Chapter 5

The next morning I was awakened by a bounce on my bed. I groan, turn over and come face-to-face with, Princess Mars! "Wakey wakey eggs and baky," she says smiling at me. I hear several giggles from other parts of the room. "Are all of you ganging up on me?" I ask sleepily. "Yup!" she says cheerfully. I give her an evil look then get an idea. "I'm guessing you all want to play," I say innocently. "Yup," says the princess. "Do you know what my favorite game is?" I ask, still innocent. "What?" she asks, not suspecting. "Tickle Monster!" I say, grabbing her by the stomach, butting her on the bed and tickling her. The princess giggled ferociously, and the next thing I know I'm getting attacked by a dozen or so little kids. The room becomes a bustle of laughter and screams, and before I know it guards are running into the room trying to save us. "What is going on here?!" the handsome one yells. "Playing," says Serena innocently, "there is nothing the mater here, you all may go," she said expertly, they all left abruptly. "All right," time to dress and to eat breakfast," I say to the girls, who grumble as they retreat back to their rooms. We all sat down to eat the nice warm healthy breakfast made for us by the cooks. Ok, I lied, it wasn't healthy, it consisted of bacon, waffles, sausage, pancakes, and syrup. Suddenly, there was a loud crash, then the ground began to shake. "Oh my," I think to myself as the mirror tips over. "Is it an earthquake?" asked Serena, her eyes filled with fear. I shook my head, "you kind of have to be on Earth to have an earthquake," I say, the prince shot me an evil look. "We're being attacked!" I heard from outside. My eyes filled with fear, 'the Negaverse!' I think to myself. "Come with me," I tell the children, they all nod, there is a knock at the door, it is the guard. "You all must hide," he says. "I am taking them to a safe place," I tell him, he nods. "Be careful," he says, closing the door. I usher the children through the hidden door in Serena's closet. "I didn't know about this," complained Serena. "That's because it is used only in emergencies," I said, "not for play, I don't want to find any of you playing in here," I say sternly, sitting down on one of the benches in the hidden room. "Who would want to," said Mars, wiping off a spider web. "While we have this time," I say, "Why don't we introduce ourselves." "I am Rei, princess of Mars." "I am Lita, princess of Jupiter." "I am Mina, princess of Venus." "I am Ami, princess of Mercury." "I am Haruka, princess of Uranus." "I am Michiru, princess of Neptune." "I am Setsuna, princess of Pluto." And so on and so on, until it was my turn. "I am Alana, your nanny and hopefully friend." Then I heard a whistle, signaling that it was safe to come out. I led them out of the hidden room into Serena's room. As soon as I had replaced the door, the guard had come in. "The queen wishes to see all of you," he said, smiling at me, I smiled back. We all followed the guard into the throne room. The queen was there waiting for us, as were the parents of the princesses. "I have decided, along with the other parents that it would be safest for each of you to have your own guard," she began, the children stood there amazed, I only nodded in agreement. "The guard will be with you at all hours, sleeping outside your room while another guards you door. He will follow you everywhere, standing outside any facility or private room unless told to do otherwise," in the childrens' little faces I could see plans of eluding the guards forming. "Alana," I stood straight, the queen was now talking to me, "you to will have a guard," it was my turn to stare. I saw laughter in the queen's features, "as the royal nanny you are also in danger, and anyone in danger is to be protected," she said sternly, her tone calling for no arguments. "I believe you have met him Alana, your guard is Aerik," the cute guard waved to me, I swear that the queen is trying to hook us up. "There is to be no more discussion on this mater," said the queen, "you are all dismissed." When we got back to the princess' room the children started looking at me weird. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked them. "Why do you get the good looking one?" asked Rei. "I have no clue, now eat your lunch," I said harshly, 'why did get the good looking one?' I thought to myself.

The next morning I sit down to breakfast to be greeted with, "so, what are we gonna do today?" asked Kayrah. "Oh, look, stupid caca-face can speak," said Darien, 'uh oh' I thought. "What did you just call me?" asked Kayrah threateningly. "What you are, a stupid caca-face, duh," said Darien. "That's it, weenie-boy," Kayrah spat as she lunged for him. I grabbed her before she could do any bodily harm, the princesses were cheering and placing bets, Darien was coaxing Kayrah on. "Let me go," spat Kayrah, "or I'll tell my dad," he scared me. "As you wish," I say letting her go. She lunged at Darien, knocking him over. Kayrah and Darien started to fight. I snuck over to the door, opening it. "Oh guards," I said sing-songingly, "Kayrah and Darien are in trouble," I finished. Two guards rushed into the room, I stood, arms crossed, by the door. The guards pulled the two apart, holding them tightly. The guards looked at me questionably, "take them to the conference room, tell someone to get the queen and their parents, I wish to meet with them," I said, they obeyed me.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered in the conference room. "I have been taught," I began, "that when two or more children fight then the parents should be called to pass punishment." The two children looked at me with disgust, the parents nodded. "What do you suggest?" they asked me. "I suggest that they spend a few hours together to work things out," I reply. "That will do, Kayrah and Darien, you will play nicely for three hours, starting in ten minutes," the queen says, the children sit there, their mouths wide open. "It is not polite to have your mouths open like that, please close them," I say to them, they shout their mouths. "May I be excused?" I ask the queen, she nods and I leave.

The rest of the meeting passed without incident.

On the day everyone was to leave, everyone met in the Grand Ballroom. I stood there looking nice as everyone said his or her good byes. I felt someone hugging me; I looked down to see the children. "We're going to miss you," wails Rei, I kneel down and hug her. "I will miss you to," I say, "I will miss all of you." We all start to hug. Someone cleared their throat behind me; it was the King of Mars. He reaches out his hand, I take it, and we shake hands. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter," he says, I am surprised that he is soft, he usually is so gruff. "It was a pleasure," I say back. All of the other kings and queens thank me. After all of them are gone, I have to console Serena. "What's wrong Serena?" I ask. "I'll never see them again," she says, blowing her nose on a tissue. "Of course you will Serena," I say, she stares at me like I am weird. "It will be awhile but you will see them. Besides, there is always mail," I tell her, her face brightens and she smiles. She hops out of the room. "You did well," says a voice behind me, it is the queen. "Thank you your majesty," I say. "They had a great time with you," she says. "I had a great time with them," I say, the queen laughs. "You are a good person Alana," she says, "we need good people right now," she walked out of the room. I wonder what she means by that, I shrug and walk out of the room, I almost ran into the guard. "Oh, I'm sorry," I say. "It's all right," he says smiling. "We were never formally introduced," I say, reaching out my hand, "I'm Alana." He takes my hand and instead of shaking it he kisses it, "and I am Aerik," he says; we smile at each other. "I must be going to bed," I say. "I will be right behind you," he says, I stare at him, he chuckles. "I am your guard, remember?" "Oh, yes," I forgot about that," I say, I go to bed. Serena was twelve when her friends were to come again.