THE KINGDOM OF CELESTIA

EVERYTHING IN THE KINGDOM SEEMED QUIET OF LATE. NOT MUCH HAD HAPPENED AT THE PALACE OF LATE AT LEAST. HOPEFULLY SOME NEW ADVENTURE WOULD ARRIVE SOON. NOT THAT KING RISHI WISHED FOR TROUBLE.

IT WAS SIMPLY THAT HIS SON PRINCE OCEAN SEEMED TO HAVE NO BETTERWAY TO SPEND HIS DAYS THAN CURLED UP ON THAT SOFA WITH A BOOK. HE LOVE HIS SON WAS LEARNING, BUT A YOUNG PRINCE OUGHT TO EXPERIENCE MORE THAN JUST BOOKS.

VED AND ASHLEIGH WERE ENJOYING A QUIET EVENING JUST THE TWO OF THEM. SHE WAS EXPECTING AGAIN, AND WAS EXCITED. HOPEFUL THAT THI S TIME SHE WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO A SON AN HEIR.

THE TWO ALREADY HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED SHAIVI. SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

THE KING HIMSELF HAD ALREADY COME BY THEIR HOME TO MEET SHAIVI. SHE WAS OF THE PROPER AGE FOR YOUNG PRINCE OCEAN.

KING RISHI SEEMED IMPRESSED WITH THEIR DAUGHTER’S QUICK MIND. HE SEEMED TO THINK THEIR DAUGHTER AND OCEAN MIGHT MAKE A GOOD MATCH. HE’D EVEN INVITED THE YOUNG GIRL TO VISIT THE PALACE NEXT SATURDAY IN ORDER FOR THE TWO TO MEET.

BOTH WERE ECSTATIC AT THE OPPORTUNITY, AND WERE HAPPY TO NOTE THAT SHAIVI SEEMED EXCITED TOO.

ASHLEIGH BEGAN IN EARNEST ONCE MORE ON CONTINUING HER DAUGHTER’S INSTRUCTION.

AS MUCH AS HER CURRENT CONDITION WOULD ALLOW AT LEAST.

OF COURSE SHAIVI HASHMI WASN’T THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN THE PRINCE’S AGE. ACROSS TOWN, THE NOBLE FAMILY ALSO HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED MILDRITH. EVEN THOUGH THE FAMILY WERE PEASANTS, WITHIN CELESTIA ANY GIRL HAD THE CHANCE TO BECOME THE NEXT QUEEN OF THE LAND IF SHE WAS OF A PROPER AGE. IT MADE THEIR KINGDOM UNIQUE TO BE SURE, BUT UNIQUE WAS GOOD.

HONESTLY, LADY HASHMI HARDLY KNEW MARY. SHE’D ONLY SEEN HER ABOUT THE TOWN MARKET, AND HAD NEVER SPOKEN WITH HER. SHE WAS A VASSAL TO LORD LAMPRIGHT SO THE TWO WERE NOT WELL ACQUAINTED.

SHE’D HEARD THEIR WAS A FIRE THAT BROKE OUT IN THEIR HOME NOT LONG AGO, WHICH FORTUNATELY THE MEN MANAGED TO PUT OUT BEFORE THE HOUSE WAS LEFT IN COMPLETE RUIN.

SHE ALSO KNEW THAT MARY’S MOTHER HELPED OUT WITH THE CHILDREN WHEN SHE COULD, AS MARY WASN’T OF THE STRONGEST DISPOSITION.

MILDRITH NOBLE IS ALSO SAID TO BE QUITE CLOSE TO ANOTHER YOUNG MAN IN THE KINGDOM. THE NUGEN’S SON KEITH. THE TWO WERE OF THE SAME SORT SO IT WAS POSSIBLE MILDRITH MIGHT FIND ROYAL LIFE TOO OVERWHELMING. SHE SUPPOSED TIME WOULD SOON TELL.

AND ACCORDING TO THE TOWN GOSSIP RUBY COLDWELL, EVEN LADY LAMPRIGHT WAS INTERESTED IN SHAIVI MEETING HER SON AS WELL. WELL HER DAUGHTER WASN’T SHORT OF OPTIONS IT WOULD SEEM.

RUBY SEEMED TO THINK LORD NICHOLAS’ SON THOMAS WAS TOO UGLY, BUT HONESTLY ASHLEIGH THOUGHT THE WOMAN WORRIED TO MUCH ABOUT THE MATCHMAKING IN THE KINGDOM. AFTER ALL THE WISHING WELL AND GYPSY MATCHMAKERS WERE CONSULTED AND GIVEN FINAL SAY IN THESE MATTERS. ESPECIALLY AMONG THE NOBLE HOUSES.

