The Lilac Princess
Part IV: On The Care and Feeding of Fairies...
By Lady Dante
Prince Milliardo Peacecraft escorted Queen Katrina Peacecraft and Princess Lucretzia Noin of the Lilacs, back to his family's mansion. Along the way the young prince told and retold the story of how he had found the Lilac Princess, each version progressively further from the truth. By the time the trio reached the house, Prince Milli's story included, among other things, a battle with evil trolls who were trying to kidnap the princess.
As they approached the mansion, Milliardo's nanny, Ingrid, met them. The elderly woman clasped her hands together in a gesture of relief upon seeing her young charge. "Oh, Milli! I'm so glad you are all right. You had Ingrid scared to death!" She embraced the boy as she spoke, squishing him and the flowers he carried. "OOF! Ingrid! I can't breathe!" was Milliardo's muffled protest. His nanny released her grip, ruffling the boy's hair as she did so, and stood to address the queen, "Where did you find him this..." she stopped abruptly upon seeing the child Queen Katrina carried. "Oh my..." she mumbled.
"Ingrid! I rescued a fairy!" announced Milli proudly as he handed her the bouquet he had made. Ingrid took the proffered flowers with a smile, replying "Really...?" as she gave the queen a questioning look. Katrina indicated she would explain later.
"Milli, why don't you and Ingrid take Lucretzia to the kitchen and have something to eat while I talk to the guards." Katrina set the child down and guided her towards Milliardo.
"All right. Come on Miss Noin, we got lots of stuff to eat." The prince grabbed the little girl's hand and they scurried off towards the kitchen, Ingrid following close behind.
Queen Katrina spoke briefly to the guards, who immediately scattered over the grounds and into the forest to search for other 'fairies'. She stepped into the house and used the vidphone to contact Damon Pallidino, the Captain of the Imperial Guards. Captain Damon was currently seeing to security at the Alicia Peacecraft Memorial Hospital in preparation for a visit by the queen. Katrina gave the young man the short version of Milliardo's story and they discussed the possible explanations, none of which were pleasant.
There were skirmishes between Alliance troops and rebel groups in several nearby countries. Thousands of refugees were pouring over the border everyday, fleeing the destruction and both sides of the conflict often fired on escaping civilians. It was possible that Lucretzia's family had been killed in this way and the little girl witnessed it. At the very least, she had been separated from them during their escape, but the child seemed to be too traumatized to remember anything. That would make it even more difficult to find any living relatives.
Captain Damon agreed to return to the estate as soon as possible and signed off. The queen decided she should take a moment to collect her thoughts before joining the others in the kitchen. Katrina almost wished Milli was right in his assumption that the child was a fairy. That was certainly better than the alternatives.
As she sat in the king's study, contemplating the situation, the vidphone sounded. The queen answered and was delighted to see her husband, King Stefan Peacecraft, appear on the screen.
"Katrina, my dear. You look lovely."
"Hello, love. How is the conference?" King Stefan updated his wife on the current topics and problems plaguing the peace-minded delegates. He sighed as he finished, "Well, my dear, how was YOUR day?" Katrina laughed. "What so amusing? I could use a good laugh," The tired king asked affectionately. "That, my love, is a very long story..." Katrina giggled as she launched into an explanation of their son's rescue of a fairy and his plan to marry her when they grew up.
She skillfully glided over the part about Milliardo wandering away yet again.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Milli and Noin ran into the kitchen so fast that they nearly knocked down Cook. "Whoa...Sorry Cook. Is there any cake left? Or strawberry pie?" he started then turned to his friend, "I bet you eat mostly berries and stuff huh, Miss Noin? We got lots of stuff like that...Cook makes good berry pies..." He paused a moment, mentally translating part of what he said, and then asked again in German. The little girl replied, "Ich habe apfels gern." Milliardo translated for Cook. "Well my dear," Cook said, eyeing the strange child, "we certainly have plenty of those. Apple pies, apple pastries, spiced baked apples, apple sauce...you name it."
