by Jen Calonita
I stand at the top of the ballroom staircase and pause (per Hazel’s instructions), listening to the applause of my classmates, the royal court, invited dignitaries, royals, and commoners.
This isn’t you, a tiny voice reminds me.
I ignore it and smile, but I can’t deny the moment feels hollow, as if I’m watching someone else play dress-up. I am comforted by the thought that Lily is with me in a hand-sewn pocket under my ivory silk skirt. I step forward, allowing the room to take in the majesty of my elegant gown. (Rule 93: Princesses must always make a grand entrance.) And I ignore how bad my head aches from the weight of the gold tiara on my head. Olivina sent it to me along with a note:
Great job keeping the fairy tale alive. Keep up the good work! —Olivina
Sensing her eyes on me, I look over to the dais where she’s sitting with the royal court. She nods approvingly, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Next comes my escort, right on cue, looking dashing in a long gray jacket.
“Hey, friend,” I say to Logan, speaking through my teeth, which are locked in a bright smile. (Rule 79: Never talk when being escorted into a gathering.) I hook my arm through his.
“Hello! You’re looking very princess perfect,” Logan whispers. “Shall we?”
Slowly, step by choreographed step, we descend the stairs in time with the music. As I look around the grand ballroom, I see all my little touches. From the slate-gray table linens to the ivy and flowers that drape the walls like curtains. Even the commemorative scroll that every guest will receive is something I worked on. It recounts a brief history of Royal Academy—how it came together, and how Olivina has risen to such great heights (Hazel dictated that part). I should feel proud, but instead, I feel sort of empty. I know party-planning skills are important for a princess (Rule 18), but who am I kidding? Choosing napkin colors just doesn’t give me the same thrill I get from my creature care work.
Logan and I face each other when we reach the dance floor and begin to dance. I know we look good. We should after five private dance lessons. This committee and the ball have kept me so busy, I barely have had time to keep up with my coursework.
“Is your dress modeled after the one Rapunzel wore at her Get Locked Up for a Good Cause event?” Logan asks as he spins me past Heath and Clarissa, who is staring at my dress in awe. Raina and Sasha and their dates are also watching us from the edge of the dance floor, having already been introduced. Sasha and I have been coolly, quietly avoiding each other since that day she took me into the castle’s hidden passages. “I saw it in Happily Ever After Scrolls last week.”
“It is,” I say, impressed he noticed. “She said I could copy it after I donated two inches off my hair for her charity project. Like it?”
“Yes,” he says, but his face clouds over slightly. “But it’s not very you.”
I momentarily falter and stop dancing. If Logan can see right through me, Olivina might too. I’ve been trying so hard to fit in here, but it’s so exhausting being someone I’m not. “I know.” I sigh deeply. “But what can I do? One more strike, and I’m banished. I have to pretend.”
“But you’re better than… Achoo!” His eyes widen. “Why am I sneezing?” He looks around. “Do you see any dragons? Harpies? Villains?”
I glance around the room. Dwarf Police Squad members are stationed at every exit. Hazel told us there would be heavy security tonight, with the entire school and the royal court in attendance. “No dragons,” I promise.
“Good,” Logan exhales.
“Devin!” someone shouts. “Devin!”
Anastasia, my lady-in-waiting from home, comes rushing toward me and pulls me into a hug. She smells like pine needles mixed with floor cleaner, and suddenly I miss home more than I ever have before.
I hug her tight. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You too! Your dress is beautiful,” Anastasia gushes.
She looks lovely herself in a simple long red satin dress. “So is yours! Did you make this?” I ask.
“Yes, miss,” she says with a faint blush. “I worked on it every night this week. I still can’t believe I won. Your mother and father had hoped to come tonight, but your father was notified yesterday that he was being honored by Stone Harborton’s Royal Navy for his bravery. He has never even been to Stone Harborton, but, as your mother says, ‘Who are we to deny someone the chance to honor their favorite royal?’”
