“He’s brave all right,” said Annie. “But I think a prince who isn’t a bear and still puts himself in danger is even braver.” She was looking directly at Liam when she spoke and she smiled when he turned to wink at her.
Gwendolyn tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Each to her own opinion,” she said, and stalked away.
“It’s right here!” Beldegard called, his head appearing among the foliage.
Liam held the branches back for the two princesses, and they all followed Beldegard through the underbrush. They had to go only a few yards before they reached the entrance to the cave.
“What now?” asked Gwendolyn. “Do we go out the other side?”
“There’s a passage out the back, but there isn’t any light,” Beldegard told them. “Hold on to me, everyone. I’ll show you the way. Except for you, Annie. If you touch me, I’ll be less bear and more human. Right now, I want to stay a bear.”
“I’ll walk with Annie,” Liam said, taking her hand.
Annie wasn’t sure what to think. First he wanted to touch her, then he didn’t, now he did again. She was so confused!
After the first few steps, the passage curved and suddenly it was so dark that Annie couldn’t see anything, including Liam, who was right beside her. Raising her free hand, she felt for the wall of the cave and found it, cold and slightly damp, closer than she’d expected. They walked forward, sliding their feet until they hit something, then felt for another place to step. It wasn’t long before she saw a glimmer of light ahead.
“There it is,” she told Liam. “We’ve almost reached the opening.”
They could walk faster now and in less than a minute they were outside under the hot sun. Liam let go of her hand the moment they left the passage. Annie tried not to sigh as he moved away.
“The ogre said we should turn left after this,” said Gwendolyn.
Where the land on the other side of the waterfall had been cleared for crops and pastures, the land on this side was heavily forested. “I guess we should just follow the path for now,” Annie said as they began to walk. “I don’t see a… Wait. Are those moonflowers?”
What she had first taken for trees on the left side of the path were actually some of the most unusual plants Annie had ever seen. Long stalks higher than a tall man’s head supported spheres the size of big pumpkins. Pale blue and iridescent white, the spheres seemed to float above them as if they were tethered to the ground rather than growing from it. A faint breeze made the spheres bump into each other, filling the glade with a gentle tapping sound.
“I think this might be the Moonflower Glade,” said Annie, stepping off the path. “Now all we have to do is find Moonbeam.”
“That should be easy enough,” Liam said as he followed her. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, “Fairy Moonbeam!”
There was no response.
“I don’t think anyone is here,” announced Gwendolyn. “Maybe this isn’t the right place.”
“What’s going on?” asked a voice. “You don’t have to make such a ruckus!”
“I hear someone, but I don’t see anyone,” said Gwendolyn.
“There’s no need to be rude!” the voice said, and a sprite no taller than Annie’s knee stomped between the moonflowers to stand in front of Gwendolyn. Scowling with his head thrown back and his hands planted on his hips, he looked outraged.
“Aren’t you adorable!” Gwendolyn cooed, and crouched down so her eyes were level with his.
The sprite’s face turned red so quickly that Annie was afraid he was going to hurt himself. “How dare you!” he said. “I am not ‘adorable’!”
Annie grabbed her sister and pulled her away from the sprite. “Please excuse my sister. She’s never met anyone like you before. She didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Huh,” grunted the sprite. “Why are you here anyway? Are you nosy posies come to snoop around, or do you have a real reason?”
Annie glanced up as a light rain began to fall even though the sun was out. She was mesmerized when the moonflower blossoms opened to form a translucent roof that caught every drop of the sun shower. Looking through the blossoms from below, Annie saw patterns forming on the petals as the drops splashed and ran to the center, where they seemed to disappear.
“How beautiful!” she breathed.
“We came to see the fairy Moonbeam,” said Liam.
“Well, you can’t,” said the sprite. “She’s not here. And before you ask, I don’t know when she’ll be back. She’s gone to the capital to help some girl get ready for the prince’s ball. After that, she could go just about anywhere to help one of her charges. Now, if that’s all you want, you should go.”
