Chapter 3: In Which the Ambassador Cometh
Daystar quickly met his parents in the Great Hall in his most royal attire. "I didn't miss him, did I?"
"Not yet, but those ridiculous robes won't do for this ambassador," Mendanbar answered. He snapped, and Daystar found himself dressed in red and green garbs.
"Father, I look like a Christmas elf."
"Exactly. And here's a pin of holly to accent it a little more."
Willin walked regally into the room. "Presenting the ambassador of the Northern Regions, Christopher Kringle!"
The long-awaited ambassador followed him. He didn't quite look the way Daystar had expected. He looked taller, and he was dressed in one long, red, velvet robe. Daystar rehearsed to himself the lines of "The Night Before Christmas," and most of the description didn't to fit, with the exceptions of the ambassador's long, white beard and his jolly expression.
"Mendanbar!" the ambassador said in a strong, deep voice. "So glad to see you free again. I knew a fine, young man such as yourself would do it sooner or later."
"Well, it's mostly my son's doing, but thank you."
"Daystar!" the ambassador greeted with a bow. "I remember you. Such a good boy."
"Thank you. I do what I can."
The ambassador looked mischievously at the king. "Your father on the other hand--"
"Oh, I was good most of the time."
"If I remember rightly, you were always the trickster."
"Maybe to some extent." He and the ambassador laughed heartily.
Cimorene came into the room with a tray of treats. "Would you like some cocoa, ambassador?"
"Why yes, I would appreciate it. Cimorene, how you have grown."
The queen laughed.
"I must apologize. You parents kept asserting that you deserved no more than switches and coal. I was torn. You were not a bad girl, just a bad princess."
"It's alright. I learned that it is improper to leave a princess, no matter how non-traditional she is, to go gift-less on Christmas day. That was one of the few traditions with which I agreed."
They all laughed again. Everyone drank cocoa and had a serving of Cherries Jubilee. The ambassador remarked kindly about the decorations, and then they chatted about business.
"I am curious ambassador, how did you manage when I was . . . indisposed?" Mendanbar asked.
"Oh, it was so difficult. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage. I shoveled snow out in the forest the first year. That did help somewhat, but things were still much more difficult that year. And the next year, some maniac skeleton just decided he wanted to take over things. Things were so close to be ruined that year. I'm not sure how I managed. But since then, I found another source."
"And what would that be?"
The ambassador paused. "Let's just leave it at that."
Mendanbar clearly didn't like that answer, so Daystar changed the subject. "So ambassador, if you don't mind my asking, what all do you need this magic for?"
"Oh, so many things. Most of all, I need it to get my reindeer to fly and to give me the ability to visit every child in the world, but I also need it to assure that every child will get what he or she wants, and to get through a skinny chimney or find a way to manage getting through if they do not have a chimney."
"I always thought you had those kind of powers yourself."
"Well, I do have some power, but the magic from here does tend to give what I have a much needed boost. You see, this is one of the very few places that makes genuine Christmas magic, which is very rare."
"And we are happy to provide it for the good that you do," Mendanbar said. "I think I'm ready to gather it up. Daystar, come help please."
"Yes, Father."
Mendanbar and Daystar went out to a balcony overlooking their kingdom. "Here, Daystar, just take a strand of magic that is directed toward the snow and gather it up. Keep your mind clear. You don't want to cast a spell by accident. That's it. Careful, those strands are drooping."
"Is it supposed to be tugging like this?"
"Tugging? What are you talking about?"
"Do you not feel it on your side? It seems to be drawn over toward the door."
Then, Mendanbar noticed it as well. He also noticed the forest, which was starting to look less like Christmas and more like winter. "That's odd. Surely we hadn't gotten that much."
As he pondered the state of the forest, suddenly the ball of magic flew out of his hands and out the door. Mendanbar and Daystar sensed it going into the ambassador's sack, and the ambassador grabbed it and vanished.
"Daystar, quickly, go check the armory for the you-know-what."
"Yes, Father." Daystar ran to the armory post haste.
"What was he up to, dear?" Daystar inquired of Cimorene.
