by Shelby Hild
“Where did that come from?” An unknown woman’s muffled voice said. “You didn’t come here with that.”
“I sent for it,” another voice replied, just as muffled.
“No one is allowed in or out of the manor,” the first voice said.
“I-I got it right before the quarantine started.”
“No deliveries have arrived for the last two weeks. I’ve seen your wardrobe and there’s no way anyone made it for you since the last time I’ve seen it. And since we are sharing servants while in this hovel, anything they offer you they’d have to offer me as well.”
“I…”
“You’re hiding something.”
“What would I have to hide?”
“I read something once,” the voice said, changing from the accusatory voice to a conversational tone. Steps sounded across a wooden floor. “About when magic was still around. There was a special ability that involved moving things with the mind.”
“What are you getting at?”
“The stronger the ability in a person, the farther the distance they could move things. Some could even allegedly make something disappear from another kingdom and just appear in front of them. Fetching, they called it. It wasn’t just him, was it? Oh, my gosh, this is rich. I can’t wait to tell the prince. You’ll be disqualified!”
Vivilyn couldn’t see either of the speakers, but the vision was pulled away by strong arms catching her.
Laughing, Iza pulled out of Vivilyn’s arms and jumped lightly onto the ground.
“That was fun! Let’s do it again!”
The person holding Vivilyn coughed, causing her to look up. A man Vivilyn had never seen before smiled, looking down at her from piercing greenish-brown eyes.
“I think you’re falling for the wrong guy, Lady Vivilyn,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean, you’re lovely, but I’m old enough to be your grandfather. Albeit a very handsome and fit grandfather.”
Vivilyn felt her cheeks grow hot as the man set her down. He stood up straight. “Malcolm Ozwell, at your service, m’lady.” He gave a deep bow.
“You’ve got me confused with someone else,” Vivilyn said. “I am no Lady.” Malcolm looked into Vivilyn’s eyes, smiled, and then looked up to the tree.
“Obviously,” he said with a laugh. “I can’t imagine any Ladies of Rank climbing a tree, much less falling out of one.” A short woman brushed invisible dirt off Malcolm’s shoulders. Vivilyn hadn’t noticed her before, as she stood slightly behind and to the left of Malcolm. The man continued, “You are Vivilyn Minette of Treelyn? The one chosen three nights ago for the Enchanted Trials?”
Vivilyn nodded.
“Oh, good,” he replied with a single clap of his hands. “By the end of next week, no one will be able to tell that you’re a tree-climbing merchant’s daughter.”
“Orchardist,” Duncan said, as he tried to wrangle Iza on his shoulders to keep her from climbing back up into the trees.
“What?” Malcolm asked.
“Orchardist,” Duncan repeated. The glare he gave Malcolm could have frozen fire. “Our father is an orchardist, not a merchant. And our mother cultivates the largest garden in town.”
“I meant no offense,” Malcolm said, hands raised apologetically. “An orchardist… that sounds better than a merchant, much classier. Andrea, make a note of that.” The woman standing beside Malcolm wrote something down in a booklet no bigger than her hand. Malcolm looked closely at Vivilyn. “Earth tones, and lilac. Rusts and bronze for daily eyes, gold and bright colors for more formal events.” He lifted her hair. “Healthy and thick.” He nodded to himself as he took a step back. “You give us plenty to work with. Meet us at the Administrations Office in an hour. We should have a place set up to start working by then.”
“Working for what?” Vivilyn asked.
“To start preparing you for the Enchanted Trials, of course,” Malcolm said. “There’s still so much to do before going to the Ettravil Palace and taking your place as one of the Chosen.”
Before Vivilyn could respond, Malcolm and Andrea turned and walked away. Magnar stepped forward from the shadows under the trees with Suzetta right behind him.
“Let’s get these back home.” Magnar gestured to the apples Iza, Duncan, and Vivilyn had spent the day picking. They’d filled four wheelbarrows and two large baskets. Although Iza was an energetic little flutterbird and rarely did what she was told, she managed to collect the same number of apples that a regular adult could get. Eso and Mo were helpful in gathering the apples as well, but they remained in the shop today to help Verno sift through the prettier of the fruits to sell from the previous day’s haul.