“Could you answer one other question first, please?” said Annie. “Why did everyone tell us that the way to the Moonflower Glade was long and fraught with danger? It was long enough, but it wasn’t particularly dangerous.”
The sprite shrugged. “It’s what Moonbeam tells people to discourage visitors. She hates unexpected guests.”
The sun shower stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Annie looked up as the blossoms closed back into their spheres.
“Which way do we go to reach the capital?” asked Beldegard.
The sprite looked surprised. “So it is an enchanted bear! I wondered why he was with you. You go that way,” he shouted at the bear prince, pointing to where the path turned right.
“I’m a bear, I’m not deaf,” grumbled Beldegard.
“I was trying to be helpful,” the sprite replied, and stomped off.
“I still think he’s the cutest thing,” whispered Gwendolyn.
“I heard that!” the sprite shouted.
Annie took hold of Gwendolyn’s arm and hurried her onto the path. “We’d better go before you get us in real trouble!”
Chapter 11
Following the path that the sprite had shown them, they reached a well-traveled road in less than an hour. “I know this road,” said Beldegard. “It’s the main route from the north to the south end of Floradale. I’ve traveled it many times.”
“Do you mean to tell me that we could have reached the Moonflower Glade by going this way?” said Liam as they stepped aside to let a wagon pass. “It would have saved us so much time!”
“But no one told us about it,” said Annie. “Moonbeam probably doesn’t mention it to people because she doesn’t want them to drop in.”
“Why would they want to?” said Liam. “And why would she care? It sounded like she’s almost never home.”
“At least we have some idea how to find her,” said Gwendolyn. “All we have to do is locate the girl she’s helping.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?” asked Liam.
“We’ll go to the ball and Annie can bump into each of the girls. The one who looks beautiful through magic will be the one that Moonbeam helped. When Annie touches her, the girl’s magic will fade and we’ll know. And don’t worry. Getting into the ball will be easy. The crown prince of Floradale is our cousin.”
“I’ve heard he’s spoiled rotten,” said Beldegard.
“Prince Ainsley is our mother’s oldest brother’s only son,” said Annie. “We couldn’t visit them when we were younger because our parents were afraid that Gwendolyn might touch a spinning wheel. They discouraged visitors, too, just in case one tried to slip a spinning wheel into the castle. We’ve never actually met Ainsley, but we have seen miniature portraits of him. He’s handsome, of course, and I hear that he prides himself on his dancing.”
“Which was probably a christening gift from a fairy, just like his good looks,” said Liam. “He sounds like a real winner.”
“You shouldn’t make judgments about people before you meet them,” Gwendolyn told him. “He might be very nice.”
“Or he might be like most princes who received all their best qualities as christening gifts from fairies and never have to work for anything. But you’re right, I shouldn’t judge him before I meet him.”
Beldegard said something to Gwennie that Annie couldn’t hear, but it made her sister laugh and bend down to kiss the bear prince’s furry nose and receive a lick on her cheek in return. Annie glanced at Liam. He used to be spontaneously affectionate toward her, kissing her now and then and touching her arm or cheek when they talked, but something had changed. He hadn’t shown any real sign of affection toward Annie in days. Sure, he held back branches for her and he’d tried to help her cross the bridge, but he would have done that for anyone. Lately he didn’t seem to want to touch her unless he had to, and even then he stopped as soon as he could. If only she knew what was going on!
They were standing on the side of the road, talking about what they should do next, when a carriage filled with revelers passed by. “You should get a ride to the capital with someone,” said Beldegard. “You’ll get into town a lot faster. I’ll meet you by the south gate tomorrow.”
“I hate that you can’t go with us,” said Gwendolyn.
“I wouldn’t be of much use to you. No one will want to give a bear a ride, and I wouldn’t fit in at the ball anyway.” Beldegard made a strange wheezing sound, which Annie thought was the bear version of laughing.
