Queen for a Day
Summary: Amber finally gets her chance to reign as queen for a whole day when the king and queen spend the day together in honor of their anniversary. What could possibly go wrong?
A/N: This is a gift to Len Nard and Elena, who requested this story on my Go Fish reviews. Hope you all like it!
"Two years," Miranda cooed to her husband, who smiled broadly as she placed a kiss on his cheek that evening before they sat down to dinner.
"Two amazing years," he corrected, grasping her hands gently. He glanced at the dinner table, where their three children were watching them with interest. He cleared his throat and released Miranda's hands before pulling out her chair, allowing her to sit, and then sitting himself. "Yes, well… I have an announcement."
James lit up. "Are we getting another dog?" he asked excitedly.
"No, no, something much better…" He smiled toward his oldest child. "Amber, you requested something very important a few months ago. Miranda and I will be gone tomorrow for our anniversary, and after lengthy discussion…we've decided you may be Queen for a day."
Amber's eyes brightened and she smiled happily. "Really, Daddy?!" She ran over to her father and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you so much!"
James frowned in confusion. "How is that better than a new dog?" He picked up a turkey leg and shook his head. "You guys were worried about me? Amber will probably make all the servants be her personal jewelry guards or something."
His twin grinned. "Now there's an idea, dear brother. But…" She walked over to him and flicked his forehead, making him wince and look at her pointedly. "I, unlike you, would never be so reckless."
"I'll believe it when I see it," the boy shot back with a smile, watching her sit as he went back to his turkey leg.
"So does Amber get to wear Mom's crown then?" Sofia asked curiously.
"I don't see why not," the queen responded gently, glancing toward Amber. "As long as you promise to take care of it, Amber…"
"Of course, Mother," she said with a smile. "I'll take really good care of it."
"Great, then it's settled," the king announced as he lifted his fork. "While your mother and I are gone, Amber will be Queen for the day, and Baileywick and Cedric can help you."
"No, Cedric most certainly will not help her," Cedric insisted with a huff once Sofia had broken the news to him after dinner. "Poseidon's Pumpkins—she'd be a much more frightening ruler than Princes James. If we were to go to war against someone, it would likely be because 'Queen Amber' lost her favorite pair of earrings and demanded revenge!"
Sofia giggled as she watched her mentor fly into his tirade. She had an idea he'd react negatively to the update, but this was a whole different level at this point. "Oh, Mr. Cedric," she sighed with a smile. "I think everything will be just fine. Amber isn't that bad."
"Sofia, have you forgotten what she's capable of when she's on one of those kicks? She likes to use her powers of persuasion—or worse, your father—to get what she wants. If she has that crown on her head and that temporary title, who knows what kind of things she's going to do?"
The princess slid from her stool and hugged her friend. "You worry too much," she informed him as she smiled up at him before stepping back. "Everything will be okay. Besides, Baileywick will be around. He may not be in Dad's position, but she'll listen to him if he tells her something she needs to hear."
"Oh, good, because the last thing we need is a power-hungry princess picking up where her brother left off." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Mm, maybe this is as good a time to visit Mummy as any."
Sofia gasped. "You can't leave me by myself, Mr. Cedric! Besides, Dad wanted you here to help us all out, not just Amber." She smiled and took his hand encouragingly. "We won't let anything bad happen, okay? Amber may be a little…enthusiastic…but even she knows when to draw the line."
"And if she doesn't?" he challenged, eyeing her carefully.
"She will," the little girl insisted, beaming. "Good night, Mr. Cedric." She hugged him again before waving to the raven sitting on his perch. "Night, Wormwood!"
Wormwood mumbled something as Sofia left.
Cedric moaned in despair as he glanced toward his feathered friend. "Is it still too early to retire?"
The raven cawed, sounding annoyed.
The sorcerer scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Relax, Wormy. It was only a question."
With everything in place for Amber's day as the unofficial ruler of the kingdom, the king and queen left on their anniversary adventure. While both had every confidence that Amber would one day be a fine ruler if she did indeed ascend to that position…they just weren't sure if today was going to be a reflection of that. Still, to be fair, they did want to give her a try.
