cotton candy

[thaumobabble]

In some ways, Bella does a lot, very quickly; and in other ways she does almost nothing at all.

She does not have to be secretive - she has no enemies, her world is accustomed to the introduction of strange wonders and will not fall apart with any revelation. She revives a large number of dead people - although none of Marianne's direct ancestors - and sends them home to surprised but happy families. She renders a larger number of people torchable. She sends letters to the monarchs of neighboring realms indicating that she is available to help with any unusual difficulties in which they may find themselves, and that she would appreciate introductions to their farther-flung neighbors. That is the "a lot".

But her world is made of cotton candy, and she has no intention of dumping a bucket of water on it in the hopes of rinsing off small amounts of dust. She is not usurping her mother-in-law, she is not conquering miscellaneous other kingdoms, she is not ridding the world of all its annoying but ultimately not mean pitfalls and hazards. (She does make it a condition of rendering dragons torchable that they must not eat anyone except trespassing Orthodox wizards.) She is mostly staying at home with her wives and her daughters, reading Rose's books, chattering endlessly with Kanim about all the exciting experiments they'll conduct with the new forms of magic available.

When Jane goes down, Bella has to make sheepish announcements that her resurrection powers turned out to be impermanent; she hopes they will return but can offer no timetable.

Meanwhile, news of one specific resurrection (Howard's) has spread far and wide.

Comments

[thaumobabble]

"Ordinary-sized people," laughs Bella. "They just live close together in cities, instead of all spread out like in the Enchanted Forest."

[carillons]

Tanalin giggles some more.

[campanas]

"But what do they do when they want to be alone?"

[thaumobabble]

"They still have their own rooms per person and houses per family," says Bella. "The houses are just right next to each other."

[carillons]

"Who's visiting?"

[thaumobabble]

"Duchess Kiria is going to bring her children to meet you. They're twins - regular ones - and about your age."

[campanas]

"Are they nice? I only like nice people," says Carinna.

[thaumobabble]

"You'll have to decide for yourself if they are nice enough for you," says Bella.

[campanas]

"I bet they are," says Kiawen optimistically.

Kiawen is so optimistic that she's out in front of the castle, playing with Cricket, when the visitors arrive, instead of waiting for them to knock.

[longdistancebells]

The visitors are a shortish red-haired man with black-rimmed spectacles and his two shortish red-haired children, one wearing a blue dress and the other a green tunic.

"Hello!" the man says cheerfully. "Are you by any chance a princess?"

[campanas]

"I am!" says Kiawen. "Guess which one, there are six!"

[longdistancebells]

"I guess that you're one of the smaller three!" he says. "Did I get it right? Do I get a prize?"

His daughter giggles.

[campanas]

Kiawen grins and hugs Cricket for no particular reason; Cricket tolerates this. "Yes but which one?"

[longdistancebells]

"That's a hard question!" exclaims the man. "I didn't know there would be hard questions."

[campanas]

"I'll give you three guesses," suggests Kiawen generously.

[longdistancebells]

He peers at her, as though suspecting a trick.

"I guess Kiawen!"

[campanas]

"You didn't even need all three!" says Kiawen, letting go of Cricket to clap for him. Cricket tends to his much-abused fur.

[longdistancebells]

"I'm lucky that way," he says. "Hello, Princess Kiawen! I'm Ian, and these terrifying creatures are my son Icarin and my daughter Valeria."

"Boo," says Valeria gleefully, waving her arms.

"I'm not very terrifying, he's just being silly," says Icarin.

[campanas]

"I'm not even a bit terrified. Hello, it's nice to meet you! Carinna says I should find out if you are nice so she can stay away if you are not nice," says Kiawen. "She only likes nice people."

[longdistancebells]

"I'm very nice," Ian assures her. "My wife tells me so all the time."

"I don't know if I'm nice," Icarin says thoughtfully. "How do you tell?"

Valeria cackles.

[campanas]

"I'm not sure!" muses Kiawen. "But Carinna said I had to find out. She's very sensitive," she explains. "Cricket, go get Tanalin pretty please and she can help?"

"Mow," says Cricket, and he lopes castleward.

[allthebrightest]

It turns out that Tanalin is in the forge with Tony and Howard, watching them argue excitedly about flying armour. Tony is doing most of the talking.

[alicornucopia]

Cricket cannot make himself understood to anyone in the room, but he can bat expressively at Tanalin's elbow with a paw.

[carillons]

"Hi, Cricket!" says Tanalin. "Do you want to show me something?"

[alicornucopia]

"Mew." He turns and leads her out to the front part of the palace grounds, where are visitors and Carinna.