The morning of Pip's eighteenth birthday dawned bright and clear, promising to be a beautiful spring day, and rather warm. After their usual ride in the woods, Bernard kissed Pip tenderly, telling him that he'd be busy for most of the day, working on Pip's party, and he hoped Pip didn't mind.

Pip didn't mind at all. He was planning on spending most of the day with Mr Lundy, getting ready. He had already asked Mr Lundy to do his hair a certain way.

"Now, sir. I think you'll be quite pleased with how it's come out," said Mr Lundy, holding up the mirror.

He hadn't let Pip have a peep at the whole long process, and was only letting him look now that it was completely finished.

Pip held the mirror up to his face, and gave a long drawn-out sigh. Yes, there it was, just as he remembered. Mr Lundy had dyed his hair black as a raven's wing, straightened it, then spent hours making it look as if Pip had just got out of bed, and sleepily run a hand through his luxurious locks.

"Thank you, Mr Lundy. That looks exactly like ... like the image I saw," Pip said with a smile. "You're a magician, you really are."

"I only did my best, sir," said Mr Lundy repressively.

"You don't have to call me sir," said Pip. "You can call me Pip if you want."

"That would not be suitable, sir," said Mr Lundy with austerity. "And if sir does not mind me saying so, I hear that sir is going to have to get used to being called sir."

"What do you hear, Mr Lundy?" asked Pip, his cheeks turning pink.

"Servants gossip, as you well know sir," said Mr Lundy enigmatically. "And if sir will forgive me the liberty of correcting him, it is not suitable for you to call me Mr Lundy. I would very much prefer it if you called me Lundy instead, sir."

"Oh ... of course ...er, Lundy," said Pip. "I'm sorry if I called you the wrong name. I thought Mr Lundy seemed more polite."

"I quite understand, sir," said Mr Lundy. "You have much to adjust to, sir. I hope I haven't offended you, sir, giving you a little nudge in the right direction."

"Not at all, er, Lundy," said Pip, slightly bemused.

Pip had designed his own suit for the party, which Mr Lundy had arranged to be made up for him, and now revealed for Pip's approval.

It was white linen - "Nice and light, sir" - coupled with a deep blue silk shirt - "The blue will match your eyes, sir." The white suit had pearl buttons, and silver stars embroidered on the cuffs and lapels - "These touches of whimsy suit sir's personality."

Mr Lundy had chosen for Pip a pair of white leather boots with high heels - "Two inches, sir. A little more height, while not making sir actually tall."

Bernard had given Pip silver cuff links shaped like rosebuds for his birthday, which Mr Lundy fastened for him, and then Mr Lundy shook a fine sparkly powder into Pip's hair.

Pip wasn't sure about this last part, but - "It will seem as if sir has starlight in his hair," Mr Lundy said very firmly.

Finally, Mr Lundy gave Pip a manicure, brushed kohl around his eyes and onto his lashes, smoothed out his skin, dabbed a little rouge onto his cheekbones, and made his lips moist and pink.

"It may seem a bit much, sir. But the party is later in the day, and it will make your features stand out, even in shadow, sir."

Bernard came to collect Pip around five o'clock, saying he would escort him to the party. When they were alone, Bernard whispered that Pip looked stunning, and couldn't resist giving him a furtive little kiss in a quiet corner. They walked the rest of the way arm in arm, Pip's eyes already shining with happiness as they went outside.

Pip had asked Bernard for a picnic for his party. He didn't want to cause any fuss, and he remembered the picnics Mrs Bennett used to make for he and his parents. In his mind, a picnic meant sandwiches and cake packed in a basket, tea in a flask, and everyone sitting on rugs, perhaps followed by a game of rounders, or a stroll down to the river in the cool of the evening.

It was, of course, nothing like that at all.

Instead there were Oriental rugs to walk on, a panelled wooden floor to dance on, velvet sofas for people to sit on, or big embroidered cushions for the more adventurous, and the luxurious food was arranged on tables inside white silk tents on the lawn. There were massive vases of lilac and pink roses, coloured lanterns hanging in the trees, and dozens of footmen to serve people.

"It was meant to be a simple picnic!" Pip cried when he saw the magnificence.

