As Annie sat down on the window seat, Snow White began to fidget with a tassel on a cushion. “Cat is here as well,” she finally said, glancing at Annie. “He stops by to see me every few days. I think he’s just checking up on me to see if I’m all right.”
“Why wouldn’t you be?” asked Annie. “Snow White, what’s going on?”
Snow White stood abruptly and began to pace. “I don’t know what to do. You know that Father locked my stepmother, Marissa, in the dungeon when he learned that she had been putting drugs in his drink and trying to kill me. Just a few days after you and Liam left, she escaped. We still don’t know how she did it, but we think she must have had help. Father is afraid that Marissa still wants to kill me. Now he’s gotten the idea that if I were to marry, my prince would whisk me away to his castle and I would finally be safe from her.” Snow White was wringing her hands when she turned back to Annie. “Isn’t that the craziest idea you’ve ever heard?”
“Well …,” Annie began.
“In the meantime, Father has doubled the guards. Everyone is terrified that Marissa will come back. Knowing how much she likes disguises, some think she may be here already.”
“Oh my …,” Annie said.
“Father sent out word to the neighboring kingdoms that I’m looking for a husband! Can you believe that? Next he’ll be flying banners at the local jousting tournaments reading ‘Come one, come all! Feast your eyes on the desperate princess!’ I can’t believe he’s done this to me!”
“So,” said Annie, “are you more upset because a crazy woman may be coming to kill you, or because your father was a little indiscreet about your availability?”
“Both! Although I guess the killing one is worse.… But not by much!”
“Have you heard from any princes yet?” Annie asked.
“Four. Three who I’ve never heard of before they arrived yesterday with their attendants, and then Maitland showed up a few hours ago. He’s been sending me messages and flowers, but I couldn’t bring myself to see him. Not after the last time he was here and he told his friends how much he wanted to rule my kingdom. Where is the romance in that? I want to be loved for myself, not the land my father rules or the castle we live in or the gold in our treasury. And I’m sure that after Father’s announcement, that’s all the other princes are going to see. Now Father is making me choose among these four princes, and he says he wants me to do it in a week’s time. The thing is, I don’t have any idea how to begin!”
“You actually have a few more princes to choose from. Four more came with me. There’s Andreas, Cozwald, his cousin Emilio, and Digby,” Annie said, ticking them off on her fingers. “So with the four who are already here, you have eight princes.”
“That just makes it worse!” wailed Snow White.
“You don’t have any idea how you’re going to choose?” Annie asked.
“None. I’ve spent all my time thinking about it, but nothing has come to me,” Snow White declared. “I know some princesses send their suitors on quests, but I don’t have time for that. Not if Father is giving me only a week!”
Annie thought her friend looked close to tears. “Maybe I can help. What are you looking for in a husband?”
“That’s what makes it so hard,” said Snow White, wringing her hands again. “They’re all handsome, and they are all talented in one thing or another, and they all have excellent manners.”
“And those are the most important things to you?” asked Annie.
“Well, not really,” Snow White said, beginning to pace again. “He has to be honest, and brave. He also has to be compassionate. Oh, and more than anything, he has to love me for myself.”
“Those are all very good traits. And how do you think you can learn if any of those things are true of these princes?”
“A contest?” asked Snow White.
“That could work,” said Annie. “Do you have a quill, some ink, and a piece of parchment? I think it’s time to make a list.”
“I have them right here,” said Snow White, gesturing toward a table in the center of the room. “You know, a contest might actually be fun.”
“For us, maybe,” said Annie, “but the prince who really wants to win is going to have to work hard. It may not be as much fun for him. You realize, of course, that no man is going to show you what he’s really like in a contest. They’ll all try to impress you with their best behavior. The princes might be very different once they relax and you really get to know them.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” said Snow White. “I grew up in a house with seven men. None of them tried to impress me, but I do know what I don’t want. I don’t want a man who thinks it’s funny to talk about bodily functions or who doesn’t like to bathe.”
“Ick!” said Annie. “How about a man who thinks mean jokes are funny? Or who loves his mother more than he loves you?”
“Or one who loves his horse more than me!” Snow White said with a laugh. “Oh, I’ve thought of something else I do want. I want to marry a good kisser. I’ve never kissed a man, except on the cheek, and I want my first real kiss to be spectacular!”
“I don’t think we can make that part of the contest,” said Annie.
“I know,” Snow White said, though she sounded disappointed.
The princesses spent the rest of the afternoon working on the contests and lists. When they went down to supper, Annie was still thinking about the contest for honesty. They hadn’t been able to come up with anything yet, but she knew how important honesty was to her, and she wanted an honest husband for Snow White.
As they entered the crowded great hall, Annie saw that King Archibald was seated at the head table. The princes had left two seats to one side of the king for Snow White and Annie. Maitland fumed as Annie introduced the four newly arrived princes to Snow White, giving Cozwald an extra-dirty look when the prince walked around the table to kiss Snow White’s hand.
