Jeopardized Future

Chapter 2

If you have a parent who is particularly important, you understand how little of them you get to see. So it was with my sisters and I. We saw our father only at mealtimes, in the evenings, and on very rare occasions that he was free. Every now and again we would visit him in his office or the throne room sometimes bringing little gifts or things we wanted to show him. I remember bringing him flowers, berries stuck to whole twigs, and my first invitation to a birthday party. I think Gina, Clair and I brought an ice lizard we had found in the garden to show him at one point in an attempt to scare him. He was surprised and immediately enacted a tickle war with us during which we lost the lizard; so if it's not dead yet, we have an ice lizard somewhere in the palace that we have never been able to find. Whatever the occasion was, Father was always glad to see us and set aside his work to make us his priority, but he was never around as often as he wished he could be. As a result, we learned to entertain ourselves very early in life. After morning lessons and lunch, I go polar-bear riding and practice my musical abilities with my sisters. (I sing and play the harpsichord.)

On this particular day, Clair was late for music practice. Gina cleaned her flute at least three times and I played at least five different scales (maybe I sang a few childhood ditties, too). If you had known we were in the library, you probably would have suggested we read a book or two. Believe me, if it was Clair who was waiting, she would have done exactly that. But as it was, Clair was late and Gina and I don't like to read very much. We had just resolved to go find her when she came bounding into the library.

"You're late." Gina said flatly in an almost hoity-toity voice that made me want to giggle. "I know. I'm sorry." Clair was apparently too excited to be really sorry because she was smiling brightly and bouncing up and down in place. "We'll have to practice later. We're supposed to go to Father's office immediately."

"What did we do this time?" I said annoyed now, letting off the biggest sigh I could muster and not intending to move from my spot on the bench. I don't know about parents and offices in general, but a trip to Father's office when he's the one sending for us isn't usually a good thing.

"Nothing. It's just that a letter from Amy's mother has arrived."

Getting a letter from Amy's mother was the next best thing to Christmas. We met Amy's mother a few years after she sent Amy to the Snow Islands. I will admit Gina, Clair, and I were a bit annoyed with her at first. Amy acted like she didn't know us and we felt like Father was neglecting us in an attempt to 'entertain our guest.' But Amy's mother reached out to us and we all quickly became friends and rumors started going around the palace claiming that she and Father were in love.

A silent challenge passed between the three of us. In the most un-princess-like way possible, we scampered out of the library, flew up two flights of stairs up to reach the fourth hall and raced down the west corridor until we reached Father's office at the very end and almost collided into each other. Father greeted us with a smile that lit up his face and bade us sit down with our sister, Amy.

"It seems that a letter from Queen Hannah III of Bulfisa has found us." Father began in a slightly teasing tone.

"Well, read it already," Amy fairly bounced in her seat. "I'm anxious to hear what my mother has to say."

"You are? I couldn't tell." Father was still smiling. "Very well. She writes: 'My dearest friend Llama, may it please Your Majesty that I will be coming to visit your family within a month. My mother and I are in desperate need of a vacation and I hope Your Highness will welcome us with the same hospitality that you did on my last visit to your lovely home, the Ice Palace. I look forward to seeing my daughter, Amy, again. I'm sure she's grown at least a foot since I last saw her. Tell Gina that my mouth waters for a few of her tasty recipes. Tell Clair that I am already planning dance lessons for her. And tell Ana that I can hardly wait to go polar-bear riding. Dearest Llama, I look forward to seeing you again. Were I not limited to this parchment, I would tell you all that is in my heart. With all my love, Hannah III, Queen of Bulfisa.' "

"My mother is coming!" That was all Amy said before the rest of us started talking at once. I don't think anyone understood even themselves in that confusion.

"Slow down, girls!" Father said nearly laughing. "Amy, what did you say?"

"I must have a new dress made."

"Gina?"

"I must have cook prepare some of my newest recipes!"

"Clair?"

"I must have some new dance slippers made!"

"Ana?"

"I must see that a healthy polar bear is made ready for the queen!"

"Must, ladies, must?" Father said with merry eyes. "First things first: go to the third hall and Gina and Clair may pick out a room for Hannah and Amy and Ana may pick a room for Hannah's mother. Then, Amy and Clair may go into town, Gina may talk with the cook, and Ana may see to the polar bear. As for me, I believe I have a few balls to plan."

My sisters and I giggled, kissed our Father and flew out his office.

"Oh, Amy," I said. "I'm so excited! Your mother is coming to the Ice Palace!"

"I know!" Amy shared my excitement. "It'll be so good to see her again!"

"Amy? About the way she addressed father and how she said she would tell him all that is in her heart. Do you think the rumors we heard last time she was here are true? Do you think she and Father are really in love?"

Amy was silent a moment before she tousled my golden-brown hair and said, "I have a very strong suspicion she is. In my recent letters, she's been addressing Father as 'my love.' I don't think she realized she was doing it and it took me a while to catch on myself. But, I suppose the only way to know for sure is to ask Clair. Isn't that so?"

"Why, yes, indeed. She is the romance expert of the family after all."

We laughed and proceeded with finding the perfect room for Amy's grandmother. In the midst of our excitement, we didn't know that our eagerly-awaited guests would not arrive.