With the Heart
Moving on.
For my guest reviewer - I may have a use for your idea later on, however. Tinker Bell appearing out of nowhere. Ferngully popped into my head too. I'll see. Don't hold me to it.
And, no. I'm not skipping Blue Ribbon Bunny. Boy howdy am I not skipping that one.
Anyway, on with Shy Princess!
Listen With Your Heart
By: Grandmother Willow
Disney's Pocahontas
xxx
"RUN FUR YER LIVES, YA DOGS!" Clover and UBos were miles ahead. "YYAAHH!" Eezeyal spun wildly on a sharp turn. A wall rebound him in the nick of time.
"WOO-HOO!" Crackle came power sliding, fervently padding her paws and breaking into a mad sprint after Eezeyal. "There you are~!" Crackle crooned, gaining on Eezeyal in seconds. Eezeyal cringed and pumped his wings harder. "Ooh! Are we playing tag?! Or Hide n' seek?!"
"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE WERE PLAYIN'!" Eezeyal whimpered. "I JUST WANT YOU TO NOT TACKLE ME!" That dragon's small stature was very deceiving. There's a mountain of power behind that tiny body.
"YEAH! AHFWEW!" Eezeyal narrowly dodged a flamethrower. He pinched three lit feathers on his head. "TAG-TAG-TAG! I LOVE TAG!" Fire flew across the hall. Eezeyal feared Wormwood would finally get his wish and have fried Owl on the menu.
From an adjacent hallway, Clover crept so quietly he wouldn't be able to hear it. Her fretfully glanced side to side, look behind and above him. Crackle was close by. He can feel it. She was going to appear out of nowhere and-
"Clover?!"
"AAHH!" Clover stuck his cottontail in the air, cowering under his paws. "DON'T HURT ME!"
"Clover! Compose yourself!" Magic dust lifted him to meet a perturbed Ubos.
"Oh thank my cuddly butt!" Clover hugged him, crying hysterically. "We gotta find our princesses and get the heck outta dodge!"
"Agreed." Ubos wiggled free of him. He was creasing the small burns Crackle left him. Serves him right, to be honest. Books and fire - worse than lightning and metal. "I believe Sofia and Vivian moved their project to their music room!" He wasn't sure. He was in the middle of flying for his life.
"Then let's find Eezeyal and git to gittin'!" Clover urged.
"ALL YOURS, BOYS!" Eezeyal whisked by, disappearing behind one of the gargoyles. Clover and Ubos broke into a sweat. Crackle was chasing him last time they checked.
"UBOS! CLOVER!" The pair squeaked, hugging each other close. Crackle had found them. And her tail was wagging for some fun. "We're playing tag! And I'm it! BETTER RUN! AHFWEW!"
Clover scrambled on top of Ubos. The flame flurry grazed his cottontail. Clover leaned Ubos in a slope, pressing one of his feet to the forefront. "ONWARD AND ANYWHERE, UBOS! HEEYAH!"
"NO ARGUMENTS!" Ubos kicked it into high gear. "YOU WILL PAY, EEZEYAL!" He vowed.
"PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!" Crackle ran after them.
Eezeyal poked out from hiding, laughing sinisterly. "And now I play the find mah princess game."
xxx
Hands smoothed folded paper flat and even into a tall triangle. A second set of hands mirrored the first pair. The middle folds of both were opened. "Okay. Here's the fun part." Lydia teased the eager Cecily. She spanned wings belonging to her paper airplane, ensuring it was flat but not too flat. Cecily watched closely, not wanting to miss a step. Lydia dipped a rigger paint brush into glittery sky blue paint. "Near the plane's tip," She dabbed to the edges near the tip, "You want to paint three...space...curved lines…" Cecily nodded and mimicked her. Brushes dipped again. "On both wings, you'll want to draw swirling patterns...same direction...but going off…" Swirls leading to the ends of the winds, going diagonally. "Then you write in this…" Cecily raised a confused brow to the series of lines Lydia inscribed. She tired her best to copy them. The lines surprised her with a brief glow. "And finally," Lydia stood, "Volare auras..." (Fly on the breeze) She whispered and blew. A shine scrolled the paint and the airplane was off. Cecily gazed in awe, like a child watching fireworks. Blue, stencil lines wafted from the planes wings and undercarriage. As if the wind itself carried it. The plane circled the room, ducking and diving around the furniture, coming to a landing on the small coffee table. Cecily applauded it. So simple, yet fascinating. "Now you try."
"Okay…" Cecily rose in confidence. She lathered her lips. "What are the words again, Dear?"
"Volare…"
"Vol...ar...ae…"
"Auras."
"Aur...as…" She thinks she has it. "V-Volare...Aures!"
"Uh-oh!" Lydia cringed. Cecily blew hard. The plane dropped straight for the floor. Loud sputtering frightened her back. "You might want to stand back…" Lydia moved a bit farther.
The same shine appeared, but tore heatedly up the plane. Blue dust erupted and the plane rocketed off, curving last second from the floor. The plane ricocheted off everything mounted and not mounted. It shrieked between Lydia's legs, howled past Cecily's hair and taking a couple strands. It circled the air, spinning the moderate chandeliers, rocketing so fast that even the busts were left wide eyed. The plane finally lost spunk and spiraled for a crash inside the bonfire pit. For drama it exploded into hundreds of little pieces.
"Well…" Cecily finally exhaled, smoothing the anxiety from her cheeks and dress, "That was certainly…"
"Unexpected? Breathtaking? Nerve racking?"
"All of the above, I'm afraid." Cecily giggled into her fan. "I've never been quite astute when it comes to magic. All of those words and motions."
"I know what you mean." Lydia wriggled her fingers, summoning her plane into her hands. "When I first started, I didn't know Latin from Linguine. Just takes a bit of practice and perseverance." She handed her plane to Cecily. "Trial and error is as good for science as it is magic."
"I will bear that in mind." Cecily set the plane on a desk. She thinks she'll give it another go later. Her nerves haven't settled down yet. She had to laugh though. "My late husband was always trying to teach me his tricks. I wasn't that good back then either."
"Late?" Lydia mumbled uneasily. When she thought about it, she hasn't seen King Uldor around.
Cecily sighed somberly. "When Vivian was really young, an illness claimed Uldor. Years as a blacksmith finally took their toll."
"Oh. I'm so sorry, Your Majesty." Lydia cupped hands to her heart.
"Thank you, Dear. But don't be." She reassured her. "He wouldn't want me to look back."
