The Pauper Princess and the Born Legacy - Denouement

[maramcc]

Here's Part 10.

I'm so long-winded, even my fanfictions have chapters!!

At least this is the last one, right??
The story so far...!
-A four-year-old and a genetically-altered soldier saved the day.
Hilarity to conclude.

The legal disclaimer stuff:
"This story is not approved by, sponsored by or affiliated with Studio Foglio LLC or Airship Entertainment."

Pauper Princess FanFiction Theatre presents:
The Pauper Princess and the Born Legacy, the Denouement!


  Agatha did ultimately resort to resetting the castle's systems with a three-day-old copy. It was the quickest and least painful way to flush out the corruptions of JoJo the Jocular Clank. The most important piece of information lost was her head cook's perfect pecan pie recipe, perfected only the day before and now requiring hours to reteach the castle its ingredients and preparation. Runners-up were the radio settings for Zeetha's and Higgs' music player, Violetta's personal bests on her exercise equipment, and the "sleep numbers" for Moloch's and Snaug's special, Spark-designed bed. Just getting him to go near the device, let alone sleep on it, had been quite an effort on her part. Other than this, having the castle back to its old self and not slowly singing old standards was "mission accomplished."
  The Mousehearts had decided to spend their final night in Mechanicsburg somewhere other than the castle. They cared not where, as long as the rooms were clean and comfortable. A carriage had been called and would be arriving in the next hour or so. Kelvin and Daphne were in one room, packing up her and the children's belongings. Mara was in the master guest room with Silas, whom she had just finished nursing and set down in his cradle for his nap. She was in charge of packing her and Kelvin's things. The door had been left ajar so that nobody needed to knock to enter.
  There was a soft knocking on the door. She frowned and hurried over to shush whomever it was. Agatha, Violetta and Zeetha were there. Agatha was holding an elegant, hinged, wooden box.
  "Oh, hello!" Mara whispered. "I thought you might be Daphne. Did you want to come in?"
  "Are we interrupting?" said Agatha.
  Mara put a finger to her mouth. "Oh, not at all!" she whispered. "Please do come in! But...I just put the baby down for his nap, so would you mind please whispering, or speaking softly?"
  "No problem!" said Agatha.
  Mara opened the door all the way for them, then returned to the packing. "And I hope you don't mind if I work while we talk?"
  "Not at all," said Agatha, speaking softly to honor her request. "It's a shame you won't be staying here another night."
  "Ah..." said Mara, "Well, I was outvoted. In spite of all that's happened, I would have liked staying."
  "Did you decide where you'll be in town?"
  "Uh..." said Mara, straining to remember. "I think it's called the 'Come On Inn?' Something punny like that."
  "The Common Inn?" said Agatha. "That's not very posh. I recommend the Hidey Hotel. Just drop my name and they'll treat you like royalty."
  Mara stared at her and blinked a few times.
  "Aand you're already royalty," said Agatha. "You know what I mean."
  Mara shrugged. "Whatever has enough room for us and is clean and so forth," she said. "I was wondering, um... Dare I ask about the clank? Is it safe? Secure? There's nothing for it to connect to and control, yes?"
  "It's secure," said Violetta. "So. You're a Heterodyne."
  "It appears so, ma'am."
  Agatha held out the box she'd brought. "Speaking of which," she said, "I brought you something as a parting gift."
  "Oh, you didn't have to," said Mara, taking the box and admiring the workmanship of it before opening it. She gasped quietly and smiled. Inside was a set of Heterodyne trilobite sigils.
  "Suitable for jewelry or framing," said Agatha. "Even a choker like mine." She touched hers out of habit. "Maybe not exactly like mine."
  "Oh, Agatha," said Mara. "I don't know what to say. These are all so lovely. I know that Isabel in particular would love one of these to wear. She's very excited about being a 'Hettadyne.' She's... quite excitable in general, as you might have noticed."
  "I might have."
