Chapter Twelve: Shall We Dance?
Although Ms. Judson was mad at us for ruining the dresses she bought for us, she still had more for us to wear. I wore a blue evening gown with black gloves that went to my elbows. AL had a red gown with white gloves. Basil and Dawson wore tuxedos. Mary Ann fixed our hairs and Kitty did our makeup.
"You kids look all grown up." Mary Ann added. "Yer so lucky. Johnson says gewd luck to you."
"Thanks, Mary Ann." I hugged her. "I couldn't have made far without you." She pinched my nose.
"To think, you came into a bar with yer sleepwear."
"You thought I was a runaway." We both laughed. "And the face you made when I took off my hood. Priceless."
"Well, any mice would've reacted the same way." I held still as Kitty put eye shadow on me. "You were only trying to keep yourself away from any involvement with Ratigan. You had to play it safe." She said.
"I'm sorry I never told you. It's just…" Kitty interrupted me.
"Don't worry about it. You had to keep it a secret. You didn't want to be put in danger." She smiled. "There. All finished."
Kitty held up a mirror in my face. Good grief, what did she do? My face is completely unrecognizable. Red lips, purple eye shadow, rosy cheeks, and mascara. My hair was tied up in the back with curled locks. I look…older.
"Dang." Was all I said. Kitty and Mary Ann laughed.
"I thought you might like it." Mary Ann giggled.
"Thanks, you guys." I replied. AL then scooted me out of my seat.
"Okay, girls. I want it plain and simple. I may not like it, but do your worst."
I laughed as I heard the front door knocked. I went over to answer it. It was the Flavershams.
"Getting all propped up, I see." Hiram spoke after taking a glance at me.
"Wow, you look very pretty." Olivia said. I giggled. She then saw AL.
"Hello, Miss." Katy said to her. She stuck out her hand. "I didn't introduce myself yesterday. I'm Katy Young. I'm Olivia's cousin."
"Oh, hey there! Just call me AL. Everyone does." She shook her hand. The twins stuck out their hands as well.
"I'm Christina Blackwatts."
"And I'm Elaine. I'm her sister. We're Olivia's cousins as well." AL shook their hands.
"Nice to meet you again, Miss AL." Olivia went to hug AL.
"Olivia, we don't hug strangers." Hiram protested.
"No, she's not. She's Kiara's friend. I met her yesterday while playing cricket." Olivia said. AL chuckled and hugged her back.
"Yeah, and we won big time, yeah?"
"You bet!"
"So, what brings you out here?" I asked.
"You didn't know? The queen sent an invitation to our house. Basil asked her before you all came back home." Hiram answered.
"Really. Sorry, I didn't know. I was probably too shocked when the queen was going to thank in front of peo- er, mice. Heh." I said. And indeed, I was surprised. Basil, Dawson, AL, and I were going to be thanked by the queen herself after rescuing her from Chippendale.
A little carriage was waiting outside for us as we stepped out front. It was gold and red with a rabbit tied to the front. The Flavershams took a separate carriage as we took another. I was so excited, yet I'm also nervous, too. My hands were shaking. Basil noticed and took a hold of my hand. "No need to be nervous. You'll be fine." He smiled. I smiled back. AL had her hair in curls in the back. She had the same make up as me. We rode for a little while until I could see the lights of the palace. There were a lot mice there, dressed up in beautiful gowns and tuxedos and such. A guard opened the door and pushed down the footstool. Basil stepped out first and helped me and AL out, with Dawson behind us. Basil took me by the arm, as well Dawson and AL did the same, and we went inside the main entrance. Suddenly, Basil called out to someone.
"William Bishop! How long has it been?" I looked at his direction and saw a brown mouse in a tux. Right beside him was a brown lady mouse with an umbrella and a little boy mouse in a tux as well. I know that boy. It's Olivia's friend.
"Logan!" I called. It was him alright.
"Kiara! Evening, miss!" He ran to me and hugged me. His father came up and shook Basil's hand.
"Indeed too long, Basil. So, you decided to save the queen again, eh?" Basil laughed.
"All part of the job, Will. It's a pleasure to meet you, Laura."
"Same to you, Basil." The lady mouse said. Basil took her hand and kissed it. They both had an Australian accent in their tone. I guess Logan's family is all Australian. Logan took a glance at AL.
"'Ello again, AL." He went to hug her.
