"I'll race you to the tree, Rem!" Mariella called out to a boy with brown hair and chocolate eyes.
"You're on," said the boy called Rem.
So, the two took to their starting positions.
"Go!" Rem screamed.
The two children took off. Mariella's dark brown curls flew behind her as she got to the tree.
"Beat you," Meggy said smugly.
"You got lucky," said Rem.
"Mariella!" someone called.
"Coming, Papa!" Mariella called.
Mariella ran back up the hill with Rem at her side. She saw her father standing with Rem's father, King George.
"Papa!" Mariella squealed running into her father's arms.
"Did you have fun today, my sweet?" Mariella's father, Peter, asked.
"Oh, yes, Papa," said Mariella. "We had loads of fun, didn't we Rem?"
Rem nodded.
"Father, when will Mariella come over again?" Rem asked.
"They'll be back tomorrow night for dinner," said George.
"Goodbye, Rem," said Mariella. "Goodbye, Uncle Georgie."
Mariella had been friends with Rem, or Prince Remington, since she was born, and their father had been best friends since they were children. Mariella was George's surgotte daughter. His wife had not wanted any more children after Remington, but George had always wanted a daughter, so he spoiled Mariella every chance he got.
The next night, Mariella and George went back to the palace. At dinner, Remington and Mariella were talking about this and that, while George, Peter, and George's wife Mary, were having a serious conversation.
"Don't you think Mariella needs a mother?" Mary asked Peter.
"She has me," said Peter. "And besides I don't think I could bare sharing my love with another.
"Listen," said George. "Lady Virginetta is young, her husband died, and she has two little girls Mariella's age."
"Alright," said Peter. "I'll meet her."
The next day, George and Mary arranged for Peter to meet Virginetta, and Mariella to meet Virginetta's daughters, Amandine and Sophetta.
While Peter and Virginetta got acquainted, Mariella tried to get to know Amandine and Sophetta.
"Hello," said Mariella shyly.
"How can we help you?" asked one girl with dark red hair and blue eyes snobbishly.
"Dine, this is the girl Mother told us to be nice to," said another girl with ash blonde hair and blue eyes. "You're the Duke of Arrins's daughter, aren't you?
"Yes," said Mariella.
"Oh!" the red-head girl. "I'm Amandine, and this is Sophetta. You can call us Dine and Etta."
"It's nice to meet you," said Mariella said. "I'm Mariella."
"I hear you know the prince," said Amandine.
"Is it true?" asked Sophetta.
"Yes," said Mariella proudly. "Rem is my best friend in the whole world."
"Maybe you can introduce us to him sometime," said Amandine.
"I could," said Mariella.
"What's he like?" Sophetta asked.
"He's very nice," said Mariella.
"Is he handsome?" Amandine asked.
"I never really noticed that before," Mariella said. "I mean, when we play pretend, he always plays the handsome prince that rescues the beautiful princess."
"And you play the beautiful princess?" Amandine asked.
"Yes," Mariella said nervously.
"You think you're beautiful?" Amandine asked.
"Well, Papa says I'm beautiful so I suppose I am," said Mariella.
"You shouldn't call yourself beautiful," said Amandine. "It makes you sound vain."
"You call yourself beautiful all the time," Sophetta whispered to Amandine.
"Shh!" Amandine hissed.
"Sophetta! Amandine! Come here at once!" Lady Virginetta called. She had the hair of Sophetta and the eyes of Amandine.
"Mariella, my darling, would come here please?" Peter asked.
The three six-year-olds went to their parents.
"Mariella, dear, this is Lady Virginetta Densmore," said Peter.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Milady," said Mariella.
"Sophetta, Amandine, this is Peter Montgomery, Duke of Arrin," Virginetta said.
"It's very nice to meet you, Your Grace," said Sophetta and Amandine together.
"You have two beautiful little girls, Virginetta," said Peter.
"Yes, I know," said Virginetta. "You're daughter is- erm- lovely."
"Thank you," said Peter. "She takes after her mother."
When Mariella and Peter got home, Peter set Mariella on the couch.
"What did you think of Lady Virginetta?" Peter asked
"I like her," said Mariella. "She seems terribly nice."
"And what of Sophetta and Amandine?" asked Peter.
"I like them," Mariella said smiling. "Etta and Dine are my new friends."
"What would you say if I were to marry Lady Virginetta?" Peter asked.
Mariella's eyes lit up.
"You mean I would have a mamma?" Mariella asked.
"You will," said Peter.
Mariella's face broke into a big smile.
A month later, Peter and Virginetta were married.
"You must be so happy, Mariella," said Hyacinth, one of Mariella's friends. "You have a mamma now."
"And two sisters," said Annmarie, another one of Mariella's friends. "I wish I had two sisters, but Mamma says that she doesn't want anymore children."
"I have never been so happy in my life," said Mariella."Have you met Dine and Etta yet?"
