A Princess Named Harry: Book 2

Chapter 9

The twins got a blanket and sat it out in the sun. They had Harry sit on it with them while they talked, and Claire made another flower crown.

They had been sitting for so long that Harry had begun to wonder when they would play.

"So, um . . . when are we going to play?"

The twins froze and slowly looked at her. Their faces scrunched up in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" asked Collin.

"We're playing right now," Claire replied.

"This is the game?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Yes," they answered in perfect sync.

Harry didn't like their games. She, Helen, and Maggie often played games when they were the twins' age. What they were doing now felt like anything but a game.

"But . . . um . . . what about other games like hiding and seeking and going on adventures and you know . . . "

The twins stared at Harry with now blank expressions.

"Hiding and seeking?" they asked. "What's that?"

"Eh?"

"We've never played games like that before," replied Collin.

"This is our game," said Claire.

Harry sat puzzled and rubbed her chin. "Well . . . should I teach you how to play these games?"

"Would you?" asked the twins.

"I mean, I can," Harry answered slowly. "If you want me to."

They nodded and quickly answered, "We do."

"Alright then."

Harry stood up and looked around the area. The land was so bare and out in the open that there wasn't a single place to hide.

"Firstly, we need to go to a big area with lots of trees and places to hide." Harry moved her hands around to gesture to the size of the area she was thinking of. "Is there a place like that?"

The twins looked at one another and went silent for a moment. Harry watched the cogs in their brains turn as they thought about the landscape of the palace.

"A place that's wide with lots of trees," muttered Collin. He glanced over at Claire. "It has to be there, right?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah, it's the only place that fits the description."

Harry smiled at them. "Have you decided on a spot?"

The children both nodded and answered, "Yes."

"That's good; then shall we get going?"

"Yes."

They led Harry to their royal gardens.

"Now, it's not anything special," spoke Collin.

"But it's all we have," finished Claire.

Harry was stunned; everything seemed so otherworldly. All the flowers were big and bright and were growing at such odd angles that it seemed it could only be possible with magic. Despite saying it was nothing special, it certainly was something to Harry. Some of the flowers there were ones she was seeing for the very first time.

"This certainly isn't nothing," she said astonished.

"Yeah," replied Colin. "For you, maybe, but for us-"

Claire nudged his arm and silently shook her head at him disapprovingly. He gave her an angered look before conceding.

"Alright," he sighed and said a bit stubbornly. "Are you ready?"

Harry was pulled out of her whimsical daydream state. "Huh?" she asked quietly.

"We're going to play, aren't we?"

Claire smiled and said, "We don't know how to play your games, but we hope you'll teach us well."

Harry laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah," she replied. "I hope I can teach you well too."