smallestopener | The Princess Birthday Ball

The huge, white tent sprawls on the lawn beside the lake. It has been transfigured there for a very special occasion. A stone walkway leads from the bar to the tent - the pavements are wide enough that ladies' dresses won't trail on the ground as they make their way to the entrance. Over the draped curtains of the entrance way is a large banner which reads "Happy 7th Birthday, Ingress".

Once inside, the honored guests will be in the midst of an enchanted ballroom. There are balloons drifting in bunches from the circular tables lining the sides of the large dance floor. Floating candlabras glow with gentle light from above. There are trees in large ornamental pots interspersed throughout sparkling with fairy lights from real fairies.

One long banquet table is positioned on along the side of the ballroom - there are treats of all description. Little finger sandwiches, chopped up fruit, cookies, cheese and crackers, and other child-friendly h'ors douerves are presented to make sure the dancers are sustained throughout the the party. There are large bowls of ice cream (kept cold with magic)and sundae fixings. Punch bowls of sherbet-flavored drinks await ladling into crystal goblets. But most impressive is the large birthday cake with blue, purple, and pink icing roses festooning it.

Ingress is busy greeting her guests in her gown - a birthday gift from Amy and Susan - but soon she'll be dancing to the music provided by the overlarge Gramophone in the corner, which is playing a wide array of dancing music from waltz standards to court music to pop hits of the 20th century.

Tom, who's pretty tired from the magical effort required to pull this off, is in the background making sure his little girl is having a perfect party, and Princess Amy is helping Ingress in her hostess duties.

Come in and enjoy the party!

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Amy looks up at the chandelier, and laughs. "I think that sort of thing only happens in a magical ballroom."

She looks around again.

"But it's a perfect place for a princess party, isn't it?"

She laughs. "It is. Truly, it is. Have you been dancing yet? With any of the handsome, hopefully not taken fellows here?"

Amy laughs again. "Not yet, but I trust I shall be able to remedy that situation before the night is over. Have you?"

"No, but then, I have the worst luck here - every fellow I meet is either King of a magical land, married, or... not quite my type. In London, on the other hand, I'm having much better success."

"Oh?" says Amy, linking her arm through Susan's. "Come help me pick the next record and tell me all about this better luck you're having in London."

They walk together to the rows of magical records. "Well, there's a fellow called Gregory who's quite keen on me, but I'm not as keen on him. Then there's Jeff, who I rather like a lot. We've gone out a few times. Then there's Clive who just tries a little too hard, but is sweet."

"Goodness," says Amy. "Well, you mustn't spend too much time with anyone you're not keen on. And I suspect Clive is just nervous around you. Some of my sisters' suitors were like that. But do tell me more about Jeff."

"He's a pilot - he flew in the war. Now he flies for the postal service, but he's ever so dashing. And handsome."

"Dashing and handsome sounds like a very good start," says Amy. "Though I'm afraid I don't know what a pilot is."

"Sorry, a pilot flies a plane - um, a machine with wings that gets places quickly."

"That sounds very exciting," says Amy. "Flying machines and all.

"Have you ever been in one?"

"I have, actually. They're rather terrifying, to be honest. It's only a metal keeping you from falling out of the sky, when you get right down to it. So I think pilots are terribly brave."

"Handsome, dashing, and brave, then," says Amy. "I think your Jeff sounds a suitor of great potential."

"I shan't get my hopes up, but we'll see."

Susan chooses a record and Amy sets it on the gramophone. "Let's go get some of this cake Ingress is raving about. I wonder if it's magical, too."

"All cake is magical," says Amy, laughing.

She links her arm through Susan's and they go off in search of magical birthday cake.

The Princess Birthday Ball

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