ndagreement.Charinawassohappysheburstintotears.Herheart’sdesirehadatstbeengranted.Encedbythehappyatmosphere,LittleMaureenjumpeddowntothefloorandbeganshakingitsheadandtwistingitsbodyandrumpbutt,dangthechachawhichitsmistresshadtaughtit.EveryoneughedheartilyandDornashouted,

    “Hey,greatdangMaureen.That’sjustgreat.Let’sbreakoutthechampagneandcelebrate!”

    “Ohno,Dorna,yettingtooexcitedagain”saidQueenAisha.“It’sstillmandtooearlyfordrinking.Drinktoomudyouwastethewholedaybeingbefuddledandnotabletodoanything.ThereisaintheKingdomofDreamsthatwheneveranewmemberjoinsuswegiveapartytoweleher.Ihoughtwewouldholdanothersuchawelepartyagain,buttodaywehaveanewmemberjoiningus!Whydon’tweanizeagrandpartytoformallyweleCharinatoourmidst?Wehaven’theldsuchapartyforquiteawhileandit’stimeforustohaveagoodtime.”

    “Leaveittome”saidSamantha.“Iamgoodatanizingparties.Iwillmakesurethatthereisgoodfood,gooddrinksandeveryonewillhaveagrandtime.Iamsureyouwilllbesatisfied.”

    “Speakingoffood,I’mfeelinghungry.Mystomachisgrowling”saidDorna.“Iknowanewlyopeaura’sgothereandtryitout.”Sayingso,shebeganwalkingtothedoor.

    “eonbackhere”orderedAisha,pretendingtobeangry.“Youarealwaysinsucharushyoudon’tthinkfirst.Therearestillotofthingstotalkoverthatisunsuitabletobedoneinapublicpce.ThingsabouttheKingdomofDreamsarenotforotherears.Let’sallsetaboutmakingbreakfastourselveshereinmykit.Thatwouldbebothcozyandmerry.”EveryonecurredtoAisha’ssuggestion.QueenAishahadtheirheartfeltadmirationandcouldalwaysvihemwithhersensibleandpracticalideas.

    Theentigaromaofcoffeeperking,breadtoasting,badeggsfryingpermeatedAisha’skitamidthechatteringandughteroffivesixwomen,allwbusilyi,cuttingupfruit,tossingsadsorsqueezingjuice.Sooablereadfullofsimplebuttastybreakfastfoodandeveryodowandtalk.Inthisrexedandcasuatmosphere,theynaturallynolongeradheredtostrictcourtprotocolbutactedandspokeinformallyasoncitizens.

    16

    “OhyesAisha”saidSamantha“Ihavebroughtyourweddinggown.You’vehadseveralfittingsnow,soitshouldfityouperfectlythistime.Tryitonterandsee.”

    “Good”repliedAishaputtingdownhercoffeecup.“I’lldosoter.”

    “What...weddinggown...?”excimedCharina,herfaceclearlyshowinghershodmystification.TurningtoAishashestammered,“Areyou…areyou…gettingmarried…?”Aishasighedandthenreplied,

    “Asthememberdom,youarenaturallynotawareofourpns.Actually,Ishouldhavetoldyouaboutit.It’slikethis...Novel,amemberdomwhomIdon’tthinkyouhavemet,isgettingmarriedtoMr.O’Brianaohaveabigandvishwedding.AllofussideritaprivilegeandhonortobeoneofKingDimitri’swivesbutthoughwearenominallyhisQueenandroyales,itisreallyregrettablethatnotoneofushadevergohroughaformalweddingceremony.SosomeofourmemberssuggestedthatweshouldmakefulluseofthiseborateweddingofNovel’sandformallysayourmarriagevowstoKingDimitriatthesametimeinagroupwedding.Inawayitwillsobeastiousandresponsiblesummaryofoageofourlives.AtfirstIhadreservationsaboutthis,fearingitwouldbeeheadlihatwouldbringdowntheunweleattentionofthepaparazziandnewsmedia,therebycausingusallkindsofinveniendmi

ndagreement.Charinawassohappysheburstintotears.Herheart’sdesirehadatstbeengranted.Encedbythehappyatmosphere,LittleMaureenjumpeddowntothefloorandbeganshakingitsheadandtwistingitsbodyandrumpbutt,dangthechachawhichitsmistresshadtaughtit.EveryoneughedheartilyandDornashouted,

    “Hey,greatdangMaureen.That’sjustgreat.Let’sbreakoutthechampagneandcelebrate!”