"Milli, I think you should have something a little more substantial before you dive into the deserts," suggested Ingrid. Milli looked at Miss Noin and rolled his eyes, muttering, "grown-ups..."
"Well, you two wash up and I'll make something special to honor our guest."
Milli pulled a stool to the sink and helped Noin up before climbing up himself. As they busied themselves with washing hands and faces, Cook proceeded to prepare a feast, the main course consisting of peanut butter and apple sandwiches.
Having cleaned themselves up as well as could be expected of two hungry 5 year-olds, Milliardo and Noin seated themselves on the bench at the large oak table. The prince chatted amiably to his friend about a variety of things as they waited for their food. He used as much German as he could, pausing every so often to ask Ingrid for the proper word.
"...Captain Damon is the only Iggy who's fun. The rest of them are O.K. I guess, but they're always so serious...Captain Damon is from New York City...that's in America...He's kinda weird, even for a grownup, but he teaches me American words and how to do things like spit seeds really far and how to walk a coin across my knuckles...that's not easy...When we get finished eating, I'll take you to meet Rena. She's still real little...she's 18 months old, I don't know why they count in months for babies and years for everybody else but she can walk and she's learning to talk...sometimes it's hard to get her NOT to talk...I don't know where that comes from..."
"Milli, you can't visit Rena right now, remember?" Ingrid interjected, "She has a cold and needs her rest. Besides, we don't want you and your friend to get sick, too."
"Oh yeah. Well you can meet her when she's well. And you can meet Father when he gets back from the peace conference in Moscow."
"Do you two think you can behave yourselves while I see to Miss Relena?"
"Sure!"
"That means stay here with Cook...your bottoms don't leave that bench." Ingrid wagged her finger at the two as she spoke.
"Got it." Milliardo acknowledged as Ingrid left. "Ingrid was Mama's nanny when she was little too...that was when they still lived in Belgium..." The boy continued telling Noin all about life at the Peacecraft estate, cleverly weaving fact and fiction together into one exciting story. He was careful to add sound effects and funny faces to make her laugh.
Cook eventually produced the food. Two plates heaped high with sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and crackers with cheese served up with large glasses of milk. Milliardo attacked the food immediately while Miss Noin cautiously sniffed at everything before sampling. "Good, hmmm?" Milli asked around a mouthful of food. "Mmmm." Miss Noin nodded, peering over the top of her sandwich.
"Don't forget your milk," reminded the queen as she entered the kitchen.
Milliardo nodded and took a big gulp. As he set his glass back on the table, he heard Miss Noin giggle. "What?" he asked, puzzled. He didn't mind making her laugh, but he liked knowing what he did to make it happen. Noin, still giggling, pointed to his mouth. A light cough caught his attention and he looked up to see his mama tap her upper lip. "Oh...milk moustache. Why didn't you just say so?" He said as he prepared to wipe it off with the back of his hand. A sharp look from his mother stopped him just in time. He used his napkin, instead.
"Manners first, last, and always...right, Prince Kiddo?"
"Hi, Captain Damon! Look what I found!" Milliard proudly put his arm around Noin's shoulders. The girl looked from Milliardo to the queen and back to the new stranger. He was much taller than the other grown ups and louder. When she looked back at Damon, he winked at her. "Well, well...'bout time you got yourself a girlfriend, Your Highness." The captain winked again as Milli rolled his eyes. "See," he whispered to Noin, "Weird. But I like him anyway."
The captain bowed to the queen and they spoke for a few moments. They left the children to themselves for the most part, only interrupting supper once so that Damon could inspect Noin's bracelet.
The Imperial Guards returned and reported to the Queen and Captain Damon. The area was searched thoroughly, but only a blanket, half eaten apples and Milli's fencing foil were found. Upon seeing a guard holding the foil, Milli froze, food suspended halfway to his mouth and said "Oops..." then smiled sweetly at his mother, trying to show as many teeth as he could.
