by Joanne Durda
Enam stuck up for his close friend. “Leave him be. Just remember how strong and courageous he is and that he is the one tooth always up front fighting and the one tooth who comes to every warrior’s rescue in battle or a fight.”
“You are right, Enam,” Cuspido responded. “I found him fighting at the back of my root one time to help shield me from the enemy throughout the whole of the fight because I am the Captain. He is a most wise and very brave Tooth Warrior, and I am proud to have him serve under me.”
The teeth grew quiet after Cuspido’s spoken words and were engrossed in their own private thoughts on the matter.
Cuspido’s words certainly shut them up real fast, thought Enam. Enam sank down further in the boiling pool of baking soda and never gave Gaylord and the matter another thought. Gaylord was his close friend and will always be so. It didn’t matter to him what other teeth might think about him. Gaylord was a good, honest and kind tooth, not to mention how dauntless he was. And now, he was pretty.
A few of the ancient Monks were boiling apples from the trees and making both candied and caramel apples for the guests of the princess for her special dinner that night. A few of the other Monks were in the castle kitchen preparing creamed corn chowder soup with sweet peppers and stuffed pheasant. Golden potatoes, mashed sweet yams, and stuffed cooked tomatoes would also be on the menu. A secret recipe for a herbal casserole with spinach was also being prepared by the Monks, one of their own devising. Give the Monks a large kitchen hearth or stone oven, and there was absolutely nothing that the Monks could not concoct, mix or create, so talented were they – even in the kitchens.
Ushi put his hand up in greeting as he rode past the Tooth Warriors and the Monks. The Monks ignored him, going about their own business. It was common knowledge that they kept to themselves and noticed no one, no matter who they were. The only reason why the Cuspid Castle was occupied by some of the ancient Monks at all times was due to them tending to and cultivating their gardens of teeth, the vegetable and flower gardens, while doing the cooking and the cleaning chores for the princess. After all, the princess had their ancestral blood flowing through her veins, and they would always make sure no harm would come her way. They had also pledged to be loyal to her at all times. So, if any Monks were missing from the Kingdom of Thorns, it was only because they were lending their services at that time to the princess. All Monks took their turns, except the more powerful rulers. No complaints were ever made due to the fact that the Kingdom of the Calcified Structures was a more beauteous kingdom than theirs.
The Tooth Warriors also tended to and contributed to the castle’s needs, maintenance and kitchen help. Their biggest concern was guarding the castle and patrolling its grounds. And as of late, some of the gypsy females and their daughters from the Kingdom of the Gypsies were also in attendance at the castle and its duty of chores – Floriana’s idea that the princess should always have female companionship around her besides the Tooth Warriors and the Monks. Floriana, the gypsy fortune-teller Queen from the Kingdom of the Gypsies, took it upon herself to send the gypsy females over since her and the Tooth Fairy Princess had become close friends.
Ushi respected the Monks, but kept his distance at all times, not wanting to offend them and their ancient kind in any way. He smiled as he passed the steaming, soaking Tooth Warriors, knowing that they were being extra careful about their personal hygiene since knowing General Molar was due back from the Kingdom of the Cinnamon Sticks and Candy Canes, where he was lecturing on dental hygiene. That kingdom was forbidden to all the Tooth Warriors for fear that they might develop a sweet tooth, which might result in the acquiring of more cavities. The pleasant odor of the mint drifted throughout the hills, as well as the candied and caramel apples. Niciu’s mouth watered from the scent of baking apples. A knowledgeable Ushi knew this and remarked to Niciu, “When we get back, I will let you feast on a few of those apples.”
Captain Cuspido, Spade and Enam watched Ushi ride by, like they had done every morning.
“He is much too powerful a warrior to let himself be so restless for so long,” Spade remarked.
“Mind your own business, Spade. You always have some type of negative remark to make about someone or something,” Enam teasingly scolded him.
“Stop, you two,” Cuspido said. “Our princess is worth waiting for, by any warrior’s heart.”
“Not if his heart stops beating due to boredom and lack of adventure!” Spade commented.
“As much as I do not like your attitude, Spade, I must admit that you are right,” Enam responded.