Lydia can appreciate that. She wished she could stop looking back. "Was King Uldor a sorcerer too?" A tiny nag ushered the question.
"Actually, he was Eddinhal's most renowned alchemist. Uldor of Used Ores they called him." That name had a familiar ring to it. "The most worn of minerals, the flimsiest of tools, or the least prosperous of materials - Uldor used his Alchemy to refurbish and recreate items the people would be able to put to use."
"Wait a minute!" Lydia knew she knew that name. Swords, kitchen utensils, wheels for a carriage. Able to fix and make anything from the air. "Your husband was THAT Uldor!" Cecily nodded with a proud smile. She wondered how long it would be before Lydia recognized him. Her jaw dropped in awe. "Dragons and a famous Alchemist! Zumaria is so amazing!"
Cecily laughed at her excitement. An inner child appearing in a fury. It was refreshing. "Uldor took on any job for any price. His one reward was knowing his people wouldn't lose their life savings seeking help." Lydia touched a hand to her headband and ran it to the ends of her hair. The story growing more entrancing as Cecily went on. "He carried on his work even after marrying me. His apprentice thus continues his work in his stead."
"I wish I could have met him…" Lydia kept petting her head, flushed by the story. "He sounded...SOUNDS amazing, Your Majesty."
"One of the best." Cecily dreamily cupped her cheek. Then she snuck a peek as Lydia kept petting her hair. Out of the blue it was, but possibly a tick. That's when she noticed tiny sparks dissolving on the ends. She smiled warmly. "You're like him. My late husband." She folded her hands.
"Your Majesty?" Lydia was caught off guard.
Cecily showed her wedding ring, "His was a ring - our wedding band." Cecily stroked Lydia's headband. She went rigid. "This headband serves as your suppressant for wild magic, doesn't it?"
"What?!" Lydia tore away, red in the face. "How-who..." She protectively covered the headband. Cecily motioned her hand, assuring Lydia to be calm. Lydia's eyes darted corner to corner, searching for a way to bounce back from this. Cecily doesn't strike her as a fool. It would be rude to treat her like one. "How did you know?" She moaned defeatedly.
"My husband would always twist his ring to release the pent up energy." She mimicked Lydia's hand motion, "You run your hand down your hair, guiding the current to disperse." Not even her own family has noticed that. Yet in a few minutes a stranger has? Sharp eyes. "Does anyone else know?"
"My mom. She's been aware of it for years." She scrunched her nose. "The product of a father who couldn't light a candle."
"Uldor's mother was the same." Cecily sat down, patting the couch for Lydia to join. "An abundance of talent confined in its bud, then allowed to blossom in her heir."
"Did it...overwhelm him?" She nervously asked, sitting down.
"All the time. Comes with the territory of Generation Arcanists." Fresh in her mind were the time his Alchemy flared out of control. "Sometimes it would be a trial for him or anyone to help him quell it."
Generation Arcanists - A collective term labeling those who inherited the dormant magic of a parent. Also known as Skipped Inheritors, Alchemists, Sorcerers, Witches, ETC who inherit their parents' magic are born with their own capacity for magic as well. When the potential is tapped, and finally awakens - normally by the age of five - both magical entities collide while adapting to the body, and will combine to create an immense power. Inevitably, the host contains powers far exceeding that of normal arcanists. It is not unheard of for the power to grow faster than the host can manage. Thus suppressant items were forged. The end result of the unyielding power varies with each person.
"Suppressant items he crafted as a child would break or wither after time." Cecily continued. "In that instance, he would seclude himself and work extra hard to master his talent." Uldor truly was an amazing man. She's tried to manage without her headband. She can last a short few minutes. "She was very proud of him for mastering it. She watched him grow until her funeral."
"At least someone was." Lydia shrugged. She unknowingly sulked about her own power. "And she decided he was worth being present for."
Cecily was taken aback by her words. It's known that Miranda doesn't have magic of her own. That meant Lydia received her magic from her father. When it dawned on Cecily, sorrow gripped her. "Oh dear...I am so sorry." She placed a hand on Lydia's shoulder.
"For what? You have no reason to apologize." She rasped. "I had to make room for my new Dad. There's no room for him." She'll never say his name. She'll never acknowledge him. He doesn't deserve it.
"While it pleases me to hear, do not make the mistake of stifling the hurt." Cecily knows all too well what becomes of those who bottle their feelings. "If you cast away everyone that hurts you, you'll find yourself all alone." There are times Lydia thought being alone was preferable. Hurts a lot less. "King Roland has been hurt countless times. But he still maintains a warm heart, and grants chances for people to make amends. No matter how grievous the crime."
"What if they've hurt you more than once?"
"I am afraid that will depend on you." And there it is. The typical Royal Parent answer Lydia was really starting to hate. "What will help you to grow as a person?"
"I...don't know…" She moaned. Hard to know what will help her grow when she hardly knows what's helping her wake up in the morning. "I don't even know what type of person I am. A sorcerer? A princess? a teenager." What is a teenager these days? "What is everyone expecting me to discover? Or become?"
"That depends. What do you want to become?"
"I don't know. Me?"
"Then who are you?"
Lydia threw herself to a slouch. This conversation deflated her patience. "Dad talks in riddles like this too. I don't understand what you're all trying to teach me."
Cecily cupped flapping hands behind Lydia's ears, "Do not hear the words with your ears," She touched her fingertips to Lydia's chest, "But with your heart. With yourself."
"Myself? I don't-"
Cecily touched fingers to her lips, "As...you...grow and thrive," Cecily led her by the hand,"You will understand." She parted curtains to a flowing streams in the garden out the parlor window. "Li~sten with your heart," She covered Lydia's ears,"You will understand..." She opened the window. A powerful window washed over Lydia, "Let it wash o-ver you…"The smell of fire and scales with the trees and flowers flowed to her. The sounds of water and rustling leaves lifting her spirit, "Like the wind upon the trees..." Cecily set Lydia's hands to the sill, letting her feel the years worn into the castle. The years Queen Cecily and King Uldor making it their own. RAP-RAP-RAP RAP-RAP, clawing came at the door. "Li~sten with your heart…" Cecily cupped Lydia's cheek, guiding her to the rapping door, "You will understand."
The door opened. Cecily and Lydia shrieked. Clover and Eezeyal barreled Lydia over, diving inside her shirt. "CLOVER! EZEE! What's-"
"YAHOO!" Crackle crash landed on Lydia's thighs. She jerked like a catapult. Crackle's heavier than she looks.
"That explains it!" Lydia groaned, collapsing.
