by Becky Biggs
The queen was dressed in a gown equally elaborate as Emerald’s, though hers was blue silk, like the gown she’d worn at Emerald’s naming celebration. Queen Willow’s best crown, a tiara encrusted with a hundred tiny diamonds, was perched atop her head.
“Oh, my darling, you look absolutely perfect!” Queen Willow said, clasping her daughter’s hands and admiring the princess. She gently touched a red curl that was perfectly positioned on Emerald’s scalp. “I’ll bet you have at least a dozen proposals of marriage before the end of the night!”
“Yes, Mother,” Emerald responded dutifully. While Emerald still hadn’t forgiven her parents for sending Maple away, she loved them and tried her best to please them, even when it left her feeling all twisted up inside. She’d kept her secrets, though, like training with Porter. Over the years she’d become pretty proficient in archery, sword fighting, and horseback riding—something her parents knew nothing about. It often left her feeling torn inside—acting one way in public but knowing deep down inside she was miserable and hiding her true self. She just hoped one day she could reconcile the public and private Emeralds.
“Well, let’s go join your party.” The queen held her hand out to Emerald and the two of them left the room. They walked in silence down the winding stairs that led to Emerald’s chambers and through the stone corridor that led to the throne room. Emerald could sense her mother wanted to say something to her but did nothing to encourage conversation.
When they reached the throne room, the queen kissed her daughter on the cheek. Queen Willow looked at Emerald for a long moment as if struggling whether to reveal what she was feeling, but she finally just wished her daughter luck and left Emerald to enter the room on her own. The trumpets blared for the queen’s entrance as the doors closed. Emerald stared at the elaborate wooden doors in front of her. Any moment, they would be flung open again and she would make her way down the long aisle by herself. This was the first time she would make this trek alone. It was a sign of her becoming a woman.
“Emerald!” The sound of her name made Emerald jump. She’d thought she was alone in the hallway. Spinning around, Emerald peered into the deep shadows in front of her. Though it was lit by torches mounted on sconces and the muted light of several tall stained-glass windows, this part of the castle was full of long shadows.
“Emerald, it’s me,” the tiny voice said again. A small figure moved out of one of the shadows and Emerald felt her stomach drop with the shock of seeing the familiar beloved face in front of her.
“Maple?” Emerald whispered, not believing her eyes. The imp looked exactly the same as she did the day she’d left Emerald seven years earlier. Emerald immediately felt like she was still that eight-year-old little girl spending time with her best friend. It was as though no time had passed at all.
Maple’s eyes twinkled and she curtsied deeply to the princess. “Your Highness!”
“Oh, Maple!” Emerald scooped her little friend up in her arms and spun her around. “I’m so happy—Wait, what are you doing here? Did anyone see you?” Emerald looked around her quickly, but they were still alone. She knew any moment now, though, the doors would swing open and she’d have to make her grand entrance.
“I wouldn’t miss your big day for the world,” Maple said with an impish grin. “Oh, and Eseland is under attack again. But look at you, you look just like a queen!”
“Thank you,” Emerald responded, trying to sort out everything her friend said in her mind. “I feel like this is all happening too—Wait, what? You’re under attack? What happened?”
“Oh, the evil King Spruce popped up again,” Maple said lightly, rolling her eyes like it was a minor nuisance. “And we really need your help. But look at me prattling on. You enjoy your big day. We’ll talk later!”
The imp gave her a little shove toward the giant wooden doors to the throne room. They flung open as if on cue. Trumpets blared and Emerald’s name was called. She glanced back to look for her friend, but the imp had vanished into the shadows again. Turning back to the throne room, Emerald found herself floating through a sea of both familiar and unfamiliar faces as she made her way up to the throne dais. She tried to smile and look gracious, but all she could think about was Eseland—and her friend—being in trouble.
As she got closer to the throne, she could see her father grinning with pride. Her mother smiled and nodded encouragingly to Emerald.
“You are stunning!” her father whispered to her as she took her place on his right. “You remind me of your mother when she was your age.”
Emerald was shocked for a moment as it dawned on her that her father had known her mother since she was fifteen. Then she remembered that she was supposed to meet her own future husband during her birthday celebrations. She shuddered at the thought.
“Daddy,” she whispered. “Daddy, I need to talk with you.”
“Of course,” the king responded, patting her hand. “Let’s just get through these formalities first.”
“But Daddy—”
“Not now, darling. I promise we’ll talk soon.” Emerald’s father smiled at her dismissively and dropped her hand. Queen Willow gave the two of them a sharp look, then resumed smiling at the crowd.
After a lengthy proclamation announcing the commencement of Emerald’s birthday celebrations and her becoming a woman, Emerald had to endure what felt like hours of introductions to royalty and nobility from all of the attending kingdoms. Thankfully she could take her parents’ lead on the customary greetings for each. Even with all of her lessons on customs and etiquette, she still felt inadequate to greet so many queens and kings from kingdoms near and far.
At long last, when Emerald felt like her feet would fall off and that the smile frozen on her face might be stuck there forever, the last introduction was made and the guests were dismissed to enjoy refreshments before the first competition among the princes for Emerald’s hand.
The royal family retired to the comfortable yet finely furnished chambers behind the throne room for their own chance to freshen up and take a bite to eat. Emerald decided to take the chance to speak with her parents about Eseland.
“Daddy, Mama,” Emerald started as the door closed behind them. Her parents turned around to look at her. Emerald swallowed and continued. “I’ve come across some information that is rather important.”
A knock at the chamber door interrupted her before she could say more.
