Chapter six

When Catherine and Joanna were twelve, their bound become so strong that Catherine had to play her mum in other to protect Joanna and make sure nothing stopped Joanna from coming to the Castle to see her. It was Princess Elizabeth's sixteenth birthday and the dukes of England along with their families would be invited to the Queen's Castle. Catherine had a serious problem with that for the real Monica could show up and blow her friend's cover, so she needed to act fast. First, she visited Joanna and told her what was about to betide them.

"May be its time to tell her the truth." Joanna responded to her worryingly.

"Mum will be upset. She will be like, you kids been playing me like a fool right?" Catherine said.

"So which one will help, telling her the truth or coming up with another plan?" Joanna asked and Catherine whispered to her in response.

"What? this is crazy." She replied with a fearfully face.

"Trust me Joan, every thing is under control." Catherine replied in smiles. "Now smile and kiss me pal." Catherine continued and forwarded her left chick to take a kiss from Joanna. Joanna smiled a little and quickly kissed her on the lips instead of the chick.

"In the lips again?" Catherine said in response and childishly, she tried to wipe off the touch of Joanna's lips.

"Just to showcase how crazy your idea is." Joanna replied and laughed.

"What ever! the birthday will take place soon, be prepared okay?" Catherine said and tried to open her arm to take a good bye hug from Joanna, but sensing that Joanna could give another crazy reaction just to prove how insane her idea was again, she said instead,

"Smell you letter pal."

"Okay Princess." Joanna responded.

"and don't kiss me on the lips again, it gives me a strange feeling- like I am about to fly without wings!" Sounded her voice from a stone throw away. Then Catherine returned home to her mum and quickly requested that Oliver should be chosen to deliver Princess Elizabeth's birthday invitation to the duke of Salisbury. Her mum declined this request because she had already appointed a palace maid called Cecilia to do the delivery. Cecilia was to be driven to Salisbury in a royal chariot. Catherine was very worried for she thought her plan was about to be thwarted, but then she came up with another plan which was even crazier than the previous one. She quickly took a note from her mum's desk and wrote her own invitation. Well, it wasn't an invitation actually, it was the opposite of invitation, and for the fact that her mum was fund of calling everyone her Darlene, she had to call the duke her Darlene in the closing part of the invitation -she was a smart girl. This was exactly what she wrote,

"My Dear Edward, how's family? keep up the good works pal! My daughter's birthday took place last night. I forgot to invite you, but i believe you were here last night in spirit. Elizabeth will not be available for now, so if you have any birthday present for her, send it to Catherine, it will be delivered to her. Bye for now my Darlene."

She stamped the letter with the royal seal, sneaked into Cecilia's room and swapped the queen's invitation letter which was inside an envelope with hers. Joanna would shock to death if she told her what she did. Cecilia took the envelope to Salisbury, ignorant of the fact the letter inside was switched. She presented the invitation to the duke and while he read it, he came across the part that said "Bye for now my Darlene!" and said in his mind,

"The queen had always wanted me."

After reading the letter, he handed some gifts to Cecilia and ordered her to take them to Princess Catherine. Cecilia drove back to the Queen's Castle and as she was ordered, she presented the gifts that returned with her to Catherine. The next day, Catherine disguised her self as a commoner and paid Joanna a visit with the gifts that came from the duke of Salisbury.

"Joan this is getting realer." She said to Joanna in smiles, handed the gifts over to her and continued "You will bring these gifts to the Castle tomorrow, they belong to the celebrant."

"Wow! These are amazing!" Joanna responded, "where did you get them?" She continued in smiles.

"The question should be 'how did you get them?' and the answer is, from the real Monica." Catherine answered and Joanna responded amazingly,

"You've got to be..."

"Joking." Catherine interrupted.

"Kidding me." Joanna finished her response.

"The birthday is tomorrow." Catherine said immediately for she wanted to divert the discussion. Joanna was not even ready for much questions for she had something new which she needed to show the princess and it was in her room. She quickly held the princess and dragged her in. Mrs Isabella had gone out to see a friend and for that reason, the kids were free to play as much as they like. Joanna made a new painting and she needed to show it to her friend for she always enjoyed her unique reaction when ever she saw her work of art. She pointed at a newly painted picture of a rose flower hanging on the wall in smiles and Catherine gave her usual encouraging reaction when she saw it, "This is amazing! bring it down let me have a close look." She said and Joanna brought the picture down and presented it to her.

"Joanna you are gifted." She said, mouth agape with incredulity.

"Some sort of, i cant even make a perfect still life drawing." Joanna replied with a little doubt in her mind "Anyway, i thought it would be nice if you take this painting to princess Elizabeth as her birthday gift." she continued and Catherine gave her a surprise look and responded,

"With all due respect Joan, this is the best painting you've done so far, i can't just take it away from you. It belongs to you, its the child of your creativity."