"Sorry!" Crackle cackled. "We were playing hide and seek and I got a little excited! AHFWEW!" Crackle angled her fire, but the heat was unnervingly close to Lydia's bangs.
"That happens EVERY time she's excited?" Lydia moaned.
Clover and Eezeyal poked from her collar, "Scary, ain't it?!" They whimpered.
"Hrm. Actually, it's still adorable." She shrugged. Clover and Eezeyal glared in disbelief.
"I had the best time with Eezeyal, Clover, aannd Ubos!" Crackle pranced around her. Lydia didn't see Ubos anywhere. She began to fear Crackle's flamethrowing claimed a victim. That's when a spine poked fro mthe door's archway. Ubos was hiding outside the door, making her breathe with relief. "Do you think we can play some more?"
Lydia laughed, carefully rising while holding Clover and Eezeyal. "I...think it's time we headed home." She said to both Cecily and Crackle. "It's getting kind of late."
"Oh my! You're right!" Cecily saw the time. On cue, Vivian and Sofia followed Crackle all the way to the parlor. "Just in time, girls." Ubos plugged his nose and dove into Sofia's bag. Safe as a butterfly in a cocoon. "How is your project coming?"
"Great, Mom. We're nearly finished." Vivian cheered.
"I'm glad. But I'm afraid it's getting late."
"Time for us head home for dinner, Sofie." Lydia put Clover in her bag before he had a heartattack.
"Okay, Lydia."
Cecily and Vivian escorted Lydia and Sofia to their carriage. Somehow, Crackle got her paws on Eezeyal and Clover and was crushing them in her signature dragon-bear hug. "Thank you for having us, Queen Cecily." Lydia and Sofia curtsied. "We had a great time."
"Thank you both for coming." Cecily and Vivian curtsied back. "If you like, you may come back tomorrow. I'd love to speak with you some more."
"That'd be wonderful." Lydia and Sofia both chimed.
"YAY!" Crackle's hug tightened. Ubos laughed at their expense. "You guys HAVE TO come back too! Tomorrow! We'll have a picnic! Play games!"
YEAH! SURE! WHATEVER!" Eezeyal and Clover popped like corks from her grasp, hightailing it into the carriage. "We'll have our princesses call your princess!" Clover blurted, hiding in the seat. Eezeyal bobbed his head frantically, masking himself in Lydia's hair.
"BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!" Crackle cheered.
The coach took off into the sky. Eezeyal, Clover, and Ubos felt that they could finally breathe knowing Crackle wouldn't appear out of nowhere.
"Crackle really seems to like the three of you." Lydia chortled.
"A little too much, for my delicate bindings." Ubos flapped off residual charring.
"I'm with Ubos! This isn't going to work out." Clover finalized. "We're way too different."
"Because she's a dragon and you guys aren't?" Sofia assumed.
"No!" Eezeyal crawled from Lydia's hair. "Because she breathes fire and we don't like BEING," He showed his singed tail feathers, "On fire!" Lydia and Sofia smiled at one another. They can see where they can be a deal breaker. But Crackle just excited. Like a puppy. Who knows? Maybe they'll take up Cecily's offer and have another date tomorrow.
xxx
Breakfast was just about ready in the dining hall. Miranda decided to stroll down near the harbor for some fresh air while they finish. Coming to the last flight of the stone steps, Miranda spotted Lydia in her robe and nightdress knelt on grass by the water. She stopped for a moment realizing she was knee deep in work. Four separate bowls with different colored paste surrounded her. There were labels.
Ivy, oak, chicken, and allergy. Lydia scooped up some sort of algae from the water. She double checked a list with different items scratched off. Mint, aloe, seaweed. Miranda ogled her curiously as she added the algae to each one of the paste. She added a dash of instant-heat rocks to each bowl and waited.
The rocks mixed in with the pastes, glowing bright orange and heating the pastes to a loose liquid. The chicken bowl bubbled and then relaxed, pleasing Lydia. Unfortunately, the rest boiled over. The bowls quaked and rattled, and the paste exploded all over Lydia. A rainbow of colored pastes caked her head to thigh.
"AW MAN! NOT AGAIN!" She swatted her mess in the water. Laughter behind her furrowed her brow.
"Creating a reason to soak longer in the bath, Lydia." Miranda tried to stifle her laughter.
"A bath isn't going to soothe this savage beast, Mom!" Lydia spat paste out. She showed Miranda an excerpt from her latest lesson in her book. Lesson 14 - remedies for the everydays. Ubos loved being poetic a little too much. "According to this new lesson plan, I'm supposed to concoct different remedies for different skin irritations! The catch: each one needs a common moisturizing element."
"Which is…" Miranda lifted the checklist, "What this list is for, I presume." Ingredients in most anti-itch creams. Miranda helped Lydia and scratched off algae. "Algae is good for getting rid of a rash...but its better for chicken pox rashes."
"This lesson is a bad rash!" Lydia frothed. She flicked her wand, poofing her stuff back to her room. "I can't, for the life of me, figure out what the common ingredient is!" The purpose of the lesson is to make a remedy by hand with items one would find on hand. No magic allowed. The rub for this lesson: Lydia has to write her process down and show her work. Otherwise it won't be accepted and she'll be accused of cheating. She's almost tempted to cheat.
"Don't worry. You'll get it." Miranda removed a glomp of paste, dropping it in the water. It dissolved almost instantly. "Maybe a nice hot bath and some breakfast will strike up an epiphany."
"Maybe…"
xxx
Lydia tossed a bucket of hot water over her head, letting the last bit of paste wash down the floor drain. She then submerged herself to the neck and let the warm, fuzziness take her somewhere else. Tingles moved up her neck. Sores in her muscles were massaged. Incidentally, the soothing bath brought her mind back to Queen Cecily's castle in Zumaria. Her words a fresh echo in her ear.
"Listen...with my heart?" She touched her heart. How exactly does she do that? "Does the heart even think?
Lydia has advocated to being her own person. She won't abolish tradition, but won't be anchored by it either. That she will become a queen Roland can be proud of. However, she's been unsure for the longest time how to do that. Lately, circumstances how made her doubt just who SHE really is. Saving animals, meeting goblins, serving as an envoy, and ballroom dancing. Sorcery has been her only niche. A whole new person is being thrown her way. All blossomed by her title as Princess. Is she even contributing to the title? Titles, in her opinion, mean nothing if you don't necessarily earn them.
In her room...
