[b]Princesses.[/b]

“Let me speak for the Queen when I say that you’re always welcome here,” Rita von Catabas says with a cheerful smile, wrapping a ribbon around the queen. “Nod if you agree, your majesty!” Alina hardly needs the help nodding!

“Just hold there so Jess can’t see me,” she adds, to Adila, who was warm for her when all else was cold. “The Queen and I need to talk about my marriage demands.” She winks, and... is it your imagination, or the incense she’s dabbed on, but did a heart float behind her for a moment? “And I have a feeling I’ll have good luck.”

She pulls the knot tied in her scarf between the new queen’s lips and then hoists her up on a shoulder, looking every inch the Askaian rascal of song. “And I’ll be in touch, Kazelia,” she adds, pulling out a goblin grappling hook. “I’d [i]love[/i] to arrange a double wedding date!”

With a muffled squeak of joy and a satisfied kitten chirp, Alina and her soon-to-be-fiancée zip away. Jessamine yells at Rita to come back, but seems surprisingly slow to act. After all, when you think about it, it stands to reason that finding the High Queen’s more important. And besides, there’s cake. Very important for everyone to investigate while the Queen is spirited away.

[h1][center]THE END.[/center][/h1]