Black Holes: A Fictional Narrative

As evening approached, Percy and his friends slipped into the castle and met Lee at the designated storage closet. Lee had recently adopted that name as opposed to his father’s moniker, Lionel. And, Lee had shaved off his blond curls, much to his mother’s chagrin.
“I am tired of being viewed as my father’s twin,” said Lee, age six and ten. “I’m already Ilene’s actual twin, and I will be my own man, even if I am a knight, like my father.”
Percy met up with Lee and Llacheu in the dim corridor. They skulked into the closet, then shut the door, chuckling.
“How many skins do we have to fill?” asked Lee, producing four from under his cloak.
“I have five,” said Llacheu. “You, Percy?”
“I could only manage three without getting caught.”
Lee nodded.

Then, they hid the wineskins in the woods for easy retrieval, once the festival started. There were only so many time they could go in and out of the castle before a guard suspected they were engaged in suspicious activities.
Llacheu kicked dead leaves onto the blanket covering their stash. “Another festival which I shall attend without a woman on my arm. What’s the benefit of being a prince if you can’t attract the ladies?”
Percy laughed. Llacheu was often followed by a gaggle of tittering, swooning young courtiers. He possessed the best features of his parents: his mother’s clear, olive-toned skin, and his father’s fair hair and eyes. Llacheu was muscular, a good height, and the heir to the throne of Camelot. Women of all ages wanted him, but he seemed blind to their attention. Perhaps that was because he had his eye on Lee’s twin, Ilene. But now was not the time to discuss that, not in front of Lee.
“Same here, my friend,” said Lee. “Another festival, and no lady friend. You’re lucky to be betrothed,

Besides, you’ll be knighted next year, and then we’ll have rotten overnight patrols together.”
“But you’ll be sleeping in the part of the knights’ quarters set aside for married men,” said Llacheu, “while Lee and I will be stuck in a stark chamber with two other men. I ask again, what’s the benefit of being a prince?”
Percy shrugged. “You get to be the king one day?”
“And shower us with gold for being your lifelong friends.” Lee elbowed the prince. “Don’t forget that part.”
Their spirits lighter, each made his way home to prepare for the festivities.
XXXX
There was a massive turnout for the Gŵyl Aws festival on the castle training grounds, and Percy was having the time of his life.
It was well past dark when Percy took a break from dancing, but Anna remained out on the field, arm in arm with her sisters and Percy’s. Percy retired to the sea of blankets he and his friends had set up underneath the trees at the edge of the field. He sank down onto the ground and inhaled the rich scent of roasted meat and the sweetness of bilberry tarts as pungent wood smoke from the nearby bonfire swirled around him.
He remained alone on the blanket for a while, appreciating the view of Anna and his sisters enjoying themselves, twirling and laughing as the massive circle dance descended into chaos and