"Am I a Princess? A sorceress?" Lydia's doubts carried her to her room. Her hair dried in her towel turban as she got dressed in her uniform. "I can be both!" Her deal with Roland - granted a few bumps - is progressing smoothly. "Is...that what my heart wants? Or am I is it that one can't exist without the other?"
At breakfast...
"But what if one overbears the other?" Lydia muttered to herself between pancake shovels. Amber and James went into adamant detail about their Dream Castles, drowning out Lydia's distracted mumbles. "Then...who will I become? Who am I meant to be when that happens?" In the back of her mind, she hypothesized if Cecily was speaking of an entirely different matter separate from her duties. "What if I'm expected to be someone else? What if it isn't good enough?"
In Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather's office during lunch…
"UGGHH…" She face planted miserably on their desk. "Please put an end to my life before my head explodes over your walls!"
"There, there, Lydia. You're just overthinking everything again." Merryweather pet her. "Remember when you thought you were going to pass your second year and nearly gave yourself a heart attack?"
"That was a 50-50 certainty approaching in a matter of months!" She shrieked at the blue fairy. "My capability for being a princess is going to be determined come my birthday in November!" Roland and Baileywick still haven't told her, exactly, what is going to happen when she turns 18. The suspense is killing her. Less than three months of this torture. "And then, according to what Abraham believes, my future will be determined for me! WHO I'm EXPECTED to be will be set in stone!" She clawed her scalp.
"A Royal myth to scare Princes and Princesses into behaving!" Merryweather waved off with a scoff. Lydia peeled her face off, resting despondent on her chin. "The only one who determines who you are is you."
Lydia's brow twitched irritably. "You know, if it's ME who supposed to have all these answers, why are there nothing but questions popping up in this head of mine?" She growled. Her head bounced on each word.
"The answers you seek-"
Lydia clamped her mouth closed, edging close with an exasperated glare, "I swear if you say comes with age you will not live to see your two hundred and fifty-seventh birthday!" (A/N - No idea how old fairies are. Assuming due to fairies naturally being old as land in myths)
"You swore to never say my real age!" Merryweather whispered. Sir Gilliam and Professor Popov have the hearing of a bat. "And that is not a myth. One day it will dawn on you who it is YOU want to be."
"But..." Lydia trailed off. Merryweather feigned ignorance. "There's always a but, Merryweather."
"But..." She treaded, receiving an eyeroll, "It doesn't hurt to have role models."
"Role models. Right." Lydia sucked her teeth. "Then I should be one..." Lydia reached down and showed Merryweather a basket of packages, "By replacing the plants I've been borrowing from the greenhouse."
"Fauna was wondering where her plants were going." Merryweather playfully drummed her her fingers on her arm. "Sorceress, princess, and now petty thief."
"Don't add on to my growing list of identities!" She stormed out. "I might forget my own name!"
Merryweather waved her wand with a peased smirk. A rag mopped up Lydia's face print. "Kids, these days. Wouldn't notice a mountain a foot in front of them."
xxx
Lydia pressed fingers to her sore temple. She'll need to soak in a bath and get a massage for this new line of aches. "Why can't anyone just give me a straight answer?" She loves puzzles, but not when they are revolved around her. Lydia shoved the greenhouse doors open, careful not to crack the glass. The humidity did wonders to take her mind of things. And made her want to grab a towel.
"Hm?" Someone else was in the greenhouse with her. On the other end of the long table. She recognized the fuschia dress crouching. "Vivian?" She heard a gasp and the table jerked, followed by a groan. Must have hit her head.
Big green eyes poked from the table. "Lydia?" Vivian arched a brow.
"Hi, Vivian!" Lydia strolled to her. "Good to see you again."
"What-what are you doing here?" Vivian stammered, shyly meeting her.
"Helping replace the ingredients I've been borrowing for my experiment." Different seed packages filled her basket. She packed in extra for the mint leaves. The Poison oak paste required a lot of mint. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh! Um! Nothing! Just..." She randomly picked up a Venus Flytrap, "Helping feed the plants!" With no plant food. Lydia would feel rotten trapping her in a corner.
"I'm surprised. I thought you and Sofia would be working on finishing your Dream Castle." Vivian lifted the plant, hiding her shame behind the large leaves. Lydia lifted the leaf, "Vivian. You are still working on your Dream Castle, aren't you?"
"Y-yeah...but..." She flushed bright red, sinking desperately, "I...sort of...maybe..."
"What happened?" Lydia helped her - took a bit of force - to set the plant aside. "You and Sofia get into a fight?" Lydia offered her to sit with her on a bench.
"No! Just..." She shrank, digging her nails within one another, "The other Princesses were coming over to us at lunch and...I...well..."
"Ah. I see." Lydia touched her chin. She ran away. Fast breath, unable to make eye contact - The girl's a regular sheep. Still so cute. "You really are a shy girl, aren't you?"
"Maybe a little." Vivian winced her fingers. "And all Sofia did was try to help. Now I feel bad."
"Not to sound callous, but you'd probably feel less bad if you at least sat there instead of running." She hoped that didn't sound harsh. "You can't make progress if you keep avoiding problems."
"I can't help it. I'm not great around people." She moaned, wrapping arms around her stomach.
"Neither was I at your age." Lydia put a hand to Vivian's smooth hair. "My childhood friend, Marcus, always had to shove me - literally - just to make me talk to people."
"R-Really?!" Vivian didn't like the sound of that. "Why didn't you just leave?"
"I'd bump into the person and wouldn't have a choice. I'd get stuck apologizing, laughing, and lose track of time." Fun times those were. That reminds her, she owes Marcus a kick in the butt for that.
"I...don't...think I want to make friends that way." Vivian squirmed. Meeting Sofia was nerveracking enough.
"Moral of the story: we all come out of our shells when WE'RE ready." Lydia draped a hand around her shoulder. "It just helps to have a friend give you a nudge." She winked.
"I guess..." Vivian sighed skeptically.
"Do you plan on leaving the Greenhouse anytime soon?" A pretty humid place to spend the day.
"Only when classes start." Vivian circled to the other side of the table, crouching a short ways, "Then I'll stay in the back like I normally do."
Lydia guessed she shouldn't be surprised. Anyone who willingly hides in a greenhouse is trying to avoid people. "Then I'll leave you to it." Lydia left her basket of seeds on a table. "Here you go." She handed Vivian a package of lotus seeds.
"What are these for?" Vivian shook them.
"It is believed that lotus pods take forever to blossom because they afraid of what the other flowers will think." Lydia capped her hands, swirling bright pink particles to the palms, "But, when they find their shell beginning to crack, they find the courage to blossom," She opened her like a book. A glittering lotus outline bloomed, "And offer another scosh of beauty drawing other buds to blossom with it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Blossom and you'll see." Lydia pat Vivian's head, and left her to her thoughts.