"No Cathy, Monica was supposed to present this picture as a birthday gift to princess Elizabeth tomorrow, but since you've brought these gifts from the real Monica, there is a change of plan. You will do the presentation your self." Joanna replied in smiles. Catherine couldn't control her emotions, she hugged Joanna and kissed her on the chick for she was deeply moved, but after gazing at Joanna in a short interval, she felt the kiss on Joanna's chick wasn't enough, so she grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips. Then a knock came at the door. It wasn't Mrs Isabella for if it was her, she would just open the door and come in instead of knocking. Joanna abandoned her conversation with Catherine and headed for the door and when she opened it, she saw Antonio standing in front of her.

"Perfect timing." Joanna said and returned to Catherine immediately.

"He's here." She said to Catherine in smiles.

"Who is here?" Catherine asked.

"Antonio, he will escort you to the Castle when we are done." She replied.

"Antonio? Well Joan time is up. My intuitive understanding tells me that i am needed in the Castle right now, may be that's why the boy showed up. Where is him anyway?" Catherine said, took the painting Joanna gave her and heading outside to see the so called Antonio. Antonio was shocked seeing her dressed like a commoner. He was neither expecting to see her at that moment, nor in such an outfit. He bowed before her immediately and introduced his self to her,

"I am Antonio, Oliver's brother."

"Yea i know" Catherine replied with a plain face and Joanna made signs to Antonio indicating that it was his opportunity to tell the princess about his feelings and for that reason, he maintained an eye contact with Catherine and tried to overshadow timidity for he needed to beat her arrogant and fearsome boldness.

"If the princess could befriend Joanna, i can possibly persuade her to fall in love with me." Antonio thought. He then took Catherine's hand and courageously spoke to her,

"I am in love."

Catherine gave a chuckle in response for she was just a kid and she was yet to understand the meaning of love.

"Princess I am in love with you." He said again going straight to the point and Catherine became timid and nervous for it looked like Antonio had overshadowed her boldness, she turned to Joanna to seek her intervention but Joanna hid her face playfully and responded,

"Deal with it Cathy."

Catherine's natural outfit and humble appearance mesmerized Antonio and made him drunk. He pulled a funny face at her and raised her hand to kiss it impatiently but she reacted at once without a smiling face,

"What are you doing?" Her reaction turned the tide and made it looked like her morale was back.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed in pain for Antonio mistakenly stamped on her foot "let go!" she said and withdrew her hand. She wasn't angry, but she felt what Antonio was about to do was totally improper. Antonio's eyes was drawn to the painting she was holding and to switch her meanness to smiles, he grabbed it playfully to have a clear look.

"Painting! wow. I am so good at still life drawing and i can make a copy of you. I can draw you, making the drawing so perfect that Joan will think the drawing is the real you and she will mistake the real you for a drawing." Antonio said jokingly and Catherine laughed out so loud. "Come here." Antonio said again jokingly, drew Catherine closer and threw his arm round her neck. Catherine was simultaneously nervous and curious. Joanna her self was behind starring at the two with her mind full of dreams. She appeared to be abandoned but it was easier to see water in the desert than seeing her jealous for she was always contended with what she had.

"It always looked like princesses are meant for gods not men," Antonio continued, ready to make the princess laugh again "It looked like princesses are Angels who don't deal with men and they neither fart nor hunger for the love of men, but my guess is that you just farted so hard couple of minutes ago." Catherine burst out laughing again for he sounded very funny to her. Joanna heard every single word he said but she was never amused by them. She was just mute. She knew he would soon take Catherine to the garden and probably show her the wild too.

"Antonio don't tell Oliver you saw me here okay?" Catherine replied to Him at last and hearing Catherine's reply, Joanna added,

"Please Antonio escort Cathy to the Castle and if you will take her to the garden..."

"No way, the birthday is tomorrow. I need to go home straight away." Catherine interrupted.

"Joan don't fail to go to the market square tomorrow with the gown and those gifts i brought to you." She continued, "the Chariot will coming for you. Let me kiss you good bye." She gently removed Antonio's arm from her neck, went to Joanna and kissed her on the chick,

"Bye pal." She said and returned to Antonio.

"Bye Princess." Joanna responded and watched the two of them walk away from her sight together.

During Princess Elizabeth's birthday party, Joanna appeared as Monica and presented the gifts that came from the duke of Salisbury to Princess Elizabeth. Catherine also presented the picture of rose flower which Joanna painted to her. The birthday party was great and all the dukes of England attended it except the duke of Salisbury, but Joanna claimed she was sent to represent him.

"Why would Edward send his little daughter to represent him in my daughter's birthday party? Well Monica my feeling about you is right, you are a woman clothed in the garment of a kid. Your dad has confidence in you, that's probably why he sends you to represent him in occasions like this." The Queen said to Joanna. Weeks later, the duke of Salisbury paid the queen a visit and while they talked, the queen became thankful to him,

"Thanks for the birthday gifts you sent to Elizabeth through your daughter. Your little daughter is very smart and beautiful." She said. The duke thought that the queen was referring to Catherine her own daughter who was supposed to receive the gifts he sent through Cecilia. Coincidentally, he just met Catherine moments ago and she was beautifully dressed.

"Yes your highness, she's growing up fast and she is very cute, but you are prettier." He replied and fixed his gaze on the queen's eyes for long. The fake letter which was written by Catherine made him think the queen wanted to make out with him.

"Edward, how many bottles of alcohol did you take earlier today?" sounded the queens voice.