As they walked from the orchard back to their house, all eight of the people they passed waved and greeted Vivilyn as if they were old friends. Vivilyn only knew one of them.
Iza, still sitting on Duncan’s shoulders, happily waved back to everyone as though she was the one they were interested in, while Vivilyn just smiled and nodded.
After they returned to the shop, it took most of the hour to clean and sort the newly harvested apples into their proper bins.
As Vivilyn set the final basket of washed apples on the counter in the back, she saw Suzetta counting the containers of herbs that she’d picked from the garden earlier that day.
“I think something is getting into the chamomile,” Suzetta said. She shook her head as she began to dig through a drawer. Vivilyn didn’t know what her mother was looking for.
“I’m gonna head out,” Vivilyn said. She walked by her mother to say goodbye to Magnar and Duncan. Suzetta looked up.
“Lyn,” Suzetta said. “Go wash your face. You’ve spent the day in dirt and it shows. You don’t want them to think we live in a barn or something.”
“What’s the problem with living in a barn?” Vivilyn asked, her face tilted in a half-smile. The half-smile turned into a full one as Suzetta’s eyes widened. “I’m joking, Mama.”
“You’d better be,” Suzetta said with a smile that matched Vivilyn’s. Taking the stairs two at a time, Vivilyn ran up them.
As soon as Vivilyn finished cleaning up and came back to shop level, Magnar looked up from restocking a crate of blueberries.
“What are you still doing here?” He asked, as Vivilyn jumped the last step. “I thought you left already.” He gestured outside in the direction of the Administrations Office. “You’re going to be late.”
“I’m never late,” she replied, making her way to the door. As she opened the door and stepped out, Vivilyn yelled her goodbyes.
Then she ran.
Vivilyn arrived at the Administrations Office exactly one hour after Malcolm and Andrea left the orchard. The red door seemed just as intimidating as it had on her birthday. A slight breeze seemed to usher in the sunset, along with the familiar smells of home-cooked dinners of roasting meat from the nearest houses.
The door opened silently as she approached it. The same wrinkled, old man that had been at the desk for her identification still stood at the door. This time he smiled. His cheeks looked stiff as if they weren’t accustomed to the motion. The man bowed stiffly before speaking.
“Welcome, Lady Vivilyn,” he said with a nod of his head. “Mister Malcolm and his helpers are in the meeting hall to your right. I’ll lead the way.” He held his arm out, much the same way Duncan did. Vivilyn felt slightly silly as she took his arm. She was at least a head taller than the man.
“It’s not every day we get a celebrity here,” he said as he took slow steps.
“I’m no celebrity,” Vivilyn said quietly. He didn’t seem to hear her.
A man and a woman went around the entrance lighting as few candles as possible for people to see. The Administrations Office normally closed to the public before candles were necessary unless there was some emergency or something important was occurring in town. Starting preparations for Vivilyn to be in the Enchanted Trials didn’t seem important enough to warrant the candles.
We should have waited until tomorrow,
Vivilyn thought. No matter how much training I get, I’m still going home at the first ceremony. There’s no way I’ll last longer than that.
“Here you are, Lady Vivilyn,” he said as he opened the double doors to the council chambers, rather than just a meeting hall. Before returning to his post, he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. He appeared oblivious to the droplet of saliva he left to slide down her fingers. Vivilyn’s first impulse was to wipe her hand on her leg, but she managed to refrain until the door closed behind her.
Vivilyn could only recall a single time where she had been in the council chamber prior. It was large enough to hold every permanent member of Treelyn in case of emergency. When meetings took place, it was a running joke through town that a meeting could last months. Anyone who wanted to speak could, as long as they waited their turn. They could also vote upon someone to speak for them.
The room had a circular wooden table in the center large enough to hold up to ten people. To one side was a large chalkboard with notes from the last meeting still legibly written on it, something about how to keep the town clean with all the newcomers. There was an asterisk next to spreadable diseases.
