by Liz Dejesus
“Wow,” Ming whispered.
Terrance grinned and grabbed the lit torch. With his free hand, he reached for Bianca and interlaced his fingers with hers. “Step where I step and don’t wander off.”
Bianca in turn held Ming’s hand. They followed Terrance as he guided them through the labyrinthine tunnel underneath the castle.
“Why would I wander off?” Bianca asked.
“You have a bit of wanderlust, darling,” he said.
“Oh really?”
Terrance chuckled. “Of course you do. You came here without a second thought, didn’t you?”
“Touché,” she said drily.
For a long time, they walked in silence. Bianca wasn’t sure about Terrance’s comment of her having wanderlust, but her mind did wander. She thought about what the rest of her summer was going to be like while she was in Everafter. She wondered how Ming would handle their trip, how her parents would handle the museum while she was gone, and what the king and queen were like. What would Queen Felicia ask of her? She was just beginning to get the hang of being a witch. What if she couldn’t do whatever the queen had in mind? What if she failed? Was she going to embarrass Terrance? Would he realize how absolutely wrong they were for each other should that happen?
Everything needs to be perfect, she thought. I can’t make a mistake. I have to show Terrance that I’m the kind of girl that can spend time around his friends and family and not embarrass him with my bad manners.
She tried to remember every period movie she had ever seen. What did the girls in those movies have in common? They all wore corsets, smiled, were polite, and used their wit to defend themselves. This meant that Bianca couldn’t swear and be a smart ass. She also had to remember to curtsy.
“Do we need to change clothes before we go see them?” Bianca whispered as she dodged a giant spider web.
Terrance reached up, grabbed the silky web, and removed it from Bianca’s path. He rolled it up into a tiny ball and tossed it on the ground.
“No, this isn’t an official meeting. Their advisors don’t even know about you.”
“Wow,” Bianca whispered.
“What about Prince Ferdinand? Does he know we’re here?” Ming asked.
“The prince has no idea. I think the king and queen prefer it that way. He also needs to catch up with his studies. Ferdinand is easily distracted,” Terrance said.
“Are we going to see him today, though?” Ming asked.
Bianca smirked. I knew it. I knew she wanted to see him again.
“No, but you will see him for breakfast in the morning. I’ll make certain of it. I apologize for all of this, but believe me, it is for your own safety. Be careful,” he said as he pointed to a dark spot on the ground.
“Oh! Eww!” Bianca hopped over a dead rat’s carcass.
“Oh my God.” Ming covered her mouth. “I’m going to be sick.”
Bianca shuddered and tried to think of something else as they got farther away from the rotting rodent. “Anyway, will I get to meet your parents?”
“Of course you will.”
“Cool. I hope they like me.”
“They will love you. I know my mother will,” Terrance said.
“And your father?” she asked nervously.
“He can be a tad…intimidating.”
“In what way?” Bianca asked.
“He’s very serious.”
“More serious than you?” Bianca had a hard time believing that.
Terrance chuckled. “I’m a lovesick minstrel compared to my father.”
“Yikes,” Bianca muttered.
“Don’t worry. He will be perfectly pleasant once he gets to know you and realizes how incredible you are.”
“I hope so.”
“Watch your step,” he said.
Bianca peered at the dark shadow on the ground and pointed to it. “What is it? Another dead rat?”
“No. It’s a good guess…but judging from its shape? It’s a dead cat.”
“Eeeeewwww,” Ming said. “Are we almost out of here? I feel like something evil is going to reach its hands out and eat me.”
“Don’t worry. We’re almost there,” Terrance said.
“Good,” Bianca said. She couldn’t wait to get out of this part of the castle.
Terrance paused before a large tapestry hanging on a stone wall. He reached beneath it and pushed open a hidden door. It led to an empty corridor inside the castle. Terrance looked from one end to the other. Once he seemed to determine no one would see them emerge from their hiding place, they finally stepped out from behind the tapestry. Bianca wasn’t paying any attention to which direction they were going. She studied everything, taking in the elaborate paintings, the tapestries, and the statues they passed. She trusted Terrance to take her exactly where she needed to be.
As they passed a row of knight’s armor, she knocked on the breastplate and asked, “These are empty, right?”
“Yes. No one has worn any of this armor for hundreds of years.”
“These are huge. Did you really have men that could fit into them?” Ming asked. She pressed her ear where the knight’s heart would’ve been. “Definitely nobody home.”
“Fit into them and fight while wearing them.”
“What were they fighting?” Bianca asked.
“Other knights from distant kingdoms, but mostly dragons,” Terrance replied.
“Dragons? You have dragons in Everafter?”
“I’m not entirely certain. Legend says that the dragons retreated to the mountains because it had become far too dangerous for them out in the valley where they could easily be seen. I honestly don’t know.”
“What do you believe?”
Terrance wrinkled his brow for a moment and replied, “I think they are still out there somewhere, biding their time. I may see their return in my lifetime, but who knows? Come. We’re almost there. We can’t let anyone see you like this.”
“Oh, yeah. Right.”
After several minutes of walking quietly side by side and dodging into corridors and behind statues to avoid servants and random lords and ladies, they reached the library. Terrance knocked on the door and heard a muffled, “Come in.”
