Once Upon a Curse (9 page)

The entire castle was in turmoil as soldiers ran to defend the gates and the battlements, servants rushed to fetch water from the castle well to heat for baths and everyone else ran around, shouting questions that no one seemed able to answer. We found the queen in the Great Hall, wringing her hands. "What a time for this to hap pen!" she wailed. "We have a castle full of guests and more on the way!"

"Where is Father?" Millie asked, trying to get her mother's attention. "I have to see him."

The queen grabbed her daughter by the arm and held on tightly. "Oh, no you don't, young lady. You'll just get in the way! You're staying here with me until this is over."

Although I understood how frustrated Millie must feel, her mother's interference helped me. I needed to go somewhere without anyone following me or suspecting that I had gone. Afraid that the queen might try to make me stay as well, I slipped into the milling crowd and headed for the stairs that led to the unfinished tower.

The stones were thick with dust and the door leading to the tower was jammed, but when I finally forced it open I had the ideal vantage point. Soldiers stationed on the battlements across from where I watched thrust their swords at the harpies, who flew just out of reach, pelting them with dung. Although archers shot one volley after another at the bird women, only a few found their mark. A group of harpies was concentrating on the battlements battlements gate, but there were so many of them that I found it hard to see why, until a harpy fell and I spotted the king surrounded by his knights. A sword flashed and another harpy fell, making the rest of the creatures draw back. The knights moved as a group, trying to escort the king to the only completed tower and safety.

Although I remembered Dyspepsia's warning about not changing the past, I had to interfere. It may not have been my time but it was my home, and I couldn't stand to see it taken over by harpies. While everyone watched the monstrous creatures, I hid in the tower doorway to recite the spell I had in mind. I knew how persistent harpies could be, so I had the spell cover their return just in case.

Oh, ye wind of far-flung places,

Keep these harpies from this home.

Should they force themselves upon us,

Blow them all from here to Rome.

At first it was a light breeze caressing my cheek and lifting the hair that had come loose from my braid. Within seconds it was a wind strong enough to blow a man's cap from his head. In less than a minute, I had to fight to get back into the tower room. The harpies flying over the battlements were carried off while I strained to shut the door. From the sound of their screaming, the rest of the harpies soon followed them.

When I rejoined the crowd in the Great Hall, the king and queen were standing near the high table, talking in muted voices. They looked up at the approach of one of their knights.

"Your Majesties," said the knight, "the harpies have gone."

"But how? Why?" asked the king.

"It was the wind, sire. It carried them away."

"Wind? You're making no sense, man. There is no wind today."

"It started suddenly, sire, and it's already stopped."

"You don't suppose it was magic, do you?" asked Queen Angelica.

The king nodded. "It must have been."

"Then it had to have been Hazel's doing."

"Where is the girl?" asked the king. "I wish to talk to her."

"She's locked herself in her chamber," said one of the young ladies who had followed the princess into the maze, "and she refuses to come out."

"Then she performed the magic from there," said the king. "I must thank her."

"I don't know what we would have done without that darling girl!" the queen gushed.

"Let's go," Millie whispered, coming up behind me. "If I have to listen to any more of this, I'm going to be sick."

I followed Millie up the stairs to her chamber. We got ready for bed and Millie went to say good night to her parents. When she came back, she told me that Hazel had kept her door locked, refusing to come out until her parents had assured her that the harpies were gone. "She'd blocked her windows with climbing roses," said Millie. "Their perfume was so strong it gave everyone else a headache. My father no longer thinks that she was the one who got rid of the harpies."

"Really?" I said, trying to sound surprised. "Then who does he think it was?"

"That's just it," said Millie. "No one knows. Maybe it was one of the princes. We don't know much about them. That's what I wanted to discuss with you. I hate to ask you for a favor since you're a guest, but I need your help."

"What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Hazel is supposed to announce the name of the suitor she's chosen at the party. When we went for our walk, she was discussing Fenton's tournament wins with him, so she didn't hear the other princes, but I did. They didn't say anything wrong exactly, and I know they were joking, but they said some things that made me wonder why they're asking for her hand. Is there even one among them who loves her? I'd feel better if we could find out what they really want."

