The cafe was Ishaan's idea. Of course it was.
From there, the four of them settled in, ordering something, the initial awkwardness melting.
"So if you don't mind me asking, what were you two doing in that sketch alley?" Ishaan asked as he sipped his vanilla strawberry milkshake.
"Like it's difficult to think you were lost? Like you are locals, and I doubt you just had an impulse to go into that kind of alley."
"Well, the truth was we were trying to locate a cafe, supposedly our late grandmother's go-to place whenever she wanted to escape from everything." Isabella started with a tint of sadness.
"True, she told us about that place, and as kids, we once visited it, but it had been a long time, so we decided to revisit it. Nothing special, but then we got ambushed and well," Estella said this with a nervous giggle.
"Ahhhh.. I see," said Ishaan.
…
"So if you don't mind me asking, where are your parents? Like you were talking about your parents, so I was curious," Estella said, breaking the silence.
"Ahhh.. It's nothing, just their old age getting to them," Ishaan commented ever so nonchalantly.
"So I decided to go around town to explore; like, who would want to just stay in their room holdup when we are in one of the last monarchies in the world"
Aaron noticed again how both Isabella and Estella's eyes lit up when Ishaan talked about Alzaras, but he just chalked it up to sheer patriotism.
Estella finally stood up with excitement, " Well, if you are here to explore, then it doesn't make sense for you to sit around, does it"
"What do you propose, my fine lady?" Ishaan, playing his sarcastic card.
"A city tour by us, a way to say thanks", Estella said aloud, looking at Isabella, who was just as confused as Aaron.
"Well… I don't mind if they don't," Isabella added as she was still caught off guard by the events that took place.
"Well, sure, why not? It doesn't seem we have much choice here, does it?" Aaron replied.
As they all left the cafe, Ishaan and Estella took off like a jet.
"Well, it seems I am not alone being dragged by the whims of their little siblings", Aaron sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Isabella.
"Ya, that makes two of us," Isabella replied
As they moved forward, Ishaan and Estella jumped around stalls, while Aaron and Isabella walked at their own pace behind them.
Aaron kept glancing at Isabella, who walked so dignifiedly that he was nervous even to speak.
After walking for a bit and contemplating, the best question he could come up with was.
"So this Reveal festival. I am curious, as it seems to be a big occasion around here, so I was just curious about what it is?" Aaron asked as composed as he could be.
"It is an old tradition, so to speak", Isabella replied as she kept walking.
"You see, it's our ancient belief that for a ruler to rule, it must know its people first"
Aaron spoke up, "Like live like commoners?"
"Perceptive, aren't you? Yes, basically, till the heirs to the throne turn 17, their identities are kept hidden," Isabella replied with great intensity.
"So they live out like common people their early years? Doesn't it affect their, I don't know, princess training ?" Ishaan asked as he wore a goofy dragon mask from some shady vendor.
"No, you dummy, we…..ahm… I meant they, for the first 14 years, stay in the palace where friends and helpers are assigned to them, and they endure their royal training." Estella replied as she laughed hard on Ishaan's mask.
"So I assume that at their coming of age, this festival is held to, like, unveil them to the public", Aaron replied as he sought out a bench near the canal and glanced at Ishaan.
"Ya, but it's still not over. This festival is like a highly domestic event; very few outside guests get the chance to visit this time, so you should count yourself lucky," Isabella replied as she settled near Aaron, close yet at a comfortable distance.
"Gezzz, this is so complicated, like how do you even make sure this stays within this nation? Like, I could just go out of the country and blab out to my friends; well, that isn't a bad brag" Ishaan's hand on his chin in a sarcastic way as he asked the question.
He had stopped moving forward once he saw Aaron settling as he started to roam around the marketplace near him.
"Well, genius, let's see how much of your brother's observation power you have. Now, can you tell me in this country how many cell phones you have seen?" Estella replied to his sarcastic quip.
"Ohhhhh…. A challenge, huh?" he looked around for a bit. "Well, I'd be damned their are none instead i see a hell lot of landlines and phone booths" Ishaan replying.
"Ya, that's it. A week before the festival, a network signal is launched by the palace, jamming all cellular communication, and all landline communication goes through the central intelligence network," Estella boasted proudly.
"Ahhh… I'll be damned". He noticed how his mobile had no network. " No wonder they said before coming to download the Alzards map at the airport, but that's a very primitive style, don't you think?" Ishaan replied.
"It's not that we are banned from having cell phones; it's just that we never needed one for mail and messages. We have laptops and we do have cell phones, but we never require them too much, so we all carry them when it's very much needed else just use the phone booths." Isabella replied
"What about the people? They can they still speak as they get out of the kingdom?" Aaron pulled out this sketchbook and gloves.
"The oath of secrecy: when the reveal happens, all outsiders are required to report at the grand hall, where they are made to sign the oath of secrecy, and this is done as they ascend the throne when they turn 19. Before that, they go and live a few years outside the country to learn about other cultures," Isabella spoke as she watched Aaron start sketching on instinct.
…
"Ahhh, I see", after a brief pause, Aaron, who had already started drawing the landscape, replied.
.
Down the market, Estella had dragged Ishaan into what looked like a haggling war with a vendor over something neither of them probably needed. Ishaan was gesturing wildly. The vendor looked simultaneously exhausted and entertained. Estella looked like she was winning.
"He's always like that?" Isabella asked.
"Since birth, I think," Aaron said, not lifting his gaze. "The doctors were concerned."
Isabella laughed — not the polite kind. The real kind slightly surprised her. Aaron looked at his drawing like he hadn't meant to be funny.
They watched Ishaan hold up whatever he'd bought with the pride of someone who had just won a war. Estella applauded. An elderly woman nearby also applauded, apparently just caught up in the moment.
"She's always like that, too," Isabella said quietly. Almost to herself.
Aaron glanced at her. There was something in her voice — not sad exactly. Just the specific kind of fond that comes with having watched someone you love be completely, unapologetically themselves for years and being grateful for it.
He understood that feeling. He just didn't say so.
"Your parents," Isabella said, turning back to him. "Will they be alright?"
"They'll be fine. Just need a few days horizontal." Aaron paused. "It happens every time we travel. My mother insists on coming anyway. My father insists on pretending he's fine until he isn't."
"Sounds familiar," Isabella said, with a small smile that suggested a story she wasn't telling.
Aaron noticed. Filed it away next to the polished speech and the cut-off sentence about the visitors. Said nothing.
As the day rolled to the end, they walked back to the same place where it all started.
"So then it's goodbye, thanks for the tour", Aaron said gently.
"Bye then", Estella replied.
"See ya", Ishaan replied
Isabella didn't reply. Aaron's face went a bit dull as he turned away towards the shadowed lane
But as both Aaron and Ishaan started to walk away, Isabella finally spoke out,
"So, do we meet again tomorrow? well you parents as you said will be bedridden for a few days, we can show you around town, if you want" Isabella clutching her hands.
Ishaan was caught off guard, but Estella was more shocked than caught off guard.
But what stood out was Aaron, who simply looked at her for a moment and then spoke out boldly, "I'm here at 9 a.m., then"
Isabella, hearing his response, gave a genuine yet soft smile, which was accompanied by the soft glow of the sunset.
As they both walked away
"Who knew you had this much MC energy, broski?" Ishaan replied with his usual sarcasm
But to his surprise, Aaron, instead of being flustered, with a calm confidence, just replied, "Well, it seems you are finally rubbing off on me, bro"
Ishaan didn't have a comeback for that. It was the first time all day. All he did was smile.