Power of a Princess

by E. D. Baker

  “It wasn’t really that long,” Poppy said from over by the window. “It just felt like it to us because we want to talk to her about something really, really important.”

  Aislin sighed and sat down on a toadstool. “All right, what is it that’s so terribly important?” she asked. All she wanted to do was go to bed, but she couldn’t put her friends off any longer.

  “I’ve heard rumors that Queen Surinen wants you to choose some ladies-in-waiting,” said Poppy. “I know for a fact that all the fairy girls are planning to ambush you tomorrow to ask you to pick them and I wanted to tell you that I want to be on that list, too.”

  “And me!” cried Twinket. “I really, really, really want you to pick me!”

  “It’s true that I’m supposed to name some girls, but how did you know about it?” asked Aislin. “I just found out about it myself.”

  Poppy laughed. “Are you kidding me? This is the fairy queen’s palace. It’s loaded with fairies who have nothing better to do than use their magic to snoop and be nosy. I could sneeze once in my bedchamber tonight and even the scullery maids would know about it by morning. Half the court has spent days talking about who you would choose to be your ladies-in-waiting.”

  “I don’t know who I’ll choose yet,” said Aislin. “I have to think about it. But right now, I need to go to bed. I’m so tired I can barely move.”

  “Are you going to fall asleep sitting there like you did at the campfire?” Twinket asked. “Because if you are I can get you a blanket. That’s the kind of thing a lady-in-waiting would do for you and I would be a really good one.”

  Aislin shook her head and stood up. “I’ll just go to bed instead. Good night, you two. I’ll think about this whole ladies-in-waiting thing in the morning.”

  “Here, let me get the door,” Poppy said, running to open it.

  Aislin half stumbled into her bedchamber and headed to the large flower-draped bed suspended from the ceiling by four thick, strong vines. She was too tired to bother changing into her nightgown and barely made it onto the bed before she fell asleep.

  Aislin woke a few hours later with the light of the full moon filling her room. Rolling onto her side to face away from the window, she pulled the duckling-down comforter over her head to block out the light. Going back to sleep wasn’t easy. First, she noticed that she was tucked under the covers, even though she had fallen asleep on top of them. Then, she realized that she was wearing her nightgown, which meant that Poppy had used magic to change her clothes. When she rolled over again, she noticed that Twinket was curled up on the pillow beside her, sound asleep, just as she was most nights in case the princess needed something.

  Aislin smiled. Her two closest friends had started acting as her ladies-in-waiting when they went with her to the human lands and had never stopped. She’d start writing her list in the morning. Poppy would be at the head. Aislin would like to put Twinket down, too, but she didn’t know how impressed humans would be to see a lady-in-waiting who was a doll, albeit one that could walk and talk. Though, while she once would have hidden Twinket, she no longer had to hide any magic from the humans. Twinket could certainly be an honorary lady-in-waiting.

  As for the others … Aislin didn’t want ladies-in-waiting like the girls who surrounded the human princess, Selene. Rude and unkind, they were simply the pretty daughters of Selene’s stepmother’s friends, not people the princess would have picked herself. No, Aislin wanted to choose girls she liked and admired. They didn’t need to be pretty. They needed to be girls whom she could depend on, who wouldn’t be afraid to do what she needed them to do or go where she had to go. If Aislin was going out into the human kingdoms, she would need girls she could rely on to help her as much as Poppy and Twinket. There was no telling what she might run into when humans were in charge and the fey were only just getting used to being back among them.

  And then there were the guards that her grandmother had mentioned. She didn’t like the idea of fairy knights following her around wherever she went. But then maybe she wouldn’t need them. If she was smart, she could collect two birds in one basket. Aislin smiled a small, secret smile. She already had a good idea who might qualify to go on her list.

  Chapter 7

  Cooing doves woke Aislin the next morning. “Please be quiet,” she mumbled, opening her eyes just enough to glance at the birds on her window ledge. The doves grew silent and hunched down into their feathers. Aislin sighed. The birds had only been doing their jobs; it wasn’t their fault that she hadn’t canceled her normal wake-up coo.