I wince at Mother’s logic, but why would Father be honored by a province he’s never been to? I try to shake off the feeling of foreboding and say, “Anastasia, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Logan. This is my original lady-in-waiting.”
Anastasia curtsies. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Logan kisses her hand, and Anastasia blushes. “Miss, I forgot! I have a note for you.” She pulls a scrap of ivory paper out of her small satchel and hands it to me. “This carrier pigeon kept showing up at your bedroom window trying to get my attention. I still can’t speak to animals as well as you do. Finally, he brought this note. It has your name on it.”
Alarm bells are going off. Is this the same pigeon that’s been following me? Who sent her? “Thank you, Anastasia.” I slip the note into the top of my dress to read later.
“You can talk to animals?” Logan says in amazement. “Now it all makes sense! That’s how you knew how to handle the dragon in Snow’s class. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Anastasia pales. “I didn’t know you hadn’t told him, miss. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I insist before turning to Logan apologetically. “I should have told you sooner, but I wasn’t sure what you’d think.”
“It’s cool! You can tell the dragons to stay—Achoo!—away from me.” We laugh.
“Hello!” Brynn appears out of nowhere, fluffing the bottom of my skirt and pushing a wayward curl behind my ear before extending her hand to Anastasia. “I’m Devin’s current lady-in-waiting, Brynn. You must be Anastasia. It’s so nice to meet you! I’d love to chat…especially about how you tame Devin’s cowlick, but do you mind if I speak to Devin alone for a moment?”
“Of course,” I say, surprised. Brynn has never asked to speak to me privately before.
“You two talk, and I’ll give Anastasia a tour of the ballroom,” Logan says, extending his arm to her and making her giggle.
Brynn’s smile fades the minute Logan walks away. She looks like she might cry.
I touch her arm. “Are you okay?”
“Miss, I…I heard something funny. I’m not sure if I should say anything.” Brynn looks at her feet. “It’s not proper for a lady-in-waiting to gossip, but I know how worried you’ve been about your strikes and making a good impression with Olivina, so when I heard Hazel say your name…” She looks at me worriedly. “I got a strange feeling, miss, so I followed them.”
The music is loud, thumping in time to my quickening heart, and people are dancing, so it’s the perfect time to talk over the punch bowl. “What did you hear?” Brynn hesitates. “It’s okay. You can tell me. I won’t get you in trouble.”
“I ran back to your room to get some more pins for your hair, miss,” Brynn explains. “That’s when I came upon Olivina and Hazel. I heard your name and hid behind a column. I know that’s wrong.” Her lower lip quivers, and I squeeze her hand.
“You were looking out for me. That’s what friends do. What did they say?” I press.
“It was confusing, miss, but they were talking about a plan. A plan that would put you in your place.” I drop Brynn’s hand in surprise. “Hazel said something about someone making it through the barn like they’d hoped, and they’d tell everyone she came in with the commoners. They said it would teach you a lesson you wouldn’t forget and that you’d be begging for forgiveness. You’d never step out of line again, they said.” Her face crumples. “Especially if the witch takes your precious lady-in-waiting. Do they
mean me?’”
“I think they mean Anastasia,” I say, my fears and suspicions beginning to grow. I thought I’d learned my lesson. Isn’t that why Olivina sent me this tiara? What is really going on?
“Ladies and gentlemen…” We hear Hazel’s voice, and I jump. “Please give your full attention to our headmistress, Olivina.”
Olivina stands at the podium in a beautiful pink gown and smiles. “Welcome, distinguished royals, students, and new guests! We are so delighted you could join us.”
There is light applause.
“We hope you are enjoying your visit to our beloved school and have met some of our fine students. They planned this lovely celebration. As such, I just received a note about dessert being served first!” She laughs. “Please be seated at your tables and enjoy the chocolate cream pie and banana pudding. I’m sure dinner will be served shortly after.”
