Bethie's Birthday: Part Two

The ballroom was coming along nicely. Bethie stood next to Alana, watching as a group of workers lifted a strip of shiny silver material from the chandelier hanging in the middle of the room to a corner. When Nanny had explained it to her, she thought it had been a ridiculous idea, but seeing the real thing made her change her mind quickly. Time and again, Nanny's experience had usually proved her wrong but she was still too stubborn to not believe it until she saw it.

"I'm so excited!" her fourteen year old sister said with a clap of her elegantly manicured hands. "This is going to be such a great party, Bethie. There'll be good food, wonderful music, and princes that you can just pick and choose from!"

Bethie's look was enough of a response to that particular train of thought.

"Oh I don't know why you don't want to have any fun," Alana complained. "They're kind of...different, but some of them are pretty good-looking."

"I'm going to cut you some slack, but only because you're going through puberty," Bethie retorted as Alana scoffed. "I'm not interested in princes."

"Skech is like a Prince of Men," Alana said amusedly.

That brought a blush to Bethie's cheeks. That particular crush on her father's aide was long documented and well-known. He was the man of her dreams, she was certain of it, but he was not quite on the same wavelength. She did not mind that, simply considered it a challenge. She had to suffer endless teasing from her younger siblings and her friends, but she took it all in stride, sure that she would get what she wanted when the time came. The Porterfield Will was simply too strong or so her father kept telling her.

"Yes, he is," Bethie said, tilting her chin up. "And here comes someone who is more like the Joker of Men."

Jack strode in as if he owned the place, his hands shoved in the pockets of loose-fitting pants that he so preferred. With his shaggy hair and relaxed attitude, Bethie could not believe he would be going to the Academy in a year's time, but he seemed set on it. The last thing she'd expected from Jack was for him to become a soldier, but he did not find it daunting in the least. Grinning at the two princesses, it was hard to believe that he found anything daunting at all.

"Ladies," he said with an exagerrated bow.

"Are you here to work?" Bethie asked archly.

"When am I ever here to work?"

"True."

"Fancy party you got planned here, Elisabeth," Jack said, eyeing the decorations. "You sure you're not getting married?"

"Oh shut up. Is everyone that afraid that I'm gonna become an old maid? If someone else tells me I'm going to meet the man of my dreams at this party, I'm going to kill them and then set the ballroom on fire," Bethie said spiritedly.

"With that attitude, you'll be lucky to catch a cold," he pointed out.

"If you show up at my party looking like you always do, I'm going to throw you out of the castle myself."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I'd at least clean up for the cake," Alana put in gently, smiling sweetly at Jack.

Jack put an arm around Alana's slender shoulders, but his eyes were on her older sister. Bethie scowled at him and braced herself for what he was going to say. She was pretty sure she knew what was coming.

"See, Elisabeth? This is what a princess should be like. Poised, polite, classy. I think this might be one of the few cases in the galaxy when an older sister might actually have something to learn from her younger sister."

Bethie looked as if she wanted to tear down one of the strips of material and hang Jack with it, but then she smiled...though it was more of a baring of teeth than a smile.

"Well if the kid's so wise, why don't you listen to her and clean up?"

They'd been friends a long time and Bethie knew where to hit him. Jack was many things and one of them was vain. Rubbing his stubbled chin thoughtfully, he took a step forward so that he stood toe to toe with Bethie. His gray eyes were challenging as they raked across her face and down the length of her body to her booted toes. Bethie kept her eyes on his face, but her hands were balled into tight fists. She had to admit she was not looking her best that day in a jumpsuit that had not seen an iron and her short hair a mess of spikes, but Jack was not one to talk. She might be looking a little less polished than usual, but he looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed and walked right over to the famed Castle of Lions.

"I could say the same for you," he said smoothly.

"Maybe the princes will have princesses for you, Jack," Alana piped up, ever the peacekeeper.

But neither of them were paying any attention to her.

"I bet you an hour in my dad's new fighter than I can win this beauty contest," Bethie said.

"Deal. We need a judge."

They both turned to Alana who immediately took a step back and raised her hands in defense.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting into the middle of this."

"I'm honorable enough to admit when I've been beaten," Bethie said.

"Me, too."

They shook hands.

"May the prettiest one win," Jack said with a rakish smile.

"Princess, you haf to relax your face," Nanny admonished, taking Bethie's stubborn chin in her hand. "Makeup will not kill you."

"Are you sure?"

Nanny clucked her tongue.

"You are just like your muzzer," she said. "Why could you not haf raised a more agreeable child, Your Highness?"

"I did, but Alana isn't going to turn eighteen for another four years."

Bethie laughed at that and Allura grinned. Nanny rolled her eyes. Allura hugged her legs to her chest, her chin brushing against her knees and she watched Nanny turn her daughter into a woman. The bedroom doors opened with barely a sound and they heard a snick before they realized someone was there. Ethan smiled sheepishly, a camera in hand. He went to Allura's side and sat down. He was still long and lanky, all arms and legs, but Allura could already tell that he would have Keith's build when he filled out. She had many hopes for this son of hers but like with Bethie, she did not want him to grown up either. Sighing, she thought of the babies they had been and her arms ached to cuddle them close again.

"Be careful with that brush, Nanny," Ethan said, a gleam in his blue eyes. "Bethie looks like she's about to take a nice big bite out of it...or your hand."

"Shove it, little brother," Bethie shot back.

"Try it, old lady."

"Children," Nanny bade them even as Allura laughed and she got a look from Nanny for her cheekiness.

"How are you gonna wrestle her into that?" Ethan said, eyeing the gown hanging nearby.

"Did Jack send you in here to torture me?" Bethie said exasperatedly.

"Nah. I just took it upon myself, as your brother and as the Crown Prince of Arus, to torture you myself."

"That's touching, but don't you have to get ready, Ethan?" Allura said, patting him on the back. "We have to be in the receiving line in an hour."

"Don't you have to get ready, too?"

"Go away, Ethan."

"Yes, Mom."

Shooting his sister a goofy grin, Ethan sauntered out of the room.

"It'll take him five minutes to get ready," Allura said. "He's just like his father."

"It's because they iron their dress clothes in their free time," Bethie said solemnly.

"I've seen it," Allura said with the same gravity.

There was a beat of silence and then they began to laugh. Nanny sighed, rolling her eyes again.

"I should have known that you would raise a daughter just like you, Your Highness," she said.

Bethie's eyes met Allura's in the mirror.

"It could have been plenty worse, Nanny," Allura said, smiling. "Plenty worse."