“Now let me introduce my other suitors to you,” said Snow White as Cozwald returned to his seat. “Prince Milo is from the kingdom of Gulleer to our west.”
“I understand that Gulleer’s economy is based on shipping,” said Liam.
“That’s true,” said Milo, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling when he smiled. “And we have the largest navy of any kingdom. We would like to expand our interests inland, however,” he added, smiling at Snow White.
“And this is Prince Tandry,” Snow White said quickly. “He comes from the mountains of Westerling.”
“Isn’t Westerling full of mystics?” asked Andreas.
“Yes,” said Prince Tandry as he traced the grain in the tabletop with his finger. Everyone waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“And this is Prince Nasheen,” Snow White finally said.
“I am from the kingdom of Viramoot,” said Nasheen, stroking his mustache with his index finger and thumb. He was older than the other princes, and Annie guessed that he was in his early twenties. “We’re known for breeding the finest horses in all the kingdoms. Our bloodstock is second to none.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” said Andreas. “We breed some excellent horses in Corealis.”
Annie sat back to listen while the princes got to know one another, sizing each other up as they debated who had faster horses in their stables or stronger armies in the field or fiercer dragons in their forests. Of the three princes she had never met before, Milo was sitting closest to her. She noticed that after sitting near her for a few minutes, his nose became more prominent, and his ears stuck out to the sides. When she saw that the other princes had noticed as well, she tried not to laugh at the horrified look on Prince Nasheen’s face.
Tandry and Nasheen were seated so far from her that any changes in their appearances were too small to notice, but that didn’t stop Nasheen from studying all the princes at her end of the table, staring longest at the ones near Annie who had changed the most. She thought that Milo might have noticed the changes in the
princes near him; he seemed amused if anything. Annie didn’t see any sign that Tandry had noticed, but then he seemed to be in his own world, gazing off into empty air much of the time.
Everyone turned as two serving girls carrying a huge platter between them approached the table. A roasted peacock decorated with its own feathers filled the platter, which took up the entire center of the table when the girls set it down. Everyone at the head table was served as much as they wanted before the platter was carried to the other tables.
The food kept coming after that, and Annie and Liam spent more time eating than talking. Annie had so much she wanted to tell him, but not now in front of all these people. While Snow White listened intently to the princes as they boasted, argued, and tried to impress her, Annie heard only part of the conversation as her thoughts kept wandering back to Snow White’s stepmother. Marissa, the evil queen, was on the loose. Although it was possible that Marissa had fled the kingdom, she might well have stayed around, hoping to regain control of the kingdom one way or another. Annie glanced at Liam, certain that he wasn’t going to like the news any more than she did.
Annie waited until supper was over and a minstrel was entertaining the diners before touching Liam’s arm and whispering into his ear, “We have to talk. Let’s go outside.”
Pleading a need for fresh air, Annie asked the king for leave. When he granted it with a nod and a wave of his hand, she and Liam slipped from the table. They were on their way out the door when Annie saw Dog begging for scraps. Dog looked at her as if wanting an invitation to join them, but Annie shook her head and motioned for her furry friend to stay.
Once in the courtyard, they looked for a quiet place where they could talk without being overheard. They found such a place between the castle wall and the stable. When Liam pulled her into his arms to kiss her, Annie didn’t protest, but after a few minutes she pulled away, saying, “I really did want to come out here to talk.”
“I know,” he replied with a grin. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t take care of more important matters first.”
Annie caressed his cheek, then shook her head and stepped back a pace. “Snow White told me why she wanted me to come. Her father said that she has to get married right away because he wants her new groom to take her far away. It’s for her own protection. Snow White’s stepmother escaped from the dungeon, and the king is afraid she might hurt Snow White.”
“When did she escape?” asked Liam.
“Only a few days after we left last time,” Annie said. “They think she might have had help.”
“They’re right in thinking that she’s dangerous, but I wonder if it’s really Snow White she’s after.”
“Do you think Marissa might be the woman who put that green fire in my hair?” asked Annie. “It never occurred to me that it might be her. I’d thought she was still locked away. I suppose it was possible—But why would she want to hurt me? If she wants to take over the kingdom again, wouldn’t she be more likely to go after Snow White or the king?”
“Not if she wanted to get rid of you first so you couldn’t come back to Helmswood to help them.”
“Do you think she was the one who sent the crows and followed us all the way back here?” asked Annie.
“I don’t know,” said Liam. “The message the witch had sent to my mother was signed ‘Terobella.’ Do you think that might be Marissa’s real name?”
“I doubt it. I think it must be someone else entirely. Marissa has lived here for years, but according to Beldegard’s mother, Terobella lived in Montrose until recently. You know, when we first heard the name ‘Terobella,’ I’d thought it sounded vaguely familiar, but I’ve tried and tried and I can’t remember where I might have heard it before.”
“Regardless of who the witch really is, you’re in danger here, Annie,” said Liam. “You have to promise me that you won’t do anything foolish or go anywhere alone. I want you to tell me before you do anything out of the ordinary.”