"I don't know. He kept looking toward where you two were, and he didn't talk much. It started to look suspicious."
Daystar ran back. "Present and accounted for, Father."
"Strange. That ambassador was clearly an imposter, but how could he . . . We need to go see Telemain."
"Ahem!" a voice yelled. Mendanbar looked up at the gargoyle. "Actually, you won't. That witch-person called a few minutes ago. She needs to see you right away."
"Morwen?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"Don't you remember? She married Telemain late this summer!"
"Oh yeah, remember it like it was yesterday. I was just sitting here investigating a corner in the wall--JUST LIKE I DO EVERY DAY!"
But Mendanbar wasn't paying attention anymore. "Great, we can kill two birds with one stone. Cimorene, you can entertain Morwen, and we'll talk to Telemain."
"Sure."
"And tell her to get her cats to be quiet for once!" the gargoyle called after them. A fairy came to sing another carol in the gargoyle's ear, and he brushed her away. "Yes, you wished me a merry Christmas thirty times already!"
*******************
All of Morwen's cats were outside yowling at the top of their lungs. The witch met them at the doorstep. "So, you finally made it. Come in," she said.
"What's with your cats?" Daystar asked. "They arguing over what they're going to get for Christmas or something?"
"Believe it or not, they're all singing 'Jingle Bells.' They've been singing it all day. It's just a thing they do every Christmas. Last year, they were trying to convince me that there were thirteen days of Christmas, and on the thirteenth day my true love gave to me thirteen cats a-purring. They're just trying to drive Telemain and me crazy. Just ignore them."
"That's going to be tough," Daystar asked.
"Now Morwen, we need to speak to Telemain," Mendanbar said.
"Yes, and I will see that you will. But first, there is someone you need to see.'' She shut the door behind Telemain and then opened it again to her bedroom. A young kitten was resting on top of one of the beds. "Get down, Nutmeg," Morwen said gently. The kitten gave a quiet mew and leapt down.
Someone was in the bed who was very sickly pale, breathing slowly.
Mendanbar and Daystar gasped. "Ambassador!"
Daystar quickly met his parents in the Great Hall in his most royal attire. "I didn't miss him, did I?"
"Not yet, but those ridiculous robes won't do for this ambassador," Mendanbar answered. He snapped, and Daystar found himself dressed in red and green garbs.
"Father, I look like a Christmas elf."
"Exactly. And here's a pin of holly to accent it a little more."
Willin walked regally into the room. "Presenting the ambassador of the Northern Regions, Christopher Kringle!"
The long-awaited ambassador followed him. He didn't quite look the way Daystar had expected. He looked taller, and he was dressed in one long, red, velvet robe. Daystar rehearsed to himself the lines of "The Night Before Christmas," and most of the description didn't to fit, with the exceptions of the ambassador's long, white beard and his jolly expression.
"Mendanbar!" the ambassador said in a strong, deep voice. "So glad to see you free again. I knew a fine, young man such as yourself would do it sooner or later."
"Well, it's mostly my son's doing, but thank you."
"Daystar!" the ambassador greeted with a bow. "I remember you. Such a good boy."
"Thank you. I do what I can."
The ambassador looked mischievously at the king. "Your father on the other hand--"
"Oh, I was good most of the time."
"If I remember rightly, you were always the trickster."
"Maybe to some extent." He and the ambassador laughed heartily.
Cimorene came into the room with a tray of treats. "Would you like some cocoa, ambassador?"
"Why yes, I would appreciate it. Cimorene, how you have grown."
The queen laughed.
"I must apologize. You parents kept asserting that you deserved no more than switches and coal. I was torn. You were not a bad girl, just a bad princess."
"It's alright. I learned that it is improper to leave a princess, no matter how non-traditional she is, to go gift-less on Christmas day. That was one of the few traditions with which I agreed."
They all laughed again. Everyone drank cocoa and had a serving of Cherries Jubilee. The ambassador remarked kindly about the decorations, and then they chatted about business.
"I am curious ambassador, how did you manage when I was . . . indisposed?" Mendanbar asked.
