LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 7: Nana
Looking around nervously Chacha steps forward and stands in front of Link "would you hand over the pile of clothes? Staff people are looking at me like I am forcing the prince to do MY job" Chacha whispered.
Link winks "YOU!!!, forcing me to do anything? HAHAHAHA, don't kid yourself servant, I am the Prince now, I do whatever the fuck I want in this castle, and right now I feel like letting the King catch us, just to see what he does to you, STUPID GIRL" Link states loudly, but still avoiding to fully scream.
Chacha is just staring at him right in the eyes, pressing her lips hard to prevent an explosion of laughter. Everyone who happened to be around them cowered away.
"Tha… that was too much don't you think?" she tells him
"But it was believable, wasn't it? They won't be talking about you now" he reassumes his walk.
"But they will be talking about YOU, and very poorly" she tells him sadly, shame in her eyes.
"For all I care, it's YOU who has to work with them every day, I just have to mind my manners and public image around the nobles, right?" Link asks… but not really asking, it was more of a statement that sounded like a question… to be polite.
Chacha sights and giggles a little… then a lady comes running right at them.
"NAUGHTY GIRL!!! Why are you making the prince hold that? Excuse her your highness, she is new here" the lady inches closer to Links ear and whispers "she is kind of dump if I am being honest, totally my fault, I dropped her when she was a baby, she doesn't coordinate properly and makes poor decisions ever since"
"IVANNA!!! STOP!" Chacha yells, then she hits her own head with her palm in distress. Ivanna stares at her in confusion, then at Link who is staring right back at her smiling.
Faking a Spanish accent "Do not worry mi señorita, the little wild flower here was just following my orders, somewhat deviant orders I must admit, but what can you expect if I am not right in the head myself? my mother tried to drown me when I was a child. You know how much that affects you at a young age… jetzt höre Ich Stimmen." (now i hear voices)
"Both of you, STOP" Chacha yells at both of them, then turns to Link "and what was that you where sa…" she stops her question to Link and shakes her head "you have made it clear that you know Ivanna was lying, so stop mocking her, she just did it because she thought I was going to get in trouble… explain to her what happened."
"You are ordering me now?" Link says raising an eyebrow.
Chacha crosses her arms and glares at him, Link takes a deep breath.
"We meet long ago in hell, I was there because that is the right place for me, she got there because she has been bad obviously, I got exasperated at her because of her inability to follow simple orders, and she got angry at me for making her say something she did not wanted to say. After exploring my body with a metric tape, she found that her hatred towards me no longer existed. Me, being the lord of hell, could not allow the lack of hatred, so I kidnapped the pile of clothes, she has been trying to rescue it unsuccessfully and here we are" Link puts an arm over Chacha's shoulders and smiles at Ivanna, Chacha glares at Link frustrated and then flashes her Colgate smile at Ivanna too.
"You know… you should really stop doing that" Link tells Chacha
"Doing what?"
"Using that fake smile, looks pretty but doesn't feel right"
"Don't scold me, you just lied to her about me exploring your body" Chacha says pointing at him accusingly
"Did I? you were measuring me, that is an exploration in itself, by the way… you DO remember the measurements right? I never saw you taking notes" Link says
"I remember, we could bet about them if you want" Chacha says rolling her eyes
"I… choose to believe you" Link states with finality
Ivanna was staring at them during the word exchange, scared at first about Chacha's lack of etiquette towards the new royal, but she slowly relaxed and became entertained by the quarrel they were engaged on, she could not help displaying a wide smile.
"All right, let me get this straight, you met, went at each other like cats and dogs and now you are friends?" Ivanna asks with a glint of hope in her eyes, Chacha just nods in approval.
"Over simplified but it is a correct assumption, a pleasure Ivanna" Link extends his hand for a shake
Ivanna shakes Links hand smiling "Nana, everyone calls me that since it's sweet and sounds harmless, not as aggressive as Ivanna"
Chacha snorts at that "But be careful because she is NOT HARMLESS AT ALL" the maid adds laughing, Link just chuckles as he kneels to pick up the pile of clothes he had dropped at some point.
"WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU MEAN? I am a sweet heart" Ivanna firmly states, then turns to speak directly at Link "you can ask any employee"
"And ALL OF THEM are going to take a few seconds deciding what to answer" Chacha adds earning a glare from Nana
"LADIES PLEASE, we are moving away from what it's really important… where do I put this?" Link says making reference to the pile of clothes in his hands.
Nana smiles, and starts to point to a place behind him when ¡CRASH!
"SON OF A FUCKING HORE!!! That was my casserole was it not? WHO the fuck dropped it?" Nana yells irate
Chacha just looks at Link half smiling as if saying: ¨see what I mean? She is NOT HARMLESS¨ Nana begins heading in the direction they heard the sound from, Link drops the clothes and runs to stand in front of Nana.
"EASY THERE…, it's just food, I am sure the culprit is already cleaning it"
Well... I hope he or she has enough common sense to clean their mess.
"The problem is not the cleaning, or the wasted food… we have plenty. The problem is the casserole, it's a good cooking utensil, but its rather old, it can't stand mistreatment and I don't want to change it, they don't make them like that anymore" Nana says with tears forming in her eyes
"Utensil are meant to break eventually; it was going to happen sooner or later… I will find you a good one next time I head out ok?" Link promises and Nana hugs him, he slowly hugs her back
"I assume you are the castle's cook" Link says still hugging Nana, Chacha giggles
"Yes and no, she cooks all right but only for the soldiers and the employees, the royal cook is… somebody else… she could be the royal cook but she INSIST on cooking organ meat" Chacha makes a disgusted face
"THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY GOOD FOR YOU, they are cheap and they fill you a lot… that is what my dad used to feed us, especially in winter so we would not get sick, I am doing you all a favor" Nana declares triumphant.
Link starts raising an index finger "excuse me Nana, but at what time of the day do you feed the guards?"
Chacha stares in sock "you want to eat THAT?"
"You know what is the first thing a wolf eats from its hunt? Organs, the liver in particular, and not just the wolves, any predator goes for organ meat first because IT IS very nutritious… I am still under development so I need to eat that" Link says playfully.
Nana smiles happily "it's nice to feel appreciated and valued, the guards have breakfast between 4 and 6 am, they eat lunch and dinner whenever they get the chance, they are busy with chores most of the day, so I just leave the food prepared for them to grab anytime. I could save you some if you want" she gives it some thought and adds "but if you get here by 7 am you can have breakfast with me" Nana offers expecting nothing.
"it's a date" Link winks at Nana
Rolling her eyes "you know… it's really unfair, you know our names but we don't know yours" Chacha tells Link
Nana opens her eyes "I think… it's too soon, they must pick a name for him, he has been smart not to present himself so far, as of now, he does not have a name"
Thank you Nana, that answering one of my questions
Remembering something Link hits his forehead with his palm releasing Nana from the embrace "by the way Nana, is there a royal stylist here? Or someone who cuts hair... apparently" he glances at Chacha "I need a haircut"
"We don't have one here, the royal family calls for a stylist when they need one, but I think you just need a hair clipping, Chacha can help you with that perfectly" Nana says cheerfully.
"REALLY?" Link looks at Chacha accusatorily, she just smiles and says "I never said anything because nobody asked me… I can do it if you want me to"
Link breaths in deeply, kneels to pick up the pile of clothes once more and states "NOBODY ever told me WHERE to put this damn pile of clothes, and YES Chacha, please cut my hair"