Câlin’s little secret

Twinkle Star hesitated before entering the Throne Room. This was what, the third time already she had to tell her mother that no, she had not spoken to Câlin about her trip and yes, she would leave very soon. She had already decided she would tell her mother she would leave in about a week, but she was already doubting whether she could keep that promise. She hadn’t packed, planned, or talked to anyone about this except her mother. Of course she was used to prompt departures, but she didn’t want to leave that way this time… She at least wanted to say her goodbyes to her friends and family.

When she opened the door Twinkle Star was surprised to see her mother wasn’t the only one in the room. Her mother was sitting on the throne, but her older sister Stelline was sitting next to her. Twinkle Star knew Stelline had recovered a great deal in the past few days, but she hadn’t expected her to be out of bed already. Yet Stelline looked fine. Her eyes still were a bit too red, but her coat was shining in the sunlight that was pouring in through the open windows, her mane were washed and combed and flowed down like waves and there was a determination in her face that Twinkle Star hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Good morning, Twinkle Star.” Her mother greeted her as Twinkle Star entered the room.
“Good morning mother, Stelline.” Stelline didn’t reply; she simply smiled at her. Twinkle Star closed the door behind her and walked towards her mother and sister. She sat down on an empty chair close to her mother’s throne.
“Tsuyo said you asked for me?” She asked when she sat down.
Her mother smiled, but she could see her mother was nervous somehow.
“Yes… I did. We did, actually. We wanted to ask you a favour, Twinkle Star.”
“A favour?”
 What could they possibly want from her. She was already going away for a few months to represent her mother, for crying out loud.
 “Well…” Stelline began hesitantly. “Mother told me you will travel to Madash soon. Right?”
Twinkle Star nodded. “I am.”

“Right. Well… You know, My daughter… Joyeux. Even though I still find it hard to believe, she is also my heir… the future queen of this country. But for her to be officially declared as the heir, in the old customs… a ceremony has to be performed.”
Twinkle Star knew about this, even though she had never witnessed one herself. The newborn heir would be shown to all the stewards and royal ponies and touched with some water which would show the country she was indeed, the new heir.

“Yes, I know about that… And I assume you want to perform that ceremony for Joyeux as well?” Twinkle Star guessed.
“Correct. Even though we will change some things… Having only the royals and stewards present would make no sense, because that’s only a few ponies. So we would like to invite some others also. Anyhow, that’s not the point…” Stelline failed to continue, and looked at her mother expectantly. Regina recognised her daughter’s plea for her to continue.

“You see, Twinkle Star… In the old Lands, The infant was touched with Fiume’s water, and the water would light up in a certain color… And we are positive regular water will not have the same effect. And we were hoping you could take some of Fiume’s water with you on your way back. We will delay the ceremony for your return anyway.”
“Yes, well…” Fiume’s water… she wouldn’t mind, but… “Fiume… I told you it doesn’t flow in it’s original bedding anymore, right? It’s going almost in completely the other direction. If I would have to visit Fiume… that’s one heck of a detour. It’ll take me more time to return.”
“We know. But you’re closer than we are right now, and I can’t afford to send anyone else. Tradition holds that only a member of the royal family can take the water out for the ceremony, and there’s no one else I can send.” Regina argued.

Even though Twinkle Star wasn’t happy about it, she could understand Regina’s arguments. And it was important for the country to have Joyeux properly recognised. But she didn’t want to stay away longer than she had to, and she didn’t want to leave Câlin for so long. Of course, she could take a great shortcut to fly over the old lands… but she didn’t really want to do that either. Yet she knew this wasn’t something she could refuse her mother and sister, and definitely not her little niece, who should get the ceremony she deserved. And, she had to admit, she felt honoured to be involved in such a thing, even though she didn’t really know why.

“I’ll do it.”
“Oh, Twinkle Star… thank you. Thank you so much.” Twinkle Star was sure she could see tears of joy in her sister’s eyes.
“Yes… thank you, Twinkle Star. You have no idea how important this is for us. For Joyeux.”
Twinkle Star wondered what her mother meant by that; somehow she realised her mother wasn’t only talking about the ceremony, but she decided to let it go for now.
“It’s okay, really. I… It’s something I feel Joyeux deserves, and I am the most logical choice.” Her mother smiled at her daughter’s wise decision.

“Have you decided when to leave yet?” Her mother asked, and Twinkle Star was disappointed that she had to answer this question anyway.
“Very soon… I hope to leave in a week or something. However…”
“You still haven’t told Câlin, right?” Regina completed for her.
“Right.” Twinkle Star confirmed. She heard her mother sigh deeply.
“Twinkle Star… I know it may be hard for you to leave Câlin for a while, but telling her at the last moment is one of the worst things you could do to her. How will she feel when she hears you will leave soon, even though you’ve known it for such a long time?”
 The tone in her mother’s voice she recognised only too well. It was a tone she had heard quite often when she was a child herself, a tone she never really liked to hear… Especially when she knew her mother was right.

