“That’s beautiful,” said Annie. “And you all look so happy!”
“It’s very good,” Snow White said with a catch in her voice.
“What is that place?” asked Nasheen. “It looks like a woodcutter’s cottage.”
“It’s my home,” Snow White replied, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Rather than smiling when she glanced at Maitland, she gave him a look that showed a truer emotion than she had all evening. It was a look of yearning so strong that Annie felt tears come to her own eyes. “It’s where I spent the happiest days of my life,” Snow White added. “I didn’t know anyone knew how much I loved it, but this says it quite clearly. I miss the cottage and the dwarves so much! Thank you, Maitland.”
Maitland didn’t say anything, but they shared a look that made Liam clear his throat and Nasheen scowl.
“I would like to share my gift with you, but it is outside, so I think I should go last,” said Nasheen.
“I wanted to go last,” said Tandry. He looked petulant for a moment, but when he saw everyone looking at him, his expression became serene once again. “But I will be next if you would like, Princess. I, too, have a poem for you.” He opened a piece of parchment and read in a clear voice,
A pretty girl is like a flower
That blooms in the summer.
She stands alone
In a garden of weeds.
“Uh …,” said Snow White, for once at a loss for words. She gave Tandry a halfhearted smile.
“At least it was short,” said Digby.
Annie didn’t like it, certain that Tandry probably considered her one of the weeds. Liam must have seen her expression because he reached for her hand and squeezed it under the table.
“Thank you,” Snow White finally said to Tandry. “Now,” she said, turning to Nasheen, “why don’t you show us what you’ve done?”
“It would be my pleasure,” said the prince as he rose to his feet. “Please, follow me.”
Liam still held Annie’s hand when they walked outside. “Do you have any idea where he’s taking us?” she asked as they descended the steps into the courtyard.
“I think I do,” he said. “Nasheen spent all day loitering in the great hall. I never saw him actually work on anything, so I have my suspicions, especially if we turn left and … yes! We’re going to the stables.”
“Here she is!” Nasheen said as a groom led a horse out of the shadows. “I chose this beauty for you out of my own stables, Princess. I was going to present her to you when we announced our engagement, but I believe that she expresses perfectly how I feel about you, so I am giving her to you now. I have renamed her Purity in your honor, for she is as fair and pure in her way as you are in yours.”
Annie loved horses and had to admit that the mare was beautiful, with her creamy coat and flowing mane and tail. But Nasheen hadn’t put much effort into the test if all he had done was rename a horse he’d already intended to give to Snow White.
“She’s lovely,” said Snow White. “But I haven’t ridden a horse in eight years. I’m not sure we’re well suited for each other.”
“Nonsense!” declared Nasheen. “I myself will instruct you in riding! See, I am giving you the best gift, a horse and the exhilaration that you will feel when you race the wind on her back for the first time!”
“That is a very nice gift, Nasheen,” Snow White said. “Thank you all for everything you did,” she continued, turning to speak to all of the princes. “I will announce your next test tomorrow morning. Be in the small dining hall by eight o’clock. Good night, everyone. Sleep well.”
“Bravery, huh?” Liam said to Annie as they drifted back inside. “That should be interesting.”
“I know,” Annie replied as he put his arm around her shoulder. “Especially with this group of princes.”
Chapter 13
Annie woke early the next morning. She had decided during the night that she needed to talk to Liam before Snow White announced the princes’ tasks for the day, so she hurried to his room as soon as she had washed and dressed. He had already left his room, however, so she ran down the stairs, still hoping to catch him before he took his seat in the small dining hall. She found him in the corridor outside the hall, talking to Maitland and Andreas. As she approached, Nasheen came out of the room and saw the three princes talking.
“I hope you are not helping these gentlemen,” Nasheen said to Liam. “I understand that they are friends of yours, but such assistance would be unfair, and the rest of us would not take it kindly.”
“We weren’t discussing the contest, if that’s what you mean,” said Liam.
“Actually, we were talking about the increased number of crows outside the castle,” Maitland told Nasheen. “We think we’re going to get some archery practice in later today.”
Andreas nodded. “You may join us if you’d like. We could always use another strong arm good with a bow.”
“Is this a private competition, or do you really hate crows so much?” asked Nasheen.
“We don’t have anything against crows in general, just these particular crows. As for a competition, it may end up becoming one. You never can tell,” Andreas said with a grin.
“Liam, may I have a word with you?” Annie asked him.
Liam turned and greeted her with a smile. “Good morning! What would you like to discuss?” he asked as he and Annie drifted farther down the corridor.
“In a little while, Snow White is going to announce the princes’ task for today. When the princes leave the room, I’d like to have a guard follow each one, but they need to be discreet. I don’t want the princes to know that they’re being followed. Although I’m sure the princes are men of great integrity, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone keep an eye on them to tell us what each one actually did. I’ve often found that events tend to get exaggerated when men talk of their bravery. I don’t want the guards to interfere with what the princes do, but I suppose they could step in if the young men get into trouble.”
Liam nodded. “That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll speak with Captain Sterling right away.”
