The Royal Search for Shenanigans

by Nita Marie Clark

  Lilli saw a look of concern on Shenanigan’s face. He was ready to go home, but he couldn’t go home. He told her his big problem, he lost the golden key that he had borrowed from the museum that opened the magic entrance. He hid it for safe keeping and now couldn’t remember where. Without the key there was no way for him to go home.

  There was no time to look for the key tonight so Lilli did the next best thing. She promised if Shenanigan would be there in her quarters at day break, she would get him home.

  Lilli just hoped her magic would be strong enough. There was no other choice but to rely on it to get them both to the Land Of Shenanigans at sunrise.

  Chapter 20

  Grandpa Shenanigan

  When the morning sunbeams came streaming down and danced across the flat lands of Zen then crept up the side of the mountain to shine into Lilli’s window, Lilli and Shenanigan were packed and ready to give the magic a try.

  Lilli placed her hands on the golden hands Ruth had painted two hundred years before. Then recited the magic words but with one necessary addition. “Like a hundred years, before let this special Princess of Zen and special friend pass through the magic entrance once more.” When she finished nothing happened, she and Shenanigan were still standing in the same spot.

  With a sound of urgency in her voice she repeated the magic words, still nothing. She then grabbed her locket from her pocket, opened it, and quickly rubbed the key inside while she and Shenanigan repeated the request together.

  In a matter of seconds Lilli was standing on the path in The Land of Shenanigans but her friend was nowhere in sight.

  With a feeling of failure, Lilli plopped down on the green grass beside the path. She sat there with her chin resting on closed fists, now what? As Miss Prudy likes to say “Well this sure puts lumps in the pudding!”

  Lilli had counted on Shenanigan to take her to the History Museum to meet Grandpa Shenanigan and to meet with Prince Oden. Well she could forget plan A, she just wished she had made a plan B. No sense in putting it off, if she was going to finish her mission, she had to start the journey and let her instincts guide the way.

  Lilli started down the path walking with a stride she hoped showed poise and confidence.

  Lilli had not gotten far when a strange noise caught her attention, she could not believe what she saw behind her. There running towards her was her friend Toodles! For some reason the magic had not transported him as far as it had her. But he was now beside her and ready for their visit with Grandpa Shenanigan.

  For Lilli, it was as though she stepped back in time. There were no cars, no paved streets, and no poles lining the road with miles of electric and telephone wires stretched between them.

  It was so quiet. The only noise Lilli heard was the occasional sound of a rooster crowing to tell some family it was time to start their day. Lilli wondered what they would think about all of the wonderful things available in the Land of Zen?

  Grandpa Shenanigan was everything Lilli had imagined, kind, intelligent, and very witty.

  He reacted just like a typical Grandpa when he saw his grandson, as he called him Toodles. He broke into a smile and hugged Toodles, then gave him a couple of soft whacks to the back of his head and reprimanded him for leaving without telling anyone. Then Grandpa’s interest quickly shifted to Lilli. Shenanigan introduced her without mentioning her name as “a friend that had come to his aid and now was there at Prince Oden’s request”. Then he shared most of the story about his adventure. Grandpa’s excitement grew with every new detail.

  When Shenanigan revealed his friend was from the Land Of Zen, Lilli had to laugh out loud. Grandpa jumped up and began to dance around. He could hardly believe it, the legend was true!

  They had been waiting for a Princess from Zen to free them from their three hundred year spell. Princess Ruth had promised it two hundred years ago, and then Princess Flora had reaffirmed it one hundred years ago. Now it was happening! They just had to wait for the arrival of the new Princess of Zen to make it come true.

  Grandpa was so happy he grabbed Lilli and started to swing her around so fast her ball cap flew off. Lilli’s long brown hair fell to her shoulders. Grandpa Shenanigan knew immediately, she was the special Princess of Zen. Their wait would soon be over!

  With her identity now exposed Lilli shared more of the story. Together Grandpa and Lilli began to fit all the pieces of this awesome puzzle together.

