by E. D. Baker
“Pfft!” Squidge replied. “Not me!”
Annie wasn’t so sure that the wind wasn’t going to blow her away, so when Liam joined her, she moved closer until their sides touched, giving her some small sense of security. She glanced down at the moat, which was overflowing its banks, then to the far right, where the Crystal River was higher and more turbulent than she had ever seen it. When Liam moved beside her, her gaze followed his arm as he pointed over the wall to the middle of the field that lay beyond the moat.
“Who are they?” she asked, squinting at the blurry shapes half-hidden in the pouring rain.
“I can’t tell,” said Liam. “The wind is whipping their banners around and I can’t make out their sigil.”
“What’s a sigil?” Squidge asked.
“It’s a king’s emblem or sign,” said Annie. “They put it on flags so people know who they are.”
Liam leaned closer until the hood of his cape brushed hers. “Can you hear any magic?” he asked.
Annie shook her head. “All I can hear is the wind and the rain. From what I can see, the army looks real enough, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
The wind grew even stronger now, pushing them against the raised part of the wall. Annie was glad the crenellations were there, or she was sure she and Liam would have been blown over the edge. When it occurred to her that Squidge might need help, it was already too late. She had just started to reach for him when the wind plucked him from the wall and tossed him into the air like a cat might toss a mouse.
“Ahhh!” wailed the sprite as he cartwheeled over the moat and above the advancing army, finally disappearing over the forest.
“Squidge!” Annie cried, reaching for him with one hand while the other gripped Liam’s.
“He’s gone!” Liam said in disbelief. “I should have held on to him.”
“Or I should have,” said Annie. “I can’t believe that just happened! The poor little guy!”
The wind was already dropping. Within moments it was little more than a light breeze.
“Let’s get down off this wall before the wind starts up again,” Liam said, putting his arm around Annie.
“Or some other awful thing happens,” she said, dreading the climb back down.
Chapter 4
Annie and Liam were about to start down the stairs when the blast of a trumpet made them run back to the wall. A trumpeter dressed in soggy blue-and-red clothes stood dripping by the foot of the drawbridge. Beside him, a herald dressed in the same colors clutched a scrolled parchment to his chest. When the trumpeter had finished playing, the herald held up the scroll, but it was so wet that it tore in half when he tried to unroll it.
“I bet the ink has run, too,” Annie whispered to Liam. From the disgusted look the man gave the parchment, she was sure that she was right.
“Hear ye, hear ye!” the herald said, squinting at the pieces of parchment. After a moment, he gave up, dropping his hands and the parchment with them. “King Dormander of Scorios gives you one chance to surrender your castle before he will take it by force,” the herald shouted, then ruined his dramatic announcement by sneezing. Turning on his heel, the man stomped away, splashing through a puddle while the trumpeter hurried to catch up.
“Who is King Dormander?” Annie wondered out loud.
“I’ve never heard of Scorios, either,” said Liam. “Did you see the sigil? It looked like some sort of fish chasing a dragon.”
Annie shrugged. “That’s new, too. I don’t think they’re from around here. But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would a stranger demand that we give up our castle?”
“Let’s go see what your father has to say,” Liam said, heading for the stairs.
“I’ll join you in a little while,” Annie told him. “There’s too much magic here today. I need to find out who’s responsible.”
Annie’s chamber was dark when she walked in, just as it was on every rainy day. She didn’t bother lighting a candle, however, but walked straight to the far corner, where the magic mirror leaned against the wall. She stood contemplating the swirling mist in the mirror for a moment before finally saying, “All right, mirror, I’m not in the mood for games. Tell me what’s going on today.”
The face slowly formed in the mirror. As it came into focus, Annie thought it looked annoyed. “You know you have to ask a question if you want an answer.”
“Fine,” Annie snapped. “Who is responsible for the magic that ruined my wedding?”
“Now that I can answer!” said the mirror.
A procession of faces seemed to float through the frame, one after the other. Annie recognized some of them: others she had never seen before. Of the ones she did know, they all lived in Treecrest and were either fairies or witches.
“All of them?” Annie asked, incredulous.
“I can tell you their names, if you’d like. But I must warn you, your sister used up most of my energy with all those questions. I won’t be able to show you much more than—”
“Then answer another question instead,” Annie interrupted. “Who is this King Dormander?”
The face that appeared in the mirror now was of an older man with graying hair and a curly beard that covered his chin. His eyes were an intense blue that seemed to look directly into Annie’s. This time when the mirror spoke, the voice started out faint. “King Dormander is the …,” the mirror said, fading away to silence.
“He is the what?” Annie demanded, taking a step closer to the mirror, but the space inside the frame was empty without even the swirling mist. Annie gave the frame a smart rap with her knuckle. “You can’t do this! I have a lot of other questions to ask you! Why are witches and fairies using magic to ruin my wedding? Why is that king here now? What does he really want? Are the witches and fairies on his side? I bet that’s it! I bet they were trying to distract us so he could walk right in and take over!”
