"I cannot believe this! There really is a Princess Charon!" Princess Venus exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, but I wonder if she is like the legendary one?" Princess Jupiter spoke up. The Princesses of Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars were assembled along with Princess Serena and the cats in the parlour, discussing the surprising announcement that the Moon Princess had just made to them.
"Good point, Jupiter. Perhaps the legend was invented to hide the true princess's identity?" Mercury mused wisely.
"Venus - story!" Estrella exclaimed. "Tell! Tell!" Venus beamed and got to her feet.
"Well, the story begins on the sixteenth birthday of Prince Char of Charon, the moon of Pluto. Amidst the joyous celebrations his parents Queen Chara and King Char were very sad - now their son had come of age he no longer needed their care. They desperately wanted another child to look after however they believed they could not have one.
"Now one day Queen Chara was shopping at the local market, something she couldn't do very often because of her position but something she enjoyed doing when she could. As she walked along she accidentally bumped into a small girl. The girl looked at the queen's stomach and placed her hands on it. She said, 'are you happy that you are with child?' Of course, Chara was confused by this girl's words; but a few months later Chara discovered she was indeed pregnant - just as the girl had said! The queen was curious about this girl, and requested she be found and brought to the palace. Her guards and advisers searched the land for the girl she'd described however they had no luck.
"One evening, when Chara was almost asleep, a gentle breeze caused the canopy of her bed to flutter, which was strange as no windows were open. The queen sat up - and there, stood at the bottom of the bed, was the girl! She was silent, merely smiling sweetly, and Chara took her image in with wide eyes. She couldn't help but notice how she resembled herself when she had been a child - the same long, dark, green hair; but her eyes were of the palest blue.
"'Who are you?' The queen inquired.
'I am your daughter in the future,' the girl replied. 'The child you are bearing will grow to be me.' Chara gasped.
'But…how?' She whispered, but with another breeze the girl vanished.
"Months passed quickly, and Chara gave birth, unsurprisingly, to a lovely baby girl. Such was their love for their newborn daughter that the king and queen decided to name her after their kingdom, and therefore she became Princess Charon. As she grew up she was cared for by both of them and her older brother and by her eighth birthday she was exact image of the girl who had visited Chara all those years ago - soft skin, hair the same colour and length as her mother's and eyes so pale that they shone like blue ice. She was polite and a magnificent dancer, imbued with an incredible grace, and she filled her parents with great joy and pride.
"Thus, this was the tale of the Outer Moon Princess." Venus ended with a flourish of her hands and curtsied deeply as the other princesses applauded and Estrella cheered. The kitten loved listening to Venus's stories, she always acted out what she was saying so beautifully that Estrella never wanted her to stop.
"I am quite looking forward to having a new princess around." Mars remarked.
"New friend!" Estrella beamed. "Me like new friends!" Venus nodded.
"So do I, Estrella."
"And how do we know that she is going to be nice? She is probably going to be spoilt, big-headed and rude! How many other princesses have a famous story written about them?" Jupiter said pointedly.
"Once again Jupiter has a point. Did it not say in Chara's letter that the princess has never once been out of her, her husband's or her son's sight?" Mercury remarked, they all nodded. "We may have to be a little careful around our new visitor."
"You've been awfully quiet." Mars said to Princess Serena. The blonde girl looked at her companions with a rather anxious expression on her face.
"Sorry, I just cannot help but wonder how Charon is going to react to being so far away from home…" she sighed. "We must make her feel welcome and not leave her out of anything - no matter what. Also, I cannot agree with what Jupiter thinks; my mother speaks so highly of Queen Chara that I cannot believe that her child would be in any way spoilt." The others nodded just as Queen Serenity entered.
"Hello, girls," she greeted them all pleasantly. "I wanted to inform you all that the Princess Charon will be arriving early tomorrow morning. I would like you all to be assembled in the landing bay in order to greet her."
"Very well, mother." Serena looked up at her. "Will you sit with us for a while? You look tired." Serenity shook her head regretfully.
"I am afraid I just have too much to do, my dear." She replied. "I will see you all at dinner." With that she left again.
"She must have much to arrange before the princess's arrival." Mercury remarked. "Perhaps we ought to inquire if there is anything that we can do to help."
"That is a good idea, Mercury." Mars agreed. "We cannot expect Serenity to do everything herself."
"Let us go after her, then." Jupiter announced, getting to her feet.
"You also, Estrella!" Venus declared and scooped the kitten up in her arms.