  "And is in 8,000 kinds of trouble," said Mara. "She ran back inside, blatantly defying her father's orders, and put all of you in danger! Wouldn't leave when we told her to, used your lightning stick when you said not to... Oh, and Zeetha, I've been thoughtless. How are you faring?"
  Zeetha gritted her teeth. "Just fine," she said, and muttered something unintelligble.
  "We've stood worse," said Violetta.
  "Other than the ringing in my head," said Zeetha, "It was kind of fun. Nothing like a good tiger-clank ride!"
  "Um..." said Mara, "Yes, well, we truly, truly appreciate what you did for us. I-I just... her behavior of late has been maddening! Do you know that, when they were in town, she tried to pick a fight with your Jäger friends? I almost lost my mind when Daphne told us that! It's a miracle that no harm came to anyone. I can't even let myself think about what could have happened! For the time being, she'll be grounded a good long time and not allowed to play with any toys or tools."
  "Ooo!" said Agatha as though personally injured. "No tools? Do you think that's too much? She's only four."
  Mara scoffed. "Hardly," she said. "Four, but I needn't tell you that she's at least twice that intelligent. She understands perfectly well the severity of her behavior. We have other punishments in mind, for when we return home. She's been far too reckless lately."
  "coughSparkcough," said Violetta. Agatha nudged her in the ribs.
  Mara pretended not to have heard. She closed the box and set it aside. "Agatha," she said, "Would you be offended if we -- that is, my family -- didn't immediately disclose our new lineage?"
  "Oh?"
  "Another secret?" said Violetta.
  Mara suppressed a frown. "It would be more accurate to call it 'unannounced,'" she said. "'Secret' implies something that's never meant to be known. I'm not in favor of hiding the family ties indefinitely, but Kelvin and I have discussed it, and we need to discuss it further with his parents - the King and Queen - back home. We need to have a plan for it. This sort of thing becoming public would greatly change things in Guildern."
  "How so?" said Agatha.
  "How do I put this...?" said Mara, and pursed her lips in thought. "Agatha, you must know what I mean? Let's say that the known world suddenly learned about me and the children. What do you think would happen?"
  Agatha thought a moment, then: "Chaos," she said. "People and creatures and armies and who knows what else crawling out of every corner, advancing on Guildern and either demanding proof of your heritage, declaring war, trying to kidnap, kill or control you and/or your children. I know, because that's pretty much what happened to me."
  Mara forced a smile. "Then you understand our hesitancy at bringing that down upon us? Guildern is a peaceful kingdom. We have no grand army or impressive weaponry or even defenses. Just an internal peacekeeping force. Constables and guards. War and bloodshed is not our way."
  "It's not mine, either, if you must know," said Agatha.
  "Please forgive me, I didn't mean to imply-"
  "I haven't finished," said Agatha. "What you'd also get would be allies. Me, for one. The Jägerkin. Maybe even the Storm King and Knights of Jove. More than you'd know who've pledged support or even fealty to the family. The important thing is, Mara: you wouldn't be alone. Do you think I accomplished what I have all by myself?"
  "No, of course n-"
  "For starters, and without exaggeration, I'd be dead a dozen times over if not for these two right here," she said, indicating Violetta and Zeetha, who smirked and flashed their eyebrows at Mara. Agatha stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, whatever you decide, I'll support it. If you need it 'unannounced,' they won't hear it from Mechanicsburg. Right, ladies?" The other women mumbled in the affirmative. "And when you do make it public, I'll stand with you, then, too."
  "I greatly appreciate that."
  "Oh, I almost forgot!" she said. "The castle: it does remember who you are."
  "Oh?"
  "It turns out that that data is stored in its own system," said Agatha. "The basic A.I. was corrupted, but not the system that determines Heterodyne lineage. That part is separate and incorruptible. At the very least, you won't have to endure the test again."
  "WELCOME HOME, MY LADY," said the castle. Cue the stirring and eventual crying of a now-awakened Silas.
  Mara clenched her fists and grunted in frustration. "Was it programmed to have such awful timing??" she said, picking up Silas and cooing and patting him in efforts to calm him.