Vivian ogled the seeds perplexedly. "Why do adults always talk in riddles?"
xxx
Alright! She's got it this time! No way it can fail. Her mind is clear. Distractions are locked out the library door. No identity crises. Just Lydia, four bowls of ointments, heat rocks, and separated citrus acids of different fruits waiting to be a common denominator.
"Here goes nothing!" Lydia threw on her poncho. Ubos and Eezeyal cleared the splash zone. She got the thumbs up from the second level.
Round one - Strawberry acid and heat. KABOOM! Strawberry flavored smoke in her face. She coughed up strawberry shaped smoke.
Round Two - Pineapple acid, add heat again. SPLASH! Sticky liquid on her chest.
Round three - Pomegranate acid. Heat up again. She flinched for an explosion of sort. But this time Lydia was rewarded - also reminded that she failed - with an assortment of whipped toppings. Edible too.
"GRAH! THAT'S IT!" She threw her messy poncho at her experiments. "Stick a fork in it and have dessert! I'm done!" A wise choice for now. The library can't take much more.
"C'mon, Liddy! Look on the bright side!" Eezeyal bat his eyes.
"Which is?"
Eezeyal tasted the poison ivy topping. "If anything else...mmm...you're golden for confectionary chef." Lydia smushed the oak bowl on his head. The paste caking his feathers. "I deserve that."
"Looks like I'm not the only one having trouble today." Sofia mumbled, pleasing the others with her entrance. Clover hopped on by and onto the table. He licking his chops at the desserty looking mess ups. Eezeyal let him have a fresh bowl while he worked on picking himself clean.
"Hey, Sofie. Everything okay?" She looked a little down.
"Not really. I'm worried about Vivian. She ran away from me at lunch and I couldn't find her all day."
"I found her. She was in the greenhouse."
"What was she doing there?"
"Hiding." Lydia snickered.
"She wasn't there the whole day was she?" Sofia worried. It's the one place she never checked.
"No. She left for class, but vowed to hide in the back." Sofia slumped somberly. "What exactly happened that made her run?"
"Amber and her friends were coming over to see us." That explained everything for Lydia. "She almost stayed, then left right as they got there."
"I don't blame her. Amber can be scary." Sofia shoved Lydia. She needed a laugh somewhere in the day. "But seriously, the fact that Vivian wanted to stay means she wants to change. But she needs a little push."
"Then I know what we have to do!" Sofia declared. Ubos, Clover, and Eezeyal froze like statues. "We need to make sure Vivian's okay!" She tried to inspire the nervous sidekicks.
"Oh no!" Clover groaned.
"We see where this is goin'!" Eezeyal hid behind him.
"You can't seriously mean..." Ubos staggered with them.
"As a heart attack, Ubos." Lydia crossed her arms. "We're going back to Vivian's, and it would mean a lot to Crackle if you three would come."
"NUH-UH! NOO!" Clover turned his back.
"Talons down, Liddy! Not happenin'!" Eezeyal swiped his wings.
"I respectfully tell you, no chance in a cat's nine lives!" Ubos raised his nose, pouting the lower lip.
"That girl is gonna fry us like pigs on a spit when she sees us!" Clover hissed.
"Clover," Sofia cooed like a cherub, "You're her friend."
"She-breathes-FI-RE!" Eezeyal stressed.
"You're-her-friend!" Lydia grinned.
"FIRE!" Ubos barked.
"FRIEND!" Sofia and Lydia chimed.
The trio dropped their shoulders - and book spines - in defeat. Their princesses had their hearts set on this. And there's no deterring them when their hearts are set. "All...right..." The simultaneously groaned.
"YAY!" The girls clapped. Another notch on their scorecards. They were pulling ahead by 21 points.
xxx
Knock-knock-knock. Sofia lightly rapped. Lydia's maternal instinct - or just her own anxiety - had her fix hers and Sofia's dresses. Now they were ready to meet the Queen. Eezeyal and Clover cowered behind Sofia's puffy dress. They can feel Crackle on the other side of that door. Lydia had Ubos behind her back. If Crackle is there, he well out of the line of fire.
Queen Cecily answered. She beamed radiantly at her guests. "Sofia! Lydia! I'm pleased you both are here."
"Thank you for allowing us back." Lydia blushed.
"Is Vivian home by any chance?" Sofia asked.
"CLOVER! EEZEYAL!" That blue blur rushed out of nowhere. Eezeyal and Clover bounced bouncing painfully down the steps. Crackle landed on top of them at the bottom, rolling with elation. Clover and Eezeyal prayed that crack wasn't their spines. Crackle's blue eyes spotted Ubos cowering behind Lydia. "AND UBOS?! You ALL came back?!" She hugged her tail, trying and failing to contain her excitement. "You're the only ones who have ever come back!"
"We can see why!" Clover moaned. Crackle was starting to understand how Lydia felt.
Cecily saw the animals were getting along swimmingly. No sense letting her guests linger outside any longer. "Come in, come in." She ardently welcomed.
Lydia sneakily pinched a spot on Ubos's spine. It forced him to drop like a brick in the bushes. She discovered it on accident when she fell asleep on his face. "You all play nice!" She chuckled sinisterly.
"LYDIA...!" Eezeyal was going to claw her eyes out.
"Oh no!" Eezeyal's charge was stunted by Crackle snagging his tailfeathers. She grabbed Clover too. "You three are coming with me!" Clover and Eezeyal screamed in terror. Ubos hated being noble. He gave chase, fearing the worst.
xxx
"Girls, I have to say, It's never been easy for Vivian to make new friends." Cecily announced. She knows how sweet her daughter is. And her amazing talent for music is a feat to behold. To allow others to see her potential is a trial she fears to overcome. "Soo I know she's very happy to have made such two good ones. Even if she's too shy to tell you."
"It's a shame she is shy." Lydia commented. "Sofia told me on the way here that she's quite the musician."
"She is indeed. I wish she would play for you."
"Maybe one day soon." Lydia had her fingers crossed. She placed a hand to Sofia, "Sofia has a real knack for drawing others out of their shells." Sofia blushed, twirling her hair.
"Then I look to you, Sofia." Cecily bowed.
"I'll do my best!"
xxx
Crackle kicked the kitchen door open. Ubos, Eezeyal, and Clover were being stubborn about entering. Crackle was getting the impression they thought she was going to roast them well done. She grabbed them by the scruff and shoved them in.
