by Becky Biggs
“Have you met the prince?” Emerald asked, picking up Raina’s brush and running it through Raina’s thick locks as the spoiled princess bathed.
“Oh yes,” cooed Raina. “He is very handsome. The handsomest prince in the land. That is why I have to be the most beautiful bride ever. He’s going to fall in love with me and I’m going to be queen and we are going to live happily ever after.”
“He is very lucky, that’s for sure,” Emerald said as sincerely as she could. It apparently wasn’t very convincing, though, because Raina shot her a sharp look.
“Are you making fun of me?”
Emerald shook her head and tried harder. “No, I just . . . you are just very beautiful. That’s all.” Truthfully, she added,
“You have the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes.” Raina nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’m sure it must be hard to be stuck with hair like yours. I suppose it would be hard to get any prince to love you.”
Emerald hung her head as if in shame, though she was really trying to keep from laughing. She kept picturing all the princes who had tried to win her hand and heart.
“I saw that beautiful stone your father has. Is that your wedding present?” Emerald inquired cautiously.
Raina shook her head. “No, that’s Daddy’s favorite stone. It reminds him of my mother. My real mother.”
“Oh,” said Emerald sheepishly, handing Raina a towel as she stepped out of the tub. “It’s just so beautiful, I thought it would look stunning in a necklace for your wedding day.”
Raina dried off and put on her undergarments. She let Emerald help her into her long white gown, which was covered in tiny diamonds and pearls. Emerald thought Raina must have just brushed off her statement about the stone, but she turned to her mirror and touched her bare neck thoughtfully.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “It should be mine.”
Emerald nodded encouragingly but said nothing more about the necklace. Instead she turned to benign talk about the wedding decorations and details. She hoped she had planted a seed that would work.
A short while later, the king reentered the cottage to collect his daughter and bride for the wedding.
“Are you decent?” he said after knocking and cracking the door open.
“Yes, come in, Daddy!” Raina said, posing to give the king the best possible view of her dress when he walked in. King Spruce’s eyes shone with what Emerald thought might be tears as he looked at his daughter in her wedding gown.
“Oh, Raina,” he said mistily. “You look beautiful. So much like your mother.”
Raina smiled. “Speaking of Mommy—Daddy, I want my wedding present.”
The king looked confused. “What? I mean, of course! After your wedding, I will give you your choice of castles and villages to rule. I’m not sure what that has to do with Mommy, but I’ll—”
“No, Daddy. I want my present now. I want your green stone. I want it in a necklace.”
The king shot a dark look at Emerald before responding to his daughter. “Darling, you know I would give you anything, but I can’t give you that stone.”
“I. Want. IT!” screamed Raina, stomping her feet. She began to pull at her hair and dress while the king stared at her helplessly. He alternated between glaring at Emerald and trying feebly to calm his daughter. Emerald was amazed at the power the girl had over her father.
At that moment, Filari came back into the cottage dragging a zombie-like Porter. He stared with horror at the sight of Raina stamping and screaming, the king looking flustered, and Emerald trying to look as blank as possible.
“Did you have something to do with this?” the king growled at Emerald. She shook her head, but he angrily stormed over to Porter. He grabbed the young man by his arm and yanked him over to the fireplace. Once there, he pulled a handful of green leaves from a box on top of the mantel. “Perhaps we should give him one more dose of this. He’ll probably not make it through that, of course . . .”
Emerald shook her head frantically and cried, “No! I’ll do anything. Please just leave him alone.”
“Kindly convince my daughter that she doesn’t need my stone,” the king said through gritted teeth as he held the tallyweed dangerously close to Porter’s mouth.
“Okay, okay, just please don’t hurt him,” Emerald sobbed, trying to think of how to calm the princess. Her plan had backfired, badly. Remembering back to her cousin’s wedding and what had made her cousin nervous, she made an attempt at soothing Raina.