AND TO HERE RUBY TALK, JOURNEY AND SAGE LAMPRIGHT LOOKED AS THOUGH A CART HAD SMASHED INTO THEIR FACES. PERSONALLY, ASHLEIGH DIDN’T SEE WHY RUBY THOUGHT JOURNEY WAS THE UGLIEST GIRL IN THE KINGDOM. SHE HAVE A VERY NICE LOOK TO HER. LIKELY, RUBY CALDWELL JUST HAD NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN STIR UP TROUBLE.

WELL NO MATTER, TIME WOULD TELL SOON ENOUGH WHERE HER LITTLE GIRL WOULD END UP, AND IF SHE AND HER HUSBAND WOULD HAVE A SON TO CARRY ON THE HASHMI NAME.

BEFORE LONG THE BIG DAY ARRIVED, AND SHAIVI FOUND HERSELF AT THE ROYAL PALACE ALONG WITH TWO OTHER GIRLS IN THE KINGDOM. JOURNEY LAMPRIGHT, AND MILDRITH NOBLE. SHE KNEW JOURNEY WELL ENOUGH THEIR FATHERS WERE ON THE KING’S COUNCIL TOGETHER, BUT MILDRITH WAS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN. HOPEFULLY, THE PRINCE DIDN’T SEE HER FAILURE AT A PROPER BOW.

IF HE DID, OCEAN CERTAINLY DIDN’T LET ON WHEN SHE BOWED TO HIM.

MILDRITH NOBLE, SEEMED TO GET ALONG QUITE WELL WITH JOURNEY THOUGH SHE HADN’T BEEN SEEN TALKING TO THE PRINCE YET. PERHAPS, SHE WAS TOO INTIMIDATED.

SHE AND OCEAN WERE GETTING ALONG WELL ENOUGH THOUGH.

BUT IT DIDN’T SEEM VERY LADYLIKE NOT TO LET THE OTHER GIRLS ENGAGE WITH THE PRINCE AS WELL. AFTER ALL A QUEEN OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS. SHAIVI DECIDED TO INVITE THE OTHER GIRLS TO JOIN.

SHE WAS QUITE GLAD SHE DID TOO, AS IT WAS MUCH MORE FUN WITH ALL FOUR OF THEM PLAYING TOGETHER. MILDRITH CERTAINLY HAD AN ARM!

SHAIVI HAD TO BID FAREWELL TO THE PRINCE AT NIGHTFALL, HOWEVER SHE NOTED THAT MILDRITH DIDN’T SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME CURFEW. I SUPPO SE SHE WAS WELL ACQUAINTED WITH WANDERING THE ROADS OF THE KINGDOM AT NIGHT WITHOUT AN ESCORT. SHE AND JOURNEY BOTH AGREED THEY COULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING. THEY’D BE MUCH TO FRIGHTENED.

THE NEXT MORNING FOUND MILDRITH TALKING ABOUT HER TRIP TO THE PA LACE WITH HER MOTHER MARY. “I’M GLAD SHAIVI INVITED ME TO JOIN THE WA TER GAMES WITH THE PRINCE MAMA. HE IS EVER SO NICE, AND NOT AT ALL L IKE I WAS WORRIED HE MIGHT BE.” “I’M SO GLAD TO HEAR YOU HAD FUN MILDRITH! CAN YOU GO HELP YOUR GRANDMOTHER WITH YOUR BROTHERS? I NEED A FEW MORE MINUTES TO JUS T ME I THINK!”

AS IT TURNED OUT HER GRANDMOTHER WAS OUTSIDE WITH HER FATHER AND ARMANDO NUGEN. MILDRITH RAN OVER EXCITED TO ASK HIM ABOUT GETTING TO SEE WRESTLERS AND TO ASK IF HER GOOD FRIEND KEITH HAD COME OVER TOO.

BACK AT THE HASHMI RESIDENCE, ASHLEIGH WATCHED HER HUSBAND PAINT IN THE STUDY. ALL IN ALL, LIFE IN CELESTIA WAS GOING WELL.HER DAUGHTER HAD MET THE PRINCE AND THE TWO SEEMED TO HIT IT OFF AS THE KING HAD SUSPECTED, SHE WAS WITH CHILD, AND HER HUSBAND WAS LIKELY TO BE ELECTED TO HIGHER SEAT WITHIN THE SMALL COUNCIL SOON. LIFE COULDN’T BE MUCH BETTER.

“I’M GLAD YOU INVITED THE GIRLS OVER FATHER. IT WAS REALLY NICE MEETING ALL OF THEM. LADY SHAIVI IS SO KIND AND SMART. MILDRITH SEEMS VERY BRAVE AND JOURNEY WAS QUITE FUNNY!”KING RISHI INWARDLY SMILED. HE WAS GLAD TO SEE HIS PLAN HAD WORKED OUT TO GIVE HIS SON SOME EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE RATHER THAN BOOKS…LIFE WAS LOOKING UP.