"Clu!" I gasped, still in too much shock to say anything else, "You're...you're here!"
Clu gave me a look that clearly suggested he thought I was crazy.
"Yeah, Annie, I'm here, but-oof!"
Clu was unable to get the rest of his sentence out, because I ran furiously across the room and engulfed him in a huge hug.
"Uh...Annie? What's going on?" he asked, gently patting my back.
I broke apart from him and was about to explain when a soft voice came from the door.
"Master Clu?"
Clu turned to the voice and saw Mariella standing in the doorway. She had a soft smile on her face and was holding a fluffy blue robe.
"Uh...Master? I'm not a master. Annie, what's going on?" he said, turning to glare at me.
"Master Clu, I believe that I can answer all of your questions if you'll just follow me," said Mariella, handing the robe to Clu.
As Clu shrugged the robe over his shoulders, he turned to me.
"Is this some kind of dream, Annie?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not," I said, "this is Mariella, she'll be able to answer your questions."
I watched as Mariella led a very confused Clu out of the room. Sighing I turned to sit down onto my bed, but I gasped when I saw that Krystal and Gwen were already sitting there.
"Oh, Annie," gasped Krystal, "he's so cute!"
"I know!" giggled Gwen; "He's incredible!"
I smiled weakly at the twins and said, "Shouldn't you be polishing silver or something?"
"Probably," said Gwen, falling backwards onto my bed and staring at the ceiling.
"But we had to see who Andromeda sent to help you," added Krystal, flopping onto her stomach.
"Well, now you've seen him," I said, "So, if you don't mind..."
"OH!" said Gwen, sitting up sharply and elbowing Krystal in the ribs, "That's right! We have to, uh-"
"Shine the doorknobs!" said Krystal, "So, we'd better get going!"
And with that, the twins bounded off the bed and ran out the door. As they made their way down the hall, I could hear them giggling. I rolled my eyes and sat on the edge of my bed thinking.
"Okay, Annie," I said softly, "You have to get the Princess to class up. This is essential. Maybe I could..."
But before I could think of anything, the door swung open. I glanced up to see the Princess standing there, her robes in disarray and a scowl on her face.
"Princess Andromeda!" I gasped, "What're you doing here?"
"What is the meaning of this?" cried the Princess, storming into my room.
"The meaning of what?" I asked weakly.
"You allowed me to bring this...this...this GORGEOUS specimen of manhood into my castle without first giving me time to properly make myself up?" she roared.
"Gorgeous specimen of...Clu? Do you mean Clu?" I asked.
"His name's Clu?" said the Princess, "Well, I suppose he had to have some kind of flaw. But HONESTLY child, what are you trying to do to me?"
I gulped.
"I'm sorry, Princess, but you did send for him and- wait, you like him?" I asked, suddenly very confused.
"Of COURSE I like him, what do you take me for?" the Princess snarled.
"Uh...um...well, if you want to, uh, impress him, I don't think the snarling will win him over," I said.
The Princess swelled up like she was about to spit fire at me, but then, to my surprise, she took a deep breath and smiled sweetly.
"You're right," she said.
"I am?"
Princess Andromeda walked over to my bed and slumped on it.
"You're right. I'm crude, loud, and ill-tempered. What sort of boy could possibly like me?"
"Oh, Princess, I didn't mean that, you're, well, you're very pretty, and I'm sure-"
"Beauty!" cried the Princess, "What good is beauty if no one can stand to be near me? How will...Clu, is that what you said, well, how will Clu ever like me?"
I froze in my tracks.
"Princess, I thought you wanted your potential suitor to like you."
"Well," sniffed the Princess, "I did, but now I want Clu. You must help me win him."
"Oh boy...um, Princess? You realize that come Thursday, your suitor will arrive and Clu and I will have to go home."
The Princess stopped sniffling immediately. She sat up, and I could tell she was deep in thought.
"Well...hmm, let's see...hmm..."
I didn't like the look that was spreading across her face.
"I've got it!" she said, her lips curling into a sneer. She turned to me, a sly grin crossing her face.
"When Thursday comes, I will ask Clu to decide where he'd rather be, with me, or back on Earth. If he chooses to stay with me, my potential suitor, Adam, will go back with you, and everyone that was previously in Clu's life will now only remember Adam," she said.
"Wait-what?" I asked.
Princess Andromeda sighed.
"The man coming on Thursday, my suitor, well, his name is Adam."
"Right."
"But I want Clu now, instead of Adam, who I wanted previously."
"Okay..."
"During the few days that Clu is here, I will try to get him to like me, and you will help me, seeing as how you know Clu better than I."
"Sure..."
"Now, on Thursday, I'll ask Clu if he'd rather stay here with me, or go back to Earth."