"Hey, Logan! What up?" She grinned as she hugged him back.
"So, these are the famous young ladies who rescued Her Majesty." Mr. Bishop spoke up.
"Oh, good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop." I curtsied.
"Ah, such manners." Mrs. Bishop laughed. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Phoenix. Logan has told me so much about you. I didn't believe that you were a human at first until now. My apologies."
"Oh, it's quite alright. It would be hard to believe."
"Ah, yes. And you must be…" He looked at AL.
"AL. Just AL." She curtsied.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss AL. Well, shall we go inside?" We walked on. I tugged on Basil's sleeve. He knew what I was about to ask.
"Will is a retired general who served under the queen and a good friend to her."
"Oh." That explains it.
We walked inside the ballroom that was too beautiful to describe in words. It was all lit up with white tables everywhere and a huge space for dancing. An orchestra was in one corner, and in the center was a throne chair up on a platform. We were led to a reserved table. The Bishops sat beside us, and the Flavershams and cousins were across from us. A waiter took out a bottle of wine.
"Um, could I have water, instead?" I asked.
"My apologies. I thought you were older." He said. I blushed.
"Kiara's a charm to men." Basil laughed.
"Oh, quiet." I elbowed him, but not hard. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Excuse me, but the queen wants to address your full name. May I know what it is?" Another waiter asked me.
"Mine is AL Samantha Orsa. Don't mistake that." AL answered first.
"And you?"
"Kiara Lee Phoenix."
Basil coughed sharply on his wine. When the waiter left, Basil stared at me surprisingly.
"What's wrong?" I asked him. Before he could answer, someone else spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemice, Her Royal Majesty, Queen Mousetoria." Everyone started to applaud as the queen stepped into the ballroom and into her chair. When the clapping died down, she began to speak.
"Thank you, my loyal subjects and citizens of the United Kingdom. I am pleased to see you all here as I proudly stand on this throne for 61 years. But, tonight, I'm here to recognize a few people. Last night, and I will be honest, I was threatened by man named Theodore Vincent Chippendale. You have heard of him before. He was a worker of Padraic James Ratigan." Padraic? That's his first name? That's a weird name to call someone. The queen looked at my direction. "If it weren't for these faithful citizens of London, I would not be standing here on this throne today. Ladies and gentlemice, I would like these four to come up and receive their awards." We stood up as she called our names. "Detective Basil Augustus Sherlockson, Dr. David Quentin Dawson, Miss AL Samantha Orsa, and Miss Kiara Lee Phoenix." The mice applauded as we stepped towards the throne. Basil and Dawson bowed as AL and I curtsied. Each of us had a medal pinned to our tops. We bowed again. But, as I turned around to go back to the table, the queen spoke again. "Wait, Miss Phoenix." I went back to her and curtsied once more.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" I asked her.
She turned to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemice, I have one more thing to add. When I was tied up, a young girl with short brown hair, and wearing a vest and pants, came into my dormitory. I knew she was not English, but American. Now, you may be wondering how she came to this. Well, dear Sherlockson told me all about her."
She looked at me. "Do you mind?" She asked me. I knew what she was going to say.
"No. you may continue." She nodded.
"Miss Phoenix, the poor girl, was abducted by Ratigan and whisked away from her home." I heard a few mice mumbling. "How? Ratigan invented a machine that time travels. Unfortunately, for Miss Phoenix, the machine was destroyed by him, taking her one chance away to get back to her time period." The mumbling grew louder. I heard someone say, "Poor thing."
"She is now on a balance pole between our time and her time. Even though we don't know where he is hiding now, Ratigan knows how to fix the machine, but will not do so unless Miss Phoenix turns herself in to him." I hung my head low. I feel pretty pathetic. "But, when she stepped in my corridor and faced Theodore, she had kept her confidence. I will never forget those words she said that night. Though she's not in her country, she kept her honor for it. She stood up to Theodore and told him, 'She's a friend to me and an ally to my country. In the future, war will come our way. The United States of America and the United Kingdom will team up and defeat our enemies.' And she's right. She is a true friend to me, and a true friend to the United Kingdom." I looked up in her eyes. What is she saying? A guard brought up a box and the opened it. She pulled out a beautiful brooch that was shaped of a butterfly with gold, silver, red, and blue on the wings. "Miss Kiara Lee Phoenix, I present you a gift of our friendship. For now, you and your friend are both citizens of the United States of America and the United Kingdom."