“I didn’t mean for you to miss breakfast,” said Annie.
“This shouldn’t take long. I’m sure I’ll be back before everyone finishes eating.” Giving her a quick kiss on her cheek, Liam strode off down the corridor past the men filing into the dining hall.
Annie took her regular seat beside Snow White, making sure that Liam’s chair, on her other side, remained empty.
Milo sat down across from her. “I don’t suppose you could give us a clue about what we’re supposed to do today?” he said, sounding hopeful. Annie liked Milo, although she wasn’t sure he was right for Snow White. He looked and acted younger than the other princes, and the only things he seemed to take seriously were ships and sailing.
Annie looked up as Snow White entered the room on her father’s arm. “Snow White is here now,” she told the prince. “She’ll tell you what you need to know.”
“I was just wondering if we’d be going outside,” Milo said, glancing toward one of the windows. “It’s a beautiful day, with enough wind to fill some sails, if there were any real ships around here.”
When Snow White reached her place at the table, she remained standing while her father sat down. “Good morning, everyone,” she said. “Today’s test is for bravery. You are to find a way to prove that you are brave and come back to tell me about it at supper. Good luck, and I’ll see you tonight.”
“I will need someone to fight,” said Nasheen. “I have proven my bravery many times in combat.”
“I’m my best at tournaments,” said Cozwald. “You should have seen me at the tournament last spring, Princess!”
“Are there any trolls around that I can chase off?” asked Andreas. “I’ve never actually seen a troll, but I’ve always wanted to give it a try.”
“I suppose I can look for dragons. Do you know if there have been any in the area lately?” Maitland asked, glancing
at his companions. “What? No one knows? Ah, well, I can always ask in town. Maybe someone has been carried off.”
Only Tandry and Digby remained silent. While Tandry stared out the window as if he was contemplating some deep mystery, Digby held his head and groaned.
“Digby had another late night,” Maitland said, following Annie’s gaze. “He’d probably still be asleep if Snow White hadn’t said that we needed to be here.”
“Oh, good! Here’s the food!” said Milo. “I’m so hungry I could eat a shark! I don’t suppose you have any shark meat?” he asked the serving girl.
“Just kippers and whitefish, Your Highness,” the girl replied. “I might be able to get you a good piece of eel tomorrow.”
Nasheen was the first prince to leave the table. “I will go into town to find a way to be brave. Perhaps I will find a maiden in distress or hear of a monster terrorizing some local village. I am sure that I will come back victorious. Farewell, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing to the king. “And Your Highness,” he added, bowing to Snow White.
He had been gone only a few minutes when Liam joined them. “I’ve taken care of it,” he whispered to Annie.
“Nasheen already left,” Annie whispered back.
“Good,” Liam told her. “There are guards waiting by the gate watching for the ones who leave early. They all volunteered, even Captain Sterling. They’re tired of standing around watching for witches.”
“Is everything all right?” asked Snow White.
Annie noticed that everyone was looking at them. She nodded and smiled. “Yes, of course. We were just talking about how much fun it will be to spend some time outside.”
“That’s what I was saying!” said Milo. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to get started. I liked Maitland’s idea. I’m going to look for a dragon!”
“Do you mind if I join you?” asked Andreas, following Milo to the door. “I’ve never hunted a dragon before.”
Liam set some kippers and crusty bread on his plate as the other princes left the room. “That corridor is going to be crowded until they finish talking about what they’re going to do. We might as well get something to eat while we wait for them to go. Here, these look good,” he said as he passed a bowl of berries to Annie. “There’s something I wanted to say,” Liam told her. “Last night I thought about your contest for bravery. I don’t know how well it’s going to work. You can go about life and find yourself in a situation that requires bravery, but it would be much harder to go out looking for a situation that demands it—unless you actually find a dragon or manticore to fight, which isn’t easy these days.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but Snow White didn’t really have any choice. Her father has given her a short time to find a prince, certainly not enough time for a fullblown quest. And I’m sure that if the princes are intent on winning her hand, they’ll figure something out.”
Liam nodded. “Good enough.”
“Are you really going to shoot at crows?” asked Annie as she helped herself to the berries.
“Later, when some of the princes get tired of stomping through the woods and come back to the castle,” said Liam. “The number of crows seems to have doubled since yesterday. And you?”
“Horace and I are working on a project together. I’m hoping to finish it today.”
“In that case, here’s to a successful day!” Liam said, raising a tankard of cider.
Annie was on her way to meet with Horace when she came across some of the ladies of the court she hadn’t met before. There were only a few left on her list, so she was happy to have found them. Although she doubted that any of them was a witch in disguise, she pretended to bump into them just to make sure. The first two ladies were polite about it, but Annie knew they’d be whispering behind their hands as soon as they walked away. The third lady, who was by herself, was close to Annie’s own age. When Annie bumped into her, the girl acted as if it was her own fault.
“I’m so sorry,” the girl said, helping Annie to her feet. Annie’s touch made the young lady’s hair change from strawberry blond to flaming red, and freckles appeared on her cheeks and nose. If anything, Annie thought she was even prettier without the magic.
