by E. D. Baker
“I hate what you’ve done to me, you crazy old fairy,” the wizard shouted. “It makes me furious when anyone’s magic is stronger than mine.”
“Don’t speak until you’re spoken to, or I’ll close your mouth permanently.” Turning to Mertice, Moonbeam told her, “The wizard has to speak the truth now. Ask him anything you want.”
“Are you a good man?” asked Mertice.
The wizard tried to keep his mouth closed, but the struggle didn’t last long. “That depends on what you mean by good,” he finally blurted out. “I’m good at getting what I want. I’m good at making people do as I say.”
“Are you a cruel man?” Annie asked.
“Every chance I get,” the wizard said with a pained expression on his face.
“Are you the man I thought you were?” the king said, staring intently at the wizard.
The struggle not to speak lasted longer this time, but finally the wizard’s lips parted and the words tumbled out. “No. I never have been. I lied to you from the day we met.”
“Then our agreement is null and void,” said the king. Turning away from the wizard, he looked at each of the others in turn. “Thank you for opening my eyes. All of you. Now, if you’ll take us back, I’ll accompany my army home and see that my former wizard is locked away where he can’t harm anyone ever again.”
“Does that mean the siege is over?” asked Annie.
“Of course. I came here only because I believed his lies. He told me that my daughter had been kidnapped. A week ago an informant of his said that Mertice had been taken to Treecrest and held prisoner in the royal castle. I am sorry for believing him and hope that you will forgive me for all the trouble I have caused you. Mertice, I hope that you will join me. My fleet is waiting on the coast.”
“I’d be happy to go home with you, Father,” his daughter replied.
“By the way,” he told Liam. “I met your brother. He had some sort of arrangement with my wizard.”
“I know,” said Liam. “Annie and I already took care of it.”
“Then we must be off. Mertice and I have a lot of catching up to do.”
“And Liam and I have to see about a wedding,” Annie said, linking her arm with Liam’s.
Chapter 17
The fairies were determined that the wedding was going to be the most beautiful one anyone had ever seen. They felt awful about what they had done, and had all decided that putting on the perfect wedding was the only way they could make up for it. By the time Annie, Liam, and Moonbeam returned to the castle, the fairies’ preparations were well under way.
Annie was surprised to learn that her wedding was going to be that very night. When she offered to help, or at least give her opinion, Sweetness N Light shooed her away, saying, “I’ve already told your mother, your sister, and your friends that we don’t need any help or interference. Go away and don’t come back until I tell you we’re ready.”
“But—” Annie began.
“No buts about it! No one can put on a better wedding than a fairy, and you have every fairy in the kingdom working on this. Like I already said, go away!”
Annie walked off, feeling slightly stunned. She was finally about to get married! A hair tickled her neck and she brushed it back only to notice how grimy it felt. Suddenly all she could think of was a good, hot bath and clean clothes. On the way up the stairs, she stopped a maid and told her that she needed hot water. Only minutes after she reached her room, servants lugged in the tub while others carried in steaming buckets. Before they left, she had them move her dressing screen to block the magic mirror’s view and ignored the face’s grumbling.
When everyone was gone, Annie disrobed and climbed into the tub, letting the hot water ease her aching muscles. After washing her hair, she scrubbed herself until her skin was as clean as she could get it. She let her thoughts drift as she settled back in the still warm water, and found herself remembering the night before the failed wedding. Something niggled at her mind—something that had happened halfway through the night. When she remembered it, she sat up suddenly, making the water slosh back and forth.
“Magic mirror, did you say something to me the night before my wedding?”
She waited impatiently for a reply as the face took form on the other side of the screen. “What?” it finally said. “No ‘Hello, mirror. How have you been while I was away, leaving you shut in a room with no company for days on end?’”
Annie sighed. “Hello, mirror, I’m sorry I left you alone for so long. Now will you answer my question?”
“I can’t,” said the mirror. “I said lots of things that night. You’ll have to be more specific.”
Annie reached for a towel and stepped out of the tub to dry herself. Slipping on a robe, she walked around the screen to face the magic mirror. “You woke me in the middle of the night and said something. What was it that you said?”
“I don’t remember,” the face said, looking irritable.
“Don’t play games with me, mirror. You remember everything,” said Annie.
“Why should I tell you?” the mirror asked. “You were rude and wouldn’t talk to me.”
“I was asleep and you woke me! I can’t be held responsible for things I say when I’m still half-asleep. If you don’t tell me right now, I’m going to sing!”
“You wouldn’t!” said the mirror.
Knowing that the mirror hated her singing more than anything, Annie opened her mouth and started a song she had made up when she was little and her sister had once again refused to play with her. It was a short song, but it was filled with all the things she had loved as a child.
Unicorns with silver horns
Daisy chains to wear
“No!” shouted the face in the mirror. “Stop!”
“Then tell me what you said,” Annie told him.
“I said that I knew something you didn’t. There, are you satisfied?”
“Not until you tell me what you knew that I didn’t.” When the mirror didn’t answer right away, Annie began to sing again.
