A trip on the town, part one.

The next day Alexander stirred awake, feeling a presence looming over him. 

Quickly looking up, he saw two familiar figures, both grinning ear to ear.

"Well, well, well… Sir Alexander, on your way to becoming a consort I see?" It was Jules and his familiar teasing.

"And here I thought we'd never get this far." Karl chimed in with his arms crossed.

Alexander blinked, before slowly raising. 

"What are you guys…?" 

He trailed off when he felt something pulling on him. 

It was then that he glanced down at Elizabeth who was pressed against him. His face flushed as he immediately realized the implications. 

He quickly covered Elizabeth with his blanket before hopping up. "Whatever you think happened, it didn't." 

Karl chuckled as he pressed a finger to his lips. "Shhh, you'll wake your wife." He teased.

Jules snickered as he turned his gaze. "Oh, young love."

Alexander frowned, desperately searching for a way to defend himself. Realizing there was little he could say, he decided to change the subject.

"Shut up, both of you." He hissed, "Why are you here anyway? I don't remember letting you in."

Jules's play demeanor softened as he crossed his arms. 

"I don't remember needing permission to enter OUR dorm, Sir Alexander."

Alexander groaned, rubbing his face with both his hands. "You know what I mean."

Karl chuckled softly. "We wanted to see if you'd come with us to the city, seeing as we don't have class for the week."

"Figured you could use a break from everything." Jules chimed with a casual grin. 

Upon first hearing it the offer sounded tempting, but Alexander knew his friends rarely did things without a catch. 

"The only break I need is one from you." Alexander grumbled, "What are you going to do anyway? Wander the streets?"

"Well if you must know we were going to catch a film, then lunch." 

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Amber has films? How long has this been a thing?"

Jules chuckled. "Well of course we have films. Ambur is where they were invented." He took a step forward, "Have you ever seen one?"

Alexander hesitated. 

Technically he had seen films, but explaining that to Jules would be too much effort for little gain.

He then sighed. "I heard of them, moving pictures?"

"Motion pictures." Jules corrected, "though I suppose that answers my question."

"We're hoping to see A Tale Of Bravery 2." Karl further explained, "It's about a pathfinder that ventures into a new world colony, only to get lost in its dense jungles and fight against strange monsters."

Alexander tilted his head.

Surprisingly that sounds pretty good. 

Plus, it's been a while since he's been able to just enjoy himself with friends. 

"Okay then," Alexander answered, "that doesn't sound horrible. When are we going?"

"Right now." Karl answered, "Oh, and don't worry about clothes, just wear your academy uniform."

"We'll be waiting for you in the lobby," Jules added. 

The two boys turned to leave. 

"W-wait!" Alexander hissed, "What about Elizabeth? I can't just leave her here."

Jules reached for the doorknob with a grin. "You certainly can, Sir Alexander." He then pushed the door open, revealing Hinata standing with her arms behind her back. 

"I'll keep watch of her highness, you should enjoy yourself." She said while stepping forward.

Alexander blinked. "Oh Hinata, you don't mind?" 

Hinata stopped at the edge of the bed. "No, not at all." She replied, "Her Highness is my responsibility. You should enjoy yourself."

Alexander glanced at Elizabeth before meeting Hinata's gaze. "Alright, but if she wakes up tell her she can stay. If she wants."

Hinata smiled warmly. "I'll be sure to relay that, Alexander."

Alexander nodded, before grabbing his uniform and heading into the bathroom.

As he stepped inside he felt relieved. He was finally escaping the dense atmosphere of the academy, even if it was with Jules and Karl.

— — —

The walk into the capital was refreshing. 

It's been a while since Alexander last visited the city proper, so he was a little overwhelmed with excitement.

The streets were packed with carriages and motorized trucks. 

The sidewalks were lined with telephone poles and a busy population. 

The sky overhead was thick with smoke and packed with zeppelins flying from east to west and north to south. 