“And how is that?” Cuspido asked.
“He will not feel like a warrior anymore if his heart is no longer engaged in adventurous chivalry,” Enam stated.
Cuspido was thoughtful for several seconds before responding. “I see what you mean.”
Ushi continued with his morning ride into the afternoon, while the princess continued on with her walk amongst the ponds, flowers and trees. The princess had suddenly felt all alone. I do not want to live the rest of my life being alone inside my Cuspid Castle, she thought to herself. The loneliness brought on melancholy. I guess I’ll go inside and prepare myself for tonight, she silently told herself. With head down low, she walked inside the castle.
“We have been waiting for you to come inside, Princess. Your bath is ready for you,” an excited Sabira told the princess. The princess now had two fair gypsy maidens to serve and care for her personally. Floriana, the gypsy fortune-teller Queen, thought it was not right for the princess to care for herself without any other female help around to pet and pamper her. Floriana had wisely selected Sabira and her younger daughter, Sunsette, to be delivered to the princess to be part of her Court. Both were excited about the prospect, being the only two to attend to the princess. From time to time, both would return for a week to visit with family members, or their family members were welcome to stay at the Cuspid Castle for a week or two and visit with them. When their family members came, it was a festive time. They were all dancers and opera singers. They would perform for the princess, and she would even go out riding with them around her kingdom. The princess respected the company of these gypsies and enjoyed them. They made her kingdom a happy kingdom.
Sabira was well trained in sewing, dressing a lady of the Court, cooking, and supervising any castle and its people. During the meantime, Sabira was teaching Sunsette to do the same. The both had toned down wearing their jewelry and costume jewelry. Sabira, being older, wore mostly simple, plain dresses instead of the long skirts and blouses of the gypsies. Sunsette loved the flowing or the flimsier soft dresses of the princess, and started to sew from the same material and make her own dresses more feminine and elegant. Her family would tease her that she was trying to be a princess, herself. Sunsette would tell them all, “I must look like the part of a lady-in-waiting!”
After the princess’s bath, Sunsette had two dresses laid out on her bed for her to select from. She stood quietly aside and let the princess choose one. One was a cream-colored taffeta dress that had a high waistline and fell in layers to the floor – a low-cut dress with sleeves ending two inches below the elbow with cream-colored bows. The other dress was a silky, flimsy light lavender color, which clung close to her body with easy grace. It flared at the bottom, along with the long, wide sleeves. The neckline was also cut low, with a large light lavender bow and ribbon tied around the bottom of her bosom. Both were made to be worn with a long diamond necklace – diamonds bringing out the elegance of the princess’s soft white skin.
Goldest hopped uninvitingly into the princess’s bedroom and jumped up on to her bed with the two dresses. She sat there and watched the princess admire both dresses. The princess smiled at Goldest. “My goodness, Goldest, I haven’t seen you all day. What have you been up to?” she asked her.
“Just soaking my coat of gold in a pink brook, making plans,” she replied with her fat red lips in a wide grin. “Croak! Croak!”
“Plans for what?�
� the princess asked her with some apprehension, knowing she did not care for Savagio’s attentiveness towards herself.
“You don’t want to know,” Goldest responded tartly.
“Oh?” remarked the princess, not knowing how to respond to Goldest’s tartness. She did not want to make an enemy out of Goldest, knowing her and Ushi were best of friends, but at the same time, she did not wish Goldest to start any kind of conflict of feelings within her kingdom. The princess brushed an uneasy feeling off, and went back to selecting which dress to wear tonight. The princess was having a hard time choosing which dress to drape herself in. She knew Sunsette had just finished sewing and putting the bow and ribbon on the light lavender dress for her. So out of kindness, the princess selected the light lavender – to the delight of Sunsette, who was so proud of her creative sewing taught to her by her mother.
“You would look more stunning in the cream-colored taffeta dress with all its ruffles and frills,” Goldest informed the princess.
Anger welled up inside Sunsette, knowing that Goldest was being an agitator again. But Sunsette, too, would keep quiet, not wanting Goldest to come between herself and the princess.
