by Chris Colfer
“Madame Weatherberry?” Brystal said.
The fairy wasn’t expecting company and jumped at the sound of her name.
“Yes, Brystal?” she asked.
“There are people here to see you,” Brystal said. “They’ve brought their daughter to the castle hoping you’ll take her as a student.”
“Oh, really?” Madame Weatherberry was surprised to hear it. “Very well, please show them in.”
Brystal ushered the Gooses into the office and then left to give the family privacy as they talked with Madame Weatherberry. She figured the conversation would delay lessons even further, so Brystal headed to her bedroom to retrieve a book to pass the time.
As she searched her shelves, Brystal heard a peculiar murmur coming from somewhere nearby. She followed the sound like a dog following a scent and realized it was coming from behind the books on a bottom shelf. Brystal moved the books off the shelf and found a small hole in the wall behind them. Curious, Brystal peeked through the hole and discovered it peered directly into Madame Weatherberry’s office on the second floor below.
She saw that Mr. and Mrs. Goose were sitting across from Madame Weatherberry at her glass desk. Lucy wandered around the office and inspected the fairy’s belongings while the adults chatted, but the girl didn’t seem impressed by anything she found. Brystal didn’t want to snoop on the family’s conversation, but Mrs. Goose said something that instantly caught her attention.
“It all started with the ravens,” she said. “That’s when we knew Lucy was going to be special.”
“The ravens?” Madame Weatherberry asked. “Oh my.”
Mrs. Goose nodded. “While I was pregnant with Lucy, the birds started showing up outside our home. We figured they were passing by as they flew south for the winter, but even as the seasons changed, the ravens stayed. The larger Lucy grew in my womb, the more ravens flocked to our house. My husband did everything he could to get rid of them, but they never left. The night I went into labor, all the birds started screeching outside. It was deafening and maddening to listen to! But as soon as Lucy was born, all the ravens flew away. To this day we don’t know what they were doing there.”
Madame Weatherberry rubbed her chin as she listened to the story. Brystal could tell the fairy knew exactly what the birds were doing at their house, but she didn’t want to share that information just yet.
“How interesting,” Madame Weatherberry said. “I imagine even stranger phenomena began happening shortly after she was born.”
“Strange to say the least,” Mr. Goose said. “And it continued through her childhood. It was all very eerie but harmless for the most part. The button eyes on her stuffed animals turned into real eyes and watched us as we moved around the house. We had to put a cover over Lucy’s crib because she would levitate when she took naps. If we turned our back to her while she was taking a bath, we’d find the whole tub suddenly filled with frogs.”
“The instances were inconvenient but simple enough to handle back then,” Mrs. Goose said. “But lately, things have gotten completely out of hand. We’re traveling musicians and have performed all over the world, but there are places we can never return to because of the things Lucy has done.”
“Such as?” Madame Weatherberry asked.
“For instance, this one night we were performing at a pub in the Western Kingdom,” Mr. Goose recalled. “The crowd had a lot to drink and became rowdy. They started booing us and Lucy got upset. She shook her fist at them and all the alcohol turned into dog urine! People were gagging and vomiting all over the pub.”
“Another time, we were performing a private show for aristocrats in the Northern Kingdom,” Mrs. Goose recalled. “Lucy was in the middle of a tambourine solo when a duchess in the front row began to yawn. It hurt Lucy’s feelings and the duchess’s braids suddenly turned into snakes!”
“A few months ago, we were performing in a small theater in the Southern Kingdom,” Mr. Goose said. “At the end of the night, the owner of the theater refused to pay us. He claimed our instruments were out of tune and hurt the audience’s ears. As we drove off, the whole theater imploded behind us, as if it had been flattened by an earthquake! But all the buildings nearby stayed perfectly intact.”
“My word,” Madame Weatherberry said.
“For the record, I’m proud of that last one,” Lucy said. “That jerk had it coming.”
