“Dear family members,” began Theanore on her stage, right next to Crassus’ house. “I have done a bad thing and have landed on the bad list, probably.”

Gasps and oh’s came from the gathered children. The youngest among them teared up, thinking they would be punished because of the transgression of their ruler.

“But I have until midnight to fix my mistake! So, I ask for your moral support and quick hands…”

“Typical politician,” said a girl loudly. “Makes a mess, and we have to clean it.”

Some children nodded, and a murmur of agreement spread through the gathered crowd.

“You don’t have to help if you don’t want to,” said Theanore, voice wavering. “But I’d appreciate it. Everyone who wants to help stay and those of you who don’t want to help go and enjoy Yule.”

Many children left. Only a handful of toddlers remained and Elmar, Dereck and Diana. Theanore jumped off the stage and into the snow and went to the group.

“Thank you for staying. You are the best. Mari is in the grotto making cookies. We will send all the people in the kingdom a bag. The worker elves agreed to help too.”

“Cookies, Theanore? Cookies won’t get you back on the good list,” said Dereck, and all the children looked at him with matching frowns on their faces. “It is true. Don’t look at me that way.”

“What do you propose then, brother?” Asked Diana, and Dereck gave it a thought.

“Maybe a hot meal or a loaf of bread with the cookies?” Said Dereck. “I know that there will be plenty of people who would appreciate having a full belly on Yule.”

“Even that won’t cut it,” said Diana. “How about food deliveries and jobs for the poor? Free accommodation for the homeless?”

“And flowers for everyone! Di, she can’t fix the lives of everyone,” said Dereck and Diana sighed.

“Not just everyone, just the poorest of her citizens,” said Diana, and Theanore clapped her hands.

“If I make sure they have a place to stay and a job and a hot meal, then they would be happy. I’ll write a decree saying that everyone who lives in a ghetto gets these things,” said Theanore, and she rushed to her house.

She took a piece of paper and a quill, and she began to write, dipping the quill in the ink pot every so often.

Dear citizens,

I want everyone to be happy, so I write this decree:

Decree:

I, Theanore, the nymph. First of my name. Princess of the nation of the forest of fireflies and the surrounding villages and Mirstone, do hereby decree:

From now on, everyone who lives in a ghetto will be given a new home, a mandatory job and a hot meal three times per day, every day until his income becomes 1000 gold coins per month. Then he will pay back for the home in small installments of 10 gold coins per month until the value of the home is paid in full.

I hope this Yule, the day of giving, you see fit to share this good fortune with those closest to you. For now, the accommodation will be the old orphanage building in Mirstone, but come tomorrow Mirstone will be expanded.

Upon request, the villages will be expanded too. If the recipients of this program have no skill, then he or she should fill in a form (form provided with the decree) and an apprenticeship will be arranged.

Marry Yule and Happy New Year.

Formular for apprenticeship:

Name:

Age:

Date of birth:

Desired occupation:

Previous working experience:

Say something nice:

Cover letter. (To be included separately from the form.)

With this done, Theanore went to the printing press she had and began printing and sending off the new decree and forms. She didn’t know the addresses of all her citizens, so she sent them to every human she could.

Then she figured she might have worker elves in need of such social help too, and she began to send the decree to them too. By noon her crystal ball told her she had sent her decree to everyone, and she went to the kitchen in the grotto where everyone was hard at work.

She took a cookie cutter and began to cut the dough. The grotto smelled of vanilla and sugar, and there was fish marinating in buckets in the corner of the kitchen.

But they needed to make their own meal too. For them and the rest of the inhabitants of the grotto. That was why Marinus ordered the worker elves to go outside by the cooking pit. He spent all his mana on silver longtails, as they were the best mana to meat ratio of all the fish he knew.

By nightfall the food was done and what needed to be sent was sent. All children went outside to wait for grandpa Thinker to come and give them their presents. There were already plenty underneath all the fir trees, but the children knew that those were from Crassus, Claudia and Esmer. They wanted true Yule presents.