When the mirror didn’t answer, Annie spun around, unaware that her hands were fisted and her jaw was clenched. Her mind raced as she stalked to her father’s meeting room, where a passing maid said he was consulting with King Daneel and King Berwick. She found them there, talking to Liam and Beldegard, while the three queens listened.
“I questioned the magic mirror,” Annie announced as soon as the door was closed behind her. “It seems that just about every witch and fairy in the kingdom is working against us. Does anyone have any idea why they might be angry with us, or want to help some foreign king?”
“All the witches and fairies?” said her mother. “But we invited them to the wedding! I wondered why none of them had shown up yet. I suppose they were planning this all along.”
“Do you really think they’re allied with this King Dormander?” asked Beldegard. “The magic started before he showed up.”
“I think they were trying to distract us with the rain,” said Annie. “Poor Squidge getting carried off by the wind like that. He was just trying to help! I feel awful. We’ll have to tell the fairy Moonbeam. He was her helper and he—”
“That’s exactly what we should do!” cried Queen Karolina. “We’ll find Moonbeam and ask her to help us. Don’t you see, with all this magic being used against us, we need a magic user of our own. Moonbeam is the only one I know with a connection to our family.”
“A friendly connection, you mean,” Annie said. “But she isn’t from Treecrest.”
King Halbert nodded. “Exactly, so she won’t be aligned with the fairies who mean us harm. I think it’s an excellent idea, my dear,” he said to his wife. “From what I’ve been told, most of our supplies have been damaged in the rising water, and the wells are in danger of being contaminated. We won’t be able to withstand a siege for long, especially if this rain continues. I’ll send some of my best men in a few hours. They can leave under cover of dark and go find Moonbeam.”
“How will they know where to look?” asked King Daneel. “Moonbeam helps so many people, it’s difficult to find her even at the best of times.”
“They can start at the Moonflower Glade,” said Liam. “That is her home.”
Annie shook her head. “Squidge told us that she’s off doing something with her new husband.”
“It will do for a start,” King Halbert announced. “I’ll have the men leave as soon as the sun sets.”
That night, everyone was busy. While King Halbert, King Daneel, and Captain Sterling, the captain of the guard, discussed siege strategy, Queen Karolina and her sister-in-law, Queen Theodora, consulted with the steward about the supplies needed to withstand the siege. Everyone else took turns eating the food that had been prepared for the wedding and emptying out the buckets being used to collect rainwater. Although Annie, Liam, and their friends had helped before supper, after they ate they returned to help the people on the top floor.
The rain stopped falling a few hours after sunset. Annie was carrying a bucket sloshing with rainwater to pour out of a window when the sudden silence made everyone pause and look up at the ceiling. “Do you think it’s stopped for good?” one maid whispered to another.
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, but when the patter didn’t begin on the roof again, some of them dared to smile. As people started moving and chatting, Liam took Annie’s chin in his hand and tilted her head so that her eyes met his. “You don’t seem happy that the rain finally let up. Why is that?”
“Because I’m afraid it just means that something else is about to happen. It’s been that kind of day. It’s hard to believe that this is—well, was—still our wedding day,” she said, biting her lip when it threatened to quiver.
“I know what you mean,” Liam said, and leaned down for a kiss. When she moved her head to look into his eyes, he smiled and pulled her closer. “Our wedding just wasn’t meant to happen today. Don’t worry, we’ll choose another day and everything will be perfect.”
“I suppose,” Annie said with a shuddery breath.
“Your Highness,” a guard said, appearing at her side. “King Halbert would like to see you in his meeting chamber.”
Annie nodded. “I’ll be right there,” she told him, then turned back to Liam. “Let’s hope it’s good news this time.”
“I agree,” said Liam. “We’re due for a change.”
Annie knew from her father’s expression that it was bad news. The tapestry that hid the secret passage leading from his meeting room had been taken down, revealing the dark opening and allowing the dank, musty air to fill the chamber. The only other people in the room were her mother, Captain Sterling, and the two guards who had been sent to find Moonbeam. Annie thought the guards looked odd, but it wasn’t until she drew closer that she knew why. They were drenched from the knees down, having waded through the half-flooded tunnel, but the rest of their clothes were wet with something other than water. A pale green, slightly lumpy liquid coated them from the tops of their heads to their knees, and they both had a very odd smell.
“What happened?” Liam asked the men. “Why are you back so soon?”
“There was a fog,” one of the guards drawled, speaking so slowly that he was hard to listen to. “The forest is filled with it.”
“You can’t see through it,” said the other man just as slowly. A drop of something wet and viscous dripped down his forehead. At first, Annie couldn’t tell that the man was moving his hand to wipe it away, the movement was so sluggish. Watching him was so irritating that she took out her own handkerchief and wiped his forehead herself. His movements speeded up at her touch.
“What is this stuff?” she asked, keeping her hand on the man’s forehead.
“The fog,” he replied in a normal voice. “It’s as thick as pea soup.”
Liam sniffed, then swiped at the man’s sleeve with one finger. “It smells like pea soup.” He gave it a tentative taste and laughed. “It is pea soup, though it’s a bit too salty for my taste. Look, there are even bits of ham.”