Some carried goods, others looked to be military vessels, but all carried the flag of Ambur. 

"Man, sometimes I forget how much of a powerhouse Ambur is." 

Alexander whispered to himself.

Karl, who was leading the group, chuckled. "Yeah, we truly are in a golden age. Though sometimes I wonder what'll come after."

"What do you mean?" Alexander asked as the group rounded the corner.

Karl sighed. "Just that Ambur is powerful, but not invincible. We're an island nation with few allies… and none on our scale."

Alexander nodded. 

He was never one for grand strategy, but it didn't take a genius to add 2 and 2.

Power means nothing when your enemies are many, and your allies are none. 

A certain central power learned that… twice.

Jules rolled his eyes. 

"Such dread, if it weren't for the royal navy I'd be shivering by now." He said sarcastically. "Today is a day of relaxation, try not to bore us, Karl."

Karl chuckled as he shook his head. "We're here." He said with a point to a large building. 

Alexander looked up to see grand buildings with an illuminated marquee reading, 'A Tale of Bravery 2, now featuring sound!' In bold black letters. 

Large posters for various movies lined the outer walls, featuring various characters and scenes. 

A small crowd gathered outside the entrance, a mixture of all ages and backgrounds. 

Their voices mixed to create a lively hum. 

Alexander felt his anticipation skyrocket as Karl got in line at the ticket booth. 

The young woman behind the booth smiled warmly. "Well hello, how can I assist you?"

She looked to be just a few years older than the boys, maybe 16 or so.

Karl nodded before reaching into his academy blazer, "Three tickets to A Tale of Bravery 2." He said while retrieving a golden ember.

The woman's eyes widened before she cleared her throat. 

"Uh… the price of admission is one copper per ticket, Do you have a smaller bill? Silver Perhaps?"

Alexander watched the interaction curiously. 

From what he knew golden embers were equivalent to ten silvers and a silver further breaks down into ten copper.

So Karl was essentially trying to fry an egg with the equivalent of a forest fire. 

Alexander chuckled at the thought. 

Karl didn't miss a beat. "Don't worry about the change, consider it a tip for your hospitality." 

He winked with a smirk before placing the bill on the counter. 

The woman blushed before swiftly turning to tear three red tickets off the roll. 

"Here, and… thank you." She turned softly, turning to hand Karl the tickets.

Karl chuckled softly as he accepted the tickets. "Of course, anytime."

"Ugh, not a day passes…" Jules muttered as he snatched the tickets from Karl and headed into the theater.

Karl raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "What? I'm just being friendly."

Alexander shook his head, chuckling softly as he joined Jules in the theater. 

The interior was luxurious.

A vibrant red carpet lined the floor as long curtains draped from the high ceiling. 

Ordinate chandeliers were spaced about equally, while smaller lights were installed in pillars. 

The smell of butter popcorn and chocolate wafted in the air as patrons moved about with quiet chatter.

"Woah," Alexander whispered to himself as Jules led the group to the third auditorium on the left. 

Standing at the entrance was a man dressed in a bright blue uniform with gold trimmings and a cap.

 An usher.

"Tickets please, gentlemen." He said, reaching out a gloved hand. 

Jules handed over the tickets. 

The usher then tore the studs from each one, before handing them back. "Enjoy the picture." He then swept his arm in a polite gesture.

Stepping past the grand double doors and into the theater, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. 

Rows of plush red chairs sloped downwards toward a massive screen framed in gold. 

Conversation was hushed as pops echoed around the room. Patrons are opening their chips and candies. 

The group found their seats in the center, a perfect viewing distance. As the boys settled in, the lights dimmed with a flicker. The chatter then dulled as the sound of a projector spun to life. 

Alexander's eyes widened as the first images danced around the screen. The image quality slowly improved from grainy to crisp, and then… 

There was a sound.

A loud beat of the drum, followed by a flurry of instruments, and the title screen. 

"Welcome! To a tale of bravery…"