Hyacinth and Annmarie shook their heads.
Mariella grabbed their hands and dragged them to Sophetta and Amandine.
"Hello, sister," Amandine and Sophetta said together.
Words could not describe how happy Mariella was to be called sister.
"These are my friends Hyacinth and Annmarie," said Mariella, gesturing to her friends.
"It's nice to meet you," Sophetta drawled.
Amandine looked over Mariella's shoulder and saw Remington.
"Mariella look!" Amandine squealed. "There's Prince Remington. Why don't you introduce us to him?"
"Oh," said Mariella. "I suppose I could."
"Fantastic," Sophetta and Amandine said together.
They each grabbed one of Mariella's arms and dragged her to Remington leaving Hyacinth and Annmarie alone.
"I don't like those two," said Hyacinth.
"Me neither," said Annmarie." They sound very mean."
"Hello, Rem," said Mariella. "These are my new stepsister, Sophetta and Amandine. Etta, Dine, this is my friend Remington. I call him Rem."
"It's a pleasure," said Sophetta offering her hand.
Remington looked confused.
"I think she wants you to kiss it," Mariella whispered into Remington's ear.
"I'm not kissing anything!" Remington said disgustedly.
Sophetta looked disappointed and drew her hand away.
"Rem, do you want to go play in the garden?" Mariella asked.
"Sure," said Remington.
Remington and Mariella started walking away.
"Can we come?" Amandine asked.
Mariella looked at Remington.
"I don't mind," said Mariella. "Do you, Rem?"
Remington sighed.
"I guess not," Remington said disappointedly.
Mariella and Remington walked into the garden with Sophetta and Amandine closely behind. When they entered the garden, they went to Mariella and Remington's secret space. It wasn't really a secret but they liked to say it was. They opened the gate and Mariella went to sit on the wicker chair with pink floral cushions.
"Who enters my castle?" Mariella said in a regal voice.
"Lord Remington, my queen," said Remington, walking to the chair and bowing on one knee.
"You may rise, good sir," said Mariella.
"Excuse me," said Sophetta. "But I'm very confused."
"Sister, why are you the queen?" Amandine asked.
"Well, we decided that since this is my home, I get to be the queen, and at Remington's home, he gets to be the king there," said Mariella.
"Well since we live here now," Sophetta started.
"Don't you think we should be queens?" Amandine finished.
"I suppose," said Mariella.
"But Mariella, you're the queen," Remington argued.
"Why can't we all be queens?" Mariella asked.
"Great," Sophetta and Amandine said together.
"We need two more thrones," said Amandine.
Mariella looked to the white table in the center of the secret space. There was only one other chair.
"We only have the two," said Mariella.
Sophetta started dragging the chair at the table next to the chair that was being used as a throne.
"You don't need a throne, do you, Mariella?" Sophetta asked.
"I suppose not," said Mariella.
Amandine sat on one chair and Sophetta sat in the other.
"Now you need to pick a bride," Sophetta told Remington.
"I'm not picking a bride," said Remington. "There's no way I'm getting married."
"We're the queens and we command you to pick one of us a bride," Amandine commanded.
"If Remington doesn't want to get married he shouldn't have to," Said Mariella.
"Yes he does," said Sophetta.
"Or we'll feed him to the dragon," said Amandine.
"What dragon?" Mariella asked.
"What's a game of pretend without a dragon?" Sophetta asked.
"There are no dragons in the Land of the Butterflies," said Mariella.
"Don't you think we need one?" Amandine asked.
Mariella shook her head.
"Well we do," said Sophetta.
Mariella turned to Remington.
"What do you think Rem?" Mariella asked. "Do you think we need a dragon."
"If you're fine with it, I guess we could have one," said Remington.
"Alright," said Mariella. "I guess we'll have the dragon."
Sophetta and Amandine smiled triumphantly.
"Now pick a bride," Amandine demanded. "Or we'll throw you to the dragon."
Remington sighed.
"I guess I'll pick Mariella," Remington said.
Sophetta's and Amandine's smiles faded.
"Mariella?!" Sophetta and Amandine screamed.
"What's wrong with Mariella?" Remington asked.
Sophetta and Amandine calmed down.
"Nothing," Sophetta and Amandine said together.
Soon it was dark and the children exited the garden.
"Papa!" Mariella squealed when she saw her father and new mother.
She raced into her father's arms and turned to Virginetta.
"Hello, Mamma," Mariella said.
"Hello, dear," Mariella said haughtily.
"Hello, Father," Sophetta and Amandine said, walking up to Virginetta and Peter.
"Hello, girls," Peter said cheerfully.
"Come, girls," said Virginetta. "It's time for bed."
Mariella yawned and leaned her head on her father's shoulder. Virginetta tucked her daughters in while Peter tucked in his daughter.
"Goodnight, Papa," said Mariella.
"Goodnight, dear," said Peter.
Peter kissed his daughter's forehead and left to go back to the party.