An Unexpected Friend

      Kismint, or Kizzy to her friends (as if she had any), blew a few stray hairs off her forehead in a manner that betrayed her boredom at being Crown Princess, but for once she had nothing to do today and, as usual, nobody to do it with. She knew she was the envy of Neopets all across her father's kingdom and even into the bordering parts of Neopia, but she had never had any real friends. Admirers, of course, but being vain, haughty, and manipulative from a very young age had left all her acquaintances at that. Children of other nobility put up with her only because of who her father was, and a few of the children of higher nobility were even paid to play with her at gatherings. Lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, kings and queens only politely tolerated her because of their breeding. All had fallen to her manipulations at least once, and were loath to be in the same place as her. Only her father remained blind to his crafty daughter's scheming. Truth be told, she was a very lonely Neopet.

      She slid off the throne and wandered through the halls of the palace with her thoughts. She passed through many opulent rooms, many seeming to be quite redundant, but amazingly decorated. She paused for a moment in a favorite room, a miniature aquarium with tanks making up all four walls and the ceiling, but decided that she wanted to be elsewhere to think. She passed completely by her own bedchambers without entering, and snuck craftily past the study where her father was composing a letter to his younger sister. She wasn't in the mood to talk. Servants bowed as she passed, but she ignored them, looking for a place to be left alone. Finally she hit on the perfect place- the gardens in the courtyard. At this time of day, the gardeners would be working on the expansive grounds, having already completed the day's work in the courtyard. She would be alone there.

      The palace gardens were the glory of the land, and were a sight to behold when they were in full bloom. At this time of year, they would be.

      As Kizzy stepped outside, the twitter of Pteris reached her ears. Fragrant breezes wafted the scent of the gorgeous flowers to her nose, and she saw Buzzes bumbling by. Butterflies flitted lazily yet gracefully from bloom to bloom. The colors of flowers in the bushes and trees, and lining the paths in places, were stunning. The warm breeze caressed her silky white fur and she smiled. The gardens provided relaxation she hadn't even realized she'd needed up until this moment. But after her initial reaction, she took little note of her beautiful surroundings.

      Kizzy walked with her head down, staring at the path in front of her and thinking. I have everything I'll never need provided for me, and much more. But all I really want is a friend. Surely this isn't too much to ask....

     Truthfully, she hadn't realized it was her scheming, manipulative mind that kept potential friends at bay, and no one was ever going to be in a hurry to speak deeply and meaningfully with the Crown Princess about her character flaws. Not at the risk of angering her, and thus her father. Nobody wanted to fall out of favor with the Emperor. So as she walked, she wondered, never once coming close to the true reason behind her friendlessness.

      Suddenly her eyes caught on a splash of color almost completely hidden under a rosebush lining the well-kept pebbled path. All previous thoughts in her mind fled. It was too far hidden in the shadow of the bush to be a flower, and anyway it had too many colors. Besides that, the general shape and the way it rested on the ground convinced Kismint that it was nothing growing. But then, out here in the gardens, what could it possibly be?

      She nudged it out from under the bush with her well-manicured foot. It appeared to be a plaything of some sort, stitched together out of colorful bits of fabric that were in no particular pattern. Amazingly, even though it had lain in the dirt, it appeared to be spotlessly clean.

      One of the servant's children must have dropped it, she thought to herself. Oh well, finder's keepers, right?

      Kizzy stooped to pick it up. It was heavier than it should have been, but that didn't trouble her. As she brushed off dirt that didn't seem to actually be there, the plushie asserted itself into the shape of a Snowbunny. It stared up at her with two shiny black button eyes that sparkled in the sun.

      Kizzy continued on her walk through the gardens, now passing through the crystal fountains. The laughing and bubbling water tinkled happily as it splashed back down into itself, and the crystal cast dazzling prisms everywhere, but Kizzy was again blind to her opulent surroundings. However, this time, instead of looking at the ground as she walked, she was looking at the adorable plushie she held in her perfect paws. It seemed to be stitched together quite well, which was a mystery. None of the palace seamstresses had children, or else their children were far too old for such toys, and the other servants would never have been able to make such tiny, flawless stitches. Not that they even had the time to, except for the occasional holiday. Anyway, what would a servant's child's toy be doing out in the garden, nearly hidden under a bush? It must have come from elsewhere, and that meant it really was hers, since she had no way of finding the owner. And if it was hers, it had to have a name.

      "I'll call you Prince Floofles," Kizzy said aloud to the inert plushie in her paws. That seemed like a satisfying name, and she hoped the plushie liked it. She was still young enough to believe her plushies came alive at night as she slept, although she was old enough to know never to admit this to anyone. The plushie's name had to be "Prince" Floofles, of course, because she was a princess.

      Suddenly the plushie moved. It was a real Snowbunny, rare enough in these parts, and a Plushie one to boot! Kismint nearly dropped him in surprise. She couldn't believe her luck!

      "You're real," she said in awe. "Well, then, will you be my petpet?" The unconditional love of a petpet was the thing she had always wanted most in the world.

      Prince Floofles licked her chin and nuzzled her cheek. "I'll be more than that," he seemed to be saying. "I'll be your friend."

The End

Author's Note: Please direct all Neomail about Kismint to my main account (lobstermagnetcty). Neomail to virtualspaghetti will be ignored due to necessity.