Terrance opened it and ushered the girls inside. Without meaning to, Bianca gasped. The room was enormous. She had never seen so many books in her life. The shelves reached the ceiling. Books wall to wall.
I could spend my whole life in here reading and never ever be finished.
All of the books had black, brown, or red leather spines. Their gold lettering glinted in the glow of the candlelight. The library was warm and inviting, a dignified place for a king and a queen to spend time reading and talking about all sorts of important things.
The shadows in the room brought her back to the present. She remembered why she was in the castle. Bianca didn’t know what to expect. She had never been presented to royalty before. Of course, there was Prince Ferdinand, but he was different. He didn’t always have that regal air, nor did he spend all of his time giving commands or trying to boss her around. His saving grace was that he was intelligent, sweet, brave, and just a tad goofy. But that just made him all the more lovable.
Bianca glanced over to Ming. Her friend’s eyes darted from side to side. And she anxiously nibbled on her thumbnail as she waited for the king and queen to speak.
A man Bianca assumed was the king sat by a roaring fire. Even though it was still summer, she knew from experience that evenings in Everafter could be quite chilly. He looked like a normal man, which surprised her. The warm glow of the flames made him seem kind and approachable. He wore no crown upon his light brown hair. There was no flashy jewelry to be seen. He wore a simple white shirt, black pants, and tall riding boots. His hair was neatly combed and his beard and mustache neatly trimmed. He gazed into the fire, deep in thought.
A slender female sat beside the king, concentrating on her needlepoint. She had hair so blond, it was almost white, and she was petite—a shar
p contrast to the man sitting beside her. She wore a high-collar dress with lace trimmings. It was a lovely periwinkle color that brought out her light blue eyes.
“Your Majesties,” Terrance said with a deep bow.
“Yes?” the king said as he turned. His face lit up. The smile reached his hazel eyes as he spoke. “Ah! Terrance, my dear boy. You’re finally here. Look, Felicia. Terrance has returned, and he has brought guests.”
Queen Felicia looked up from her needlepoint. She gave Bianca and Ming a warm smile.
Bianca was surprised at how kindly the king spoke to Terrance, almost as though he were his son and not a servant in the castle.
“King Harold, Queen Felicia, I would like to introduce you to Miss Bianca Frost and Miss Ming Lee.”
Bianca did her best to curtsy like she had seen dozens of times in the movies. Ming followed suit and was quite graceful.
Don’t fall, don’t fall. Whatever you do, don’t fall flat on your face and make an ass out of yourself.
“A pleasure to finally meet you, Your Majesties,” Bianca said.
“We’ve heard many stories about you from our son Ferdinand. He thinks very highly of you, as does Terrance,” Queen Felicia said.
The king turned his attention toward Ming and said, “And you must be the young lady that has captured our son’s heart.”
Ming swallowed and nodded. Her dark brown eyes shifted from the king to the queen.
“And now I can see why you made such big an impression on Ferdinand,” King Harold said.
Ming blushed and thanked him for his kind words.
“Are you a princess in your kingdom?” the queen asked.
Ming’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly shook her head.
King Harold and Queen Felicia shared a quick glance at each other. Hopefully the king and queen weren’t too disappointed with their lack of royal blood. The queen gave him a single nod and then turned her attention to Ming.
“I have a lot of gowns that you and Bianca can wear during your stay with us. I hope you find them pleasing,” Felicia said. Her words were soft and kind. Perhaps she approved of her son’s choice.
Ming smiled brightly and nodded. “That would be wonderful. Thank you so much.”
Bianca suddenly understood why her friend was hesitant to come along with her. This was way too much pressure for a prince, especially if she wasn’t one hundred percent certain about her feelings for him.
“Two beautiful girls. How are we supposed to hide them?” King Harold teased.
Felicia gave the king a playful swat on the arm. “Oh Harold, stop. You’re making Miss Lee blush.”
The king stood and walked around Bianca, almost as if he were trying to find some flaw in her. “And you Miss Frost…are much smaller than I expected. The way Ferdinand and Terrance described you, I expected a giantess to appear before us,” King Harold said, then chuckled affectionately.
“Sorry if I have disappointed you,” Bianca replied.
He returned to his leather seat and said, “Not at all. A tiny wisp of a girl like you is much easier to feed and hide in plain sight than a giantess.” The king paused for a moment and then asked, “In your adventures, have you ever encountered a giant?”
Bianca bit her lower lip to keep herself from giggling and said, “No, Your Majesty, I haven’t.”
He frowned. “I hear that they are vicious creatures, but should you ever come across one, perhaps you could bring me one of their teeth.”
“I’ll try to remember that, Your Majesty.” Bianca finally understood where Ferdinand got his sense of humor and thirst for adventure.
“Good girl. Keep this one close by, Terrance. I like her.” King Harold gave him a wink.
“I’m happy to hear that, Your Majesty.” Terrance nodded.
“Have you dealt with any fairies?” King Harold asked.
“No, Your Majesty. Not yet,” Bianca replied.
