The World of Rhune

“Oh, hi sweeties! You’re just in time to help with guest corridors! Thank goodness, because I didn’t really know where you wanted half of these princes and princess to go! Since they’re mostly about your age…well actually Princess Sicera of Sien-ra is fourteen…oh whatever. You look over the prince and princesses, and I’ll organize their parents and or entourages. Avery, keep an eye on Isabella for me, would you?” Queen Grace drawled on, holding a long sheet of parchment and a quill. Bella noted the ink stains on the cuff of her dress, and wondered how long her mother had been organizing. The Queen was known for her lovely, not-messy handwriting. “Yes, of course mother,” Bella replied automatically, and she nudged Avery in the ribs. “I’d be delighted to watch over swe—Bells over here.” Avery nodded his head in respect and pulled a chair up to Bella’s. “Okay, your guest chambers are to be filled, but I also want the garden suite, and ocean suites taken too. Try and entertain each guest’s homeland while choosing. Avery, remark for the princes incase they get a girlish room for some reason. Bella, add variety too. I’ll check after, okay?” Her mother made it seem like the two teenagers were stupid, and Bella guessed she did have a point. “Yes mother, don’t worry, with you checking and watching we can’t mess up.” Bella smiled as her mom blushed, and turned back to the task at hand. Bella looked at the script of all the princes and princesses, including the siblings. She noticed that two, the twin siblings of Caryi, were crossed off. “Mother, um, what happened to the Caryi prince and princess?” Bella wondered, and Avery cleared his throat, knowing the answer. “Oh, they had something happen, poor Prince Zayde fell ill terribly and the family didn’t want to attend without their Crown Prince and son…so you don’t have to make room or board for them,” The queen didn’t look up from her paper, and purposely avoided Bella’s eyes. She sent Avery a questioning look, but he shrugged, not giving anything up. Isabella glanced back at the paper, a somewhat long list of names written in nice cursive. “I’m sorry you’re not able to be near me. I wish, where are you staying now?” She glanced down the list at the starred names including all four princes’ of Xirra. “Oh, my parents bought a new castle down near the water less than half an hour’s ride from here, though your parents offered mine a small guest suite to use during the wedding times. No offense though, sweetheart, I prefer my own bed so I just ride back to and from here mornin’ and night. It’s peaceful, and Colste is still young and likes the ride just as much as I do.” Bella looked up and saw Avery’s eyes focused on something else, what she figured was a memory. She let him have his day dream and drew squares representing each room which the royals under her charge would be given. Her eyes scanned the rest of the paper for starred names; only Princess Sicera of Sien-ra and the royal siblings of Cancri were the others. “Okay, so in the allotted amount of rooms I have as my personal guest suites, I’m supposed to fit nine people. How in the world am I supposed to do that? And they’re all guys, naturally. On my wedding I get surrounded by guys!” Bella dropped her head into her hands, the quill leaving a faint line on her cheek. “Well, if you’re not careful, you’re gonna end up being confused with a guy too.” Avery traced the mark and pried her hands from Bella’s face. “Very funny, I like Charlemagne the best, and know him the most…well not the most but I have the most feeling of friendship with him, though Augustine begs to differ half the time”. Bella remembered the three times she’d seen the princes. Once for Augustine’s sixteenth birthday, another for just a nice summer tour in Ralea to improve relations and have an a plan if a either Caryi or Folic attacked or were attacked by Folic or Caryi, and last for the twins Mackenzie and Montgomery’s sixteenth party. This would be the fourth time they’d all seen each other, and it had been at the first Augustine hadn’t seemed to let Bella be alone for long. Then for the next one, it had been long and she’d made up millions of excuses to stay away, though they only could be used during the day, at night they seemed useless. Isabella’s parent’s hadn’t exactly helped matters, but Augustine was truly nice, and he was a good friend. And that’s all he can be since I’m getting married Bella’s thoughts turned in her favor, and she put him at the farther end of all her guest rooms. Avery seemed to have “woken up” and was peering to look, she shrugged, answering any question he might have had and continued. “Should I put siblings near each other?” Bella asked, twirling her quill. “Hmm…well you wouldn’t know since you’re an only child, but since I had an older brother, I’d know that you wouldn’t want to be next to each other, but still close. Yet the two twins are an exception…uh this stuff is too hard and confusing. Just stick Princess Sicera in this room, because it has an ocean view. Sien-ra, of course, and then the Songai siblings facing the forest because it’s more homey…ish.” Avery’s face scrunched as he looked at the bright white parchment, his expression full of thought. “How ‘bout I put Charlemagne next to me, since I have an ocean view Princess Sicera on the other side. I like Princess Hannah, I don’t remember exactly but I do know I’ve met her before, so I’ll put her across from my room. Her brother can be…hmm. I have ten guest bedrooms, and oh it was seven! I’m so stupid. I can intertwine some other guests now. Hmm…well, actually that’s exactly the number I need…wait, no. It just says ‘Septyni’, no names…I’ll…arg.” Bella rubbed her head, ticked at how simple a task was now so hard. “Mother, are the princesses from Andato to stay in my quarters? Or with their parents?” Queen Grace looked up and smiled at her daughter’s frustration. “Now you know why I’ve been asking so many questions, hon. I’ve arranged for them to share a room next to their parents. It’s near our garden and pool, so I think it will be a good compromise. If not, then I will find a place for them. For the other guests you will be receiving, you are to show each individually their quarters. Myself and your father shall show the other monarchs to their quarters. The you includes both you and Gent.” The queen turned back to the task at hand, fiddling with colors; it was an obvious dismissal. “Okay, so rule them out, I only have Prince Trei. Uh, more boys! Why can’t this world produce more ladies? Don’t answer that, I’ve already gotten the lecture from my father.” Avery’s mouth stayed frozen in an O, stopping whatever he would have said. “Well, just place him on the other side of Princess Sicera. So you have the line up now…ish. Princess Hannah across from you, Prince Charlemagne to your right, and Princess Sicera to your left. Prince Amir to Charlemagne’s other side, Prince Trei to Princess Sicera’s other side, and place the twins on Princess Hannah’s right side. Forgetting anyone? Oh, and you can leave two rooms on Hannah’s right for Septyni, and place Prince Augustine were he is, farthest on the right. Am I good enough to escalate to wedding planner, my dearest princess ells?” Avery looked at her in the face smiling, and she realized what he’d really been thinking of during that time. “Lovely, now just repeat the block so I can actually write it down.” Isabella grinned, and dipped her quill in more ink. She hoped there was someone or something to drag her away from this mess of parchment. Avery sighed, “Fine sugar, okay, so Prince Charlemagne is here…” he began, pointing to the squares previously drawn on the page.