"Baileywick!" Amber called out after breakfast. She hurried up to him, her face pale and her eyes wide with worry.
"Princess Amber," he said calmly, blinking as he looked up from his long list of errands to do that day. "What's the matter?"
"We have a catastrophe. I specifically ordered Thin Mint Patty Snacks—not Nick Nack Patty Wacks!" She moaned in embarrassment and held a hand to her head.
Sofia looked very confused. "What in the world are Nick Nack Patty Wacks?"
"I believe they are dog treats," Cedric replied with a grin, trying so hard not to laugh at the distraught look on the princess's face. It was just too funny, the mere situation at hand.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Baileywick continued, ignoring the others. "Just how many did you order?"
"Five thousand…" She worried her lip and whimpered.
"Five thousand?" Sofia gasped, looking at her sister in shock. "Amber, even if we gave him a year, I don't think Rex could eat all of those treats."
"He'd sure have fun trying though," James laughed, making his twin glare at him.
"Oh, Sofia, that's not the point," Amber complained with dismay. "I ordered them as a royal snack for the party I'm throwing tonight."
"You're throwing a party?" Cedric asked sarcastically, though it seemed to go right over Amber's head. "Color me surprised."
The blonde girl smirked at him. "And guess who the entertainment is?"
Cedric's mouth dropped. "P-Princess Amber! Again?!"
"That's Queen Amber, Cedric." She adjusted Miranda's crown on her head. "And you seem to forget that you work for this whole family, not just as Sofia's mentor or whatever it is you claim to be. Now I have five thousand dog treats to dispose of, and I have five thousand more mint treats to order. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be rather busy the next few hours. Hopefully that will give you enough time to come up with a demonstration for tonight. James, let's go."
The boy tilted his head as he followed her curiously. "Why me?"
Amber rolled her eyes. "Who else would enjoy destroying a tower of food?"
He grinned. "Brilliant!" He ran ahead of her, opened the door for her, and then followed her out as the door shut behind them.
Cedric groaned as he held his wand tightly. "Does she always have to have the final say?"
Baileywick eyed him pointedly. "You've been around her as long as I have, and I believe you know the answer to that question. Though why she didn't ask you to just conjure up a new order of snacks is beyond me."
The sorcerer sighed and shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm glad she didn't ask me to do that. That girl thinks we're all at her beck and call."
Sofia smiled sympathetically. "She means well," she reasoned gently. "She just doesn't know how to dictate without it sounding kind of…mean?"
"Hmm, clearly." The sorcerer yawned tiredly and twirled his wand in his fingers. "Would you like to help me get ready for this party then, Sofia?"
She grinned. "Sure!" She grabbed her mentor's hand and started tugging him away. "See you later, Baileywick."
The castle steward chuckled as he watched them leave before he went back to his list of chores.
"No, no, no," Amber stated firmly as she eyed the servants, who were carrying in boxes of false leaves. She walked to a box and held up a green silk leaf. She looked up at the woman carrying the box. "It's autumn… Why would we be using green leaves for my party?"
The woman stuttered, "I—I'm truly sorry, Q-Queen Amber, but th-that's all that we could find."
"In an entire kingdom, with everything at our disposal…no one could find autumn-colored silk leaves?" She dropped the item back into the box and massaged her temples. "I wonder how Daddy deals with this kind of thing on a daily basis."
James just grinned and put his hands on his sister's shoulders. "Amber, you're stressing over nothing. Dad has real stresses—treaties to sign, tuition to pay…not fake green leaves."
She sighed and looked back at her brother. "James, you're missing the point. I'm Queen for a day, and I can't even get one thing to go right. How did you manage to get everything to go so smoothly?"
"I didn't," he responded with a shrug. "I had help…from Sofia, from Cedric, from Baileywick… I didn't do everything on my own, and I'm sure if you asked nicely they'd be more willing to help you."
The blonde girl folded her arms as she felt James drop his hands from her shoulders. "But how am I supposed to prove to Daddy that I'm ready to be a queen if I can't even manage these things by myself?"