"TA-DA!" She cheered. The three timidly poked an eye open.
"WHOA!" Drool dripped to their chins. Vegetables and fruit arranged on skewers were stacked on the work table. "What's all this?!" Clover thought he died and went to heaven.
"It's our picnic!" Crackle can't believe they forgot. She mentioned yesterday she wanted to have a picnic with them. "I've been planning it since the minute you left."
Clover hopped up and grabbed a skewer for each other them. Mushrooms, peppers, pineapples, and carrots. They had to admit, Crackle was a genius.
"Most excellent, Crackle." Ubos praised.
"And here's the best part." Crackle winked. "AHFWEW!" The trio ducked for cover. Crackle ran a mild fire up and down the skewers.
"What are you doing?!" Clover shrieked. She was going to burn the whole batch.
Crackle cooked the skewers until the food was lightly charred. "It's better this way! Taste!" She insisted.
"O...kay..." Clover cautiously accepted. Eezeyal and Ubos braved a bite with him. A river of flavors washed over their tongues. "Nice smokey flavor..."
"The way the pineapple just melts in yer mouth..." Eezeyal dug in.
"And the pop of the pepper is divine." Ubos gave his compliments. "A dragon and a chef. Now I have seen everything."
"I'm so glad you guys like it!" Crackle clapped her paws. "Eat as much as you want. I made plenty."
"Then please join us." Eezeyal insisted. "No sense leavin' our new compadre outta the feast."
"Compadre?! You mean...friend?!" Crackle's tail wagged. "WOO-HOO! AHFWEW!" Ubos, Eezeyal, and Clover raised skewers. And to think they were going to stay home.
xxx
Cecily and Lydia left Vivian and Sofia to talk. If anyone can lift Vivian's spirit, Cecily was confident Sofia would be the one. She has such a vibrant air about her. Refreshing to see in one so young.
"Have you given what I said some thought?" Cecily asked hopefully. Lydia nodded shyly, her cheeks flushing pink. "Did you arrive at an answer?"
"No. I just got more questions." She regretted to say.
"That is expected. You're young. For now, let us have our tea." Tea sounded like a great distraction. "The other guests have arrived."
"Other guests?" Cecily opened the door and stepped off to the side. Lydia warily entered, fearing a crazed animal would attack her as soon as she entered. She preferred the animal. It can take her eyes with it.
Sitting on the couch, pausing with grim glares tearing into Lydia, were none other than Queen Irene - Hugo's mother - and Queen Pamela - Hildegard's mother. A brief, rancorous moment, Lydia thought Hildegard and Hugo were stare at her. Hildegard clearly gets her looks and fashion from her mom. Their dresses were the same, with the exception of Pamela's collar rising as a webbing behind her done up hair. And her sleeved were flat and stopped at the elbows. Irene's dress was a white gown embroidered with brown sigils of both of her families crests. The red of the undergown poked at the chest and where the dress parted in front. A leopard pattern faux fur wrapped to her shoulders. Her long brown hair was tied to the side by a flora arrangement. A shame the women chose to look their best. Because those looks made them real ugly.
"I hate to be rude but I'm out!" She threw her hands up, spinning on her heels.
"Please, Princess, don't be so brash." Cecily barred her path. "Queen Pamela and Queen Irene are good friends of mine. I wanted a chance for them and my new friend to spend time together."
"Did you by chance neglect to mention that I'd be here?" Lydia doesn't want it to be mistaken that she''s not flattered. A Queen considering her a good friend is an honor. "Or did they neglect to mention that they hate my guts?" Irene and Pamela huffed haughtily, sipping their tea.
"Both matters have been mentioned," Cecily turned Lydia by the shoulders, "And I was hoping we could put them aside for now."
"I'm not that mature." She spat at the two Queens. They offered no arguments. "I hold no love for those who allow their husbands to try and hit me." Pamela stiffened. "Or whose sons knock my sister off her horse!"
Irene choked on her tea, and the well directed blame. "About that…" She trailed off. She cannot abide by her son's actions during the Flying Derby Tryout Race. However, she'd sooner sell her most prized crowns before admitting wrong on her family's end to the...peasant princess.
"Leave it. Water under the bridge." Lydia waved it off, surprising the two queens. She wasn't in the mood to start a fight. Not when Cecily went through all the trouble to arrange a tea party with her friends. She had her heart set on this. Plus, Cecily's entrusted herself with one of Lydia's deepest secrets. The very least she can do is sit for tea for an hour. "Alright. You win. I'll stay." She smiled in her defeat.
"Good." Cecily beamed.
xxx
Convincing Vivian to help with their show and tell tomorrow didn't go quite as well as Sofia had hoped. Vivian wanted to talk to the other girls. But she clammed up and ran. Talking in front of an entire classroom for their project wasn't appealing to her either. All of those people watching her. Eyes glued to her, waiting for her to mess up or say something odd. She came up with the decision to leave their Dream Castle Project with Sofia. She'll do all the talking, while Vivian does the showing and hiding. Keeping the eyes off of her. Sofia assures her that she'll be able to do it if she tries. Vivian's mind was made up.
Giving up, Sofia went looking for Clover and the others. She found them in the kitchen with Crackle. "Hi guys. Is Lydia done talking with Queen Cecily?"
"We don't think so." Ubos pardoned himself a moment to finish the last pineapple on his skewer. "Is all well, Princess Sofia?"
"Yeah…" She hugged the archway. Ubos and Eezeyal lifted a skeptical brow. Sofia and Lydia are seven year parted twins. Easily able to read where their emotional state is. "It's time to go."
"Before that!" Clover put a marshmallow on a stick. "Check out what Crackle can do!" He raised the marshmallow. Crackle's flame cooked it to perfection. "TA-DA! S'more…?"
"Thank you." Sofia laughed, taking the cooked dessert.
"We're glad you and Lydia made us come back." Eezeyal popped a toasted almond in his mouth. "Roasted carrots, toasted almonds, chestnuts roasting on Crackle's open fire!" Crackle ran a fire over a bowl of chestnuts.
"You wanna know something? Fire breathing might not be so bad, after all." Clover admitted. He impaled a corncob with the skewer, lifting it up to Crackle. "Turns out, it might be the greatest talent IN THE WORLD!" Crackle cooked the corn, popping the yellow kernels to into fluffy puffs.
"Greatest talent…?" An idea lit a new fire under Sofia. "Vivian's greatest talent! That's it! Thanks, Clover!" Sofia ran back for Vivian.
