Kitty Council
Summary: Elena brings her five year old namesake to a meeting of the grand council… Co written with Jolly Roger Brat and a companion story to Vacation in Avalor.
Disclaimer: I don't own Elena of Avalor.
Elena smiled as she was carried into the Grand Council's chamber. She had asked if she could watch them in action and Queen Elena said yes. She also told Nell and Bobby Lee that she'd make sure that Elena was on her best behavior.
Before everyone started arriving, Queen Elena slipped her namesake several sheets of paper, and she found a box of crayons. "That's for when the meeting stars, Elena," she explained, "But how would you like to help me bring the meeting to order?"
"How I do that?" Elena asked.
Queen Elena grinned. "With this," she said as she picked up the gavel she used to start and end the meetings. "Just bang it on the table when I tell you, and the meeting can start."
"Okay!" Elena giggled."Is it like a toy?"
"Sort of," Queen Elena grinned, musing her hair. "But I get to annoy Estéban with it!"
"I always love it when she does that," Naomi smirked, seeing Elena in her friend's lap.
"Don't you just love these unintended 'Take Your Namesake to Work' Days?" Queen Elena grinned.
"As long as she doesn't disrupt the meeting too much, I don't see any reason as to why Miss Elena can't watch us," Esteban said as he entered the room and saw a new face in the council chamber.
"She's more than welcome, Esteban," Luisa smiled, kissing Elena's cheek. "I'm sure she'll be on her best behavior."
"Don't worry, abuela. Helen made sure she has something to keep her busy while we're talking," Queen Elena smiled as she pointed at the stack of papers and the crayons. "And Elena did promise she'd be good while we're talking."
"She'll won't understand what we'll be talking about anyway. Her mind would be too focused on her own distraction to fully comprehend our discussion," Estéban smiled a little, seeing Elena sit up straight.
"She's five Estéban. There's a lot she doesn't understand," Naomi mused, taking Elena off Queen Elena's lap.
"Yes, that is true," Esteban murmured. "Very well, she can stay. Shall we bring the meeting to order?"
"That's your cue, Elena!" Queen Elena grinned, handing her the gavel.
"Okay!" Elena giggled, banging it on the table like her namesake had shown her.
"Ay, this is going to be a long meeting..." Esteban murmured.
"That's enough banging Elena!" Francisco chuckled, taking the gravel away as she started to pout. "You can have it back at the end of the meeting."
Elena smiled at the thought before looking at the smiling face of her idol.
"What we talk about?" Elena asked, wanting to know very badly.
"First, we'll talk about plans on how to keep Avalor safe. We know Shuriki was beaten, but there are still people out there who might want to do bad things to the kingdom," Queen Elena started.
"We know it might not be something you want to hear, mija, but it is an important issue," Luisa added, seeing Elena's worried expression. She took her in her arms and hugged her. "But you don't have anything to worry about. Shuriki's gone, and she won't be coming back. We just want to be prepared if other people want to do something like she did."
"Hurt Elena? Will they put her in an am-u-let again?" Elena asked.
"I don't think they'll do something that extreme, but I understand where you're coming from," Queen Elena smiled. "For now, why don't you draw something that makes you happy? It'll take your mind off this."
"Okay!" Elena smiled, and went to work.
"Good suggestion Elena," Naomi smiled at her best friend.
"Yes. It'll keep her from hearing anything more serious," Estéban added, seeing Elena hard at work.
As Queen Elena and the Grand Council continued their talks, Elena was hard at work. She knew just what she wanted to draw now.
She was hard at work on her drawing, murmuring, "Elena kitty...me kitty...Elena friend kitty...Can-sue-her kitty..."
"I think Elena's making her own Grand Council," Naomi murmured, hearing Elena whisper to herself.
Queen Elena peeked under the table as she heard, "Queen Elena kitty say everyone sings kitty songs!"
"I think we have to put that to a vote!" she whispered as she straightened up.
"Put what to a vote mija?" Luisa wondered with a smile.
"Everyone having to sing kitty songs," Queen Elena grinned as Elena looked up from her place under the table.
"What a wonderful idea!" Francisco grinned.
"And everyone in Avalor has to have a kitty!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Everyone?" Naomi smirked playfully, musing her hair.
"Yeah! But if they al-her-gic like King is, they live in stables like Snow White!" Elena added.
"That might be a good idea; it would keep any mice at bay," Luisa smiled. "We wouldn't want them getting into people's homes."
"But it would be impossible to find a cat for every home in Avalor," Esteban murmured.
"Oh, lighten up, cousin," Queen Elena smirked. "These are good ideas for Elena's Grand Council, and we know how big her imagination is!"
Estéban shook his head in annoyance as Elena smiled softly at him.
Five year olds and their imaginations didn't belong in the council. Even if they were a namesake of one of the family.
"Queen Elena make them rules?" Elena wondered, looking up at Queen Elena with a smile.
"You can make them rules for your Grand Council, sweetheart," Queen Elena smiled back. "Why don't you tell us all about your ideas after the meeting?"
"Okay!" Elena giggled, and went back to work.
"The last thing we need is for people to think you're a fool," Estéban grumbled as Queen Elena couldn't help but chuckle.
"Cousin, I know she looks up to me and I would hate to upset her but I know how serious ruling Avalor is," Queen Elena mused, poking him in the nose.