My eyes widen. Me? A citizen? To London? This is unbelievable! Mice got up from their chairs and applauded, some even cheered. I looked back at our table. The Bishops were applauding, the Flavershams applauded, and my table applauded. I never felt quite…special. The queen tapped my shoulder.
"You are a proof of worthiness more than anything. I thank you."
"No, Your Majesty. Thank you." I curtsied and smiled. I paced back to my table. I hugged about everyone.
"Holy Crap! This is AWESOME! I can live in two countries!" AL squealed with joy.
"I'm very proud of you." Dawson shook my hand.
"Now, a dance! Maestro?" The queen announced. The orchestra started to play a familiar tune.
"I know this! This is Tchaikovsky!"
"I'm surprise you know that." Basil said.
"Well, I've heard it before. It was featured in the film Sleeping Beauty. Created by the same company that did your film."
"Really? Sleeping Beauty is an actual play here. I never thought they would make a film."
"Well, they did. And it was astounding. They put words in the music piece. It's called 'Once Upon a Dream'. It's really good."
Basil then took my hand. "Why don't you sing it while we danced?" Me? Sing?
"Oh, no. I couldn't." I protested.
"You've entertained a bunch of scoundrels in one of the seediest pubs in London. Is this any different?" I laughed. He was right. He took me in the center of the dance floor and we started to dance. I hummed the melody.
"Where are the words?" Basil asked.
"I'm too embarrassed." I laughed.
"It's just you and me. Besides, I've always wanted to hear you sing. Please?" I looked in his dark green eyes. They seemed to sparkle. I smiled at him and waited for the music to get it back to the familiar melody. When it did, I opened my mouth and let out a voice. I didn't even notice that everyone stopped and listened as Basil and I danced.
I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream.
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Yes, I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream.
Basil and I danced as the instruments played on. I hummed along until it was time to go back to singing. Then, something happened that I never imagined coming across. So unbelievable, the fans of the Great Mouse Detective would have their mouths hanging.
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once…
I stopped. A beautiful manly voice came in and finished the song.
The way you did once upon a dream.
I looked at where it was. That wonderful sound came from…
"YOU CAN SING?" I asked Basil. His face turned red. I stuttered so much; I had to slap myself to focus. "You? Basil of Baker Street can sing? This is…incredible! Oh, my gosh! Since when?!"
"A little. My mother was an opera singer. You didn't know?"
"No! Sure, you play the violin well, but never heard you sing! It's…it's…"
"Silly?"
"No. To my surprise, beautiful." Basil's face was the color of an apple. A few mice laughed at my discovery.
The queen even chuckled. "Well, aren't you going to finish it?" She asked us. "Please continue."
Mice encouraged us on. Basil felt humiliated. I felt bad for what I did.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I shouldn't have said anything." I curtsied and went back to the table. The music was still playing. Can I even be more stupid? How could I do that? And in front of everyone? Now, I know how Basil feels. But, before I sat down, a voice sang.
I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream.
That voice. No, it's not him. I just humiliated him. Then, someone grabbed my hand. I turned around.
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam…
Basil is still singing? Why? He pulled me back into a dance. "You never embarrass me." He whispered in my ear. I smiled. I can hear a chorus in my head continuing the song.
Yes, I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream.
When the music ended, the mice applauded. We bowed. I looked at Basil and smiled.
"Come with me." He said. He took me out into a balcony as the music played another piece by Tchaikovsky. I never noticed the whole time AL was following and watching us. She clearly has ninja moves. It was a clear starry night. The moon was full. I sat down on a bench as Basil sat beside me. He looked at me.
"What?" I said to him.
"You. You're incredible. You made me bold enough to sing in front of everyone." Basil laughed.
"You're the one to talk. You got me to sing."
"Yes, and it was beautiful." I hugged him. He still had his scent. Mint and pipe cigar. The same as my dad. My dad. How long has it been since the last time I saw him? And my mom? And Hayley? What am I doing? I can't let myself have a good time while they're still worried about me! How could I be so stupid?! I didn't notice that I was crying.
"What's wrong?" Basil asked me.
"I can't do this to them!" I yelled out. Tears flooded my face.
"Who?" Basil was getting worried.