As everyone takes their seats, I’m gripped with fear. If Brynn is right, it sounds like Olivina is determined to kick me out no matter how hard I try to be the kind of princess she wants me to be. I’m the only one who knows something is going to happen tonight, and it’s happening because of me. I can’t let anyone get hurt, and I can’t do this alone. I need help. “We need to tell our friends,” I tell Brynn, and she nods.
“I’ll find them,” she whispers.
Five minutes later, Raina, Sasha, Logan, Anastasia, and Heath are staring at me across the table.
“What’s so important you had to pull me away from Kensington Stevens?” Raina asks, her face dreamy. “He’s the cutest prince here.”
Heath shudders. “That’s your prince pick? You could do better.”
“So could you,” Raina snaps. “Clarissa? Miss I-can’t-talk-without-one-hand-on-my-hip?” The two start bickering.
“Hey!” Sasha bangs the table. “Why did you call us all over here?” she asks me. “Is this about Olivina?”
“Olivina?” Raina stops arguing. “What’s going on with Olivina?”
I turn to Anastasia. “I need you to stay calm and listen. I think you’re in danger.”
“Miss, what’s going on?” Anastasia asks, looking panicked.
“It might be nothing, but I need you to trust me,” I say, taking her hands in mine. “Can you do that?”
She looks at me for a moment, then nods.
“Brynn is going to take you up to my room. As long as no one knows where you are, you should be safe.”
“Be careful, miss,” Brynn says. She takes Anastasia’s hand, and the two ladies-in-waiting quickly excuse themselves.
“This isn’t about dragons, is it?” Logan squeaks. I shake my head and look at Sasha.
“I think you might be right about her planning something,” I say. “Brynn overheard her and Hazel talking about someone they planted in the barn and how they wanted to teach me a lesson. They said something about my lady-in-waiting too, which is why I sent both of them away. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
“The barn?” Logan panics. “Isn’t that where the harpies were hiding?”
“Hold it together, Logan!” Raina snaps.
A server arrives with a tray of pie slices, but Sasha waves him away. “This explains why she keeps going to the barn! She must be hiding someone out there.” She jumps up. “Let’s go see what it is out there.”
Raina grabs her arm. “What? No! We’re not going to leave the anniversary ball to poke around a barn because Devin’s lady-in-waiting heard something she doesn’t understand! Let’s just go ask Olivina.”
“No!” the rest of us shout. Including Heath.
I look at him curiously. “Hey, I’m in no rush to get back to my date. Plus, this place is a little obsessed with tradition. I’m all for ditching the party.”
“I’m not! This is ridiculous,” Raina is the most frantic I’ve ever seen her. “Olivina told us to come to her if we ever need her. That’s what fairy godmothers are for.” She stands up and turns toward the dais.
“Raina…wait!” I say, but my voice is drowned out by a sudden popping sound. A huge plume of smoke billows from the middle of the dance floor. There are screams and shouts and running. I feel arms around me and realize Heath is dragging Raina and me back to the table, away from the mayhem. Logan and Sasha are already under the table skirt, watching the smoke clear. We duck down next to them and peer through the fabric. A woman in a hooded wool cape is waving a wand at the crowd and the royal court, who are huddled behind Olivina.
“Like my pretty desserts, my dearies?” Her voice is like sandpaper. “Good! Eat up! Eat up! Let’s fatten you up for my stew!”
“Ewww! She wants to eat people?” Logan whispers. “I’m so glad I don’t like chocolate cream pie. Now, if I had been back in culinary class and made you guys my mint chip soufflé, I guarantee you would have all devoured it.”
“This is another one of Olivina’s tests,” argues Sasha. “She’s trying to distract us. Let’s just get to the barn.”
“Are you sure?” Raina sounds alarmed. “I think that’s the witch who tried to kill Hansel and Gretel!”
“Students!” Olivina cries as her magic wand is magically ripped from her hands. “Save yourself! This is not a test! This is not a—”
Boom!
Olivina passes out, hitting the floor hard, like a pancake. Students begin to scream and run again.
“Wait!” Heath tells us as Raina and Logan prepare to make a break for it.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The students around us barely move before they collapse like Olivina, their swords and tiaras rolling onto the ground. I look up at the dais and see the royal court is also fast asleep.