Queen Katrina chuckled, "You are wasting your time with me...Pagan is the one you have to deal with about your fencing gear." Prince Milli grimaced.
Katrina looked back to the captain. She switched from Queen to Mother mode, crossed her arms and said, "By the way Damon...who taught Milliardo to say something 'sucks'?" Damon shot a look to Milli who just smiled and shrugged. That was a grown up matter and he wisely decided to stay out of it. "Ah, well Mrs. Katrina, I...um...MIGHT...have...a couple of times...said that in front of the prince," he stammered. Captain Damon offered a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head. The young man batted his blue eyes, hoping to make the queen laugh. She didn't.
"Damon, Milliardo will be King of Cinq one day."
"Yes ma'am."
"He will be expected to handle delicate matters of diplomacy."
"Yes ma'am."
"We can not have a pacifist king tell other world leaders that they 'suck.' "
"I dunno...some of 'em DO suck..."
"Damon."
"Sorry."
"Teaching him such things will do him more harm than good in the future."
"As opposed to letting him believe he found a fairy?"
"Damon."
"Yes ma'am."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After dinner, Katrina led Miss Noin upstairs to get cleaned up. Milli wanted to help, but his mother explained that ladies needed privacy when they bathed and suggested that he and Damon inspect the other guards. 'Inspecting' the guards usually meant Milliardo got to sit on Damon's shoulders and pretend he was eight feet tall as he reviewed the line, putting the exasperated guards through their paces. They had to conduct the inspection in the kitchen that evening because of a sudden storm.
Eventually, even Milli grew tired of the game and bid goodnight, very formally, to his subjects before running off to find his mama and his fairy princess.
"Maaa-maaa?"
"Whaaa-aaat?"
"Are you done yet?"
"Not quite, Milli," Ingrid said as she stepped out of the bathroom that connected Relena's nursery and the prince's bedroom, "Lucretzia needs some clean night clothes."
"She can wear some of my pjs!" he said, running to the dresser. He excitedly yanked open a drawer and began rummaging through the contents. Ingrid joined him and picked out an old pair of pajamas that Milli had outgrown.
"Not THOSE, Ingrid, they're old. Here," he said pulling out his practically brand new pajamas. "Give her these."
"But Milli, you haven't had those very long. Aren't they your favorite?"
"Yeah, but Miss Noin doesn't have ANY, and I got plenty, so I want her to have the new ones."
Ingrid patted his head lovingly as she took the pjs. "You're a good boy, Milli."
Ingrid carried the pajamas back to the bathroom. Katrina was rinsing shampoo out of Miss Noin's hair as the girl played with soap bubbles. Ingrid knelt by the tub and delighted Noin by showing her how to blow bubbles through her fingers. As they bathed the child, the two women carefully cleaned the scratches on Noin's legs and checked for other wounds. She seemed to be unharmed except for the scratches and two small puncture wounds on her neck and stomach. The scratches were a result of her barefooted journey through the woods. The other small wounds were harder to explain. The hole on her neck was just behind her right ear and was barely visible. Katrina had only discovered it when she washed Noin's hair. The other small puncture was in her belly button and seemed to be healing well. Ingrid suggested that they might be needle marks. She knew some illnesses are treated with a series of shots directly to the stomach, but neither woman could explain the mark behind the girl's ear.
"Well, Dr. Livian is coming tomorrow to check on Relena. When he is finished we will have him examine Lucretzia." Katrina returned her attention to the child. "All right, you. Time to dry off before you turn into a prune," she said as she wrapped the girl in a large towel. The women dried Noin's hair and dressed her in Milliardo's pajamas before stepping out to meet him.
Milliardo, who had been playing with his toy airplanes and flying them around the room as fast as he could run, stopped abruptly when he saw the ladies enter the room. He frowned when he saw his fairy princess.
"Where's her flowers?" he complained.
"Where 'are' the flowers, and the answer is 'we washed them out'..."