"Yes, you've become much more mature in these last few years," Esteban admitted.
"Coming from you, Cousin, I'll take that as a compliment," Queen Elena smirked.
"What calm a ment mean?" Elena wondered, not looking up from her kitty drawing.
"Compliment!" Estéban corrected with a chuckle. "But good try."
"It means praise. Like telling you how a good job you're doing with your cats," Naomi explained softly with a smile.
"They're kitties," Elena said, frowning a little.
"It's okay, Elena, cats and kitties are the same thing, but different people call them by different names," Queen Elena smiled.
"Okay!" Elena smiled, "That's enough of a new word lesson for today; is there any non-kitty-for-now related business to discuss?"
"I wonder how she knows how to talk like she's part of the council?" Estéban wondered, shaking his head in surprise.
"Her father's a guard. She's probably heard him talk like that a few times," Naomi smirked, patting Elena on the shoulder.
"Or King Roland might have let her sit in on one of his meetings," Francisco agreed. "Prince James and Princess Amber might have learned something from watching him as well."
"Like you said, Elena, don't you love unintended Take A Kid to Work days?" Naomi grinned.
Elena giggled at Naomi's words, letting the grand council and her idol carry on with their discussion of things in Avalor.
Things in Avalor that she didn't understand very well like money or trade. One thing she did understand though was ways of preventing another person like the mean lady from attacking Avalor.
"We don't like the mean lady!" she declared.
"No we don't," Queen Elena smirked. "But we'll never have to worry about her again."
"We don't?" Elena asked with a smile.
"After dealing with her four years ago, I can tell you that no we don't have to deal with her anymore," Naomi assured Elena with a kiss on the cheek.
"Yay!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"I know you're happy but let us finish sweetheart," Queen Elena smiled, looking at Elena's drawing. "Why don't you finish your kitties?"
"Okay!" Elena smiled, and went back to work.
She couldn't wait for everyone to see her picture. If she was lucky, Queen Elena would make sure that it would hang in the palace forever.
After what seemed like a long time, the meeting finally finished, and Elena got to bang the gavel again to end the meeting.
Estéban groaned in dismay, covering his ears at the noise.
"Meeting over!" Elena giggled, giving the gravel one last bang as Queen Elena stroked her hair.
"Nice job, Elena!" Naomi grinned, mussing her hair as she went out.
"I can't remember the last time I had such an enjoyable time at our meetings," Francisco smiled.
"Ay, Francisco," Luisa smirked. She turned to Elena. "Shall we go to the kitchen and get you a few cookies for being so good during the meeting and coming up with such charming ideas?"
"Okay!" Elena smiled.
"After a chat," Estéban muttered, taking Elena by the hand. "Miss Elena?"
"Yes?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Esteban, go easy on her," Queen Elena whispered. "I remember once when Isa was her age and we played hide and seek. She ended up sitting in on one of Mami and Papi's meetings too. Mami told me she slipped Isa a few sheets of paper to keep her quiet, just like I did with Elena."
"You come too?" Elena asked.
"Of course," Queen Elena whispered to her, "Somebody has to keep Esteban out of trouble!"
Elena giggled as Esteban led her and Queen Elena away.
But she frowned, remembering Estéban's words.
She hoped that she wasn't a bad girl.
"Don't worry, Elena, Esteban's bark is worse than his bite, and I'm going to stay with you the whole time," Queen Elena murmured.
"Can-sue-her a doggie?" Elena whispered back.
"No, sweetheart," Queen Elena chuckled. "That just means that although someone says something that sounds scary, what he does won't be so bad."
Elena smiled a little. She was glad that the chancellor wasn't a doggie. She wouldn't have to redo her picture, and Gabby would be okay.
She only hoped the talk would end quickly so she could show off her picture.
She was shaken from her thoughts by Esteban's voice. "Miss Elena, I had my doubts about you attending the Grand Council's meeting, but you surprised me by staying on your best behavior."
"I good girl?" Elena asked.
"Yes," Esteban nodded. "Queen Elena reminded me of when Isabel sat in on a meeting King Raul and Queen Lucia had when she was your age, and she was slipped some papers as well."
"Isa draw kitties too?" Elena asked.
Esteban looked at a picture on the wall. It was a childishly drawn portrait of Queen Elena's family. "No, but it's right there," he said as he pointed out each stick person.
Queen Elena smiled softly at the picture. That was made during a happier time, before Shuriki invaded. She made a mental note to make a copy of the picture to put on Raul and Lucia's Dia de los Muretos altar.
"Mine stay too?" Elena asked with a smile.
"We'll see," Estéban assured her with a smile.
"Why don't you make a second kitty picture that looks like that one, and we can hang that one in your room here?" Queen Elena suggested. "That way you can take your original picture back to Enchancia with you, and you can still see your other drawing if you come here again."
"Okay!" Elena smiled, flapping her hands.
"Come on. We better get you back to Miss Helen before she worries!" Estéban chuckled, taking Elena in his arms.
"Are you getting attached to her cousin?" Queen Elena joked with a smile. "I've never seen you this nice."
"Now that I look at her drawing, I notice that she got my good side," Esteban smirked. "But I think she put too much gray in some areas."
"It looks fine, cousin," Queen Elena smiled. "Helen did tell us that Elena's really good at making realistic pictures."
"We show Mommy?" Elena asked.
"Yes we should," Queen Elena smiled.