Queen Serenity was still walking down the corridor as the girls caught her up.
"Oh, hello again," she remarked with surprise. "How can I help you all?"
"You should really be asking us how we can help you." Serena smiled. "We would like to assist you in preparing for Princess Charon's arrival, mother."
"Help Maj'stee!" Estrella piped up. Serenity smiled at them all.
"That is very kind of you." She told them. "Follow me and we shall see what still needs to be done."
x x x x x
"Well, Your Majesty, this is quite an event, isn't it?" The Lunarian Ambassador, Xizor, remarked as casually as he could despite his very clear agitation over everything. It was the next day, and he was stood in the landing bay alongside Queen Serenity, the princesses, cats and a few of the courtiers. The atmosphere was tense and excited, as the murmuring coming from both princesses and courtiers filled the area with a buzzing sound. "It is not every day that you receive someone you did not think existed, what?" Serenity, who stood with her hands clasped in front of her and a solemn expression on her face, wasn't listening.
"Not long now." She murmured to herself, looking at the starlit sky.
Estrella had noticed how serious Serenity looked and wondered if perhaps she was worried that the new princess would not be a very nice one. She looked over at the princesses who were already there - Princess Venus, who could tell wonderful stories and make her laugh; Princess Mars, who never really said much but when she did she was always very sweet; Princess Mercury, who always seemed to be looking at big, thick books and said lots of long words that Estrella never understood; Princess Jupiter, who was very brave and always looked after her when they walked down the long, dark corridors; and finally Princess Serena, who was beautiful, friendly and allowed her to sleep in her lap as long as she wanted.
Estrella's curiosity got the better of her in the end, and so she trotted over to Queen Serenity and asked:
"Maj'stee? What new princess like?" Serenity looked down at her and a small smile came to her lips.
"I do not know, Estrella. But if she is anything like her mother then she will be lovely." She replied.
"It's here! It's here!" A female courtier suddenly exclaimed, pointing out towards the small, silver spacecraft that was getting closer to them by the second. The buzzing of the small crowd suddenly got louder.
"Ship! Ship!" Estrella exclaimed delightedly, running back to the princesses.
"That is right, Estrella, you clever little thing!" Princess Serena smiled, picking her up.
"The ship which holds you-know-who." Venus added as it landed in the bay. The crowd hushed as (after what seemed like a lifetime to Estrella) the doors slid open and a man walked out.
"Your Majesty," he greeted as he bowed deeply to Serenity. "Their Royal Highnesses Queen Chara and King Char send their love, best wishes and deepest thanks." Serenity nodded. "The princess, I am afraid, is rather nervous, she has rarely set foot out of the grounds of the royal palace of Charon and never without a member of her family and has never been in a crowd of strangers."
"I see," Serenity responded, nodding her head slowly. "I will go on board to speak with her and reassure her that we are all friends here." It was the man's turn to nod.
"Very well, Your Majesty." He walked back to the ship. Serenity turned to her companions and gazed at each of them firmly.
"Now you heard what the man said, so please do not get too excited."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The princesses replied in unison; the courtiers nodded understandingly.
"Good." With that she turned and entered the ship.
"Fancy that, hardly ever leaving the palace grounds!" Venus remarked.
"She must have been awfully lonely." Mercury said quietly.
"Another clue that she might be spoilt." Jupiter added.
"Shh! Here they come!" Mars exclaimed as Serenity reappeared, a smile adorning her face. She took a side-step, and a terrified looking girl was revealed.
"That is her!" Venus whispered excitedly. "Just like the legend!"
Estrella, still in Serena's arms, gasped quietly as soon as she saw her, her mouth remaining open as she gaped at the arrival. She was real! The Outer Moon Princess, whose story she loved to hear since her birth, was now stood in front of her! She looked exactly like how Venus had described her…
But there was something about her that was different…
The princess's pale blue eyes were wide with fear as she stared out at the group. Her hair was the same colour and length as Princess Pluto's and she was of an average height for a fourteen year old although her legs seemed to be very long. She was wearing an ankle-length, fitted gown, which was held up by thin straps. The purple bodice was edged with silver and covered in tiny glass beads, which glittered brightly as the light hit them. The skirt consisted of three layers of different shades of purple and different lengths. She was clutching something small in her hands, but, try as she might, Estrella couldn't make out what it was. Queen Serenity was carrying a long, thick, dark purple cloak, which the princess must have been wearing. The princesses gazed in awe as she walked from the ship, each step she took was very graceful and light. She suddenly froze, and looked around her like a wild animal trapped in a cage. Serenity also stopped, and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to look up sharply, panic visible in her eyes. As soon as their eyes met Serenity smiled gently and she smiled back, her eyes softening. Estrella felt confused as Serena placed her back on the ground - the princess was so scared! The Outer Moon Princess in her imagination was always very brave!