“You know, Raina,” she began shakily, “I’ve actually heard that green is a bad luck color on wedding days. So maybe your father’s stone isn’t the best thing to wear today. You need a . . . a pearl necklace! Yes, something as pure and beautiful as you.”
Raina stopped stomping and screaming, but she still looked unconvinced. The king quickly jumped in to back up Emerald’s statement.
“She’s right,” he declared. “Maybe we can talk about the stone after your wedding, but today you should wear white.” He pulled his wand from his pocket and waved it, making a beautiful strand of pearls appear. He dropped his grip on Porter, who slumped to the floor, and held out the pearls to his daughter. Distracted by the beautiful necklace, Raina let her father fasten it around her neck and then preened into the mirror, lightly touching it with her fingers.
“Perfect,” she declared.
“Yes, you are,” her father agreed.
Emerald groaned internally. It looked like she was getting married today.
Chapter Twenty
A ROYAL DOUBLE WEDDING
Emerald had never been so scared and sad in her life. Why hadn’t she listened to everyone who told her that she shouldn’t try to fight or be a hero? Sure, Queen Ellyn had been able to defeat a dragon and protect her people, but Emerald wasn’t Queen Ellyn. She obviously wasn’t that strong and she certainly wasn’t feeling very brave. At this point she felt like she had ruined everything. Porter was sick and a prisoner, her kingdom was going to be controlled by evil King Spruce, and the life of every magical creature—and perhaps every human too—was in danger. She could practically hear her mother say, “I told you so.”
“Ladies first.” King Spruce held out his hands to his daughter and Emerald to help them into a carriage that would take them to the castle for the double wedding. The king had enchanted the carriage to shine as if it were covered by millions of tiny diamonds. He noticed Emerald eyeing it disdainfully. He leaned toward her. “Image is everything, my dear. We want everyone in Eseland to see and respect our power.” He chortled evilly. “Not that they have a choice, of course.”
“Of course,” murmured Emerald. She accepted his helping hand up into the carriage and slid next to her soon-to-be stepdaughter on a heavily cushioned bench. Everything was so ridiculous. Here she was riding in an enchanted carriage that, as far as she could tell, no one would see but their little wedding party, and she was about to become wife to a man old enough to be her father, thus making her stepmother to a woman older than she.
“Oh, cheer up,” said Raina. “It’s our wedding day!” She then added as an afterthought, “You even look kind of pretty. Better than you did in those boy clothes anyway.”
“Thanks,” Emerald responded dryly. She was wearing a modest white gown that was fitted to the waist then flared out gracefully. A modest golden belt hung from her waist and gauzy sleeves covered her arms to her wrists. Raina had simply but elegantly pulled Emerald’s hair back with a couple of combs. Emerald had been forbidden from wearing her leather pouch, but she was now wearing a plain golden necklace that King Spruce gave her as a “wedding present.” Raina’s dress, meanwhile, was quite ostentatious, with its poufy sleeves, billowy skirts and glittering diamond embellishments. She wore a tiara of diamonds, pearls, and gold in her silken hair which hung to her waist. Even if it wasn’t a forced marriage, Emerald could imagine the prince of Eseland falling in love with the beautiful girl at first sight.
Emeral
d was startled from her thoughts as King Spruce shoved Porter, still bound and gagged, roughly into the carriage. He was actually starting to look a little better. There was some color in his cheeks and his eyes looked sharper as he met Emerald’s eyes.
“A little insurance, my dear, to make sure you don’t forget your vows,” King Spruce said to Emerald, noticing the look she shared with Porter. “Now that we are all here, let’s go have a wedding!” He snapped his fingers and shouted out the window, “Coachman—to the castle!”
The carriage made its way down the colorful path and turned onto the main road leading to the castle. As they approached the thick forest of vines, the tangled plants magically bowed out of the way to reveal a road. The horses sped down the road and the vines closed back together behind them. Emerald felt as if she were being swallowed whole by the jaws of a great monster.
