Chapter two! I'm hoping you guys are enjoying this story, please let me know what you think! Again, you can expect daily updates for this story, I am currently writing chapter eight. Something I want to let you guys know, I have drawn up some of the dresses that I have the girls wearing and it is posted on my tumblr (owlthewriter) if any of you are interested to see. I'm warning you now, I'm not the best at drawing...

-owl

Kate woke up with the vague feeling that the next day would be special, but her yet sleep-addled mind could not place the feeling. Either way, she was sure she would figure it out soon enough. If it was important, she would be reminded, or remember on her own.

"My Lady," Serena spoke, jolting Kate from her thoughts. "Your father and sister are waiting for you in the throne room." Serena had just exited Kate's closet, a dress in her arms.

Kate sat up, watching as Serena laid out a green dress on her bed. It was one of her nicer ones, a long-sleeved light green dress with an overlay of a darker green. "Do you know why they need me?" she asked as she got out of her bed.

Serena shook her head. "I was only told that you needed to be there once you woke up." she said no more as she helped Kate into the dress.

Kate slid on a pair of green shoes as she left the room. The hallways were filled with servants going everywhere, barely stopping to say goodmorning to her. Then it hit her; the thing she couldn't remember when she woke up. Tomorrow was Abby's fifteenth birthday! How could she have forgotten?

She didn't have time to dwell on forgetting her sister's birthday because she had reached the throne room. A guard opened the door with a small smile for Kate. In the throne room stood her father and Abby, just as Serena had said.

"Good morning, Kate," Gibbs said. "Your sister wanted to speak to you about something."

Kate turned from her father to her sister. "What is going on, Abby?" she asked.

"I don't want to be queen, Kate," Abby burst out, her tone making Kate think she had been keeping that from everyone for a very long time.

Kate blinked. Whatever she had been expecting Abby to say, it was not that. She had so many questions for her sister. "When did you decide that?" was the question she finally decided on.

Abby shook her head. "I'm not sure, in the last year I've been getting more and more worried about being queen. Besides, I don't have the fire to be the best queen I could. I plan on officially abdicating my place in the line of succession tomorrow at my birthday ball."

"OK," Kate wasn't sure what else to say. "Why are you telling me first, though?" she asked.

Gibbs responded instead of Abby. "You are the next in line to be queen after Abby. Unless you truly don't want it, you will be officially inducted as crown princess on your fifteenth birthday."

"Oh," Kate said, pausing for a second to process what she had just been told. In truth, she wasn't surprised that Abby would not wish to be queen. Although, she had never considered that Abby would just remove herself from the line of succession. Did Kate really want to be queen? "I have nothing against me becoming queen instead of Abby."

Kate's words seemed to lift a weight off Abby's shoulders, and she pulled Kate into a tight hug, her smile blindingly bright. "Thank you," she whispered in Kate's ear.

Kate smiled. "I could never let you down, Abby. However, if you will excuse me, I must continue with my day and get your birthday present finished."

Abby and Gibbs nodded and she left the room.

Kate came as close to running as was lady-like as she made her way to her room where she had Abby's present half-finished. A few of the maids and servants gave her odd looks as she passed, but Kate was too focused on making good time to care. Abby was going to get a painting for her birthday, but if she didn't get the next coat on the canvas to start drying there was a chance it wouldn't be done in time.

When she entered her room, the bed had been made and the curtains pulled back to the window frames. Her painting corner hadn't been touched since she had finished for the night. Her brushes were in their basket, her paints were on the pallet that sat on the stool, and the easel held up the painting itself.

The painting was of a memory Kate had of Abby and their father when Abby was ten. Kate had been taking a walk through the garden by herself while Abby was at queen lessons with Gibbs. It turned out, that day, that the pair had decided to go for a walk instead of doing anything productive. Kate had been planning on painting the pair from behind, Abby on the right and Gibbs on the left, holding hands as they walked away from the painting.

As of yet, Kate had only painted the scenery and the outline and basic colors of Abby and Gibbs. The next set was to work on their clothing, then Abby's hair. After that, Kate would need to paint over the crown that was on Abby's head. Seeing as she would no longer be queen, it was not the right thing to have in the painting.

