The Honey & The Bee

Six: The Honey's Offer

The next day, Amy did all her work at the front desk by the door, waiting for Sonic to come by. He had claimed that he would show her the secret to his speed or something like that tomorrow. But as evening came, it didn't look like he was coming. Still, whatever he had said to her had left a spark of newfound hope, and she wasn't going to let anything douse it.

Several days had passed after that, and he still hadn't stepped foot in the shop, not even for a moment. Somewhat disheartened but not yet completely discouraged, she went back to doing the daily grind.

It wasn't until she came downstairs one morning, rubbing her eyes groggily, that Isrelda shoved a folded piece of paper in her face and she perked up. Amy first looked to the paper, then to Isrelda's face painted with mixed emotions.

"What's this?" Amy asked as she took it gently and unfolded it.

"It's a work order," Isrelda's words trembled slightly. "From the Queen."

"What?" The pink hedgehog spat as she read over the order, confirming that it was true. It was an order for a golden evening gown along with measurements written neatly at the side, and at the very bottom was the Queen's own signature that read 'Her Majesty Aleena.' The letter was addressed to Amy; not to the shop or to Ginevra -- to Amy. She could hardly believe what she was holding in her hands.

"Is this real? When did this happen?" She asked as she turned it over, looking for some kind of a sign that it had been forged somehow.

"Early this morning after Ginevra left to her meeting, two armed guards came to the door and told me to give this to you," Isrelda replied, seemingly still a bit shaken up. "They said to take your time making it and that as soon as you are done you must hand deliver it to the palace yourself."

Amy's jaw dropped, and likewise her heart sank. "D-Does Ginevra know?"

"No, and I plan on keeping it that way!" The old woman seemed to suddenly snap back into reality. "Do you have any idea what she'd do if she found out, child? Hide that away somewhere where they won't find it!"

Agreeing, Amy folded it back up carefully. Knowing Ginevra, she would no doubt either deliver it herself or try and send one of her ditzy daughters.

--

One full week later, the pink hedgehog found herself standing a few yards away from the castle gates, just staring as her heart raced violently within her chest. It didn't look as inviting as it did two weeks ago.. quite the contrary. There were not one, but three guards standing at the entrance, one on either side and one in the middle. She could see the guards walking along the balconies high up in the castle, doing their daily rounds. She would watch them do their thing as a small child sitting in the grass doodling on her sketchpad, but nowadays there were more, and they were more obviously armed now. Swords were displayed clearly on their hips and swayed with each stride and rifles were strapped to their backs.

Part of her wanted to run away, but the other part wanted to know why she was summoned. Yes, she did believe that she was summoned. The chances that the Queen herself wanted a dress from a lowly seamstress as herself so out of the blue was very low without the influence of her son, Sonic.

"Miss!" Came a deep voice that caused her to jump with a tiny yelp. One of the guards strode the few yards over to her, slamming the dull end of his spear down in the grass. "You have been standing there staring at the castle for twenty minutes. Is there something I can help you with?"

His condescending voice sounded much more cynical than his words did, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"I-I'm here for.. t-to.. My name is Amy, and I was asked to deliver a dress to the Queen." She finally forced herself to say after a moment of struggling.