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"Do you know what you're here for?"
B'Elanna and Tom looked at each other, amused. Their expressions gave them away, but they weren't worried. Tom took a moment to look around the room and take in the layout of table, mugs, and platters. Everything was flawlessly arranged for welcoming three people in total.
Miral stepped in front of her parents and sat down opposite where they stood. It took some maneuvering, but eventually Tom and B'Elanna both managed to wedge themselves under the low plastic table in the short chairs.
"Now," Miral stopped speaking to place the shiny plastic tiara on her head, wedging it firmly in place between the ears of her targ costume-turned-pajamas from overuse. "Since I'm the princess, I get to make all the rules." She smoothed out the fluffy skirt on her legs like how she imagined a princess would, taking extra time to make the soft material fall just right over her pajamas.
Tom opened his mouth to protest, but B'Elanna's elbow in his ribs silenced anything he could have said. While her daughter was distracted, B'Elanna shot her husband a look and whispered almost silently, trusting him to know what she meant mostly by her expression, "Give her some time to adjust first."
"Of course, Princess Miral," B'Elanna bowed her head softly to her daughter as she spoke, getting her attention. The whole game intrigued her. She wanted to know how it would play out under Miral's imagination. "What would you like us to do?"
"Um," Miral looked down at the table in front of her, forgetting what it was she needed to do at a tea party. Her dad said all they needed was cups and platters and their big goofy brains. She started bunching up her skirt in her fists without realizing.
B'Elanna looked over at Tom for a save as she saw the discomfort their daughter clearly displayed. They'd found that striking a balance between pushing her and letting her come to them for help worked best. It was when to push vs when to let her come to them that still stumped B'Elanna at times. When they strayed into playing to what Tom always pictured a daughter doing, that uncertainty tended to occur more often then not. Playing tea party would have been completely foreign to B'Elanna if Tom hadn't explained it a little before they walked in.
"How about some tea, milady?" Tom held the purple plastic teapot out. Miral looked at him for only a moment before breaking into a beaming smile.
"Perfect, Daddy!" She stopped her overexcitement skillfully and tempered her smile with grace. "I mean, Sir Knight Daddy." Sir Knight Daddy poured the imaginary tea from the teapot into Princess Miral's tea cup.
He turned to Lady Mommy and gestured with the teapot invitingly, "And for you, Lady Mommy? Tea?"
Lady Mommy exuded her best royal air with her answer, "Thank you, Sir Knight Daddy." Sir Knight Daddy poured for himself last and set the tea pot in the center of the table.
"Sugar next," Princess Miral suggested. She picked up the small serving spoon and pretended to scoop out a spoon of sugar. She looked at Lady Mommy expectantly, plastic spoon and sugar bowl in either pudgy hand.
Lady Mommy debated silently, math lesson or social lesson? "Ten spoons, if you would be so kind, Princess Miral."
Princess Miral giggled as she counted out the unrealistic amount of sugar. She lost count half-way through because of her giggles and had to start over. Lady Mommy, in actuality, ended up with fourteen spoons of imaginary sugar in her imaginary tea.
Princess Miral turned next to Sir Knight Daddy.
"Two spoons, please, Princess Miral." She nodded seriously before daintily counting two spoons of sugar into Sir Knight Daddy's cup. She added one spoon to her own tea cup, more out of impatience to play then out of a desire for only one sugar spoon. After sitting back down and adjusting her skirt, she called their meeting to order.
"Thank you, Sir Knight Daddy and Lady Mommy for coming to my tea party." Princess Miral picked up her tea cup and pretended to sip out of it without touching the plastic to her lips. "I wanted to ask you if you would...would..." Princess Miral's eyes drifted as she lost track of what she wanted to say. Sir Knight Daddy and Lady Mommy looked at her expectantly. It made her nervous. Sir Knight Daddy smiled. Lady Mommy nodded over her tea cup. Princess Miral took another sip from her tea cup. Forgetting for a moment that they were playing pretend, she accidentally touched the plastic to her lips.
Princess Miral set the cup down quickly and glanced at Sir Knight Daddy and Lady Mommy. They didn't seem to notice her mistake. She straightened and took a breath, "Princess Miral demands you serve her house." It came out stronger than anyone expected it to given how nervous she'd been a moment before.
Lady Mommy took a sip of her imaginary tea. "How do we know your house is a house worthy to serve?"
Miral eyed Mommy, confused. They were all the same house. Why wouldn't Mommy want—. Princess Miral smiled. "My house is the worthiest house anyone could ever serve." She didn't notice, but Sir Knight Daddy's lip quirked up into a smile. Behind her cup, Lady Mommy's did as well.
"You make an excellent point," Sir Knight Daddy led, "and excellent tea." Princess Miral giggled. Sir Knight Daddy turned to Lady Mommy. "What do you think, Lady Mommy? Should we accept?"
"I'd like to propose a condition on our acceptance."
"What condition?" Princess Miral asked.
"Do you like tea parties, Princess?" Lady Mommy asked.
Princess Miral nodded.
"Then I propose a taller table." Lady Mommy drew out her legs with difficulty. "My legs feel asleep. How are you, Sir Knight Daddy?" He was laughing, as was Princess Miral.
"I can't feel a thing. We should probably move."