The Difference Between Real and Pretend

JACKS POV

After sneaking through the halls of the castle, I arrive back at the stables at which Merida had first dragged me to. Most of the horses are gone, with the exception of a black horse who keeps neighing at me. The horse is really annoying, so I conjure up a snowball, and throw it at the side of the horse.

Merida barges in, now wearing a plain, blue dress, and frowns at me. "Yuh didn't have tah attack mah horse."

"It was being rude!" I say indignantly.

She shakes her head a little, and says, "Follow meh. We're going intah thah village."

"Why?"

"Tah get yuh tah blend in. Yuh stand out in yer clothes."

"I like my hoodie!" I protest.

Merida frowns at me again. "We also need tah get yuh a suit. Yer going tah thah ball mah mum is throwing."

"You want me to endure a ball?" I ask.

"Yuh can stay in thah stables all night long tomorrow if yuh prefer," she offers, smirking a little.

"Fine," I grumble. I follow her out of the stables. "What if someone sees me?"

"All the cooks, maids, an' servants are inside thah castle, preparing fer thah celebration tomorrow," she informs me. "Nobody important will see yuh."

She walks me out of the stables, and into the village, where stalls, shacks, and huts are set up, reminding me of my old village back in Burgess when I was still alive.

Merida knocks on a wooden hut, and a chubby, short lady opens it, and I can see the lady's eyes widen fearfully when she sees Merida. I wonder what Merida could've done to evoke such a reaction from this women.

"Maudie!" Merida says weakly. "I need ah favour..."

The woman, Maudie, squeaks, and shakes her head quickly. She tries to shut the door, but Merida pushes the door wide open and barges in. I follow her.

The hut inside is small, with everything crammed into one room. A stove, a small kitchen, and a bed are all together in the one room, and another door is in the corner.

Maudie sits on her bed, a nervous twitch striking her occasionally. She squints suspiciously at Merida, and sometimes at me too.

"Maudie, I need yuh tah get ah seamstress tah make some formal an' non-formal clothes fer mah friend here," Merida says. "I know it's yer week off, but this can't wait."

Maudie quickly nods, and mutters something under her breath that's too quiet for me to hear. She gets up, and tries to distance herself away from Merida as far away as possible. She leaves the hut, and we follow her.

As we walk in between huts while following Maudie, I mutter to Merida, "So why exactly is she afraid of you?"

"It's not meh she's afraid o'. It's mah three brothers. They terrify her. So she hates meh too," Merida explains.

"Your family is the most weirdest royal family I've ever encountered," I muse. Not that I've really ever spent time with royalty. But if I did, I'd think that they'd be more proper, following some manners etiquette or some boring stuff like that.

"Thank yuh," Merida mutters sarcastically. I smirk at her.

Maudie knocks on another wooden hut that looks identical to her. A tall, skinny woman with a nose as large as Santa's sleigh, chin-length brown hair, and large glasses sticks her head out.

"Yes?" the tall woman barks at Maudie.

Maudie gestures towards me and Merida, and the tall woman sighs and beckons us inside. The interior of the hut is exactly the same like Maudie's, but has extra space for a sowing area.