The Chronicles of Caspinar The New Royalty -- (Author) Caspinarian

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 3, 2019 at 12:47 AM
Content: This is the fourth story in my series of little fairy tales about young twin princes who need diapers. You could probably enjoy this without reading the others first, but you'll have a better understanding and appreciation of the characters if you start with the previous stories.

You can find them here in the forum:
1. Lost and Found
2. Family Matters
3. The Social Circle

Now, onto the new installment!

The New Royalty
1
Breakfast, History, and the Present
For the royal family of Caspinar, meals were often very formal, stuffy affairs. Even breakfast sometimes had to follow stiff, dignified etiquette and protocol when guests were visiting the palace, which happened on occasion, certainly more frequently than the young princes Noah and Sebastian liked. The nine-year-old twins, having been taught and trained exhaustively, were accustomed to the polite behavior expected of them at such times. They were even accustomed to making appropriate conversation with people far older than themselves, but it understandably grew tiresome for two customarily energetic kids. Still, well-behaved as they were, when guests joined them at the breakfast table, the little princes would be fully dressed, properly presentable, and ready to observe all the formalities expected of them.

On average mornings, however, their parents Prince Alex and Princess Eleanor allowed and likewise enjoyed a much more relaxed atmosphere. It was one such morning when the family was sitting around the table in the family’s private dining room on the second floor of Vaskerton Palace with the early sun streaming into the room. They had been provided a lovely and very filling meal of a large quiche divided six ways, thinly-sliced meats and cheeses, fresh fruit, breads and jams, a selection of fruit juices, coffee, and (for the twins) chocolate milk. They had just finished eating and were all in various states of sleepy, comfortable disarray. Alex wore silk pajamas with a plain white T-shirt covering his broad, muscular torso, a small cowlick in his dark blond hair. Ellie, as the twins’ mother was affectionately known, sat in a flowing silk nightgown, her light brown hair pulled into a loose bun and her bright, beautiful face devoid of makeup. Ava, their eldest child who at eighteen was no longer a child, wore a full set of pajamas, the top short-sleeved, adorned with a reproduction of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Like her mother, she wasn’t wearing makeup and was no less pretty, but her long, blonde hair hung loosely and raggedly to her shoulders. Lukas, Ava’s sixteen-year-old brother, wore a pair of soft cotton shorts and a tank top that fit rather snugly on his athletic frame, his blond hair disheveled atop his head. Bastian and Noah wore matching blue-and-green pajamas with a pattern of swirls and swishes, their dark brown hair hanging to their necks. Under their pajamas, they were both wearing diapers that had been changed by one of their nannies just before they’d come to breakfast, a virus having aggravated their lifelong incontinence the year before.

Outside, the late summer heat had given way to warm days and cool nights. In just a few weeks, the days would also grow cool, and the trees would put on the brilliant autumn colors they would shower the ground with shortly thereafter. But at the moment, Caspinar was preparing for the annual Uppkomst Arts Festival in Fantalia, the picturesque “fantasy come to life” that served as the center of the country’s arts and entertainment industries.

Noah had just climbed onto Alex’s lap, and his dad’s strong arms were wrapped snugly around him, a common scene around the palace. Since he was raised from a kidnapped newborn by an abusive man he thought was his father, the little prince couldn’t get enough of his real father, as if he were trying to make up for the years of pain he’d experienced. The family was chatting about their plans for the day, which was expected to be quite ordinary for a family of their position. Ellie and Ava were helping organize an event for an animal rights charity, Lukas had a lesson with his tutor Professor Ernst before meeting his personal trainer, and the twins had lessons with their own tutor Professor Cornell. Alex was going into the city for some meetings at the headquarters of the family’s company, Emistat. In the past, he had taken a passive role in Emistat’s activities, relying heavily on his business manager, Sergei Polstoff, to look out for his interests and the company’s. But after discovering that Polstoff had enacted a number of disastrous policies as well as stolen money from the company, Alex had fired him and had him arrested. Since then, he had taken a much more active role in running Emistat, spending more time in its offices in downtown Ordan.

“Can’t I go with you, Daddy?” Noah asked, craning his neck upward and back toward Alex.

“Not today, baby,” Alex replied. “You have your lessons, and these meetings are probably going to be rather long and not very exciting. You’d get bored very quickly.”

Noah sighed slightly. “Well, when will you be home?”

“Probably not until mid-afternoon at the earliest, I’m afraid. I’ll be taking some of my executives to lunch after our meetings, and then I’ll have a little more business to take care of before I can come home.”

“Will Boris the Bore-us be there?” Lukas asked with a smirk.

“I hope not! Everyone will be asleep!” Bastian said as he and Noah giggled.

“All right, that’s enough,” Ellie said patiently. “Mr. Sokolov is a quiet, reserved man, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“A lot of the quietest people turn out to be the most interesting when you get to know them,” put in Ava.

Noah, feeling rather chastised, look up at her quietly, but Bastian rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure he has many fine qualities,” Lukas said apologetically before adding, “Being interesting just isn’t one of them.”

“Right, that’s enough, all of you,” Alex said abruptly before turning to the twins and adding, “It’s time for your lessons, anyway. Off you go, boys,” Alex said, hugging Noah tightly and kissing his cheek.

“All right,” Noah sighed as he stood up.

“Study hard. I’ll see you this afternoon. I love you both,” the tall prince said as he gave Bastian a hug and kiss too.

“Love you too, Daddy,” the twins chorused as they ran off.

The twins’ tutor, Professor Lewis Cornell, was an old, proper English gentleman who had moved to Ordan to work for the royal family as Bastian’s tutor. He’d held the job ever since the prince was just a toddler, and he’d spent the last year working very closely with Noah to help him catch up to his brother. A quiet and patient man, he seemed to know at least a little bit of everything, particularly Caspinarian history and culture, which intersected significantly with British history and culture. He was short and fat with silver hair, an easy smile, and a surprisingly silly sense of humor.

“Yesterday, we were discussing Kristian IV, who instituted the Sovereign Identity Reclamation. Would you give me some examples of Caspinarian culture Kristian helped to reclaim and preserve, Noah?” Professor Cornell was among the list of staff members who was allowed to address the twins without their titles, a privilege given to him as their teacher.

“Um, our names, the Church of Caspinar . . .” Noah started before falling silent, knitting his brows, and staring off into space as he tried to think of more.

“May I help him, Professor?” Bastian asked.

“Yes, I think so, Bastian.”

“Our currency, some of the food we ate, and some of the words we used. And the church and some of our names.”

“Very good,” the old man nodded with a smile.

“Professor,” Noah said, looking confused, “Why didn’t Kristian have everybody start speaking Norwegian again?”

“Norse, remember” Cornell corrected. “That was the language spoken in Scandinavian lands before the modern languages we know. But to answer your question, your ancestors had been forced to speak English -- or the language that became what we know as English -- too long and had forgotten the old language. In fact, that was one of Kristian’s reasons for enacting the Reclamation. He knew they had already lost their old language and wanted to avoid losing any more of their culture. The damage was done, and English has been Caspinar’s official language ever since the First Occupation.”

“Is that where our accent comes from too?”

“Partially. But for the largest part, the Second Occupation was responsible for the modern British accents heard in Caspinar today.”

“So, if it hadn’t been for your ancestors, we’d all sound like Swedish people?” Noah asked.

“Something very much like that or Norwegians or Danes, although geography would undoubtedly create some differences. Understand?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Now, if there are no more questions, let’s move on to our maths for now.”

After dinner, Alex finally put work aside for a little while to spend some time with his family. Ava and Lukas went out to be with their friends, leaving the twins to enjoy having their mum and dad all to themselves. Noah wasted no time in climbing onto Alex’s lap where he sat in a large easy chair as they watched the TV screen.

“I think this is your favorite seat in the house, isn’t it?” chuckled the elder prince as he gently patted his little boy’s leg.

“Uh-huh,” came the contented reply.

“Well, that’s fine. I love to hold you,” Alex said as he squeezed Noah and tickled his side, the boy giggling in response.

They fell silent, fixing their attention on the show they were watching. Ellie sat a few feet away on the sofa, Bastian’s head in her lap as she stroked his long, brown hair. From where he was lying, he could see Noah sitting with Alex, comfortable and content. After a moment, Bastian suddenly realized he was no longer watching TV and was instead staring at his brother, who once again had their dad all to himself.

A little later, Ava, who had just gotten back from a friend’s house, walked into the twins’ apartment looking for her parents and thinking they may be putting the kids to bed. Bastian and Noah shared a suite of rooms that featured separate bedrooms adjoined by one large bedroom they usually shared. But when she checked there, she only found Noah and the boys’ nanny Sigrid, who had just changed his diaper and was about to help him into bed.

“Hi! Do either of you know where Mum and Dad are? One of the pages said they were in here.” she said.

“No, ma’am. Their highnesses asked me to get the twins ready for bed,” replied the nanny.

“I haven’t seen them since before my shower,” Noah said.

“I guess the page was mistaken, then. They’re probably in their apartment,” she said with a shrug before moving to the bed and sitting down beside her little brother. “I’ll take over, Sigrid. Have you already seen to Bastian?”

“Not yet. He said he would wait for me in his bedroom.”

“I’ll get him next, then.” Turning back to Noah, she said, “And you need to get in bed. Come on, up you go!” She pulled the covers down while he scrambled over them and pulled them up to his neck, kissing him on the forehead and saying, “Good night, cutie. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ava.”