"I'll talk to Eadric. Since he's sharing a room with the princes, maybe he can learn more about them."

Millie sighed. "Thanks. At least that's a start." Her bed creaked as she turned over.

I lay awake thinking, long after Millie's breathing became soft and even. She was a sweet girl, and we'd taken to each other right away. She was also a relative, although a distant one. If she needed my help, I would try my best.

As I lay in bed, wishing I could fall asleep, it occurred to me that there might be something more I could do than just find out what the curse had been after it happened. Maybe I could do something about the curse itself. Maybe I could keep it from being cast. I already knew that Hazel had offended the fairy by failing to give her an everlasting bouquet. It shouldn't be hard to make sure that didn't happen. She'd just have to make more bouquets—enough to give one to everyone, including every fairy. If I ended the curse before it began, Grandmother and Grassina would never have turned nasty, Grandfather wouldn't have died in the dungeon, Grassina could have married Haywood and I could marry Eadric. It sounded like the perfect solution to everyone's problems. I remembered Dyspepsia's warning about the dangers of altering history, but it wasn't hard to convince myself that the kind of change I had in mind couldn't hurt anyone. Believing that I'd just had the best idea yet, I drifted off to sleep, worry free for the first time in months.

Eight

W
hen we went downstairs the next morning, the Great Hall was empty except for some pages polishing swords. I had hoped to catch a glimpse of the elusive prince Garrid, but when I asked one of the pages where I might find him, I was told that the prince had already gone hunting.

Breakfast in the castle was haphazard, since most people preferred to wait for dinner at noon. Millie and I were hungry, however, so we collected bowls of porridge from the kitchen. We had just finished eating when Queen Angelica took Millie off to see to her new gown. Left on my own, I went in search of Hazel, prepared to do whatever it took to make sure she was ready for all the guests at her party. I finally ran into her when she was leaving her mother's chamber. She barely glanced at me as she swept past.

"Hazel," I said, hurrying after her. "I've been meaning to ask you how the preparations are coming for your party."

She turned to look at me, curling her lip in a way that reminded me of my mother. "Ask the castle steward. I have better things to do with my time."

"I just meant that I'd be happy to help," I said as she started to turn away.

She looked me up and down, and said, "What could you possibly do?"

"Help with the decorations, I suppose. Or perhaps the gifts for the guests."

"Gifts for the guests?" she said, frowning ever so slightly. "I have thought about giving them something. I'll decorate with flowers, of course, and I daresay I'll give out flowers as well. I'm known for my green thumb, you see," she said, holding up her left hand. Her thumb was actually green, the same shade of green as the skin of some wood nymphs I'd seen. I wondered if the blood of a wood nymph flowed in her veins. "People come to me from all the kingdoms around when they need help with their crops. Giving them flowers, an everlasting bouquet perhaps, would remind them of how much they need me."

"I'm sure everyone will love them. How many do you plan to make?"

"Why does that concern you?"

"I just want to help, that's all. It would probably be a good idea to make extras. You never know how many guests will show up at the last minute."

"You don't have to worry. I'm sure there will be enough for you to have one, too."

"That isn't what I meant—"

"Greedy thing, isn't she?" Hazel said to one of her mother's ladies-in-waiting. "But then the poorer relatives often are." She sneered at me, then tossed her head and walked away.

I tried not to let her attitude bother me. It wasn't so much the way she treated me as the knowledge that this girl was my ancestor. I'd always wanted to believe that my ancestors were better people than they probably really were.

After talking to Hazel, I needed to see a friendly face. Millie was still busy with her mother and I couldn't find Eadric anywhere, so I decided to go outside to visit Li'l. Except for the droning of the bees, the maze was quiet when I reached it. Li'l didn't come right away when I called her, and I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to her when she finally showed up.

Landing on a full-blown rose that bent double under her weight, Li'l opened her mouth to yawn, then said, "What's up?"

"I'm sorry I woke you. I wanted to know about your night. You said you might go exploring."

The little bat shifted her feet like she does when she's excited. "It was great! I went to the forest. It's bigger now than in our time. There are fewer farms between here and there and a lot more places for a bat to live. Lots of bugs, too. I was chasing a firefly when I met him."