"Everyone, this is Princess Charon." Serenity introduced. "Your Highness, these are some of my loyal courtiers," the courtiers bowed and curtsied to the girl, then continued to stare at her. "My ambassador, Xizor." The man rushed forward, bowing over and over as he got closer to her.
"It is an absolute honour to meet you, Your Highness, an absolute honour." He gushed, bowing again. Serenity gazed at him warningly, and he immediately shuffled back to where he had been stood before. The queen continued with her introductions.
"And finally here are the princesses of the Inner Galaxy, who reside here also." Serenity led the newcomer towards them. "Princess Venus," Venus stepped forward and took Charon's hands, giving the girl her best smile, which unfortunately wasn't returned.
"Welcome, Princess Charon." She greeted, then walked back to her place.
"Princess Mars." Mars smiled and nodded slightly, Charon nodded back, her face very solemn.
"Princess Mercury." Mercury stepped forward shyly.
"Hello, Princess Charon, I hope we can become friends."
"Princess Jupiter."
"Nice to meet you at last, Princess Charon."
"And my daughter, Princess Serena." Serena curtsied politely and then gave Charon a reassuring smile.
"Welcome, Princess Charon; please, do not be nervous, we will look after you and I hope you will feel comfortable and at home here in our kingdom." Serenity smiled proudly at her daughter, then turned back to Charon.
"And here are my advisers - Luna and Artemis, and my adviser-to-be, Estrella." The two older cats took a step forward and bowed their heads respectfully.
That was when Estrella saw her chance to get really close to the new princess.
Before anyone could say or do anything she shot forward, launching herself towards Princess Charon's chest, expecting the girl to catch her.
"New princess!" She cried out excitedly.
Unfortunately, Estrella didn't get the reaction she'd hoped for.
Princess Charon's eyes once again widened with fear as the kitten leapt at her. Letting out a terrified cry the girl moved to hide behind Queen Serenity swiftly. Estrella fortunately landed on her feet and stood staring at Charon. She hadn't caught her! She was scared of her! At first the kitten didn't know how to react to this, then decided to do what she did best - she began to wail loudly, tears immediately rolling down her cheek. "New princess…mean!" She sobbed, and the courtiers gasped at her outburst.
"Estrella!" The other princesses exclaimed, shocked at what she'd just done and what she'd said. Charon, meanwhile, was peeking out from behind Serenity's back.
"What…was that?" She whispered, using her voice for the first time. "I have never seen anything like it before in my life!" Serenity looked at her sympathetically.
"She is a cat; I am so sorry she scared you, she is only a baby and gets excited rather easily." Charon looked at the other princesses, who were trying to calm down the distraught kitten.
"I am so sorry," she announced, and suddenly started to cry as well. "So sorry indeed!" With that she turned and ran back to the Charonian ship.
"Charon!" Serenity called after her, then sighed and looked back at Estrella. "Oh, Estrella." She murmured, shaking her head sadly. Estrella sniffled and blinked her eyes.
"Me do bad?" She whimpered, and the queen nodded. "Me sorry."
"It is not I you should be apologising to." She told her, then went after the upset princess.
"I see I am going to have to give you some lessons in self-control." Luna said sternly to the kitten. "You cannot just go throwing yourself at strangers like that!"
"Sorry." Estrella murmured again, unable to look up from the ground. Queen Serenity had been right - she had made the new princess cry and run away, and she knew that it was her fault. She decided that the next time she saw her she would apologise.
"What shall we do now?" Princess Mars asked. "Should we go and help Serenity?" Serena shook her head.
"No, I think we should go back into the palace and wait until Charon comes to us." She announced.
"That is a good idea." Mercury agreed.
x x x x x
The following hour passed slowly. The princesses and Estrella had been in the parlour since leaving the landing bay, and Queen Serenity had been in to inform them that the distraught and clearly homesick Charon had been taken straight to her room, where she had almost immediately fallen asleep. The other princesses all felt quite sorry for her.
"I do not think I have ever seen anyone look quite so frightened," Princess Mercury remarked. "Poor thing."