The day of Abby's birthday dawned bright and cheerful. Kate woke up without the need for Serena to wake her. She did, however, help Kate get into her dress for the day. The day before had been a green dress, but this time Serena had chosen a purple gown with no sleeves.

Once Kate was dressed, she said thank you to Serena and grabbed her painting before running from the room. She had stayed up late the night before to finish the last of the detailing. Instead of removing the crown from Abby's head entirely, she had changed it to a flower crown.

As was the family tradition, they would all meet in the bedroom of the person having their birthday, right as soon as they woke up. Gibbs had started it with Kelly, and continued it with Abby, then Kate, then Ziva. This was also the time they gave their birthday presents to one another.

Abby's bedroom door was open, letting Kate see into Abby's room as soon as she stepped out of her own. Their parents and Ziva were already there, Kate was the last to arrive. The group was sitting on the couches by the windows, talking with each other.

Abby was the first to see Kate, and she jumped up from her seat and launched herself at Kate. "Good morning!" she said as she pulled Kate into a tight hug.

Kate eventually got away from Abby and sat down on one of the couches.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "Serena let me sleep in because I was up late last night."

Jenny shook her head. "Nobody's mad at you, Kate. But, now that you're here, we can get started."

Abby grinned as she was handed a small wrapped box from Ziva. "Thank you," she said before unwrapping it. Ziva had gotten her a bracelet with three charms hanging from it.

Gibbs smiled as Abby gave Ziva a hug. Once the pair separated, he handed her a bouquet of black and red roses. It was another tradition that their parents would give a bouquet of flowers to each daughter on their birthday, and spend the next day with them.

After Abby placed the roses on the table next to her, Kate stood up to present her painting. There were gasps from her family as they took in what she had been working on the previous two days.

It had turned out almost exactly as Kate had planned. The greenery and flowers in the background were perfect, and the people made great contrast from the background. Gibbs had been painted wearing his gray suit and Abby was wearing her only blue dress. On her head was the crown of red roses, woven among her pigtails. The painting was truly one of Kate's best works.

For the second time that morning, Abby launched herself at Kate, pulling her into her traditional hug. "It's beautiful!" she said in Kate's ear. "Thank you."

When Kate walked into the great hall, her purple dress swaying with her steps, Abby's party had already started. She wasn't too surprised, though, Abby's parties nearly always started early and ended late. The room was packed with people from all classes; peasants, merchants, nobles, and even a pair of princesses from two of their neighboring counties. Red decorations with the occasional accent of black or white covered the walls, and had become the theme for the food. A quartet stood in one corner, and in a different one were tables filled with the food being offered.

"Hi, Kate," Jimmy said to her, approaching her from the front of the room, where Ducky stood, talking with Gibbs.

Kate smiled, neither she nor her sisters had seen Jimmy much lately as the royal physician had been keeping him busy. "Hi, Jimmy. How have you been?" Kate asked.

Once Jimmy reached Kate, he bowed before answering. "I've been pretty good. My mentor has been teaching me a lot lately. What have you been doing?"

"Not much," she answered. "I have been working on my painting, in between music lessons from Mother."

Jimmy nodded, but before he could add to the conversation, there was a tapping on a glass and all eyes turned to the front of the room.

Abby stood there, a glass in her hand, Gibbs beside her and Jenny next to him. Abby was in a dress of solid red silk, and her hair was in braided pigtails. Gibbs and Jenny were both in black.

"Thank you all for coming," Abby said, her voice carrying throughout the entire room. "I am really glad you were able to make it, as I have a big announcement to make." Abby stopped to take a breath before continuing. "I have made the enormous decision to remove myself from the line of succession. Today would have been the day I would have been officially titled as the crown princess, but I know in my heart, I couldn't be the queen you all deserve. Princess Caitlin will be your next queen." Abby smiled as she finished talking and the crowd began clapping.

Jimmy turned to Kate. "Did you know about that?" he asked, watching as she clapped for Abby with a smile on her face.

"Yes, I did," she said as she nodded. "Abby and Father told me yesterday."

"Oh. Are you prepared to be the heir?" Jimmy asked, looking at Kate.

She shrugged. "I have always wanted to be the heir, though I never wished Abby ill. I'm not surprised that she did this, to be honest. Whatever way that I have become heir, I will do my best"

Jimmy gave her a smile. "Of course you will."