“I know, my love. Annie,” she said, turning to her sister, “could you touch Beldegard’s shoulder so we can have one last kiss before he leaves? I won’t see him again until tomorrow and—”
“Oh, look!” Annie exclaimed. “Here comes a farmer with a wagon. I’m sure he has enough room for three! We should ask him, Gwennie. There’s no saying when another ride might come along, and you know we’ll need time to get ready for the ball.”
“I suppose…,” Gwendolyn said, turning back to the bear prince.
“I must go,” he told her when she caressed his cheek. Nudging her hood off with his nose, he gave her one big slurp, licking her from chin to ear, before turning and heading for the forest.
“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Gwendolyn called to his retreating back.
It took only a minute of negotiations for Liam to gain them seats in the back of the wagon. The farmer gave Annie and Liam cursory glances, although he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Gwendolyn. Her hood was still down and her hair was plastered to the side of her face. He watched as she waved good-bye to someone in the woods. When she turned back and noticed that the farmer was watching her, she was quick to pull her hood up before climbing into the wagon. The farmer sighed, then clucked to the horses to get them moving.
Annie was surprised by how much traffic was on the road. They passed a traveling minstrel wearing a lute strapped to his back. Armed knights rode on horseback alongside a gilded carriage, moving too quickly for Annie to see inside. A boy and an old man stopped by the side of the road were arguing about who should ride their donkey. Twice their wagon passed merchants riding with cavalcades of horses and carts bearing their goods.
Both Annie and Gwendolyn watched with great interest each time they approached another traveler, but Liam acted as if he had seen it all before. Covering his eyes with his cap, he took a nap leaning against a bushel of beets that bounced with each jolt from the uneven road. It wasn’t far to the castle, but Liam seemed refreshed when they entered the walled city and he pulled his cap off his eyes.
Annie had seen a few castles during her hunt for Gwendolyn’s prince, but none as grand as this. It rose on a hill above Loralet, glinting golden in the setting sun. Pennants flew from so many spires that Annie lost count as she gawked with her head thrown back like a tourist.
The farmer stopped his horses to let Annie, Liam, and Gwendolyn out of the wagon in the center of the city just outside the main castle gate. Annie was concerned that they might not be able to get past the guards, but Liam spoke with the men, demanding entrance in such a regal and commanding way that they quickly stepped aside. Once inside the castle, they found a servant to fetch the steward.
While Annie and Liam sat down to wait for the steward to appear, Gwendolyn seemed unable to sit still. After examining everything in the small antechamber, she paced the length of the room. “I can’t wait to go to the ball!” she said, her eyes bright with excitement. “I’ve never been to a ball before. There will be lots of dancing, won’t there?” she asked, turning to Annie and Liam.
Liam laughed. “There’ll be one dance after another where you’ll dance with people you’ve never met before and hope you’ll never meet again. I haven’t been excited about going to a ball in years, or maybe never. It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to talk to people, but most of them will bore you till your brain is numb.”
“I don’t care,” said Gwendolyn. “At least I’ll have the chance to dance with someone other than my dancing master and my ladies-in-waiting. And all the women will wear beautiful gowns and the men will be so handsome! I can’t wait!”
“All I want is a hot meal and a hot bath,” said Liam. “What about you, Annie?”
“I just want to find the dwarf and go home,” she replied, watching her sister pace.
“We want that, too,” said Gwendolyn. “But while we’re here, we might as well enjoy ourselves.”
Annie sighed. “That’s true, as long as we don’t forget why we’re here.”
“And why is that exactly?” asked a voice from the doorway. Annie looked up to see a man wearing the chain and medallion of a castle steward. “I understand you told Erwin it was most urgent that I come see you. I’m a busy man. We’re putting on a ball tonight, or haven’t you heard?”
Annie took off the cap covering her hair so that he could see that she was a girl. “My sister and I have come to visit our uncle and aunt, King Daneel and Queen Theodora.”