"But MAA-MAAA," he continued in that annoying sing-song whine only produced by 5-year-olds, "How is she gonna get back into the flower kingdom?"
"I thought you wanted to keep her."
"Yeah, well..." Milli stepped around Noin as he spoke surveying her current condition, "she still should have her flowers back and," he leaned forward, sniffing. "And she smells like SOAP!" The indignant prince punctuated the last statement by putting his fists on his hips in much the same manner his mother had a few hours ago.
"That is normally what happens when one takes a bath, Milli," she replied reasonably.
"But she smelled like LILACS when I brought her in here," he huffed in an accusatory tone.
Katrina sighed in amusement. Ingrid leaned forward and whispered something to the queen. The younger woman smiled and excused herself, returning shortly with a small ornate bottle containing a light purple liquid. Kneeling in front of the children, Katrina poured a bit of the liquid into her palm and offered it to them for inspection. Milliardo sniffed the liquid suspiciously but broke into a wide grin upon realizing it was lilac cologne. Seeing her cohort's reaction prompted little Noin to sniff the perfumed substance as well, producing much the same reaction. Assured that the children approved of her idea, Katrina proceeded to rub the cologne into Noin's hair. The little girl's eyes began to flutter as her head was gently massaged.
"Well it seems we know how to make our fairy sleepy."
"Yeah. Rena gets sleepy when people play with her hair too. Why is that, Mama?"
"It's a girl thing, Milli."
"Oh." Even at the age of 5 he knew "girl things" weren't to be questioned.
When she finished, Katrina gave Lucretzia a kiss and said, "You are a very good girl to hold still so long."
"Yeah, I fidget," added Milliardo...fidgeting. Meanwhile, Ingrid turned to face the prince, crossing her arms and eyeing him. "Now then..."
Uh-oh. He didn't like the look he was getting. He was definitely being sized up for a bath. Milliardo backed towards the door slowly, prepared to make a break for it. Darn it. Miss Noin was still across the room, standing next to his mother. He couldn't leave his comrade behind. It wouldn't be honorable. Although...she HAD already had a bath...No. He couldn't run out on his guest. It wouldn't be fair to leave her behind just to save himself.
Milliardo sighed and accepted his fate. "Fine! But I want my toy squid and my toy submarine so I can play '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' "
"That sounds reasonable. Come along, little man."
Ingrid ushered her charge into the bathroom as Queen Katrina proceeded to comb and braid little Lucretzia's hair. By the time she was finished the child was yawning and rubbing her eyes. "That's much better, don't you think cara mia?" The little girl responded with a drowsy smile.
After seeing to it that Milli actually got into the bathtub, Ingrid returned to see to Lucretzia's scratched legs, collecting the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet as she went. Most of the wounds were minor, only requiring some antiseptic cream, but a few were already infected and needed bandaging. Ingrid handed Queen Katrina the first aid kit and took Lucretzia on her lap. She wrapped her arms around the child reassuringly as the queen began to dab on the antiseptic. The poor little girl winced and tried to pull her legs away. Ingrid hugged her, stroking her hair and explaining that the cuts had to be cleaned or they would hurt worse later. The child tried to be brave and hold still, but the stinging made her wriggle with discomfort. Katrina tried to finish as quickly as possible. She looked up at the little girl now and then, trying to offer her some reassurance that it would only hurt for a bit.
Halfway through the procedure, Katrina heard giggling. She looked up to see Ingrid and Lucretzia laughing, eyes fixed on something over the queen's head. She became aware of a presence behind her and assumed it to be her freshly scrubbed son. She didn't turn around, but she could tell from the others that he was doing something funny. Her patient laughed again and Katrina took the opportunity to clean a particularly nasty scratch on the girl's ankle. Lucretzia winced again and let out a small whimper. The sound of a small thud behind her led the queen to believe that Milli had tried-and probably failed-to perform some sort of stunt to distract his friend. It worked, Lucretzia giggled again with utter delight.
