by E. D. Baker
Eadric turned to look at me. "It was Olebald, wasn't it?"
"It must have been," I said. "That means he finally got off the island where I sent him. This can't be good."
"They were interesting," said the wall, "but not nearly as much fun to watch as the man who thought he was a bat. He was here for years before he got the idea that he could hang upside down from the ceiling. I don't know how many times he landed on his head."
Eadric's eyes looked grim and his jaw had tightened the way it does when he's really angry. "If Jorge's loose, we're leaving tomorrow morning for Upper Montevista. We'll go see my parents and get their blessing so we can get married before Jorge can do anything else. If I know him, all he can think about now is what rotten thing he can do to prevent our wedding."
"You can't leave now!" said the wall. "I have so much I want to tell you. Why just the other year . .."
Grabbing my arm, Eadric hustled me out of the cell. We could still hear the wall talking as we left the dungeon. I considered staying behind to undo the spell, but I didn't quite have the heart.
Three
After eating a breakfast of bread and cheese with Eadric, I returned to my tower to get ready for our flight to Upper Montevista. We would be leaving as soon as Eadric came back from seeing his horse. Although we planned to be gone only a few days, Eadric was too fond of Bright Country to leave without saying good-bye.
I spread my magic carpet in front of the window and was watching a broom sweep it clean when I heard a knock on the door and an unmistakable voice said, "I know you're in there, Emeralda. Open the door this instant."
I ground my teeth, irritated that my mother could still make me feel like a child. Although I would have loved to pretend that I wasn't there, I decided to be mature and let her in. Hating myself already, I opened the door and stepped aside.
"There you are," she said, pushing past me into the room. "I heard that you intend to .. ."
I knew when her eyes fell on the sweeping broom that it was all she would need to set her off. Kicking myself inwardly, I twitched my fingers, sending the broom into the storage room.
"You can't resist, can you?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "You use magic for even a simple task like sweeping. I'm so disappointed, Emeralda. You always have to take the easy way out. Would it really have been that much more difficult to summon a maid to do it?"
I dug my nails into the palm of my hand, trying not to answer the way I really wanted to. Arguing with her only made things worse. "Did you want to talk to me about something?" I said, my voice as even as I could make it.
"As I was saying, I heard that you intend to go to Upper Montevista to visit Eadric's parents. Am I correct in assuming that you're going to talk to them about your wedding plans?"
I nodded. "Eadric and I hope to receive their blessing before we get married."
"And you want to take that," she said, glaring at the magic carpet before turning to me with a disgusted look on her face. "Don't be a fool! That should be the last thing you'd want to do. If Eadric's parents are as appalled that you're a witch as I believe they are, don't you think it might be wise to travel in a more traditional manner? Rubbing their noses in the very thing that they dislike about you is not a good way to win their favor."
I hated that she was right. "I suppose," I said.
"Then put that thing away and decide what you want to take with you. You'll be traveling with the best carriages and a full retinue. I'll see to the arrangements. You'll have to inform Eadric, of course, and choose enough clothes to last at least a week on the road. You'll also want to take your nicer gowns so you can make a good impression when you arrive. I'll send a maid up to help you."
"You don't need to do that," I said, but she had already disappeared down the stairs.
I always cleaned my tower myself because I didn't like the idea of anyone touching my magical possessions. The same held true for packing, so it didn't matter if my mother sent someone to help me; I wouldn't be letting her in.
I was rolling up the carpet when Li'l fluttered out of the storage room and landed on my worktable. "Your mother is just the same as ever, isn't she? Are you going to do what she said?"
"I guess I have to. She was right about Eadric's parents, so I really don't have much choice."
"Can I go with you?" the little bat asked. "Garrid is going to be gone for a while, and I don't have anyplace else to go." Garrid, a vampire, was her mate.
"You could stay here if you want to. The door will be locked and no one will bother you."
Li'l's head drooped and her voice grew soft. "But I'll be all alone. I've never been all alone before."