“More magic,” said Annie. “They must have made the rain stop so it wouldn’t wash away the fog.”
“If you can’t see through the fog and it slows you down like this,” the king said, gesturing to the two guards, “no one is going to be able to get out to find Moonbeam.”
“I can,” said Annie as she stepped away from the guard. As soon as she was no longer touching him, his movements slowed again. “It’s magic,” Annie continued. “Other than being disgusting, the fog shouldn’t bother me.”
King Halbert shook his head. “I can’t allow you to go. We don’t know what else they might have lying in wait out there. You’d be vulnerable if you ran into a non-magical threat.”
“Which is why I’m going with her,” said Liam. “Annie can get me through the fog, and I’ll make sure she stays safe.”
“You can’t go, Annie!” cried the queen. “This isn’t like the other trips you’ve made on our behalf. That’s an army out there. Who knows what they’d do if they captured you.”
“They won’t get the chance,” said Annie. “If we can’t see through the fog, neither can they. And Liam is the best sword fighter I’ve ever seen. No one will hurt me with him at my side.”
“But—” the queen began.
“The army is camped south of the castle,” Annie explained. “They’ll be counting on the fog to keep us from venturing out. Liam and I will head north. If there’s just the two of us, we should be able to avoid any patrols.”
“We can find horses north of here,” Liam told her. “If we’re on horseback, we should be able to reach the bridge and cross into Floradale before sunrise.”
Annie could tell that he found the prospect exciting. He’d been such a good sport about planning the wedding, but she’d known he’d been bored. She was sure that a mission like this would be the kind of thing he’d enjoy.
“How long will it take you to get ready?” asked her father.
The queen sighed. She had to know that if King Halbert was agreeing to it, nothing she could say would change his mind.
“An hour,” Annie said, glancing at Liam for confirmation.
He nodded, saying, “We just have to pack a few things.”
“Then our thoughts and prayers will go with you,” said Queen Karolina. “I suppose that if anyone can find Moonbeam, it’s you two.”
Chapter 5
They were on their way to change their clothes and gather what they needed when Annie stopped Liam. “I think we should travel in disguise, at least while we’re in Treecrest,” she said. “For all we know, King Dormander has lookouts all around the kingdom.”
“You mean you’re going to dress as a boy again?” he asked.
Annie had dressed as a boy while looking for a prince to kiss her sister awake. Not only was it a good disguise, but it allowed her to travel more comfortably without long skirts to weigh her down. Sometimes she wished she could dress like a boy more often.
“Yes, I’m going to dress like a boy, but not the way I usually do. I think we should dress as farm boys so we’re not associated with the castle at all. If anyone recognized us for who we really are, word would get out that we had left the castle and people would come looking for us.”
“I thought we’d wear black cloaks so no one would see us in the dark,” said Liam.
“And look doubly suspicious in the daylight?”
Liam shrugged. “We can wear disguises if you want to, but do we have to use made-up names, too?”
“Hmm,” said Annie. “That’s not a bad idea. It wouldn’t do to have you call me Annie when I’m supposed to be a boy.”
“I was joking!”
“Well, I’m not. If we’re traveling as farm boys, I should have a boy’s name and I should call you something other than Liam.”
“All right, Seth,” Liam said with a smile.
“That will work,” said Annie. “Try to find some old clothes, Ruben. And the boots should be scuffed and worn.”
“In an hour?”
“I’m going to send a maid down to the stable to find a boy my size, wearing
the oldest, most worn-out clothes. I’ll trade his clothes for some I wore as a disguise before. They’re too nice for me to wear now, but one of the stable boys would probably like them. The maid might have to look harder for someone with boots that will fit me. You can do the same if you want.”
“I will,” said Liam. “But does my name have to be Ruben? I always thought of myself more as a Dirk, or Cliff …”
Annie laughed. “I’ll see you in one hour,” she said, and gave him a quick kiss before hurrying off.
Only her father and Captain Sterling were there when Annie returned an hour later. The tapestry that covered the secret passageway was back in place, and she glanced at it with a questioning look when she sat at the table.
Her father must have noticed, because he glanced at the tapestry as well, saying, “That passage leads south, and you’re headed north. There are other secret passages, you know. This is just the one our family has used most often. There are two more; one comes out by the river, but it’s flooded now.”
When he looked toward Captain Sterling, the man nodded and said, “You’d have to be a fish to use it today.”
“The other passage has stood up to all this rain fairly well and you should be able to use it,” said the king. “The captain sent two of his men to check it out. There’s some water, but they say it isn’t too bad. The tunnel comes out to the east in the middle of a hayfield.”
Annie glanced at the door as Liam walked into the room. He wore clothes as stained and dirty as the ones she had on, but while Annie’s fit and she was pleased to have them, Liam looked uncomfortable and kept plucking at the neck of the rough-cloth tunic. Standing in the doorway, he gave Annie a rueful smile before saying to the king, “We’re ready to go, Your Majesty.”