She was the queen of this land.

Erika, formerly a toiling seamstress with a dream of being a singer, was now Queen of Dulcinia. She had found her true love in King Dominick only three years before.

It had come as quite a surprise that instead of the Princess Anneliese of Kattenland, to whom he had been engaged, the King had married a mere pauper, as his Ambassador called her. The Ambassador was altogether not pleased with the whole situation.

The singer queen stood on the balcony of her room, looking down at the beautiful valley kingdom of Dulcinia. It was quite lovely, with running streams and fruit trees that one could not hope to find on the mountaintop where Kattenland lay.

Still, Erika missed Kattenland. She missed the view one could see from the old window at Madam Carpe's Dress Shop. Even though she had longed all her life to get out of that place, it had been a beautiful view. One could see the whole world from that window. Here in the Dulcinian palace, she could see only her kingdom and the mountain where Kattenland sat in the distance.

Erika's cat, Wolfie, who continued his doggish ways, was sometimes here, but sometimes there. He and Serafina, Anneliese's beautiful white cat, had about – was it twenty kittens now? They were everywhere.

Erika missed the cat family when they were in Kattenland.

Downstairs, in the palace's yellow throne room with a fountain in the middle, King Dominick's Ambassador, Bismarck, didn't notice Erika's entrance as he paced. If he had, he would have given an obviously reluctant bow. That was the only other problem with Erika's queenly life. Apart from his obvious disdain for her and the longing for Kattenland, life was just about perfect.

She didn't want to have to talk to him. But if she was going to go to Kattenland, he would have to let her go.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Bismarck turned. He bowed his head briefly without saying a word.

"I would like to go to Kattenland, please."

He sighed. "Very well. Miss Bertie?"

Bertie was the seamstress Erika had worked alongside at Madam Carpe's. She was now Erika's lady-in-waiting.

"Come along, Your Majesty," she said, smiling, as she held out her hand to Erika.

She wondered what Princess Anneliese would think of her. When they had last seen each other, she and Dominick had said their goodbyes to Anneliese and her husband, Julian. Then, they had departed for Dulcinia and the princess and her consort went back to Kattenland.

She still hadn't kicked the habit of wearing ordinary clothes by then, but now, with her elegant purple queen gown and her golden crown, she wouldn't be the same Erika anymore. She would be a queen to Anneliese, a political figure.

With a sigh, Erika allowed Bertie to guide her out of the carriage.

The Princess Anneliese Kendall Katten was by no means Queen of Kattenland yet. Her mother, Genevieve, still reigned, but as she was getting older, Anneliese and Julian often helped her out.

The princess and her consort now had a daughter, who had only recently entered the world. The two-week-old girl, who resembled her father in most respects except for the fact that she shared Anneliese's sky-blue eyes, turned in her cradle and looked out the window. Below it, she saw what looked very much like her mother, almost exactly. For a second she thought Anneliese had gone outside until the princess picked her daughter up and proceeded to walk downstairs to meet her guest.

"Erika! You're back!"

Princess Anneliese's face was bright with joy.

"Hello, Bertie," she said, giving a quick curtsy.

Erika's mouth curled into a smile. Anneliese wasn't treating her like a queen at all! She was the same old Erika!

She had opened her arms wide to embrace the princess when she saw the baby in her arms.

"Who is this?" Erika asked joyfully.

"Oh!" Anneliese giggled. "I just sent a letter to you about her. This is my new daughter. Her name is Misha Anne Katten."

Misha Anne Katten seemed to quizzically regard Erika.

"She thinks I'm you," Erika said.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I missed Kattenland especially today, and the cats are over here. I just wanted to see you and Julian, and Wolfie too."

Up in the newest room in the castle, which had a huge window overlooking the whole kingdom, and by extension, the whole world as they knew it, Princess Misha lay in her blue cradle lined with silk. Beside her, Erika kneeled, singing her favorite song to the little princess.

"Though you may not know where your gifts may lead

And it may not show at the start

When you live your dream you'll find destiny

Is written in your heart"

Misha soon closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"An envoy from Dulcinia once came here," Julian said. "He told me of how the people revered their songbird queen."

Erika laughed.

"I was also told that they didn't like King Dominick's ambassador very well. I heard he doesn't like you that much."

"He doesn't," agreed Erika. "He thinks it was foolish of Dominick to marry me, and I must say, honestly, if he weren't around, I might not be longing all the time for Kattenland."