Oblivious to their watchful audience, Isaac alternated between loud laughter and indignation each time he was tackled to the ground, and just knew that Rafael would berate him later when he took his laundry. But that was a concern for later — for now, he put his entire determined self in attempting to best his adopted brother, and managed for all of five moments. As he raised his sword above his head in a victory cry, Derek dove and wrapped his arms around his ankles, causing him to topple to the ground yet again.
The swords were cast aside and the two fought like brothers, rolling around and laughing, before they deemed it to be a tie and helped one another rise off of the ground. The play was something that he missed with his own deceased brother, and allowing himself to act like a human instead of a Knight, even for a moment, was rather liberating.
But he had to prepare to spend the evening as an adult, and it was with some reluctance that he trudged back to his home to clean up (and be told off by Rafael).
It felt immeasurably strange to be standing quietly outside the carved double doors leading to the feasting hall. Cora had admonished her not to play with her hair, so Summer kept her hands locked together before her, occasionally plucking at her skirts and hoping she could walk without tripping.
She’d never worn a dress so long, or so beautiful. The deep blue of the soft fabric made her skin seem to glow with a faint golden tint, and the waves of her red hair, caught back from her face with a few braids, burned brilliantly against it. A golden cord, laced from bust to hips, gave the waist definition, and the scoop neck displayed the necklace Cora had insisted she wear.
Prince Derek, washed and attired from his time training, stepped over and pried her hands apart, placing one of them in the crook of his elbow. “Relax,” he murmured. “We’re not stiff here. This will be the most formal part of the evening.”
The noise from the feasting hall, full of Hale knights and other folk loyal to the prince, suddenly dimmed, and Cora came to take Derek’s other arm. Stepping slowly, he led the two of them in, and down the long centre aisle to the high table, where his most favoured folk — including Isaac — waited.