"You might find that you like it," I said. Then she heaved an enormous sigh and I couldn't help myself. "But you can come if you want to." After all, I was supposed to go with an entourage, and I really didn't have that many people I wanted to take.
"Oh, goody!" said Li'l, flapping her wings and rising into the air to circle around my head. "Goody, goody, goody, I get to go! I've never been in a carriage before. Your mother said that you should take clothes. Should I take something, too? I could take my string, or some nice bugs. Will we sleep in the carriage or under a tree? Does the carriage have rafters? Will I have to stay awake while the carriage is moving? We're going to have so much fun!"
I was getting dizzy from watching her. "You won't need to bring a thing," I said, laughing. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of nice bugs along the way."
"Along the way where?" said Eadric. I'd changed the spell on the door lock so it would let him in, although he usually knocked first.
"It looks like we're going to have to change our plans," I began.
Eadric scowled. "Yes, I know. Your mother told me."
"I'm going, too!" said Li'l. "Emma said I could."
"Huh," said Eadric. "At least someone is excited about this trip."
"Here," I said, handing him the rolled-up carpet. "Could you put this away for me?"
Eadric grinned. "As long as you pay the fee."
"All right. I'll even pay in advance." Hooking my finger into the neck of Eadric's tunic, I pulled him toward me and kissed him squarely on the lips.
"Yuck! Do you two have to do that in front of me?" asked Li'l, landing on the table and covering her eyes with her wings.
"You mean bats don't kiss?" Eadric asked.
"Not like that!" said Li'l, turning her back to us.
Suddenly, I heard a sloshing sound. A light like a shooting star whooshed from the bowl of salt water I kept by the door, hitting the floor on the other side of the room and depositing a beautiful, full-sized mermaid with slanted dark blue eyes and pale skin tinged with green.
"Oof!" said the mermaid, landing on her tail. "I never can get used to that."
"Coral!" I said. "Is that you?"
"Hi, Emma!" she replied, flinging her mass of blue-streaked silver hair over her shoulder and scattering droplets of water everywhere.
Coral was one of Grassina's friends whom I'd once visited. A tiny castle rested in the bottom of the bowl, but it wasn't until I had swum in the salt water myself that I'd known it was the mermaid's home and part of the ocean. I didn't know that she could come visit us as well. "It's good to see you," I said, not sure why she was here.
"You, too, but I really can't stay. I've come to ask you for a favor."
"Of course," I said. "I'll do whatever I can." She'd helped Eadric and me when we needed her, and I couldn't say no.
Her eyes lit up as she thrust a hand into her hair. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said, pulling out something green and squirmy. "I'm on my way to visit my friend and she's allergic to shellfish, so I was wondering if Shelton could stay with you until I get back. I'd leave him with Octavius, but they can't seem to get along."
"That's because he's a pinheaded nitwit," said the little green crab as he scuttled down the mermaid's arm to the floor. "He keeps threatening to rip off my shell and feed me to the sharks."
Coral sighed. "You did
tie his arms in knots."
"Only after he wrapped me in seaweed and stuffed me in the trash!"
"See what I mean?" Coral said, shaking her head.
"Actually, we were about to go on a trip ourselves," said Eadric. "So maybe this isn't the best time for . . ."
"We'd be delighted to have Shelton stay with us," I interrupted. Magical beings were easily offended, and it was always better to stay on their good side. Unfortunately, Octavius, Coral's octopus butler, wasn't the only one who found Shelton annoying. The little crab had bickered with Eadric from the moment they'd met.
"Then it's all settled!" exclaimed the mermaid. Blowing a kiss to Shelton, she drew a silver comb from her hair and pulled it through the strands. "Thank you!" she called as she began to glow. A moment later, she was so bright that we couldn't look at her, and with a whoosh and a splash, she was back in the tank.
"Hey," said Eadric. "We had to stick our hand in the water before we could go into the bowl!"