“Luckily, no one has suspected any of these things were Lucy’s fault,” Mrs. Goose said. “Nonetheless, our act is gaining a reputation for tragedy. We’re worried people are going to realize what Lucy is and try to hurt her.”
“That’s why we’ve brought her here,” Mr. Goose explained. “We love our Lucy more than anything, but we can’t take care of her anymore. It’s just too much for us.”
Brystal knew this must be heartbreaking for Lucy to hear. The girl stopped searching through Madame Weatherberry’s things and went very still. She turned and gazed at the bubbles in the fireplace, so the adults wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes.
“How did you learn about my academy?” Madame Weatherberry inquired.
“My brother is a minstrel for royalty in the Eastern Kingdom,” Mrs. Goose said. “He was hiding in the next room when you recently visited Queen Endustria. He heard you discussing plans for your academy of magic and how you asked the queen for permission to recruit students in her kingdom. He knows about our troubles with Lucy and wrote to us immediately to tell us about your school. We’ve spent the last three days in the In-Between looking for it.”
“I see,” Madame Weatherberry said. “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Goose, forgive me, but I have to be very frank with you. My academy isn’t designed for students like your daughter. The gathering of macabre animals at her birth, the unsettling phenomena that occurred when she was younger, and the problems she’s been causing lately are not expressions of magic.”
Mr. and Mrs. Goose looked to each other and both let out a long, exasperated breath.
“We’re painfully aware of that, Madame Weatherberry,” Mr. Goose said. “There are two sides to the magical community, and it’s very clear which side our daughter belongs to. But we were hoping you might make an exception for Lucy?”
“Please, Madame Weatherberry,” Mrs. Goose pleaded. “She’s a good kid who needs a good home that understands her. My husband and I just can’t do it anymore. We’re desperate for someone to help us.”
The Gooses’ request wasn’t a simple matter. Madame Weatherberry went quiet and leaned back in her glass chair as she considered. Tears ran down Lucy’s round face after hearing her parents’ plea to get rid of her. Brystal’s heart ached as she watched Lucy wipe her tears away before anyone noticed them.
After a few moments of careful consideration, Madame Weatherberry got to her feet and approached Lucy. She leaned down to the girl with a kind smile and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“It may be a challenge, but challenges are what life is all about,” Madame Weatherberry said. “I would love for you to join our academy, Lucy. I can’t promise I’ll always know how to assist you like I will the other students, but I promise I’ll always do my best.”
Lucy was shocked. Obviously, acceptance to Madame Weatherberry’s academy was the last thing she had expected—and the very last thing she wanted. Lucy’s parents, on the other hand, sighed with relief and embraced each other in celebration.
“Wait!” Lucy exclaimed. “I can’t stay. I don’t belong here.”
“Lucy, this is a wonderful thing,” Mrs. Goose said. “Madame Weatherberry will provide a much better home for you than your father and I ever could.”
“But I don’t want to live at the academy!” Lucy professed. “I want to live with you! We’re not just a family, we’re the Goose Troupe! You can’t have a band without its star tambourine player!”
“Actually, your uncle is going to join us on the road,” Mr. Goose said. “He’s going to take over all your solos with his fiddle.”
“His fiddle?” She was outraged.
Lucy pulled her parents to the side of the office to have a private word, but Brystal was still perfectly in earshot.
“But, Mom? Dad? Today is my birthday,” Lucy whispered to them. “You can’t abandon me on my birthday!”
“This is for your own good, Lucy,” Mrs. Goose said. “One day you’ll understand.”
Mr. and Mrs. Goose kissed their daughter good-bye and profusely shook Mrs. Weatherberry’s hand. From her bedroom window, Brystal saw the couple return to their colorful caravan outside. They pedaled the vehicle into the distance and disappeared through the hedge barrier without a hint of remorse for leaving their daughter behind. Madame Weatherberry escorted Lucy to the third floor and Brystal peered into the corridor as they walked by. The castle had already created a new room for Lucy, and a sixth door had appeared next to Brystal’s bedroom.