  When Aislin looked around, she noticed Twinket was no longer on the other pillow. The princess wondered where the doll had gone, because they usually got up at the same time.

  It took Aislin a moment to remember the list she had to write, but then it was all she could think about. Slipping off the edge of her bed-swing, she padded into the bathing room. A two-foot-high waterfall splashed into the small pond at its base. Dogwood trees that never stopped blooming grew behind the waterfall, while daffodils and crocuses decorated the edge of the pond.

  Draping her nightgown over a branch, Aislin stepped into the pool and sank back so that her head was resting on a moss-covered rock that was shaped just for her. Closing her eyes, she thought about whom she would put on the list. Poppy, of course, but she would be the only fairy. A varied group would be more helpful, with their different attributes complementing each other’s abilities.

  Two girls came to mind immediately, though she knew they would be highly unconventional. Lin was a warrior through and through. As far as Aislin knew, the pedrasi girl had little knowledge of life at the fairy court, but she did know things that could come in handy outside the palace. Like all pedrasi, she had an affinity for rock and could sense her way through mountains—although not as well as Aislin—but it was always good to have a backup. Lin was a warrior, too, and would do well as one of Aislin’s guards.

  Deela probably didn’t know much about the court either, but the orc girl’s presence there would be so distracting that people wouldn’t notice if she didn’t use the correct fork to eat her food. That tendency to distract might come in handy at times. Orcs weren’t afraid of anything, which meant that Aislin could send her places that others might fear to go. And as a highly trained fighter, Deela could also count as one of her guards. Orc females were also known to be fiercer than males. Aislin was sure that her grandmother would approve the choice.

  Aislin decided that if she was going with unconventional, she might as well include Kimble, the spriggan girl who had shown herself to be brave and resourceful in Mount Gora. She was clever, too, which could definitely come in handy. Kimble would enjoy visiting the fairy court, even if it wasn’t Deephold.

  That left one more position to fill. Aislin laughed out loud when she thought about whom she’d like to add to the list. The girl was the same age as Deela, but much, much bigger, and would have an even bigger impact at court. Salianne was a giant and one of Aislin’s good friends, though they never saw each other as much as they’d like. She was loyal, honest, and caring, all traits that earned Aislin’s respect. Her parents were shy, like most giants, and they rarely came to court except when summoned. Aislin had a feeling that Salianne would enjoy the chance to meet people and would make a good addition to the list, regardless of what others might think. If Aislin’s ladies-in-waiting were meant to impress the humans, then who better than a giant? And even if she wasn’t trained as a warrior, her strength alone would make her an asset as a guard.

  Aislin frowned. If her friends were going to be both her ladies-in-waiting and her guards, they needed a new name. She thought about a few, quickly discarding each one. They’re going to be my champions, she finally mused, so why not call them that? The pedrasi word for champion was “mestari,” a word she’d always liked. Satisfied with her choices, Aislin reached for her violet-scented soap and scrubbed her arms, washing off the stone dust and grime from her trip. She was working up a good lather when the door t
o the bathing room burst open and Peony walked in carrying a tray with a covered dish.

  “I brought your breakfast, Your Highness,” the fairy said, smiling brightly. She was dressed in her best pink-and-white petal dress with her hair arranged on top of her head, as if she was on her way to a fancy party. “There are honey and seed cakes and fresh berries that I picked for you this morning.”

  Aislin sank under the water so that only her head was showing. “How thoughtful,” she said. “You can leave it on the table in my sitting room.”

  “I will in a minute,” Peony said. “But first I want to tell you what a good lady-in-waiting I would be. I could bring you breakfast like this every morning and carry all your messages and write your letters for you. I have very nice writing, as you can see on this note I left on the tray.”

  “I’m sure you do,” said Aislin. “But I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m taking a bath and I want to be alone.”

  “I just thought you’d want to know that I’m very interested in the position and—”

  “Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear enough. Please leave,” Aislin said.