“I know, mother. I’ll go tell her right now. Thank you… and I’ll leave as soon as I can. I will bring the water back with me. I promise.”
“Good. Well, I guess I’ll see you at dinner then, Twinkle Star.” Regina answered.
 “Yes, you will. Good day, mother, Stelline.” Twinkle Star bowed slightly for her mother and sister and then left the room. She sighed with relief once she was outside. She didn’t mind talking to her mother, but talks like this… she was glad it was over. Now all that was left was her talk with Câlin…

When she passed a window on her way to the kitchen, she spotted Câlin playing outside in the gardens. She turned around and headed for the door. When she entered the garden a few moments later, Câlin immediately spotted her.
“Hello there, Câlin.” She greeted the little girl, who looked dirty from all the mud she was using for her flowers.
“Hello, Twinkle Star.”
 “How are the flowers doing this morning?” She asked.
“Just fine. I’m almost done, I think…”
“Good. Listen, Câlin… there’s something I wish to talk to you about. When you’re done here, could you visit me in my room?” Twinkle Star asked. She thought it was better to tell Câlin the news in a place where they wouldn’t be interrupted, and she was sure the garden wasn’t going to fit that description.
“Sure. 15 minutes.” Twinkle Star nodded and before she could even take one step back to the door, Câlin was already returning to her flowers.

Twinkle Star returned to the castle and silently walked back to her room on the first floor. She didn’t meet anyone on her way towards her room, and she was glad about that. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now, she wanted to think on how she was ever going to bring this news to Câlin. How could she tell this girl without upsetting her? She and Câlin had gotten really close in the past few months, even though she didn’t want to admit that just yet. To leave her here now, even though she was sure her family would take perfect care of her, upset her more than she had known until now. Maybe that was the reason she had delayed this for so long; because she didn’t want to do it herself at all?

Silently she opened the door to her little room. Her little window was open, but it still felt so dark in there. Her bed was standing against the right wall, and left of the door was her closet. There was a small mirror next to the closet, but that was it. A flower-patterned sheet was covering her bed and there was a small plant next to the window. On her bed was the little pillow of which Câlin had made the cover. These were basically all her possessions, except for some clothes in her wardrobe and some small items in a bag under her bed.

Without wondering why, Twinkle Star took the bag from under her bed, and opened it while she sat down on her bed. It was her original bag, the one she had carried around for so long… She opened it, and took out the little items. A bowl which she had bought from her hard-earned money, made of some dark wood. She had used it so many times… But it was nothing but a memory now. She searched a bit through her bag, and right when she was about to panic because she was afraid she had lost it, her hoof touched something familiar. She took it out, and sighed with relief when she saw it was still unbroken.

“What’s that?” Twinkle Star almost jumped off her bed.
“Câlin! You startled me!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“I know. It’s… it’s okay. Please come in.”
 Câlin entered the room silently, and she closed the door. Câlin sat down on the other side of the bed, and Twinkle Star realised the girl probably didn’t realise she was covered in dirt… she would need new sheets for the night for sure.

“This… it’s a bracelet.” Twinkle Star said, while she showed the bracelet to the little girl.
“It’s pretty.”
“It is, isn’t it? The stone is… well, the person who gave it to me called it the “star of the lake.” It was only found at the bottom of that lake, and he… his business was to find these stones, clean them, and sell them.”
Câlin was staring at the see-through stone that was dangling at the end of the bracelet. It didn’t look like much, Twinkle Star knew that, but when placed in water while rays of sunlight touched it…

“Why did he give it to you?” Câlin asked.
“He… it was a long time ago. After I… he took care of me for a while, when I had no home, nor any family. I left one day, and he gave this to me as a farewell gift. I’ve carried it around ever since, though I hardly ever wear it. I guess I’m afraid it might get hurt.” Twinkle Star had to smile as she relived the memories. Yes, it was a long time ago… and she had never shared them with anyone.

“Why did you want me to come here?” Câlin asked, and she looked at her expectantly. Poor girl, Twinkle Star thought, she is probably expecting something nice, like a gift…
“Well, Câlin…” Twinkle Star started, “you know how Regina is really busy these days, right? With the new region being added to the country, the new ponies, not to mention the twins…”
Twinkle Star paused, but Câlin didn’t respond.
“Well, Regina has received an invitation, to visit a country quite far from here, Madash. It’s a beach country. But she can’t go herself, because she is so busy. Now, she asked me to go in her stead, because I already visited the country last year, and I am the only one of her daughters who isn’t caught up in something.”

“But you don’t want me to come along, because you’re afraid I might slow you down, right? Because I can’t fly.”  Twinkle Star was stunned, and stared at Câlin for a few moments before her words really hit her.
“I… you… what?” Were the only words Twinkle Star could get out of her mouth.
“Don’t worry. I know mommy had wings, and as you and mommy are the same… you have them to. But I won’t slow you down. Please.”  Even though Twinkle Star was still stunned, Câlin’s words made perfect sense. Of course Câlin had realised this a long time ago.

“Câlin… I’m sorry. Yes, I want to fly, but there is no way I could carry you. I would love it for you to come along, but I want to get there and back as soon as possible. I don’t want to waste any time walking when I don’t have to.”
Câlin shook her head slightly and jumped off the bed.
“You don’t understand. We don’t have to walk.”
Twinkle Star had to blink when a flash of light appeared on Câlin’s back. Even though she suspected what was coming, she still couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw it. Two glittering, butterfly-shaped wings were softly flapping on Câlin’s back. Câlin, too… could fly.