“So, my dear Emerald, after we are married, we will take a little honeymoon to Medina,” King Spruce said, leaning forward and putting a hand on Emerald’s knee. She jerked at his touch, which made him chuckle wickedly. “I’m sure everyone will want to meet your new husband and celebrate their new king and queen.”
“You won’t be king,” Emerald spat back, brushing the king’s hand away. “My father is still alive.”
“Minor detail,” King Spruce responded, removing his hand from her knee and waving it dismissively. Emerald felt a chill run down her spine. “He’ll give up his throne if he knows what’s good for him. Otherwise . . .” King Spruce shrugged, but Emerald didn’t need him to finish his thought to understand his meaning. She stared hard at the floor, willing herself not to cry. Porter shifted in his seat a bit, but Emerald didn’t dare look at him. She was sure her will would break if she did.
“Daddy, look! They’re all here to see me!” Raina, oblivious to her father’s and Emerald’s conversation, pointed out the window excitedly. Emerald looked where she was pointing and, to her surprise, the vines were now gone and a crowd of magical creatures lined both sides of the road, waving and cheering. Despite her predicament, Emerald was transfixed. She could hardly believe her eyes to see so many incredible beings of which she’d only dreamed. There were stoic centaurs, delicate fairies, exquisite elves, enchanting nymphs, tiny pixies, and even fearsome harpies. Little wrinkled gnomes stood side-by-side with towering ogres, while colorfully dressed witches and wizards jumped up and down like small children on their birthdays. As awe-inspiring as the creatures were, Emerald thought there was also something very odd about them. She stared harder and realized that they all had very glassy eyes. It was like staring at a crowd of sleepwalkers.
This fact went unnoticed by Raina, who waved back and blew kisses. The crowds continued even after the carriage drove over the castle drawbridge and into the courtyard. Once the carriage stopped, Filari jumped down from his spot next to the driver and opened the door. He bowed to King Spruce, Emerald, and Raina as they stepped out.
“Take this one to the throne room, and make sure she’ll be able to see him,” King Spruce demanded, gesturing first to Porter and then to Emerald.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Filari clapped his hands and two guards appeared and dragged Porter from the carriage and up to the castle. King Spruce, meanwhile, took a few moments to smile and wave at the glassy-eyed crowd. Up close, the zombie-like state of the enchanted creatures was even spookier, but that didn’t seem to bother the king or his daughter.
King Spruce offered an arm each to his daughter and Emerald and escorted them up the flawless white marble staircase to the entrance of the castle. Emerald stumbled a little as they neared the top.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” King Spruce murmured to her as he steadied her, “everyone is nervous on their wedding day.” Emerald looked at him dubiously. “Well, not me, of course,” he added. “I just feel powerful. There was another time, though . . .” His voice trailed off and he got a distant look in his eyes. Emerald wondered if he was thinking about Raina’s mother. The moment didn’t last long, though. King Spruce shook his head and drove them forward as the elaborately carved wooden doors swung open to admit them.
They entered a foyer with bright white marble floors and even whiter walls. Just as many spectators were inside as there were outside. Elaborate arrangements of flowers adorned every nook and cranny; sprays of pink roses and white ranunculus spilled out of tall, freestanding golden vases while garlands of the same flowers were hung from windows and walls. Beautiful crystal chandeliers cast sparkling rainbows of light on the walls, floors, and guests. Though a bit ostentatious, Emerald had to admit that it was also beautiful.
“Do you like it, my darling?” King Spruce asked Raina. She was staring around the room with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“Oh, yes, Daddy,” she breathed happily. “It’s even more wonderful than I imagined.”
They crossed the foyer and neared the throne room doors, which were still closed. King Spruce let go of Emerald’s arm and turned to Filari, who’d turned back up after taking care of Porter.
“When these doors open, I’ll escort Raina down the aisle. You follow with Emerald. Don’t start until we are halfway down”—he pinned Filari with a glare—“ because Raina deserves to have all eyes on her today.”