"You met a bug?"

"Course not! Just the handsomest bat I've ever seen. He was chasing the same firefly, but he let me have it. A real gentlebat, that's what he was. I wish you could meet him. You'd like him; I'm sure of it."

I had to smile. "A gentlebat, you say. How nice."

"He showed me around. We saw the waterfall where the wood nymphs wash their hair and the ring where the fairies dance. We missed the early show, and the musicians were taking a break when we got there, so we waited for them to come back. The dancers were so graceful and light on their feet."

"They have wings, don't they?"

"That's true. Anyway I didn't get back until it was almost dawn. Bugsy brought me home."

"Bugsy?"

Li'l ducked her head as if she was embarrassed. "That's what I called
him
and he didn't seem to mind. He's so good at catching bugs."

"Hmm," I said, watching my little friend preen her wings, something I'd never seen her do before. "Do you think you'll see him again?"

Li'l bobbed her head. "He's coming back tonight. We're watching the unicorn races in the Silver Glade and going out for beetles afterward."

"Then you'd better get your rest," I said. "It sounds like you're going to need it."

It was still early, so I went for a walk around the castle, admiring the variety of flowers that grew at the edge of the moat. After a while I heard the distant clang of metal on metal. The sound grew louder as I approached the practice field where the princes were showing their sword-fighting techniques to a group of squires not much younger than themselves. Jasper was correcting a squire's stance when he looked up and saw me. He smiled and waved before turning back to his pupil.

I noticed Eadric at the same time that he noticed me. Excusing himself from his companions, he joined me in my walk. "Millie wants to know more about the princes," I said. "It would help if you could keep your eyes and ears open and find out what you can."

Eadric laughed. "That won't be a problem. You learn a lot about people when there are six of you crowded into one little room. I already know who snores and who doesn't like to wash. And Garrid must be having some sort of intestinal trouble."

"You mean you've met him?"

Eadric nodded. "He came in late last night and left the room a short time later. We were all asleep, but my pallet is so close to the door it wakes me every time someone leaves the room. Poor guy didn't come back until it was almost dawn."

"Maybe it was something he ate," I said.

"Maybe," said Eadric. "Say, you should see some of the birthday gifts the princes have brought for Hazel. Jasper has this cup...."

"I forgot about the gift! We have to get her one!"

"At the magic marketplace?" asked Eadric.

"We don't have time for that. We'll have to make it."

Eadric rubbed his jaw. "I suppose I could find some wood and carve a buckle...."

"Never mind," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll think of something."

"Tell me," he said. "Why have you been making faces at me ever since we got here? You look as if you're angry half the time."

"I haven't been making faces! I'm just not happy about the way you've been acting."

"What do you mean?" Eadric said, scowling. "I've been doing my best to fit in. I helped fight off the harpies and have spent most of my free time giving lessons to the squires. What more do you want from me?"

"That's wonderful, but it's not what I'm talking about. It's the way you hang on everything Hazel says and let her whisper in your ear. You really like her, don't you?"

"Hazel? You've got to be joking!" said Eadric. "Sure, she's pretty, but she has as much substance as one of your cook's pastries and isn't nearly as sweet. The girl doesn't think of anything except herself. Do you know she wanted me to sit at her feet singing songs about her beauty when I'd already promised the squires I'd show them how to track werewolves? I had to lie and say I couldn't carry a tune before she'd leave me alone."

"You mean you can sing?"

"Sure, when I have to. So, that's what this is all about? You think I've been paying too much attention to Hazel?"

"You don't seem to mind the way she flatters you and touches your arm or your hand."

"I'm trying to fit in, remember? Watch Fenton, or any of the other princes, and see how they act around her. I don't spend nearly as much time with Hazel as they do."

"But they're her suitors. You're supposed to be mine!"

"And I am," he said, pulling me into his arms.

The royal family was sitting down to dinner when we returned to the castle. I took a seat between Eadric and Millie again, with Hazel on Eadric's other side. Hazel made a big show of praising Eadric for fending off the harpies, and I noticed that she felt the muscles in his arms more than once. I ground my teeth and didn't say anything, even when Hazel took morsels off her plate and put them on his. But when she offered to show him the gardens, I couldn't keep from telling her, "He's already seen them with me."