"Uh..."
"If he chooses to stay with me, I'll switch him and Adam, and it will be as if Clu had never existed on Earth, it was always Adam."
"But..."
"If he chooses to leave, and I don't see why he would, he'll return with you, and I will...remain here, with Adam."
"But that's horrible! And Clu would never stay here with you! I'll tell him!"
"Oh, my dear simple Annie," said the Princess, "you'll do nothing of the sort. You see, in essence, I own you until Thursday, and for you to get home, you must help me to accomplish my goal."
"So I HAVE to help you get Clu?"
"If you want to live..."
And with that, Princess Andromeda flashed me a cold smile, and stalked off.
I was terrified. I was positive that Clu would never want to leave his home and his family and friends, but, well, a Princess chasing you would be enough to make any man stay. Sighing heavily, I got dressed and went outside to think.
I was walking in the orchards when I saw Nicholas trimming a hedge in the shape of a swan.
"Nicholas!" I called, waving.
He looked up and nearly dropped his shears in surprise.
"Miss Annie!" he gasped, "What're you doing out here? I mean, why shouldn't you be out here, I mean, hi..."
I laughed and pointed to the swan.
"That's great, Nicholas, you're really talented."
"Aw, not really, I just do what I'm asked to do," said Nicholas, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.
"Nicholas?" I asked.
"Yes, Miss Annie?" he said.
"Do you like the Princess?"
"The Princess? Well, Princess Andromeda is beautiful and fair. All men love her, but eventually are disgusted by her spoiled ways and foul attitude. But- oh I should not have spoken that way about the Princess!"
He slumped to the ground and began to cry, folding his gangly arms around his thin frame. I stared at him, eyes wide, and then quickly fell to the grass.
"Nicholas, Nicholas!" I hissed, "It's okay, really, you don't have to cry."
Nicholas looked up at me, strands of light green hair falling in his eyes. I felt so badly for him, but I didn't know what to do. Sighing I leaned over and gave him a hug.
"You should be allowed to speak your mind at all times," I said.
Nicholas stared at me, his eyes large and tearful. Smiling slightly he leaned over kissed my cheek.
"I wish you were the Princess, Miss Annie," he said softly, and then quickly stood up and walked off, trimming hedges along the way.
Oh great. I've got an irate Princess to help, a clueless friend I don't want to lose, and a friggin sprite in love with me. Why oh why did I have to get sick?
Clu gave me a look that clearly suggested he thought I was crazy.
"Yeah, Annie, I'm here, but-oof!"
Clu was unable to get the rest of his sentence out, because I ran furiously across the room and engulfed him in a huge hug.
"Uh...Annie? What's going on?" he asked, gently patting my back.
I broke apart from him and was about to explain when a soft voice came from the door.
"Master Clu?"
Clu turned to the voice and saw Mariella standing in the doorway. She had a soft smile on her face and was holding a fluffy blue robe.
"Uh...Master? I'm not a master. Annie, what's going on?" he said, turning to glare at me.
"Master Clu, I believe that I can answer all of your questions if you'll just follow me," said Mariella, handing the robe to Clu.
As Clu shrugged the robe over his shoulders, he turned to me.
"Is this some kind of dream, Annie?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not," I said, "this is Mariella, she'll be able to answer your questions."
I watched as Mariella led a very confused Clu out of the room. Sighing I turned to sit down onto my bed, but I gasped when I saw that Krystal and Gwen were already sitting there.
"Oh, Annie," gasped Krystal, "he's so cute!"
"I know!" giggled Gwen; "He's incredible!"
I smiled weakly at the twins and said, "Shouldn't you be polishing silver or something?"
"Probably," said Gwen, falling backwards onto my bed and staring at the ceiling.
"But we had to see who Andromeda sent to help you," added Krystal, flopping onto her stomach.
"Well, now you've seen him," I said, "So, if you don't mind..."
"OH!" said Gwen, sitting up sharply and elbowing Krystal in the ribs, "That's right! We have to, uh-"
"Shine the doorknobs!" said Krystal, "So, we'd better get going!"
And with that, the twins bounded off the bed and ran out the door. As they made their way down the hall, I could hear them giggling. I rolled my eyes and sat on the edge of my bed thinking.
"Okay, Annie," I said softly, "You have to get the Princess to class up. This is essential. Maybe I could..."
But before I could think of anything, the door swung open. I glanced up to see the Princess standing there, her robes in disarray and a scowl on her face.
"Princess Andromeda!" I gasped, "What're you doing here?"
"What is the meaning of this?" cried the Princess, storming into my room.
"The meaning of what?" I asked weakly.
"You allowed me to bring this...this...this GORGEOUS specimen of manhood into my castle without first giving me time to properly make myself up?" she roared.