The princess walked through the door, thinking he’d probably gone into his private room to sneak in a little extra gaming time before bed. She walked in and found him on the bed, curled up with his back to her. Asleep already? How adorable! She walked over to check his diaper and heard him sniffle, starting as she rolled him over.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you were asleep.” Then she looked at his face and saw that his cheeks were wet and shiny with tears. “Bastian! What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, still crying, and she lifted him into a hug.

“It’s all right,” she said as she rubbed his back. “I’ve got you. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong so I can help?”

“You can’t,” he said in a quivering voice.

“Well, maybe not, but it would still help you feel better to talk about it.”

He hesitated for a moment, then wiped his eyes. “It’s Noah. I never get to spend any time with Daddy because Noah’s always with him.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve noticed. Well, sweetie, all you have to do is tell Daddy you want to spend a little time with him. You know that.”

“No, I can’t do that,” he insisted. “Noah needs Daddy more than I do because he never had a daddy. He’s so happy now that he does. That’s why he always wants to be with him. Daddy makes him feel safe. I can’t take that away from him.”

“Have you tried to talk to Noah?”

“No! I don’t want him to feel bad. Noah would do anything for me. He got himself sick just to keep me company, and now he has to wear diapers. He did that for me. I can at least let him have more time with Daddy if it makes him feel better.”

Deeply touched by his selflessness, Ava could only stare at him for a long moment. “I’m so proud of you for being so thoughtful, and I’m sure Mummy and Daddy would be too. But none of us wants you to be sad or feel left out, little guy. It’s not right or fair to you, and we can’t just let this go on. I’ll talk to Mum and Dad, and I bet they can figure something out.”

Looking uncertain, Bastian finally agreed. Ava was very smart, and she was good at communicating with people. Maybe between her, Alex, and Ellie, they could find a way to let him have more time with his dad without hurting Noah’s feelings. She was already right about one thing: he felt a little better now that he’d talked to her.

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 4, 2019 at 12:54 AM
Content: 2
Music and Mayhem

“Is that the best you can do?”

In reply came a deafening roar, an immense cacophony of voices raised to their full volume. Some of them were yelling things, but not a single word could be deciphered among them. It was chaotic and unnerving, even intimidating, but the woman at the microphone was clearly not intimidated. Rather than shrinking out of fear or anxiety from the outburst, she raised her arms, an electric guitar hanging from a strap around her shoulder, and shouted back at them, laughing and grinning broadly.

Mira Mayhem had recently become one of the most popular singers in Europe. A nineteen-year-old Swedish woman with long, dyed-black hair hanging from her head, sparkling green eyes that were said to have a hypnotic effect on people, impressive guitar skills, and enough charisma and rebellious attitude to make her a bona fide rock star. Her latest album, “Bone-Breaking Broken Heart,” had topped more than one chart across the continent, which had been enough to get her booked for the Uppkomst Festival, where she was one of the most anticipated acts. The crowd exploded when she took the stage, and she goaded them to an even greater volume.

Hidden in the wings backstage, Princess Ava sat with her little brothers Sebastian and Noah, who were cheering and jumping around exuberantly. When Ava approached her parents about Bastian’s problem, they at first tried encouraging her and Lukas to spend more time with Noah to remind him that he had a whole family to take care of him and that he need not rely so much on his dad. When that didn’t work, they decided to try having the older kids take the twins out of the palace without their parents. The hope was that this would help the twins get closer to their siblings so that they would no longer feel the need to compete for their dad’s attention. So far, it seemed to be working. Lukas had walked off to hang out with some of the other performers, leaving the younger boys with Ava. It made sense for the young royals to go to the Festival because it was one of the largest annual events in the country, and Bastian and Noah hadn’t needed any convincing at all.

The twins were having a blast. Both of them were excited about attending Uppkomst and not only seeing all of the performances but seeing them from backstage. Ava and Bastian had been to other concerts, and Ava had been to Uppkomst before, but it was still thrilling for both of them. Noah, on the other hand, wasn’t as accustomed to meeting celebrities as his siblings, so he was a little starstruck, especially by one of the biggest celebrities on the continent at the time. After she finished her set, Mira, sweating and panting from the exertion of her performance, ran offstage, handed her guitar to a roadie, and plopped down in a chair next to Ava. The two young women met a while back and had become fast friends.

“So, what did you guys think?” asked the singer, still somewhat out of breath.

“You totally nailed it, Mira!” exclaimed Bastian.

“Yeah, you did,” said a wide-eyed Noah.

“You think so?” the singer asked excitedly. The twins nodded, and she beamed, “Thanks, guys!” She looked up at the other woman, but she didn’t have to ask.

“You were wonderful,” Ava said. “I loved every minute of it, but ‘Brutal Honesty’ is still my favorite.”

Mira nodded. “I’m glad. I wish more people were into it, but the big-bucks people who decide what gets recorded don’t want artsy, socially-conscious progressive anthems. They just want love songs. I’m lucky they let me do that one at all.”

“It’s caught on, hasn’t it?” Ava asked.

“Yeah, it has! They’re starting to see that there might be a demand for junk like that from me, so they’ll probably let me do more like it now. Probably not as much as I want, though.”

“Can’t you just sing whatever you want?” Bastian asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“Afraid not, little dude. They sign the checks, give me recording space, and put everything together, so I have to go along with a lotta crap I don’t really wanna go along with.”

“But that’s not fair! It’s your music: you should be able to sing what you want!” put in Noah.

“Aw, man, I wish you were in charge, Bastian!” Mira replied.

“I’m Noah,” he corrected politely.

“Sorry, dude. You guys look so much alike, and I haven’t learned the difference yet.”

“It’s okay. We know.”

“Yeah, we get that all the time, at least until people know us well enough to see that I’m the good one,” Bastian said with a grin.

“No, you’re not! I’m the good one!” Noah said energetically.

They started arguing playfully, both stubbornly saying, “No, I am!”

“They’re adorable,” Mira said to Ava.

“Thank you,” the princess smiled back. “You know, you should come visit us some time.”

“At your palace?” the singer asked in surprise.

“Yup,” Ava grinned.

“I’d love to!”

At that moment, Lukas approached with a couple of young men who looked to be about Ava’s age. Both of them were fit and stylishly dressed, their clothes gaudy and their hair pomaded high on their heads. One was Xander Wells, the lead
guitarist of Summer 17, the hottest pop band of the moment. The other was Jacob Beckler, an American pop singer who had recently made a name for himself as one of the biggest stars in the world.

The three of them walked up, and Lukas introduced his new friends to everyone.

“Wow, this is such an honor!” Jacob said as he shook Ava’s hand, flashing her his famously-charming smile. “I’m meeting a real princess, a very pretty one too! I love this job!”

“That’s funny,” Ava returned his smile. “One of the things I love about being a princess is getting to meet cute pop singers like you.”

“I appreciate you dragging your sister here, guys,” the pop singer said to the twins. “My set’s coming up in a little while. Are you guys going to stick around?”

“I vote yes,” said Ava.

“So do I,” said Lukas.

Bastian and Noah glanced at each other, and Bastian said, “The yeses have it.”

Noah was happy to stay and watch Jacob sing. He could tell Ava was interested in the singer, which he thought was cool. But he also noticed that Mira suddenly got quiet after Lukas, Xander, and Jacob walked up, and he wondered why.

A few hours later, the royal kids were on their plane headed back to Ordan. Both of the twins were wet, so Ava and Ilsa, one of their nannies, changed them on the little sofas in the cabin. Alex and Ellie had commissioned a Caspinarian diaper company to design something to suit their youngest boys’ needs and produce a steady supply of them so Noah and Bastian would be as comfortable as possible. Under the strictest confidentiality terms that kept most people involved in production from knowing who they were producing for, the company created a highly-absorbent disposable diaper that fit them perfectly. It was relatively thin, covered in a silky-soft material that kept any irritating plastic from touching their skin and was visually designed in a style suited to the twins. It had a single, strong, large velcro tab on each side, and the white material was broken up by purple, blue, and green designs. It was smooth, soft, and supremely comfortable as any clothing for a prince should be.

As the boys laid on the sofas, they quickly grew very sleepy, yawning up at their caretakers. Once they were changed, Ava and Ilsa sat down and let the boys lay their heads on their laps. Ava stroked Bastian’s hair gently as the twins drifted off to sleep. They were still sleeping as the plane landed smoothly, where they were picked up and carried to the car that took them home. Ava helped put them to bed, tucking them in and smiling sweetly as she thought about how cute and innocent they looked, happy to help take care of them.

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 4, 2019 at 4:03 PM
Content: 3
A Visit With Papa Rolf and Grammy Astrid

It was raining at Schorland Manor a few weeks later when Ellie, Ava, and the twins went to visit, but the inside of the house was bright and cozy the way grandparents’ homes ought to be. Ellie’s younger sister Lillian was visiting their parents with her seven-year-old son Anders, and Ellie had brought her kids to visit all of them. She and Lilli were very close, and the younger woman had specifically asked her sister to join them to help ease the tension between Lilli and her parents, who had trouble accepting the independent, modern way she lived her life. Still in her twenties, she was a happily single woman with a rather thick frame and long, black hair streaked with bright blue and a carefree attitude. She was raising her son, whose father she had never had any interest in marrying or even living with, to be just as freethinking and expressive as his mother. Papa Rolf and Grammy Astrid were rather old-fashioned and believed children required strict rules and structure in their lives, although Grammy had begun to change her mind once she saw that Anders was generally a very well-behaved little boy. Still, Lillian’s ways rankled her parents, and having Ellie there helped to keep things peaceful.

