A/N: Not much to say. Thanks to TigerLily! I was, truthfully, getting bored
with this story and wasn't sure if I was gonna finish it. But, I'm back and
I WILL finish it! I love the whole plot, I've had it all planned out since
the beginning! I don't think anyone is expecting it! Hee hee hee! Read,
review, and enjoy!
CHAPTER NINE: Princess and Anger
Kenny and Katie gaped at the Queen. Then the King. Then the Queen again.
"You've . . . what?" was all Kenny could manage to stutter.
"We've selected a bride for you," the Queen repeated. Kenny and Katie looked at each other in horror and returned their attention to the Queen.
"Who?" Kenny asked.
"Princess Berangaria!" The Queen exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together.
"W-wait a minute. Berangaria? That stuck-up princess who thinks she's all that because she has blond hair and blue eyes? THAT Berangaria?"
"Um, well, yes." The Queen gave another smile, but this one was fainter.
"But Mother, I love - "
"No one, I know. You want to fall in love 'naturally.' Well, that's not going to happen. You'll love Berangaria eventually, trust me!"
"But - "
"No ifs, ands, or buts. Now off to your room."
Katie turned on her heel and left the room before Kenny could do anything. Kenny was being forced to marry some stuck-up, snobbish princess when he was in love with her! The Queen didn't even listen to what Kenny wanted to say!
Katie turned left, right, up the stairs, right, right, another right, and found herself at Janie's room. She knocked on the door and heard Janie call, "Cohm im!"
Confused by Janie's language, Katie entered and Janie's words were explained.
Janie held up the platter. "Sugar cookie?"
Katie shook her head and gently sat on Janie's bed. "What's wrong?" asked Janie, sitting beside her.
"What do you mean what's wrong?"
"You sat on the bed too gently. You always bounce onto it. What's wrong?"
Katie sighed. Janie knew her too well. "Kenny's betrothed to Princess Berangaria."
"Yeah, so?"
"Janie!" Katie hit Janie with a pillow.
"What? I thought you didn't love him!"
"Well . . . I didn't! But now . . . And he loves me . . ."
"Katie and Kenny, sittin' in a tree!"
"Janie, I came to you for HELP and ADVICE not TEASING and TORTURE!"
"Okay, okay." Janie closed her eyes and pretended to meditate. Her eyes popped open suddenly. "I got it! Tell the King and Queen about your love for Kenny and he can say he loves you!"
"Um, Janie? Don't you think we've tried that already?"
"Hmmm, okay. What about the ball?"
"What ball?"
Janie sighed. "Don't you pay attention? There's to be a ball announcing the betrothal of Kenny and Princess Berangaria. At the ball, ask for a dance with the King. If he accepts, explain your love and Kenny's love for you. Maybe he'll change his mind."
Katie decided this was good. But there was one flaw. "And if he doesn't accept the dance?"
Janie grinned. "I'll make 'im accept the dance!"
Katie threw her arms around Janie. "Thank you so much Janie!"
"Hey, what're friends for?"
~*~
The Princess arrived a week before the ball. She was beautiful, with golden blond hair and blue eyes. But there was something about her. Her hair refused to grow in curls and Katie had seen her struggle with the curling iron, so her hair was always straight. It was straight, yes, and there was no shine to it. And it wouldn't grow past her shoulders without getting stringy. And her eyes were blue, but a very pale blue and were flat, had no depth. She also had high cheekbones, giving the impression that her beauty was hiding something ugly
The Princess's gowns were always purple. No matter the occasion, purple cloth was draped over her. Dinner, garden walks, even for bed her nightgown was dyed lavender.
Princess Berangaria and Kenny were very distant from each other. Even in their walks through the garden together, they refused to talk or even look at each other.
But worst of anything, from Berangaria to the Queen's refusal to listen to Kenny, was Kenny's distance from Katie herself. He never talked to her, not even looked at her. Katie recalled a horrible event to Janie once:
Katie saw Kenny walking down the hall. The place was deserted, so she called, "Kenny!"
Kenny turned and saw her. "You will address me as 'You're Majesty,' servant girl." And he turned and walked away.
Then, two days before the ball, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Katie was scrubbing the floor of the grand hall when Starina pushed her way through. Katie gasped in horror and Starina half-dragged Katie out of the palace and into a coach.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" cried Starina on the way home. "RUNNING AWAY FROM ME?"
"Um, excuse me Starina? It's been months since you left me here. If you had been searching for me, you would have found me long ago."
Starina slapped Katie. "Do not talk to me in such tones, Katherine!" She calmed herself. "I suppose I should keep you up to date with what's been happening at our house."
Katie shrugged. "You don't have to."
"Well, that's too bad!" Starina looked out the window as she spoke. "I've married Arena and Brenda off, so they're gone. They found old, rich widowers to marry."
"That's nice."
"Gale's dead."
"WHAT?"
"I was about to marry her off, when her suitor got sick of her and drowned her."
"Whoa . . ."
Starina snapped her head around and stared at Katie. "You will help my daughters prepare gowns for the ball. We're leaving tonight, and when we're back from the ball, I will decide your punishment for running away. Is everything clear, Katherine?"