  "Do you need us to leave?" said Agatha. Mara shook her head quickly. She swung him back and forth gently, then began touching various parts of his body. To an untrained eye it would appear that she was simply caressing him randomly, but Violetta could tell that she was following a pattern. Mara ended her routine on his face, and by the time she was stroking his cheek, he had fallen back to sleep. She smiled and kissed him on the forehead.
  "That, I didn't expect," said Violetta. "Pressure points, hm?"
  "Sorry?" she said, snapping to attention. "Mm, yes, you're correct. My father taught me to cause pain and even paralysis, but I found someone who showed me how to facilitate healing. Calmness. I've tried to teach it to Kelvin, but he just doesn't seem to have the knack for it."
  She started to put Silas back into his cradle, when Agatha held out a hand. "Do you mind if, uh, if I look at him for a moment?" she said.
  "Not at all."
  Agatha leaned closer and watched him. She seemed to be studying his features. "I see a lot of Kelvin in him," she said. "Especially in the septum, nasal-alar furrow, brow ridge and corneas. But his cranial shape is definitely modeled after yours."
  Mara traded brief looks with Violetta and Zeetha. "Thank you," she said, almost as a question.
  "It looks like he was outvoted, too," said Agatha with a wink. "He looks quite content here. Hey, little cousin!" She wiggled her fingers at him, though he did not see them.
  "Ahh... do you... want to hold him?" said Mara.
  Agatha held up both hands. "I couldn't," she said. "I'd break him, I'm sure. At the very least, wake him. But he is the... cutest darn baby I've ever seen!" Mara watched her a moment, then smiled a little and started again to put him into the cradle. Agatha pulled her back gently. "Wait," she said. "I'm being silly. This is my cousin, after all. I should hold him. You just need to show me how."
  Mara handed him over and quickly adjusted her hold for her so it was proper and natural. Silas remained asleep throughout. Agatha began rocking him a little. Mara stopped her when she started increasing the speed. "Now that would wake him," she explained.
  Agatha apologized quietly, then grinned at her companions and brought Silas closer to them. Violetta was nonplussed; Zeetha was curious and leaned closer. Like Agatha, she seemed to be studying him as opposed to admiring him. Mara looked on with growing pride. After several minutes of cooing, Agatha seemed satisfied, and carefully handed him back to Mara, who finally placed him back into his cradle.
  "Ladies," said Agatha to her friends, "Do you mind if the two of us... er, alone...?"
  They traded looks, then begrudgingly made their exit. Violetta threw one last look at Mara before leaving and shutting the door behind herself.
  Mara sighed. "I wish I knew why she's so..." She gave up on finding the right word and threw up her hands.
  "If you mean Violetta, I think she does like you," Agatha said. "She just can't figure you out."
  "Well..." said Mara, "I'll just keep smiling and being polite. I truly do like her. And Zeetha, even if she didn't remember me," she added with a chuckle. "But really: how is she?"
  "She had a mild concussion," said Agatha, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Easily recovered from, as long as she sticks to her treatment. I believe that Mr. Higgs will see to that."
  "Oh, thank goodness," she said. "And your staff? The ones that were almost suffocated? Are they well?"
  "They've all recovered," said Agatha. "Thank you for asking. Meanwhile, I thought we'd have a few words in private. I have a question for you, and... I hope you won't take offense to it." Mara shrugged, then beckoned her to continue. "You're self-taught. Aren't you?"
  Mara pondered her answer a moment. "For the most part, yes," she said. "It's only since meeting Kelvin that I've even had the opportunity for an education. Before then I had something of a 'mental block,' as you know. But ever since, I've been reading and studying and practicing whatever I can. We've managed to find instructors for some areas, but overall... Yes. I'm self-taught."
  "First, that is very impressive," said Agatha. "But at the same time, there's something to be said about formal education. A university education. Controlled classroom experiments. Experienced instructors." Mara tried to interject, but she held up a hand. "But I do realize that your current life probably doesn't afford you the time for it." Mara nodded and looked down. "If I may make the suggestion, the more instructors - Spark ones, of course - that you can find and use, the better. Also, I think you'd benefit from a mentor. Not to mention finding Sparks that you actually can work with."
