A message to Princess Lenna

So many thoughts rushed through Twinkle Star’s mind that she hardly could keep track of it all. Did Câlin really receive a mind seal? There was only one way to find out, but Stelline was at home… and she did not feel like there was any time to lose. She had to get home, but before she could do that she had to take care of some things first, and she hoped Marana would be able to help her with that.

“Marana.” Twinkle Star said when she entered the small living room. Marana looked up from her work directly, sensing something was wrong.
“What is it?” She asked. Twinkle Star wasn’t sure how to bring this, but she had to try.
“I need your help. I just talked to Câlin, and she said something that greatly disturbed me. I can’t go into detail right now, but…”
“Of course I will help you. Please, tell me whatever it is that you want me to do.”
Apart from Marana’s loyalty to the queen, Twinkle Star could see Marana understood this was a serious situation. She was grateful that Marana picked it up so quickly, because it enabled her to get her things done sooner.

“I will have to go home. As soon as possible. I think if Câlin is up for it, we will leave tomorrow morning. And I will have to take the crown with me.” Twinkle Star said while she sat down opposite to Marana. Marana had meanwhile stopped working on her equipment and was focusing on Twinkle Star. She could see Marana did not like to hear this, but it was necessary. And Marana would understand, eventually.
 “Okay, sure, but… why? And what about your visit to the Queen of Madash?”

“That’s where I need your help.” Twinkle Star told her. “I know this is a lot to ask, but could you please travel to the palace of Madash for me, and let them know you are the representative my mother send. I will give you a letter to confirm this. Don’t worry,” Twinkle Star said when she saw the doubt on Marana’s face, “They will definitely let you in. You have your pendant to prove it.” Marana did not look very reassured, but she nodded anyway.
 “Yes, I can do that, I guess…”

“Also…” Twinkle Star continued, and she wondered how she could say this the best way. Should she inform Marana about everything, or should she simply keep it a secret…?
“I will give you a separate letter for Princess Lenna. Make sure you will give it to her personally, as it’s really important. Is that okay?”
“Yes… that’s fine.” Marana agreed, although she could see Marana did not understand it completely. Yet she didn’t have to. Maybe Twinkle Star would explain more to her later, but she was unable to focus her mind right now.
 “Okay. Do you have some parchment and a pen? I’ll write them immediately.” Twinkle Star could hardly believe how rushed she felt. She had felt concerned when Togli, her cousin living in Kin, had a mind seal, but now that she suspected her own Câlin had gotten one, too… She was more determined than ever to find out what was going on.

While Marana searched her stuff to find some parchment and a pencil, Twinkle Star began to wonder what she should write exactly. Of course she had to convince the Queen that Marana was indeed family, but that didn’t seem like the hardest task. The letter to Lenna seemed more important, and therefore also harder to write. She was happy that Marana had agreed to do this for her so quickly, but she also knew that Marana did this out of a sense of loyalty to a family she hadn’t seen in sixteen years, which made her feel quite guilty of the request, even though she felt like she had no other choice.

Someone had to go to Madash, and not only because it was expected. She needed some information that she knew princess Lenna could find for her on the old archives of that country. But she couldn’t go herself. Before wasting a lot of time on that research she had to be sure her suspicions were correct, and she had this strange feeling that the crown had to be brought to safety, and she couldn’t think of any safer place than on the head of her own mother.

“Here you go.” Marana said as she placed the pencil and the parchment on front of Twinkle Star on the table.
“Thank you, Marana.” Twinkle Star said, and then added, “For everything. For giving us shelter from the storm, for showing us the crown, and now this…” Marana did not know what to say at first, and her face turned a little red.
 “Don’t worry about it, Twinkle Star…” she whispered at last, “It’s really okay. I’m just glad I can help out at all.”
With these words, Marana left the room and Twinkle Star heard her leave the little house.

Twinkle Star sighed when she picked up the pencil and opened the first bit of parchment. It felt different than any she had used before, but she knew it would serve its purpose just fine. She decided she would write the letter to the Queen first. It was by far the easiest and the shortest.

