DISCLAIMER: This licence isn't mine. The opinions express by the characters are not mine. I do not support nor encourage the illegal acts present here. I can make a distinction between fiction and reality and I trust in my readership's ability to do the same.

Chapter four: The royal birth (part 1)

"My dear friends,

"How are you? It's been so long since you leave Strawberryland. Orange Blossom, Apple Dumplin', Angel Cake, the Berrykins and me, we all miss you. Except this point, as for us, everything is OK.

"Hum… I fact, it's not totally true. To be honest, I have to tell you a bad news: Berrykin Bloom felt faint yesterday. Don't worry, Doctor Hazel Nutby kept him under observation all night long, and, as she hadn't detect anything suspect, she let him go back home this morning. She suspects a heart failure, but she says there's no big deal. Anyway, let's cross our fingers. Everything returns to normal, with the exception of young Berrykins who are queuing up now to help him to carry his watering can and his tools. He said "I'm not bedridden yet!" but he's more amused than upset by this situation.

"I wonder when we could come together again, like in the good old days…

"Your friend, Strawberry Shortcake.

This was the email Strawberry Shortcake was writing for all her friends who had moved to another city. Apple Dumplin' was at school, everybody in Strawberryland was at work, and the Berry Bitty Café was empty… for the moment. Angel Cake and she were enjoying this rare instant of quietness, Angel by searching brand new and original recipes, and her by writing mails, when the Princess Berrykin came into the Café. Strawberry immediately put her computer on standby, while Angel Cake went out of the kitchen.

-Good morning Your Majesty. What can we do for You?

-Good morning Strawberry Shortcake and Angel Cake. I want to make you a special announcement.

-What is it? Angel Cake asked.

-Berrykin Bloom's accident had been a real awareness to me. Until this day, I admit I was vain and carefree, thinking that everything will be going well until the end of time. This incident made me think about the future of my people. Who would lead them, if something happens to me? Berrykins grow older, like humans. I must honor my commitments, and give you an heir.

-You mean a successor?

-Exactly. And I wanted to tell it to you personally, Miss Shortcake, because you could, eventually, stand in for Regency.

-That means if you were removed from the power before the heir's majority, I will have to govern Strawberryland while raising your child?

-That's exactly the point, and I trust in you, Miss Shortcake. You already replaced me once, I am sure you'll be an excellent regent. No more question?

Strawberry wanted to ask how she would find a successor, but she thought it would be terribly indiscreet. Angel Cake wanted to ask why she chose Strawberry Shortcake, but she was afraid of seeming rude.

-No, Your Majesty. Everything is clear.

-Alright. Now, if you would excuse me, my duty is calling me.

The princess left the Café, and Strawberry Shortcake added a post-scriptum to her email:

"PS: The Princess Berrykin had just told me she's going to give us an heir. How will she do? Is she going to elect him or her? Does anyone know how reproduction works for Berrykins?

On the afternoon, Strawberry Shortcake got answers to her email. All the girls said they were missing Strawberry Shortcake, too, and they wished Berrykin Bloom a speedy recovery, but, excerpt Ginger Snap, no one could explain where the babies Berrykins came from.

"Hi Strawberry! How are you?

"Well, I made my research, and this I found how Berrykins come to the world. There are two ways for it.

"You had certainly noticed the Berrykins rulers are always females, while all the others are males. It's because they don't breed like… humans use to. Let me explain you how commoners Berrykins are born.

"You had certainly noticed Berrykins are kind of elfs, half-fruit and half-human. Once a year, Honeykins (kind of elfs who are half-bees and half-humans) come and pollinate strawberry, blueberry etc. plants with their magic powder. The flower fertilized with this powder doesn't turn into a fruit, but into a Baby Berrykin. Those babies are almost always boys, sometimes girls, but it's berry rare. As they don't have identified parents, they are raised by the community of Berrykins in which they are born.

