The Twelve Days of Christmas

Chapter 24

When Dylan and I turned, we came face to face with an older man, but not an old one. He must have been late 50s, but he looked oddly well kept. Despite his clothes looking like they hadn’t seen a washing machine for months. He looked scrawny, too. Almost instantly, I knew it was the Jimmy that the King had mentioned to us. Which meant that we had stumbled across the one person who had unbending loyalty to the King.

“You have a matter of seconds to explain yourselves. If you don’t, this rock will be going through one of the palace windows. Security will be here in seconds.” I took in the smooth grey rock nestled in his palm. It would be almost impossible to hit the palace windows from where we were, but he seemed so confident. He was happily rolling the rock over in his hand as he talked.

“We are staying at the palace. We aren’t intruders or anything like that.” I tried to plead with him. I couldn’t bear to see the look on Ben’s face when I got carted back into the palace by the guards. “We were just exploring. We didn’t mean any harm. Jimmy, isn’t it? I spoke to the King about you. He was telling me that you live in the park and how much respect he has for you. That he used to bring you food parcels before he was crowned king.” I just hoped by telling him what the King had said that he would believe we were genuine guests at the palace. Anything to avoid getting in more trouble than we were already in. I never should have listened to Dylan, who was remarkably silent in the face of trouble.

“The King was very kind to me. We had many conversations about everything from gardening to current affairs.” Jimmy looked like he was considering that I might be telling the truth. He looked much less sure of himself.

He looked so drawn, strong, but obviously weather worn and underfed. “We are just going to see a friend of mine. To say Merry Christmas mainly. She is looking after my bakery for me while I am taking part in the competition at the palace. Would you like to come with us? There are always bits left over and there’s a fireplace. You look like you could do with a warm drink in front of the fire.” I tried to keep my tone light and not patronising. It might have been the truth, but it was clear he was a proud man.

Almost as though his body was trying to remind him to keep his pride in check, his stomach rumbled. “Where?” He was trying to sound gruff, but it was all an act. He was just a desperate man who wanted to be anything but.

“Just through St James. It isn’t far. The food would only be going to waste, anyway. You take food from the King, what’s the difference?”

“The King is the King. He has plenty. I don’t like taking things from people, especially when they don’t overly look like they have much themselves.” I looked down at myself. I knew I didn’t look particularly well put together, but I didn’t look that bad.

“I am perfectly fine, thank you very much. There is a dripping tap at the shop. Fix it and eat. Simple trade.” I wasn’t nearly as kind or patient as I had been. He had annoyed me with his snap judgement. The same sort of judgement I had been dealing with my whole life.

I didn’t wait for a response. I was done reasoning with him. If he chose to blow the whistle on us, then so be it. I didn’t even bother to look back, but could hear that at least one of them was following me. The leaves were frosted and crunching underfoot with every step.

When I heard the sound of metal clanging against metal, I turned around. Jimmy had kicked the stick out that was propping the tunnel door ajar. Closing it firmly and sealing our fate and the door. We would have no choice but to go to the main gates and explain what had happened. It was the only way we would be getting back in before morning.

It was too late to even bother worrying about it. The damage was done. There was nothing left to do but make the best out of an unpleasant situation. I was already going to be in trouble. I might as well make the most of it and get to see Alice.

I led the way through the park, getting a little too wet as we dragged our way through the ever mounting snow. On any other day, I would have been getting stuck in and having the time of my life. Although playing in the snow after dark was never a good idea. You had no idea what you were really scooping up from the ground.

As we came through the south gate, I could see the lights in the flat on and the wave of relief and excitement flooded over me. I hadn’t dared to get excited to see her until that moment. Part of me had expected her to not be there. It would have been just my luck.

I picked up the pace and was ringing the doorbell multiple times before the others had even gotten out of the gate. As I saw the stream of light from the flat door opening, I started to get overwhelmed. It hadn’t really hit me just how lost I had been without her until that moment. I couldn’t stop the silent tears from falling.

From the look of shock and joy on her face, it was clear she had missed me just as much. She literally lit up and no doubt I did in response. The look wasn’t one I was used to, but it was definitely welcome. She was just as fast getting to the door as I had been getting from the park. It really felt like Alice and I were two pieces of the same puzzle, always had been since the day she came in to interview. We might have been very different, but we just fitted together.

The door nearly hit the wall as she pulled it open. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“That’s the sort of welcome I get. I might just head back.” I shrugged at her and turned. She just turned me right back around and threw her arms around me. I didn’t think I had ever felt a hug quite that tight. It felt like it would last an eternity, and it really was just what I needed. That one hug was worth all the trouble I would have gotten myself into. It might have even been worth the look I expected on Ben’s face.