A Daring Plan

A Daring Plan

Queen Natasha woke bright and early Sunday morning to the usual sounds of her parakeets chirping. She had large aviaries in the two main rooms of her private quarters which sat before large picture windows. The drapes were drawn back not long after the sun rose each morning. To her the voices, of the birds, which so often calmed her spirit and relaxed her, bespoke of life and freedom in her otherwise gloomy world where she herself felt caged in with no real options to do anything but play out the role she was born to play.

This morning, as was common on Sundays, Natasha had her breakfast in bed. She sat propped up against a huge mound of pillows enjoying the sounds of forty-some birds chirping and singing. She was thinking about faithful Susanne who had worked at the palace since Natasha was eight years old and Susanne herself only twenty. She arrived just a few days before Mirah.

Natasha had grown to love seeing Susanne enter a room, because so often she carried with her good things to eat. She served it with a smile and a twinkle in her eye that seemed to say, “I love making you happy,” unlike her mother who seemed to wear a painted smile on her pretty face while she spent her one hour each morning with her daughters and whose mind was almost always somewhere else. She almost never answered the girls' questions without being asked two or three times unless she was in one of her moods of being extremely proud of her daughters' beauty. At those times she would rattle on about how they made every other mother envy her and how they would grow up to be as powerful and envied as she.

Natasha had been especially uncomfortable when her mother was in one of those moods. She wanted her mother's approval but this made her feel unreal somehow, more like a lovely trophy of her mother's achievements than a beloved daughter.

I don't blame Natalie, she thought, for leaving to be w ith someone who really loved her. Susanne was always different. She was hired for her baking ability but Natasha knew, as she looked back, that Susanne had always had other abilities, some of which she might now put to good use. She smiled remembering a time when she was only eight years old and Natalie was ten.

Their mother was very angry with them for missing their first hour of studies and telling no one where they were. They had become so involved with a tea party with their dolls in the conservatory that they lost track of time. When Mr. Benson found them and escorted them to the library they began to cry, knowing they must face their mother's wrath.

Susanne saw their tears and heard their fear as she entered to bring the tutor a cold drink. With a sly smile she said, “I'll bet your mother would be very proud to see the drawings you did of her in art class yesterday. She would probably be quite flattered. Well, excuse me, my ladies. I'm on my way to see your mother now to serve her some of my new, extra delicious cookies.” With that she gave them a wink.

The girls looked at each other, understanding the message well, smiled happily and ran quickly to their rooms to fetch their art pads. They headed directly to their mother, who sat on her throne rapping her fingernails impatiently.

Susanne met them at the door, saying, “Perhaps I should go in first, girls. She doesn't like to be kept waiting.”

As soon as Queen Lucienda saw Susanne and smelled her treats, her mood softened a little.

“What is this, my dear Susann, that you bring your Queen on this irritating day?” she asked smiling.

“A treat for your palate, I hope, Your Majesty.”

“Here, here, your timing is perfect. I'm sure it is something wonderful!” She grabbed a cookie anxiously. With one bite, a roll of the eyes, and a deep sigh, she relaxed and settled herself comfortably.

“My dear, you have outdone yourself and just when I needed a little pampering.” She smiled. “Leave the whole tray.”

“Thank you,” Susanne said with a bow. “And if it please the Queen, there are two beautiful young princesses standing outside of the door who have drawn the most lovely portraits of their mother, as to surely make her abundantly proud. They are anxious to show Her Majesty.”

“Of me?” she asked, now looking delighted. “Why, of course. Of course! Send my darlings in!”

So Susanne sent the girls running excitedly to their mother, who had quite forgotten having been angry with them by the time they approached her with, “Mother! Mother! Look how beautiful we made you in art class yesterday! Aren't you just gorgeous?”

Seeing her daughters apparently so pleased at believing they had captured her beauty on paper touched the Queen. She was impressed with her daughters' abilities and what she thought was great pride and admiration for their mother.

When she finally sent them on their way her mood was greatly altered. She spoke of what wonderful and exceptional girls were her own. Natasha knew this was exactly what Susanne had anticipated. She had planned the whole thing to restore them to their mother's good graces, softening her mood with her cookies in preparation to receive them.

Susanne helped them many times with her wisdom, quick thinking and understanding heart. She had a way of not really appearing to be doing so at all.

She had this same skill when offering many innovative ideas for improvements in things about the palace that were great helps to the workers, for which the workers received commendation from the Queen. Natasha, though only a teenager at the time some of these things took place, noticedhow Susanne and her wisdom went without recognition, though she never seemed to mind. She was glad to help and happy to see others happy. She had a way of making others feel her ideas were really their own.

Natasha was glad now that Susanne was still on the palace staff. She decided it was high time she receive a little payback for her years of service and kindness. She would make good use of Susanne's wisdom and enjoy her pleasant company as well.

The Queen sent word to have Susanne come to her in her chambers as soon as she returned home. “I will see her alone,” she instructed, “and tell her not to change into her uniform but to come directly here. I want lunch for myself and Susanne served here as soon as she arrives.”

Natasha had formulated a plan that had her feeling like a teenager again. She was going to actually have some fun for the first time in a very long time thanks to Susanne.

It was nearly 1 o'clock before Susanne returned from worshiping with friends in an elderly couple's home. She hurried to the Queen's chambers, looking lively and joyful. It had been a long time since Natasha had seen Susanne after returning from worship. She had always wondered what went on there that put her in such high spirits.

“Well, Susanne, I'm glad you're finally here. I'm famished,” Natasha began. “ I ordered some lunch for us. I'll have it served right away, if that's all right with you.”

“Yes, that's fine. I'm hungry too.”

