Jasmine’s sister came to help. Jasmine’s sister and Ritta helped calm Jasmine down and in no time Jasmine was cheerful again. Her mother went to see if the reception had begun, and we stayed with Jasmine. “Where is the little tiara?” I asked since she wasn’t wearing it.
Her face saddened. “It broke. I don’t know why... maybe it wasn’t from a good material, and when I put it on, it broke.”
It was unfortunate, but I had the solution. I searched in my bag that contained the other dress and found my tiara. “Wear this. I was to wear it, but I think it’s too much with this dress. It’s already light so... take it.”
Jasmine stared at me. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Don’t worry. I have other ways of attracting attention if I want to.”
I petted Midnight who was calm and licked my hand. Midnight went to inspect Jasmine and her sister and smelled their feet. “She’s so cute.” Jasmine’s sister exclaimed.
“I will give you the tiara once the wedding is over,” Jasmine said once she had put the tiara on.
“You can’t.”
She looked at me curiously. “Why not?”
“It is said that small tiaras used in weddings should be worn only by one person; otherwise, it would be bad luck.” I didn’t need any more of that.
“Oh. I didn’t know. How can I repay you?”
“Just be beautiful for your wedding and less... nervous?”
She laughed. “When you get married, I will give you a tiara for your wedding.” I doubt I will ever get married.
Her sister gave her a bottle of perfume to put on, but Jasmine’s hands were trembling and she dropped the bottle, and it broke. “Oh, no. That was my favorite. What do I do now?” Jasmine asked sadly.
“What kind of perfume was it?” Ritta asked.
“Jasmine,” she said.
She was in luck. I took some jasmine flowers from the vases, and her sister asked, “What are you doing?”
“I can make a tiny portion of the perfume for her to wear. It’s not more difficult than making a healing potion.” I went to the bathroom and I made the perfume, using a little magic to speed up the process. I heard the door to Jasmine’s room open, and I guessed her mother had returned.
“Eva. Hurry up,” Ritta called out.
I went out with a tiny bottle of perfume. “It’s ready, but it’s better I do it to avoid accidents.” I put the perfume on her.
“Dear. That smells like real jasmine,” her sister said.
“If you brew it too long, it will wear out very fast. That’s why the one you had didn’t smell much. You have three more doses, so don’t break it. One more thing: don’t tell anyone, or I will have more customers than I can handle.” She laughed.
Ritta and I left the room and took our places. I was next to Jonathan and Ritta was next to my mother and Alicia and her family. Was this a joke? Who arranged the seats? Alicia and her family greeted me warmly. They were staying at my mother’s. “Is it comfortable?” I asked. “You can stay with me if you want—half of you at my Mother’s house and half of you at my house.” Alicia wanted to stay with me, so when we left, she would come home with us. “How was the other wedding?” I asked.
“Nice, but not like this one. Although it seems pretty simple to me,” Alicia’s mother said.
“It is,” Ritta said.
“What took you so long?” Jonathan asked.
“We had a little accident with a perfume.” He raised his eyebrows. “It’s fixed.”
The priest stood in front and prepared to begin the ceremony. Alec entered and stood near the priest. Jonathan went to join him. Jonathan was the closest person Alec had to a family, and it was only right that he would be his best man at the wedding. Jasmine was presented and everyone turned to look at her.
“She’s so beautiful,” Alicia whispered and I smiled.
After Alec and Jasmine exchanged vows, Alec gave her the moon flower, and Jasmine put it in her bracelet so she wouldn’t lose it. After they both said, “I do,” Alec raised her veil, and they kissed. Everyone sighed and applauded. I saw some ladies wiping tears, but I didn’t feel the need to cry. I felt like I wanted to dance for joy.
Then the bride asked the unmarried ladies to gather so she could throw her bouquet. Why the ladies only? And why have I just defended men? Jasmine turned and threw the bouquet. Every lady tried to catch it, but the bouquet landed in... my hands. All the ladies turned to me. “Oops.” I shrugged and the ladies from the village applauded because they knew me, and the royal ladies tried not to turn green with envy.