The twins got along well with their younger cousin, although Anders didn’t enjoy all the same things they did. The three of them sat in his play room, tapping away on controllers as they played a video game, one thing all of them could agree on. On the screen, three large, powerful men battered soldiers in gray and red uniforms.

“Boom! Did you see that?!” Anders exclaimed.

“Yeah, that was a sick shot,” Noah said.

“Look how many I knocked down!”

“Can you do it again?” Bastian asked.

“Yeah, but I have to recharge first. That’s one of the dumb things about this game,” Anders replied.

“Hey, there’s my special move,” Noah said as a lightning bolt struck the ground in a cluster of enemies. “Cool! It’s like Thor!”

Bastian’s character picked up one soldier and threw him into another group, sending them all flying. His eyes glued to the screen, he asked, “Who do you think would win in a fight: Thor or Superman?”

“Thor!” Noah said.

“I think so too,” Bastian agreed. “I mean, he’s a god, and Superman’s just an alien.”

“Superman’s like a god,” Anders said.

“Yeah, but he’s not A god. Thor is,” Bastian countered.

“Well, what about Wonder Woman? She’s powered by gods,” said Anders.

“Wonder Woman? Against Thor?” Bastian asked in surprise.

“Yeah.”

“No way she could beat Thor.”

“Why not?” asked the younger boy.

“Because she’s a woman, and men are stronger than women.”

Anders was silent for a moment before saying, “Well, I like Wonder Woman.”

“I do too,” replied Noah.

“Yeah, she’s cool,” said Bastian.

At that moment, Lillian walked in and said, “Lunch is almost ready, boys. Go wash your hands.”

While the Schorlands weren’t royal, they were quite wealthy in their own right, wealthy enough to employ their own household staff. Their chef had prepared veal in dill sauce, which looked and smelled delicious as the platter was set on the table before the family, who started to chat in between bites.

“So, Ellie, do you have any idea what America plans to do about Mister Katz?” Astrid asked.

The corners of Ellie’s lips turned upward ever so slightly. She‘d learned to take her mom‘s frequent digging for inside political gossip in stride. “They haven’t given any indication yet.”

“Well, it’s clear what they SHOULD do. The only question is whether or not they’ll have the decency to do it.”

“I agree. The things he’s done are awful. We don’t want him here, and I’m sure America doesn’t want him representing them.”

Bill Katz was the American ambassador to Caspinar who had recently been accused by several women associated with his office of making unwelcome advances towards them. Pressure was mounting on the president to fire Katz, who’d been his friend for many years.

“Don’t be so sure, Ellie. Some Americans can be so crude,” Rolf said.

“So can some Caspinarians, Dad,” said Lilli.

“Not at that level, someone representing the government, the country! We wouldn’t put up with that kind of behavior for a minute! Not a minute!” He stabbed his finger towards her to emphasize the point. “Our PM would have already sacked a man like this Katz before the news ever went public.”

“Morlund wouldn’t have,” Ava put in rather darkly.

“Yes, but he’s not PM anymore, and thank God for that!” Rolf replied.

“But he was PM, and if anything like that had happened while he was in office, he would have been perfectly happy to allow it,” Ava said.

“Morlund is an exception,” he said, waving his hand in irritation. “He’s a very odd character, that one. But he’s gone now. Henrik Nordin is a man of integrity, and he wouldn’t allow that sort of thing.”

“Anyway, not all Americans are crude,” said Lilli.

“Certainly not. I didn’t say they were.”

“Speaking of nice Americans, how’s the new boyfriend, Ava?” Astrid asked.

Ava grinned and exhaled a laugh.

“Oh, that’s a good sign,” Lilli exclaimed with a sly grin.

“We’re just getting to know each other right now, but Jacob’s very sweet.”

“Oh, yeah! I heard you were going with Jacob Beckler! That’s so cool!” gushed Anders.

“You think so?” Ava asked her little cousin.

“Yeah, he’s, like, the biggest singer in the world!”

Ava nodded. “Yes, I’ll have to share him if we keep seeing each other.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Anders asked, wide-eyed. “Are you guys breaking up?”

She laughed. “We’re not that serious right now, Anders, so it wouldn’t be ‘breaking up’ if we stopped dating. We just don’t know each other very well, so we may not end up being a good fit for each other.”

He thought for a moment before saying in the way kids do when they’re trying to sound very grown-up, “Well, I think you’re a good fit.”

Ava laughed again and said, “Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell Jacob you approve.”

“He’s really nice,” Noah said to his cousin.

“Are you gonna keep seeing him, Ava? Can I meet him?”

“For the time being, yeah, I’ll keep seeing him. I don’t think he’s ready to meet the entire family, though. He hasn’t even met Grandpa yet!”

“Well, I think it’s wonderful you’ve found a nice, young man, and I hope the two of you get on well together,” Grammy said.

“And I just hope you’re happy,” Lilli said. “Don’t you worry about what anyone else wants you to do, Ava. You just take your time and make sure he’s right for you.”

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 6, 2019 at 12:51 AM
Content: 4
Ava and Jacob

True to Noah’s description, Jacob was indeed nice. He seemed to be quite taken with Ava, and he got along well with her family. He made a special effort with the twins, often letting them hang out and tag along when he was with his new girlfriend. Sometimes he even took them places just for them, making Ava the tag-along. One such occasion was an Ordanian Ogres football game. He wasn’t as big a football fan as the twins, but he enjoyed seeing the local team in action. He’d known about their disability for a while, and although it had taken him aback at first, he was understanding and kindly said nothing about it when either of them said he was wet. Having given their nannies the day off, Ava agreed to take care of them. It was halftime, and she and the boys had just come back from the bathroom where they’d been changed.

“This is a great game,” Jacob said. The Ogres were winning at the moment, but the Fillmare Sharks weren’t far behind them in a tight race. “Do you guys see all the Ogres’ games?”

“No. We see a lot of them, but we don’t always get to come out,” Bastian replied.

“Why not? You have this nice box and people who can bring you over.”

“Sometimes we have other things we have to do, and sometimes we’re not allowed. We missed the Vikings game a few weeks ago because Mummy and Daddy wouldn’t let us go. We were on restriction.”

“You were grounded? Princes get grounded?” Jacob asked in surprise.

Ava laughed. “Of course! They’re just like every other kid. They get in trouble sometimes.”

“What’d you do?” Jacob asked with a mischievous grin.
“There were some visitors from Sweden, and Noah and I got into this big argument over dinner. Everybody was embarrassed.”

Jacob laughed. “Don’t feel too bad about it. We’ve all done things like that as kids.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah! I used to get in trouble for things like that all the time. I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were y’all.”

“Don’t encourage them to be bad, Jacob,” Ava said with a slight sly smile.

The Ogres lost the game by a goal, and the twins were disappointed, so Ava and Jacob suggested getting some hot cocoa to cheer them up before going back to the palace. The four of them strolled down the street with a combined security detail of four officers, two working for the palace and two working for Jacob, all of them in jackets insulating them from the cool autumn air. Ordan bustled with activity all around them, their bodyguards forming a sort of bubble that kept people from approaching them. They were all wearing hats and dark sunglasses to make them as inconspicuous as possible. Jacob and the royals were all famous and easily recognizable, but the pop star had disclosed his relationship with Ava in a recent interview, which made dodging the paparazzi tougher than usual. Fortunately, their security all knew a few things about blending in, which was why they were out among the crowd on the sidewalk.

“They really are usually much better than that,” Noah said of the Ogres, as if trying to persuade the pop star to judge the team mercifully.

“Hey, I believe you,” Jacob said. “I looked at their stats, and they have a pretty good record. Everyone has an off-day, though. Don’t worry about it, dude.”

As they walked and sipped their drinks, they became aware of shouting up ahead. The bodyguards exchanged glances, and Jacob’s guard Frank asked Ava’s guard Bjorn, “What do you think?”

Bjorn listened a moment. “Shouting and applause, some chanting. Female voices. My guess is a speech or rally.”

“I wonder what it’s about,” said Ava.

“Let’s check it out,” replied Jacob.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Bjorn said.

“I want to know what’s going on. We can at least go see what it is without getting close, and if things look bad, we’ll leave.”

“All right. But we don’t approach the crowd, and all of you stay close.” Bjorn had worked for the royal family for several years, and they knew to listen to his experience.

Their feet kicked up dead leaves in browns and oranges that caught the chilly breeze and rode it to swirl around the legs of other people walking nearby, kept at a distance by the bodyguards, who looked as curious as they were. They crossed a street where the oncoming traffic was blocked, and rounded a corner, a large crowd suddenly coming into view across a wide expanse of park grass still green in the coming of autumn. At the front of a stage, a woman stood at a microphone and spoke to the assembly, which was also made mostly of women.

“Another day and Bill Katz is still in our country with nothing done about his harassment of women! Is this how America wants to represent itself here? Is there to be no accountability?!” The speaker stood tall and still in front of the microphone, passionately demanding answers. “This kind of behavior might be fine in America, but it isn’t welcome here! We have to keep coming out and showing them how many of us there are before they’ll listen. If they don’t, our leaders will! If America won’t do the right thing on their own, it’s up to Prime Minister Nordin to convince them!”

Demonstrations like this one were happening all over Caspinar as women and sympathetic men gathered to protest Katz’s actions. They were angry, and, like the speaker, many were frustrated with the lack of consequences for them. Yet they had confidence in their leader, and they were generally hopeful that he would see justice done.