“This will be your room, Lucy,” Madame Weatherberry said. “I hope you’ll be comfortable inside. The castle grows bedrooms based on the number of occupants, and the space is usually furnished for the specific needs of—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Lucy said. “Thanks a million, Madame Whateverberry. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone now.”
Lucy entered her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. As soon as it was shut, Brystal and Madame Weatherberry could hear the girl sobbing on the other side.
“Do you think she’ll be all right?” Brystal asked.
“It isn’t going to be an easy adjustment for her,” Madame Weatherberry said. “I think we should postpone today’s lessons to after lunch so Lucy has time to get settled. I’ll let the others know.”
Madame Weatherberry left the corridor to tell the other students about the change of plans. Brystal stayed in her doorway and listened to Lucy cry in her bedroom. She knew exactly what it felt like to be rejected by a parent and she tried to think of a way to make her new floormate feel better. Brystal realized there was very little she could say to ease Lucy’s troubles, but perhaps there was something she could make.
Brystal hurried down the spiral steps to the first level of the castle, down the hall, through the dining room, and into the kitchen. Brystal hadn’t seen the castle’s kitchen yet and was surprised to find it was four times the size of the kitchen at the Evergreen house. Mrs. Vee was in the middle of cooking lunch, and Brystal was taken aback by all the magic that was going into the meal’s preparation.
Fruit, vegetables, spices, and utensils floated through the air. There were bowls that stirred ingredients on their own, food was chopped and diced by hovering knives, oven doors opened and closed without assistance, and trays of baked goods removed themselves from the oven’s heat. Mrs. Vee stood in the center of the kitchen and conducted the magic around her like it was a symphony of invisible chefs.
“Well, hello there, dear,” Mrs. Vee said when she noticed Brystal. “What brings you to my neck of the woods? Did you need a snack?”
“No, I’m still full from breakfast, thank you,” Brystal said. “Mrs. Vee, I was hoping I could use your kitchen to make something by myself?”
“You mean, on your own?” Mrs. Vee asked. “You’re not trying to take my job, are you? Because I’m warning you, it’s not as glamorous as I make it look! HA-HA!”
“Oh no, it’s just a family recipe,” she said. “I could make it in my sleep. I’d hate to interrupt you while you’re in the middle of cooking lunch, though. I promise I’ll stay out of your way.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Mrs. Vee said. “Family recipes are always welcome unless a family is in the recipe! HA-HA! Go ahead and help yourself to whatever you need.”
A little more than an hour later, Brystal carried two forks and a freshly baked chocolate cake to the third floor. Mrs. Vee didn’t have any birthday candles, so Brystal had to borrow thirteen candles from different candelabras and lanterns throughout the castle. Each candle was a different shape and color, but it did the trick. Brystal took a deep breath as she stood outside Lucy’s bedroom door and knocked on it with her elbow.
“Lucy?” she said. “It’s Brystal Evergreen, the girl who showed you and your parents to Madame Weatherberry’s office.”
“What do you want?” Lucy groaned from inside.
“I have a surprise for you if you’ll just open the door,” Brystal said.
A couple of moments later Lucy reluctantly opened her bedroom door. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and she was very surprised to see the lit-up birthday cake in Brystal’s hands.
“Happy Birthday!” Brystal cheered. “I hope you like chocolate.”
Unfortunately, her floormate’s reaction was not what Brystal was expecting.
“How did you know it was my birthday?” Lucy asked suspiciously.
Brystal opened her mouth to respond, but she didn’t have any words to explain herself. She was so focused on cheering up Lucy, she had completely forgotten she only knew it was her birthday because she had been eavesdropping.
“Didn’t you mention it when you arrived?” Brystal asked.
“No,” Lucy said, and folded her arms.
“Oh… then it must have been a lucky hunch,” Brystal said with a nervous laugh. “Forgive the candles. I assumed you were about thirteen, is that right?”
Lucy wasn’t buying it. “You were eavesdropping on our meeting with Madame Weatherberry, weren’t you?” she said, and raised an accusatory finger.