"I do hope she is going to feel better soon." Princess Serena spoke up. "There was an unmistakable warmth in her eyes, despite her nervousness - I could tell straight away that once she has got used to her surroundings she will be a good friend to us all."
"It is a shame she did not get off to the best start," Mars spoke in her gentle manner. "But I am sure with time everything will be fine."
"So, Jupiter, what do you think?" Venus inquired curiously. "Do you still believe she is spoilt and rude?"
"No, I do not. She would have been a lot more confident otherwise." The brunette princess answered.
"Have you had much experience with spoilt people, Jupiter?" Mercury inquired.
"Only one, my cousin; she is terrible." Jupiter shuddered. "She is, without a doubt, the best tantrum thrower in the galaxy, if not the universe!" Estrella was sat on the floor, not really listening to the conversation. Her mind was going through what had happened at the landing bay over and over again; each time realising just how badly she'd behaved. She felt so ashamed of herself, for one of the first things she had learnt was the difference between right and wrong, and she had let that lesson slip out of her mind that day. It had been only a week after her birth and she had just found her feet. Whilst taking a tour of the palace to show off her new-found skill she had come across the kitchen, where the cooks were preparing dinner. Feeling hungry the kitten had sneaked in, leapt up onto one of the work surfaces, and immediately taken a piece of hot fish from a plate. She had dropped it straight away, burning her mouth, and had started to cry loudly. One of the cooks had grabbed hold of her, furious, and had taken her to Queen Serenity. Estrella had expected the queen to be sympathetic and understanding when she explained tearfully what had happened; however, Serenity had simply sat and looked at her seriously. After a few moments of silence the kitten had meekly apologised and Serenity had asked her if she had learnt anything. Estrella had nodded, and said that she shouldn't have gone into the kitchen and would never do it again. After that Serenity had smiled and asked someone to fetch Estrella a bowl of water to cool her aching mouth.
What she had done earlier had been no better than going into the kitchen. She had gone against what Queen Serenity had asked and that was why she had spoken to her so firmly following the incident. She got to her feet, deciding that she'd sat around, feeling sorry for herself, long enough. It was time for her to be brave, go to the princess's room and apologise to her. She just hoped that she wouldn't get lost on the way…
"Estrella, where are you going?" Serena inquired.
"Me go walk." She announced.
"Do not get lost!" Mercury called after her as she left. Estrella looked up and down the corridor as she tried to remember which way it was to the princess' rooms. Finally she decided to go left, although she didn't know why. She walked along, looking at the pictures that lined the walls, or the pretty rugs she walked over, anything that happened to catch her attention. She suddenly noticed how dark the corridor she was walking along was getting and then there was a loud bang as a door behind her closed, leaving her in almost complete darkness.
"Princesses? Luna? Art'mis? Maj'stee?" She called out nervously. She was trapped in a long corridor lined with portraits. Slits of light came in through tiny windows near the ceiling, slightly illuminating massive suits of armour, which looked twice as big and scary in the dark to her. "Luuuuunaaa! Aaaart'miiiiis! Maaaaj'steeee…" She wailed loudly, her tear-filled eyes so tightly screwed shut that she walked straight into a suit of armour with a clatter. Thinking it was a monster she squealed and tried to hide behind a vase - before realising what she'd really ran into. She once again began to wail.
Suddenly everything became bright as the light came on.
"Shhhh…please, do not cry." A voice whispered gently. Estrella stopped straight away, and stared at the armour, before realising the voice had come from a little way off. The kitten turned, sniffling, to see who had spoken and immediately gasped.
It was Princess Charon.
"New princess…" Estrella remarked, cowering slightly. Charon looked at her with a sad expression.
"Please, do not be afraid of me; I am sorry that I upset you before…"
"Me sorry too!" Estrella blurted out instantly. "Me scare princess and make cry!"
"Oh, it was not your fault, really!" Charon exclaimed. "It is just that everything was so strange and new to me and I have never seen a cat before…"
"Me no cat! Me kitten!" Estrella announced proudly, much to the bewilderment of the princess.
"But Queen Serenity told me you were a cat…" She murmured.
"She is, kitten is the name for a baby cat." Another voice piped up, and they turned to look at Katarina, one of Serenity's hand-maidens. "Have you been trying to confuse our guest, Estrella?" She then turned to the princess, her red hair swishing as she went, and curtsied. "My name is Katarina, Queen Serenity sent me to find you in order to fit you for a new dress."