Pennants snapping in a breeze,
Flowers in my hair
“Stop! All right! I’ll tell you. I’d learned that the sprite wasn’t really here to help you. He wanted to ruin your wedding because he said you’d ruined his life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? At least then we could have been a little more prepared.”
“Because he didn’t say it out loud until that night. I can’t read people’s thoughts, you know,” said the mirror.
“So he said something the night before my wedding?” Annie asked.
The face in the mirror nodded. “All his plans were coming together and he was very pleased with himself. He sang a little song and danced a little dance. It was actually very entertaining.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“Yes. You really do need to learn a better song. It sounds like a six-year-old wrote it.”
“I believe I was five at the time,” said Annie.
“See! Definitely time for a new song. Maybe one that isn’t so happy!”
Annie turned away as the image faded from the mirror. As she dressed, she wondered what she should do until the wedding. Liam had already gone to retrieve Otis and Hunter, so there was no one she really wanted to see. Although she’d promised to answer questions, she wasn’t in the mood to do it, so she decided to check how the fairies’ repair work had gone. Hoping no one would find her, she took a little-used staircase to the upper floors to inspect the leaky roofs. From what she could see, all the water damage had been fixed, the floors and walls cleaned, and the ceiling looked new. She didn’t see any sign that bats and squirrels had ever been there.
It was dusk when she headed to the kitchen to make sure the cooks had enough food, but she smelled the aroma of roasted ox and pheasant before she reached it. Changing direction, she headed for her mother’s garden to see how it had fared. She was crossing the courtyard when she spotted Liam coming out of
the stable, back from his errand.
“Did you find the horses easily enough?” Annie asked.
Liam nodded. “They’d found a small clearing and were gorging themselves on grass, but they both seem happy to be back in a stall with a bucket of oats.”
“I’ve been inspecting the fairies’ handiwork,” said Annie. “They did a marvelous job fixing everything they’d damaged. I have to admit, sometimes magic can be a good thing.”
“I’ve always thought so,” Liam said, pulling her into his arms. “Especially the kind of magic we have.”
“And what’s that?” asked Annie.
“A different kind of magic. This kind.” Still holding her in his arms, he kissed her until she could barely stand. When he finally pulled back, he cleared his throat and said, “I thought I’d go study some of your father’s maps and find a place for our grand tour. I’ll choose a few places, but I want you to help me with the final decision.”
Annie nodded, missing the warmth of his arms when he let her go and walked away. Once again she headed for her mother’s garden. She was admiring the roses, wondering why the fairies hadn’t used them to decorate the great hall, when Sweetness N Light found her.
“It’s time for you to get ready!” the fairy trilled. Raising her wand, she tapped Annie on the top of her head … And nothing happened. “What’s wrong with this thing?” she muttered, tapping her wand against the palm of her other hand.
“Um, it’s not your wand, it’s me, remember? Magic doesn’t work around me.”
“Aphid eggs! You’re right. I had forgotten. Well then, we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Take your clothes off while I conjure up your gown.”
The gardeners looked up with interest, turning away when they saw that Annie had noticed. “I’m not taking my clothes off here!” she told the fairy.
“Oh, all right!” Sweetness N Light said, sounding exasperated. “Meet me in your bedchamber and you can get dressed there. Hmm … We’ll have to do something about your hair.”
When the fairy disappeared in a haze of sparkles, Annie turned and ran. Avoiding the great hall, she took the closest stairs and ran through the corridors until she reached her own chamber. Moonbeam was already there waiting with dozens of flower fairies. A pale blue gown covered with silver embroidery was draped across her bed, sparkling in the light of the already lit candles.
“It’s gorgeous!” Annie said, gently caressing the fabric.
“Moonbeam saw to your dress,” said Sweetness N Light. “Apparently she remembered that magic doesn’t work around you, because she had one hundred fairies do all that embroidery by hand.”
“Oh, my!” Annie exclaimed.
“Now you can take off your old gown,” said Moonbeam. “Fairies, help me lift this thing. It weighs more than a sleeping gargoyle, and I’ve moved my fair share of those.”
Annie threw off her everyday gown as the tiny flower fairies struggled to lift the heavy garment into the air. Ducking, she slipped into the new gown, adjusting the long slashed sleeves lined with silver and the heavy, embroidered skirt. Although from a distance the embroidery looked like an intricate design, up close it was a series of detailed interlocking flowers and butterflies.
“And now for your hair,” said Sweetness N Light. “Fairies, the brush!”
Annie braced herself as the fairies fluttered around her head, brushing her hair, arranging it around a silver circlet and tucking individual flowers into the curls. “Is Liam getting ready?” she finally thought to ask. “Do my parents know it’s almost time?”
“Yes, yes, we’ve handled everything. There,” Sweetness N Light said as she tucked one last blossom into place. “You’re all set. Oh, good. There’s a mirror. Step over here and see how you look.”
Annie followed the fairy’s directions, but stopped partway when she realized that Sweetness N Light was taking her to the magic mirror. Even before she spoke, the mist in the mirror swirled and the face formed. Annie was surprised. It was the first time she had ever seen the face smile.