As she continued, a small disturbance erupted on one side of the crowd. Noah couldn’t see what was going on, just that people were suddenly very upset, shouting and pushing this way and that. The guards were more alert now, watching for any sign that the situation had grown too dangerous for their charges. Within a few moments, they had it.

A couple of men jumped onto the stage and shoved the speaker aside, one of them taking the microphone and yelling, “That’s enough from the feminazis! Move over and let a man talk! Society was built by men, and we will not be replaced by women! Adam’s Fist will put you back where you belong!”

Noah’s heart jumped as the last two words were uttered, and Bjorn said, “Right. We’re leaving right now.”

“Why? Who are those guys?” Jacob asked.

“Just do as he says. I’ll explain after we’re out of here,” replied Ava.

They walked quickly, the guards clearing a path in front of them, until their vehicle pulled up to the curb beside them. Security flanked them as they piled into the SUV and then closed the doors as the driver sped away.

“Those men,” Ava said to Jacob, “are part of Adam’s Fist, a male supremacist group that fights to keep women socially subjugated to men. It was formed a while back in reaction to women’s rights groups. It’s basically a terrorist group, committing small acts of violence to intimidate woman advocates into silence. The fact that they’re responding to the Katz protests is a very bad sign. It means we’re about to see a lot more displays and confrontations just like that one all over the country.” She glanced down for a moment, then back up as she added, “Especially now Katz has been fired.” She held up her phone for him to see the news story.

Noah looked at his sister as she spoke and noticed the expression on her face, thinking that he’d never seen her look so angry before.

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 7, 2019 at 2:26 AM
Content: 5
Ava's Advocacy

Ava had been right. There were a few other Adam’s Fist rallies that took place around Caspinar over the next week. Its members were already angry, but Katz’s firing further energized them, increasing their number and inflaming them more than ever. At the same time, the women’s rights rallies continued as a counter to the male supremacists, which increased the tension. There had already been several fights, acts of vandalism, and skirmishes between the protesters and the police, and the problem was only expected to get worse. King Harold’s representative had released a statement valuing the rights of women, denouncing violence, and calling for peaceful discourse, which was the usual extent of the royal family’s commentary on political controversies.

But that wasn’t enough for Ava. Shortly after her grandfather’s statement, she released one of her own that was overtly supportive of the women’s rights movement and directly critical of Adam’s Fist. “These men in Adam’s Fist are insecure and afraid of women, and they’re violent and dangerous,” her representative told the press. This prompted a threatening but anonymous response from the Fist, telling her to “sit down and shut up or face the Fist.” Dominik, head of security at Vaskerton Palace, was working with federal investigators to find the men responsible for the threat and determine their seriousness in making it. Meanwhile, security at the palace was increased, and a second guard was added to the princess’s regular detail. She refused to back down, issuing another statement defying the threat and saying that she wouldn’t be intimidated by it.

The twins, who had seen the Fist’s fury with their own eyes, were worried by all of this, especially for their sister, afraid the terrorists might make good on their threat.

“Why did you have to speak out against them?” Bastian asked her.

“Because what they’re doing is wrong, and it has to be called wrong,” she replied.

Noah spoke up, “But why does it have to be you?”

She sighed. “It doesn’t, but why shouldn’t it be me? Those men are terrifying women who dare to demand basic respect all over the country, and those women need people in the public eye to stand for them. They need someone to speak for them, to give them a national voice, and to encourage them. They need someone to be brave so they know they don’t have to do it alone. That will help them be brave and keep fighting these . . . abusers they’re up against. I can be that person for them, Noah.”

“But we don’t want you to get hurt,” Bastian said, looking scared.

Frowning, she hugged him and said, “Don’t worry, guys. You see all the precautions Dom is taking, adding more guards around the house and assigning me a second one. Besides, I can take care of myself. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Alex and Ellie weren’t pleased with her actions either.

“You know we’re not to comment on politics,” Alex chided. He and Ellie had called their daughter in their apartment to discuss what she’d done.

“This isn’t exactly politics,” Ava replied. “It’s not an election. It’s respect for women. Don’t we want people to know we believe in that?”

“Of course we do, but there are more tactful ways of saying it that could have avoided addressing the Katz scandal and the rallies.”

“No,” Ava shook her head. “The people see us as leaders, and they need to know that we condemn the kind of harassment Katz put those women through.”

“Well, now they know, and so does Adam’s Fist,” Ellie said quietly but soberly. “And you’ve made yourself a target.”

“We have security,” Ava responded almost flippantly.

“No security is absolute!” the elder princess said. “The Fist has guns and weapons and who-knows-what kind of numbers! Ava, they’re dangerous!”

“We can’t let terrorists frighten us and determine what we say and do, Mum!”

“No, we can’t,” said Alex. “But those men are far less likely to attack you than they are the average people who don’t have security details and palaces to hide behind!”

“And they should stand up to those men too,” Ava countered.

“They could be killed if they do!”

“They could be killed if they don’t! The Fist is already angry, and they’ve already hurt some people. But people can fight back if they just show them they’re not afraid.”

“Look, this will probably all blow over in time if we just leave it alone. But please, no more public statements about all of this business!”

“I wish I could promise that, Mum, but I can’t sit by and let these monsters frighten women into silence at a time when women most need to speak up.”

“I know you have good intentions. I just hope you don’t make things worse,” Ellie said.

“What’s done is done, and I can see your mind is made up. That’s all we’ll say about it for now,” Alex said.

Ava walked out with their disagreement hanging in the air.

Jacob was more supportive when he came to the palace that afternoon.

“Hey, I think it’s great you spoke out. You can’t let your mom and dad control you forever. You’re an adult; you should say whatever’s on your mind.”

Ava smiled at him. “They have a point that I should be careful, but I’m glad to have you in my corner.” She gave him a quick kiss, and he smiled at her.

“We’re in your corner too, you know,” Noah said.

She giggled slightly. “I know, and I appreciate it very much.”

Jacob had become a rather regular visitor at Vaskerton. Alex and Ellie liked him and had told him he was welcome any time. He was respectful and thoughtful of Ava, but he wasn’t intimidated by her position, which meant she could be herself and have fun around him. He treated her well and seemed to be a good, honest young man, so they approved of their daughter’s relationship with him.

The two of them and the twins were in the sitting room in Ava’s apartment, the TV on but nobody paying much attention to it. Something on the screen caught Bastian’s eye, and he focused on it intently.

“Ava. It’s Mira,” he said in a surprised tone.

She grabbed the remote and turned the sound up as they all turned to look.

A male reporter was sitting at a news desk saying, “. . . after an appearance the singer made at a women’s rights rally. The threat was made anonymously online by the male supremacist extremist group known as Adam’s Fist.”

The screen shifted to Mira Mayhem standing beside another reporter. She looked angry and ready to fight. “Men like these Fist terrorists are exactly the reason women are standing up right now and why all women everywhere should be speaking up. They don’t scare me! All they’ve done is piss me off and make me more determined than ever to keep fighting!”

“Wow, I can’t believe they threatened her!” Bastian exclaimed. “Hey, Ava, you haven’t talked about her in a long time. Do you guys still talk?”

“No, I haven’t talked to Mira since the Uppkomst Festival. Actually, I guess I should say she hasn’t talked to me. She stopped answering my texts and calls.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that mad before!” Jacob said.

“Do you know her? Like, from before the Festival?” Noah asked, looking confused.

“Yeah, I dated her for a while,” Jacob shrugged his shoulders.

“Really?” chorused the twins. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

“Jacob doesn’t like to talk about his exes much, guys,” Ava said.

Her phone rang as the report ended. Still watching the screen, Ava answered the call and listened for a moment. Suddenly, her eyes grew large, and there was alarm in her voice as she said, “What?! When? Is he all right?!” She listened a moment longer before thanking the caller in a strained voice and hanging up. She was obviously upset, her eyes watering, and she even looked like she might get nauseous.

“What was that about? You okay, Ava?” Jacob asked.

“That was Mum. Adam’s Fist just made an attempt on Lukas’s life.”

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 8, 2019 at 12:15 AM
Content: 6
Ava's Adversaries

“Mum, Dad, I’m so sorry! I never would have said anything if I’d known this would happen!” Ava ran into the room in tears, the twins right behind her in an identical state. They had gathered in their family room on the second floor of the palace to wait for Lukas to get home. Alex and Ellie were clearly upset, both of them worried and Ellie having been crying as well. But, to Ava’s surprise, neither of them was angry with her.

Ellie put her arms around her while Alex rubbed her shoulders. “It’s not your fault, darling,” Ellie said. “You didn’t do this. Those awful men did. I don’t want you to blame yourself.”

“But Mum, if I hadn’t said--”

“No,” Alex said firmly but not harshly. “They were reacting to something he said on social media.”

“What?!” She turned to look at him, confusion on her face.

“Lukas made a post supporting women’s rights. That’s why the Fist attacked him. That’s how crazy these men are, Ava. It wasn’t even a very political statement, just a simple acknowledgment that women deserve respect.”

“But I provoked them, Dad!”

“What I’m telling you is that they’re easily provoked. They’re looking for any excuse to go after a high-profile target, so anything we say or do could set them off. Even if we did nothing, they could interpret it as they pleased and find provocation in it. But all that matters is he’s all right.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Lukas walked into the room looking shaken but no worse for the wear otherwise. Ellie ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, Alex right behind her and putting his arms around both of them. They stayed like that for a long moment before Ellie pushed back to look at him.