"It is nice to meet you, Katarina." Charon smiled. "I hope you have not been searching for me for long. I got rather bored after I woke up and decided to take a little tour of the palace." Estrella looked up at Charon and beamed. Princess smile pretty! She thought to herself with joy. Look just like story princess!
"No, I haven't been looking for long." Katarina replied. "Anyway, let us go! I have just the dress for you!" With that, the hand-maiden took hold of Charon's arm and led her away. Estrella watched for a moment before deciding she would rather be with the two girls than on her own with the suits of armour again.
x x x x x
"You must be quite warm in that dress, the material looks quite thick. Oh, and Queen Serenity gave me the cloak you were wearing - it's so heavy! I don't know how you could have worn it! Still, I guess it's ideal in that bitter Charonian weather, isn't it? I'm not surprised that Queen Serenity asked me to find you a new dress, though; I've never been to Charon but I can imagine that it's a great deal warmer here." Katarina talked as she rifled through one of the many rails of gowns that filled the room. "Now, I'm guessing you like purple; I'm right, aren't I? Hmmm…where is it? I know I put it here somewhere…"
Charon was sat on a chair nearby, staring at the talkative hand-maiden's back somewhat nervously. Her hands were playing with the skirt of her dress, gathering the material slightly then letting it loose again repeatedly. Estrella was, in turn, observing the princess curiously. She noticed how her back was very stiff and straight and she sat so still that the kitten was reminded of the statues in the gallery. Sensing the girl's nerves she mewed softly and instinctively rubbed her side against the princess's foot, which caused the girl to flinch slightly and a slight gasp escaped her lips. Estrella looked up quickly, wondering if she had done a bad thing, to gaze with wide eyes at Charon, who was looking down at her.
"Oh, it is you, Estrella." She remarked, looking relieved.
"Estrella! How did you get in here?!" Katarina exclaimed, turning away from the rail for a moment to stare at the cat.
"Follow you." She simply responded, and Katarina sighed and shook her head.
"You know you're not allowed in here." She told her, then looked at Charon. "Is she bothering you, Your Highness?" The princess and kitten were still gazing at each other.
"No, not at all." Charon finally answered. Estrella's eyes lit up happily at this - just wait until she told the other princesses how nice Charon was!
"Me stay?" Estrella inquired hopefully, using her best wide-eyed expression as she looked at Katarina.
"Very well - but you keep away from the rails with those claws of yours!" The hand-maiden warned, then went back to what she was doing. "A-ha! Found it!" She picked a hangar from the rail and held up the dress, which was hidden by a protective cover. "This was made by one of Queen Serenity's favourite dressmakers a couple of months ago. It's quite an unusual design, I've wanted to put someone in it since it first arrived - and I think you're just the princess for it!" She placed the covered dress in Charon's lap. "Now, if you'll slip it on we can see if any alterations are needed."
Silence suddenly reigned the room.
Estrella switched her gaze between the expectant hand-maiden and Princess Charon, whose cheeks were turning red as she stared down at the dress.
"Is there some kind of problem?" Katarina inquired, tilting her head to once side slightly as she regarded the red-faced girl. Estrella was feeling confused and slightly worried, for she had never seen anyone blush before.
"Charon not well?" She asked anxiously.
"No; it is just…" Charon murmured quietly. "Would you possibly mind turning away whilst I undress?" Katarina's eyes widened as she understood.
"Ooooh, of course! I'm sorry, I guess I'd be pretty embarrassed too if I were asked to take my clothes off in front of a complete stranger!" She grabbed hold of Estrella and turned her back to the princess. "Now, don't you peek, you naughty kitten!"
"Me not naughty!" Estrella immediately protested. "'Strella good cat!"
"And that's why you came in here when you know you're not allowed to, hmmm?" Katarina reminded her, and Estrella realised immediately that the girl was right, not that she would admit it.
"Hmmph!" She huffed, and if it were possible for a cat to do she would have folded her arms across her chest. Instead she resorted to sticking her tongue out at the hand-maiden, who merely sighed and shook her head. Then Estrella's ear picked up as she heard something behind them. It was a sweet and melodious sound, a sound which Estrella had rarely heard during her short life - laughter.
"I am sorry for laughing, but Estrella, you look so adorable when you are annoyed!" Charon chuckled. "I am ready now, you may turn around." The hand-maiden set Estrella on the ground before turning to check how the dress looked.
"Pretty!" Was the first word out of Estrella's mouth as she looked. Charon was now wearing a high-collared, sleeveless, lilac dress made out of thin, soft material, which fell right to the floor. Up one side was a slit that came to a stop just above her knee.
