Chapter 10.
Three nights later the moon was full. The princesses watched it rising as they clapped the storyteller who had entertained them as they ate a late supper.
‘I’m going for a walk in the garden before bed,’ murmured Jade.
Her sisters looked at her in astonishment. Jade wasn’t interested in gardens at the best of times and to want to view them by moonlight was most unusual.
‘Whatever for?’ asked Pearl.
‘I feel like some fresh air,’ muttered Jade with a blush.
‘She probably wants to meet one of those pathetic princes,’ said Sapphire mischievously.
‘They are not pathetic. Some of them are very handsome,’ Jade replied indignantly. Sapphire made a face and Amber and Peridot began giggling.
‘We could sneak after her and watch,’ suggested Sapphire. ‘She really fancies Cuthbert of Zanglia. He’s always writing her poetry and stuff like that.’
‘Poetry! Oh yuk!’ Peridot made a face but trailed after Sapphire for want of anything better to do. It was too early for going to sleep and the moonlight made everything nearly as bright as day.
‘They are probably meeting at the Wishing Pool in the big garden,’ Sapphire whispered.
‘Wishing Pool?’ Peridot looked at her in astonishment.
‘Oh, I forgot. You don’t get to go into the main garden and learn the names of the Healing Plants and Sacred places for another year yet. Lucky you. It’s so boring. There’s the Well of Inspiration and the Grove of Meditation…’
‘Which one is the Wishing Pool,’ Peridot interrupted urgently.
‘Come on, I’ll show you. We’re not really allowed there without one of our mothers but if we are quiet then no one will know we’re there.’
Sapphire grabbed Peridot’s hand and led her though a large iron gate into the outer garden. They passed through several archways of curving trees before coming to a small courtyard dominated by a large circular bowl. Peridot remembered having seen it the first time she explore the garden but it had held no interest for her then. The bowl was filled with still water and surrounded by a circle of benches.
‘You’re supposed to be able to wish here, but nothing I’ve wished for has ever come true, giggled Sapphire.
Peridot stared into the pool. The water was clear and grey, with darker shadows where clipped trees were reflected in the depths. As Peridot watched, a cloud drifted past then the full moon was reflected in the bowl before her.
Peridot took a deep breath as sudden inspiration struck her. She gently lowered her hands into the water, careful not to cause any ripples. She slid her hands gently across until she was holding the reflection of the full moon in her cupped hands.
‘I wish the pig was a prince again,’ she whispered.
‘What are you doing?’ As Sapphire leaned against her and bumped her arm, the reflection shattered into a myriad of silver spots.
‘Nothing at all,’ grinned Peridot.
She went to bed that night convinced she had broken the spell. ‘I wonder how I will find out?’ she thought.
She didn’t have to wonder for long. Shortly after breakfast, one of the serving men brought her a summons from the king.
‘His majesty requests the presence of the Princess Peridot in the antechamber of the Acanthus room at midday.’
Peridot heard this with a sinking heart. The king rarely saw his daughters, and when he did it was invariably to punish them.
‘What did you do.’ gasped Topaz. ‘Do you think he’s found out about the hole in the wall? I haven’t told anyone,’ she whispered.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Peridot uncertainly.
Beryl looked at her in horror. ‘You must have done something terrible,’ she said in awe.
‘No I haven’t,’ Peridot defended herself, thinking guiltily of all the terrible things she had done. She found it hard to concentrate on her music lesson that morning and eventually Nandor, her teacher, gave up with a groan.
‘You are supposed to play the flute like a rippling stream. Like so.’ He demonstrated, a peal of notes sounding sweet and pure. ‘Instead you make the sound of a rusty gate creaking. I cannot bear it. Go and practise and I will listen to you again another day.’
Peridot flounced off with a sniff and whiled away the time until her interview with the king at the Bath House. She had Shiraz paint her fingernails purple and arrange her hair in a becoming knot on the top of her head, hoping to be able to make a good impression.
Finally it was midday and Peridot reluctantly made her way to the Acanthus room as the chimes sounded from the clock tower. The antechamber was empty as she stepped though the carved entranceway, and for one glorious moment Peridot thought that her father might have changed his mind. However a footman struck a gong in the passage outside, heralding the king’s arrival. A bustle of serving men, advisors, several stray princes and to Peridot’s dismay the Principal Queen accompanied him. Queen Vashti had little to do now that her daughter was satisfactorily married and had announced her intention taking a more active role in ruling the kingdom. So far the king had not been able to dissuade her and was making the best of a bad job by allowing her to accompany him on minor matters.