  “Yes! Yes, of course! We can discuss this later,” said Peony. “I’ll wait for you in your sitting room.”

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” Aislin told her.

  “Then I suppose you’ll summon me later,” the fairy said, still looking hopeful. “I’ll just leave this on the table.”

  Aislin sighed as the door shut behind Peony. She knew the fairy, just as she knew most of the fairies in the palace, but they had never been friends or even all that friendly. Peony had always been more interested in gossip and appearances than in helping people, so they had very little in common. Even if Aislin had wanted more fairies on her list, she wouldn’t have chosen Peony.

  Aislin washed her hair and was under the waterfall, rinsing it, when Rose walked in carrying a pitcher and a dainty cup. Startled, Aislin came out of the water, spluttering. If the fairy had knocked on the door or announced herself, the princess hadn’t heard it. “I brought you berry juice!” the fairy said. “It’s a mixture I made myself.” With her vivid pink hair and bright pink lips, Rose always attracted attention. She was also more interested in the boy fairies than in being friends with a girl and had never had much time for Aislin.

  “I’m taking a bath,” Aislin said, her irritation growing. “Please leave.”

  “But I thought we could talk privately, girl to girl,” Rose said, and pouted.

  “And I’m telling you, princess to girl who wants to be a lady-in-waiting, get out!”

  “Of course. Sorry!” Rose said, making the contents of the pitcher slosh as she hurried out the door.

  “For flowers’ sake!” Aislin said, reaching for a towel.

  But it wasn’t over. “Here, let me get that for you,” said Apple Blossom, handing her the towel.

  Aislin gasped and wrapped the towel around herself. “When did you come in?” she cried.

  “While you were under the waterfall. I let Rose go first because I knew she’d mess up. It’s obvious that she would make a lousy choice. Too pushy, if you ask me. On the other hand, I would make a wonderful lady-in-waiting. I would—”

  “Leave!” Aislin shouted. She had never needed a lock on her bathing room door before this, but she was certainly going to request one now. Of course, fairies could get in anyway, but the smarter ones might take the hint.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything first?” asked Apple Blossom.

  Aislin grabbed the soap to throw at her, but the fairy turned small and flew out the window before the princess could take aim.

  The princess was fuming when she left the bathing room. She became even angrier when she stepped into her bedchamber and found two more fairies waiting for her. “Get out!” she said through gritted teeth.

  Seeing the look on her face, they became tiny and flew away, although they both left notes about themselves behind. Furious, Aislin got dressed in a hurry. When she remembered the list that her grandmother had given to her, she looked around the room, but the everyday magic that kept her rooms tidy had already cleaned and put away the clothes she’d worn the day before. Wondering where the list might be, she stepped into her sitting room to look for it. Three smiling fairies greeted her. They all fled when she glowered at them.

  Aislin thought she might have dropped the list, so she looked for it on the floor and beside the toadstool where she’d been sitting, but it wasn’t in either place. When she happened to glance at her desk, she found the list prominently displayed in the middle. The leaf was unfolded, though she was certain that it had been folded when she saw it last. Taking a closer look, she saw that there were at least twenty names on the leaf and all of them were fairies’.

  Aislin sat at the desk to read over the list. The names of the fairies who had just visited her were at the top. Aislin couldn’t understand why her grandmother had suggested so many. Counting them, she found twenty-two names, with no reasons why she should pick any of them.

  Shaking her head, she reached for a fresh leaf. She wrote her own list, making sure to include one or two reasons why she wanted each girl. The fairies who had pestered her weren’t going to be happy.

  After tucking the leaf into her pocket, Aislin started out the door—and almost ran into Azalea, who was waiting just outside. “I know you’re very busy, but I just wanted to give you this,” the fairy said, handing Aislin a note. “As you can see from my list of accomplishments, I’d make a wonderful lady-in-waiting.” The fairy gave her a big smile while backing up a few feet, then turned to hurry away.