“Are you all right? Dominik told us you weren’t hurt, but he didn’t leave anything out, did he?”

“No, Mum, I’m fine, just a little rattled,” he replied. He was used to the risks that went with being a celebrity, but he didn’t have much experience with actual assassination attempts.

“Luke, I’m so sorry.” Ava cried fresh tears as she walked up and hugged him. “I never thought this would end up hurting you or anyone else when I spoke out. I don’t know what I--”

“Ava,” Lukas interrupted, returning her hug. “It wasn’t your fault. I chose to open my mouth. I knew the risks, but I went right ahead and did it.”

“Why?” she asked.

He laughed. “You have to ask? Because it needed to be done. These . . . jerks have to be fought at every turn.” At that point, he looked past her to see his little brothers standing, patiently waiting. “It’s all right. I’m fine,” he told her before stepping around her. “Hey, guys,” he said as he knelt to their level. He put his arms around them as they practically tackled them.

“I thought you were dead!” Bastian sobbed.

“Aww, I’m sorry you were scared. But I’m fine, not a scratch on me. I’m not going anywhere, little bro.”

“Promise?” Noah asked.

“I promise,” Lukas said solemnly and somehow sensitively at the same time. “I wasn’t hurt, but I’m going to be a lot more careful from now on.”

“Lukas, what happened?” Alex asked.

“I was going to hang out with some friends when we heard a shot hit the bullet-proof glass on my car. They hit us a few more times before we turned around and got out of there. The car took some damage, but that was it. Are we sure it was Adam’s Fist?”

“Yes. Dom said they claimed responsibility. He’s working with intelligence to find the men responsible,” Alex said, referring to the Royal Intelligence Service that served as Caspinar’s federal investigation agency. “That may be one good thing to come out of this: it’s gotten the RIS’s attention. More resources are being put into breaking them up. I think they’ll find this was a very stupid decision.”

“Meanwhile,” Ellie said, “your dad and I have to talk to Dom and come up with a plan to deal with this threat until they’re caught. Don’t any of you worry: we’ll all be safe.”

At dinner that evening, Alex and Ellie informed their kids about the decision they had made with their head of security.

“It isn’t safe for you boys to stay at the palace right now,” Alex said to the twins and Lukas. “There’s too much attention on all of us. So, we’ve arranged for you to stay somewhere else until things cool down a bit.”

“You’re sending us away?” Noah said in alarm.

“Just until Adam’s Fist is dealt with. If RIS can at least catch some of the men responsible for what they’ve done, the others will settle down a bit, and you can come home,” Alex replied.

“But how long will that take?”

“There’s no way to know, but I would expect things to get better in a week or two,” Ellie replied.

The twins, especially Noah, looked scared as Bastian asked, “Where are we going?”

“You and Noah will be staying with Lucy, Signe, and Johan at their house in the country. I spoke to Signe a while ago, and--”

“Lukas isn’t going with us?” Noah said in alarm.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Ellie said, shaking her head. “We can’t have you all together right now. It would be harder to keep your location secret and keep you safe.”

“None of you are going to be there with us?” Noah said as he started to cry.

“Oh, baby,” Ellie said sympathetically as she reached out to touch the side of his face. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this. We all do. There’s nothing we want more than to keep you with us while this is going on. But this is the best thing for all of you. It won’t be so bad. We’re sending Ilsa, Roland, and Bull with you, so you won’t be alone at all. You’ll still have someone to look after you and protect you.”

“Do I have any say in this?” Lukas asked as Noah began to calm down.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Alex said with a bit of somewhat uncharacteristic sarcasm. “They just tried to kill you. We’re not going to sit idle and let them try again.”

Lukas could see how worried his parents were and how much stress they were under. He also knew this was a serious problem, so he decided not to argue any further. Then, something occurred to him, and it bothered him too much to stay quiet. “Wait. You said ‘you boys.’ What about Ava? She’s not leaving?”

Ellie drew a breath before responding. “That’s up to her.”

“Why? Just because she’s eighteen? She’s only two years older than me!”

“Those two years make more of a difference than you realize,” Alex said.

Ellie reached out and laid her hand on her oldest son’s. “We would love to see all four of you away from here and safe, but we can only justify that with you three. Our people see her as an adult, so that’s how we have to treat her. She chose to speak up for other women, and now she has to choose how she’ll handle this situation. She’s chosen to stay for the time being.”

“Part of me wants to go with you guys,” Ava spoke up. “To run away and be safe. But I’m the one they’re really mad at. If I go away, they’ll look for me. If I stay here, so will they. They’ll be focused on the palace and trying to get to me. They won’t look for you guys. I’ve endangered you enough already, and I won’t do it anymore. While you’re out of harm’s way, I’m going to stay here and fight them until they’re all locked up.”

“Ava, if you provoke those men--” Ellie started.

“Mum, those men just tried to kill my little brother; we’re way past the point of provocation! They started this fight, and I’m going to finish it.” Ava’s eyes were full of fire as she said it.

“I agree,” Alex said with the same look in his eyes. “This family has won wars. We’ll win this one too.”

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 8, 2019 at 11:50 PM
Content: 7
Visiting Lucy

Ilsa Cederblad woke up to the harsh beeping of her alarm and yawned as she put her feet on the floor. The twins, in the bedroom next to hers, would be up soon, and she had a few things to do before she started taking care of them. They were still very much on her mind, though. Ilsa had always liked kids and had entered service at a young age, attending university to acquire a degree in child development. A friendship with a palace worker had led to a new job as a page for the royal family, which eventually gave her a chance to care for the then-baby Prince Bastian. Alex and Eleanor saw how good she was with him, and they promoted her to nanny to work with Irina, who was already caring for young Lukas. She quickly grew to love the two princes, although the older one seemed to outgrow her care way too quickly. Bastian could be a handful sometimes, but he was a sweet kid. Noah’s return softened him quite a bit, and they were both a delight to look after. With no kids of her own, she cared for the twins as she would her own family. So, she was quite worried about them in the midst of the threats against the royals.

They were both excited to see Lucy and play with her every day, and, like Ilsa, they both enjoyed getting away from the palace for a while in the scenic countryside the winery was nestled into. But there was no escaping the fear they felt. Both Noah and Bastian were waking her up at night with bad dreams, and she would hold them and rub their backs to soothe them back to sleep. It was more than a sense of duty and purpose in serving the royal family that helped her put up with the interruptions to her sleep. She thought of it simply as caring for two little boys in extraordinary circumstances. With that on her mind, she picked up her phone and called her contact at the palace for any news on Adam’s Fist. It was early, but she knew Dominik Eklund, head of palace security, would already be well into his day. Ilsa longed to have kids of her own some day, but until then, she would do anything to protect her two charges.

“I got you, Bastian! You’re a zombie now!” Lucy giggled loudly as she tagged his shoulder.

She and the twins were playing behind the large house where she and her family lived. The air was cold, but they were bundled up against it and enjoying the brisk air. The twins loved to visit the winery and get away from the pomp of Vaskerton Palace and the bustle of the city, and with most of the workers gone for the season, they had more solitude than usual. There was certainly little chance of anyone recognizing them and reporting where they were, despite their notoriety. The twin princes were well-known in Caspinar and had attracted quite a following in the rest of the world, which meant that people often took pictures of them when they were in public. But very few people knew the winery was owned by the royal family, so nobody bothered them there.

A gracious loser, Bastian smiled and said, “Okay, so I’m a zombie. Now we have to find Noah and turn him!”

It was a twist on hide-and-seek in which the seeker was a zombie chasing the hiders. If the zombie touched one of them, that person got turned, became a zombie too, and joined the hunt for the survivor. But if the survivor sneaked up on one of them and touched them, he could turn them back. They played until everyone was a zombie or a human or however many humans there were had reached the home base they called the “safe zone.”

Together, they set out in search of the last human, Lucy grinning, “Let’s go get him!”

They were in a fermentation room with large steel vats on either side of them. Signe and Johan didn’t mind the kids playing in there after they’d been shown the equipment and told not to touch any of it. They were generally well-behaved kids, although Noah had to keep reminding Bastian to mind the rule. Lucy and Bastian split up, each taking a side of the room as they looked among the vats. After a few minutes, they were satisfied that their quarry wasn’t in there and exited the building on opposite sides, fanning out to continue the search.

Meanwhile, Noah was creeping along the bottling line in a different building, crouching low behind the machinery and cautiously looking around. It had been quite a while since he’d seen Bastian. He hadn’t been turned then, but that may have changed since. If he could find him and turn him back to human, they could team up against Lucy again and win the game. He eyed the door several feet away and, glancing quickly around to make sure the coast was clear, ran for it. Grabbing the handle, he twisted and pushed the door open slowly and just enough to stick his head out. Craning his neck, he turned his head to look around and gasped loudly as he felt a hand on top of his head just as Bastian came into view.

“Gotcha! Zombies win!” Bastian said before he started to laugh. “Hey, Lucy! I got him! We win!”

Both of them were shambling around, groaning and laughing like the undead when she came running up. “Zombies rule the world!” she exclaimed. “Let’s play again! You’re the zombie this time, Noah.”

“Actually,” he said, shifting his legs and looking suddenly uncomfortable. “I need to go find Ilsa.”

“Me too,” Bastian said with a chuckle.

“Oh! Of course. Come on, I’ll walk with you guys.” She was used to what the twins had to do to manage their incontinence, so knowing they needed their diapers changed wasn’t a big deal to her.