“Oh, really?” said the steward. “You’re dressed like farm boys and I’m supposed to believe that you’re royal princesses? And who is he?” he asked, gesturing toward Liam. “The crown prince of Montrose who’s been missing for two years?”
“This is Prince Liam, the crown prince of Dorinocco,” said Gwendolyn. “You may tell our aunt and uncle that Princesses Gwendolyn and Annabelle of Treecrest are here.”
The steward snorted in disbelief. “You expect me to believe that one of you is Princess Gwendolyn, the most beautiful princess in… Oh, my!” he said as Gwendolyn pushed the hood back from her face and pulled the cap from her hair. She smiled a slow, dreamy smile as she shook the tangles loose and let her hair tumble down her back.
“Pardon me, Your Highnesses!” said the steward, bowing low as he backed from the room. “I didn’t know! I mean, I’ve never seen… I’ll tell the queen of your arrival.”
Gwendolyn giggled as the sound of the man’s clicking heels receded down the hallway. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Did you see his expression?”
Annie nodded. “Many times, and always on men who are looking at you. I guess having you with us is proof enough.”
“It seemed to be enough for him,” said Liam.
In only a few short minutes the steward was back with effusive apologies and an invitation to join the queen in her chambers. As they followed him through the corridors, Gwendolyn let her hood stay down. She smiled when people stopped to stare as she passed by. “I know people sometimes stared at home, but I was so used to it I didn’t pay much attention,” she whispered to Annie. “But after spending days hiding in that hood, this is kind of fun. I don’t know how you can stand being ignored all the time.”
“I’ve never been treated any other way,” Annie replied. “When you’re around, most people don’t even look at me.”
“I’m sorry,” said Gwendolyn. “I never realized. I guess I just never thought about it.”
“There you are, my darlings!” cried the queen as they entered a sun-filled chamber. “Welcome to Floradale!” Four of her ladies-in-waiting stood and left the room at a nod from the queen. A fifth woman continued to play a harp in the corner.
“Your Highness,” murmured Annie. Both girls curtsied while Liam swept a deep bow.
Annie thought the queen looked nice. She was beauti
ful, of course, with dark brown hair and perfect features, but she also had kind eyes and a smile that made you want to smile, too.
“Let me look at you,” said the queen. “Ah, yes, I can see that your parents hired a talented artist to paint your portraits. Yours looks just like you, Annie. But Gwendolyn, I’m afraid yours doesn’t do you justice. You really are extraordinarily beautiful. I wish I could have met you girls before this, but that whole thing with spinning wheels… Even so, your mother has written to me so much about you that I feel I know you already. And this is Prince Liam? I’ve heard about you as well. And what about the bear? Your mother told me that your true love is an enchanted prince, Gwendolyn. Is he here as well?”
The queen looked around as if she might see the bear lurking in the corridor behind them, but Gwendolyn just laughed and shook her head. “He doesn’t like cities.”
“Of course not! Particularly on a day like today. Everything is in a shambles as we prepare for the ball. Oh, dear, how could I have forgotten! You must get ready for the ball. Ainsley will be so delighted that you’re here in time to attend! Maud,” she called to the lady-in-waiting, who set aside her harp and hurried over. “See to it that the servants get hot baths, food, and the appropriate clothes for our young guests.” As Maud nodded and hurried from the room, the queen turned back to them saying, “Let them know if there’s anything else you need. Now go! The ball begins in two hours.”
Chapter 12
Annie glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall. The only other time she had worn a ball gown, she had been entered in a contest to win the hand of Prince Andreas for her sister. The gown she had worn then had looked delicate and sweet. This gown was bolder, with a lower-cut bodice and more form-fitting lines. A pale yellow, it had slashes of brilliant blue in its sleeves, and on the bodice and hem. It wasn’t her favorite shade of blue, but it did go nicely with the yellow. She turned to check her reflection from the side. The gown looked as if it had been made for her and would do very well.