Title: Queen Ardith
Fandom: Adventure World
Rating: G
Length: 973
Summary: Ardith finds herself suddenly in possession of a crown, and under attack by invisible demons...

Saiya popped her head into Ardith's chamber, hands behind her back. "Mama, guess what I found!"

Ardith turned from her desk and pretended to guess. "A ferocious wild warg puppy?"

Her daughter giggled. "No! But if I do, can we keep it?"

"We'd have to see," Ardith replied noncommittally. "But what did you actually find?"

Saiya held out her hands. "A crown! I was going to play at being queen and make Mhireen and Macen and Edric be my knights but they didn't wanna play that," she said, pouting just a little. "Mhireen's too busy packing, anyway. So will you play it with me?"

Ardith beckoned for her to come closer. "Isn't this Daddy's?" she asked, eyeing the golden coronet.

Saiya gave her a look that said she was about to try and get away with something. "He wasn't using it and so I just thought I'd borrow it for a little..."

Ardith gave her a stern look, taking the crown from her. "You shouldn't take things from people without asking first." Especially expensive magic items, she thought but didn't add - Saiya would have no way of knowing its value. To her, it was just a pretty piece of decorative metal, no different than her mother's jewelry (which she also 'borrowed' from time to time.) When Saiya's face fell, however, she softened slightly. "At the very least, you should have permission from the queen before you make off with the crown jewels," she said, placing the circlet on her own head. "That's what a loyal knight would do."

Saiya's eyes widened and she nodded vigorously. "Okay, Mama. I mean, your majesty. I'll be the best knight ever!"

"That's very good," Ardith said, "because my kingdom is sadly overrun with terrible demons. I'll need some very brave warriors to help fend them off. Do you think you can assist in this quest?"

"Well," Saiya said, as if she was seriously considering the question, "I would need some really good armor, and a magic sword. And... a hundred gold!"

"My goodness," Ardith exclaimed, stifling a laugh. "You certainly drive a hard bargain." She wondered if Aleyn and Vedran had been giving the children lessons in adventuring negotiations. "I don't suppose you would do it just for the promise of my gratitude and esteem?"

"Nuh uh," Saiya said, shaking her head. "I at least need the armor and the sword or else how am I gonna fight the demons?"

"You do make an excellent point," Ardith said, rising from her seat with only a slight effort - her latest pregnancy was not even showing yet, but it had managed to drain her energy nevertheless. "I believe we have a few things in the treasury that would fit you..."

When Aleyn and Vedran found them, Ardith was perched on the sofa while Saiya, brandishing a large scale-file and wearing one of her mother's wide silver belts wrapped over her shoulders and across her chest as a breastplate, valiantly defended her from the invisible demons who were invading the palace. "Oh good," Ardith cried on seeing them, "reinforcements!"

The men looked at one another, shrugged, and joined in the fray, flinging imaginary spells in all directions. Vedran even feigned a dramatic wound and called for Aleyn to heal him. When they finally made it through the battle to the sofa, Saiya clambered up on it, standing beside her mother, and frowned indignantly at them. "I could have taken them all."

"Sweetie, I'm sure you could have, but reinforcements are pretty much always a good thing," Aleyn told her, grinning. "The only down-side is now you'll have to split the loot with us."

Ardith put her hand on Saiya's shoulder. "Brave knight, you have fought well today and your valiant efforts have saved the kingdom. Even if you did have a little help," she added with a hint of a smile to her husbands. "As a reward, I cannot provide you with the gold you requested - but I can tell you that Gorba is making peach tarts for dinner tonight, and if you go to the kitchen, you are hereby entitled to claim one."

Saiya knew a good reward when she smelled it, and took off for the kitchen, leaving her parents chuckling and shaking their heads. "The little imp just stole my good scale-file," Ardith remarked.

"Well, at least I figured out where my crown ended up," Aleyn said with a shrug. "We were packing and I knew I'd taken it out of its drawer, but then it mysteriously vanished..."

"Aleyn, where are your manners?" Vedran scolded playfully, elbowing him. "We're in the presence of royalty here." He bowed low to Ardith, who offered him her hand to kiss. Aleyn promptly did the same, and received her other hand. "Are there any other services we could provide, your majesty?" Vedran inquired politely.

"No, I believe the realm is safe for now," Ardith replied with a regal shake of her head. "However, the queen is feeling a little exhausted, and could use a glass of water and some quiet time."

"Of course, your majesty," Aleyn replied, going to fetch her a drink.

Vedran glanced in the direction of the door. "Should we withdraw and leave the queen to her quiet contemplation?"

"If your lordships' duties require your urgent attention, by all means you should return to them," she said, accepting a glass of water from Aleyn with a grateful smile. "However, I believe I also owe you some token of my gratitude for your heroic rescue."

"A single kiss would be more than sufficient recompense," Vedran said gallantly, but Aleyn nudged him.

"I think we should hold out for more," he stage-whispered with a wink to Ardith. "We can definitely do better."

"You adventurers," Ardith said with a mock sigh. "You always do drive a hard bargain."