From inside the throne room, Emerald could hear the music swelling. She flashed back to about a week earlier when she stood in front of another pair of doors, waiting for her life to change. That seemed an eternity ago.
Suddenly the doors opened and the crowds inside turned back to see the brides enter the room. They all had looks of admiration plastered on their faces. King Spruce smiled at the guests before shooting a quick, cold glance back at Filari and Emerald.
“No funny business,” he said icily and then turned back to walk his daughter down the aisle. Emerald watched their backs, racking her brain for ideas to stop the wedding. Without the stone, there wasn’t much hope. Emerald looked down at Filari. Maybe he . . .? But no, the little imp looked up at her with frightened eyes and then quickly turned forward again. Sighing, Emerald stepped forward with Filari and began walking down the aisle.
As they neared the end of the aisle, Emerald stole a glance at the prince Raina was going to marry. He was a handsome young elf, tall and blond. He had a grin plastered on his face, but his green eyes looked completely blank.
“Who gives this woman to wed this man?” the officiant asked robotically as Raina and her father reached the steps at the base of the throne. Clearly, he was enchanted as well.
“I do,” the king responded proudly. Emerald stepped next to Raina and looked at the king. She could swear she saw tears glistening in his eyes and had to bite down on her tongue to keep from laughing. You’d think Raina and the king were participants in a real wedding rather than the masterminds behind an enchanted one, she thought snidely. A quick glance past the king, though, sobered her up. Porter was still bound hand and foot and being held between two guards who had swords pointed at his throat.
“And who gives this woman to wed . . .” A faint frown creased the officiant’s brow as he looked at Emerald.
“Me. She’s marrying me,” King Spruce responded authoritatively. “And he gives her.” He pointed at Filari.
“Yes, of course,” the officiant said, though it was obvious nothing was really registering to him.
“Raina first. The traditional ceremony,” commanded the king. “Then you can marry Emerald and me. The short version is fine.” He turned to Emerald and asked in a sickly-sweet voice, “That okay with you, my dear?”
Unable to speak, Emerald’s eyes darted quickly to Porter. The guards gripped him a little tighter and she could see him wince as the points of their swords pricked into his neck. Emerald swallowed and simply nodded in response. Satisfied, the king turned his focus back to his daughter and the enchanted prince.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today . . .” As the officiant droned on, Emerald stole a quick glance around her to see if anyone was at least halfway conscious. There had
to be someone who could help her. She didn’t think there was much hope, though, if she couldn’t get the stone from the king.
Sighing, Emerald rubbed her hands together. As she did, her fingers ran over something sharp and cold. Her godmother’s ring! In all the confusion and fear of Porter’s capture, she’d forgotten all about it. Emerald rubbed her fingers over the pink stone and felt her mind running through all the people she knew who might be able to hear her silent plea for assistance. Suddenly her great-grandmother came to mind. Oh, Queen Ellyn, Emerald begged, please come to your great-granddaughter’s assistance! Emerald felt all her inner being focus on her cry to her great-grandmother. It was as if something powerful was swirling up inside her and reaching a hand out to the heavens.
Suddenly the light streaming through the large windows at the front of the throne room went dark, as though a big storm cloud had moved in front of the sun. Emerald stared and saw the glass vibrate from some powerful force outside. It vibrated harder and harder then shattered, sending sparkling shards in every direction.
Emerald grabbed Filari, who was standing next to her, and dove away from the steps. She made her move just in time because in the next instant a huge, green, clawed foot came crashing down in the very spot where they had been standing. Emerald looked over and saw that the king had pulled Raina out of the way as well. The glassy-eyed prince now stood unflinchingly between two enormous scaly feet. Emerald stared at them and then slowly raised her eyes up the rest of the creature’s body. Four powerful legs connected with a muscular body topped by a long neck and big head. The head featured a long snout that was slightly open and puffing small clouds of smoke. Red eyes, razor-sharp teeth, and impressive wings completed the creature’s appearance. Emerald gasped. It was a dragon.