being so stiff and royal all day, is it not Wilhelmina?” asked the king.
“Don’t remind me. Next time I’m sewing pillows under my gown.” Thud limped over and stroked Spectrum’s side absentmindedly. “You were great Squid.”
“Thanks Thud,” said Lilliana patting Spectrum’s neck. Her very own royal horse. “Father, what did you mean when you said that Spectrum was for me and for all of Atlantis?”
“A ruler needs many tools to become a good leader. Many princes have been given swords in the past, though few princesses have, as you can imagine. Some princesses are promised to princes of neighboring kingdoms,” said her father with a wink.
“You mean they were married at twelve?” asked Thud.
“Certainly not. They had an understanding that when both parties had completed their royal education they would marry and bind the kingdoms together,” replied the king.
“So I would be married at 18 then?” asked Lilliana.
“If we were to promise you to a prince we would extend your education until you were at least 35,” said the king.
Lilliana gasped “You wouldn’t!”
Her father smiled and hugged her.
“Is that what happened with you and mother?” asked Lilliana. Neither parent had mentioned much about how they met and married. In fact she had heard about many royal Giftings, but not her father’s.
“No, your mother was much younger than 35,” said the king with a wink, “and I married because of love and…other reasons. I adored your mother. I still do.”
Lilliana tried to imagine her mother and father as a romantic couple. Her father was so loving that it was easy to imagine him in love, but her mother was so distant.
“What did other princesses receive?” asked Thud.
“Many of them would get gifts of great worth that were considered to be treasures to be used or traded. One was given a golden spyglass to see across the sea, and another was given a huge library filled with books of knowledge. Once, a prince was given a ship for exploration. The prophet chooses each gift. He seeks to understand what the abilities of this prince or princess are, and what Atlantis needs to serve the Morning Star. Occasionally the king or queen has some say, but the final decision is made by the prophet.”
“Why don’t we get to pick our own gift?” asked Thud.
“Although you are old enough at twelve to serve your country, you are often not wise enough to choose what is best for your kingdom. There are times when it is difficult enough for a mere man such as me,” said the king.
“Nonsense father. You always know what to do. You have an answer to every question.”
“And you are full of them,” replied the king.
“I know, but, how am I to serve Atlantis with this gift?” she gazed at Spectrum, “He is a splendid horse, and I have always wanted one of my own, but I don’t see how he serves anything more than my own desires.”
“I have a feeling that your horse will answer that question for you in time,” he replied as he turned toward the castle. “May I escort you lovely princesses to the royal banquet?” asked the king with a bow. Lilliana kissed Spectrum on the nose and handed him to the stable boy. She walked with her cousin and father towards the castle.
3. Escape
Thud hurried ahead into the banquet hall while Lilliana and her father awaited their formal introduction at the door. After a few moments, the trumpets sounded and a page announced them to the reception.
“All please rise to welcome King Christophus the Righteous, Queen Danika and the heir to the throne, Princess Lilliana.”
The royal band played “Star of Atlantis” and the crowd stood to watch the procession of their beloved royal family.
Lilliana sat between her father and mother on a raised dais and received their guests while others milled around the ballroom. The ballroom was tall enough for a ship and big enough to hold 5,000 guests. It was decorated with banners of white silk and strands of pearls.
“Happy birthday darling,” said Queen Danika when there was a small break in the line of guests. She had a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Thank you.” Lilliana looked up at the queen. “Mother, are you happy?”
“I am proud of you dear child, and I am content that Atlantis is at peace for your birthday. Is that not enough?”
Lilliana held back her sigh. “The brunch is pleasant mother. Thank you for arranging it.”
“Let me through. Oh Diddlegums! Where did I put them?” said a voice from the stairs. In stumbled a short white-haired gentleman wearing old-fashioned knickers and a vest. He had a golden box in his hands and he bumped into several guests as he made his way to the dais.
“Good morning, Konrad,” said Lilliana.
“Oh, what? I’m here, oh dear, already?” asked the man.
“Is something the matter Konrad?” asked the queen.
