30 Stonegarden Castle / The Getaway, Pt 2

Previously, on Usagi Days: Sylvie, posing as a maid, spills wine on Patty's dress. Sylvie takes Patty to the kitchen, after convincing the Knights that she can fix the stain. Meanwhile, the King invites Ruby to dinner …

- 30.1 - Sylvie and Patty Arrive at the Kitchen -

They had reached the kitchen doors.

Sylvie and Patty were about to enter, when Sylvie turned her head back to the Knights.

Sylvie: "Beg pardon, but ye cannot enter here."

Knight: "We have to accompany the bride wherever she goes."

The Knight was so nervous about the dress—and what the King had in store for them all, if it wasn't fixed—that he didn't even realize he was speaking plainly.

Sylvie, forgoing her speech patterns as well: "We need privacy!"

Knight, sputtering, exasperated: "There's an entire full kitchen staff in there!"

Sylvie: "Good point. We'll have to kick them out, too."

The Knight put his foot down. "No. We're coming in there. The King is going to have our heads if we don't do our job."

Sylvie: "Oh yeah? How do you think he's gonna react when you explain how you all got to leer at his blushing bride-to-be? That you got to, ahem, examine the 'goods' before he did? Huh?"

The Knight turned beet red. "That's not …"

Sylvie placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, hang on. I'm starting to get it. You guys just want the opportunity to ogle her, don't you? Why else would you be so adamant about going inside, huh? Huh!?" She cupped her hands over her mouth, and began shouting. "HEY! YOUR MAJESTY! Your Elite Knights want to see your bride's—"

The Knight, panicking, grabbed Sylvie and covered her mouth. "Alright, alright! Just go! Hurry up!"

He let her go, and shoved her lightly toward the door.

Sylvie grinned, and she and Patty disappeared into the kitchen.

- 30.2 - The Knights Listen In -

The Elite Knights stood before the kitchen entrance.

From behind the closed door, they heard the clumsy maid shouting orders to the kitchen staff. ("Out! Out! Lest we should all incur the wrath of the King!")

The door swung open, and a horde of kitchen workers were hastily shoved out.

Kitchen Staff #1: "What mischief is this!?"

Kitchen Staff #2: "Doth that be the King's bride!?"

Kitchen Staff #3: "Wine hath been spilled on the gown! Oh, we shall all be cast into the Pit!"

The door closed again, leaving only the maid and the bride in the kitchen.

From behind the door now came sounds of water splashing, and clothing being removed. There was even some faint, coquettish giggling ("Hurry, hurry, off! Off!" … "Hey! Don't touch me there! I'm ticklish!").

The Knights looked uneasily at each other as they listened. A few of them had nosebleeds.

Knight, remembering his speech patterns again: "Hast thou finished yet, woman?"

No answer.

Knight: "… Wench!"

Sylvie, finally: "… Hold, Sir Knight! Not yet!"

The Knights shifted nervously. Their patience was wearing thin. The maid was taking too long.

"Thou hast tarried long enough. Be decent, for we shall enter!" he warned.

No response this time. The Knights exchanged worried glances.

Knight: "Enough! This be thy final warning! We enter now!"

The Knights burst in through the door.

An empty kitchen. No maid. No bride.

On the floor, the wine-stained wedding gown. Near the back wall, an open window swung lazily on its hinges.

The Knight sighed. He buried his face in an armored hand. Despondently, he declared: "… 'Twas a good life I hath led thus far. … Fare thee well, my brothers."

- 30.3 - Sylvie and Patty Head for the Provisions Wing -

Patty (dressed in the spirits merchant's attire): "The King's going to throw them all in the Pit. All those poor kitchen workers who had nothing to do with us."

Sylvie: "Nah, doubt it. At worst, they'll just be on chamber pot duty for the next two months."

As they crossed the courtyard from the keep to the provisions section, where Anemone was waiting, Sylvie caught a glimpse of the King, headed toward the keep for his dinner in the Great Hall.

He was accompanied by his Elite guards, as expected, in addition to …

"… Usagi-chan!?" Sylvie whispered to herself, stunned.

Why was Ruby accompanying him to dinner? The King was supposed to have left her alone by now. This wasn't part of the plan. Sylvie's expression hardened.

Patty: "… What's wrong?"

Sylvie: "Nothing. Come on, let's keep going."

- 30.4 - Flashback: Heist Planning -

(Sylvie: "Once the guards realize the two of us have slipped out of the kitchen, we won't have much time before the entire castle is after us.

"I imagine they'll be too afraid to tell the King at first—the entire guard regiment will probably make a last desperate attempt to find us before admitting that they lost us."

Ruby: "So Patty absolutely has to leave immediately, before the flood of guards."

Sylvie: "Yes. And before the drawbridge guards get the memo."

Anemone: "And then, before it closes again … That's our window. It's not opening back up again once the area's on high alert. We have one chance. We have to snatch Ruby up, and make a run for it."

Ruby: "Why can't we just sneak out quietly with Patty?"

Sylvie: "You'll be guarded carefully by Elite Knights. The King will head to dinner, but he's not leaving you by yourself. No way.

"But as long as you stay near the Provisions area, it shouldn't be too much of a challenge. We have the element of surprise on our side. Though I guess it's mostly up to Anemone.

"… So Anemone, do you think you can manage it?"

Anemone: "Of course. I'm no Ruby Hanasaki, but I got skills of my own.")

- 30.5 - Sylvie Sends Patty Off -

Sylvie, to Patty: "Here, put the witch's hat on. It'll help disguise your face. Oh! And remember! Accent! The accent is important."

Patty, nodding: "Accent … Got it."

The alcohol carriage was hitched and ready to go. Patty sat in the driver's seat. She looked down at Sylvie for a bit. Then, sentimentally: "… Thank you. And tell Ruby … thank you."

Sylvie: "Yeah, yeah, of course! Now go! Hurry!"

Patty snapped the reins, and the carriage was off. She nodded to some guards as she passed by them, saying, "Ah, my wine delivery is … finito. I take my leave now, eh? Mamma mia!"

Sylvie, face-palming: "('Mamma mia' … Ugh, that's not … Whatever.)"

As Patty continued on to the gate, Sylvie turned her head toward the main keep, where Usagi-chan was now.

The drawbridge would be lowered soon, and then raised back up almost immediately. Their one chance. The tiniest window.

… How were they going to get her out in time?