“You look like you've had a good morning, Susanne.”

“I really have. I love Sundays.”

“I remember. You always did. And I always wondered what you did that lifted your spirits so.”

“Oh, I wish you could come with me some time and see for yourself. Really, though, it's the Lord himself who lifts my spirit.”

Natasha only smiled, nodded and went on. “Well, sit down. I want to talk to you about an idea I have and ask you a question. I want to talk about having a good time for a change. It's not something I do very often anymore, since Natalie's been gone and I have to be Queen. But just suppose that you were going to the far eastern quarter on your own, for a visit - not business, mind you, and not on an errand for the Queen. What might you do just for the fun of it.?”

“Well, let me see. I hear they keep things much more according to Swedish tradition, passed down from your mother's father's ancestors, in that area. I think I would like to eat at one of the cafes. It might be fun to eat totally Swedish food and do a little shopping. I would probably just stroll around the shops, enjoy seeing how people live there and even spend the night in a local inn.”

“That sounds just right, Susanne. That is what we're going to do!” Natasha looked excited and eager. Susanne looked surprised.

“Life gets pretty routine and boring for me around here. We may have an unpleasant task to tend to in that area tomorrow, but it won't take all day. The whole day need not be misery. First we'll do some of the things you've mentioned, then visit the prison in early evening. We'll even spend the night at one of those inns. Who knows, Susanne, we may even find some interesting men. If there are to be kings on our throne at some point I must have a husband and male offspring, don't you think?”

The Queen smiled at Susanne, then laughed. Susanne looked totally shocked. She lifted her eyebrows, opened her mouth as if to speak but didn't know what to say.

“Oh, Susanne, don't let it bother you, that I would think like this. Iam a woman, you know.”

“Of course you are. I just never pictured you out walking around looking for men,” Susanne said with a chuckle.

“When it comes to men, I'm more interested in strength of character than class,” Natasha said. “The right class meant everything to my mother, but there's not a man worth looking at among the upper crust. They're hardly men at all, spoiled, arrogant, selfish, and disgustingly weak. That about sums them up. But if among my loyal subjects there should be a man of strength and courage who knows how to think beyond himself, he may well be worth knowing. Anyway I hardly ever meet anyone closed up in this place. The kindest and strongest man I know right now is my own bodyguard. He is something!”

“May I speak freely?”

“Of course. There's only friends here. That's why I'm so open with you now.”

“Okay, then. Natasha, how are you to know what a man is really like? In the presence of the Queen people often withdraw, become quite formal and quiet, or even put on airs.”

“That will be the fun part. I haven't had real fun in so long! Tomorrow no one who sees me will even know I am the Queen. I want you to help me by picking out some new clothes for me. After we're a good distance from the palace grounds tomorrow, I will change into the common dress of the people and disguise myself. I'll have two of my best guards change also and accompany us, posing as brothers. What do you think?”

“I think my Queen is daring. She reminds me of a lively teenage princess I once knew. I also think it sounds like a workable plan- a fun one. We should do it.”

The two ladies smiled a mischievous smile at each other and Natasha said, “Ah hah! Then it's settled. We will do it!”

“Will your guards be able to pull off such an act?”

“I know two, my closest, who will be quite good at it and will enjoy the adventure if I'm not mistaken.”

Susanne laughed, shaking her head.“It's been a long time since I've seen this side of you. I think this will be good for you. We'll feel like private detectives or something. But you must not forget yourself either when you are speaking to your guards.”

Natasha was laughing too. “Oh, I will be careful. This will be a good diversion from the gloomy work of everyday life and much better than visiting a prison camp. It's time I had some fun and have it I will. With your help I know we can pull it off.”

“I definitely will help. I do think it's a good idea, Natasha. My, my, what will happen next?”

This time it was Natasha who hugged Susanne. “Oooo, it's so good to hear my name again! And so good to have a friend to share with! I feel quite young all of a sudden!”

Susanne smiled and said, “Speaking of friendship, I got something the other day as a token of ours. You don't really have to wear it, of course, if you would rather not. I mean, it's not terribly expensive. But I got one for both of us.” She handed the small ring box to the Queen and opened her own.

As she opened it, Natasha's eyes grew large and she looked first at hers, then at Susanne's. “Friendship rings,” Susanne said, “a token...”

“Oh my!” Natasha cut in, “how absolutely perfect! I'll wear it always! Thank you so...” But she had to stop. She couldn't speak for a minute.

“Good,” Susanne said. “I'm glad you like the idea.”

Natasha swallowed hard and nodded.

“I can hardly believe you thought of such a thing. But it's so like my precious Susanne. You have always been so very thoughtful.”

Susanne put her ring on then suggested, “Maybe we should eat before we pass out from lack of nutrition. What do you think?”

“I think you are right. Then after we eat and you have a rest, would you mind doing a little secret shopping for me for some street clothes? I really cannot ask anyone else.”

Susanne was glad to see her Queen so enthusiastic about something for a change and looking so youthful. “Certainly, and after I pick them out I'll bring them here for you to try on, see how they fit and how you like them.”

Natasha was lively and excited as the two ladies ate their lunch and chatted. She was looking forward to her adventure.

Susanne was glad to have this time with her. However, it would mean a longer day tomorrow, a longer time before she would see David, the only man she was interested in seeing herself.

Well, she thought, I'll be so busy that time should pass swiftly. This is something Natasha needs and I want to be there for her. I'll just have to stay focused on what is at hand and do my best in the situation.

The rest of the afternoon was busy with preparations. The whole affair was rather a thing of amazement to Susanne.

I don't know what it is, she thought, but God is surely up to something.