Johan made enough money managing the winery that Signe didn’t have to work, so she spent much of her time taking care of the house and her family. She cooked pasta with homemade pesto sauce for dinner that night. There was also a large salad and roasted asparagus and enough of all of it to satisfy them and Ilsa, whom Signe and Johan were insisting eat with them every night. After the food was gone, everybody helped clear the table, even the little princes, who insisted on doing their part.

Once that was done, they all sat around the large living room to see what was on TV. Johan checked the channel guide and found a family-friendly movie, and everybody settled in to watch. About half an hour later, there was an ad break that ended with a news update.

“Tonight on Nightly Update,” said the anchorwoman, “we’ll have details on the discovery of the discovery of the body of a young woman police are saying was murdered by the members of the terrorist group Adam’s Fist.”

The twins’ eyes widened, and Lucy reached over, patting Noah’s shoulder. He and Bastian excused themselves to go find Ilsa. Catching up to her in her bedroom, they told her what they’d heard on the news.

“And these men are after Ava and Lukas,” Noah said, worry in his voice.

“They’ll be fine, though, sweetie. Here, it’s almost time for your phone calls, anyway. Let’s call your mummy.” They were keeping in touch with their family while they were away with nightly calls.

“They’re fine, darling,” Ellie said of her two oldest kids after Bastian told her what they’d heard. “Lukas is hidden at his friend’s house in Sweden, and Ava’s staying put in the palace. They’re perfectly safe.”

“Was it really them, Mummy? Was it Adam’s Fist who killed that woman?” Noah asked.

“The police think so, and they seem certain. It’s terrible, and what’s worse is that it’s not the first time they’ve done something like this. But it is the first time the police have been able to tie the killing directly to the group. They’re calling this a break in the case. So, they’re closer to finding these men now and locking them up. So, I know it’s scary, but there’s good news too. I know you want to come home, and we all want you here too. You can’t imagine how much we all miss you right now. Just try to be patient, guys. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer before this is over.”

Ava was even more optimistic when they talked to her. “It sounds really scary, but they’re getting closer to catching these creeps. And it’s sweet of you to worry about me, but I’m fine. I’m staying here, and Jacob’s coming over every day. He’s being very supportive and helping me get through this. I’m in good hands. We all are.”

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 10, 2019 at 12:23 AM
Content: 8
Bad News from Home

The twins were taking a break from their lessons while they stayed with Lucy, but she still had to go to school. Signe and Johan had explained to her that it was important she not tell anyone the princes were staying with her because Adam’s Fist could try to hurt them to get at their family if they knew Noah and Bastian were there. So, the twins spent their mornings playing alone and the afternoons and evenings playing with Lucy. They liked her house, and they loved spending time with her. Still, they both missed their home and their family, so they clung to each other more than ever.

They were playing a video game one morning when Ilsa came in looking upset and handed them her phone, saying, “Your mummy wants to talk to you.”

“Mummy?” they asked in unison.

“Hello, darlings. I have some upsetting news. But before I do, I want to stress that we’re all right. Daddy and Ava, Lukas and I, we’re not hurt. There was an attack on the palace this morning, and two guards were killed.”

This is what happened as she told it to them.

Alex, Ellie, and Ava were having breakfast that morning when two guards suddenly rushed into the dining room.

“Your Highnesses, please come with me,” one of them said. “There’s been an incident at the gate, and we need to get you all to the sub-level.”

He was referring to the safe room located underneath the main house. Its walls were made of a tempered steel alloy reinforced with thick concrete, and there was only one very heavy door in and out of the room, which was built to withstand a nuclear blast. It was equipped with computers, video monitors, communications systems, and powerful weapons. It was also furnished comfortably for the royal family and their security. This was where security herded them on the rare occasions when events threatened the safety of the family.

Security surrounded them as they moved through the hallways towards a secret passage in a nearby corridor that led to a staircase taking them directly to the safe room. As they left the dining room, Ellie said anxiously, “Are my boys safe? Have you heard from them?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mister Eklund had someone reach out to the houses they’re staying. All is clear at both locations,” answered a guard, referring to the head of palace security.

“Do they know what’s happening here?”

“No, ma’am. Mister Eklund knew you’d want to explain it to them.”

“Thank God for Dom,” Ellie said with relief.

“What is happening here?” Alex asked with some irritation.

“I’m not quite sure, sir. I know some shots were fired. We believe it’s Adam’s Fist, so the call was made to escort your Highnesses to the safe room. I was told to assure you that Mr. Eklund or another guard would join us as soon as possible to bring you up to speed.”

“I forget that not everything is shared with you guards,” Alex said in a rather conciliatory tone.

“Yes, sir. There’s a lot I don’t know. I just follow orders,” the guard said in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.

“We appreciate what you do, though. You and all our guards.”

“Thank you for saying so, Your Highness.”

By now, they were in the secret passage and heading for the secure room. The group walked in silence quickly down a long and rather narrow stairway, reached a landing, and descended another set of stairs to a door in a small corridor at the bottom. The guard in the lead stepped up to the door and pressed a few numbers on an electronic keypad, granting them entry into the room.

Once inside, the princesses found seats while Alex walked around the room with the guards, checking the equipment and security system. Ellie turned the TV onto a news channel while Ava checked her phone for information online, but news of the attack hadn’t gotten out yet. While it was frustrating to be left in the dark about what was happening, this was a good thing because it meant they didn’t have to worry about the press yet.

After a few minutes, Alex joined his wife and daughter on the sofa as the three of them waited nervously for news. They were all thinking the same thoughts. How bad was the attack? How many attackers were there? Were there any casualties? Had they made it into the palace? No noise had reached the dining room, but that didn’t mean the house hadn’t been breached. They were brave people, and they’d been through similar situations before, so the danger wasn’t what bothered them. It was the fact that they had no idea how much danger they were in and no way of finding out for the time being that got to them.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Dominik appeared outside the door on the monitor. The guards opened the door, and he walked in, looking very solemn.

“Your Highnesses, we stopped the attack, and the danger is over. However, three guards were wounded. One was killed, and the other two have been taken to hospital. One is in bad shape, but the other is doing well.”

“That’s awful!” Ellie exclaimed.

Alex rubbed rubbed her shoulder. Looking grim, he said, “What happened, Dom?”

“They took us by surprise with a delivery van, charging the gate with guns firing out the windows and the side. It was a very poorly-coordinated attack, which worked to our advantage. Gate security held them at bay until back-up arrived, and we eventually overpowered them. There were four of them, all armed, including the driver. The two firing out of the side were killed in the fight. The man in the passenger seat was wounded and was also taken to hospital. But the driver is in custody unharmed.”

They were all quiet for a long moment. Alex sat collecting his thoughts, while Ellie and Ava looked on, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he asked, “What was the name of the guard who was killed?”

“James Fritz, sir.”

“Has his family been notified?”

“Not yet.”

“Good. I’ll deliver the news and extend my condolences personally. I want you with me.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, Your Highness? It may not be safe after what just happened.”

“That’s why you’ll be there. Anyway, it’s a risk I’m going to take. That man gave his life to save may family,” Alex said, gesturing at his wife and daughter. “I owe him a debt, and I’ll begin paying it by paying my respects to his family. We’ll make sure they’re all well taken care of. In the meantime, has the man you captured talked?”

“Not yet, sir. But we expect he will. This attack was an act of desperation, and it’s given us our biggest lead yet: one of Adam’s Fist, who can likely lead us to the rest. This could be the end of them.”

They would soon learn that one of the guards who had been taken to hospital had died shortly after arriving there. Alex and Dominik extended the same courtesy to his family as they had James Fritz’s. Both families were naturally devastated by the news, but they were still impressed that the prince himself had come to notify them and visit with them for a bit. Both families were given a direct phone number to the palace with the invitation to call whenever they needed anything. Alex offered to pay for all of the funeral arrangements and expenses, and he told them he knew his gestures couldn’t take the place of the person they loved, but he hoped it would offer them some comfort.

The captured gunman who had been driving the van did eventually cooperate with palace security and the police, giving them information about Adam’s Fist, including its members and their locations. The other man who’d been wounded in the gunfight also cooperated, and the investigation into the group finally began to move forward now that the authorities were able to pin some very serious crimes to two members in custody. The authorities were able to tie a few other members to these crimes, and a handful of arrests were quickly made, which began to generate information about even more Fist members. It appeared that Dominik had been right, that this desperate attack might just be the terrorists’ undoing.

Bastian saw the silver lining in the news, but Noah couldn’t get past the thought that his home had been attacked with his parents and big sister inside it.

“And two of our guards were killed,” he said with a strained voice after Ilsa had changed them and put them to bed. “Those poor men!”

“I know. I feel bad for them too. I wish they hadn’t been shot. I wish nobody had been shot. But the police have the men who did it, and they’re going to use them to catch more of the bad guys. We could go home soon, Noah!”

“I just wish this was all over and nobody had been hurt and we could have stayed at home,” came the miserable reply.

“I know, bro. It’s going to be all right, though,” Bastian said as he hugged his brother to him. They drifted to sleep like that as they talked about better days and soon found themselves dreaming about those happy times.

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 10, 2019 at 11:55 PM
Content: 9
Surprise and Disappointment at Home

Over the next week, the Fist’s attacks grew drastically fewer as the Royal Intelligence Service made several high-profile arrests of its terrorist members. Their rallies stopped altogether as most of them had grown too afraid to show themselves in public as Fist members, and things in Caspinar began to settle down. Dominik, Alex, and Ellie all felt it was safe for the boys to return to the palace, so they were finally allowed to move back into the palace after a three-week absence. After all that time, the reunion was a very joyous one.

