Heather, Feather, & Kumquat and the Treasure of a Teachable Heart

Long ago and far away, in a forest deep with golds and greens,
There lay unseen by human eyes, the village of a hedgehog king.
In its midst, atop a knoll, velvet-carpeted with moss,
His castle’s ancient turrets rose, and from them Hedgric’s banner tossed…

Feather laid her journal aside, and turned out the bedside lamp.
“God bless Mummy, and Daddy, and Kumquat, and Feather, and Cook, and the guardsmen, and…” The list grew long, and she drifted off to sleep with, “And please keep Daddy and Mummy safe on their trip, and let us have fun with the cousins and Auntie Maya…” still on her lips.

Heather, Feather, and Kumquat, three little hedgehog princesses, were born chubby and rosy, all on the same day, and in that order. And while they were triplets, they were as distinctly different in personality as they were in appearance.

Dark-haired, fair-skinned Heather was the studious one. She was serious for the most part, though she had a disarming wit which could take you quite by surprise.
(Unfortunately, her amusement was often at the expense of others!)

Red-haired Feather was one tough little cookie. She was the practical joker of the three, with a temper like a firecracker on a short fuse. But for all that, she had a heart of gold, and accepted correction with humility, if she believed it was fair.

Ah, and then there was Kumquat, the youngest by four minutes. What can one say? She was azure-eyed, blond, bubbly, and sweet (for the most part…), though she was not above resorting to tears on occasion, on the off chance they might turn the tide of opinion to her advantage.

On the day of their birth, the kingdom rejoiced. And this was their refrain:

Born this day, princesses three.
May they ever joyous be!
Pure of heart, gain wisdom’s key,
Discerning Truths that come from Thee!

To mark the occasion, the King and Queen knelt, in turn, by the cradle of each tiny princess, and having placed above each canopy, a crown set with a royal gemstone, prayed a blessing over her.

But the girls grew up quickly, as children seem in the habit of doing. One day, just fed, they will nestle down peacefully in the crook of your arm, and the next, they’re fretting over fashion and footwear. For months, daylight to dark, you can’t pry them apart with a crowbar, then, in one blink of an eye, they’re never speaking to each other, ever again!

It had come to that, just as Dad and Mom were finalizing plans for a trip – part work, part much-needed vacation - long postponed. For once, putting it off was not an option.

Queen Cassia re-checked her “To Do” list, then checked it again, at last assuring herself that all was now as planned and organized as was humanly (or hedgehog-ily) possible. Hedgric’s sister, Princess Maya, had agreed to take on the job of chaperone – God bless her! With three boys of her own to manage, she was going to have her hands full!

This was progress.

What all began ages ago, had resulted in a family falling-out. At the sudden loss of his parents, young Hedgric, scarcely more than a teen, was immediately crowned king. He was also appointed guardian to his sister Maya, though she was only two years his junior, and would soon come of marriageable age. It was about this same time, she found herself particularly attracted to one young officer of the Palace Guard. And as it seemed his feelings were mutual, she thought it reasonable to bring up the subject of courtship to her brother.

At first, Hedgric could offer no objection, and agreed to have the young lieutenant interviewed. But the community of the Guard is a tight-knit one, and word soon got out. In hindsight, it was certainly questionable how, shortly after, it came to the King’s attention that the would-be suitor might be attempting to cover up something of a sinister nature in his past. And while these insinuations could not be confirmed as fact, word had come from a trusted advisor; thus, the cloud of suspicion remained.

Maya was deeply hurt and furious with her brother! Her young officer had denied the accusations outright, and she took him at his word. Hedgric was not so readily swayed. Meanwhile, he had found an interest of his own, in the person of a visiting princess named Cassia. So even as much as he truly loved his sister and wished her
every happiness, he didn’t have to look far for excuses to delay Maya’s requests.
It was not his finest hour. The least matters turned to bitter confrontations, and all of them led back to this one thing. Maya had had enough! She was of age, and she would marry whomever she pleased. And if he would still have her, it would be
her lieutenant! And marry him she did!