King Balthazar cast himself down on a high-backed seat and waved at Peridot to step forward.
She bowed her head before her father, wishing she didn’t feel quite so nervous.
‘Now, um, Peridot is it? Yes, well, er, I have received an offer for your hand in marriage,’ boomed the king.
Peridot stared at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. The queen regarded her with dislike and made a whispered remark to one of her serving women, who tittered behind her hand.
‘Well, say something, girl,’ snapped Balthazar irritably.
‘Who is it?’ asked Peridot stupidly.
A portly young man stepped forward and bowed to her. He had a pink florid complexion with short straw-like hair, and his ears stuck out from his head on either side. He bore a remarkable resemblance to a pig and an awful thought crossed Peridot’s mind as he gazed at her.
‘Prince Percival at your service, your highness. I have requested the pleasure of your hand in marriage from your father this morning. Long have I worshipped you from afar and I would like nothing better than you should spend the rest of your life with me.’
Peridot tried not to giggle. ‘From afar indeed! From the dirt at my feet,’ she thought. ‘He still looks a lot like a pig, too.’
‘Come on, we haven’t got all day. Accept the man so We can get on with Our chess game,’ the king snapped.
‘Um, thank you very much for the honour, but I don’t wish to be anyone’s wife just yet,’ mumbled Peridot, fighting the urge to laugh.
‘What’s that?’ the king was taken aback. ‘Are you refusing him?’
‘Yes,’ said Peridot simply.
There was an aghast silence. Here was a situation that Balthazar had no idea how to deal with. He looked imploringly at his queen for help.
‘She’s only a little girl,’ my lord, Vashti pointed out. ‘Perhaps in a year or so she might be more welcoming,’
‘Yes, yes. Good idea. We’ll announce the betrothal then and have the formal ceremony in about five years time.’
‘No we won’t’ shouted Peridot. ‘I won’t marry him. I don’t even like him and you can’t make me.’
There was a sudden silence as Peridot realised what she had said. The king was a nasty shade of mottled purple. ‘Don’t you dare defy me, young lady. You’ll do what I say or, or…’ he spluttered to a stop.
‘Perhaps I may make a suggestion,’ put in Dinsala smoothly. He was one of the king’s chief advisors and the one who generally did all the sensible things required to keep the kingdom running smoothly. Peridot had always been fond of him since the day he found her sobbing over a broken music box in a corner of one of the courtyards. It was a cheaply made, rather garish painted box, but it had been a present from her mother. Peridot had been heartbroken
when a jealous Garnet had tried to wrench if from her and broken the lid in the process. Dinsala had tactfully given her his handkerchief and arranged for one of the royal carpenters to repair the box so skillfully that no one would guess it had ever been broken. Peridot had only seen him since from time to time but he was one of her favourite people.
‘The Princess Peridot is, as you say, a very young girl, your majesty.’ Dinsala bowed to the queen who gave him a sour smile. ‘As she has not yet achieved the wisdom of years that you have attained, maybe it would be a better idea to allow the princess to get to know Prince Percival in the surroundings of the court. Then, in five years time if both are agreeable, a betrothal can be arranged.’
‘Good idea.’ the king seized on this as a way of saving face while Queen Vashti yawned delicately in assumed boredom. ‘Hear that Percival? If she wants you in five years time you can have her. Arrange some rooms for this man, will you? Right. I’m off to play chess. You may all go.’
He swept from the room as his attendants hurried to keep up. Prince Percival went down on one knee in front of Peridot.
‘You saved me from that evil spell,’ he whispered. ‘I will always be grateful to you. Let me kiss your hand.’
‘Oh, all right but I don’t want to marry you,’ stammered Peridot, allowing him to press his large pink lips in a wet kiss on the back of her hand. She wiped it off surreptitiously on the back of her tunic as Prince Percival lumbered to his feet. He stood gazing at her, breathing heavily. ‘I have to go now,’ squeaked Peridot. ‘No, no. Don’t come with me. You can’t. I’m going to the woman’s quarters.’
She backed away hurriedly, reflecting bitterly that she would have to stay locked away in the woman’s part of the palace for the next five years if she didn’t want to run the risk of bumping into Prince Percival again.
The Amazing Adventures of Princess Peridot Page 10