Hurray! I got reviewed and now I'll write more! First, though, I want to
thank Laur1532 for being the first person to review my story.
Laur1532, thank you for reviewing! I'm sorry your button is gray; I don't have many words for that. I wanted words for blue because, well, you'll find out later. Thank you for the compliment and this chapter is dedicated to you!
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There was a soft knock on the door. Ella entered, and then closed the door behind her. She came and sat on the bed and looked at her daughter, hiding her face in the pillow.
"Lenora," Ella began.
"Mother, I didn't mean to forget about them! I brought them out to the far pasture because I wanted them all to get some fresh air and be able to taste the new spring grass. I feel terrible," Lenora cried.
"Yes, I know," Ella said. "Your father and I talked for a long time about what you did, and we decided that you should apologize to every single person that works in the stables, and spend a few hours every day helping to make up for it."
"Okay," Lenora said, sitting up and wiping her eyes on one of her trailing sleeves. "Can I have a hug? I feel so bad about bringing the horses out and then forgetting about them."
Ella smiled and held out her arms to her daughter. They hugged each other for a moment, and then Ella broke away.
"Do you know, I just remembered something?" Ella asked. "Mandy asked me to go out to the market and get some stuff for tomorrow. Want to come?"
Lenora nodded eagerly. "Yes! That would be fun. Can we go now?"
"Sure we can," Ella said. "We'll just let your father know where we're going."
Lenora bounced off the bed and went to wash her face. From the bathroom, she shouted, "Can we pick up Katrine's surprise, too?"
"I completely forgot about that!" Ella replied, eyes wide. "Yes, we should. Thank heavens you remembered. Now, come on, your face is fine."
They ran out of Lenora's bedroom and down the corridor to the library where Char had his study. Ella told him they were going into town for a while and not to wait up. Char's confused expression made them laugh, and they ran out of the palace giggling.
They had barely managed to stop giggling when they reached the main street of Frell, where they bumped into Lenora's friend Jaron.
"What are you doing here," he asked, surprised. "I mean, Your Majesties," he fumbled, remembering that it was the queen he was talking to, and he flushed a bit and bowed.
That only set them off laughing again, which made him all the more confused, which made them laugh harder, and so on. When they finally had themselves somewhat under control, Lenora tried to explain.
"Just picking up..." Laughter. "a few things for..." Giggle. "tomorrow. The ball, you..." Burst of laughing. "know? We're not..." Laughing again. "laughing at you," Lenora struggled to say. Somehow, that made Ella laugh even harder. (A/N: kudos to anyone who can guess why that would make Ella laugh)
"I understand," Jaron smiled. "I am too, actually. If you would excuse me, Your Majesty, I should be on my way." He directed the last bit to Ella, who then recovered enough to wave him on his way.
Jaron bowed again and walked away. Ella and Lenora finished laughing and then went on their way.
"Oops, I forgot to bring a basket," Ella said. "I was laughing so hard that I completely forgot."
"Oh well," Lenora said, grinning. "We can buy a new one. There's a basket seller over there."
Ella linked arms with Lenora and marched to the basket seller, who looked a little startled, but happy to see them.
She stood, smiled, curtseyed, and then sat again. "What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" the vendor asked.
"We need a basket," Ella explained to the vendor. "A good, sturdy, pretty one. Like that one." She pointed to a basket with green and yellow ribbon woven through the rim.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the vendor replied, picking up the basket and handing it to Ella. "That will be three copper KJ's, please."
Ella dug in her purse for a handful of coins. She tried to count out three copper coins, but it was difficult with one arm linked through her daughter's and the other arm holding a basket. Lenora grinned, enjoying her mother's struggle. Eventually Ella gave up and simply held out a bunch of coins. There was only one that was copper, however, and the vendor's eyes widened at the sight of the queen offering her so much money for a simple basket. She tried to count out change for one of the silver pieces, but the queen stopped her.
"Don't bother with change," Ella commanded, trying and failing to wave one arm dismissively. Lenora giggled. Ella shot her a look. "Just, oh, I don't know, hold out your hand or something."
The vendor held out one hand and gripped the edge of the table with the other. Ella dropped three coins into her outstretched hand, one copper and two silver.
"Well, good-bye then, that's all we need," Ella said, turning around to leave. A crowd had gathered behind them, figuring that whatever the queen was buying, it was what they wanted too. Ella and Lenora walked through the crowd, heads held high while the people parted to let them through.
"I bet that was her best business decision all week," Lenora chuckled. "It's funny the way people are. Did you see them lining up to buy something from her the moment we started talking?"
"Yes," Ella grinned. "But you, you little minx, you could have helped me with the money, you know."
"I know," Lenora replied blithely. "But it was just too much fun, watching you try to manage those coins."
