Gwendolyn.”
“Huh,” said Liam. “Are you sure you’re still thinking about your sister?”
Annie gave him a sharp look. She couldn’t help it if she’d been wondering what it would be like to be entering the contest for herself rather than her sister, just as she couldn’t help feeling guilty that she could think such things when her family needed her so. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked Liam. “Finding a prince for Gwennie is the whole reason we’re here.”
“I know. I just want you to keep that in mind. You should also keep in mind that no prince appreciates being deceived.”
“So is it true? Are you a real princess?” asked Maud, pushing through the crowd around them. “Because I have a lot of friends who would have loved to do what you just did, only none of them have the nerve. Everyone around here knows them too well, too, but a stranger like you—”
“It’s true,” Liam told her. “She really is a princess.”
“It’s lucky they let you start now,” said Maud. “Seeing that they already had the first contest.”
“Mmm,” Annie murmured. She was watching the princesses pet the horses as if the animals were big dogs. Every one of the girls was lovely, delicate, and carried herself as gracefully as Gwennie. Depending on what the contests were, Annie could either embarrass herself by how terrible she was in comparison, or...
“What was the first contest?” Annie asked.
“Poetry,” said Maud.
Annie grimaced. “I’m glad I missed it then. I hate poetry. The best I can do is a lousy limerick.”
“Princess Sarinda won it. That’s her, over there in the pink gown. The one who just fell off her horse.”
The princess in pink was lying on the ground, having been boosted onto the horse’s back and fallen off the other side. Another princess with red hair and a pale green gown had a grim expression on her face as she dug her legs into the horse’s sides to keep from falling off. Of the six princesses, only two had control of their horses.
“So the next contest is horse back riding?” said Annie. “But none of those horses are saddled. Most princesses ride sidesaddle.”
Maud leaned close enough to whisper into Annie’s ear. “Prince Andreas wants a wife who can keep up with him, no matter what.”
A princess with dark brown ringlets lurched ontoher horse’s back and grabbed hold of its mane instead of the reins. “I see,” said Annie, thinking that she might have a chance after all.
“It seems they’ve found a horse for you to ride,” Liam said, gesturing toward the clearing.
Annie was pleased to see that they had brought her a pretty little palomino mare with a dance to her step. She had learned to appreciate horses from her friends in the stables and knew a good horse when she saw one. Leaving Liam with Maud, Annie crossed the grassy meadow. After taking a moment to pat the mare’s neck, Annie let the groom give her a hand up, deftly climbing onto the horse’s back. Taking the reins from his hands, she turned the horse toward where Prince Andreas was waiting. Some of the princesses were already there, facing the prince in a straggly row, but it took a few more minutes and the help of their grooms before the rest of the contestants joined them.
“I’d like you all to meet Princess Annabelle, who will be joining our contest,” the prince said when everyone was ready. “I’m sure you’ll all do your utmost to make her welcome.” The six princesses turned and gave her nasty looks, but the prince didn’t seem to notice. “The rules of this contest are simple,” he continued. “We will race around this field until I decide it’s time to stop. Whoever can keep up with me wins. Any questions? Yes, Princess Daphne?”
“This horse doesn’t like me,” said the princess withthe dark brown curls. “Would it be possible to get a different one?”
“I want the one she’s on,” said Sarinda, pointing at Annie. “That horse is better
“Huh,” said Liam. “Are you sure you’re still thinking about your sister?”
Annie gave him a sharp look. She couldn’t help it if she’d been wondering what it would be like to be entering the contest for herself rather than her sister, just as she couldn’t help feeling guilty that she could think such things when her family needed her so. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked Liam. “Finding a prince for Gwennie is the whole reason we’re here.”
“I know. I just want you to keep that in mind. You should also keep in mind that no prince appreciates being deceived.”
“So is it true? Are you a real princess?” asked Maud, pushing through the crowd around them. “Because I have a lot of friends who would have loved to do what you just did, only none of them have the nerve. Everyone around here knows them too well, too, but a stranger like you—”
“It’s true,” Liam told her. “She really is a princess.”
“It’s lucky they let you start now,” said Maud. “Seeing that they already had the first contest.”
“Mmm,” Annie murmured. She was watching the princesses pet the horses as if the animals were big dogs. Every one of the girls was lovely, delicate, and carried herself as gracefully as Gwennie. Depending on what the contests were, Annie could either embarrass herself by how terrible she was in comparison, or...
“What was the first contest?” Annie asked.
“Poetry,” said Maud.
Annie grimaced. “I’m glad I missed it then. I hate poetry. The best I can do is a lousy limerick.”
“Princess Sarinda won it. That’s her, over there in the pink gown. The one who just fell off her horse.”
The princess in pink was lying on the ground, having been boosted onto the horse’s back and fallen off the other side. Another princess with red hair and a pale green gown had a grim expression on her face as she dug her legs into the horse’s sides to keep from falling off. Of the six princesses, only two had control of their horses.
“So the next contest is horse back riding?” said Annie. “But none of those horses are saddled. Most princesses ride sidesaddle.”
Maud leaned close enough to whisper into Annie’s ear. “Prince Andreas wants a wife who can keep up with him, no matter what.”
A princess with dark brown ringlets lurched ontoher horse’s back and grabbed hold of its mane instead of the reins. “I see,” said Annie, thinking that she might have a chance after all.
“It seems they’ve found a horse for you to ride,” Liam said, gesturing toward the clearing.
Annie was pleased to see that they had brought her a pretty little palomino mare with a dance to her step. She had learned to appreciate horses from her friends in the stables and knew a good horse when she saw one. Leaving Liam with Maud, Annie crossed the grassy meadow. After taking a moment to pat the mare’s neck, Annie let the groom give her a hand up, deftly climbing onto the horse’s back. Taking the reins from his hands, she turned the horse toward where Prince Andreas was waiting. Some of the princesses were already there, facing the prince in a straggly row, but it took a few more minutes and the help of their grooms before the rest of the contestants joined them.
“I’d like you all to meet Princess Annabelle, who will be joining our contest,” the prince said when everyone was ready. “I’m sure you’ll all do your utmost to make her welcome.” The six princesses turned and gave her nasty looks, but the prince didn’t seem to notice. “The rules of this contest are simple,” he continued. “We will race around this field until I decide it’s time to stop. Whoever can keep up with me wins. Any questions? Yes, Princess Daphne?”
“This horse doesn’t like me,” said the princess withthe dark brown curls. “Would it be possible to get a different one?”
“I want the one she’s on,” said Sarinda, pointing at Annie. “That horse is better
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