“It was my fault,” said Annie. “I shouldn’t have come around that corner so fast.”
“Neither should I!” the girl said, laughing. “I have to say, it’s so nice to have royalty visiting who behave like normal people. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but when Queen Marissa was here, we were all afraid of our shadows, the king was a ghost of himself, and no one ever laughed.”
“That must have been awful!” said Annie. “I understand that a lot of people left then. If I might ask, why did you stay if it was so bad?”
The girl shrugged. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go. My parents are dead, and the king is my godfather. Everyone is afraid that the queen is going to come back, but why would she with all these princes here ready to protect the castle?”
“Why indeed,” said Annie. “I wonder … I have a project that I’m working on, and I could use your help. How would you like to play a role in a test for honesty?”
“You want to see how honest I am?”
“No, the test would be for Princess Snow White’s suitors.”
“What would I have to do?”
“It’s very simple, really,” said Annie. “You just have to drop a coin as you’re walking away from a prince and see if he returns it to you. I’ll have someone come watch so you’ll know what the princes do with the coin if they don’t give it back. When you’re all finished, you tell me how everyone did.”
“That sounds like fun!” the girl exclaimed. “I’d be happy to help. I’m Lady Cynara, by the way.”
“And I’m Princess Annabelle.”
“Everyone knows who you are!” said Cynara. “We know the names of all the princes, too. When would I start this test?”
“Whenever you want. I’ll send someone around with the coins later today.”
When Annie finally reached the office, Horace, Marta, and Tesia were already there, waiting for her. “I found a young lady who has agreed to help us with the honesty test,” said Annie. “Lady Cynara is going to drop a coin and see if a prince returns it to her. I need some volunteers to watch from a hidden spot and see what the princes do.”
“Spying on nobility! You’ll have a lot of volunteers for that!” said Tesia.
After making plans for the honesty test, the two sisters left to bring more women to meet Annie. When every name was crossed off her list, she noticed that none of them had belonged to the girl who wore the furs.
“She works as a scullery maid,” Marta told them, “so she should be in the kitchen, but no one has seen her today. No one seems to know her name, either. They just call her Hey You!”
“Please watch for her,” said Annie. “We can’t leave anyone out.”
“Where to now, Your Highness?” asked Horace.
“I need to return to my chamber to get the coins for Lady Cynara. If you’ll come with me, you can take them to her so she can start the honesty test.”
“I wonder how those young princes are doing with their test for bravery,” Horace said as they walked down the hall.
“I wonder if they’ve all left the castle yet. Some of them seemed to be having a difficult time making up their minds.”
“Your Highness,” a maid said, curtsying before Annie. “I have a message for you from a young man. He said to tell you that the person you’re looking for is by the south tower right now, but might not be there long.” Curtsying again, the girl scurried off.
“I guess I’m going to the south tower,” said Annie. “Liam must have spotted the girl in the furs.”
“Then it’s good I’m still with you,” Horace told her as he tried to keep up. “I don’t want you meeting people alone, especially if she might be a fur-wearing, crow-loving witch!”
It took them longer than Annie would have liked to reach the south tower, which was at
the far end of the castle, away from most of the day-to-day activity. Once they stepped outside, they didn’t see anyone on their way there other than the guards on the tops of the walls, who seemed more interested in watching crows than people. The birds were perched on the tops of the towers, on the crenellations of the walls, and on the poles supporting the banners. A few crows circled the castle as if they were on patrol, watching everyone who came or went. Annie could feel their eyes on her as she crossed the open spaces. She was prepared to run if they came any closer, but none of them did.
The door to the tower was closed when they finally reached it, but it wasn’t locked and they walked right in. “Is anyone here?” Annie called.
A shadow flitted across the far wall, but the person who cast it was out of sight. “I just want to talk to you!” cried Annie.
A door opened and closed somewhere ahead. Annie darted toward it.
“Wait!” Horace called, running after her.
Annie reached the door and stopped to peer inside. It was a long stairwell leading down, and the air wafting out of it smelled musty and damp. Torches lit the way, revealing moisture on the walls. Hearing the tap of feet on stone in front of her, Annie started down the stairs.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Horace called after Annie when he reached the top of the stairwell.
Annie wasn’t so sure it was, either, but she was determined to talk to the elusive scullery maid. Only a few more steps and she’d be at the bottom of the stairs. She caught a glimpse of a dark-clad figure running ahead of her and through an open door.
“Hold up!” Horace shouted. “I’m coming!”
Annie ran across the short corridor and into a small, dark room. She stopped abruptly, looking for the person she’d been following. A moment later, Horace was there, huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath.
“Well, where is she?” he gasped, bent over with his hands resting on his knees.
“I don’t know.” Annie turned to look around the room. “Over there!” she cried as a heavy door, hidden in the gloom, ground shut. She darted toward it, but the floor was slippery, and the door closed before she could reach it. Hearing the grinding sound again, she turned in time to see the door through which they’d come close behind them as well.