“I’m so sorry to be late, but I seem to have lost my seeing glasses.” Konrad patted his chest and pockets again as if he would find them there. He squinted up at the royal family. “Do you know how many hills in Atlantis do not reach the castle? I believe I went up at least 18 of them before I was helped by a guard.”
“We would have sent someone for you at the shop if you had let us know,” the king said.
“No trouble. I hate being trouble to you.”
Lilliana saw something sparkle in Konrad’s curly hair. “Could those be your seeing glasses on your head?”
Konrad reached up and patted his hair. He found and pulled out a pair of glasses with rims made of wire and loops of leather that looked like pony ears on either side of the lenses.
“Ah, that’s right. My latest invention. Seeing glasses that stay on your eyes with no hands and no squinting. See?” He put the glasses on top of his nose and placed each loop behind his ears. Lilliana couldn’t help but think of the masked lemurs from the jungle when she looked at him again.
“Is that good?” asked the queen.
“Well, you look a whole sight better now, that’s for sure,” said Konrad and they all laughed.
“Well…” started Lilliana.
“Yes?” asked Konrad.
“Can I presume you have come here to wish me a happy birthday?”
“Oh yes, oh yes. I most definitely want to wish you a happy birthday indeed my princess. That is, of course, why I’m here. Where is that gift?”
“Perhaps the box at your feet is the gift. You placed it on the ground while you retrieved your seeing glasses,” the king said.
“Oh!” said Konrad. He looked down, picked up the package and inspected it closely. “No damage done. Although the inside is very fragile. You’ll have to open it now to see that it works properly.”
Konrad gingerly held out the gift to Lilliana and she placed it in her lap. She carefully unwrapped the gold paper. Inside the paper was a wooden box with a lid inlaid with silver. She lifted the lid and saw a most interesting machine.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It is a twirly-bird machine. I worked on it all night.” Konrad opened a drawer at the bottom of the box and took out a light piece of wood. It was carved into something like a double-sided paddle with a hole in the middle. He placed it on a small pole in the middle of the box and pushed down on a lever. He placed Lilliana’s hand on the lever and said, “When you want to make the bird fly, you just release the lever.”
Lilliana let go and the twirly bird spun quickly in circles and lifted from the pole in the box. It flew high in the air and arced over the ballroom landing somewhere on the far side.
“Blazing Stars!” yelled someone across the room.
“Look at that! It made it all the way to Sir Rhodious,” chuckled Konrad. “I do say, be a good man and bring that back here!” He scrambled down the dais to retrieve his bird.
“Your gifts are causing more trouble than me today,” said Thud coming up the side of the steps.
r /> “Did you see what Konrad made for me?”
“Not exactly, but I heard the results. If only it had landed in Sir Petras’s cup. I would gladly have gotten it back for you.”
“What is this?” asked the queen.
“Nothing, Mother. May I be excused to mingle with our guests?”
“Yes, but watch your language ladies.”
“Yes ma’am.” They both curtsied and walked toward the ballroom.
“So when do you get to leave Atlantis?” asked Thud.
“I won’t know anything about my Onsa until tonight. Not even the maids are whispering about it. Anyway, Father won’t let me go until he’s forced to, and even then I’m sure he’ll have spies all around. He seems very anxious about it. It’s like he’s walking on spiny starfish. This is supposed to be my quest, but Father will probably follow me anyway.”
“Isn’t that breaking the rules or something?”
“I’m not sure. It’s hard to know that something so big is just ahead and not know any of the details. All I know right now is that by this time tomorrow I’ll be on my way somewhere.”
“I heard Prince Titus had to fight monsters on an enchanted island for his Onsa. You don’t think it’ll be anything like that do you?”
“You mean the Thumpdimples? I don’t even think they exist. Titus always likes to talk of his many adventures.” Lilliana put one hand behind her back, puffed up her chest, and pinched her nose. “There are never dragons in our land because my birth scared them all away. Other monsters quiver at my name…and my breath.” Lilliana laughed but Thud looked over her head.
“Excuse me,