Afterward, Alec and Jasmine left to change for the coronation, and the palace staff changed the decorations and the flowers. Ritta and I went to help Jasmine and Jonathan walked up to us. “You go help Alec, and we are going to Jasmine. I can’t do both at the same time.”
“Don’t worry, it will be fine,” he said confidently.
We helped Jasmine change her dress, jewelry, and shoes. Next, we arranged her hair. Jasmine let us change in her room, and we put our other dresses on.
“Oh. That’s so beautiful. It’s like you are wearing the sea,” Jasmine’s sister said.
“You should have seen the dress she wore at the ball. It blended in with the crowd,” Jasmine said, smiling. She pointed at Ritta’s dress. “I like this one too.”
“And I can wear it from both sides,” Ritta said proudly.
“Pretty and practical.” I smiled. “Two things in one.” The sisters laughed.
“I am sorry to interrupt, but people are waiting, so we must go,” Ritta said.
“I’m ready,” Jasmine said.
“A queen is never late,” I said to Ritta while leaving, and she added, “She’s not queen yet,” and the two sisters laughed again.
We took our seats, and Jonathan asked, “When did you change your dress, Eva?”
“A little while ago.” I shrugged. “I am an honorable guest so...”
“You are beautiful in this dress too.” He smiled. “It’s like you are the princess of the ocean.” That was a change from “you are wearing the sea.” Maybe he wanted to impress me.
The princess became queen wearing a beautiful silver tiara with jewels in it, and the small tiara made her even more regal. The prince became a king, and he was as royal as any king could be, but I knew it was his kind heart that shone the most and not the things he wore.
I smiled and Jonathan took my hand. “That’s the way it should have been from the beginning.” Maybe he was right. Maybe Alec was meant for this.
The king and queen announced the beginning of the celebrations, but Ritta and I once again went to Jasmine’s room. “Where are you going?” Jonathan asked.
“We go to the queen’s room to help her, and you go to the king’s room to do the same.”
He raised his hands. “No wonder I quit. That’s way too many dresses and costumes.”
We went to the queen’s room. “Where is the dress, Your Majesty?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Oh no. You are not calling me like that. We are friends and you will call me Jasmine,” she said decisively, and we smiled. “It’s right there.” She pointed to a dress that was pink with some diamonds.
“Do you call this a simple dress?” I asked.
She pursed her lips. “No, but my mother chose it. I wanted a yellow dress with birds, but she brought me this. She said it would be more regal.”
We helped her put on the dress. “Heavens. That thing is heavy,” I said.
“Yes, it’s the diamonds. I wish I had the other dress. Ah, well. Another time, maybe,” she said.
“Maybe next time,” I said, and Ritta and I left.
Jonathan was walking toward the queen’s room. “Alec is done. Please tell me it’s the last time. I am going crazy with all those outfits, and it’s not even me who wears them. I can’t imagine how Alec must feel.”
“Dizzy perhaps, but happy,” I speculated.
“So...” Jonathan started, but Alec joined
us and hugged me.
“Thank you for everything. How can I ever thank you enough?”
“You can’t.” I smiled and he laughed. “I am going to leave Midnight in the pets’ room.”
“Why haven’t you already?”
“I wanted to see if she would behave,” I said and left with Midnight meowing at my every step. “Yes, I know you are going to play. Yes, you are a good cat.”
We entered the room and saw a lot of people had left their animals. I saw cats, dogs, and rabbits. “Now go and behave. I will pick you up before we go. And be nice to the dogs.” Midnight didn’t move, which was weird. “Midnight?” She hissed so I looked around the room to see what had bothered her, and when I saw it, I wished I hadn’t. A snake! A big green snake with yellow eyes. Midnight gathered the animals around us. The snake hadn’t spotted us yet.
