The Queen's Dream
By Lonelyrider

Over the years since the kidnapping of their four children by a desperate queen lonely for motherhood, the LightningSwords have since befriended her, & now offer her a chance at what she's been pining for.

Story Highlights:
Friendship
Forgiveness
Mercy
Humans
Angel
Mule
Orphanage
Manor
Royalty
Gentility
Adoption

All of the children piled against the manor's big windows, including James' & Lonely's four.
"Dad, Melissa is here!" James's oldest son Bruce cried excitedly. The children loved their parents' close friend; the queen of a distant & cold kingdom, whom always brought them goodies each time she visited their parents.
"Excellent, I'm so glad the roads were clear for her. Luke good man, please serve tea." James tossed Luke a gold coin, and the butler bowed.
"Nilgiri, sir, with assorted sandwiches?" Luke checked.
"That sounds grand, thank you, Luke. Ahhh, Queen ColdBlood, Missy, welcome, welcome my dear. Sweetheart! Missy is here! Oh, hey there kids! Easy now, let's be polite to Queen Missy, one at a time, now." James chuckled good-naturedly, as the many children clamored for treats at his friend, who laughed happily and threw bags of goodies to the babes, who lunged at them like dogs with bones. James winced.
"Oooh, my apologies, my dear. We're trying to break them of that habit and let them know there's plenty for them here, but they're having trouble believing it, poor dears. Come now, come sit. We're delighted to have you. Ahh, there she is, my beautiful wife." James kissed Lonely's hand and then her head as she curtsied with a polite bow of her head in greeting to her husband and their royal friend. James, Lonely and Melissa feasted on the fine black tea with cream and sugar and the many tiny sandwiches their chef had prepared for tea time. Lonely and James' four children, much better behaved than the orphans, shyly approached hoping for goodies, bowing and curtsying before the queen, who smiled lovingly at them all in her rich fur robe.
"My dears, hello. For you, and you, and you, and of course, you." Missy gave each child an extra large sack stuffed with fine candies and toys, and the couple's children all thanked her politely and ran off in excitement to play and munch, but not before giving and getting big hugs and kisses from their loving parents. James smiled tenderly as did Lonely as she sipped her tea with fond looks at her husband and friend.
"The kids just love when you visit. Missy...I've talked to my sweetheart, and she's agreed with my idea. Oh...well, I'm getting ahead of myself with gusto, forgive me. First, did you see the article my girlfriend did on Lonely? Isn't it divine? We had it framed in my library." James puffed out his burly chest proudly, his wings splayed with the same emotion. Lonely smiled and blushed with her head turned, enjoying her husband's praise.
"It was a lovely article indeed, I subscribed to Miss BrownFeather's paper just so I could follow her works. You also were spoken highly of, I read." Missy teased, sipping her tea.
"Oh, isn't it so accurate though, about Jamesy? It truly was splendid. Missy, was your ride here okay?" Lonely asked politely, as all three of them nodded and touched hands on the table as the couple's four kids played with the orphans in the background on the rug. James blushed and grinned at his wife, pleased with her attention & compliments.
"It was my dear, thank you. Very few bumps."
"Good, excellent. Ahh...now, to my, my thought, good Missy. Lonely & I were wondering if you would be interested in adopting a child or children from us? We have so many good kids upstairs in need of happy homes, and we know you'd provide an excellent one. We meant to ask you sooner, we've just been so caught up in all the fanfare lately. Would that interest you?" James asked, gently stroking his wife's hand & Melissa's; both women gazed at him fondly and rubbed his hand back. Missy stood up fast, all aflutter.
"Oh..truly? May I? You would do that for me, after what I did to you?" Melissa burst into tears and James pulled her into a comforting hug as Lonely joined them from the back, both man and wife comforting her with kind words.
"Now, now, my dear. We forgave you long ago, before we even met you. How much pain you must have been in." James soothed, rubbing Missy's back. Lonely gave the pretty human lady a kiss on the cheek of comfort, then rushed upstairs happily, holding her ruffled skirts so as not to trip, and she went into the bustling orphans' nursery, which was a huge room with many bunks and toys and gaily decorated.
"Hi Lady LightningSword." Some of the more polite orphans greeted. Lonely gave them all her signature kind-hearted smile.
"Hello my pets! If anyone is interested in living with a real life queen, our dear friend is wishing to adopt some children. Would any of you like to meet her and ask her questions? You may go home with her today if you so wish to." Lonely offered. A few excited kids came forward, and Lonely placed her hands on their shoulders and escorted them gently down to where an emotional Missy sat beside Lonely's husband, who looked proud again, pleased to watch the unfolding circumstance. The couple stood back politely as Missy got to know each child. A few of the kids decided the novelty had worn off and ran back upstairs to play, but a twin brother and sister with fair hair seemed to be getting along well with the queen, and after some time, the three of them approached the husband and wife, who watched with misty eyes.
"James..Lonely...my dear friends. Michael & Sylvia here have decided they want to come home with me." Missy was sniffling, too happy to find the words. Lonely bent down and hugged and kissed each child.
"We will miss you both so much! You shall be a fine prince and princess, both of you. Write to us, and let us know if you ever need anything at all." Lonely gushed to the children adoringly.
"I'll pack their things, madam." Francine the maid said, overhearing, and James thanked her and tossed her a gold coin. Next he knelt by his wife. He took each kid's hand in his much larger ones. His voice was hoarse with sentimentality.
"We know this special lady real well, and we're letting you go home with her cause we know she's nice and will give you both a good life. We have loved being your home, you're both such good kids! Kisses and hugs. Like Lonely said, write to us, okay? We love you." James smooched the kids on the cheek and hugged them, as did his wife, and the three loving adults gave the twins time to say farewell to the other orphans and their own brood as Francine brought the luggage and James politely hefted it for her, tying it atop Missy's royal coach as her driver watered the many horses up front of it. Tears falling, Lonely sniffled and kissed each twin's head as they hugged her, and falling in beside the queen, they walked past James assisting the queen's tiger groom with the luggage atop the coach and closed the door. James finished and the tiger took up his position as did the coachman, and James and all the kids came out and waved as James stood by and held his wife as she waved with a teary hankerchief and the kids and Melissa waved back and called to them as their swift coach pulled away at a canter leaving the tearful waving couple and their many children & manor behind them.
The twins would find they had chosen well, and would be happy for the rest of their lives as Queen ColdBlood's beloved children and heirs to her throne. So the two would write to James, Lonely and the children's delight.






Photography credits & thanks to:
https://unsplash.com/photos/photo-o.....es-_L3v4obPNhM