Everyone in the Cuspid Castle knew that Goldest could be a real troublemaker or a gutsy little fighter. So, everyone kept their distance from her. They had all assumed that deep inside herself she was not happy. But she never spoke with anyone about her past or present life. And no one had the fortitude or stamina to ask her about herself or her past. Ushi assumed she was just a golden, magical fairy frog in need of a friend. He extended his friendship to her and never questioned her. If she wanted to speak of herself to him or inform him of anything about herself that he did not know of, she would let him know when she was ready. Until then, all about Goldest was silenced.
The princess sighed. Sabira came into the room. She instantly saw Goldest sitting on the bed. Trouble, Sabira thought to herself.
“Let me ask Sabira for her opinion. Please tell me which dress would enchant the two special warriors in my kingdom tonight?”
Before Sabira could respond, Goldest chimed in, “Ushi would really prefer the white diamond gown with the light blue satin ribbon worn around your waist. Who gives a flick of an eyelash what Savagio would like?”
Sabira rolled her eyes up into her head with Goldest’s unkind remark. Sunsette stood quietly by, holding her breath in anticipation.
“Now, Goldest! I know you and Ushi are close, but Savagio is just as sweet as Ushi is, also. It would be unfair of you to favor one over the other just because of this close friendship which lies between you and Ushi. You must judge Savagio for who he is, and not compare him to Ushi,” Sabira boldly told the golden frog.
“There is no Savagio in your kingdom, Princess – only Ushi. The sooner you realize this, the sooner Ushi’s courtship can end, and he take you as his wife,” Goldest smartly informed her, ignoring Sabira’s boldness.
The princess sighed, knowing what a strong, stubborn gold piece Goldest was. “This is all so new to me, Goldest. Let me be swept away in their sweet attentions and desires for a while.”
“The way I see it is you’re drowning in it!” Goldest tartly exclaimed as she jumped down from the bed and out the bedroom door.
“Peppery today, I see,” Sabira remarked quietly, referring to Goldest.
Not liking Goldest’s remarks, the princess confirmed what she wanted to wear. She pointed to the light lavender gown, and Sunsette squealed with delight. The princess was glad that she had selected the light lavender, knowing how happy and pleased she had made Sunsette. At the moment, it seemed Sunsette’s feelings were more important to her than anyone else’s.
Sabira got out the long, elegant diamond necklace and draped it around the princess’s neck. She pulled the princess’s hair back in a high ponytail on top of her head and wrapped a long string of diamonds around her ponytail from the top to the bottom.
“The light lavender gown is such a contrast to your snow white skin. It seems to actually make your skin glow,” Sabira remarked.
“It does give me a fresh and different look,” the princess replied. Smiling, she admired herself in the long, floor-length mirror. The mirror smiled back at her.
“See! Even the mirror is pleased!” Sunsette exclaimed with glee.
The princess had made her way down to the main dining hall of the castle. The Monks had lit strawberry incense, for love and friendship, and its aroma filled the castle room. The gypsies were already there, feasting on the succulent food at the long main table in the company of Ushi and Savagio.
My goodness, how elegantly colorful the gypsies look tonight, the princess thought to herself.
The gypsy males were dressed in their finest woven suits, with polished boots, while the gypsy females were dressed in colorful long gowns with gold or silver sashes, colorful ribbons wrapped around their waists, or with their gold or silver coins. Some gypsy females wore gold, silver or black girdles, which complemented their long gowns. The girdles showed off their tiny waistlines and well-endowed chests. Even their hair was given extra care and worn in a variety of styles, some with gold or silver nets over the bottom of their long dark hair. The plumpest of the gypsy females wore the darker colors instead of the more flamboyant colors of the slender ones.
Two pairs of snake eyes, with Goldest’s golden eyes between them, peered out from under a huge carpet where the dancing was to take place.