I heard footsteps and then “Eva?” Jonathan was here. “What’s wrong?” he said. He must have seen the weird line of animals at my feet.
I said in a low voice without moving my lips, “There is a snake in here. Don’t make sudden movements and get... the snake person.” I didn’t know if the snake had an owner or if it was from outside, and I didn’t care.
Jonathan slipped out of the room unnoticed, but the snake turned and saw us. The snake coiled and attacked.
The animals took cover in a corner, but unfortunately, I didn’t make it, and the snake bit me. Never get bitten by a snake. It hurts like hell! I grabbed the snake behind its head and shoved it into a box nearby. I quickly closed the lid and put some heavy objects on top so it couldn’t get out.
My arm hurt badly. I sat on the floor and Midnight came to lick my wound, but she couldn’t do anything. It wasn’t bleeding so her ability couldn’t help me now. I heard running footsteps. “Eva. Eva!” Ritta must have sensed my pain.
“A snake bit me.”
She examined the bite. I was too tired to think of an herb that could heal me. Was there one? It should... but I couldn’t remember... I heard more running footsteps. “Eva!” Jonathan shouted. I saw him, but at the same time, I didn’t. My vision blurred. He took my arm, and I looked at him. His eyes were the last thing I saw.
When I opened my eyes, I was still in the pets’ room but I felt better. Did someone heal me? I saw Jonathan, and he put me into Ritta’s arms and ran outside. What happened? I looked at Ritta and she smiled. “He just saved your life.” I looked at her in confusion. “He sucked the venom from your arm.”
“How did he take it?”
“How?” She smiled wider. “With his mouth.”
“Oh no.”
“Don’t worry. He will spit it out now, I am sure. That’s why he left. It was pretty brave you know and risky. You don’t just do stuff like this without knowing.”
I felt my cheeks redden. It was a little heroic. “The snake?”
Her expression was serious. “Locked in a room. It has an owner; it’s him, you know, the prince with the snake.”
Had he come to cause havoc at a ball once again? I tried to get up and she helped me up. “Maybe you should rest.”
I shook my head. “No, I will eat something, and I will be fine.”
Jonathan returned. “Maybe you should rest.”
Not this again. “I will eat something, and I will be fine,” I repeated. He took my arm and guided me to an empty seat. My arm had a blue bandage, probably someone’s handkerchief. He came back with a plate full of food. I stared at him. “When I said I would eat, I didn’t mean exactly that. I can’t eat all of that.”
He smiled and gave me a fork. “Half for me and half for you.” We ate and talked, and I felt like that time in Paris when we shared that beer.
A girl walked this way and stopped in front of us. She could be called pretty if not for all those colors on her face: her lips were too red and her eyes too black. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was a vampire. “Jonathan,” she said.
Oh, not that voice. Her voice was like a cat’s voice when complaining, and I hated it in humans. With cats it was cute and funny, but with humans? I wanted to throw the girl to the other corner of the room.
“They told me you are not a king anymore... What did you do? Offend someone? Whatever it is, you can be king again, just come with me.”
That girl was more uninformed than anyone in this village. And I didn’t like her. Everything on her was so fake. I wanted her to go away.
“I didn’t do anything. I just quit.”
She pouted like a young child. “Why? Why would you deny the power and the money?”
“Because I don’t need either to be happy,” Jonathan said, but it seemed like he was talking to a wall.
“Oh, I know. You want to marry someone else and leave this small village. I don’t blame you.”
I couldn’t take this anymore, so I got up. “Excuse me,” I said, but I doubted the girl paid any attention to me, and I stepped away from the table.
“Eva.” I turned and looked at Jonathan. “You still owe me that dance.”
I smiled. “I don’t owe you anything, but come and find me. I will be with Alicia.” I found Alicia who was dancing with a boy. “You are having fun, I see.”
Alicia grinned. “Yes, have you danced yet?” I shook my head. “Why not?” she asked.