  "Yes, that's certainly been a challenge," said Mara, rolling her eyes. "It's because I won't compromise what I'm trying to accomplish for the kingdom. Finding other Sparks who share the same goals has been unsuccessful so far."
  "I'll concede that the majority of us are, um, madboys and girls," she said. "But I doubt that you can be the only Spark in town forever. You're going to work yourself to death; am I correct?"
  "You're quite perceptive," said Mara. "One of the reasons we're here is... Well, Kelvin practically dragged me here. Oh, that sounded awful! I didn't mean because I didn't want to see you. Of course I did! He was dragging me away from my workshop."
  "I understand completely, my dear," said Agatha with a smile. "Let's see if I can help. I have a few names I can send your way. A nice couple in particular who could use some steady work. You talk to them and see what you think."
  "Oh, thank you so much. I look forward to meeting them."
  "One's a cousin, so be extra nice!" said Agatha. "On my mother's side, though. Not officially a Heterodyne. Second, about the mentor... Hmmm... I can think of a few names. But then, it's said that charity begins at home. Mara, would you be willing to accept me as your mentor?"
  She was struck speechless, and seemed unable to nod or shake her head, either.
  Agatha narrowed her eyes. "I can't tell if you're amenable to that or not?"
  "I..." said Mara, and swallowed. "I-I just don't know what to say. That's all. I mean... Of course I'd accept you as a mentor! I-I'd be honored! I-I just would never have asked, because..." She trailed off. Agatha strained to hear, in case she was whispering even more quietly.
  "What? Because what?"
  "Oh," said Mara, "Well, you know. All the trouble I caused. I expected you to never want to see me again, never mind offering to mentor me. Words can't really express how sor-"
  "So help me," said Agatha, "If you apologize one more time..."
  Mara stopped talking, and seemed genuinely at a loss for words.
  "I already told you," said Agatha, "No apologies. There was no malicious intent, right?" Mara nodded. "Then there's nothing to apologize for. This is what Sparks do. Tinker and learn, tinker and learn. Try not to get blown up. Especially if they're new at it."
  "I've... But it's been two years for me."
  "Yes, but you've been working in a vacuum," she said. "Hence my offer. You said something earlier about Guildern having no 'grand army' or 'impressive weaponry or defenses?' What just happened here?"
  "...I don't... Ah..."
  "Your 'cobbled together' toy brought the castle to its figurative knees," she said. "A toy!"
  "But-"
  "Imagine if you'd really been trying," she said. "Imagine if, instead of playing, its purpose was to compel the castle to kill everyone and then install you as its new mistress."
  "Oh, my God, I would never-!"
  "And I'm not suggesting that you would," said Agatha. "Hear me out now. Self-taught. No designs, no plan, just letting the fugue state take you wherever it goes. And that little, but powerful clank is what you made. And you had my death ray for less than a minute, and made it stronger and more energy-efficient. That's power, Mara. It's not to be feared, or ashamed of, or apologized for. Controlled, yes. I'll help you with that. You send me your designs, and I'll critique them. It would be my honor to do that for you. What's family for, right?" Mara blushed and smiled awkwardly. "Your kingdom is not helpless. It has you."
  "I..." she said. "This isn't something that's my decision alone. Bringing weapons to Guildern. Even if for defense. We have always been neutral so as to be welcoming to everyone from all lands. Of course, your being family makes an automatic alliance."
  "Then things have changed," said Agatha, "Whether you announce yourself or not. You know what your choice is: hide what you are from the world, including our alliance, or reveal yourself. For the latter, I would advise that you first strengthen your defenses. A lot. Protecting your kingdom and your family is foremost, isn't it?"
  "Of course," said Mara. "I know I'm being a hypocrite. Violetta is correct: I have continued practicing combat, both unarmed and armed. So that I'd always have a hope of protecting my family. I may not have liked what my father taught me, but it's all I have to offer them And it's still a good workout."
  "That's not all you have to offer them," said Agatha, tapping the side of her head. "Your real power is in here. Never forget that."