“A sleeping curse,” Logan says. “She must have slipped a potion into the desserts. That never would have happened under my watch.”
“So is this a test or not?” Sasha asks. “Who’s the real one playing tricks? Olivina or the witch?”
The witch spins toward us, and I inhale sharply. Stringy black-and-white hair frames her pockmarked face, which is punctuated by a long jagged nose. How did a guest looking like that get past the Dwarf Squad?
“Look!” Heath motions to the witch again. “She’s using Olivina’s wand to steal everyone’s jewels.” Pearls, tiaras, diamond earrings, and other gems fly toward her and land in a big pile at her feet.
“Now, to pick a few tasty morsels to take with me along with this loot,” she cackles.
“I don’t think this is a test,” I say. “That witch means business.”
“But is she the person they brought in through the barn? It could be a trap,” Sasha whispers as she crouches down next to me.
I feel a familiar rush, and my fingers tingle. Either way, I can’t sit by and let people get hurt. If I’m right, Olivina can’t get mad at me for saving her, can she? And if I’m wrong, well, I’ll deal with that later. The words come bubbling to the surface. I can’t stop them. “We need to stop the witch!”
Sasha nods. “I’m with you.”
“So are we,” Logan says, motioning to the others. “What’s our plan?”
“We need to get Olivina’s wand,” Heath offers. “It’s doing all of the witch’s dirty work.”
“How did she even get the wand to work?” Raina asks. “A fairy godmother’s wand only works for the fairy godmother. It shouldn’t be helping her steal.”
We hear movement and lift the table skirt. The witch is moving through the crowd. She stops suddenly and cackles before she begins to drag two girls away. Wait a minute. I gasp. “Brynn and Anastasia!” They must have come back when they heard the witch. Anger consumes me.
“Devin, don’t do anything…” Sasha warns.
I crawl out from under the table. “Leave them alone!” I shout.
“—rash,” I hear Heath say as he runs up alongside me. “So much for having a plan. Guess we’ll have to improvise. Hey, witc
h!” he shouts. “Forget the commoners! Want to take a prince with you? I bet I’d be quite tasty.”
“Ew, gross!” says Raina, who I’m surprised to see has run up behind him. “Give us back that wand! It’s not yours.”
“Never!” the witch shouts, jumping over sleeping students and royals. “This spell won’t last forever, and I need to collect as much bounty as I can while I still have time!” Sparks shoot out of her hands in our direction, and Logan and Sasha jump out of the way just before our table goes up in flames.
“We need that wand,” I tell the others. I look at Heath. “Are you with me?”
He holds his hands out wide. “I’ve always liked a challenge. Let’s see who can get it first.”
We run at the witch from opposite directions, and she uses the wand to send us flying backward. I crash into an ice sculpture of Olivina. The sculpture falls from the table and breaks into smithereens. I get up slowly and see Raina waving her tiara in the air.
“Want this?” Raina shouts.
The witch runs toward Raina at full speed with the wand pointed directly at her heart. Heath dives at her from behind, knocking her to the ground, and the wand goes skittering across the floor. I run over and grab it, while Logan and Sasha help hold the witch down.
“No!” The witch reaches for it desperately. “Not the wand! It’s mine! She said I could keep it!”
“Who did?” I look at Sasha.
“Give it back! Give it back!” The witch struggles to break free of Heath’s grasp. Logan tries to hold her down, but the witch reaches up and bites him. Logan screams and lets go. I watch the witch make a run for it. She dashes across the floor, heading straight for my ladies-in-waiting. Anger consumes me.
“No!” I desperately aim the wand in her direction. “I won’t let you hurt them!”
Poof! The witch dissolves into thin air. I drop the wand in shock.
“What in the name of Grimm just happened?” Sasha asks as people all around us begin to stir. “How did you do that?”
I back away from the wand in fear. That wand shouldn’t have worked for me. This makes no sense.