"You're not, Amber… You're still a kid, like me! We have a long way to go before we're ready." He took her hands and smiled. "You stress over the little things, and it makes you irritable."
"It does?" she asked with a tiny voice, as if just hearing this news for the first time.
"Come on, sis," he said playfully, dragging her away from the party preparations. "The servants and Baileywick can handle this. You've planned everything on your own—all they have to do is follow the list. It will be fine. Why don't you go pick out your dress for the night?"
She smiled brightly. "I do like picking out my party dresses…" She nodded toward James gratefully. "Thanks, James. I don't know what I'd do without you." She hummed happily as she hurried off to her room.
"You'd probably have an emotional breakdown," he mumbled with a grin as he headed back toward Baileywick to confer with him about the party.
"What is that?" Sofia asked in awe as she looked up at Cedric's new creation.
"It's an oracle sphere," he told her, fixing up his device with slight waves of his wand. The sphere was floating, making it easier to design. "The idea behind it is that you can ask it anything, and it will give you an appropriate answer based on your current situation."
"So…if I asked if I'm going to pass my test next week…"
Cedric smiled toward her. "It will give you a definitive answer, but take into consideration that you can affect the outcome yourself, Princess Sofia. The future is never set—it's always changing. One slight alteration can make a world of difference. Besides, it can answer current questions just as easily."
"Oh…" She smiled. "I hope this doesn't go over everyone's head…"
He laughed shortly before tapping the sphere one final time. "It honestly wouldn't matter much to me. This is the one item of entertainment I'm able to provide with my hectic schedule, so they'll just have to make do."
"Can I try it?" she asked excitedly.
"Of course." He motioned for her to stand near the sphere and instructed, "Repeat after me: 'Enchanted Oracle, please reply; hear my query and raise it high.'"
Sofia nodded, repeated his words, and lit up as the oracle glowed. "What now?" she whispered.
"Ask your question."
"Oh… Um, Mr. Oracle, what's my favorite color?"
"Seriously?" the oracle replied with a joking voice, making the princess giggle. "Well, based on your color scheme, I'd have to say purple."
"Yes! Wow, this is amazing, Mr. Cedric!"
"I'm glad you think so." He tapped the oracle, making it power down again, and he placed it into a box. "Let's hope Amber thinks so as well."
She grinned. "Even Amber can't say anything bad about this." She left with her friend and shut the door to his workshop as they descended the stairs.
That night, the decorations were strung just as Amber had requested. Floods of guests poured into the ball room, and an entire line of gourmet foods in buffet fashion was displayed for all to enjoy. Baileywick was overseeing everything, and James and Sofia were standing near the stairs, waiting for Amber's entrance.
"Typical," James mumbled to his sister. "She's always late to these things…"
Sofia smiled and nudged him gently. "She'll be here," she assured him. "Just give her time."
"Sofia, it's been almost half an hour since this thing started." He huffed. "Why do girls always take so long to get dressed?"
She giggled, shrugging. "Maybe she doesn't have helpful birds."
"What?"
"Nothing!"
Amber tossed nearly half of her dresses from her closet and moaned in despair. "Three hundred and sixty two dresses, and I have nothing to wear!" She sighed before collapsing onto her floor, pouting. It was hard being the queen, especially when she didn't want anyone to see her in the same dresses she wore as a princess…not that it would make much difference since she technically wasn't the queen yet, but still…
She stood to her feet and walked over to a white treasure chest, which was usually covered by a quilt. She inhaled slowly and knelt beside it, unlatching the locks and opening it. She pulled out a box and set it onto the floor. She shut the lid to the treasure chest and lifted the lid on the white box, unfolding the silk fabric that was wrapped securely around something.
She pulled out a note and read it, a tear making its way down her cheek before she sniffled and wiped it away. Flipping her hair out and trying to make herself more presentable, she stood and lifted a beautiful gold dress from the box.
Amber smiled. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered, hugging the last gift her mother had given her to herself.