"No problem, Princess!" He waved his popped corn on the cob.
xxx
The parlor was rife with an awkward, silent tension for well over ten minutes. Lydia used her tea and cookies as a muzzle. She wanted the uncomfortable silence to end. Unfortunately, she didn't have anything nice to say to the Queens. The reverse was said for Irene and Pamela as well. Each time they lowered their cups, they would sneak a glare to ydia, almost daring her to speak up. They all had something on their mind. It was a matter of not causing an argument that kept them silent. Cecily permitted the staredown. It was a bit humorous.
"Pamela," Cecily's hum broke the silence. Pamela, Irene, and Lydia inwardly jumped, "I heard you were sick for a few days in bed."
"Stomach flu…" Pamela rubbed her stomach, "According to the physician, it was brought on by a mixture of foods that were...not cohesive." Irene and Cecily chortled. An understatement if they heard one. "Mint tea and medicines, and I was right as rain in a couple of days."
"I'm glad you're feeling better." Irene placed a hand to hers. "By your letter, I was tempted to start planning for a funeral." Lydia pondered if it was callous of her to get her hopes up on that outcome. "All of this talk of good health reminds me," She flexed a small muscle, "My personal trainer insisted I fit into this dress - a dress I haven't worn in years - and...lo and behold!"
Lydia bounced her brow and nodded. That is actually news to hear. The dress flattered her chest and torso. Coming to the hips, her hourglass figure fit to the furls. "It really shows." Her mouth moved before her mind realized she inserted herself into the conversation.
"Really?" Irene twisted, holding doubts of Lydia's sincerity.
"Sure." Lydia padded her torso and outlined curves. "The dress accentuates your curves beautifully. And it the colors vibrate with your skin tone. It's gorgeous." Irene touched her chest in shock. Pamela and Cecily were gobsmacked. Lydia masked her flushing cheeks by drinking her tea. The second she ran out she topped herself off.
"Th-thank you…" Irene pushed up her curls, embarrassed by her friendly comment. Cecily sensed progress. The air felt lighter too. Pamela scrunched her nose. She wasn't convinced. "I must say...I find your dress...appropriate." Lydia lifted a brow. Irene cringed. Appropriate wasn't the term she was looking for. "What I mean to say is, for one with your profession and title, it's nice portrayal. And the tiara is perfect for you as well."
"Oh! Thank you!" Lydia cupped her red cheeks. "My sister helped me pick these out. She has good taste."
"Nice to know someone in your family is fashion oriented!" Pamela snidely remarked, eating a cookie. Lydia ignored her. She was busy thinking of where she can get a dress like Irene's.
"By the by, Lydia," Cecily shifted the flow, "I hear Sofia and James are doing splendidly in the Flying Derby."
"They are, and they absolutely love it!" Lydia exuberantly remarked. There aren't enough hours in the day for her to repeat what James and Sofia tell of their practices. "Sofia and James go into rich detail about practices and races they've had. You'd think you were there."
"Hugo enjoys Flying Derby as well." Irene threw in. "His prized horse, Electra, is quite the swift flyer. I wish he had used her in the tryout races."
"Why didn't he?" Lydia titled her head.
"She hurt her wing before the race."
"Is she okay?"
"Yes. She's flying wonderfully."
"That's good." Lydia exhaled. Injured horses are usually not kept around for too long. Lydia's glad Electra didn't join them in the stable in the sky. "My friend Adelea and I read about Electra when we were at school a couple of years ago."
"You did?" Irene subconsciously brought her undivided attention to Lydia.
"Yep. The first adolescent horse to outrace full grown stallions." Her favorite passage from the tabloid. Maybe it's a good thing Electra was hurt. Hugo would never let Sofia forget that sort of loss. She'll keep that to herself. "Adelea wanted to own her, but Hugo got her first."
"Is...Adelea a sorceress as well?" Pamela hadn't bothered hiding her distaste.
"Yes, and she is also Animus Mal's assistant."
"THE Animus Mal?!" Cecily gasped.
"The very same. Her magic is geared toward animals and nature, so he saw her as the perfect assistant."
"What is she aspiring to be?" Cecily leaned in.
"A preservationist and zoologist." If Lydia recalls correctly. At least...that's what her long, winded job description described. "She was a grandmaster in our Herbology classes. And she's always had a real connection with animals. She wants to put it to use to help maintain the natural world."
"Very good goals." Cecily praised.
"What of your goals, Princess?" Pamela sneered with a bold smirk.
"I still want to become a Royal Sorceress like Winifred the Wise someday." Pamella snorted haughtily. She's not surprised in the least. "But there is the challenge of mastering my Princess duties to get there. A welcomed bump after a good time."
"Magic must make conquering these challenges easy." Pamela pressed her attacks.
"Not really." Lydia massaged her sore neck. "Truth be told, magic actually makes it worse."
"Really?" Irene questioned.
"Uh-huh. I've used magic to make my life easier in the past. All it did was make a huge mess." Some messes she wishes she can forget. "Plus, in the long run, I won't know how to manage myself if I take shortcuts like that." She earned agreeing nods from Irene and Cecily.
Pamela poured herself another cup of tea, stirring in milk and honey. "I heard from my daughter you were grounded for a while." She tapped her cup. Lydia, and Irene, threw sneers her way. The mood was shifting, and she was constantly trying to dampen it. "Slipping grades?"
"Yes, though it shames me to admit." Lydia itched her scalp. Pamela pursed her smirk as she sipped her tea. "I was passing my magic lessons with flying colors and let my Royal Duties and lessons slip. So Dad confiscated my wand until they improved." She rested a hand on her left side. The long lump put her at ease.
"Must have been hard."
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't irked." She scrunched her brow. She leaned on an elbow. The longest days of her life that was. She forgot how many. "But I made a promise to balance the two, and I broke it."
"What'd you do without your wand?" Irene asked anxiously.
"Earned it back. Hard work, determination...and tapping into my inner artist." She earned quizzical stares. "Don't ask. My calluses hurt just thinking about it."
"Impressive." Cecily set her cup and saucer on the coffee table. "Most sorcerers would sooner lose their left arm than their wands."
"My mom taught me and Sofia, a broken promise can never be glued back together. And Dad's trust means more to me than the wand."
"That's...surprisingly mature." Pamela's praise startled the whole room. Birds outside the window were even cleaning their ears. Her breath hitched. "Ahem! How...are your magic studies coming?"
