Road of the Heavenly Light

10-3: Growing Up is Getting Old

Abigail let out a loud sigh at the sight in front of her. A few days had passed, and there was still no solution in sight for the debutante ball matter. She was now sitting on a terrace on a cliff by the beach, where she could see Samson and Bianca playing volleyball in the water, while she was pondering possible cuts in the school budget. A feeling of melancholy came over her. She had gladly accepted the position of principal when it was offered to her, eager to help her dear students out on a level she could not before, but she had not been prepared for situations like the one she had found herself in. Her friends probably thought she'd become awfully full of herself in her new position, given how little time she'd been able to spend with them. In previous years, the three of them would be running on just a few hours of sleep for a whole week with how much they were doing, but now... The fear that her friends could believe that she thought herself too good for them gnawed away at her, and all because of a matter of school finances!

"Still no solution?" Samson inquired when her two friends returned from the beach to check up on her. Abigail shook her head in response, waves of guilt hitting her upon seeing her friends' saddened expressions.
"I'm so sorry for getting so caught up in this. I'm sure you must feel like I think myself too important to spend time with you..."
Upon hearing those words, her friends immediately sat down with smiles on their faces.
"Oh, Abi, we would never think that of you!" Bianca said, "we both understand that your new position means you have more responsibilities, too."
"And just because you're a 'Your Magnificence' now doesn't mean you're not still our dear friend," Samson added.
Abigail reached out to embrace her friends. "Thank you both so much... I really do want to have fun with you, but the budget situation is really important to me. I want the students to have this opportunity to show all they've learned."
"And that only goes to show how much of a heart of gold you have," Bianca said.
"We've been talking about it too, Bianca and I, and we want to help you."
Abigail's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled brightly at the duo.
"Thank you so much. I really do love you two."

Abigail couldn't be more lucky to have Samson and Bianca in her life. They really were the most wonderful friends... The two of them immediately helped her write down a list of potential options for creating enough money before beginning to cross off the ones that weren't viable options or would take too much time, quickly leading to the list being empty again. It was past dinnertime when Samson had an idea.
"Why can't we just ask Her Majesty for the money we need? You've met her, haven't you, Abi? Maybe you could show her how wonderful of an opportunity this is and how much the students suffered because of Richard and Mary. Our queen never struck me as very frugal when it came to helping others. It's worth a try, at least."
"I hadn't thought of that!" Abigail responded, "you're right, I doubt Queen Madelyn would refuse such a request. I could write her a letter as soon as we are back in Divinia."
"Well, isn't that wonderful? We've finally found a solution! We should celebrate!" Bianca suggested,
"You're absolutely right. I could really use a brandy after all that hard work..."

With the debutante ball matter finally resolved, Abigail could finally enjoy her vacation without any worries on her mind, something she was in desperate need of. Things were just like old times, with the three of them going to the popular taverns in the evenings to have a fun time, partying like they were still students sharing an apartment together. Still, they also now had a more fine eye for things that would have probably been a bit boring to them in those days, like admiring the beautiful architecture, the delicious cuisine, the dreamy beaches, and the soothing music. Perhaps best of all were the New Year's celebrations, with the stunning fireworks and creative entertainment. Celebrating the new year with her friends once again reminded her of how lucky she was that they were always there for each other no matter what, something she hoped would stay true for many years to come.

After arriving back on the mainland in Diamond Beach, the three of them parted ways, and Bianca and Samson wished her both good luck with the rest of the school year, and they promised to meet again once it was over. Abigail immediately began writing her letter when she had unpacked, trying her best to win over Queen Madelyn. A reply followed within a few days, and she was relieved to see the required money accompanying it. She immediately began preparations for the debutante ball and was ecstatic to see the students' reaction to the news once they returned from their vacation. Abigail quickly prepared an anonymous form to hand over to the student council for the students to fill in, so she would know how many of them needed the appropriate attire and what kind they wanted, before immediately heading towards the closest carriage service to book the amount she needed for everyone, followed by a trip towards Diamond Beach for the ferry tickets they'd need. With everything prepared, Abigail was ready to sit down in her house and spend the last two days of her vacation resting when the sound of knocking at her front door stopped her. She opened it and saw that a package had been delivered. She looked at the card that was attached.

Here's a present from us for the best principal Iola has ever seen. Go easy on the brandy in Caltara, or they'll probably fire you. Kisses from S & B.

Abigail snickered loudly as she put the card from her friends aside and opened the package. Inside was a beautiful white dress with contrasting black gloves, clearly meant for the debutante ball. Abigail held it in front of her as she silently thanked her two friends for being the best people on the whole continent.