My dear queen Daryia,

It is with regret that I have to inform you that I will not be able to visit your beautiful country at this point. Certain urgent matters have come up that need my direct attention, which disables me to meet you this summer.

I have asked Marana, sister of my grandmother Medina, to meet you on my behalf. She carries the blessing of my mother the Queen of the Friendship Lands, and is completely aware of our current relations.

I hope you will accept Marana as a representative of our Royal House and I hope there will soon be an opportunity for me to visit you

Yours truly,

Twinkle Star

There, that would do. Twinkle Star had not forgotten Marana was actually an aunt of queen Daryia’s husband Matoe, and she was sure that little fact would ensure Marana a safe place in the palace for a while. She had to inform Marana of the relations between Madash and the Friendship Lands, but that could wait until the evening. Through the window she could see Marana was actually going to get food out of the ocean. She had never seen this process before and she was quite interested, but she had more serious matters to attend to right now. The letter to princess Lenna was next.

Dear princess Lenna,

I sincerely hope all is well with you. It has been almost a years since I saw you last, and I truly regret not being able to meet with you this summer. I am confident we will be able to meet some time in the near future.

As I am sure you will remember, me and my sister visited you last year because we were looking for some answers on the matter of the mind seal. Even though we found a lot of information, we were not able to find that which we were looking for; a way to lift the seal.

Something has happened recently that made me wonder if there is not a far more interesting question; not how to lift the seal, but how it is put on the mind  in the first place. It is rather important that I find as much information on this subject as possible, but it is also because of this that I am not able to visit you right now.

Therefore I must make this selfish request of you. Could you please look into the archives for me and see if you can find anything on this subject? I do not yet know how important it is, but I feel we must find a way to protect ourselves from this mind seal, and the first step would be to understand how we can receive one.

I hope you can understand how important this information can be. I will try to visit you as soon as I can, not only because of this but also because I would like to spend some more time in your beautiful country.

Your friend,

Twinkle Star

“I suppose this will do…” Twinkle Star muttered to herself. She had wanted to tell Lenna about her suspicions of Câlin’s mind seal and of the weird moment she had had with the crown, but she would not entrust this to paper. Because the fact that she did not know what this might do in the hoofs of someone else made her worry even more. She folded both letters and sealed them with some wax Marana had also put on the table. Then she used a seal she had learned long ago, something that would make the letters unable to open except for the ones they were addressed to. She had never tried them before and doubted it would work, but some extra protection wouldn’t hurt anyone.

When she was done, she left the letters on the table and walked back to Câlin’s room. The girl was asleep again, which Twinkle Star found strangely satisfying. She could hardly believe the impact the encounter with the crown had made with the girl, but even asleep she still looked tired. She dreaded having to travel with Câlin now that she felt this way, but she trusted that Câlin would feel better soon and was fit to travel. She watched Câlin for a while, until she heard Marana enter the house again. Marana joined her in the room and they both had to smile when they saw Câlin asleep.
“She’s really adorable like this, isn’t she?” Marana whispered, and Twinkle Star couldn’t do anything else but agree. A few moments passed before they closed the door and returned to the living room.

“These are the letters?” Marana asked when she saw the folded parchment on the table.
“Yes, they are. One for the queen, one for the princess.” Twinkle Star answered.
“Okay. That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll leave as soon as possible. In a few days’ time, if everything goes right.” “I’m sorry… once again, for asking this of you. I know it is hard for you. You’ve hardly ever been far away from here, and all this time you spend your life protecting the one thing I’m about to take away from you.”

“It’s really okay, Twinkle Star. I’ve been thinking about it while you’ve been writing. It’s time for me to change things, too. I’ve lived here a long time but I don’t have to any longer. There’s no reason for me to fear the outside world, right? So I was thinking, maybe I will come to the Friendship Lands when I am done in Madash. I don’t know how long I will stay, but I do want to meet Regina. I want to see the new Friendship Lands.” Marana told Twinkle Star.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Twinkle Star said with a smile, “I am so sure you will love it there. And everyone will be delighted to meet you.”