Brystal frantically shook her head, but it only made her seem guiltier.
“Okay, okay, yes,” she confessed. “I admit, I was eavesdropping! I didn’t mean to pry, but I heard your mother talking about the ravens and I couldn’t look away.”
“If we were in a goblin colony I could have your ears cut off for snooping!” Lucy said.
“Look, I’m sorry for invading your privacy!” Brystal said. “I know what it’s like to be dumped in a strange place by a parent. I heard you say it was your birthday, so I thought if I baked you a cake, it might cheer you up. It was a mistake, so I’ll leave you alone now.”
Brystal was furious with herself for handling the situation so poorly. She hurried down the corridor before Lucy had any more reasons to dislike her. Just as Brystal reached the stairs, Lucy stopped her.
“Lucky for you, I’m not a girl who turns down sweets,” she called. “That cake smells delicious, so I’ll forgive your treachery just this once.”
Lucy opened her bedroom and gestured for Brystal to come inside. Brystal was thrilled for a second chance and rushed inside the bedroom before Lucy changed her mind.
As she stepped inside, Brystal had to remind herself she was entering a thirteen-year-old girl’s bedroom, because Lucy’s chambers looked like a tavern. There was a large billiard table in the center of the floor, a row of dartboards hung on the wall, and just above that was a big sign that said: PLAY HARD. WORK HARDLY. Another wall was covered in musical instruments and dozens of posters that advertised the Goose Troupe’s past performances. Every corner was filled with a massive taxidermy animal that was a morbid hybrid of different species. Last, Brystal noticed that instead of chairs or a bed, the room had beanbags and a hammock.
“Wow,” Brystal said. “This is quite a room.”
“I’ve got eclectic tastes,” Lucy said. “That’s what happens when you grow up in show business. You get exposed to more than your average child.”
Lucy pushed two beanbags together and the girls had a seat. Brystal held up the cake and Lucy closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
“Do you see a barrel of peppermint cider anywhere?” Lucy asked.
“Um… no,” Brystal said.
“Dang. My wish didn’t come true.”
Lucy leaned back in her beanbag and shoveled the chocolate cake into her mouth. Brystal couldn’t take her eyes off all the Goose Troupe posters on the wall behind her. She was fascinated by all the locations Lucy’s family had been to.
“Have you really performed in all those places?” she asked.
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“Oh yeah,” Lucy bragged. “And those don’t include the underground circuit.”
“What’s the underground circuit?” Brystal asked.
“You know, the places they don’t always include on the map,” she explained. “Goblin colonies, troll camps, elf compounds, ogre conventions—you name it, the Gooses have played it! Gosh, this cake is good.”
“And the creatures in the In-Between didn’t hurt you?”
“Not at all,” Lucy said. “Creatures in the In-Between are so desperate for entertainment they wouldn’t dare. They’re also the best audiences a performer could ask for. Subjugated species always know how to have a good time.”
“Oh, look!” Brystal said, and pointed to one of the posters. “You performed in Chariot Hills! That’s where I’m from!”
Lucy clenched her teeth. “Yikes,” she said. “The Southern Kingdom is the worst place to perform. They’ve got all these rules about what artists are allowed to do. We can’t sing profanity, we can’t play loudly, we can’t dance crudely, everyone has to be clothed—it takes all the fun out of it! I can’t even bang my tambourine on my hip without being fined! Like, if that’s the kind of show you’re looking for—just go to church! Am I right?”
“I’m not surprised,” Brystal said. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to be away from it. I would have given anything for a childhood like yours.”
“Yeah, I’ve had some good times,” Lucy said. “I guess all my adventures are over now that I’m stuck in this place.”
Lucy stopped eating and looked sadly at the floor.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Brystal said. “You should give this place a chance. It might surprise you.”
“Easy for you to say—you belong here,” Lucy said. “But you heard what Madame Weatherberry told my parents. The academy isn’t meant for children like me!”