Malcolm stood on the opposite side of the room near the tiered seating meant for observers of the meetings. He gestured to various swatches of cloth Andrea held up for him. Then he turned and nodded to Vivilyn.
“Nell, I told you it was her,” Vivilyn heard Tia’s voice from the other side of the large room. She looked over to the women who took her still with her brow furrowed.
“You didn’t have to tell me, I already knew,” Nell said as she shook her head. They both hurried over to hug Vivilyn.
“What are you two doing here?” Vivilyn asked, returning the hugs only slightly. She still hadn’t decided how to feel about the two women, especially since Magnar seemed so sure that they were up to something.
“They are two more members of your team for the upcoming Trials,” Malcolm interjected as he and Andrea moved over to join the rest of the group. “They will be taking your official stills as one of the Chosen for Prince Aiden’s Enchanted Trials.” He held three cloth swatches: one black, one red, and one green.
He continued, “They will also be in charge of your hair and makeup.”
Before Vivilyn could ask how they got assigned to her team or if there were any other members she should be aware of, Malcolm lifted the green cloth against Vivilyn’s cheek.
One by one, Malcolm held the remaining swatches to her face.
“First impressions are incredibly important, especially for these Trials. If you don’t stand out, you’ll blend in. Those that blend in don’t make it far. Unfortunately, we can’t have you fall out of a tree into the prince’s arms,” Malcolm continued as he handed the red and green pieces back to Andrea. “As memorable as that would be, it just isn’t in the cards. Someone would think you were trying to assassinate him. It would turn into a huge scandal. And although scandals do keep the show more amusing, we want them to happen with others, not with you.
“You are coming into the Trials as an underdog. In all my years of working in the Trials, only one person not of Rank has gone to the final rounds of the Trials.” As Malcolm spoke, Andrea walked over to the table and set the discarded colors aside before picking up three new colors.
“People will want to see you go far, which means if you make it to the second phase, if you come across as even a remotely good candidate for queen, you should have a rising fan base.” He paused in his speech as the door to the hall opened and a short, balding man with small oval eyes walked in. Vivilyn waved to him, glad to see a familiar face.
Malcolm continued, “You will need to be graceful, kind, and compassionate.”
“She won’t have any issue with that,” Ziglo Tailor said as he approached the group. “In the years I’ve known her, I’ve seen her grow from a very awkward child into a very warm-hearted young woman, if a bit quiet.”
As Andrea turned to the newcomer, she shook her head and tsked. Vivilyn wasn’t sure why, but she felt like Ziglo was in trouble.
“You’re late,” Malcolm said.
“I had a family matter to attend to,” Ziglo replied. He took a small sketchbook out of his bag and shifted his gaze to Vivilyn.
“It had to do with your friend, Lady Vivilyn.” He bowed to Vivilyn as he said lady and it made her uncomfortable. She’d known him since his family had moved to Treelyn six years ago. He had never given her any sort of special recognition.
Vivilyn didn’t like that sort of change. She didn’t want people to bow to her. Not seeming to notice her discomfort, Ziglo smiled and flipped his sketchbook open.
“Did Ryso finally talk to you about Cleo?” Vivilyn asked. She tried to peer at his sketches. Renowned for his glamorous designs, Ziglo was training each of his children to follow in his footsteps.
“She made up her mind about him years ago,” Ziglo said. “If he thinks she didn’t demand we let him court her back when we first moved to town, he doesn’t know what he is getting into. I had no choice but to allow it.” His eyes sparkled with delight as he talked about his only daughter. “I’d say if he mistreats her, I’ll never forgive him, but if he mistreats her, she’ll take care of him better than anything I could do. That’s exactly what I told him when he asked.”
“That tiny Tailor girl?” Tia asked, her face tilted to the side.
“She might be little, but I’ve never known a stronger person. Her tongue alone could whip a full-grown dragon into doing her slightest bidding,” Vivilyn said. She shook her head, remembering the sound lashing Cleo had given Duncan when he tried to convince her apples and tomatoes were the same thing. Cleo would have made an incredible option for the Chosen.