I shrugged. "Maybe it was easier for her because she was already wet."
"So Princess," said Shelton, "how have you been? I'm doing fine, in case you want to know." Shelton swiveled his eyestalks toward Eadric. "Better than you, I guess, since he's still around. Say, that otter isn't here, is he? I've been having bad dreams about him."
"Grassina turned him back into a human," I said.
Eadric chuckled. "Too bad, huh?"
"Please don't get started, you two." The trip was already going to be too long. If I was going to have any peace at all, I'd have to keep the two of them separated, but that might not always be possible if we were traveling together. And Eadric was already unhappy about our change of plans. . . .
"Shelton," I said when Eadric had left the room to get his things. "Perhaps you should stay here while we're gone. We'll be away only a few days. We're going to travel by coach, which you probably wouldn't like anyway."
The little crab's eyestalks drooped. "You mean you don't want me to go with you? I thought you liked me, Princess."
"I do, Shelton, but that isn't the point. We're going to be very busy, and I won't always be able to spend time with you."
"I understand," said Shelton, looking even more dejected.
I tried not to look at him while I chose the things that I would take with me. Space wasn't a problem because I'd recently purchased an acorn trunk at the magic marketplace. Although it looked like a regular acorn, it could hold just about anything. I had yet to learn if it had any limits.
It took me only a few minutes to pack my clothes. When I was ready, I stuffed my acorn in the pouch I wear on my hip and headed for the stairs.
Li'l had never liked my mother and always tried to stay out of sight when she was around. Instead of going through the castle with me, the little bat flew out the window and went straight to the first carriage waiting in the courtyard. When I arrived, Eadric was there with Bright Country saddled and ready.
"Let's get going before my mother makes us take everybody in the castle," I told Eadric.
"Do you want to ride with me?" he asked. The few times we'd gone anywhere on horseback, we'd ridden Bright Country together. The stallion was a destrier, bred for carrying knights in full suits of armor, so carrying Eadric and me in ordinary clothes was easy for him.
"I'd love to," I said, taking his hand. Eadric hauled me up behind him, turning Brighty toward the gate. "We're ready to go now," I called to the coachman, who was watching us open-mouthed. Although my mother had a row of coaches ready and waiting, I hoped we could take just one and still avoid a large entourage.
"Very good, Your Highness," he said, although I noticed that he'd raised an eyebrow.
Brighty hadn't taken more than a few steps when my mother came rushing out the castle door followed by a dozen knights, a flock of servants, and two ladies-in-waiting. "Stop right there," she commanded, glowering at me. "I knew you'd do something like this! I told you that you needed a full retinue and I'm going to see that you get one, even if you don't think it's necessary."
My mother had been right about the carpet, but I hated traveling with large groups of people. I'd done it, of course, when I'd gone places with my parents. My mother never traveled any distance without taking half the court. With so many people, however, we couldn't travel very fast or far in one day, and we had to take so many extra carriages and food and luggage that it felt as if we were moving an army. And forget about being spontaneous. My mother always planned everything in advance, so if it wasn't already scheduled, we didn't do it.
Mother hurried across the courtyard to where we still sat astride Bright Country. "So, you weren't even going to take a carriage?"
"Actually, one was supposed to follow us," I said, feeling sheepish.
Mother sniffed. "You have your own palfrey to ride if you want to enjoy the fresh air. I expect you to conduct yourself with decorum, which is why I selected two ladies-in-waiting to travel with you." She nodded toward the women waiting behind her. I knew both of them, of course, although not very well.
The older woman curtseyed first. 'Your Highness," she said. It was Hortense, one of my mother's older ladies-in-waiting. Everyone knew better than to do anything unseemly when Hortense was around for fear of receiving one of her famous tongue-lashings. I'd always suspected that one of Hortense's duties was to act as my mother's spy.