  Lilli removed her locket from her pocket, holding it gave her a sense of security and comfort. Grandpa excused himself and left the room, only to return very upset. Princess Ruth had left a gold key and now it was gone.

  A very nervous Shenanigan had to tell more of his story. The part where he had borrowed the key to go to Zen and had forgotten where he had hid it.

  Grandpa’s reaction was obvious, “Without the key, how did you get home?”

  Lilli showed him the locket, explaining it was a family heirloom. It first belonged to her Great, Great, Great, Great Aunt Princess Ruth and then to her Great, Great Grandmother Princess Flora, who had left it to her.

  Grandpa’s enthusiasm was apparent. He loved sharing stories and he had a great one to share with Lilli about her prized locket.

  Actually the locket was three hundred years old and originally belonged to Princess Kaylyn Of Zen. It had been a wedding gift from her husband to be, the Royal Prince of Montanzia. To show his love for his bride the Prince of Montanzia had carved two hearts from the center of the large solid handle of the key needed to enter the exiled kingdom. That gold was then used to make the locket for Princess Kaylyn. A small replica of the original key with additional powers was placed inside. The Prince was aware of his bride’s concern for the future generations, that were now needed to undo her spell. Hopefully it’s extra magic could help each Princess if there was ever a need.

  Grandpa ended his story, then quickly walked over to a large cabinet. Taking a key from around his neck he proceeded to unlock the top drawer. From the drawer he removed an envelope that was simply addressed to:

  The envelope had been entrusted to the care of the O’Toole dragons many centuries before by Princess Ruth.

  Grandpa knew in his heart that Lilli was the special Princess of Zen they had been waiting for.

  Lilli looked at the letter that she held in her hands. She had felt the same sense of amazement when she had found the letter written one hundred years ago by Flora.

  Now holding one addressed two hundred years before by Princess Ruth, she was so overwhelmed that tear drops fell onto the precious envelope. Lilli wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Then with trembling fingers carefully broke the seal and removed the letter.

  The letter told of a visit Ruth had received from an envoy from Montanzia. There had been a lot of tension between the two kingdoms and the visit raised a lot of questions and suspicions. The envoy explained he had been sent to deliver an inheritance to Princess Ruth, from the late Queen of Montanzia. His instructions mandated that he personally present the gift and a letter to the Princess of Zen in the spring of 1817, not before and no later than the first day of May.

  Many onlookers waited for Ruth to open her gift and read the letter. However Ruth returned to her own quarters to open her mysterious inheritance. She had been bequeathed a very beautiful locket and music box.

  The letter spoke of many of the things Lilli had already learned from Grandpa Shenanigan and Queen Flora.

  It also contained some new information. Princess Ruth explained Queen Kaylyn’s letter had been destroyed. However no one could destroy the words she had written. They were forever ingrained into Ruth’s memory.

  The letter had told of Queen Kaylyn’s sorrow of casting the spell for such a long period of time and how in her haste she had forgotten to provide a way to end it. After her wedding to the King of Montanzia, she and her new husband gathered the brightest wizards together to find a way to rework the spell. The best they could do was to create a magical entrance to be used by a series o
f Princesses to enter into the Land of Shenanigans once every one hundred years. It would be the responsibility of the third princess to end the spell and prevent it from becoming irreversible.

  Princess Ruth included a note with an apology, a for plea for help, and a thank you for any kindness that would be given.

  Even with all this new information from Princess Ruth, nowhere did it explain how Lilli was to end the spell, but it did give a date for completion of the spell’s reversal. That date was TOMORROW!

  Lilli, Grandpa, and Shenanigan sat in shocked silence, each understood the importance of this new information, but none had any idea as to what to do about it.

  Finally Lilli spoke her thoughts out loud. “No way AM I GOING TO FAIL. After all the efforts Princess Kaylyn, Aunt Ruth, and Grandmother Flora have made to get this close. I can not, I will not let them down! There has to be more, and I have to find it!” Lillian also realized something else.