Why me? Vivilyn still didn’t understand why she had been chosen when there were so many better options.
Ziglo opened his mouth to respond after a short chuckle, but Malcolm tapped his foot impatiently. Ziglo coughed slightly, before speaking. “I have the requested previews for you.”
“Come, come. Let me see what you have brought for us,” Malcolm said while he pulled Ziglo to the side. Apparently, this was an unspoken cue to get to work. Nell and Tia moved back to the side to discuss something quietly, and Andrea left the room completely.
No one gave Vivilyn any notice as they became caught up in their own conversations. She stood by herself, unsure what to do. As everyone else went about their business, Vivilyn shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Her hands felt still as they hung by her sides, so she twisted them behind her back. That didn’t feel right either, so she moved them crossed them in front of her chest. Vivilyn sighed. Why did she need to be here if they were just going to go about by themselves?
“Very good!” Malcolm cheered suddenly, startling Vivilyn into standing up straight. She hadn’t even noticed she was slouching. “And you can have it ready in time?”
Ziglo nodded. “It’ll be close, but it will be ready.”
“Perfect. That will make a statement.”
Nell and Tia reappeared from the other side of the room and showed Malcolm miniature plates of different powders. As Tia pointed to each plate, Nell brought attention to different parts of her face.
“Isn’t that one a bit…” Malcolm gestured in a small circle to one of the powders, “small, uninspired, drab?” He wrinkled his nose at Nell. Although Vivilyn had never worn it before, Maia had shown off her mother’s makeup once when they were much younger. Vivilyn assumed the powders must have something to do with that.
“She can’t be glamorous at all times,” Nell replied. “She needs to show people that she’s real. This is simple, but it will still give her enough color to make her looks shine.”
“Fine, fine,” Malcolm said with a sigh. “Where is Andrea?” As though she'd been summoned by his question, Andrea walked back into the room, followed by a line of people carrying plates and bowls and napkins. Different scents attacked Vivilyn’s nose, from breads to meats. She could hear some of the
plates sizzling under their covers.
“Before we get to that,” Malcolm said, finally gesturing towards Vivilyn again, “measurements!”
Ziglo rushed forward with a rolled-up tape measure. Before Vivilyn could think of what happened, Ziglo measured every little part of her twice. He called out numbers that Vivilyn assumed someone wrote down, but when she tried to look and see who it was, Ziglo swatted lightly at her hand. She didn’t try to move again.
“That’s that,” Ziglo said as he stepped back. “Now I shall say farewell to you all.” After he collected his things, he all but ran out of the room. As if chased by a muse herself, no doubt.
Vivilyn knew what it felt like when inspiration arrived unexpectedly.
Last time it hit her, she’d been in the middle of pulling weeds in her mother’s garden. In her rush to finish the chore so she could go grab paper and sketch the image in her mind, she accidentally pulled up a part of a mint plant. Suzetta was less than pleased about it.
“Bye,” Tia said, crossing her arms in front of her. “Some people have no manners, not even saying bye to everyone.”
“He bid us all farewell,” Vivilyn said.
“It’s not the same thing,” Tia said, shaking her head.
“Ignore her,” Nell said. “Sometimes she likes to add drama where there is none.”
“Now, let us move on to dinner,” Malcolm said, clapping his hands for everyone’s attention. “Nell, be a darling help and be the King, Andrea you will be the Queen, and Tia if you will be the Prince. Places everyone!”
Tia giggled excitedly as the three of them took their places at the table. Malcolm led Vivilyn to the opposite side of the table.
And so began the longest dinner Vivilyn had ever been to. She didn’t realize how much actually went into a dinner in the presence of the royals.
Sit up straight! The prince is no longer eating--why are you? Stand up. Sit down! Wrong spoon. The queen is wiping her mouth, you wipe yours. The king stood up--you should have already been on your feet. There were so many different critiques, Vivilyn’s head spun. If that dinner was anything like a real dinner with the royal family, she would be getting a workout to counter the nine-course meals.