  "If... If you knew some of the horrifying ideas lurking inside me," she said. "Trying to be made real."
  "Send them to me," said Agatha. "I'll let you know how 'horrifying' they really are."
  "Kelvin has been my 'conscience' so far," she said. "But he's not a Spark. He doesn't understand what my designs are really doing. But someone like you, who could-- I don't know how to thank you for this. For everything."
  "Be a good Heterodyne," said Agatha, standing up. "And you'll do that by taking yourself as far as you can go, and then going farther. Hm. That does sound terribly cliche."
  Mara smiled, then laughed. "Yes, but it's true." She took one of Agatha's hands, then leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I love you, Cousin Agatha."
  "Likewise, Cousin Mara."

**********************************

From the castle's main entrance Agatha and Violetta watched the controlled chaos that was the Mouseheart's departure preparations. Moloch and Snaug still had luggage duty, but this allowed them and Daphne to trade proper goodbyes and promises to begin correspondence. The Jägerkin stood to one side, watching the scene with some amusement.
  Daphne brought Edward and Silas to the two women for their farewells; Agatha expressed regret that she had not spent more time with Edward, and promised to make up for it later. Learning that he was a "Hettadyne" seemed to have no impact on the two-year-old, but her small gift of interlocking spare parts did. Spark or not, he'd have something to tinker with. She had nothing for Silas but more cooing and a kiss on the cheek. Violetta teased her about not gifting him with a set of Baby's First Power Tools.
  In contrast Isabel was excited to have a new family member, but her mood was subdued thanks to the stern talking-to she'd received from both parents for her reckless behavior. They brought her to Agatha and Violetta for her goodbyes. To all of their surprise, after trading hugs, she became solemn and still.
  "Cousin Agatha," she said, struggling to make eye contact, "Miss Violetta. I want you to know that I'm very, very... very sorry for all the trouble I caused. You and Poppa said stay out of the castle, and I went in, anyway, and then Miss Zeetha got hurt, and then everyone was in danger because of me. And Cousin Agatha, you said don't turn on your stick, but I did anyway and... and everyone almost died. And I lost JoJo in the first place, so really, everything is my fault."
  "Oh, honey," said Mara, putting an arm around her, "That's not what we've been saying at all. You just need to understand how important it is to listen to your elders, especially when they're trying to keep you safe."
  Isabel sniffled; her eyes were watering and her voice quavering. "But you made me responsible for him and then I lost him as soon as we got here, and then he tried to hurt everyone, and I should've stayed outside but I didn't, and then Mr. Oggie--" Her words were lost in full tears now. Mara and Kelvin made efforts to calm her, but Agatha held up her hand.
  "I can fix this," she said, kneeling down. She tucked a hand under the girl's chin. "Hey, Isabel," she said gently. "Look at me. Come on, look at me." Isabel made herself do so. "Do I look angry?" She just stared. "Do I seem angry to you?" She shook her head. "Because I'm not. But I do agree, you need to listen to your elders about things you don't understand yet. You're new here and didn't know what things the castle, or even your toy clank, can do. But now you know how dangerous they can really be, especially when not working right. But the castle is being fixed, and JoJo's with me now and can't hurt anyone anymore."
  "Good," she said with unexpected venom.
  "Besides," said Agatha, ruffling the girl's hair, "I'm a Spark. I get bored when there's nothing to make, study or repair. Now I have all three! So, yes, what you did was wrong, but there was some good that came from it. Okay?"
  "...Okay," said Isabel, and fell into another hug that lasted a while. Mara and Kelvin traded looks, impressed. The cousins parted, and Isabel turned to her parents.
  "May I say goodbye to Mr. Oggie and his kin?" she asked.
  "Yes, you may," said Kelvin. "Then you need to go wait in the carriage."
  "Yes, Poppa!" she said, and almost bounded off to the Jägerkin, but first waved to the two ladies. "Okay, I love you, bye-bye!" Now she bounded away.
