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"Oh dear, oh dear." Fuzzy fretted.
"What's that, dear?" Mymble asked, her attention caught from her children by the other woman.
"No, no, I said oh dear, oh dear."
"Yes, dear? What's the matter?"
Fuzzy waved the piece of decorated parchment frantically around in the air in front of Mymble, who plucked it out of her friend's hand. Mymble laughed.
"My darling Fuzzy, what in Tove's name is the problem with this? It is only an invitation to the king's party. He's invited everybody, he even managed to send invites to all of my children. He hasn't quite got all of the names right but it's the thought that counts."
Temporarily distracted from her panic, Fuzzy tilted her head in confusion. "Aren't all of your children named after you?"
"You're right, maybe I should mix things up a bit. I quite enjoy the Greek alphabet. Perhaps I shall use that next time."
"Yes, yes, that's all well and good but what am I supposed to do?"
"Do about what, dear?" Mymble passed the invitation back. "It is only a party. And as I said before, everyone's invited."
"Exactly! Everyone is invited so who am I supposed to ask to accompany me?"
"Why must you be accompanied, dear?"
"A lady can't just show up at a party without a chaperone!" Fuzzy cried. "It's improper."
"Now, now, I'm going without a chaperone, you know."
"That's completely different. You'll be accompanied by your children and even if you weren't, you are the most improper lady I've ever met. No offence meant, of course, my dear Mymble."
"No offence taken." Mymble assured delightedly, feeling very much like she'd been paid the best compliment of her life.
"If all the gentleman are already invited, who could I attend with?"
"Can't you just ask someone who's already going?"
"Of course not! They're already invited. I can't invite them again!"
"Ask a gentlewoman instead then."
"But all of the gentlewomen have been invited too." Fuzzy wrung her wrists. "What to do, what to do."
"Oh!" Mymble cried, standing up and brandishing her teaspoon, flinging drops of tea and small, clinging children around the room. Fuzzy jumped at the sudden noise. "I have the solution for you!" Mymble declared.
"You do?" Fuzzy's eyes widened. "What is it?"
"You and I shall attend the party together!"
"We shall?"
"Yes, of course we shall! I'll accompany you and we shall be chaperoned by my children so it's all very good and proper for you."
Fuzzy clasped her paws together. "Truly? You would do that for me?"
"Yes, dear, this way we'll both be proper although you know I much prefer not to be."
Fuzzy squealed and flung her arms around Mymble's waist; the furthest up she could reach on her friend, although her paws couldn't reach the entire way around. Mymble wrapped her own large arms around Fuzzy, completely encompassing her with warmth.
"We'll have to co-ordinate our outfits!"
"Oh dear." Said Mymble, who had been planning on showing up in her usual red day dress and hadn't given it too much thought. "I was worried you'd say that."
The day of the party arrived and Mymble wore a handsome royal blue coat with white fur lining which Fuzzy had chosen for her. She bustled along the path to Fuzzy's burrow as several children trailed behind her, rolling around and wrestling in the dirt. She'd seen some parents scold their children for getting their formal clothes dirty which Mymble found to be a ridiculous concept. If a child wasn't dirty, then were they even a child? When other parents questioned her, Mymble simply pointed out that technically her children didn't have any formal clothes.
She knocked on Fuzzy's door and barely managed to stop her jaw from dropping at the sight she saw when it opened. Fuzzy's eyes looked wider than normal, framed by long, blackened lashes. She wore a long, dark pink dress with a royal blue bow around her neck. She smiled shyly at Mymble who beamed back at her.
"You look beautiful, my dear Fuzzy."
"As do you, my dear Mymble."
Mymble offered her arm. Fuzzy tucked her paw into the crook of Mymble's elbow and allowed herself to be lead down the path towards the party. Fuzzy hurried to keep up with Mymble's long strides. She giggled at the rambunctious children running around their heels. That was one of the many things Mymble appreciated about Fuzzy; she was the only proper lady Mymble knew who didn't tell her how to parent her own children. Mrs Fillyjonk could probably stand to learn a thing or two from Fuzzy.
"Miss Hemulen stopped by earlier."
"Oh? Do tell, dear." Mymble cooed.
"She said a ship had pulled into harbour only a couple of hours ago and the king has invited the crew to attend the party!"
"Now that is interesting! I wonder who they are? It's not at all surprising the king invited them to the party though."
"He does seem to enjoy large parties." Fuzzy agreed. "There'll be so many people there. I'm sure we won't be able to make all the rounds. Do you think we'll get to meet these mysterious sailors?"
"I don't think they're that mysterious." Mymble muser out loud. "They'll be people just like us, only from a different place, which is a relief because I am a big fan of people. I'm sure we will meet them at some point tonight."
"That's so exciting." Fuzzy laughed. "Although I hope you don't go and find yourself a handsome sailor to run off with and leave me here all by my lonesome."
Mymble joined in with her laughter. "Perhaps you shall be the one to run off. You are the romantic out of the two of us, after all."
Fuzzy pressed a paw against her chest and gave Mymble a mock offended look. "A lady never runs off in the middle of a date. It's not proper."
"And tonight we agreed to be proper ladies." Mymble stuck her nose in the air in an excellent imitation of Mrs Fillyjonk.
"We certainly did." Fuzzy giggled and rested her head on Mymble's arm. "I certainly have the best date out of everyone. I believe all the other party goers will be jealous of me."
"Nonsense! They'll be too busy envying me for having such a beautiful Fuzzy on my arm."