"Now, I'll tell you how they chose their sovereign. Each Berrykin ruler (Queen, Princess Etc.) has in her possession, since her birth, a berry peculiar bulb: a bulb of Berrykin Plant. This bulb seems normal, but if you examine it deeply, you would notice it contains an embryo of Berrykin, totally inactive, as if it had been cryogenized. The ruler can plant her bulb whenever she wants; but she have to be extremely careful because she can only have one bulb in her lifetime (in brief, she has no second chance if something goes wrong). After that, the Berrykin Plant grows and looks like a giant rosebud, and the embryo starts to life, to grow inside the flower, which protect the baby as a cocoon. Its petals are perfectly hermetically closed, and if you would force them to open too soon, it would kill the baby: she is attached to the bract and feed by the sap. If the flower died, the baby won't be feed anymore and would starve, as she is not able yet to eat "normally". When the baby comes to full term, and is able to have other kinds of food, the rosebud ends its growth; its petals wither and open, and the baby comes off. The plant carries on getting more and more wilted and parched, and finally it totally disappears a few hours after the birth. The only thing you can find in the hole is a new bulb of Berrykin Plant, which will accompany the royal baby during all her life. Inside the bulb, a new embryo of Berrykin had formed from the baby's cells. This baby is unanimously elected as the heir, and gets a royal education by the ruler in office, and she'll keep his bulb until the time to plant it. (*)

"What did you said last time? You said you want to see us? Why won't you invite us to be present at the hatching? It would be a berry enriching sight, wouldn't it? I'm just saying…

"LOL, Ginger Snap.

Now, Strawberry was clear.

The Princess Berrykin wanted to plant her bulb as soon as possible: the weather was still mild; the Glimmerberries harvest had been abundant, so the Berrykin Plant was supposed to grow under the best possible conditions. It was a good opportunity to do a little ceremony: everyone clinked glasses and drank to the baby's good healh, and wished a long life to the Princess. Strawberry Shortcake asked her if she didn't mind to invite non-habitants from Strawberryland for the hatching, and the Princess, in a good mood, said that everyone who wanted to could assist to the birth. Strawberry passed this good news to all her friends.

The Berrykins had carefully surrounded the plot on which the bulb had been buried with a fence, and the patch was guarded night and day by four Berrykins who took shifts. They were extremely thorough and chased rudely every animal or bug who were coming too close to the barrier (after all, the heir's life was in stake!). Orange Blossom told every day Strawberry Shortcake and Angel Cake about how they were making a fuss of the flower, especially Berrykin Bloom, who explained that the baby's skills were proportionate to the pains given to the Plant: the more you took care of the Berrykin Plant, the potentest the baby was (that was logic). He used to stay at its side all day long, checking the leaves' tone, the ratio of chlorophyll, the waterproofness of the petals, the ground's wealth and the non-attendance of parasites. Orange Blossom was well placed to know what she said, because she personally brought him the flasks of glimmerberries juice aimed to water the Berrykin Plant: its nourishing attributes were more interesting than the water's ones. In only two weeks, the little shoot had turned into a beautiful pale pink giant rosebud, which sometimes swayed on itself even when there was no wind, certainly because of the baby's movements. When the sun was particularly shining, Strawberryland's inhabitant could see her shape through the transparent petals.

Finally, two months later, Berrykin Bloom noticed brown spots on the leaves and the petals; which meant the hatching was imminent. The tension was palpable in Strawberryland; everyone wanted to meet the little princess, particularly the Berry Princess. But the rosebud wasn't totally faded yet, and they had to suffer in silence. In order to stave off boredom, Strawberry Shortcake and her friends organized a big party for the royal birth; it meant send the invitations, write the menu for the dinner, plan the activities, schedule the seating arrangements, prepare the rooms and find the decorations. Raspberry Torte and Lemon Meringue promised they would bring a little something for the baby, and Plum Pudding said her brother asked her if he could come, too. Apple Dumplin' asked if she could invite Mulberry Murmur.

-She's my best friend!

-You have to ask the Berry Princess for the authorization before inviting her. It's the birth of her successor, after all!

The Berry Princess was so excited she agreed to everything. But Strawberry Shortcake had a good idea to rush for the preparations, because one week later, the rosebud was almost entirely brown, and had started to crack.

-It's only a matter of hours now, Berrykin Bloom muttered. "From now on, we must be extremely attentive".

The guests arrived during the day, and they had to meet the Berrykin Princess to congratulate her in front of the Berrykins' Plant, as she categorically refused to left it, even for a few minutes; and everyone started to chat and sip glasses of Sparklestar Waterpineberry juice, expecting the happy event.

To be continued…

(*) Of course, this is not the original explanation, but just a theorie.