Repercussions

Rhodri gasped and scrambled to his feet and into the fountain, putting the bench between himself and Adolphus.

“Adolphus! Apologize.” Claire’s voice was firm, but her eyes imploring.

“No. I’ve said what I need to say to him.” Adolphus closed his mouth and drew a slow line across it with a finger, staring at Rhodri.

“Rhodri, I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding-”

“I understand perfectly that your little brother is a violent beast, that he’s colluding with the kitchen staff to promote a scandalous and untrue revision of history, and that the Aubergine has been filling your heads with lies!”

“That’s not true!” Adolphus was red in the face. “She hasn’t told us anything! I just uncovered the carvings, I’ve never seen them before and… and don’t know what they mean. And Bettina’s just a baby. You can’t be so low that you’d rat out a baby, can you?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Rhodri said. “The Queen must be told about the carvings, because…so, so they can be corrected. You can’t leave lies like that just lying around.”

Claire studied the pillar. “But they weren’t lying around, were they? If we uncovered them, we can cover them back up. Surely the kitchen staff packed the mud on so that no one would see the carvings, don’t you think so, Rhodri?”

“Well, I have no idea, Claire. But I must insist that you do something about your violent little brother!” Rhodri sneered each time he said ‘little brother’, and Adolphus ground his teeth. He could not look at Claire or Rhodri, but kept his eye on Bettina, who was swishing her stick back and forth and glaring at Rhodri from behind his back.

Claire considered her sullen siblings. “Adolphus, perhaps you could go to the kitchens and tell them that the fountain has been uncovered. Quite by accident, of course.”

She directed a smile at Rhodri. “But I’m sure they will want to repair the damage we’ve done. I’ll take Bettina back to the palace and clean her up.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and started away. “Are you coming, Rhodri?”

Rhodri looked from Claire to the fountain to Adolphus and back to Claire. “Only if you hold your sister’s stick.” Claire held out a firm hand, and Bettina reluctantly gave her the offending implement.

Adolphus trudged toward the kitchens alone, boots full of water and heart full of regret.