    “Ohno,Dorna,yettingtooexcitedagain”saidQueenAisha.“It’sstillmandtooearlyfordrinking.Drinktoomudyouwastethewholedaybeingbefuddledandnotabletodoanything.ThereisaintheKingdomofDreamsthatwheneveranewmemberjoinsuswegiveapartytoweleher.Ihoughtwewouldholdanothersuchawelepartyagain,buttodaywehaveanewmemberjoiningus!Whydon’tweanizeagrandpartytoformallyweleCharinatoourmidst?Wehaven’theldsuchapartyforquiteawhileandit’stimeforustohaveagoodtime.”

    “Leaveittome”saidSamantha.“Iamgoodatanizingparties.Iwillmakesurethatthereisgoodfood,gooddrinksandeveryonewillhaveagrandtime.Iamsureyouwilllbesatisfied.”

    “Speakingoffood,I’mfeelinghungry.Mystomachisgrowling”saidDorna.“Iknowanewlyopeaura’sgothereandtryitout.”Sayingso,shebeganwalkingtothedoor.

    “eonbackhere”orderedAisha,pretendingtobeangry.“Youarealwaysinsucharushyoudon’tthinkfirst.Therearestillotofthingstotalkoverthatisunsuitabletobedoneinapublicpce.ThingsabouttheKingdomofDreamsarenotforotherears.Let’sallsetaboutmakingbreakfastourselveshereinmykit.Thatwouldbebothcozyandmerry.”EveryonecurredtoAisha’ssuggestion.QueenAishahadtheirheartfeltadmirationandcouldalwaysvihemwithhersensibleandpracticalideas.

    Theentigaromaofcoffeeperking,breadtoasting,badeggsfryingpermeatedAisha’skitamidthechatteringandughteroffivesixwomen,allwbusilyi,cuttingupfruit,tossingsadsorsqueezingjuice.Sooablereadfullofsimplebuttastybreakfastfoodandeveryodowandtalk.Inthisrexedandcasuatmosphere,theynaturallynolongeradheredtostrictcourtprotocolbutactedandspokeinformallyasoncitizens.

    16

    “OhyesAisha”saidSamantha“Ihavebroughtyourweddinggown.You’vehadseveralfittingsnow,soitshouldfityouperfectlythistime.Tryitonterandsee.”

    “Good”repliedAishaputtingdownhercoffeecup.“I’lldosoter.”

    “What...weddinggown...?”excimedCharina,herfaceclearlyshowinghershodmystification.TurningtoAishashestammered,“Areyou…areyou…gettingmarried…?”Aishasighedandthenreplied,

    “Asthememberdom,youarenaturallynotawareofourpns.Actually,Ishouldhavetoldyouaboutit.It’slikethis...Novel,amemberdomwhomIdon’tthinkyouhavemet,isgettingmarriedtoMr.O’Brianaohaveabigandvishwedding.AllofussideritaprivilegeandhonortobeoneofKingDimitri’swivesbutthoughwearenominallyhisQueenandroyales,itisreallyregrettablethatnotoneofushadevergohroughaformalweddingceremony.SosomeofourmemberssuggestedthatweshouldmakefulluseofthiseborateweddingofNovel’sandformallysayourmarriagevowstoKingDimitriatthesametimeinagroupwedding.Inawayitwillsobeastiousandresponsiblesummaryofoageofourlives.AtfirstIhadreservationsaboutthis,fearingitwouldbeeheadlihatwouldbringdowntheunweleattentionofthepaparazziandnewsmedia,therebycausingusallkindsofinveniendmi