mes enfants

[beheld_beauty]

Belle has ordered the castle to array itself in preparation for guests; the family's Samarian counterparts will be spending a day here. The smaller girls are left with friends at home.

Dominique probably doesn't need to be reminded to be on her best behavior for extradimensional visitors. Céleste might. She agrees indignantly and promises to let Keziah play with Rainier and everything.

"That's all I ask," laughs Belle. "Jane, we are ready for them at any time."

And on the far end, Jane waits for a cue - and then picks Samarians up and puts them down.

Comments

[mindfields]

So of course Dominique shows her around the castle.

[campanas]

Céleste follows. Keziah does too, having been shown that Rainier has a leash and may be led around therewith so she doesn't have to decide.

"This is all enchanted!" Céleste says. "Maman is the greatest enchantress of ever!"

[mindfields]

"Soon I will start enchanting and then I will be the greatest enchantress of ever," says Dominique.

[campanas]

"Doesn't enchanting hurt?" asks Keziah. "I asked Mommy if I could learn to do it since she won't let me carry squares around with me and she said no because it hurts."

"It does but Mommy wished her student Luc to be able to do it without minding," says Céleste.

[mindfields]

"I'm going to wish myself to do it without minding," says Dominique.

[campanas]

"What're you going to enchant?" Céleste asks, running ahead of everyone else and walking backwards.

[mindfields]

"Oh, I don't know. I'll think of something."

[campanas]

Céleste giggles. "Let's go in the woods after we show them the whole castle!"

[mindfields]

"I think that is a fine idea," says Dominique.

[carillons]

"Why, what's in the woods?" asks Damaris.

[campanas]

"Trees!" says Céleste.

"That's what woods means," scoffs Keziah.

"And other plants! And animals! And they're enchanted."

[carillons]

"Is there anything around here that's not enchanted?" wonders Damaris.

[campanas]

Céleste thinks. "...No? Should there be?"

[carillons]

"Just checking."

[campanas]

"I think everything should be enchanted!" cries Keziah. "Everything everwhere. Our Mommy should enchant the whole Eyrie to - do - things."

[carillons]

"But Keziah, that would be magic," says Damaris.

[campanas]

"I know! Then the Eyrie would be magic! And everyone would see it, and then we could do all the magic we wanted."

[carillons]

"I don't think she'll do that," says Damaris, shaking her head.

[campanas]

"But it would be fun," sighs Keziah.

"You can just visit here a lot," says Céleste generously.

[mindfields]

"Here where everything is enchanted," laughs Dominique.

[campanas]

"Yeah," agrees Céleste, nodding.

"Maybe we will," says Keziah. "And soon we can bring Ariel too! And then Peninnah. When they're bigger."

[mindfields]

"Why, how big are they now?"

[campanas]

"So high," says Keziah, holding her hand at Ariel's height, "and so low." Peninnah's. "But Ariel can fly now, some!"

[mindfields]

"And how big do they need to be before they can visit?"

[campanas]

"Almost as big as me," says Keziah. "I barely knew magic was a thing when Jane came alive!"

"Wow," muses Céleste.