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On another, thankfully quiet, afternoon, Royal Guard Number One guarded the throne room.
All of a sudden, Princess Rosella ran into the room, tears in her eyes. She rushed across the carpet, then slumped onto the steps.
Number One slowly approached the young princess. He looked around. Then, sure that no one else was around, he took off his helmet and knelt next to her.
Rosella turned her body away, and crossed her arms.
“Is something bothering you, Princess?”
She only huffed.
“We can talk about it over tea.” Number One put a hand on his knee.
Rosella looked up. “...Can I have those little cakes too?”
“Of course.”
The two of them sat together, at a table next to a window that made Rosella feel small. She swung her legs, with a sort of empty feeling, as she waited.
Number One placed the teapot and cups, as well as the little cakes Rosella enjoyed. Or usually enjoyed, as in that moment she was just poking at one.
Struggling to find a solution, Number One remembered something he had been holding onto.
He tapped on Rosella’s shoulder, then pulled out a snute plushie from behind his back. It was intricate, for something made out of yarn, cloth, and cotton. Its blue merle coloring struck out the most to Rosella – she had never seen a snute with these colors, though the only snutes she knew were the ones in the castle stables. Number One held up the snute by the forelegs and waved one, white paw at Rosella. She gasped and held out her hands with glee.
Number One knelt, then placed the snute plushie in Rosella’s hands. “Her name is Miss Pawline. Spelled with a P-A-W, like a snute’s paw.”
Rosella giggled, “I like her name,” she held Ms. Pawline’s legs, and moved them so the snute looked like she was walking. “Tell me about her?”
Number One rubbed his chin, “Let's see… she loves reading, and she's a great listener…”
“I have lots of books I can read to her!”
“She requires a lot of brushing to keep her coat clean.”
“I can do that!”
“She is a very adventurous sort, going off to explore the world in her best attire. I believe I have some of her clothes somewhere…”
“Hey, there's something on her arm!”
Number One looked over at what Rosella was pointing out, and saw the red stitching holding together one of Ms. Pawline's arms. He reached out, “Ah, I-”
“Is it a scar?” Rosella held up the snute to Number One’s face, so he could get a closer look.
“Ah, well… you could say that.” Number One ran a finger along the stitching – the craftsmanship was messy, and the choice of thread was obviously jarring, but it was a testament to the memory it held.
Number One cleared his throat, “Well, if you want the story…”
“I do! I really do!”
“Then you'll have to hush, Princess. Let me see where this story starts…”
-+-
Ken moped down the steps of the schoolhouse, rather than his usual upbeat run into his parent's arms.
He was met with different arms than usual. He looked up, “Mum? Hi, mum!”
His mother brushed back his hair, “Your father is busy, so I came to pick you up instead.”
“Oh, okay.” Ken hugged her, while gripping something tight in his fists. Mum felt it on her back.
She reached for the item Ken was holding, and fished up… the arm of a stuffed animal. “Oh dear, what is this?”
She looked at Ken’s other hand, and it was holding the other end of the arm – a plush snute, with feathery stuffing leaking from its arm. Ken’s expression fell, and he looked like he would turn into a leaky faucet at any moment.
Mum lifted Ken up, while Ken hugged his snute plushie with the greatest care. He didn't want to squeeze out the stuffing. He didn't want to do any more damage…
They got home, then sat down for a lovely meal. So lovely, in fact, that Ken ate two whole servings, plus a little bit more.
"You're ravenous today, aren't you, Kenneth?” Mum asked with a smile.
Ken liked that word. He rolled it around in his mouth a few times, “Ravenous, ravenous,” before he continued to speak, “Yes, I am. I… um…” He swallowed the lump in his throat.
“I forgot my lunch at home today.” Ken sighed.
Now that was enough to make his own mother’s heart sink. Just as expected, the lunch bag was sitting alone on the entryway table. She muttered apologies to him. Ken was sorry too.
Hiding his face in his tunic, Ken wished he could curl up like a turtle. Then, he felt his mother's arms wrap around him, and the soft wooly face of someone familiar. Peeking out from his tunic, he found it was Ms. Pawline – his plush snute. She looked just as lively as ever, even when she was missing an arm. Ken patted her head.
Mum let go of Ms. Pawline, then brought a hand up to Ken’s face. “Do you want to talk about your day?”
Ken pondered, then shook his head.
“…Maybe you can talk about Ms. Pawline's day?” She suggested.
That was a better idea. “Ms. Pawline had a great, great day today. She got to play a bit before class. She was my reading buddy…” Ken eagerly rambled about all the things they learned in class, about all the interesting things he saw, and how excited he was for all of it.
“Then lunch time came, and I checked around for my lunch bag, and I couldn't find it. Ms. Pawline couldn't find it either, and she has a great sense of smell,” Ken’s shoulders sagged, “And when I asked around, no one wanted to share their food.”
He held his plush tight. “Ms. Pawline caught a starberry before a kid threw it away. That's why she smells. I need to give her a bath,” He pinched the bridge of his nose, “But the starberry was good. It was fresh and it hadn't been eaten yet.”
His mum hugged him tight. Ken hummed, “It’s alright, mum. I'm okay.”
Ken continued his story, “After that, we had a pop quiz! I… Ms. Pawline wasn't excited about it. She got so scared she started stomping at the ground.” He demonstrated, with the one arm Ms. Pawline had left. “When we sat down, I couldn't focus. My tummy hurt, I was stressed, and the teacher wouldn't let me hold Ms. Pawline.”
He swallowed and sniffled, “When the teacher asked me for Ms. Pawline, I got scared. I… I said no. And the teacher didn't like that.” Ken hugged the snute body tightly. “He grabbed her, and I pulled back, and…”
Ken covered his eyes. He gripped the torn arm.
His mum held him close, rubbing his back and brushing back his hair. She tickled him on the neck and he giggled.
“We can stitch her arm back on, don't you worry.” Mum cooed.
His mum brought out her sewing kit, and Ken hopped gleefully next to her. She perked up, with a bright idea. “Would you like to learn how to sew?”
Oh, she had him at “learn.”
For the next few minutes, Ken picked out his favorite thread, and his mum showed him how to use a needle (and eventually got him a thimble, after getting poked a few times too many – Ken didn't like the stinging sensation).
Ken marveled at his own handiwork. Ms. Pawline was as good as new.
-+-
Rosella saw the snute in a new light, after that story. “Woah…”
Number One nodded, “Yes, and I also made her clothes, after a bit of practice.” He dipped at his tea, and shuddered at its lukewarm feel.
Just one story was enough to have Rosella cheery again. She bounced Ms. Pawline on the tabletop.
“Would you like to tell me about your day?” Number One asked.
The princess looked down at the floor.
Number One hummed, “Well, maybe you could tell it to Ms. Pawline?”
Rosella held up the snute plushie, and started whispering into its ear – a smile growing on her face as she told the snute her story.