"Lanni?" Audria says, "Can I open my eyes yet?" I pull her present from under her bed and set it on the floor, "Not yet, impatient bunny, we have to wait for Mother and Father." Audria does her little pouty face, trying to persuade me. Not working. "Ma! And Pappy, you're here, can I open it now Lanni?" I nod and she practically flings herself to the waiting present.
"Careful," Mother says, "Come one now, little one, you going to open your present from Lanni? You have to be nice and quiet or you'll frighten it." Papa tells her. Slowly, Audria crawls across her bed to the present, then pulling it closer to her, she lifts the top of the box. Squealing, she reaches inside, her face full of joy as she draws out the wriggling ball of fur.
She carefully lowers herself off the bed, holding the puppy close, while she sits with her back against the bed and lets the puppy sniff and bound around. "What you gonna call it?" I whisper, sliding down next to her. "Kesinae." She says smiling, "Oh, thank you so much Lanni, I'll love her so much!" She chirps brightly as she draws me into a hug. Yeah, I think, she certainly will.
A MONTH LATER
Someone bouncing on my bed wakes me up. "Come on Lanni, get up, you sleepyhead!" Groaning, I roll over and thud to the floor while Audria giggles like one of Papa's drunk, rich friends. I see that she's still in her nightclothes, so I stay in mine, as she pulls me through the corridors, twisting and weaving, being the dancer she is. Eventually, she leads me out to the gardens with Kesinae trotting next to us.
At the end of the garden, obstacles are set out. "Audria, why are we out here in the middle of the night, y-" She shushed me, "Lanni, I am a princess as much as you, and I would appreciate it if you listened to me." Audria lectured. Oh, I see she's pulling the princess card, I think. "Right, Lanni, go stand at the end and call Kasinae."
"Audria, what is the purpose of this?"
"Well, we want her to be well trained, don't we?"
"So, doing it in the middle of the night is going to work?"
Grumbling, she points to the end of the obstacles, and I go like the obedient sister I am. "Come on Kasinae! Come on girl...!"
TWO HOURS LATER
Whew! I thought Commander James was bad enough, but seriously, Papa must have taught her a thing or two. She had me jumping over hurdles, weaving around plants with Kasinae, until it seemed so silly I started giggling and couldn't stop. We then lay down on the grass watching the sunrise replace the moon and that's when I knew no matter what happened, her guardian angel would be there and guide her home.
***
