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THEY ENTER THE SMALL rooms laden with fabrics of all sorts, and headless mannequins adorned with garments of various sorts and sizes. Garty lets the ladies choose.
“Which one?” asks Garty as Joanne shone the lamp over each strange and eerie figure in the night light.
“This one,” says Bubba, feeling so out of her depth that she wishes to end this saga before she faints.
“It is pretty,” says Joanne.
“But the hemline is not finished,” Bubba says. She shines the light on the edges of a wild cotton, lemon floral dress with white trims and stiff crinoline, causing the dress to spread out like a bell.
“But I can fix it,” says Joanne, searching for a needle and thread, located almost immediately from a box on a nearby bench.
“I knew it would be easy.” She sucks the white strand and, with Bubba holding the lamp, threads it through the small needle.
Soon the hem is done.
“You must become a dress maker now,” says Garty, impressed by her ingenuity.
“We had to learn at finishing college,” she says. “Every girl needs to know these things, except princesses,” she says.
“Try it on, Bubba,” she said to the younger woman.
The two women disappear behind a screen standing in the middle of the room, whilst Garty keeps a lookout in case anyone spots their lamp through the window.
Garty imagines himself as a fairy godfather for Bubba and Joanna as her godmother. He listens as the tone of excitement rises behind the forbidden screen. That makes him smile.
“Garty, what do you think?” Joanne said.
Garty turns around and, despite the lack of light, he sees that the dress fits Bubba to perfection.
“Very stylish,” Garty said.
“I used the pins to beautify her hair too,” says Joanne.
“I like it very much,” says Bubba.
They find a gold band to place around her crown. It has the royal effect they like.
“You look beautiful, Bubba,” Garty says. “But you need a nicer pair of shoes?”
Bubba’s boots did not fit with the flouncy dress.
“Next door?” Garty said.
He knows the cobbler’s shop.
“Yes, a cobbler works in that building,” says Joanne.
“Come on.”
They head towards Cob’s shop. Ten minutes later Bubba has new shoes on, slip-on satin shoes that make her feet appear tiny.
“Sweet feet,” said Garty.
“Now, let’s get out of here!”
Garty leads the way to the Maud stables. Three of them climb onto the steed, Brill.
“He can take a trio. Two lightweights!”
The females giggle, and he laughs.
“This is faster than walking. We don’t want to annoy the king or Maud Bouchée by turning up too late. They will wait!”
Several minutes later, the three bolt into the field where the marquee is set.
Garty’s heart is beating as hard as the horses’ hoofs. But he knows Bubba must join the throng at the celebrations. He dismounts and then takes Joanne from the horse’s back, whilst Bubba dismounts.
She fixes her dress flounces and Garty lifts her away from a muddy puddle that Joanne has jumped over. They are in a festive mood as they walk towards the entry point of the marquee.
“We don’t want to ruin your new dress!”
Garty gives the man with a wink another coin as they pass by him and he grunts at them from a chair.
The three waltz into the venue. Mrs. Bouchée seems a little frazzled.
“Where on earth have you been, Garty?”
“We found Bubba.”
Mrs. Bouchée stares at them with her eyes narrowed.
“Who is looking after the animals now?”
“They are all sleeping.”
“Well, that is a relief. The animals are important.”
She stares at Bubba with approval on her face.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” she said. “Sit with the other young ladies as you should.”
“Yes, Madam,” Bubba says.
Garty catches her arm and holds her.
“No, Bubba, you stay here with this party, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Bouchée?”
“I do not mind at all! Come and eat something, Bubba, for you may not have had any dinner today?”
“Thank you, Madam,” says Bubba, as Garty lifts out a chair for her to sit upon.
She tucks her dress folds under her and sits.
“It feels so strange to wear a dress.”
“I didn’t know you owned such a fine dress,” Mrs. Bouchée comments, noticing her attire.
“Please, everyone, be quiet.” A voice said.
“Quiet, please.” Mrs. Bouchée said.
Everyone is enjoying the evening now. He is satisfied. Garty pours a glass of apple juice for Bubba.
She smiles at Garty.
It was not noticeable before, but now that she has donned a flattering gown and her hair is tidied, she looks amazing.
He looks at Joanne and his heart swells with pride.
But there is her brother, waiting to pounce, Garty notes.
“King Justice Swanfeather of Kallai,” says the master of ceremonies in a big voice.
Everyone stares at the king, who rises from his position on an elegant chair.
Mrs. Bouchée found it.
“Good evening, citizens of Scatt and the whole of Kallai,” says the king.
“Tonight we will bring forth my long-lost princess Miron, my daughter who was kidnapped as a baby almost twenty years ago.”
“I believe Commander Musdo will bring forth the missing princess, now a damsel,” he says.
Just as Garty was about to protest the king’s call, a ruckus erupts at the Axemanix party’s table.
“Here is your princess,” Axemanix said.
He addressed the king.
He brought forth a figure hidden within a veil. Everyone stares at this amazing person who had been biding time. Nobody had noticed this figure with a veil over her whole body. The tent of meeting became so quiet one could hear a pin dropping.
Garty cringes. What is Axemanix up to?
The heel of his hand hugs the butt of his pistol. He is ready to rise.
The whole assembly looks around to see who this person may be?
Axemanix whisks away a golden veil that was draped over the slim figure.
She is young, with dark hair and a fair complexion. Her head is bowed with shyness.
“King of Kallai, my blood brother! Let me introduce Anna, your beautiful missing daughter. I fathered her years ago by your wife. She will become queen of Kallai!”
The king glares at his brother. His face turns bright red with rage.
Garty speaks in a loud voice.
“Your daughter is right here!”
Garty motions Bubba forward.
“This budding woman is Miron!”
Garty displays Bubba to the crowd with a flouncy of his long arm.
“Miron?” she asks, standing dumbstruck.
“How can this be?”
“Let me prove it to you, your majesty.”
He stares at the king.
“This is an outrage, Swanfeather,” Axemanix said.
“This is your daughter, Anna. Hand over the kingdom of Kallai.”
“Arrest these men!” the king orders his guards.
Before he can release his pistol, Garty is taken captive by four soldiers with pistols, along with Axemanix.
They are paraded before the king, their hands fettered behind their backs.
King Swanfeather falls down on his temporary throne and grasps the rests of the chair that his fingers turn white.
Garty sees Axemanix’s men cowering in the background.
Mrs. Bouchée stands her ground and shelters Bubba on one side whilst Joanne stands on her left.
Bubba stays still between the two feisty women.
Anna, the supposed daughter of Axemanix and queen Bianco, remains standing.
Garty notices she is supported by the gypsy Janda and her daughter Crystalina.
How strange! Garty thinks, wrestling with the chain they had clapped on his wrists behind his back.
The king speaks.
His voice is baritone and fills the venue to its ceiling.
“My brother, Axamanix, you are making a claim that this young woman is my daughter and therefore the next queen of Kallai, for I am bereft of offspring. However, I now find myself with two daughters and heirs. How do you prove her?”
“Please remove these chains. You know how I have a phobia about chains.”
“When you deliver your answer and I am satisfied.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Axemanix says.
“Bring the girl to me,” the king orders, “and I shall decide.”
Janda and Chrystalina take the girl between them and walk beside her towards the king.
Garty stares at the pair with his lip curled.
They have blindsided me and done a deal with Axemanix.
“So, you are claiming to be my daughter?”
The girl comes forward toward the king.
“What do you remember from your childhood?”