happilyeverbeginning | And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon... (scrooge and minnie)

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And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon... (scrooge and minnie)

It wasn't as if Minnie had intentionally gone through with this with the idea she'd do it alone, but after the first couple of people she asked for help seemed appalled and aghast at the very notion of what she was doing, she gave up and decided she'd go at it herself.

Although, to be fair, months ago she would have been appalled and aghast herself at the notion. Giving away things from the castle? It was unheard of. But that had definitely been Scrooge McDuck's influence, which not everyone approved of. One of the things Minnie had learned from him was the usefulness, and connected to it the uselessness, of certain material items. If she didn't need them, nor did any of the servants, why not hand it to someone less fortunate? (At least Scrooge had finally convinced her to stop calling them "commoners". Now that had been a struggle.)

It was a lovely day outside, so instead of being cooped up, Minnie brought the - rather heavy - trunk outside to rifle and check through, with paper and ink quill in hand. All employees of the palace were free to come and go in her gardens, so she wouldn't have minded any company.

Currently, she was finishing folding away some very unique, and sparkly, dresses that she could tell would never fit her. "Mm-hmm." She said out loud, jotting something down. "Away that goes."

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Knowing she was safe around Scrooge, Minnie placed her pen and paper aside to hug her knees - such a "boyish" position would have earned her a finger-wag from her lady-in-waiting. "They weren't bad people... I mean, they weren't bad on purpose."

Learning how the decisions of her parents truly affected her people had been a sufficient blow to her heart - especially since she'd nearly made the same ones. "They never meant to hurt anyone... they just... didn't think about anyone but themselves. And maybe that's how they were raised too. It's really hard to know good from bad when no one tells you which is which." Granted, there were some things you just had to feel from the heart, but when it was one person versus an entire court of people saying otherwise... the wrong lessons were learned easily enough.

Scrooge reached out to pat her shoulder, not even commenting on the unladylike position she was sitting in. "And even when you do know the difference, good people can still make bad decisions from time to time. Still, I don't imagine your parents were malicious. Ignorant to long-term consequences and more focused on immediate pleasures, most likely, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad people." He gave her a wry smile. "I'm a greedy old cuss but I like to think I'm not all bad."

Minnie was quick to do a little gasp as she faced him. "Don't say that, you're not a cuss!"

She had no idea what a cuss was. But it sounded rude. Nor did she realize she technically wasn't objecting to him being greedy and old.

"You've done so much to help me, I'm truly grateful! And I know that you'll make me an even better Queen."

"But I am old and greedy it seems," Scrooge laughed. He took a moment to calm down. "I'm just nudging you away from the bad habits your parents passed down. You're a determined young woman, lass. When you're crowned Queen, I have no doubt you'll use the lessons you've learned to become the best ruler you could possibly be with or without me here."

He was an old man so he wouldn't be around forever. That and eventually he'd have to name and set up his successor to lead McDuck Enterprises. (Given the current circumstances, he had a very good idea of whom that would be.)

He looked down at the jewelry, tilting his head to one side. "You know what? This could be salvaged." He picked up a sapphire necklace, the large gemstone surrounded by diamonds and gold to the point it was a miracle the beautiful dark blue stone wasn't entirely lost in the costly monstrosity. "The sapphire itself would make a lovely pendant. Maybe keep a few of the diamonds to surround it in a setting and then hang it off a simple gold chain..."

Minnie did have the decency to blush when being called out for accidentally insulting him. She would have apologized, but he seemed to take it in stride, so she allowed them both to move on.

"I didn't think you'd know so much about jewelry." Minnie admitted, but then not entirely surprised - whenever it came to anything involving riches, this man appeared to know anything. It was a shame he didn't have a nice lady friend to spoil with such knowledge. She had once or twice been tempted to find a date for him, but in one of her rare moments of wisdom, decided that such interference wouldn't end well for both of them.

"I think she only wore it a few times, anyway." Minnie added on, reaching back into the far corners of her memory. "She didn't like wearing the same thing too often. "

"That seems to mesh with what little I know about her."

Unfortunately. Little wonder Minnie had been baffled by the idea of reusing dresses for different parties.

"As for jewelry, I'm not as much of an expert as my jewelers, but I did quite a bit of gem mining in the southern parts of the New World. Never cut the gems myself though. One bad cut and it ruins the gem."