“I promise I won’t plan to do anything foolish,” said Annie, giving his hand a squeeze.
Liam gave her an odd look, as if he was not really satisfied with her answer, but all he said was “Did you tell Snow White about what happened on our way here?”
Annie shook her head. “I thought she already had enough things to worry about.”
“I think we should tell her and the king. They need to know what’s going on.”
“Of course we’ll tell them,” said Annie, “but I think all it’s going to do is make them worry more.”
Chapter 10
Annie lay awake thinking about Snow White’s evil stepmother. If Marissa was in the castle, she would be in disguise. It wouldn’t take long to find all the women who had come to the castle only recently and touch them to see who changed. Annie wasn’t sure how to go about it without letting Marissa know what she was doing, but she finally decided to get a list of the names and visit each person as casually as possible.
It was easier to go to sleep with a plan in mind. When she woke the next morning, Annie went straight to the steward’s office. The man was seated at a table, going over the schedule for the day. When Annie told him what she wanted, he looked at her in surprise.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but you and Princess Snow White are the only ladies to have arrived at the castle recently. When Queen Marissa was here, many people left. Even more left when she escaped from the dungeon, fearing what she would do in reprisal. I can give you a list of the women who live here, but that’s the best I can do.”
Annie thought for a moment. If so many people had fled the castle, couldn’t Marissa have returned and taken on the appearance of one of the woman who had actually gone? If the real woman left because she was afraid, she might not have told anyone that she was leaving, so no one would think it odd that she was still here. Finding Marissa was going to take a lot longer than she’d first thought, and it looked as if Annie was going to have to touch every woman in the castle.
“That list will be fine,” Annie told the steward. “I’m going to need the names of the ladies of the court, as well as all the women who work here. And please be thorough. What I have planned won’t work unless I have every single name.”
“Very good, Your Highness. I’ll have them ready as soon as I can.”
Annie sighed as she left the steward’s office. What had seemed like a simple task was suddenly becoming much more complicated.
Liam had volunteered to speak to the king that morning to tell him what had happened on their way to Helmswood. When Annie went to the small dining room where the family ate, Liam, Snow White, and four of the princes were there eating fruit, cheese, and boiled eggs.
“Did you meet with the king yet?” Annie asked, taking the chair next to Liam’s.
“Indeed, I did,” said Liam. “He was very concerned and apologetic because he’s convinced that his wife was the one who put the flowers in your hair. He says he’s going to hire more guards to watch for her. And there’s something else. A messenger arrived from my father last night. He sent a patrol to check on Granny Bentbone, but the tower was empty when they arrived.”
Annie was horrified, and it must have shown on her face because Liam placed his hand on her arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. “How did Granny Bentbone get out?” she asked.
Liam shrugged. “The men didn’t see anything she could have used. My guess is it was either magic or someone helped her.”
“We have to find her again!” said Annie. “She’s too dangerous to remain on the loose.”
“My father already sent word to your father. By now they probably both have men out looking for her. There’s nothing we could do that they won’t be doing already.”
“I suppose,” said Annie, “but I feel responsible. We were the ones who suggested the tower.”
“Actually, it was my idea and I wasn’t even sure if it was a good one. I’m sorry, Annie. It’s my fault, not yours.”
“We’ll just have to hope they find h
er soon,” said Annie. “Otherwise we’ll go help when we’re finished here. So, what did Snow White’s father say when you told him about Terobella’s letter and the crows?”
Liam reached for a peach and eyed it while he said, “Just that he’s never heard of her, but he’ll have his guards watch for her, too.”
“Father told me about what happened to you on the way here,” said Snow White. “How dreadful for you!”
Digby looked up from selecting another boiled egg. “Are you talking about what happened in the marsh? Nasty business. We were lucky I got away with my life.”
“We wouldn’t have let anything happen to you,” Emilio said, shaking his head. “But you shouldn’t have gone off the path in the first place.”
“I was the only one looking for a way out!” exclaimed Digby.
“When you’ve finished eating, could I speak with you alone?” Annie asked Snow White.
“Of course! Is something else wrong?” Snow White asked, her eyes growing wide.
“No, no! It’s nothing like that. I just need you to help me with something, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I’d be happy to help, but it can’t take too long. I told Father about the contest and he’s going to call a meeting with all the princes at noon. He wants me to announce the contest then.”
“What contest?” asked Maitland.
“There will be tests of skill, I am sure,” said Nasheen. “I myself am an excellent rider.”
“You’ll learn all about it at noon today,” said Snow White. “Annie, we should probably go now if you want my help. Noon will be here before we know it.”
Liam gave Annie a quizzical look as she snatched some fruit and followed Snow White out of the room. She’d thought about telling him what she had planned, but the way he was acting lately, he’d probably try to stop her. And while she had promised not to plan anything foolish, this wasn’t foolish and it was going to work!
“Now, what is this all about?” Snow White asked once they’d reached the privacy of her chamber.
“I believe I can find your stepmother if she is in the castle, but I need your help to do it,” said Annie.