"Yes, ma'am."
END CHAPTER 9
Well, that was fun. Starina angry, Katie angry, Kenny angry. Fun, fun, fun! Review, review, review!
CHAPTER NINE: Princess and Anger
Kenny and Katie gaped at the Queen. Then the King. Then the Queen again.
"You've . . . what?" was all Kenny could manage to stutter.
"We've selected a bride for you," the Queen repeated. Kenny and Katie looked at each other in horror and returned their attention to the Queen.
"Who?" Kenny asked.
"Princess Berangaria!" The Queen exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together.
"W-wait a minute. Berangaria? That stuck-up princess who thinks she's all that because she has blond hair and blue eyes? THAT Berangaria?"
"Um, well, yes." The Queen gave another smile, but this one was fainter.
"But Mother, I love - "
"No one, I know. You want to fall in love 'naturally.' Well, that's not going to happen. You'll love Berangaria eventually, trust me!"
"But - "
"No ifs, ands, or buts. Now off to your room."
Katie turned on her heel and left the room before Kenny could do anything. Kenny was being forced to marry some stuck-up, snobbish princess when he was in love with her! The Queen didn't even listen to what Kenny wanted to say!
Katie turned left, right, up the stairs, right, right, another right, and found herself at Janie's room. She knocked on the door and heard Janie call, "Cohm im!"
Confused by Janie's language, Katie entered and Janie's words were explained.
Janie held up the platter. "Sugar cookie?"
Katie shook her head and gently sat on Janie's bed. "What's wrong?" asked Janie, sitting beside her.
"What do you mean what's wrong?"
"You sat on the bed too gently. You always bounce onto it. What's wrong?"
Katie sighed. Janie knew her too well. "Kenny's betrothed to Princess Berangaria."
"Yeah, so?"
"Janie!" Katie hit Janie with a pillow.
"What? I thought you didn't love him!"
"Well . . . I didn't! But now . . . And he loves me . . ."
"Katie and Kenny, sittin' in a tree!"
"Janie, I came to you for HELP and ADVICE not TEASING and TORTURE!"
"Okay, okay." Janie closed her eyes and pretended to meditate. Her eyes popped open suddenly. "I got it! Tell the King and Queen about your love for Kenny and he can say he loves you!"
"Um, Janie? Don't you think we've tried that already?"
"Hmmm, okay. What about the ball?"
"What ball?"
Janie sighed. "Don't you pay attention? There's to be a ball announcing the betrothal of Kenny and Princess Berangaria. At the ball, ask for a dance with the King. If he accepts, explain your love and Kenny's love for you. Maybe he'll change his mind."
Katie decided this was good. But there was one flaw. "And if he doesn't accept the dance?"
Janie grinned. "I'll make 'im accept the dance!"
Katie threw her arms around Janie. "Thank you so much Janie!"
"Hey, what're friends for?"
~*~
The Princess arrived a week before the ball. She was beautiful, with golden blond hair and blue eyes. But there was something about her. Her hair refused to grow in curls and Katie had seen her struggle with the curling iron, so her hair was always straight. It was straight, yes, and there was no shine to it. And it wouldn't grow past her shoulders without getting stringy. And her eyes were blue, but a very pale blue and were flat, had no depth. She also had high cheekbones, giving the impression that her beauty was hiding something ugly
The Princess's gowns were always purple. No matter the occasion, purple cloth was draped over her. Dinner, garden walks, even for bed her nightgown was dyed lavender.
Princess Berangaria and Kenny were very distant from each other. Even in their walks through the garden together, they refused to talk or even look at each other.
But worst of anything, from Berangaria to the Queen's refusal to listen to Kenny, was Kenny's distance from Katie herself. He never talked to her, not even looked at her. Katie recalled a horrible event to Janie once:
Katie saw Kenny walking down the hall. The place was deserted, so she called, "Kenny!"
Kenny turned and saw her. "You will address me as 'You're Majesty,' servant girl." And he turned and walked away.
Then, two days before the ball, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Katie was scrubbing the floor of the grand hall when Starina pushed her way through. Katie gasped in horror and Starina half-dragged Katie out of the palace and into a coach.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" cried Starina on the way home. "RUNNING AWAY FROM ME?"
"Um, excuse me Starina? It's been months since you left me here. If you had been searching for me, you would have found me long ago."
Starina slapped Katie. "Do not talk to me in such tones, Katherine!" She calmed herself. "I suppose I should keep you up to date with what's been happening at our house."
Katie shrugged. "You don't have to."
"Well, that's too bad!" Starina looked out the window as she spoke. "I've married Arena and Brenda off, so they're gone. They found old, rich widowers to marry."
"That's nice."
"Gale's dead."
"WHAT?"
"I was about to marry her off, when her suitor got sick of her and drowned her."
"Whoa . . ."
Starina snapped her head around and stared at Katie. "You will help my daughters prepare gowns for the ball. We're leaving tonight, and when we're back from the ball, I will decide your punishment for running away. Is everything clear, Katherine?"
"Yes, ma'am."
END CHAPTER 9
Well, that was fun. Starina angry, Katie angry, Kenny angry. Fun, fun, fun! Review, review, review!