“Darling, I’m sure that Miss Frost and Miss Lee are tired from their long journey. Why don’t you join us for breakfast tomorrow morning? King Harold can ask you more questions after you’ve both had a good night’s sleep and food in your stomachs,” Queen Felicia said.
Bianca frowned. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, I thought you needed…”
Before Bianca could finish speaking, Queen Felicia cleared her throat and gave her a tightlipped grin. “I will fetch you in the morning and give you a tour of the castle.”
Bianca was as confused as ever, but remained silent. She had the sneaking suspicion that whatever Queen Felicia wanted from her was to be kept secret from the king. Why? She would find out in the morning. She gave the queen the smallest of nods. They understood each other. Tomorrow, they would speak.
“Ah, yes. Of course, how inconsiderate of me. Terrance? Would you be so kind and please show these young ladies to their room? I hope you both find everything to your liking. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask,” King Harold said.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. You are too kind, and please, call me Bianca,” she said.
“Yeah, thank you so much, and you can also call me Ming.”
“You’re both very welcome. And with that, we shall bid all of you good night,” the king said.
Bianca and Ming curtsied; Terrance bowed and they left the library.
Ming let out a sigh of relief as soon as the door closed behind them. “That was nerve-racking, wasn’t it? I mean, they were nice and everything, but I kept trying not to bite my nails.”
“I was busy trying not to fall on face while doing that curtsy thing,” Bianca said.
Terrance chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You.”
“Me?” Bianca arched an eyebrow.
“Mhmm,” he said with a nod.
“Why? What did I do?”
“You can look my grandfather, Magnus, in the eye and not flinch, but you tremble like a leaf in the winter wind in the presence of a king and a queen.”
Bianca shrugged and said, “I guess it matters what they think of me. I want them to like me.”
“And you don’t care what Magnus thinks of you?”
“I want him to like me enough so he won’t eat me.”
Terrance threw his head back and laughed so hard, Bianca could hear it echo down the hallway. He wiped a single tear from his eye. “I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about that.”
He held Bianca’s hand. “Come. There’s someone else I want you to meet.”
“Really? Who?” Bianca asked.
“My parents.”
Her throat became dry like the desert.
“What the what? What’s happening now?” She half expected Terrance’s parents to pop out from behind the curtains and ambush her.
“Don’t you want to meet them?” Terrance asked.
“I do…”
“And you both need to have dinner.”
“We do…”
“Well, my mother is preparing a lovely meal and has invited us all to attend.”
“Oh God, Terrance, I don’t think I’m ready for this.” She covered her face with her hands and groaned.
“When will you be ready?”
“A week or two from now. Maybe?”
Ming giggled and shook her head. “Don’t take it personally, Ter. She does this with everyone.” And just like that, Ming had coined his new nickname. An odd stamp of approval.
“Please, come to dinner. For me?” he begged.
She gazed into his dark brown eyes and melted. She let out a frustrated groan and said, “So not fair. You’re so freaking cute, it’s impossible to say no to you. Fine, I’ll go.”
“Excellent.” Terrance flashed a mischievous grin.
“All right, lead the way.”
“Look at you, being all grown up and stuff,” Ming whispered.
“His parents are going to think I’m a hot mess. God, I hope they like me,” Bianca said.
“Why wouldn’t the
y like you?” Ming asked.
“I dunno. Like…maybe I’m not ladylike enough.”
“Seriously, B. If Terrance wanted a lady, he would’ve gotten any random chickadee from Cuckoo Land. You don’t give yourself enough credit. And besides, I’m here.”
Bianca smiled and nodded in agreement. With Ming by her side, at least there was someone cheering for her.
Three
Terrance’s parents owned a small cottage just outside the castle walls. It was a lovely, picturesque home with a pointed roof and made entirely of brick. Hunter-green wooden trimming on the windows enhanced the brick’s bright red. A large garden surrounded the cottage, and Bianca noticed a variety of vegetables as well as a few scattered flowers. There didn’t seem to be any type of plan behind the garden. It was as though Terrance’s mother threw seeds on the ground, and wherever they grew, that’s where they stayed, which was the exact opposite of what her mother did. She spent months planning and working on her garden.
Bianca found meeting Terrance’s parents far more nerve-racking than meeting the king and queen. She checked her breath and armpits to make sure she didn’t smell.
“Don’t worry. They will love you,” he whispered before they walked up to the entrance.
Emerald green pillars supported a small overhang above the front door. She frowned when she saw the doorknob; it was a gold hand extended, as though waiting to shake a person’s hand. Terrance turned the hand and ushered the girls inside. She had expected the house to be dark and cavernous, but she walked into a beautiful home filled with stylish furniture and lots of light.
“Oh wow, this is lovely,” Bianca whispered.
“My mother spends a lot of time decorating the house. It also helps that Queen Felicia occasionally gives her pieces of furniture she has no use for.”
“I see.”
As soon as she heard a female voice singing a happy, lively song, Bianca relaxed.
“It’s like being in a weird episode of Glee,” Ming whispered.
Bianca stifled a giggle.
“Just sayin’,” she replied. “For what it’s worth, I’m gonna keep an eye out for the piano player. Maybe he really does pop up in random places.”