The twins arrived first because their trip was much shorter. Alex and Ellie met them downstairs in the hall just inside the palace, and they caught the boys as they ran into their arms, laughing as they hugged them tightly.

“I missed you so much, Mummy,” Noah said.

“I missed you too, darling,” she replied, beaming. “You have no idea how much I missed my twins.”

After a long moment, the boys switched parents, Noah going to his dad and Bastian to his mom. “We won’t have to leave again, will we, Daddy? We can stay?”

Alex chuckled a bit. “Not any time soon, Noah. You’re home where you belong.”

Ava was next. The boys ran to her, and she knelt to put her arms around both of them, kissing each in turn. “This place hasn’t been the same without you guys. It’s so good to have you back.”

The boys looked past her to see one more person hanging back, letting the family have their moment, who looked happy to see the twins too.

“Jacob!” exclaimed Bastian in surprise. “You came to see us?”

“Sure,” the singer replied with a laugh.

“Actually, he’s been staying here for the last week or so,” Ava giggled.

“He has?” Noah asked.

“In one of the guest rooms,” Alex interjected.

“To keep me company,” Ava added. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without him.”

“I’m glad you guys are home, though,” Jacob said.

“Thank you,” they chimed.

There were more hugs, kisses, and tears when Lukas came home a while later. Bastian and Noah were so glad to see their big brother that they practically tackled him as they ran into his arms. He beamed and laughed, full of joy at such a welcome.

“It’s so good to finally have everyone home,” Ellie said.

They all felt the same, and indeed the entire palace seemed brighter and warmer. A small feast was prepared for dinner that night to celebrate. The family munched on caviar and cheese palmiers while the chefs prepared the rest of the meal. A warm tomato bisque flavored with basil and other herbs was soon brought out, followed by roasted trout and then a salad of fresh, crisp greens. The main course was filet mignon seasoned and grilled to perfection accompanied by potatoes flavored with garlic and other spices and roasted until they were tender. For dessert, there was a divinely sweet almond caramel cake, and all but the twins had wine perfectly paired with the meal and in enough abundance that everyone felt relaxed and happy, although Ava and her parents thought Jacob had a little too much.

After dinner, they all sat around a parlor and talked for a while, telling stories and jokes. They all sobered a bit when the conversation turned to the guards who’d been hurt in the attack.Alex had learned quite a bit about them all since then, and he shared the details with his family and their guest, giving them all a glimpse into the lives of these brave men. After a while, they all felt they knew the men somewhat, and they had a much greater appreciation and admiration for them.

Ellie looked over and saw Bastian and Noah slumped together in a large armchair, fast asleep. She motioned to them and said to her husband, “Why don’t we get them to bed? In fact, let’s let them sleep with us tonight.”

Alex smiled. “Of course, darling.” Then, turning to the older kids, he said, “Good night, everybody. Sleep well.”

He carried them off to his and his wife’s suite while Ellie had a page fetch some diapers and wipes from the twins’ apartment. The boys snoozed peacefully on their parents’ large bed as their mum and dad changed them and then pulled the plush covers over them. Alex and Ellie laid in bed on either side of them, gently caressing them and watching snow fall in a thick flurry outside their windows. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day.

Life for Noah and Bastian largely went back to normal after that. Their lessons resumed, and they were allowed to play outside again. They took advantage of this with snow on the ground, sledding, snowboarding, building snowmen and forts, and having snowball fights. The boys loved snow, and they would sometimes stay outside for hours at a time. Security was still heightened at the palace, though, and there were always guards close at hand in case of trouble.

There was good reason for this because, although Adam’s Fist’s numbers were dwindling by the day as more and more of them were arrested, they were determined to fight until the bitter end. They were no longer having rallies, but there were a few more attacks and even a couple more murders attributed to the group, crimes the authorities had limited success solving. So, the group was still a threat.

Finally, police apprehended five men in a delivery van in Ordan on their way to attempt another attack on Vaskerton Palace, which led to the arrest of the Fist’s leader. With no one to lead it, what was left of the organization quickly fell apart as several more key members were arrested. Adam’s Fist was effectively and officially done. In police stations, government offices, pubs, restaurants, and palace halls, people all over Caspinar celebrated the return of peace to their country.

The celebration at Vaskerton was a private party for the royal family and palace security. This meant they were able to keep it rather casual, and the royals could cut loose a bit. The guard who’d been wounded in the attack was there, bandaged up and on painkillers but enjoying himself nonetheless. The killed guards’ families had been invited, and the handful who were there were treated as the guests of honor, receiving a robust round of applause from everyone there and a tour of the palace from Alex and Ellie for all of them who were interested.

The twins were in the thick of it, snacking on hors d’oeuvres, dancing, and playing with some of the guards’ kids who were there. Bastian managed to sneak a little wine before Alex caught him and took it away. He couldn’t manage to get angry at his son, though; everyone was having too good a time. The prince gently scolded his son and sent him on his way. The best part of the night was seeing Bull dancing to hip-hop music, moving quickly and limberly. It was an impressive display for such a large, bulky man, and it was so unexpected that the twins couldn’t stop laughing. He noticed and understood, inviting them to join him and teaching them a few moves.

They were sitting on a sofa sipping punch when Ellie walked up and told them it was time for bed. “Aww, Mummy!” they groaned in harmony, but she insisted, so they finished what was in their cups, said good night to everyone who was around them and thanked them for coming, and walked out of the ballroom, heading upstairs.

On their way to their suite, they came upon Ava, who had clearly been crying.

Immediately concerned, they barraged her with questions as they ran up to her. “Ava! What’s wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?”

She shook her head slowly, and they wrapped their arms around her waist in a comforting hug. Finally, she spoke, “Jacob and I broke up.”

“Why? What happened?” Noah gasped.

“He--” she started, breaking off as she teared up again. “He just wasn’t who I thought he was.”

They said was that they were sorry for what happened, but they looked at her in confusion. They didn’t understand what that meant, and they didn’t understand how such a wonderful day could end so terribly.

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 11, 2019 at 11:26 PM
Content: 10
The Concert and What Came of It

Jacob left the palace that night. Nobody saw him or talked to him except Ava, and she shared few details about their break-up. All she would say was that they’d had a really bad fight, and she saw him for the kind of person he really was. He texted and called a few times, but she refused to talk to him. It was clear that, for whatever reason, their relationship was over.

Noah and Bastian were disappointed with the break-up for their sister and themselves. They liked Jacob. He was fun, and he seemed nice, but from what Ava said, that was all just an act. They felt like they’d lost a cool older friend if not a new potential big brother. At the same time, they were sad for their sister. She mourned her relationship with Jacob, staying home and spending time alone for a couple of nights. She even took a few meals alone in her apartment. Their break-up quickly hit the news, and the media gave much attention to speculation about it, which made her withdrawal worse. Seeing her like that made them angry at him for whatever he did to hurt her feelings, and they started to say harsh things about him.

“I know you don’t like seeing Ava like this, and I know you’re angry at Jacob, and that’s fine,” Ellie told them one evening. “Daddy and I hate to see her upset, and we’re angry too. But what happened between the two of them is between them, and Ava doesn’t want you guys to worry about it. You can be angry at him, but none of us wants you involved in all this.”

“Is she going to be all right, Mummy?” Noah asked.

“Of course, sweetie. She’s hurt right now. People always are after a relationship ends. They’re hurt, disappointed, sad, angry. Those are all things people go through. But Ava’s a strong woman, and while she really liked Jacob, I don’t think she loved him. Give her time and let her know you’re thinking of her, and I think she’ll be fine before long.”

Over the next few days, they took her advice, and Ava did seem to brighten a bit. She joined the family for meals again and braved the media by going out with friends. The paparazzi harassed her a bit from time to time, asking why she and Jacob split up, but she ignored them.

She spent a bit more time with Noah and Bastian as well, painting with them, pouring over art books, and just hanging out. One day, she accompanied them to a local art museum, which had several new pieces on display. The twins loved walking through the halls and staring up at the massive paintings, taking in all the various styles and the multitude of images in endless colors. By the time they ended their day with some ice-skating in a nearby park, Ava was back to her normal self.

After that, she seemed to have put Jacob past her, going about her life just as she had before she met him. She seemed content if not happy, and her family was relieved to see the improvement in her mood. Ava resumed her social life, going on shopping trips with her mum and hanging out with friends as well as attending her royal duties, although the media continued to hound her for details about her break-up with Jacob. A palace spokesman had issued an official statement that acknowledged the split but withheld the details. The only reason given was that Ava and Jacob were not compatible as a couple. Other than that, Jacob Beckler may as well have ceased to exist for the princess and her family.

One day, Ava found out that Elvira Locke, one of her favorite singers, would soon be performing in Ordan. This reminded her of the Uppkomst Festival where she’d met Jacob, and she decided going to the concert would be the perfect way to close this chapter of her life, a sort of full circle that would take her back to where she’d been before. One concert began their relationship, and another would mark its end. Since Noah and Bastian had been there at Uppkomst, she thought it was appropriate to take them along to see Elvira. She asked them if they wanted to go, and they immediately said yes. After a conversation with her parents and a quick memo to Dominik, they were all set.