"Yes, it is pretty, but it is rather long and it's too loose around the waist." Katarina remarked, walking around the girl. She stood for a moment, thinking, then clicked her fingers. "I have just the thing!" She walked over to a shelf and picked up a thick, pink belt made of the same material with a gold clasp. She wrapped it around the princess's waist and smiled triumphantly as it fitted perfectly. "There! Now if you'll stand on the chair I can start pinning the bottom so I can shorten it." She helped the girl onto the chair and then knelt down to get to work.
"Princess like dress?" Estrella asked, getting quite interested in a length of red ribbon she had just found on the floor.
"Yes, it is very nice." Charon responded. "I shall be sad to not be able to wear my other dress, however. My mother worked very hard on designing it."
"Your mother designed your dress?!" Katarina exclaimed, clearly amazed. "I thought she'd be too busy with royal affairs to do something like that! I know for a fact Queen Serenity is!"
"It is her hobby, she likes to do it in her spare time." Charon explained. "Even as we speak she is designing my coronation gown…"
"Really?" The hand-maiden mumbled through the pins she held between her lips. "Isn't it a bit early to be doing that?"
"Not really, I only have 2 more Earth years until I am crowned. My mother plans to give up the throne then; she wants to be able to teach me the ways of a Queen herself, so would rather I take the throne as soon as possible rather than wait until she is either too old or dies."
"That's quite a lot of responsibility for a young lady." Katarina remarked.
"I suppose it is, but I shall have my mother there to aid me."
Estrella, meanwhile, was batting the ribbon around with her paws happily. This was the most fun she had ever had! Much better than learning how to read or how to be a good adviser! Suddenly the ribbon became tangled around her front right leg, and as she she tried to remove it with her left that too got tied up! Panicking, because she knew Katarina would be angry if she saw that she'd been playing around, she headed for the slightly open doorway; however, she stumbled over the ribbon and fell flat on her nose!
That was all it took.
Managing to sit up, her pink nose throbbing, Estrella started to tremble and tears stung her eyes.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" She wailed. "WAAAAAAHHH!!" The hand-maiden and the princess, their conversation about the responsibilities of a queen disturbed, turn to stare at the hysterical kitten.
"Estrellaaaaa!" Katarina growled, noticing the piece of ribbon, which was actually intended for Princess Mars's new dress and must have somehow fallen on the floor, around the kitten's front paws.
"Estrella!" Charon exclaimed sympathetically, although there was also a hint of amusement in her voice. She stepped down from the chair, crouched down in front of the distressed kitten and removed the ribbon from her legs. "Do not cry now."
"Nose hurts!" Estrella sobbed, using one of her now ribbon-free paws to rub it.
Then Charon did something surprising.
She reached forward, hands visibly trembling, picked Estrella up and gently kissed her nose!
"When I was little, the only thing that could make me feel better if I hurt myself was a kiss from my mother." She told her softly, still holding the kitten. Estrella blinked at the girl, her nose tingling slightly where Charon had kissed it.
"Feel much better now." She commented, and she was telling the truth. "But you not 'Strella's mama…"
"I know that I am not, but I would like to be your friend." Charon's eyes were shining and kind, and Estrella knew exactly what she wanted to say to the girl.
"Princess already 'Strella's friend." With that she wriggled in the girl's hands until she was close enough to touch her no longer hurting nose to Charon's.
"Awww, I can't stay mad at you, Estrella - you're too cute!" Katarina exclaimed from behind them. "Now, Your Highness, if you'll take off the dress again I'll get to work altering it and it should be ready for the formalities later." Charon looked up at Katarina and Estrella could immediately tell she was nervous again by the way her grip on her tightened slightly.
"Formalities?" She repeated cautiously, standing up; Katarina smiled.
"Of course, tonight there will be a party in celebration of your arrival here. It's going to be a huge event!"
"I see…" Charon murmured, looking away and biting her lower lip slightly. "I suppose there will be lots of people there…"
"Oh, hundreds! Everyone is just dying to meet you!" The hand-maiden gushed, and then noticed how pale Charon's face suddenly was. "Oh! Don't be scared about it! You'll be well looked after, the other princesses will make sure of that! I don't think you could ever find a nicer group of girls."
"Princesses friends!" Estrella added in her best reassuring manner.
"I hope so." Charon murmured, then shook her head and smiled. "Now, I ought to get out of this dress and then perhaps you can show me around the palace, Estrella."
"Me do that!" Estrella beamed, feeling quite important.