The Princess Birthday Ball

[smallestopener]

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!

Comments

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary doesn't really do clothes, or dancing, or princesses. And if Colin were to see her wearing a tiara in public, he would never let her hear the end of it.

Therefore: they never speak of this.

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

Oh no, never.

"Mary, you look beautiful! Just like a real princess."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"You look more like one than I do," Mary says, practically, "only that I do not think princesses usually have blue hair. But some may, I expect."

She tugs at the tiara, rather self-consciously.

"I have never been to a birthday party before."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"Never? Never ever?" She is shocked. While Ingress never went to or had traditional birthday parties before Tom joined the family, birthdays were a big deal in the House of Arch.

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"My mother had parties on her birthday sometimes," Mary admits, "but I was not to attend - they were grown-up parties."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

Ingress is even more shocked. She is so very glad poor Mary is here now. "Then you must have a grand time at mine. You can have a big, big piece of cake and all the sweets you like and dance and dance."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary's eyes grow rather round.

A little awkwardly: "I do not know how to dance."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"It's not hard at all. You just move your feet to the right places. And sometimes when the music is fast, like with Weird Sisters songs, you just jump up and down and spin. I can show you."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"But I do not know," Mary says, patiently, "where the right places would be."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"Here, watch."

She does a very simple box step. "You go in a square, kind of. It's called a waltz."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary watches her feet closely, before moving her own feet hesitantly in the same motion.

It's very awkward. But she doesn't trip.

"I did it with Jason," she mutters. "But it is different with a partner."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"I think you're fine! If you dance with Amy, she can teach you even better. She's very good. You can also dance with Tom, because he lets you stand on his feet, so he does all the steps. Or we can dance to a fast song, and you won't have to worry about a partner." She gives a little shimmy of the hips and snaps her fingers.

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary rubs her first and third finger together doubtfully.

It's sort of like a snap.

"I did not know you could dance to songs that fast. I have never seen someone do it. Would they not fall over?"

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

She considers this carefully. "I guess they could, but I haven't seen it happen."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary considers carefully also, before letting out a sudden giggle.

"I hope nobody falls into the cake!"

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

Ingress laughs and laughs. "I should think if I had to fall, I'd want to fall into cake."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I should like to fall in a - in a pudding," Mary says, still giggling.

"Because puddings are all smushed anyways - so it would still be good to eat!"

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"Oh, yes, a pudding would be fun! I'll have to tell Tom to make us a pudding! And then maybe someone will fall into it, and it will be funny!"

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Sagely: "Or perhaps someone will come out of it. I read a rhyme about four and twenty blackbirds that flew out of a pie once."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"That happened in May Fair in London Below once, but the Pigeon people got mad and left in a huff."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Do pigeons not like blackbirds?" Mary says, puzzled.

"I thought it was cuckoos that were the ones the other birds did not like - because they laid their eggs in other nests."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

"No, the Pigeon people were mad the blackbirds were put in the pie. They were fine though. My daddy always said Pigeon people were silly."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary looks lofty.

"If the blackbirds did not like it, they could simply have eaten their way out. Birds like crumbs - if they had only started to peck there would have been lots of crumbs."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[smallestopener]

Ingress stares at Mary with something akin to awe. "That makes lots of sense. I'll have Tom and Door tell the Pigeon people that when they see them next."

Re: Greet the birthday girl

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I am sure the Pigeon people will understand," Mary agrees, rather smugly, "when it is explained logically."

Clearly, if Mary had only been in charge, it would all have been sorted out.