It was difficult for Katrina to resist the urge to turn around and see what her son was doing. He was such a clever and funny little boy. She thoroughly enjoyed his performances and stories. He was also a very thoughtful person. The depth of kindness Milli displayed during their regular visits to the hospital and orphanage always touched her. She felt blessed to have such a creative and compassionate little boy. And yet he was so lonely.
Intellectually, Milliardo was on par with children three times his age. That in itself would be enough to make him feel like an outsider among children his own age, but he had the added burden of being heir to the crown. Much of his life was taken up with the formalities of royal life. He was almost always in the company of adults and simply did not feel comfortable with children his own age. As much as he adored Relena, she was still just a baby and not yet capable of being a suitable playmate.
The queen smiled to herself. Now here was pretty little Lucretzia who seemed to bring out the best in the young prince. He did not show any of his usual reticence when interacting to the girl. Of course, she WAS a fairy...
Katrina finished bandaging Miss Noin's feet and packed up the first aid kit. Without warning she whirled around in time to catch Milli standing with his arms straight out and his lips folded around his teeth, pretending to be a zombie. The sudden movement from his mother made him jump and yelp. His audience burst into laughter. Standing up straight and putting his hands behind his back, he addressed his mother in a most regal tone. "I have finished my bath Mother. May Miss Noin and I play before bed?"
"No, dearest. It's getting late," replied Katrina still giggling. "It's been a long day and your Father is going to call you tomorrow morning before breakfast, so you should get some sleep."
"Father's gonna call? Cool! I can tell him all about my adventure!"
"Milli, perhaps you should save that for his return," she suggested. "I will be sleeping in Relena's room while she is sick. Ingrid will put you to bed tonight. All, right? Now give Mama a goodnight kiss." Milliardo wrapped his arms around his mother's neck and gave her a tight squeeze before kissing her cheek. "Good night, dearest. Don't forget to mention your Father in your prayers."
"I won't forget, Mama. 'Night."
Katrina held her arms open to Noin and smiled. "You too, cara." Noin stepped up to the queen, gave her a hug and kissed her. The queen patted the little girl's cheek and wished her sweet dreams in Italian. "El dulce suena, Lucretzia."
Ingrid shooed the two children towards the beds. Reasoning that she had only slept outdoors, Milli decided to let Miss Noin have the bed near the window so she could see the trees. Ingrid knelt with them by the bed and listened to Milli's prayers. Noin, not completely understanding, put her hands together and bowed her head as her friend did and listened.
"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God Bless, Mama and Father and Nanny Ingrid and Rena...and help Rena's cold go away soon so she can play with us...and bless Captain Damon and the other Iggies and help all the sick children in the hospital and the kids and nuns at the orphanage and God Bless Cook for making such good food and God Bless Miss Noin and please take care of her family while she's with us and God Bless her whole fairy kingdom...and thank you for giving me a new friend to talk to so I won't be lonely anymore. Amen."
********end part four********
WHEW!!
Personally, I think they call him 'Lightening Count' because he's hyperactive... I swear the boy hasn't taken a breath since the story started.
I know I haven't given Noin much to do (or say) yet, but I promise the next chapter will be written mostly from her POV. But, be warned, I'm not going to explain much. She's going to be a mystery for a while...even to herself. . .so the next chapter will be more of a recap, her thoughts about what has already happened and her impressions of the people she has met so far. I'm scattering clues to her identity through out the story as I go, but I may save the big revelation scene for a sequel set when they are grown up. What do you think?
Disclaimer: [sigh] Once upon a time there was a poor storyteller who liked to use anime characters in stories she wrote. She knew she didn't own them and always returned them, undamaged, to their legal guardians. She even returned Zechs, who always cried when he had to leave the very beautiful and talented storyteller behind in the so-called 'Real World.' The extremely beautiful and very talented-or was that very beautiful and extremely talented?-storyteller did not make money off her stories. She was just happy to bring joy to her readers. So don't sue her. [Lady Dante waves happy-face flag she borrowed from Vita].