"My family! I mean, here I am, having a good time, while I'm letting them worry about me!"
"Slow down, Kiara."
"I'm so stupid!"
"No, you're not. Settle down." He tried to get me to look in his eyes.
"What if they get sick because I'm gone? What if they got hurt and I wasn't there to help? What if they…" I couldn't say it. The words were stuck in my throat. Basil knew what I was about to say, so he shook me gently to get back to my senses.
"Don't think that, Kiara! You need to stay strong! I promised you that I would find your way home, and I'm doing the best I can." The tears couldn't stop. I buried my face in his chest.
"I'm scared, Basil. I haven't felt my family's embrace over a week. I miss them terribly. When I saw my sister for the last time, you know what she said? She said I love you, Big Sis. I didn't even get a chance to say I love her, too!" Basil took me back to his hug as he stroked my hair.
"I know. I know what's like to lose a family." He sat me back down. "I had a wife. Her name was Annabelle Lock. I met her at Oxford University while I was studying for my degree in chemistry and mathematics. We went out a couple of times, then finally; I proposed to her. Annabelle Christine Lock Sherlockson. That was her full name."
"It's a pretty name." I said.
"It was. A few weeks after the honeymoon, she came up to me and, 'Guess who's going to be a father?' I couldn't believe it! We were about to have a baby girl." My eyes widen. I didn't know Basil was married. But, he keeps using the past tense. What happened to them? I asked him the question. He inhaled and exhaled sharply.
"Annabelle went out one night to buy the baby new clothes. When she turned to a corner, she spotted Ratigan killing another mouse. He saw her and she began to run. But, it wasn't for long until…until…" Basil's voice was breaking. Don't tell me…!
"He shot her with a pistol, along with the baby."
I was still. Basil leaned over as his eyes met the concrete.
"I'm so sorry." That was all I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say.
"That's the reason why I wasn't much of a social person back then. That's why I wasn't good at handling children." Now I get it. Basil was a silent man in those days because his own family was killed by that…that…rat! That's how he and Basil became archenemies. That's why he despises that cold rat so much.
"But then, that's when you came along." Basil spoke again.
"Huh?" Me? What is he talking about? He sat up again.
"Yes, Olivia did trigger something in me, but you pulled the whole lever. You see, Annabelle and I were about to name the girl Beatrice Lee Sherlockson. When I heard the same exact middle name from you, it reminded me of her." I was a bit surprised. Beatrice and I have the same middle name. How strange.
Basil took my hand and held it. "I know you miss your family, but if you don't stay strong, your family won't. They're a part of you. You can't let them go." He's right. I've got to stay strong. I need to stay confident.
"Yeah, you're right." I saw AL peeking at us behind the curtains. She noticed, but told me to keep quiet. She mouthed the words, "I'm a ninja; you don't see anything." Apparently, Basil didn't notice her yet.
"Kiara, I want to ask you something. You don't have to approve it though." He spoke, taking me to his warm embrace again.
"What is it?" I can hear his heart beating fast.
"I may not be your father, but…" He began.
"Just tell me." He held me tighter.
"Could I…be…your godfather?" I looked up in his face. Did I hear that right?
"What?"
"I know. It's a bit surprise. And I know your parents wouldn't like it as much. But, I never got a chance to have a daughter. So, until you go back home, could I at least love you as a daughter?"
Oh, my gosh! I don't know what to say! Him as my godfather? Good lord! My dad and mom would probably have their heads! But, Basil has taken care of me ever since he rescued me. If my dad and mom knew about all of this, would they approve Basil as my godfather?
"Kiara? Why are you crying?" He asked me. I didn't notice again. But, I'm not sad. I'm actually…happy.
"Yes."
"What?"
"Yes, Basil. You can be my godfather until I go home."
"Really?"
"Really, really." We both hugged each other.
"And AL, too." Basil said. AL stepped from the curtains. So, he did know she was hiding. I smiled at her surprise. "If that's all right with you." He said to her.
"Oh, hell yeah! Now, can I have a pony?" She said with a smile. We laughed at her last comment, and she joined in our hug. Wow. Basil Augustus Sherlockson of Baker Street as my godfather. Can this get any better? I guess I can only wish that. Don't worry, you guys. Mom, Dad, Hayley, I'll be home soon. And don't worry. I'll only love Basil no more than a father and friend.