"Gorgeous specimen of...Clu? Do you mean Clu?" I asked.
"His name's Clu?" said the Princess, "Well, I suppose he had to have some kind of flaw. But HONESTLY child, what are you trying to do to me?"
I gulped.
"I'm sorry, Princess, but you did send for him and- wait, you like him?" I asked, suddenly very confused.
"Of COURSE I like him, what do you take me for?" the Princess snarled.
"Uh...um...well, if you want to, uh, impress him, I don't think the snarling will win him over," I said.
The Princess swelled up like she was about to spit fire at me, but then, to my surprise, she took a deep breath and smiled sweetly.
"You're right," she said.
"I am?"
Princess Andromeda walked over to my bed and slumped on it.
"You're right. I'm crude, loud, and ill-tempered. What sort of boy could possibly like me?"
"Oh, Princess, I didn't mean that, you're, well, you're very pretty, and I'm sure-"
"Beauty!" cried the Princess, "What good is beauty if no one can stand to be near me? How will...Clu, is that what you said, well, how will Clu ever like me?"
I froze in my tracks.
"Princess, I thought you wanted your potential suitor to like you."
"Well," sniffed the Princess, "I did, but now I want Clu. You must help me win him."
"Oh boy...um, Princess? You realize that come Thursday, your suitor will arrive and Clu and I will have to go home."
The Princess stopped sniffling immediately. She sat up, and I could tell she was deep in thought.
"Well...hmm, let's see...hmm..."
I didn't like the look that was spreading across her face.
"I've got it!" she said, her lips curling into a sneer. She turned to me, a sly grin crossing her face.
"When Thursday comes, I will ask Clu to decide where he'd rather be, with me, or back on Earth. If he chooses to stay with me, my potential suitor, Adam, will go back with you, and everyone that was previously in Clu's life will now only remember Adam," she said.
"Wait-what?" I asked.
Princess Andromeda sighed.
"The man coming on Thursday, my suitor, well, his name is Adam."
"Right."
"But I want Clu now, instead of Adam, who I wanted previously."
"Okay..."
"During the few days that Clu is here, I will try to get him to like me, and you will help me, seeing as how you know Clu better than I."
"Sure..."
"Now, on Thursday, I'll ask Clu if he'd rather stay here with me, or go back to Earth."
"Uh..."
"If he chooses to stay with me, I'll switch him and Adam, and it will be as if Clu had never existed on Earth, it was always Adam."
"But..."
"If he chooses to leave, and I don't see why he would, he'll return with you, and I will...remain here, with Adam."
"But that's horrible! And Clu would never stay here with you! I'll tell him!"
"Oh, my dear simple Annie," said the Princess, "you'll do nothing of the sort. You see, in essence, I own you until Thursday, and for you to get home, you must help me to accomplish my goal."
"So I HAVE to help you get Clu?"
"If you want to live..."
And with that, Princess Andromeda flashed me a cold smile, and stalked off.
I was terrified. I was positive that Clu would never want to leave his home and his family and friends, but, well, a Princess chasing you would be enough to make any man stay. Sighing heavily, I got dressed and went outside to think.
I was walking in the orchards when I saw Nicholas trimming a hedge in the shape of a swan.
"Nicholas!" I called, waving.
He looked up and nearly dropped his shears in surprise.
"Miss Annie!" he gasped, "What're you doing out here? I mean, why shouldn't you be out here, I mean, hi..."
I laughed and pointed to the swan.
"That's great, Nicholas, you're really talented."
"Aw, not really, I just do what I'm asked to do," said Nicholas, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.
"Nicholas?" I asked.
"Yes, Miss Annie?" he said.
"Do you like the Princess?"
"The Princess? Well, Princess Andromeda is beautiful and fair. All men love her, but eventually are disgusted by her spoiled ways and foul attitude. But- oh I should not have spoken that way about the Princess!"
He slumped to the ground and began to cry, folding his gangly arms around his thin frame. I stared at him, eyes wide, and then quickly fell to the grass.
"Nicholas, Nicholas!" I hissed, "It's okay, really, you don't have to cry."
Nicholas looked up at me, strands of light green hair falling in his eyes. I felt so badly for him, but I didn't know what to do. Sighing I leaned over and gave him a hug.
"You should be allowed to speak your mind at all times," I said.
Nicholas stared at me, his eyes large and tearful. Smiling slightly he leaned over kissed my cheek.
"I wish you were the Princess, Miss Annie," he said softly, and then quickly stood up and walked off, trimming hedges along the way.
Oh great. I've got an irate Princess to help, a clueless friend I don't want to lose, and a friggin sprite in love with me. Why oh why did I have to get sick?