"I know, Pip. But Father can't sit on the ground, and if there was only a sofa for him, it would make him feel as it he wasn't part of it," Bernard said. "And ladies hate getting grass on their dresses, or their shoes. And Hugo stayed an extra two weeks for this – he'd be furious if he stayed longer just for some sandwiches on the lawn."

Pip was easily persuaded by these arguments, and he had to admit that it looked magical and everyone was having a wonderful time. In a moment, he was having one too. The Royal Lindensea Orchestra were playing a selection of cheerful musical pieces, more suitable for an outdoor party than for a formal ball.

Bernard took Pip by the waist and swung him onto the floor for an energetic country dance called The Gay Old Knight. This was more like the dances Pip was used to, and soon they were gambolling up and down the row together, holding hands. Instead of an elegant sweep around the ballroom, they laughed, romped, and occasionally crashed into other dancers on the floor, which everyone took in the spirit of good fun.

It was while people were helping themselves to strawberry trifle, meringues, and iced cream in the third tent that Pip happened to run into Alice, shadowed by her duenna.

"May I get you a coffee?" Pip asked her gallantly.

"That's so kind of you, Pip," Alice said, "but Hugo is already fetching me one."

"You're looking beautiful as ever tonight," Pip said, for Alice had on a simple golden-brown dress whose classic lines made her look like a dryad, or some goddess of the forest.

"And you ..." Alice gave a little laugh. "I was going to say you look beautiful too. What I meant to say is that you look very handsome. Dark hair is very becoming to you."

"I don't mind being called beautiful," smiled Pip. "I like making myself pretty."

Alice's face suddenly brightened with comprehension. "I've recognised you," she said in a choked voice. "I know who you are."

At this awkward juncture, King Peter suddenly stood up and rang a loud bell, saying, "I have an important announcement to make!"

Everyone obediently turned around to listen to the king, even those still eating trifle and meringues.

"This party is for Pip's eighteenth birthday," said King Peter, nodding towards him. "Happy birthday, Pip, and I hope everyone is having a good time tonight."

There were some cheers, and a few calls of "Happy birthday!"

"I'm afraid I'm going to be very selfish, and talk about myself for a moment," King Peter went on. "You see, Princess Dorothea of Bjarma has just agreed to marry me. I can't imagine what she sees in me, but I couldn't be happier that this lovely lady will be one day be your queen, and the queen of my heart. Please raise your glasses, and give a toast to the future Queen Consort of Lindensea!"

There was a buzz of gossip that ranged from "I knew it" to "I thought she was marrying the prince?". Everyone stood up and raised a glass or a cup to Princess Dorothea, who stood beaming at the crowd, at a smiling Lady Sybil, and at her husband-to-be.

Bernard suddenly stood up, and loudly said, "I'm so happy for you, Father. I couldn't think of a better wife and companion for you than my dear friend Dorothea, and I know she will be a queen of great understanding and wisdom."

There was scattered applause and several people muttered, "Hear, hear."

"I hope that you will likewise grant me happiness, Father," Bernard continued, "for I ask your permission to marry Pip Lenoir, a young man of good family and fine fortune, with the truest heart there ever was."

Alice gave a little gasp, and Pip tried to tell her he knew nothing of this, but no words came out.

If Bernard had been hoping to take his father unawares and force him to agree by putting him on the spot in public, he was to discover King Peter was not so easily manipulated. 

The king looked straight at his son and said, "I can well understand the need to be with the person that you love, and believe me, Bernard, your happiness is very important to me. But we have many things to discuss together. Please join me in my drawing room, that we may come to understand each other better."

As if in a daze, Pip watched Bernard try to take his father's arm, King Peter pointedly shaking off his son's offered support, and then the two men walked into the castle together, Bernard's face already pale and worried.

Pip was left surrounded by a crowd of people thrilled at this even juicier gossip, Princess Dorothea looking irritated that she had been upstaged during her big moment, and Princess Alice staring at him coldly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LINDENSEA LORE

It is with the greatest pleasure that King Peter announces his betrothal to his second cousin, Princess Dorothea, only child of the late King Otto and Queen Hildegard of Bjarma. Princess Dorothea gave her gracious consent to the king's proposal at a party last night, and the wedding will proceed later this summer. All at Camden Palace offer their congratulations to the happy couple.

From The Royal Lindensea Court Circular, 22nd of May, 1436 of the Saxon Era