craniums. He hunched a little and tried to melt into the business suits, to no avail. Please don't look this way, please don't look this way ...