Oooh, was it story time? Minnie did love to hear about his various exploits and adventures. It was like reading a thrilling book. "Did you mine the gems yourself? That must have been so difficult!"

"Oh, the mining was the easy part! But in that part of the world, it's swelterin' even during the winter. Even in the shade, you'd be drenched in sweat. Down in the mines with little air flow where all that heat could just collect, it wasn't unusual to have a few people needing to be carried up to the surface due to them passing out."

If there was one thing Scrooge could be counted on, it was having quite a few tales on hand. (Though many people claimed he exaggerated them.) But one thing he always valued was a very appreciative audience.

"We'd fill bucket after bucket with rocks and dirt which would get hauled up to the surface. If you were lucky, you got to be one of the ones sifting through the dirt and rocks for the gems since you'd be sifting it in the flume. Nice cold water running over your hands and arms."

And she was very appreciative - to her, other lives were absolutely fascinating. One would think a princess would be disgusted about tales of dirt and sweat, but her eyes were glittery, with a smile a mile wide.

"My goodness!" She replied, seeing it all play out in her head. "I bet you found quite a lot of them! You must have been ever so strong to do a job like that!"

"Oh, aye. Found plenty and learned a lot about them in the process. Definitely put those muscles I'd built up working on sailing ships to good use, too." He tapped his finger atop his cane. "I got into that job when the ship I'd been sailing on was spending a few months in port for repairs."

Curious head-tilt, as usual. "Does that mean once the ship was finished, you stopped mining?"

"Stopped mining there. Did a little bit in other places, but most of my time was working on various merchant ships. I'd learn from the various merchants about their trade and did a little buying and selling on the side to add to my wages." He beamed. "Proudest day of my life was when I'd worked my way up the ranks and saved up enough to buy the William and become her captain."

Minnie let out a few delighted giggles - his stories were always amazing, and a guaranteed happily ever after, since he obviously lived to tell the tale.

"Honestly, Mister McDuck, you simply must write these all down someday! I bet you'd become twice as rich selling such novellas!"

He gave a careless wave of his hand. "Ach, lass, I'm no writer. Besides, most people automatically assume I'm telling tall tales."

It was the people who worked closely with him that believed even half of his stories.

"Though I wouldn't be upset with being twice as rich as I am now."

"Maybe by giving it the Princess Seal of Approval, they'll have to believe it's all true!" She could have just as easily been joking as she was serious.

"But I really do think more people should hear your stories. It'd give them an appreciation for so many walks of life."

"Lass, I won't lie to you: Some of my stories of my travels are significantly less than glamorous. I was a city boy who went out to sea and it took me a week to fully get my sea legs. I was a sorry sight to see even if I did keep working through it all."

Honestly, he was amazed he hadn't died of dehydration...

"But that's all the more reason to hear them!" Minnie insisted. "So many people must think that going to sea must be easy, when it's really a lot of hard work! Why, I used to think 'sea legs' were what mermaids had."

This time, she was serious.

His lips twitched in amusement, but he kept himself from laughing.

"Well, lass, maybe I might try to write them down once I've got less work on my plate," he said. "In the meantime, I suppose you'll have to settle for asking me for a tale or two."

She smiled at that, pleased that - for once - she'd gotten him to do something she wanted, instead of the usual other way around. It was a silly little win.

"I'm always happy to." She closed the trunk, finished with the contents inside for now. "And maybe someday I can have more stories of my own."

"I imagine you'll have quite a tale to tell yourself. Being a ruling queen doesn't seem like it'd be a walk in the gardens," Scrooge said.

"Right now, everything involving the former Captain, and my darling Sir Mickey, is the most exciting and memorable thing that's ever happened to me."

A bemused glance his way. "Though some might find it fun to read about the odd man from Scotland who confronted the princess with no hesitations."

"Oh, I went through all the proper channels to meet with you. I just pushed back when I thought you were being obtuse, something I doubt you ever really had before." He raised an amused brow.

"I don't think I even knew what the word obtuse meant until you called me that." So, yes, he was a first in many ways.

Scrooge gave a shake of his head. "Honestly, your tutors did you no favors then. Well, at least you're learning before it's too late."

"And I think no one ever truly stops learning! I bet even you're still learning things."

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