Ten minutes later, the guests paused as Amber finally descended the stairs. Her golden dress was more regal than any other she'd ever worn, and Miranda's crown was nestled securely in her hair.
"Announcing Queen Amber, as appointed by her father King Roland, for this very day," Baileywick told the crowd, smiling as the guests cheered and clapped. He took her hand as she stepped off the staircase and whispered to her, "You look beautiful. Your mother would be proud."
She smiled happily. "Thanks, Baileywick…" She tugged at the fabric gently. "I was a little worried it wouldn't fit, since…well, you know."
"It stretches," he informed her, winking. "She had Cedric put an enchantment on it, just in case."
Amber chuckled softly. "Naturally." She turned with a bright smile to her guests. "Welcome, everyone! I do hope you are enjoying the party. Please, help yourselves to our gourmet buffet, and have fun."
Sofia ran over to Amber and took her hands, smiling. "Amber, you look amazing!" she said excitedly. "I have never seen this dress before."
"It was…" She paused, closing her eyes before looking back at the brunette with a fond smile. "My mother gave it to me."
Sofia blinked, tilting her head. "She did? When?"
"A few years ago, before you arrived… I, um… I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" She grinned as she pointed toward Cedric, who had an actual crowd surrounding him in interest. "Let's go check out what Cedric came up with. People actually seem fascinated."
"They should be! You'll love this; come on." She pulled her over to the crowd.
James followed after them and stood near Amber. "You look great, sis," he told her quietly so only she could hear. He wasn't one to be mushy or anything, but he knew how much the dress and the party meant to his sister.
"Thanks, James," she told him gently, smiling and taking his hand, squeezing it. "Thanks for all your help too. I don't think I could have done this without you."
He grinned. "Hey, what are twins for? 'We stick together through thick and thin,' remember?"
"Hmm…" She nodded and turned back to the events at hand, impressed with everything.
Later, after everyone had gone home, Amber gathered with her siblings, Cedric, and Baileywick while the servants were cleaning up the ball room.
"I just wanted to thank you all," she said, taking off the crown and shaking out her hair. "I appreciate your hard work and not giving up on me."
"Anything for Queen Amber," Sofia said happily, playfully curtseying to the other girl.
The blonde laughed. "No, no, Sofia… Just Princess Amber now. I think I can wait to be queen. And Cedric." She turned to the sorcerer and offered him a rare genuine smile. "Nice work tonight."
He looked as surprised as the others did. "Th-Thank you, Princess Amber." He proudly tucked the oracle under his arm and nodded to Sofia. "Meet you in the morning for transformation practice?"
She grinned. "I'll be there!" She hugged him happily before turning back to the others as Cedric disappeared to his workshop for the evening. "So…did Mom and Dad know about this party?"
Amber laughed nervously. "Not exactly… But we don't need to tell them, right, Baileywick?"
The steward raised an eyebrow at her before shrugging. "I don't know what you're talking about, Princess Amber. Good night, all." He, too, left the room.
James yawned. "Well, I think I'm going to bed. Good night." He laughed when Sofia gave him a hug. "Night, Sof." He kissed Amber's cheek, making her squeak in annoyance. "Night, Amber," he teased, leaving.
The older twin sighed and rolled her eyes. "All right, I've had enough fun for the day. Have a good night, Sofia. I'll see you in the morning." She turned and started walking, hearing Sofia bid her good night as well as she left in another direction. The blonde girl smiled fondly, tracing her fingers along the fabric of her gold gown. "Good night, Mom," she whispered. "I love you."
The end
(A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this. I actually was slightly worried to write Amber, but I hope I portrayed her accurately. I really enjoy her character, and she's so much fun. I also like to think that she possibly had a special bond with her mother, though we probably won't find out about that for a long time. :) It's been a long week, and I'm recovering from a cold to get ready for…shudder…Homecoming Week for our students next week. Should be interesting! Ha. You all have a great weekend, and I'll write again soon. By the way, I'm doing another poll. Go vote on what you think would be a good story to read next! And if you have any other ideas you'd like to see, let me know in the reviews, and I'll see what I can do. :) ~AquaTurquoise)