The night of the concert, a car drove Ava and the twins to the arena downtown. With the lights turned low, their detail, along with arena security, ushered them to the VIP section, where they took their seats. A little later, Elvira took the stage and started her show. She sang for three hours, giving a stellar performance to an energetic and appreciative audience. At some point during the show, the singer found out the royals were there and invited them backstage after her set. Elvira greeted them and spoke to them for a few minutes before going out to meet a group of fans who’d been granted backstage passes, telling them they were welcome to hang around a bit longer if they wanted. The twins were still excited by the concert, so Ava figured there was no need to rush home. Besides, both of the boys needed to be changed, so as soon as the room was empty, she went to work.

As she was finishing up, they heard a commotion outside, and one of their guards stuck his head into the room, telling them to stay put because a fight had broken out among some fans.

“Can’t we at least take a little peek, Ava?” Bastian asked.

“Of course not! Even if I thought it were safe, that’s nothing you two need to see.”

He groaned in response but perked up when there was a knock on the door.

“Yes?” Ava asked. “It’s all right, come in.”

The door opened to reveal Jacob Beckler looking just as charming as ever.

“What are you doing here?” Ava said with a gasp. She was noticeably nervous as she spoke.

“I thought you might be here. I just want to talk to you, Ava,” he said as he stepped into the room, letting the door close behind him.

“I’ve made it clear I don’t want to talk to you, Jacob.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want to talk to you! So, get out!” Bastian said, Noah chiming in to agree with his brother.

“Guys, let me handle this,” Ava said.

“Look, I know you’re upset and you’ve been avoiding me, but I just want you to hear me out,” Jacob said.

“I don’t want to listen to you any more than I want to talk to you. There’s nothing you have to say that I want to hear. Get out of here and leave me alone!”

“Ava, please, I’m not asking for much. Just listen to what I have to say, that’s all. I came all this way. You can at least listen to me. You just have to!”

“No, I don’t. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. Get out of here before I call Hugo,” she said, referring to her bodyguard.

At this, anger flashed in Jacob’s eyes. “That’s so unfair of you! Don’t I deserve to be heard? Wasn’t I good to you?”

Ava drew a breath before answering. “You were, until the end. And it was the end, Jacob. It’s over, and you need to accept that.”

He exploded, “You can’t do this to me! It’s not fair! I didn’t mean to hit you!”

The twins gasped in shock, and it was Noah’s turn to explode, “You hit her?! How dare you?! You can’t hit my sister!”

He leapt at Jacob with Bastian right behind him, their fists flailing furiously at the pop singer.

“Wait, stop! This is between--” Jacob started but was interrupted by the boys’ onslaught. “Get off me!”

Ava rushed forward, pulling at the boys to get them away from the enraged young man, but they were too angry to cooperate.

“I said, ‘Get off me!’” Jacob yelled as he lost patience and struck back, knocking both of the twins backwards. They hit the ground and, hurt and frightened, burst into tears.

“Don’t you touch them!” Ava spat with venomous fury as she positioned herself between him and her little brothers and put her hand on his shoulder.

“This is your fault!” Jacob yelled. “If you’d just listened to me, none of this would’ve happened!”

“That’s enough! Hugo!”

Jacob’s face twisted into a mean grin as he grabbed her wrist. “I don’t think he’ll hear you. The little scene I instigated out there should keep him and security busy for a while. You think you’re so clever and special! The special princess, waving her hand and ordering people about! You’re not special, Ava! Everything you have is because of pure genetic luck. Me? I got to where I am with talent and hard work. I earned my place! Don’t you get it? People like you are relics. People like me? Singers, actors, celebrities: we’re the new royalty. We’re the ones who move the world and call the shots now! It’s just us in here, and it’ll be enough when I say it’s enough. We’re not over until I say we are!”

“Let go of my arm right now!”

“No. This could’ve--”

He was cut off when Ava suddenly maneuvered herself free of his grasp, reversing it and grabbing his wrist in the process. “Last chance, Jacob. I don’t need Hugo to protect me. Get out of here and leave me alone.”

“Oh, shut up,” he sneered, calling her a nasty word as he struck out with his other hand.

Ava dodged his blow and countered with one of her own. The twins stopped crying and watched in amazement as their sister demonstrated the truth in her words by launching a volley of lightning-fast, well-placed strikes before flipping Jacob onto his back on the floor, wrenching his arm into an uncomfortable position to hold him in place. He cursed and writhed in useless rage, trying to get free, but he couldn’t break her hold.

“Are you guys all right?” Ava asked the twins.

Too surprised by what they’d just seen, they only nodded.

“Good.” Then, bending down to Jacob’s ear, she said, “You should have left me alone, and you shouldn’t have hurt my little brothers. You’re the one who doesn’t get it, Jacob. Nobility, true nobility isn’t something you’re born into or something you earn. It’s not something you can buy. It’s not a status; it’s a character quality that either you have or you don’t. It’s integrity, dignity, and goodness. And those are not qualities you possess. So, no matter how famous or rich you are, you’ll never be royalty!

“All right, fine! Ow! Let me go, and I’ll leave,” he said in a strained voice.

“After you assaulted us? No. You’ll be arrested and charged like any other criminal. Let’s go.” With that, she pulled on his arm until he was on his feet, and she continued to hold him, saying, “Open the door.”

Jacob reached out with his free hand and did as she’d told him. She walked him out of the room and found Hugo, who took the singer into custody. With Jacob off her hands, she walked back to the twins and wrapped her arms around them as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry he hurt you guys. I’m sorry you got caught up in this. I should have had him arrested after he hit me, and this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not your fault, Ava,” Bastian said.

“Yeah,” Noah agreed. “It’s Jacob’s! He shouldn’t have hit you! But why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t want you guys to know. I didn’t want you to worry about me.”

“Why would we after seeing that?” Bastian asked with a laugh. “That was sick! Where’d you learn to do that?”

“Hugo’s been giving me lessons for years. Mum and Dad didn’t want anyone else to know. They say it’s not proper for a princess to practice martial arts. I say a princess can’t always rely on someone else to save her.” She looked at them for a long moment and put her hands to their cheeks before adding “or her little brothers. I’ll never let anyone hurt you guys. I need you to know that.”

“We do,” Bastian said before they reached out and hugged her again.

It had been a few weeks since the confrontation and Jacob’s subsequent arrest at the concert. His high-powered lawyers managed to spin what happened as a misunderstanding stemming from the brawl backstage, which most people didn’t know Jacob had started. The new American ambassador worked with the singer’s legal team to handle the charges against him and the penalty for them. He paid a large fine and made an even larger donation that was disbursed to charities of Ava’s choosing. Jacob’s lawyers naturally wanted the details kept secret, but Ava refused to cooperate. She released a statement about what happened to the media, saying she wanted other women to know what he was really like so they wouldn’t get involved with him unwarned like she did. Alex and Grandpa Harold issued separate statements offering her their full support. Jacob denied everything, and many people believed him, dismissing the princess as nothing but a spoiled, spiteful ex-girlfriend. Ava didn’t care what they thought, although she took some pleasure in noticing that Jacob’s popularity suffered a bit. Nevertheless, she and her family thought they would eventually have to deal with him again.

She had just gotten home from an outing with Mira Mayhem. The two of them reconnected the news of what happened that night at Elvira Locke’s show got out. Mira felt guilty for not telling Ava how Jacob had treated her. She’d been embarrassed and afraid that Ava wouldn’t believe her and would think she had made it up out of jealousy. The princess assured her that she had nothing to feel bad about. “It was all Jacob’s fault. He’s the bad guy here. Never forget that,” she’d told her friend. And with that, they were friends again, and they quickly grew very close the way two women who’d been through similar experiences can be.

But at that moment, Ava was about to enjoy her favorite part of the day: coming home to her family and spending time with her little brothers. The twins were very grateful to her for defending them the way she had, and they now saw her in a different light, as not just a playmate and teacher but a formidable protector willing to stand up to anyone who threatened them. They loved her more than ever, and the three of them grew closer than they’d been before. Although Noah still wanted a lot of affection, he was no longer monopolizing his dad now that he knew he had a cool big sister who could beat up buys bigger than her. And he liked to have her change his diapers because she was so good at it. Both of the twins did, and Ava usually didn’t mind doing it. She thought they were adorable, lying there and looking so sweet and innocent. So, she often volunteered to change them, get them ready for bed, and tuck them in for the night. Just as she was going to do at that very moment.

End

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Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jan 14, 2019 at 10:49 PM
Content:

Slomo said:

Great story telling as always. And so much all at once too.

[End of quote]

Thank you! Yeah, this one ended up being a pretty slow burn for so much to happen at the end. But that climax with Ava was the point all along. It had to be a big moment, and for that, it had to be a surprise, so I had to build everything up the way I did. I felt really bad about the way I'd treated her in the first few stories. She was such a flat and at times seemingly uncaring character that even I didn't like her much. I'd meant to focus on her and Lukas in the second story, but he interested me more, I guess because I really want a big bro like him, and it became his story. I tried to make up for that in the next one by showing how her views had evolved and she was taking on more responsibility, but it just wasn't enough. So after finishing Social Circle, I said, "Okay. I'm devoting the next one to her, and I'm going to fix this." So, this was Ava's story, and now that it's done, I've found the love for her as a strong and very capable woman. The next one, which I hope to write in the next few days, will be much shorter, not broken into chapters, and a simple day-in-the-life story that I'm hoping will re-center and re-focus everything. I'd like to move away from these big national crises that the last two have been about and bring it down to a more personal level.