The Bravest Princess (12 page)

Dog's tail wagged like a pendulum. “I'm glad you're here,” the animal said in a rush. “Snow White told me you were coming. I've been waiting here for you every
day.” She looked past Annie to all the princes and guards. “If they came with you, they can come in. This is a very big place. It has lots of rooms. Good smells, too. I'm taking you to see Snow White. She's been waiting for you. Just you, though. The rest have to go somewhere else.”

“All right,” said Annie. “Lead the way.” When she grabbed her mare's reins, she felt a tug on her hem and looked down.

Dog gave her a reproachful look and backed away so she could talk again. “The horse can't go with us. Snow White doesn't let horses in the castle.”

“But I was just …,” Annie began. “Um, never mind.” Handing her reins to Liam, she shrugged and said, “I'll find you later.” Then she turned to follow Dog.

The last time Annie had been in the castle, Snow White's stepmother had been ruling for many years. The evil queen had neglected the castle as she'd plotted and schemed, spending little money on the buildings and letting the furnishings get rundown and dirty. Although it had been only a few weeks since Snow White had returned home and her stepmother had been locked away, repairs had already begun, and the floors and windows looked cleaner. Even now, maids scrubbed walls while seamstresses repaired tapestries.

One thing didn't seem to have changed, however. Everyone, from the lowest servant to the highest noble, had looked frightened during Annie's last visit. The
unpredictable evil queen had made them wary of doing even the simplest thing that might displease her. Annie had been sure that Snow White's presence would change that and was dismayed to find that it hadn't. Footmen kept their eyes averted when Annie looked their way. A noblewoman hurried off when Annie gave her a friendly smile. When Annie glanced at a maid carrying an armload of linens, the girl ducked her head and scurried around a corner, looking so frightened that Annie almost called after her.

Confused, Annie followed Dog down the corridor and up a narrow set of stairs. She was used to people avoiding her because she might take away their magic, but this was different. Although the inhabitants of the castle seemed fearful, she didn't think it had anything to do with her.

“This is it,” Dog finally said. “Snow White's room.”

Dog raised her paw and tapped on the door three times. She was about to tap again when the door opened. Snow White was there, a smile lighting her face when she saw Annie.

“You came!” she cried, pulling Annie into the room. “Thank you for bringing her, Dog. Go tell the cook that I said you should have an extra-big bone!”

Dog walked off, her tail wagging again, as Snow White shut the door.

“Dog is such a dear creature, but she doesn't know how to keep secrets, and there are things I need to tell
you that I don't want everyone to know,” said Snow White. “Come sit over here so we can talk.”

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?”