“Ooh! A magic mirror!” said Sweetness N Light. “I’ve heard about those. I’m going to ask it a question and I bet I know the answer! Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest maid of all?”
“If you mean which girl who cleans is the fairest at games, that would be Maeve in the kitchen. She never cheats at jacks. But if you mean who is the most beautiful girl in the kingdom, that would be the princess Annabelle. No one is more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day, especially this one.”
“That’s so sweet!” exclaimed Sweetness N Light. “Come along, fairies, we must escort our lovely bride downstairs.”
They had all turned away and were headed to the door when the mirror muttered, “I had to say it. If I hadn’t, she might have started to sing again.” Annie smiled, but she was the only one who seemed to have heard it.
Sweetness N Light stopped at the door. “Buttercup, go see if they’re ready for the princess in the great hall.” After the little flower fairy had zipped away, Sweetness N Light turned to Annie, saying, “We need to arrive at just the right time so you can make your grand entrance without having to wait. Ah, here she is now. What took you so long?”
“Sorry,” the little fairy replied. “Moonbeam said to tell you that they’ll be ready by the time the princess walks down all those stairs.”
Annie didn’t care if the fairies thought she was slow; she practically flew down the stairs, stopping only when she was standing outside the door of the great hall. Gwendolyn, Snow White, and Ella were already there, dressed as bridesmaids in silver-gray gowns with blue flowers in their hair. They all looked beautiful, but what was so gratifying was that they seemed to think she did as well. They all smiled and made appreciative sounds, but no one dared speak, for the great hall was full and the procession was about to begin.
Although she was at the end of the line, Annie was able to see some of the things the fairies had done to the hall. There were flowers everywhere, from the blooming cherry trees growing in the corners to the violets nestled among the rushes that covered the floor. Wisteria vines clung to the columns and spread across the walls, their blooms hanging like fragrant grapes overhead. Lilies and rosebushes grew beside the tables that had been pushed against the walls, their heady scents mingling with those of the wisteria and the cherry blossoms to create their own perfume. Annie could swear she saw butterflies fluttering around the flowers and hummingbirds like living jewels darting from one welcoming bloom to another.
Sweetness N Light was standing in the doorway. At her signal, a whole flock of nightingales began to sing just as Gwendolyn took the first step into the great hall. Annie followed her friends, but it wasn’t until she entered the hall herself that she was able to see Liam waiting for her by the dais. A light mist filled the hall, and Annie gasped when she saw why. The fairies had created a rainbow at the far end of the room, placed so it would frame Annie and Liam.
Annie’s eyes glistened with tears as she walked slowly up the aisle. It was the most beautiful wedding she had ever seen and far surpassed anything she could have done herself. She smiled at her guests, spotting Lizette and Grimsby, Rose Red and Yardley seated behind Liam’s father, King Montague. All of the princes who had tried to kiss Gwendolyn awake when she had been cursed were there as well, smiling back at Annie. Even Prince Digby, Gwendolyn’s first suitor, seemed to be in a cheerful mood.
The fairies had done even more than she could have imagined. Any shred of resentment for their former mischief vanished, replaced by delight in what they had ultimately done. And then her eyes met Liam’s as she stepped up beside him and she realized that the very best part of the wedding had been with her all along. As long as she had Liam, the rest was all just decoration.
With Liam at her side, gazing into her eyes, the wedding seemed to fly by in a beautiful blur. Before Annie knew it, the local priest was declaring them husband and wife and they were turning to face their family and friends. Suddenly dozens
of white doves shot out of large woven-reed baskets to fly in a swirling loop overhead, then out the open windows. The nightingales began to sing again, and Annie saw more than one person dab tears from their eyes.
Within minutes Annie and Liam were standing alongside the bridesmaids and her parents in a formal receiving line. Her uncle and aunt, King Daneel and Queen Theodora, were the first to congratulate the bridal couple, along with Annie’s cousin, Prince Ainsley.
Moonbeam was the next in line. “I have to say, this was the most fun I’ve had in ages! Oh, I know you said that helping your friend Mertice would be your wedding gift, but I just couldn’t help myself. I had to make that gown because I knew exactly what you needed to wear, my dear. And I was right! It looks perfect on you. The only catch is, you’re going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight. Just kidding!” she exclaimed when she saw the horrified look on Annie’s face. “A little fairy godmother humor!”
Although Annie laughed, it wasn’t very convincing. Magic didn’t work on her, but even so …
“Are you happy, my dears?” Sweetness N Light asked, stepping in front of Annie and Liam. She peered into their eyes as if their answers were of vital importance.
“Very happy,” Liam said, squeezing Annie’s hand. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Annie remembered how important appearing to be happy was to Sweetness N Light. She demanded that all the fairies in her garden be happy, and made their lives miserable if they didn’t act like it.
“Yes,” Annie said, glancing at Liam. “I’ve never been happier.”
And it was the truth.
Also by E. D. Baker
THE TALES OF THE FROG PRINCESS:
The Frog Princess
Dragon’s Breath
Once Upon a Curse
No Place for Magic
The Salamander Spell