"Nicole be careful!" Clara said to the young princess who was insisting on balancing on the edge of the fountain in the royal garden. "I'm careful." Nicole said before she toppled over in the fountain. "See I told you that was a bad idea." Clara said in an I-told-you-so voice. Nicole glared at Clara and tried to splash water on her. "Hey!" Clara giggled. 

Nicole jumped out of the fountain and decided to make a run for it. "You'll never catch me!" Nicole shouted. "I doubt that I won't."Clara said as she ran after Nicole.

"Miss Clara and Miss Nicole what on Earth are you doing?" The butler, Buford asked. Nicole stopped dead in her tracks (it was more of a skid) and her face turned a pale pink from embarrassment. "I well.. um... heh.. I was.." Nicole mumbled. 

"We were playing around in the garden." Clara said when she caught up to Nicole.

"Playing! Nicole you are a princess-" Nicole dropped her head to the ground "and Clara. You should know better." Buford scolded. "Sometimes adults have to play too." Nicole said defensively. "Nicole's right Buford you should know this." Clara said while Nicole chocked back tears. It was normal for Nicole to cry when she got in trouble for fear of being thrown in the dungeon. Her father King Alexander the third was very stern and it seamed likely that he would do that.

Nicole sighed and pushed past Buford and slumped to her room. a few tears managing to fall on her cheeks. Clara gave Buford a glare and stiffly walked past him. That was one of the things Clara hated. Discouraging Nicole. While most of the times Nicole managed to get in trouble without crying there were a few times she did. Every now and then Nicole was caught crying over the times she did get in trouble.

"I was trying to help her you know." Buford called after her but Clara dismissed it. "You should stop calling her out on the times she does slip up you know." Clara said with an air of finality about the matter and sped off down the hallway.

(to be continued)

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 Evil cliffhanger I know. I really couldn't think of anything else to put so I just made it a two parter. If I get enough suggestions I'll make a part 2. Don't forget any suggestions you might have for Clara's echos. -Winter