  The answers to everything were hidden back at the castle in Zen. She had to get back to Zen immediately! Lilli had two very important things to do first. She thanked Grandpa Shenanigan for his help, then Lilli opened her back pack and removed a gift she had brought for Shenanigan. With shaking hands and a quivering voice she handed it to her friend Toodles. “Just in case this is goodbye, so you never forget our friendship.”

  Toodles opened the package and saw it’s contents, a carton of bubble gum and packages of Fig Newtons. Lilli listened to his loud sounds of laughter as she tightened her fingers around her locket, rubbed the key inside, and went home!

  Chapter 21

  Reunited!

  Lilli tried to relax. Thank goodness time stood still while she was in the Land of Shenanigans. She really needed a nap, but she was so overwhelmed she could not unwind. With all the new things she had learned during her trip, plus what she had already known was just too much. She was convinced if too many thoughts could melt your brain, hers would be running out her ears!

  Trying to get more comfortable Lilli plumped her pillow and gave it an extra punch in complete frustration and spoke out loud. “Those wizards could not have been very smart or they would not have expected me to end the spell. I’M JUST A KID!”

  Lilli thought about what she had just said. Suddenly she smiled, relaxed, placed her head on her pillow and went to sleep.

  Lilli awoke to the sound of trucks filled with tents and tables pulling up the long drive to the castle. She had been so preoccupied with her adventure, she had almost forgotten the Summer Festival. Most of today’s activities were scheduled for in the park. Those were the things Lilli thought of as boring. Tomorrow was the day for the children. Now that would be a fun day at the castle!

  She jumped out of bed with a renewed sense of confidence and determination. There was a lot to get done and she was just the Princess to do it!

  Princess rule: #11:

  A princess always believes in herself.

  Lilli called a meeting of the Royal Posse, with urgency in her voice she shared the details of her early morning trip.

  Princess Kaylyn was the first to speak, she wanted to be sure she had understood what she had heard. “ If a way is not found to end the spell, it will last forever, and it has to be done tomorrow?”

  Lilli shook her head and confirmed the terrible fact. “Yes, The Land Of Shenanigans had been waiting three hundred years for this “Special Princess” to end their big time out. Unfortunately, I am that princess and I do not have a clue about how it is to be done.” Lilli continued, “I am sure Ruth would have left instructions some where and I need all the help I could get to find them.”

  Prince Ryan mumbled to himself, “Well that’s a new knot in the string.” He and Prince Aidan sat quietly trying to grasp the meaning of this new twist in the puzzle.

  Lilli answered her own question as soon as it was uttered “Where would Ruth have hidden that message to insure it would last for hundreds of years?”

  The Royal Posse all answered in unison, “The Mural!”

  Prince Aidan even produced a magnifying glass to help in the search. In minutes several random words and sentences were found. Prince Ryan carefully made a list but none of their findings fit together. Until Princess Kaylyn spotted a heart in the same shape as the locket. The words written inside linked everything together. The Royal Posse danced around in joy. They had discovered the answer. They now had one problem solved but still had another. How to do it? The gold key Shenanigan had misplaced had to be found. It was a necessary part of undoing the spell.

  Lilli remembered the many times her parents, Grammy, and Miss Prudy had promised her they would always be there for her when needed and she certainly needed them now! Lilli knew it was time to put her trust in the adults in her life.

  The spell had stated no adult from Zen could enter The Land of Shenanigans, but it did not exclude them from helping.

  The Royal Posse made a plan, Princess Kaylyn, Prince Aidan, with help from Kammy, and Ethan would hunt for the key, while Lilli and Prince Ryan would share the story with Miss Prudy.

  Lilli gathered all of the evidence and information. Then they knocked on Miss Prudy’s door. By the time they left Miss Prudy was in! Miss Prudy had been dubious about the whole story until Lilli produced her camera and the “Selfies” she had taken with Toodles and Grandpa Shenanigan. Soon Miss Prudy was busy setting up a meeting to be attended by all the other Royals at dinner time. Lilli hoped that meeting would go as well as the one with Miss Prudy.

