p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Chapter 4/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The kids followed Richard to the stairway and he came up to them with a maid. She was in her late teens. She had brown/blond hair, ruby red eyes and wore a black maid's dress with a white apron. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""This is Dorothy Coyne," said Richard. "She will take you kids to your rooms on the middle floor. Some of the other servants has already taken your bags to your rooms."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Thank you, Mr. Gardener," said Alice politely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I've got to go talk to the king and queen," added Richard. "But you'll see them at the introduction."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The kids nodded and Richard left./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""It's a pleasure to meet you Alice," said Dorothy as the kids walked up the stairs. "Who are your friends?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""This is Bartleby, Peter, Sam and Billy," said Alice. "And these are our dogs, the buddies; Budderball, Mudbud, Buddha, B-dawg and Rosebud."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Wow," said Dorothy in amazement. "I've heard of them, the pups of the famous Air-bud."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So, Dorothy, how long have you worked here?" asked Billy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""My mother is a servant here," explained Dorothy. "But I only started working as a maid for the past year. I'm home schooled."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The kids were quite fascinated by Dorothy. Going down a hallway, Dorothy stopped at a door on the right side./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Dorothy opened the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Alice two of your friends will be staying in this room and the other two will stay in the room next door, and as a contestant in the designer competition, you'll be staying in the room across the hall." She pointed at the room across the hall from the room they stopped at./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Thank you, Dorothy," said Peter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Bartleby and Peter teamed up to stay in the first room and Billy and Sam paired up for the other room./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"As Dorothy and the kids went inside the first room. They looked around, the room was painted tan and the furniture was in shades of brown. The two beds in the room had dark blue sheets./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"There was a cat curled up on a chair in the room. It was a silver tabby with golden brown eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Who's that?" asked Sam./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'd like you all to meet my cat Lady Rose," said Dorothy picking up the cat. "Don't worry," she said looking at the buddies. "She gets along with both dogs and other cats, so I'm sure they'll be friends."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"B-dawg scoffed; he didn't like cats. Though the other buddies didn't seem to mind too much./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Come along," said Dorothy. "I'll show the rest of you your rooms." The kids left, Bartleby and Peter left too wanting to see what they're friends' rooms looked like. Dorothy turned back and set Lady Rose down. "You six play nice, alright?" she said. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"And then she left./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"As soon as they were down, Lady Rose walked over to the buddies./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello" she purred softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello" the buddies replied somewhat awkwardly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Rosebud was the first to speak up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'm Rosebud," she said. "And these are my brothers, Mudbud, B-dawg, Buddha and Budderball."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""You're the air buddies?!" exclaimed Lady Rose in surprise. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The buddies nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I've heard about you?!" she cried excitedly. "You remind me of some other dogs I know. Would you like to meet them?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The buddies looked interested and nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Lady Rose lead them out of the room and down the hall to a parlor where five other golden retriever puppies were. Unlike the buddies though, though, there were four female pups and one male pup. The other pups wore matching collars, only they were in different colors./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Lady Rose walked in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hey guys," she said to her friends./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hi Lady Rose," said the male pup, his collar was red and he had been looking in a fashion magazine. One by one the buddies walked in after her. Rosebud looked at the pup and smiled in attraction by the puppy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello" said Rosebud sweetly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The male puppy looked attracted by Rosebud's beauty./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Hello" he replied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'm Rosebud," said Rosebud snapping out of her romantic thoughts. "And these are my brothers; Budderball, B-dawg, Buddha and Mudbud." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I'm Nathanial," said the male retriever. "And these are my sisters, Nathalie, Nina, Nora and Nancy. We're the nationals."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Each of the other buddies looked at the other retrievers. Budderball looked at Nathalie dreamily, she had a white collar and both were the largest of their siblings. Nathalie had been chewing on a bone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"B-dawg looked romantically at Nora. She wore a hot pink collar and a salmon dress; she had been listening to Vivaldi on headphones when Lady Rose walked in with the buddies./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Buddha was attracted by Nina. Nina had a marigold collar and a necklace with a Christian style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Mudbud stared speechlessly at Nancy. She was the most beautiful golden retriever he'd ever seen. She had a purple collar and her golden fur was so glossy. They were a perfect example of opposites attract./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"The girl nationals had the same romantic attractions to the boys, except for Nancy who huffed as Mudbud walked close to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Keep away from me you mucky pup!" she cried./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Don't let our sister get to you," said Nina kindly to Mudbud. "She's very nice really, she just doesn't like dirty things."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Why are you called the nationals sisters?" asked Mudbud. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""We're the royal family's puppies," explained Nathalie. "So, we're national to house Markle and the kingdom."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What are you doing here on Dove Isle?" asked Nora. "Aren't you from North America?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""My girl Alice is a contestant in the wedding dress contest," explained Rosebud. "She invited my brother's owners and we came along too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I've been looking forward to Valentine's Day," said Nathanial. "It's when the wedding is, and I think the pink hairbow is perfect for the wedding."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""Thanks," said Rosebud smiling. "And you look cute yourself."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;"Nathanial blushed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""I told you dogs you were gonna like the nationals," purred Lady Rose. "You five are like counterparts of them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""So buddies," said Nathalie giving a flirtatious look to Budderball. "Tell us about yourselves."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""What would you like to know?" asked Budderball./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;""How about everything" replied Nathalie./span/p