"Ugh...ha...not so well." She dropped her head. She glimpsed suspiciously in Cecily's direction. She shook her head with a small smile, twisting an imaginary key. Her secret was safe with her. "With Adelea visiting, and other stuff happening, I've kind of let it slip." "My instructor is none too happy with me either."
"How far have you slipped?" As a mother, Irene knows the translation for slip.
"I'm four lessons behind where I should be." A lesson she inadvertently skipped during an emergency. "Mostly because, for the life of me, I can't seem to mix a compound for quelling itchy remedies. No wand waving or potion concoctions allowed."
"Is that all?" Cecily didn't think that sounded hard.
"There's a trick. I have to make four different remedies, but use one at least one ingredient they have in common."
"Okay...?" Pamela wasn't seeing the issue.
"The common denominator isn't listed." The three women ahh'd, seeing the rub. "And I've tried different things, but it blows up in my face."
"Well..." Irene rifled in her small purse, pulling out a small bottle with a golden brown drop, "Have you tried shea oils?"
"Shea oils?" Lydia's never heard of it.
"These oils are meant for moisturizing, but do wonders for the itchies."
"Really?" Irene let her bottle. The mixtures for it were listed on the back. She's not a chemistry major, but most of the ingredients would meld well with the ingredients needed for her remedies. "I have to try this!"
"You may have that bottle if you wish. I have plenty."
"Queen Irene, you have my most sincerest thanks!" She curtsied. "Queen Cecily, I'm sorry to just jet off-"
"Nonsense. Let me know how it turns out."
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" The door flew open before Lydia touched it.
"Lydia!" Sofia beamed. "I just got a great idea for mine and Vivian's project!"
"I just got a great idea for mine! YES!" The two high-fived one another and were already out the front door.
"Unbelievable." Pamela exhaled. Easier to breathe without the would-be sorceress in the midst. "Most would give up if they were in her shoes."
"She is a Princess who thrives from mistakes and slips." Cecily elucidated gently. Pamela is a creature set in her ways. Her views won't change, but Cecily won't let them slide smoothly by either. "However irreparable they may seem, she does not stop until they are fixed. That is the Princess she is. That is the Queen she shall become." She dismally cupped a hand to her cheek, shaking her head. "She has yet to realize it though."
"Then I hope she discovers it soon." Irene linked her fingers. "My thoughts are with her."
xxx
Sofia and Lydia held themselves up in Lydia's room. Amber and James strolled by, curious of all the clattering and tapping on the other side. Were it their projects didn't need final touches, they would have stuck around to investigate.
"I forgot to ask…" Lydia poured the final ingredients into the four bowls, "What's this grandiose plan you have for Vivian?"
"Vivian's a wiz at playing the mandolin. And her singing is amazing." Sofia slipped a purple poncho on. "I figured, if she's too nervous to talk, she can sing about our Dream Castle."
"Sounds like a great idea." Lydia drove a whisk in each of the pastes, smoothing them out. She let the pastes settle for a moment. "Now for the piece de resistance." Lydia uncapped the shea oils. "If this works, I'll pass my lessons. If not, we'll have a huge mess to clean up." Sofia fastened her poncho for the splashback. Eezeyal, Clover, Mia, Robin, and Ubos hid in the upper level. "Cross your fingers." Everyone crossed their toes.
The directions call for three drops of the common - elusive - ingredient. Three drops of shea went in all four bowls. The hot rocks were sprinkled. Lydia backed up and threw on her poncho. The pastes boiled. The bowls rattled violently. Lydia, Sofia, and the others closed their eyes, expecting the worst. After a while, the bowls calmed down. The boiling dwindle and spread in in swirls. The pastes cooled and solidified.
"It worked?" Mia gaped.
A test was in order. Lydia poured poison oak powder to her skin. A reaction formed immediately. She applied a finger of the oak paste. First there was heat - marked in her notes. Prickling fighting against the irritation - jotted down. Then a cooling throb erasing the itching - jotted.
"IT WORKS!" Lydia cheered. Celebrations waited until the rest were tested and verified. Sofia, Mia, and Robin volunteered for the next round of tests. Lydia carefully applied each other the different pastes. The three lovely assistants told her of the different reactions for her paper, and then were relieved when the itching stopped. "THEY ALL WORK! YES!" A round of applause filed her room. "FINALLY! Now I can relax for five minutes!" Ubos glared grimly. "Just five! And we move on!" He was going to hold her to that. "It's all you and Vivian now."
"I know we'll do great." She puffed her chest confidently.
"I don't doubt it, kiddo." Lydia grabbed a paper and quill. "There's someone I need to thank really quick. Go save me a spot at dinner."
"Okay. Don't be long." Ubos and the animals followed Sofia.
"I won't."
xxx
A bedroom door opened. A letter resting atop a dresser surprised the woman. She wasn't aware the mail had come. And so late in the night. She opened the letter, sat to her chair, and started reading.
Dear Queen Irene
This is Princess Lydia from Enchancia.
Please excuse my lack of formality, but it worked! It worked! Your shea oils idea worked like a charm! Each ointment heated and cooled to a smooth paste I'm not one for makeup and other beauty products. So it's no real mystery why my knowledge on oils was nonexistent.
I cannot begin to thank you enough. Now I can finally catch up and be ready for my test that's coming up soon.
And before I forget, Clio told me of Hugo's Dream Castle being a healing sanctuary for all types of racing horses. A grand idea. My congratulations on his high marks.
I know you and I don't see eye to eye, but passing this lesson because of that means more. I hope, if you wish to, that you will be there when I'm in a spot again.
Sincerely,
Princess Lydia of Enchancia
P.S.
The R marker in the corner is an 'instant reply' charm. Copy it to your next letter, utter, "Reply, Lydia of Enchancia," and the letter will make it to mae in a flash.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Irene touched a hand to her heart. "Maybe you will."
Till next time.
Okay folks. Poll time. Which chapter do you want next?
1) Blue Ribbon Bunny - Eezeyal hears about the pet contest, and wants to enter with Lydia. Throughout the whole day, he sees Wormwood constantly by Lydia's side. On her shoulder, her stomach, lap, head. The two seem to be inseparable and a friendship is threatened.
The song I want to use is a parody of "Confrontation" from the Jekyll and Hyde musical.
2) A Leach Test - Lydia's Sorcery test is up, and Lezard makes an appearance. Cedric doesn't trust him and hates how close he keeps growing to Lydia. When he tries to put a stop to it, it causes friction between Lydia and Cedric, leading to one major upset, and a several secrets being revealed.
The song here will be the song "Trust in Me" from the Jungle Book.
Vote for the one you want, and the one with the most will be written.