  Next was a visit with the Professor. When the meeting was over the Professor agreed to be there to help end the spell and to never again refer to that period of time as “Decades Of Legends”. Prince Ryan laughed at the look on the Professor’s face as Lilli showed him the pictures she had taken while in The Land Of Shenanigans.

  With that behind them, Lilli and Prince Ryan headed back down the hall to Lilli’s quarters.

  Princess Kaylyn, Prince Aidan, Kammy, and Ethan were already there, as the duo entered the room they held up the gold key! It had not been difficult to find, they just had to follow the trail of Fig Newton wrappers Shenanigan had left behind!

  Now all the pieces of the puzzle would soon be in place, with the assistance of family and friends her mission would be a success. The spell would be ended and The Land Of Shenanigans would be free. Lilli reacted in panic. Yes, everything on the Zen side was in place, but what about the other side? That worry was only a fleeting thought. No, that would not be a problem the O’Toole Dragons were aware of the importance of tomorrow and they would be ready for what ever was to come.

  Lilli stood and waited impatiently through all the protocol required to officially welcome home the King and Queen, then it was her turn. Lilli was glad to have time to talk to her parents privately before the scheduled dinner with the other Royals.

  All of the times Lilli had been promised their support she was not disappointed. If she said it was true, well it had too be true. They just needed to know what she wanted them to do and it was done. Lilli had never felt happier.

  The King, Queen, and all of the Royal Posse walked into the dinning hall together. The King explained the situation and made it clear that everyone in the room needed to be standing outside the castle, facing west towards the mountains and the Land of Shenanigans at noon tomorrow! With that out of the way Lilli sat down and enjoyed her dinner.

  It had been a long day catching up on events with her mother and father. Lilli sat on the edge of her bed and stifled a yawn. She laid her head down on her pillow and fell quickly to sleep, she knew tomorrow was going to be an exciting day.

  The next morning as Lilli and Miss Prudy walked down the hall Lilli skipped ahead and stopped to pay her respects at the portrait of Flora. As Miss Prudy caught up, Lilli mentioned how much she wished Ruth and Flora could know how close they were to ending the spell. With a glance at each other and without saying a word, they shared the same thought, had they just seen the locket in Flora’s hand move? Lilli and Miss Prudy continued on in
silence.

  The rest of the royal Posse was already in the carriage waiting for Lilli. She had wanted to join the parade of marchers and walk, but Mr. Coachman had shot down that idea. So their carriage was to lead the parade, followed by the high school band and then the costumed children.

  Well it was obvious “Toodles” had been a hit. Almost every child was dressed as a dragon of one type or another. Lilli laughed, “There can’t be another piece of green material left in the Kingdom.”

  As the four white horses pulled the carriage up the drive towards the castle, the Royal Posse could hardly contain their excitement. With all of the activities for children, it was going to be a fun day! But they all grew quiet when they remembered there was something more important that had to be done first.

  As the parade arrived at the castle Lilli could see everything was in place. Standing there on the large stage were all her favorite people, plus loud speakers, a microphone, the large screen she needed, and every royal in the kingdom.

  After stepping out of the carriage, Lilli walked up to the microphone. She introduced herself, and told her story. The words Lilli needed flashed across the screen. She asked for the help of the citizens of Zen, “If our words are powerful enough we can reunite our land with that of The Land of Shenanigans.”

  Lilli turned to face the mountains, rubbed her locket for luck, held the gold key up as high as possible and spoke the magic words! “I am the special princess of Zen, it is now high noon on the magical day in June, on the behalf of all the people of Zen, we raise our voices so loud that we make the mountains tremble. The Land of Shenanigans lives in peace so let our people reassemble. After three hundred years we hold this gold key up as a token and demand this spell now and forever be broken.”

  Lilli did not know what to expect, but she was sure it would be noisy and contain flashes of light. She closed her eyes and waited for it to happen, a few seconds passed but nothing changed. Princess Kaylyn sensing a problem, quickly grabbed her brothers hands and led them up on the stage. Lilli smiled, the Royal Posse was standing tall beside her.