find the right one. I’m Maud, by the way. My mum works in the castle kitchen, and she knows all about the prince. Do you know that he’s almost twenty years old? He’s very particular, everyone says so. But six princesses have come to try for his hand. One of them is bound to be the right one. I came home to get my dad and me a bite to eat and I’m on my way back there now, so I’d be happy to show you the way. You can see it now. Oh, look! They’re getting ready for the next contest.”
Annie hurried forward, anxious to see what she was about to get herself into. She could see the castle, rising above the trees. It wasn’t very big as castles went, but it was well built and fairly pretty, with each of its five towers flying colorful pennants. She could hear thecrowd now, and as she drew closer she saw people dressed in their best clothes watching from the perimeter of a large clearing.
“Who’s in charge of the contest?” Annie asked the girl.
“That would be Lord Penbroken. That’s him, over there by that table.”
A group of more formally dressed people were standing near a trestle table that had been set up at the end of the clearing. An elderly man was talking to a group of pretty young women, who Annie assumed were the princesses. Although every one was lovely in her own way, none of them were nearly as beautiful as Gwendolyn.
A horse whinnied and Annie turned to see grooms escorting a small herd toward the princesses. As each horse was brought up, a princess left the group and walked into the clearing with the horse and groom. It wasn’t long before Lord Penbroken was by himself. When Annie approached him, the elderly man barely spared her a glance. “Excuse me,” she said, “but can you tell me if it’s too late to enter your contest?”
Lord Penbroken looked irritated when he turned to face her. “This contest is for princesses only. If you happen to have a princess in your entourage,” he said, giving her a condescending smirk, “she may enter.”
Annie brushed back a lock of her hair. She had neither bathed nor washed her hair in days, and she knewshe must look terrible, but there was no time now to do anything about it. “I’m glad to hear that,” she told the elderly man. “I’d like to sign up.”
“
You’re
a princess?” asked Lord Penbroken.
Annie nodded. “I’m Princess Annabelle of the kingdom of Treecrest, come to enter your contest. I can give you a list of all my ancestors if that would help.”
Lord Penbroken looked a little dazed. “I don’t see how—”
“Let her enter the contest, Penzi,” said a tall young man who had arrived while they were talking. “The more the merrier, I always say.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” murmured Lord Penbroken.
“You must be Prince Andreas,” said Annie, curtseying as one would to an equal. “I’m Princess Annabelle, but my friends call me Annie.”
The prince smiled, displaying a set of white teeth made perfect by magic. “Then by all means, Annie it will be.”
“Do you need to hear my ancestry?” she said, turning to Lord Penbroken.
The elderly man glanced at the other princesses and shook his head. “No, no, there isn’t time for that now. You may enter, provided you know that there will be dire consequences if you’ve lied to us and you aren’t really a princess. You’ve missed the first part of the contest, but we’ll talk about that later. Right now we’ll have to see about getting you a horse.”
“Excuse me,” said Prince Andreas as he reached for Annie’s hand and raised it to his lips. She noticed that his fingers grew stubbier in the few seconds he touched her. “They’ve brought out my mount. I’ll see you during the contest, Annie.”
As the prince walked out into the clearing and Lord Penbroken turned away to talk to a groom, Annie discovered that Liam had followed her. “He’s quite charming,” she said in a quiet voice. “I think he’d do very well for
Annie hurried forward, anxious to see what she was about to get herself into. She could see the castle, rising above the trees. It wasn’t very big as castles went, but it was well built and fairly pretty, with each of its five towers flying colorful pennants. She could hear thecrowd now, and as she drew closer she saw people dressed in their best clothes watching from the perimeter of a large clearing.
“Who’s in charge of the contest?” Annie asked the girl.
“That would be Lord Penbroken. That’s him, over there by that table.”
A group of more formally dressed people were standing near a trestle table that had been set up at the end of the clearing. An elderly man was talking to a group of pretty young women, who Annie assumed were the princesses. Although every one was lovely in her own way, none of them were nearly as beautiful as Gwendolyn.
A horse whinnied and Annie turned to see grooms escorting a small herd toward the princesses. As each horse was brought up, a princess left the group and walked into the clearing with the horse and groom. It wasn’t long before Lord Penbroken was by himself. When Annie approached him, the elderly man barely spared her a glance. “Excuse me,” she said, “but can you tell me if it’s too late to enter your contest?”
Lord Penbroken looked irritated when he turned to face her. “This contest is for princesses only. If you happen to have a princess in your entourage,” he said, giving her a condescending smirk, “she may enter.”
Annie brushed back a lock of her hair. She had neither bathed nor washed her hair in days, and she knewshe must look terrible, but there was no time now to do anything about it. “I’m glad to hear that,” she told the elderly man. “I’d like to sign up.”
“
You’re
a princess?” asked Lord Penbroken.
Annie nodded. “I’m Princess Annabelle of the kingdom of Treecrest, come to enter your contest. I can give you a list of all my ancestors if that would help.”
Lord Penbroken looked a little dazed. “I don’t see how—”
“Let her enter the contest, Penzi,” said a tall young man who had arrived while they were talking. “The more the merrier, I always say.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” murmured Lord Penbroken.
“You must be Prince Andreas,” said Annie, curtseying as one would to an equal. “I’m Princess Annabelle, but my friends call me Annie.”
The prince smiled, displaying a set of white teeth made perfect by magic. “Then by all means, Annie it will be.”
“Do you need to hear my ancestry?” she said, turning to Lord Penbroken.
The elderly man glanced at the other princesses and shook his head. “No, no, there isn’t time for that now. You may enter, provided you know that there will be dire consequences if you’ve lied to us and you aren’t really a princess. You’ve missed the first part of the contest, but we’ll talk about that later. Right now we’ll have to see about getting you a horse.”
“Excuse me,” said Prince Andreas as he reached for Annie’s hand and raised it to his lips. She noticed that his fingers grew stubbier in the few seconds he touched her. “They’ve brought out my mount. I’ll see you during the contest, Annie.”
As the prince walked out into the clearing and Lord Penbroken turned away to talk to a groom, Annie discovered that Liam had followed her. “He’s quite charming,” she said in a quiet voice. “I think he’d do very well for
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