All rose when the princess entered the room. Elegance glowed throughout her. Her skin glowed so much that it had taken on a lavender hue from her gown. Ushi and Savagio both went for the princess’s hand to escort her to her chair. Ushi and Savagio both looked at one another, and Ushi gallantly let Savagio take the princess’s hand and lead her to her chair. Savagio kissed the princess’s hand and pulled out her chair for her to sit in. He immediately placed food on the princess’s plate while the gypsy musicians finished eating so that they could perform for them. Ushi remained a quiet, proud gentleman. The princess showered Savagio with her smiles as he took his own seat next to the princess.
“You look strikingly beautiful tonight, Princess. You would do me the honor of letting me have the first dance with you,” Savagio told her.
“Of course, Savagio. Since you asked first, then you shall be first.” Not wanting to ignore Ushi sitting on the other side of her, she asked him, “You smell so sweet, Ushi. What is it you have on?”
“To be honest, I do not know. I found Goldest sprinkling some scent on my clothes for tonight. When I asked her what it was, she informed me it was to help my cause.”
“Are you referring to your courtship with the princess?” Savagio slyly asked Ushi.
“If that’s what Goldest meant,” Ushi responded.
The princess put her hand on top of Ushi’s hand. “Goldest adores you. I envy her admiration for you.”
Ushi raised an eyebrow at the princess. “Goldest is Goldest, and there will never be another Goldest.”
They laughed at Ushi’s statement as the gypsies played soft, slow, melting romantic melodies. They turned to their plates and continued on with their meal as they listened to the violins of the gypsies play out a sad, love affair.
All was contentment, until Goldest came hopping out from the carpet, jumped on the tabletop and continued to hop down to Savagio’s bowl of soup. She hopped into the soup, and splashed the soup over a startled Savagio’s shirt and pants. The princess gasped. Savagio jumped up from his seat. The princess took her cloth napkin and wiped Savagio off.
“You should be more careful, Goldest, you’re supposed to be a lady!” the princess told her as she took a deep breath, trying to hide her frustration.
Ushi gave Goldest a deep, dark look as she peeped her head out from Savagio’s soup bowl. “Croak, croak,” she stupidly croaked.
“What are you doing hopping around on the table anyway?” Ushi sternly asked Goldest.
Goldest looked at him sheepishly and replied meekly, “Apparently, I lost my b
alance as I was headed for the other end of the table to be seated.”
Ushi raised a surprised eyebrow at Goldest. “Balance, Goldest?”
Goldest held her croak in as she lowered herself deeper into Savagio’s soup bowl instead of replying.
“Due to your poor table manners, please leave the table, Goldest. I will deal with you later,” Ushi firmly told her.
Goldest obediently jumped out of the soup bowl and down from the table. She looked up at the princess as she continued to help wipe Savagio off.
Without anyone seeing her, Goldest giggled and croaked as she hopped back towards the carpet where she was before. Two pairs of eyes belonging to her snake buddies peered out from the carpet. She stopped, looked back to make sure no one was watching, and slipped back under the carpet where she was before with Meta and Methna.
An irritated Savagio did not even bother to look at the bothersome gold piece. He remained quiet so as not to embarrass himself, Ushi or the princess due to the gold piece’s lack of proper manners.
After the princess was done wiping off an irritated Savagio, he took her hand in his. “May I have this dance, Princess?”
The princess smiled with shyness. “Why, of course, Savagio.”
Ushi watched them as Savagio walked the princess out on to the picturesque area carpet to dance a slow style of a waltz, side by side. Ushi continued to dine on his supper as they danced.
Savagio and the princess danced for a few moments while Goldest and her two snake buddies tunneled through the carpet behind Savagio. They purposely pushed the heavy carpet up from underneath with their bodies to make a mound as Savagio stepped backwards and fell over them. Since they were holding hands, the princess fell with him, and Savagio’s shirt ripped. The gypsies immediately stopped playing their music.
In a series of quick movements, Goldest and the two snakes hopped and slithered out from underneath the carpet.
As Ushi jumped up from the table and rushed over to the princess to help her up, one of the snakes grabbed a hold of a part of Savagio’s ripped shirt and pulled on it, tearing off that part of the shirt. The snake slithered with the ripped part toward the door. Savagio was so humiliated that he was unaware of the sudden part of his shirt being torn off as the back of his head hit the cold stone floor.