The Problematic Prince
Chapter Side Story 22 - On The Float

✧ On the Float✧

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Lisa and Bjorn were entirely focused on drinking and stacking, stacking and drinking. The prince drank well and the maid stacked better. The spectators and the servants of the Schuber Palace watched in shock. They were doing a lot better than anyone actually thought possible. 

“Good heavens…” Erna gasped, casting her husband a horrified glance.

   You would think it a simple thing, to drink and then stack the glasses one on top of the other, but there was more to it than that. No two glasses were the same, some were tall and thin, some were short and wide, so it was important that the husband took the right glass and the wife stacked them carefully, otherwise, the tower would be unstable and prone to collapse. There were a few couple already who were not working in unison and their towers toppled early.

   Bjorn felt it prudent to start with the sturdiest, thickest glasses. They might contain the strongest alcohol, but it provided a sturdy base.

   The crowed cheered their hearts out as the competition matured. Erna wondered if the baby knew what was going on. Sure, it would not be able to see the spectacle, but could it get a sense of Erna’s excitement? She didn’t know and couldn’t even begin guess.

   The glasses were piling up, to the point where Lisa was finding it hard to reach the top of the tower, so she climbed up on the table. Bjorn kept drinking and handing over glasses, Lisa kept raising the height of the tower. It was lucky that Lisa’s main job, when she was working with the Hardy family, was working in the kitchens.

   The game was hotting up, two of the other competitors were hot on Bjorn’s heels and followed Lisa’s example of climbing up on the tables. The crowd was worked up into a frenzy seeing this, each of them chanting for the couple they wanted to win, the most popular was definitely Bjorn.

   Then it happened. There was the horrendous sound of tumbling cups and shattering glass. One of the top couples accidentally knocked their tower and the whole thing collapsed. The crowed lost their sanity as it was now down to Bjorn and one other.

   Erna looked at the opposition nervously. He was a middle aged man built like an oak tree, poured gin and gin into his mouth. Enough of it spilled out of the man’s mouth and soaked his clothes. In contrast, Bjorn calmly downed his glass neatly, but still at the same speed.

   “Wait, isn’t that young man one of the twin princes?” Erna heard a spectator call out. She looked behind her and saw a red cheeked man, clearly drunk.

   “You’re drunk, why would the prince be here in a drinking contest?” Someone said beside the drunkard. 

   “No, no, its the prince, I remember seeing his face in the paper.” The drunkard did not shift his position. “He married one of our young ladies…yes…yes, Prince Bjorn.”

   “Now that you mention it, my wife said to me, the other day, that she saw some fancy carriage with a crest on the doors.”

   “Is your wife also a drunk?” The group laughed.

   “Laugh all you want, just wait and see.”

   The group carried on laughing as they turned their attention back to competition. It was fast reaching its conclusion and as close as it was, it was impossible to predict who was going to win. The countdown began, counting down from ten. With each second the crowd chanted, Bjorn was in the lead, then the competitor, then Bjorn again.

   “Three.” The crowd roared.

   Bjorn emptied a glass and handed it to Lisa, who put it at the top of the tower, increasing its height.

    “Two.”

   Lisa looked at Bjorn, willing him with the intensity of her eyes, Bjorn gulped down the beer as fast as he could, not quitting until the very last moment.

   “One.”

   Bjorn slurped at the last mouthful and passed the glass to Lisa, who snatched it from his hand before it had chance to leave his lips and with a gunshot, Lisa placed the last glass.

   Bjorn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, not daring to look at the tower. The crowed was cheering, waving their hands for the victor. Bjorn could see that Erna was one of the spectators on her feet, jumping about and cheering for him.

   “Here,” called out the drunkard, “I told you, he’s the prince.” He was holding up a newspaper with the princes face on it. The article announced the Grand Ducal pregnancy.

   As the crowd cheered for Bjorn’s victory, the newspaper was passed around and eventually made its way on stage, to the bald man who was in charge of the competition. He was having trouble finding any resemblance between the picture of the prince and the dishevelled drank on stage.

   Erna suddenly found herself the very centre of attention, she greeted the crowd with an awkward smile and a wave. She wanted nothing more than to run away at that moment, but there was no escape.

   “So, why are you two here,” someone shouted out.

   Erna could think of no answer, but to hug her belly and will her baby to sleep.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The float that carried the victors of the drinking contest stopped at the centre of the plaza. Erna looked at it and thought it would be nice if she could just go back to Baden Street, but Bjorn was determined to put his wife up on the oak barrels.

   “C’mon Erna, lets go,” Bjorn said, holding out a hand to her as if requesting a dance. The onlookers cheered the Ducal couple.

   Erna let out a sigh and took his hand. She walked up to the platform gracefully and as the two settled onto the float of oak barrels and bright flowers, the crowd cheered for them.

   Bjorn calmly waved and greeted the folks of the village and even gave a brief message to the people of the village. The stiff atmosphere melted away as he announced that he would be taking the grand prize and sharing it with everyone at the festival. He was no longer seen as as someone that had attempted to swindle the village out of its prize.

   Now, whenever Bjorn heard someone shouting their approval, Bjorn would wave at them and smile. He was more than a little drunk and swayed quite violently, the float had not even set off yet. Even after the competition had ended, he was still toasting with those around him.

   Before Erna could take her seat, Bjorn stopped her. “Wait, Erna.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, then, slowly, with embarrassingly graceful movements, he placed the handkerchief on the bench.

   Erna sat down on the oak barrel, trying to maintain her stern posture. The barrel was so high that Erna’s feet dangled off the ground.

   “Lisa.” Bjorn suddenly called out and the serving girl looked up at him in surprise. “You come up too.”

   “Me?” Lisa said, blinking in shock.

   Seeing Bjorn’s intentions, they all cheered for Lisa and those closest started pushing Lisa to the cart. They applauded enthusiastically. Lisa got on board, red with embarrassment.

   “How are you and the baby finding it?” Bjorn asked Erna, as he waved to those running after the cart as it set off.

   “Its nice, I guess,” Erna laughs. “I’m having a pretty good time.” Even though Bjorn was embarrassingly drunk, it felt like the baby was happy. “Thank you Bjorn and thank you Lisa.” Erna  smiled at Lisa, “But, don’t do it again.”

   The people behind them, following the float, started to sing as they trundled so slowly through the village. Bjorn looked down at Erna’s tiny feet, swaying as they bounced along, he couldn’t help but laugh and kissed his wife on the cheek. The crowd behind let out another cheer.

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