Ella laughed and dragged her daughter off so they could finish, well, start, actually, their shopping.
Laur1532, thank you for reviewing! I'm sorry your button is gray; I don't have many words for that. I wanted words for blue because, well, you'll find out later. Thank you for the compliment and this chapter is dedicated to you!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There was a soft knock on the door. Ella entered, and then closed the door behind her. She came and sat on the bed and looked at her daughter, hiding her face in the pillow.
"Lenora," Ella began.
"Mother, I didn't mean to forget about them! I brought them out to the far pasture because I wanted them all to get some fresh air and be able to taste the new spring grass. I feel terrible," Lenora cried.
"Yes, I know," Ella said. "Your father and I talked for a long time about what you did, and we decided that you should apologize to every single person that works in the stables, and spend a few hours every day helping to make up for it."
"Okay," Lenora said, sitting up and wiping her eyes on one of her trailing sleeves. "Can I have a hug? I feel so bad about bringing the horses out and then forgetting about them."
Ella smiled and held out her arms to her daughter. They hugged each other for a moment, and then Ella broke away.
"Do you know, I just remembered something?" Ella asked. "Mandy asked me to go out to the market and get some stuff for tomorrow. Want to come?"
Lenora nodded eagerly. "Yes! That would be fun. Can we go now?"
"Sure we can," Ella said. "We'll just let your father know where we're going."
Lenora bounced off the bed and went to wash her face. From the bathroom, she shouted, "Can we pick up Katrine's surprise, too?"
"I completely forgot about that!" Ella replied, eyes wide. "Yes, we should. Thank heavens you remembered. Now, come on, your face is fine."
They ran out of Lenora's bedroom and down the corridor to the library where Char had his study. Ella told him they were going into town for a while and not to wait up. Char's confused expression made them laugh, and they ran out of the palace giggling.
They had barely managed to stop giggling when they reached the main street of Frell, where they bumped into Lenora's friend Jaron.
"What are you doing here," he asked, surprised. "I mean, Your Majesties," he fumbled, remembering that it was the queen he was talking to, and he flushed a bit and bowed.
That only set them off laughing again, which made him all the more confused, which made them laugh harder, and so on. When they finally had themselves somewhat under control, Lenora tried to explain.
"Just picking up..." Laughter. "a few things for..." Giggle. "tomorrow. The ball, you..." Burst of laughing. "know? We're not..." Laughing again. "laughing at you," Lenora struggled to say. Somehow, that made Ella laugh even harder. (A/N: kudos to anyone who can guess why that would make Ella laugh)
"I understand," Jaron smiled. "I am too, actually. If you would excuse me, Your Majesty, I should be on my way." He directed the last bit to Ella, who then recovered enough to wave him on his way.
Jaron bowed again and walked away. Ella and Lenora finished laughing and then went on their way.
"Oops, I forgot to bring a basket," Ella said. "I was laughing so hard that I completely forgot."
"Oh well," Lenora said, grinning. "We can buy a new one. There's a basket seller over there."
Ella linked arms with Lenora and marched to the basket seller, who looked a little startled, but happy to see them.
She stood, smiled, curtseyed, and then sat again. "What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" the vendor asked.
"We need a basket," Ella explained to the vendor. "A good, sturdy, pretty one. Like that one." She pointed to a basket with green and yellow ribbon woven through the rim.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the vendor replied, picking up the basket and handing it to Ella. "That will be three copper KJ's, please."
Ella dug in her purse for a handful of coins. She tried to count out three copper coins, but it was difficult with one arm linked through her daughter's and the other arm holding a basket. Lenora grinned, enjoying her mother's struggle. Eventually Ella gave up and simply held out a bunch of coins. There was only one that was copper, however, and the vendor's eyes widened at the sight of the queen offering her so much money for a simple basket. She tried to count out change for one of the silver pieces, but the queen stopped her.
"Don't bother with change," Ella commanded, trying and failing to wave one arm dismissively. Lenora giggled. Ella shot her a look. "Just, oh, I don't know, hold out your hand or something."
The vendor held out one hand and gripped the edge of the table with the other. Ella dropped three coins into her outstretched hand, one copper and two silver.
"Well, good-bye then, that's all we need," Ella said, turning around to leave. A crowd had gathered behind them, figuring that whatever the queen was buying, it was what they wanted too. Ella and Lenora walked through the crowd, heads held high while the people parted to let them through.
"I bet that was her best business decision all week," Lenora chuckled. "It's funny the way people are. Did you see them lining up to buy something from her the moment we started talking?"
"Yes," Ella grinned. "But you, you little minx, you could have helped me with the money, you know."
"I know," Lenora replied blithely. "But it was just too much fun, watching you try to manage those coins."
Ella laughed and dragged her daughter off so they could finish, well, start, actually, their shopping.
