Going the Royal Way

Out of all paintbrushes, the royal one has to be the most “regal”. Of course, it’s mostly all about taste, like and dislike. But no other paintbrush comes along with a red pillow and a golden glow when purchased – purely royal style. Hey, there has to be a difference somewhere…

Not very surprisingly, the one way to get the paintbrush is by sneaking past the faeries and finding the secret entrance into the Hidden Tower. What are shown there are only the most exclusive and rarest items of Neopia, among them the royal paintbrush. The ‘shopkeeper’ is nobody but the top of royalty herself, the Faerie Queen!

So, if you have the chance to purchase the paintbrush, the first and most immediate thing you probably want to do is to rush off to the Rainbow Pool while taking along with you all your neopets. Now here’s the difficult part. Picking one pet, if you have several. Of course they will all look very regal and majestic, being painted royal. Tough choice.

One thing to keep in mind, is that unlike any of the other paintbrushes, gender does matter. If your pet is male, the paint brush will automatically paint your pet into the ‘royal boy’ version, of your pet species. Vice versa, only then ‘royal girl’, with a female.

So you finally decided which pet to paint royal? Good.

Well, actually, think again.

To start off, when your pet walks down the street, he or she will be noticed. Everybody will let their eyes fall upon your royal pet, following along with it, the regular ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ – there’s something about that look. Nobody has been able to determine what it is exactly, that captures the eyes and attention of many fellow non-royal Neopians. Is it the crown? The cape? The beautiful dress or regal suit? Lately a few royal neopets have been complaining about being thrown into the spotlights after their complete new makeover. But hey, it’s either royal or it isn’t.

And this, my fellow Neopian Times readers, is just the tip of the iceberg. Expect with the new look, a new lifestyle. Being royal means living royal. But those behaviour changes... youch! You’ll notice it first in subtle and small things. At first they will want their food served upon perfect plates, okay. But it doesn’t stop just there. The next day they will want, or rather demand, a golden plate. Following along with it, a bigger room and a complete collection of Queen Fyora themed items. Don’t be surprised if, in the end, they demand to live in a palace just because King Skarl has one too. Only then, they want a bigger one …of course. For owners: don’t forget your earplugs, they might be a life saver!

Important too, are manners. After all, what is a king or queen without one? Now, for most true born royalty it would take years of practise, but after reading the 101 manual of how-to-be-royal, you’ll be fine. Don’t forget to smile often, wave your hands to others, appear on a balcony with special occasions, always wear your prettiest suit or dress and you’ll be fine.

The true dos and don’ts when being royal:

- Do realize it’s not only a colour change, but a lifestyle too.

- Do know you’ll be more noticed from this day on. Is that truly you?

- Do practise your newly adopted royal manners

- Don’t change being you even if you’re royal now. Simple. :P

So... how will I know if royal will fit my pet? There is no perfect way to determine whether your pet will like being royal, or not. My suggestion would be to look at your pet’s personality. Is he or she shy and more withdrawn than most? Then I wouldn’t suggest going the royal way! Your pet might not be fit and ready to live a life inside the ‘spotlights’ without having a proper time to adjust. Is your pet straight forward and not shy at all, then I’d be more inclined to say yes and give the green lights. Then again, perhaps inside a shy pet, a king or queen has been hiding all along. Who knows?

Hints and tips for tasting what royalty is like:

- “The Royal Neopian”, as the name explains a super fancy neolodge. Awarded with four stars and coming for 80 NP a night, this is “the way” to get adjusted to a royal life. You’ll feel like a royal pet at your first minute. For some extra additional fees, you can even customize your super deluxe small holiday with a fitness center, tennis courts, Jacuzzi, grooming and a swimming pool. You’ll name it, and it’s there.

In fact, you can make it more expensive. The AstroVilla charges even 500 NP a night, for nothing but the best of the best! And, for more exclusive tastes, of course.

- If you have no NeoPalace but a Neohome instead, you refurnish your home to make it more regal. No royal Neohome is complete without a Royal Throne, Royal Paper Crown and a small Skarl Royal Flag. If your pet is feeling creative, he or she can even design their own flag and symbol and inherit an ambiance of royalty inside their own home.

As a side note, it is a known fact that most royal pets live in Faerieland.

- Small trips. Of course a must for every royal pet is to meet King Coltzan, King Skarl and Queen Fyora in person. Talk about the latest recent events while enjoying the local exotic food, the neopets and a different change of settings.

A small word of advice, though: prepare yourself well when meeting King Skarl. He’s often very grumpy and can’t stand really bad jokes. He’s got a strange flavour.

In conclusion, there’s so much more than royalty beyond simply looking pretty. Taking the time to adjust to the new colour is a ‘must-do’, same as accepting a new lifestyle for your neopet. It’s fun, addicting and after being royal – most never want anything else any more.