Hazel sneered. "It wouldn't be the same, Emma dear. I know all the gardens' secrets. I could show him things he's never seen before."

"I just bet you could," I muttered into my mug of cider.

An elderly servant carried a platter the length of the table, offering everyone a slice of boiled mutton. "Derwin looks well now, doesn't he?" Millie said to me, using her knife to point out the elderly man. "I had them give him a bath when they pulled him out of the oubliette. I think it was the only bath he's ever had."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm sure everyone here appreciates your thoughtfulness."

I was listening to Millie describe her new gown when there was a commotion at the far end of the Hall. One of the king's foresters was trying to get past a guard who seemed determined to keep him from entering.

"You can't see him now," said the soldier.

"It's an emergency, I tell you," said the forester. "King Grunwald needs to hear about this."

"About what?" asked the king from the raised dais.

"The dragon is back, Your Highness. He's been spotted carrying off a prize bull. We think he ate the farmer."

King Grunwald set down the drumstick he'd been gnawing and rose to his feet. "I need volunteers," he said, looking directly at the row of princes. "Some brave young men skilled in fighting who aren't afraid to take on a dragon. Who among you is man enough to kill the foul beast?"

One prince looked away as if meeting the king's eyes would commit him to going. Another pretended to be busy with his food, acting as if he hadn't heard a word the king had said. Only a few young men stood, Eadric, Fenton and Jasper among them.

"I'll go, sire," said Eadric. "I need the practice."

Fenton made a rude sound, then said, "I'll go, sire, to prove I'm worthy of Princess Hazel's hand."

"I'll go, sire," said Jasper, "to rid the countryside of a terrible scourge."

"I'll go, sire," said two knights.

"For honor," said one.

"For glory," said another.

"For goodness' sake," I whispered to Millie. "Do they all have to be so dramatic?"

"Perhaps they are braver than I thought," murmured Millie. "Imagine, killing a dragon!"

"They haven't fought it yet. I think we should reserve judgment until we see what they actually do."

"But those brave young men are going to risk their lives!"

"Maybe," I said, reaching for a piece of bread. I was torn in a way. I had friends back home who were dragons, so I knew they weren't all bad, but having a dragon live so close to the castle was bound to cause trouble. While I didn't want to see the dragon get hurt, I didn't want to see any of the princes get hurt, either, especially Eadric. But then they wouldn't have to fight at all if I could help it.

After dinner Eadric and the other princes left the Great Hall to collect their horses and weapons. I slipped away from Millie while she was talking to her parents and made my way to the garden. I'd thought about discussing my plans with Eadric, but he'd insist on going without me and handling it on his own, and that was the last thing I wanted.

Although Eadric was the bravest man I knew, he was more likely to wave his sword, Ferdy, in the dragon's face than he was to talk to him. Even after we'd become friends with a nice family of dragons, Eadric believed that they were the exception, and that most dragons were horrible monsters that deserved to be slain. We'd argued about it many times, but neither of us was willing to give in.

Once again I remembered Dyspepsia's warning, but since I'd already interfered when I chased away the harpies, I didn't think that getting rid of a dragon would be so bad. It wasn't like I'd be killing anyone. If all went well, I'd be saving lives, although I'd have to hurry to do it. If no one, human or dragon, was to get hurt, I'd have to be the one to confront the beast first. I was a witch and could use my magic if necessary. I also had a special salve with me that would protect me from the dragon's flames. Even more important, I was a Dragon Friend. In a tent at the Dragon Olympics, I'd been given the title after passing a test that could have taken away my magical powers. I hadn't had any need to verify it before, but I hoped the dragons had told me the truth when they said that the title would earn me the respect of dragon-kind everywhere.

Wanting to be as inconspicuous as possible, I hid in a secluded spot in the maze and took out my farseeing ball, focusing it on all the places around the kingdom where I thought a dragon might lurk. A farseeing ball is a handy thing to have, although it does have its limitations. You can use it to keep an eye on someone who has recently touched it or to see places that you have visited. Getting it to do anything else isn't easy.