"Oh, it was so difficult. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage. I shoveled snow out in the forest the first year. That did help somewhat, but things were still much more difficult that year. And the next year, some maniac skeleton just decided he wanted to take over things. Things were so close to be ruined that year. I'm not sure how I managed. But since then, I found another source."
"And what would that be?"
The ambassador paused. "Let's just leave it at that."
Mendanbar clearly didn't like that answer, so Daystar changed the subject. "So ambassador, if you don't mind my asking, what all do you need this magic for?"
"Oh, so many things. Most of all, I need it to get my reindeer to fly and to give me the ability to visit every child in the world, but I also need it to assure that every child will get what he or she wants, and to get through a skinny chimney or find a way to manage getting through if they do not have a chimney."
"I always thought you had those kind of powers yourself."
"Well, I do have some power, but the magic from here does tend to give what I have a much needed boost. You see, this is one of the very few places that makes genuine Christmas magic, which is very rare."
"And we are happy to provide it for the good that you do," Mendanbar said. "I think I'm ready to gather it up. Daystar, come help please."
"Yes, Father."
Mendanbar and Daystar went out to a balcony overlooking their kingdom. "Here, Daystar, just take a strand of magic that is directed toward the snow and gather it up. Keep your mind clear. You don't want to cast a spell by accident. That's it. Careful, those strands are drooping."
"Is it supposed to be tugging like this?"
"Tugging? What are you talking about?"
"Do you not feel it on your side? It seems to be drawn over toward the door."
Then, Mendanbar noticed it as well. He also noticed the forest, which was starting to look less like Christmas and more like winter. "That's odd. Surely we hadn't gotten that much."
As he pondered the state of the forest, suddenly the ball of magic flew out of his hands and out the door. Mendanbar and Daystar sensed it going into the ambassador's sack, and the ambassador grabbed it and vanished.
"Daystar, quickly, go check the armory for the you-know-what."
"Yes, Father." Daystar ran to the armory post haste.
"What was he up to, dear?" Daystar inquired of Cimorene.
"I don't know. He kept looking toward where you two were, and he didn't talk much. It started to look suspicious."
Daystar ran back. "Present and accounted for, Father."
"Strange. That ambassador was clearly an imposter, but how could he . . . We need to go see Telemain."
"Ahem!" a voice yelled. Mendanbar looked up at the gargoyle. "Actually, you won't. That witch-person called a few minutes ago. She needs to see you right away."
"Morwen?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"Don't you remember? She married Telemain late this summer!"
"Oh yeah, remember it like it was yesterday. I was just sitting here investigating a corner in the wall--JUST LIKE I DO EVERY DAY!"
But Mendanbar wasn't paying attention anymore. "Great, we can kill two birds with one stone. Cimorene, you can entertain Morwen, and we'll talk to Telemain."
"Sure."
"And tell her to get her cats to be quiet for once!" the gargoyle called after them. A fairy came to sing another carol in the gargoyle's ear, and he brushed her away. "Yes, you wished me a merry Christmas thirty times already!"
*******************
All of Morwen's cats were outside yowling at the top of their lungs. The witch met them at the doorstep. "So, you finally made it. Come in," she said.
"What's with your cats?" Daystar asked. "They arguing over what they're going to get for Christmas or something?"
"Believe it or not, they're all singing 'Jingle Bells.' They've been singing it all day. It's just a thing they do every Christmas. Last year, they were trying to convince me that there were thirteen days of Christmas, and on the thirteenth day my true love gave to me thirteen cats a-purring. They're just trying to drive Telemain and me crazy. Just ignore them."
"That's going to be tough," Daystar asked.
"Now Morwen, we need to speak to Telemain," Mendanbar said.
"Yes, and I will see that you will. But first, there is someone you need to see.'' She shut the door behind Telemain and then opened it again to her bedroom. A young kitten was resting on top of one of the beds. "Get down, Nutmeg," Morwen said gently. The kitten gave a quiet mew and leapt down.
Someone was in the bed who was very sickly pale, breathing slowly.
Mendanbar and Daystar gasped. "Ambassador!"