As a young girl, Linda was taught by her grandmother about poise and propriety and etiquette. And to a little girl who held tea parties for her stuffed animals, it was all very fascinating and she soaked it right up. But she also had a brother that was two years older than her, and doted on her. His doting almost rivaled her grandmother's, and that was really saying something!

But being best friends with her brother meant that she could dig for worms and climb trees like a cat. She was scolded every time she tore a dress hem or white tights, but when her brother would sneak into her room and tell her he had a blast with her, it made it all worth it.

She loved playing in the yard with her brother, but she loved being with her sister even more. Her sister was seven years older than her- which was a lot to a little kid! Her sister knew about what to where and when, and how to properly braid hair. She could expertly weave ribbon to do anything she wanted, and Linda was utterly fascinated.

But a downside to all of this was that they were older, and they did sometimes act like she was a geek burger. She had someone her age though, that would never act like that.

Now, here she was, seven years old, in pigtails and overalls, watching her best friend dig a hole in the yard. He had been digging for ages now. "Is it done yet?"

"Not yet! It has to be perfect!" Elliot told her, making the hole wider.

Linda sighed and plopped onto the grass. "You said you'd be the prince."

"I will be! But how can I be a prince an' rescue you from the dragon when there's not even a dragon?"

"A dragon?"

"This is a dragon trap! Imma catch one! So's I can rescue you."

"How?"

"Well, what does a dragon do?"

"Breathe fire!" She clutched her hands into fists and scooted closer to him.

"What else?"

"I don't know," Linda admitted after some thought. "What does a dragon do?"

"He protects the Princess!"

"He? What if it's a girl dragon?"

"Okay, she protects the Princess! I can only rescue you if you're in danger," he whispered the last two words.

"Ohh..." she nodded, whispering. "In danger." In her normal voice, she asked, "how do I do that?"

Elliot motioned for her to come closer so he could start whispering his master plan in her ear.

"Ready?" Elliot asked from behind the bushes.

Linda nodded, "ready!"

"Do it. Do it now."

She took a big breath, walked to the corner of the yard, then started shouting. "Mama! Mama!"

Elliot gave a satisfactory smile. It grew wicked when he saw Linda's mother rushing to the backyard.

"Linda! What is this racket? Are you okay?" She stepped right in the dragon trap, falling to her knees.

Elliot jumped from the bushes, wielding a spade and a blanket, and attacked Marni. He threw the blanket over her, and hit her with the spade as he ran circles around her, crying like an Indian.

Linda ran up to him during all this, "you saved me!"

"Saved you?" Marni repeated, getting to her knees. "Saved you? This is some sort of twisted game to you?!"

"I had to fight the dragon!" Elliot came at Marni again with the spade. As she tried to grab it, Elliot stepped into the trap. He fell, but not before the spade caught the side of Marni's face.

She screamed at Elliot, who looked immensely guilty. She yelled at him about how he shouldn't be playing such juvenile games.

Linda, who knew she was about to get in trouble, rushed into the house to get her grandmother. She met her halfway, "Mama's hurt!"

She grabbed Rosita's hand and tried to pull her into the backyard.

"Marni," Rosita called, walking up to her daughter in law.

Marni looked at her with seething anger, a scrape on her cheek smudged with dirt and blood.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up," she helped her up and they headed into the house. "You too, bambini."

Linda hung her head as she started to follow the grownups into the house.

"Are we in trouble?" Elliot whispered. Linda only nodded.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. O'Shea," Elliott tried to apologize again. "I didn't mean to fall."

Marni wanted to yell at him some more. But the cut wasn't that bad, nothing that make up couldn't fix, so she forced a smile. "It's okay, Elliot."

"What's not okay is that you got a spade from the shack," Rosita looked pointedly at her granddaughter as she spoke. "Lo sai meglio."

"Si, Nonna. I'm sorry."

"In italiano."

Linda sighed, she forgot. Her grandmother always instead on having one conversation in Italian with her. "Mi dispiace."

"Why did you get the spade?"

"Elliot needed a sword!"

"I couldn't fight the dragon without a sword! Or dig the dragon trap." Elliot further explained.

"Dragon trap?" Marni sneered.

"How am I s'pposed to rescue Princess Linda if- if there's not even a dragon?!" Elliot crossed his arms dramatically.

"We were just playing, Nonna," Linda tried to explain lamely.

"With something you shouldn't have been touching. You could have really hurt Mrs. O'Shea, Elliot."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Your mother will deal with you," Marni told him. She grabbed Linda's wrist, "come on, Linda, we're leaving."

She knew better than to argue. "Yes, Mama. Can I say bye to Nonna first?"

She sighed, "fine. But do it quickly."

Linda hugged Rosita, apologizing once more. She was glad when Rosita hugged her back and kissed her cheek. Then Linda hugged Elliot, "bye, Elliot."

"Bye." He whispered to her, "Just so you know, I had the time my of life fighting dragons with you"

She grinned widely, "we'll find a better dragon next time."

"And a better sword."

She nodded and waved to both of them, wondering what awaited her when her father was told about this.

The shouting and spanking was worth it, Linda had decided once she calmed down. She and Elliot would just have to find a better dragon next time!