  Her parents beamed. Mara alternated looking from her to Agatha and back before settling on Agatha and winking.  Kelvin then went to Violetta and did not bother with any tricks, but blatantly took her hand and kissed it. This brought about a rare smile from her. Then he stood before Agatha and held out his arms.
  "I don't get a hand kiss?" she said, pouting. "But I like those."
  "Well, you're family," said Kelvin. "But I can't bear to see that sad face, so--" He repeated his smooth move for Agatha's sake, then moved in for a warm embrace and finished with a kiss on her forehead. She and Mara caught themselves giggling in the same gawky way. They stopped themselves abruptly in embarrassment.
  "You know," said Agatha, "We never did get the chance for you to pick out something from my workshop, like I said you could."
  Mara eyed her curiously, then remembered. "In the library? Oh, please, you've been beyond generous to us. I wasn't even thinking about that."
  "But I'm a woman of my word, so I picked this out as a compromise," she said, pulling out a tool from behind her back. "It's one of my favorites." Mara's eyes went wide. She giggled and clapped her hands while running in place, then took it and held it close to her chest.
  "Honey!" she said. "Honey, this is a ten-speed aligning spanner with power torque! I only have the three-speed at home! Ohhh, Agatha, this is perfect! Thank you so much! I can guarantee it'll be one of my favorites, too!" Still giggling, she hurried back to the carriage to find one of her bags for packing it away. Kelvin watched this scene with amusement.
  "You'd think this was the best thing that's ever happened to her," he said.
  "Isn't it?" said Violetta.
  "Absolutely," he said. "Blows our wedding and the children's births out of the sky." He offered more farewells to them before returning to his own departure preparations.
  Daphne had already brought Edward and Silas into the carriage and was securing them for their brief trip into town. Kelvin resumed taking inventory of their luggage. Mara looked to the Jägers for Isabel, who had apparently gone to the carriage as ordered. She took a deep breath, then made herself walk to them. She was fine until they noticed her approach, stopped their conversation, and grinned at her. She started to remember the bloodthirsty leers of the "wild" Jägers who had demolished her village, but managed to push those memories aside, straighten up, and finish her approach.
  "Gentlemen," she said, bowing her head slightly. "We- I just wanted to say my goodbyes, and to reiterate how-- grateful I am to you. All of you. I am in your debt."
  "Ahh, ve told hyu, Prinzess," said Dimo, "Iz vot ve do. But hyu velcome."
  "You... you must call me Mara," she said. "After all you've done, there's no need for formalities."
  "Hokay, sveethot!" said Oggie. Dimo slapped him on the chest.
  "Oh, no, there's no need for that," she said, smiling nervously. "Um... 'sveethot' it is, den. Then. Er, b-before I go, I have a question. If you don't mind. Would any of you have happened... to have been... to Denmark?"
  The three traded looks, then moved away to huddle and talk amongst themselves. After half a minute they broke the huddle and returned. "Denmark?" said Dimo. "Yas, ve tink so."
  Mara felt the blood draining from her face. "You have," she said. "D-do you happen to recall how long ago?"
  They huddled a few seconds more, then: "Long time ago, ve tink," said Dimo. "Maybe a hundred years?"
  "A hundred!" she said, sighing loudly in relief. "A hundred? Oh, oh, yes. I'd forgotten how long-lived you can be. But... not any time earlier than that? Ten years ago, perhaps?"
  Maxim shook his head. "A hundred," he said. "Ten years ago ve vas cavortink in Madrid." The three chuckled to themselves over the memories of their "cavortink." Mara sighed again.
  "Vy hyu ask?" said Oggie.
  "Uh... it's not important," she said. "Not anymore. So I should-- take my leave of you now, good sirs."
  They overlapped their goodbyes and bowed to her, but not a full kneeling as before. She turned to leave, paused, and faced them again.
  "Actually, I should, um--" she said, then leaned in to Maxim and kissed his cheek. He widened his eyes in surprise and grinned to his companions. She did the same for Dimo, but for Oggie, held her kiss just a second or two longer. "Thank you for my daughter," she whispered. As she departed from them for the carriage, the three began arguing over who had had the best kiss, with Oggie in the objective lead.
