you would have no leaders of any Kingdoms.
Father stood and with half a look at Mum, took out his magical megaphone and spoke, his voice cast magically throughout the whole castle. “Greetings to all who have arrived today here at Darkhampton. As you all know, we are here to witness the wedding of Marianne Blackthorn and Edward James Burrows…” There was some cooing from the people that remained in the hall. “Dinner this evening will be served in the hall at seven sharp.” There was a small clap and everyone began to make their way upstairs to their rooms. I displaced myself from behind the statue and scuttled away back along the corridor to my mop and bucket on the forth floor.
Before I knew it, the sickening circus was ready to begin. Mother had found out what room I was in, and had made my wedding attire appear over the door. It was hideous. Green layers of jacket accompanied a yellow shirt — I didn’t know it was fancy dress? Obviously I was going as a lump of mouldy cheese. I know Marianne wanted a colourful wedding, but this was ridiculous.
The week leading up to the wedding was hell. I’d been worked like a donkey: cleaning, scrubbing, washing clothes in the laundry room, washing drapes, washing dishes, bowls, cups and cutlery — Butler Kilkenny looked like he was going to have a nervous breakdown. “They haven’t hired any extra staff like they said they would!” he called, as the piles of dishes tottered ominously on the creaking draining board.
“You should have learnt by now, that their word means nothing.”
He huffed, creaked then whimpered. “Ridiculous… ridiculous !”
Fortunately, I didn’t see Ross at all. I had no idea where he was. All my other brothers were milling around talking to guests, taking them on tours of the grounds — the black, dusty, bracken filled grounds — and leading dinners and parties.
Surely enough Marianne, (the bride) finally arrived. With everyone seated at the huge table, elongated until it was as long as the Hall, the doors suddenly burst open and a fanfare of rambunctious trumpets resounded ear-splittingly loud — announcing her arrival. She burst through the doors with enough gusto to blow a herd of Hubris over. The Hall stood, clapped and cheered. I couldn’t clap because I had serving gloves on. Yes, you guessed it, I was a bloody waiter as well.
“I AM HEEEEERE !” she screamed. “Please, please…” she said in her sickeningly faux sweet voice. “Please sit, sit, it’s only little old meeee !” She then proceeded to hug and kiss almost every one on the table, take her presents and hand them to her poor entourage. It nearly took all flipping night.
The morning of the wedding I was awoken by an alarm set up by my mother, which zapped my bed with an electric current — so naturally I shot out of bed. I got into the mouldy cheese costume, washed and sat on the end of the bed. I put the Seven League Shoes on, a golden tinge reflected off the dull black leather. It was early, too early. But something was different. Usually, in this house, we wake up to darkness, eternal darkness all day long. But today, sun light, glorious, wonderful sunlight peered through the window. I walked in front of the rays in a daze. It hit my face and made me tingle all over. For a moment, I thought I might be back in Hailing Hall.
“Well Sedrick,” I said. “One more day of hell.” I knew that if I just did whatever my parents asked, I would kind of get left alone for the rest of the holidays. And with three weeks left, I didn’t want to do anything that would hinder my chances of going back to Hailing Hall.
***
It was the gaudiest wedding I’d ever been to. As I went downstairs everlasting rainbow confetti rained down from the roof, as guests descended slowly, taking in the whole god dam ugliness of it all. Cherubs, or fat, ghostly babies serenaded the crowd with trill tunes. Flowers sprouted from the banisters with bright colours, setting