Bell chimes were heard, and the children looked as grandpa Thinker came with a sled that was tugged by deer. He had many presents in the back, but grandma Thinker was not with him.

“Oh? Everyone is out and about and there are presents underneath decorated trees. Yet, you wait for good old me?” He said, as the deer landed, and the children crowded him.

A girl with a baby in her hands tugged at grandpa Thinker’s sleeve.

“Grandpa Thinker, I don’t need a present. Can you give two to my sister? She needs a new blanket and new shoes,” she said, and grandpa Thinker’s eyes softened.

“She will get them, but you will get your present too. Now, everyone, get in line. The youngest first, the oldest last,” said grandpa Thinker, and he handed a package to the girl, and then he rummaged and handed her another.

“That is the dress you wanted just last year. Grandpa Thinker remembers everything dear,” he said, and the girl went to the side with her present and the present for her sister.

Theanore was with the other two-year-old children, while Marinus was with the five-year-old ones. When Theanore’s turn came, she approached uncertainty.

“Hi. I did something bad last night,” admitted the girl, looking at her feet.

“I know, little lady. What were you thinking, adventuring in the dark?” Scolded grandpa Thinker.

“I’m sorry,” said Theanore, and she prepared herself for the coal.

“But I also read your decree. You did good too. Today, there will be countless well-fed people. And you made sure that there are cookies for everyone and bread for the needy.”

“Not me, grandpa Thinker. That was Marinus’ doing,” said Theanore.

“Well, here is your present. It is something that will always help you. A magical mirror. It will always show you the true character of those around you. Gold is for kindness. Red is for warmth. Green is for greed. Blue is for sadness. And black is for badness.”

Theanore undid the package and pointed the mirror at grandpa Thinker. He was gold with red flakes. She smiled at him and went to the side. Many more children took their gifts, and then it was Marinus’ turn. He approached with far bigger confidence than Theanore.

“Hi. I fixed my mistake too,” said Marinus, and grandpa Thinker nodded. He passed him a package and Marinus opened it. He had two bracelets, and he looked at grandpa Thinker, quizzing.

“With this you can heal. Do you want to be an adventurer? If Theanore gets hurt, then put on one of the bracelets on her wrist and the other on yours, and she will be right as rain. You will pay for the healing with mana.”

“Thank you, grandpa Thinker,” said Marinus, and he too stepped aside as some children were murmuring that he was holding up the line.

Then, after an hour, it was Dereck’s turn. He expected coal, like every year, but instead he got a book.

“The life of a locksmith?” Asked Dereck, and grandpa Thinker winked at him.

“A guide for the aspiring rogue,” said grandpa Thinker, and Dereck smiled gratefully. Then Diana stepped forward, and she was given a cape. She put it on and she disappeared.

“An invisibility cape!” She exclaimed, delighted.

“All the better to snipe your targets while staying safe, lady mage,” said grandpa Thinker, and then it was Elmar’s turn.

“Your friend is quite dark. My offer for the adoption still stands. Here is a staff. It will let you heal anyone, even those on the brink of death. Use it wisely,” said grandpa Thinker, handing Elmar the wrapped staff. Elmar thanked him and the rest of the children received their presents.

As parting, grandpa Thinker retold them the story of Zippy the elf and the sun colored the skies bright orange. Everyone was in a good mode, bar Elmar. Now that Yule was behind them, he had to leave.

End of book two.

Synopses for book three:

Theanore rules with a gentle heart, but no one has forgotten that her territory was once a part of the Empire. Even with the love of her citizens, she may yet lose everything. Will she manage to keep her independence? Or will the Emperor reclaim his lost land?

Meanwhile, Elmar goes towards his destiny. His quest is to bring Persephone to Hades and make sure they can exit the dream world at will. Not an easy task.