“Maybe because nobody likes me that much. They like my paintings and my herbs, but not me very much.” Or because I was busy being bitten by a snake.
She gave me a questioning look. “Then it’s their loss. You are very beautiful and anyone should be able to see it unless they are blind.” She was kind.
Jasmine’s sister came up to me. “Hello.”
I smiled. “Hello. That’s my friend Alicia.” Alicia stopped dancing and walked over to us. “Alicia, this is the queen’s sister.” Alicia was thrilled to meet her and asked so many questions she made my head spin.
“It was nice meeting you,” Alicia said and returned to her dancing.
Jasmine’s sister turned to me. “Eva? Can I ask your advice about something?”
I nodded. “Come with me.” The queen’s sister and I found an empty table and sat.
“Well, I danced a couple of times with this boy.” Uh-oh, relationships. I am terrible with relationships. “He seems nice, but I think he is, um, well like you.”
A peasant? “So? What’s the problem?” The problem was most likely that he was not a royal.
“I like him, but well, my mother wants me to marry a royal. I like that boy, and I don’t know what to do...”
That was a dilemma: obey Mom or obey heart? That was a big question. “First, let’s see that boy you are talking about...”
She tipped her head to the side. “It’s him with the brown hair and the green eyes. He has a blue bow.”
Blue bow? Well, that was a bold choice. I found him and when I did, I wanted to laugh. “Oh. Him? Well, he has a respected job in the community, and he is known for his kindness. He has helped me many times, but I have done the same too. He is nice and good-looking, but not my style.”
She smiled shyly. “How can I know about his intentions?”
That was easy. I waved at Ritta passing by. “You called?” she asked.
“Find out the intentions of the wood boy toward the queen’s sister.” She smiled and went to the boy and I watched them converse.
“Why do you call him wood boy?” the queen’s sister asked me curiously.
“That’s his job. He builds houses and furniture and, well, anything. I wish I could do what he does. Healing is essential, but if you don’t have a roof over your head, you will keep getting sick no matter what medicine you take.”
She smiled. “You are right. It is a respectable job.”
Yes, but would you take the risk? “And you will come to live here?”
She shrugged. “I don’t care where I live as long as I am happy. I want a simple life. I don’t mind if it’s near the sea or in a village. As long as I love the one I have chosen and he loves me too, we
can face anything.”
I smiled. Like queen like sister. “If there were more people like you, the world would be a happier place.” She blushed.
Ritta returned from her interrogation and announced, “Well, princess, you have made quite an impression on him, but he didn’t know you were a princess or the queen’s sister, so be assured that his motives are pure. He just wants a wife who he can share his life with, no matter the place.” Imagine that. “He also apologizes if his manners were not that good, but he thought you were a peasant. He wants me to pass his deepest apologies, and he is really sorry if he has offended you by any means.”
I looked at the boy and he looked sad, but when he looked at the princess, he blushed. Oh dear.
The princess smiled. “That’s what I wanted to hear,” she said and went to him. I watched them talk for some minutes, and then the princess gave him a kiss on the cheek and they parted ways.
“Really now? You will think I am reading a fairy tale,” I said and Ritta laughed.
“Well, you might have caught the bouquet, but I think we will have another royal wedding pretty soon.”
“I didn’t mean to catch it.”
Ritta walked toward the dance floor. “You never intend to do anything on a personal level, but it does happen. Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something?”
“At last,” Jonathan said. “I have been searching for you. It’s not easy in a crowd like this.”
I shrugged. “I was busy.”
“With what?”
Making others’ dreams come true. “Fairy tales.”
He seemed confused. “So, um”—he held his hand—“dance with me?”
I smiled and took his hand. “I have heard more polite invitations to a ball.”
He laughed as he guided me toward the dancing crowd. “But you will always find them rude.”
No, I would consider them. “That’s hardly true.”
Slow violin music played, and we danced with the music and twirled in circles. “So how is the life of a peasant?”
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