  Aislin shook her head. Azalea’s name was on the list, too. She wondered why her grandmother had picked such pesky fairies.

  The princess had just started down the hall, heading for her grandmother’s chambers, when she saw Lady Hyacinth and nodded hello.

  “Good morning, Your Highness,” said the queen’s own lady-in-waiting. “I hope you slept well. Queen Surinen asked me to tell you that she’s in the fountain courtyard if you wish to talk to her now.”

  “Thank you,” Aislin said, and turned around. She had just started down the stairs when yet another fairy coming up them stopped right in front of her, blocking her way.

  Hydrangea was wearing a soft blue-petalled dress that rustled when she moved. “We need to talk,” the fairy told her. “I understand that lots of eligible fairies want to be one of your ladies-in-waiting, but you really need to be careful making your decision. You want someone you can trust. Someone you can rely on.”

  “I understand that,” said Aislin as she stepped to the side, hoping to walk around the fairy.

  Hydrangea stepped to the side, too, blocking Aislin again. “A lot of fairies in the castle are gossips. I can give you their names if you’d like. They would never keep your secrets and would tell everyone everything about you.”

  “That’s good to know,” Aislin said, and tried to get past her again.

  “I’m very discreet, however,” said Hydrangea. “And observant. I’m also a good listener. Why, I was just telling my friend Cowslip the other day that I’m the best listener I know.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Aislin replied, “but I need to get past you. If you’ll excuse me.”

  Hydrangea looked surprised. “What? Oh, sure. Just let me know when you want me to start as lady-in-waiting. I’ll need a few days to clear my schedule.”

  When the fairy still didn’t move aside, Aislin hurriedly stepped around her and continued down the stairs. She had just reached the first floor when a beautiful fairy with flowing blue hair came running over. “Princess Aislin! May I speak with you for a moment?”

  Although Aislin didn’t recognize her, there was something familiar about the fairy. “Let me guess—you want to be one of my ladies-in-waiting,” Aislin replied.

  “Uh, no, not at all,” the fairy said, sounding confused. “I just want to thank you for all you’ve done. I’m Baibre! Remember me? I looked much older
the last time we met. You were there when that human boy gave me the necklace and I got pulled into the amber locket. I blamed you and that boy for what happened at first, but I had plenty of time to think and I realized that it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known what my sister was like or what she had planned. When King Darinar put Aghamonda in the locket with me, I made her tell me what she had been up to and I was appalled! To think you stopped her. Well, I just wanted to thank you for bringing me to Queen Surinen. She straightened everything out and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “I’m glad it all worked out,” Aislin told her. “I’m just sorry it happened in the first place and that I wasn’t able to get you out of the locket myself.”

  “Oh, poo. Don’t give it another thought. Being stuck in that locket with my sister gave me plenty of time to tell her what I thought of her. She was the only one who really suffered! But I have to say that I’m glad she’s a statue now. My sister has always been a vengeful terror, even when she was little. At least now my parents and I will have a few hundred years without having to worry about what Aghamonda might have cooked up.”

  Aislin was relieved. She had been worried about Baibre and Aghamonda being trapped in the locket together. Although King Darinar had wrapped Aghamonda in vines and put a wad of leaves in her mouth after the battle, Aislin had wondered if the fairy was completely powerless. She’d been afraid for Baibre, though apparently the fairy could handle herself just fine.

  Aislin finally found her grandmother in the courtyard, standing in the sunlight examining a lifelike statue. Aislin was taken aback when she realized that the statue looked a bit like Baibre … until she remembered that Aghamonda was the fairy’s twin. Stepping closer, Aislin touched the statue with a tentative finger. This was stone, but it was also a living being, frozen in time.

  “She can’t move or speak, but she’s aware of what’s going on around her and can hear what I’m saying right now,” said Queen Surinen. “If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll repent her ways. If she doesn’t, she’ll have to get used to standing here forever. I’d feel sorry for her, but she brought this on herself for colluding with humans in a war. Now, tell me, have you given that list any thought?”