The other lady-in-waiting curtseyed so low that she had a hard time getting back up. Her name was Lucy, and she was the plumpest of my mother's ladies as well as the best at doing my mother's hair. My mother never traveled without Lucy, so I was surprised she was sending her with me. 'Your Highness," Lucy said, panting from exertion.
"These ladies will accompany you. Even so," Mother said, looking thoughtful, "I don't think this is enough. To make the right impression, one must be impressive."
"Mother, I'm not waiting for anyone else. Eadric and I want to get started today."
"And you will. The rest will leave tomorrow. Your father is busy or he'd have come to see you off. Be careful on the road and listen to your ladies. They can advise you on etiquette in foreign courts."
"Of course, Mother," I said. Why hadn't Eadric and I left sooner? "But if I have to have more people along, I'll take an extra carriage. I'd prefer to ride alone in mine."
"If you must," my mother conceded.
Hortense and Lucy climbed into the second carriage while I slipped off Bright Country's back. The horse whuffled my hair as I patted his neck, knowing that no matter how uncomfortable riding him might have been, the carriage was going to be much worse.
I glanced at the palfrey my mother had mentioned. She was tethered to another horse that one of the servants was riding and seemed like a nice enough mare, but I didn't know her and didn't feel like getting acquainted just then. Instead, I climbed into the first carriage and sat back with a sigh.
"Hi!" said Li'l once the door was shut. Carriages don't have rafters as she'd hoped they would, but the little bat had found purchase for her claws and was hanging upside down in the corner. "Isn't this exciting! I can't wait to get started."
The carriage moved with a jolt, making Li'l sway back and forth. "Then it looks like you got your wish," I said, feeling glum. My mother wasn't happy because I didn't have a full complement of escorts. I wasn't happy because my mother had been right about one thing and now I was stuck with so many people. And as for Eadric, well, at least he had a horse he liked and didn't have to ride in a carriage.
We hadn't quite reached the gate when someone shouted and the carriage rolled to a stop. "Now what?" I said, sticking my head out the window.
"When you get back, we'll plan a lovely wedding for you," my mother called from the steps to the castle. 'Your father still has to arrange the wedding contract, so we'll have plenty of time to make all the necessary arrangements."
"Great," I said, waving good-bye. Settling back in my seat, I closed my eyes and sighed.
Four
We made good time the first day, partly becau
se I refused to make the frequent stops that my mother usually demanded. At least I was the only human in my carriage and didn't have to talk to my mother's handpicked ladies. Li'l slept most of the morning, dangling from the roof of the carriage like a little black tassel. We had gone only a few miles past the farms surrounding the castle grounds when I felt something crawl onto my lap.
"Oh!" I said when I realized that it was Shelton. He must have hidden in the folds of my gown just as he had on the day that we met. "What are you doing here?"
"I was thinking about what you said. I won't mind if you don't spend all your time with me. I like to travel and see the sights, so you go right ahead and do whatever it is you need to do. If you're going on a long trip, you need me to go with you. You never know when these might prove useful," he said, clacking his claws. "Where are we going anyway?"
I sighed, knowing that I wasn't about to take him back and risk having my mother add to my entourage. "To visit Eadric's parents. They live in Upper Montevista, the kingdom just to the north of Greater Greensward. I've never been there myself, but I hear it's very beautiful."
"Are there any oceans?" asked the little crab.
I shook my head. "No oceans, but there are a lot of mountains."
"That's too bad," he said, and then he scuttled up the wall to the window ledge. "Wow, this thing goes fast!" Grabbing hold with his claws, he fought to keep his balance until I put my hand up to help him.
"I suppose," I said, although a moment before, I'd been thinking how slowly we were moving.
"Where are we now?"
I leaned forward to look out the window. "We're in the enchanted forest. This is the only road that will take us where we want to go. These trees are hundreds of years old."
"Do they have coconuts?" he asked, swiveling his eyestalks toward the tops of the trees. The only trees growing on the island where we'd met had been surrounded by fallen coconuts that the green crabs seemed to love.