  Kelvin had been watching, and gave her a quick kiss when she returned. She was all smiles as she ducked inside the carriage, until noticing that one of her children was missing.
  "Where is Isabel?" she said to Kelvin. They both looked around frantically, until Mara caught sight of her sitting near a wall, talking to someone, but she could not tell whom. They called to her, and fortunately she came running before any others nearby needed to drag her over.
  "I'm sorry, Momma!" she said. "Poppa!"
  "We told you to come here after talking to the Jãgers!" he said.
  "I was safe! I was talking to Cousin Agatha's kitty!" she said.
  "That doesn't matter!" said Mara. "And did you even have permission to play with her pets? Oh, never mind. Get inside the carriage. Honestly, all the trouble you're in, and you're still being recalcitrant? Now go to Daphne so she can make sure you're secure." She turned to Kelvin. "How does the luggage look? Do we have everything?"
  "Looks like it."
  "Do you think we should make another pass inside, just to be sure?"
  "Momma, he told me about this time he and Cousin Agatha were in a balloon!"
  "We didn't bring that much with us," said Kelvin. "And we had over an hour to pack."
  "-And then the balloon crashed!"
  "You know me," said Mara. "I always think we've missed something."
  "If we did, she can post it to us. Come on."
  "-And then there was a circus-!"
  "Isabel!!" said Mara, whirling about. "Get inside the carriage! Now! You will not be told this again!"
  "I'm sorry, Momma!" she said, and climbed inside with all due haste.
  Mara sighed and shook her head. "I-I don't know what to do with her," she said, and began walking away.
  "What are you doing?" Kelvin called to her. "You're not really going to look again? We're just going into town! They could bring anything we've missed!"
  "Final goodbyes!" she called back. "I need final goodbyes!"
  He watched her trot back to Agatha and Violetta and hug them again. Violetta's expression was "perplexed," as expected. Shaking his head, he climbed into the carriage and waited with the rest of the family.
  "Where is Momma?" said Isabel.
  He spoke in his usual flat tone whenever "final goodbyes" occured. "Taking care of last-minute business," he said.
  "Where's Momma?" said Edward. "I want Momma."
  Kelvin was going to give her a minute for babbling, but now two of their three children needed her, so he left the carriage and walked towards her at a normal speed. As he neared, he overheard her inviting Agatha - and then everyone in earshot - to breakfast with them. Then extended that to an invitation to Guildern and Castle Mouseheart as "true guests," meaning royal guests. He linked arms with her and began leading her back to the carriage. She allowed him to do this, but kept talking to their hostess all the way. By the time he was pulling her into the carriage after him, she was inviting Agatha - and possibly all of Mechanicsburg; it was difficult to tell - to celebrate Christmas with them. There was also something about sending Agatha her designs and a new communication device.
  Mara was leaning out the window, still talking. Kelvin knocked on the carriage's roof to signal that it was time to depart. Once the carriage began moving, she finally gave up and started calling out goodbyes and blowing kisses.
  Agatha, Violetta and the others watched the carriage pull away and fade into the night. Violetta folded her arms.
  "Hm," she said. "That's something you look forward to?"
  "Christmas?"
  "No, all... that?" she said, indicating the chaos that only just now had ceased.
  "The castle has a point," said Agatha. "It made it in an insolent manner, but it's still true. I have a duty to continue the family line, yet I still have no heirs."
  "Well, it's not really the castle's business," said Violetta.
  "It is," she said. "In its own convoluted way, it is. But it's not just about duty and responsibility. I really do want children, someday. So yes, I look forward to 'that,' as you put it. It's deciding whom to have them with that's the problem."
  "You know that I'm biased," said Violetta.
  "That you are." Agatha let herself become lost in thought. Interesting times were ahead of her - and her newfound family - to be sure.
  "My lady," said Violetta.
  "Hm?"
  "You owe me a buck."
  Agatha had already pulled aside the denomination. She nodded, and without another word, handed the money to her friend.

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End of THIS story.

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