“Yes?” King Argos called and the door swung open. A messenger for the border guards entered and fell to his knees.
“Your Royal Highnesses, forgive my intrusion,” he said nervously. He was rather young, Emerald noticed. Probably no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.
“You bring news from the border?” Queen Willow asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’m instructed to tell you that the king of Eseland has returned. He has taken the current royal family hostage. According to what we are hearing, he is putting Eseland’s inhabitants under a spell to make them do his bidding. A few creatures have escaped and made it to our border. They say it is bad. Very bad.”
“This is what I was trying to tell you,” Emerald blurted out. The other three people in the room turned to stare at her. “My, er, source told me Eseland needs our help.”
“Is he planning to wage an attack on the human kingdoms?” King Argos asked, turning back to the messenger.
“We don’t know, sire.”
“Who is your ‘source,’ Emerald?” Queen Willow asked, though it looked like she already knew the answer.
Emerald froze. She didn’t want to give up Maple and get her sent back to Eseland. As if reading her mind, the queen said, “We will keep her safe. We just need to know what she knows.”
After hesitating a moment longer, Emerald admitted that it was Maple. The queen nodded, as if that’s what she suspected.
“We need to hear what she has to say. Please, bring her here. Don’t let anyone see her, though.”
Before Emerald could leav
e, though, Maple popped up from under the skirt of a heavily laden table. She was munching on a cinnamon roll.
“Nice to see Your Majesties,” Maple grinned, bowing at the king and queen. A small flake from the pastry she’d been eating floated to the ground as she did so. She smoothly brushed it behind her with a quick flick of her foot and an impish smile.
“I hope it’s okay that I helped myself to something to eat. I still haven’t found any cinnamon rolls anywhere else that taste as good as they do here.”
“Maple.” The queen nodded, her voice even and her face expressionless. The king, however, smiled warmly and bowed back at the little imp.
“They’re right—Emerald and that handsome young man, there,” Maple said, winking at the messenger. He blushed deeply. “Eseland needs Medina’s help.”
“The human kingdoms don’t typically interfere with issues in the magical kingdom . . .” King Argos’s voice trailed off.
“You can’t leave us to deal with the bad king on our own!” Maple suddenly cried with a surprising show of emotion.
“Please, Your Majesty, he is trying to control us all. He wants to be the most powerful king ever. He might even come for you next.”
“We have to do something,” Emerald jumped in, supporting her friend. “It’s the least we can do for kicking out the creatures of Eseland all those years ago, and all for the sake of a rumor. It didn’t even turn out to be true! The sickness was caused by bad water.”
“I don’t think now is the time,” King Argos said, shaking his head. “We can monitor the situation. Maybe send a peace delegation if necessary.”
“Send me!” Emerald demanded. Her parents both looked at her, shocked.
“Oh, Emerald,” the queen admonished, “you know that’s not what a queen does.”
“Queen Ellyn—”
“Enough about Queen Ellyn!” Emerald’s mother cried. “You are not Queen Ellyn. You don’t know how to wield a sword or bow and arrow. And you certainly don’t know enough about diplomacy to conduct peace talks. Why, you still struggle with the most basic greetings for the other human kingdoms.”
Emerald glared at her mother in response. She had hoped no one noticed her following her parents’ lead as she received the other royal guests.
“Your mother is right,” the king agreed. He turned back to the messenger. “Tell the captain to continue to monitor the situation. After Emerald has chosen a suitor, we’ll see how things stand in Eseland. Perhaps we’ll even bring her betrothed into the discussions.”
The messenger bowed and dashed off. Emerald’s parents turned back to her and Maple. Emerald could feel her blood boiling. She was about to explode. Maple put a hand on her arm and faintly shook her head. Now wasn’t the time.
“Now, we must join our guests and continue your celebration, Emerald,” said the queen. She looked sharply at Maple.
“Please wait for Emerald in her room. Stay quiet and do not let anyone see you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Maple said, curtseying. She and Emerald shared a look before they all left that said they would be having their own discussion about things later.
***
Emerald followed her parents to the stands that had been constructed to overlook the archery competition. Thirteen princes would be demonstrating their skills with a bow and arrow in the hopes of impressing Emerald. Once the royal family was settled into their seats, the king raised his hand and a trumpet blared, signaling the start of the competition.
Emerald sighed as the first prince took his position opposite the target. He raised his bow, aimed, pulled the string and back away from the bow, then loosed the arrow. It flew across the field and landed just outside the center ring of the target. The audience applauded politely as the prince bowed and prepared the second of his three arrows.
“He’s rather handsome,” the queen whispered tentatively to Emerald. Emerald grunted in a rather unladylike fashion but didn’t look at her mother. Queen Willow sighed and turned back to watching the competition.
Having seen this exchange between his wife and daughter, King Argos turned to Emerald. “She’s not the enemy, you know. Neither of us are.”
“Maybe not,” Emerald responded, “but neither of you are doing anything to stop the enemy.”
King Argos sighed deeply. “When you have your own children, you’ll understand the difficult decisions parents must make.”
“I’ll also let them be themselves,” retorted Emerald sharply. She could feel her inner rebel forcing its way out and she really didn’t care. She was tired of putting on a show. A few lords and ladies seated near the royal family turned and looked. The king waved his hand and smiled. They smiled back and returned to watching the competition.
“Okay, Emerald. Okay,” King Argos said, dropping the subject before it got too heated. He too returned his attention to the princes on the field.
Emerald watched the next few princes without enthusiasm. There was nothing particularly spectacular or talented about their shooting, in her opinion. She could do better.
“You could do so much better,” a hushed voice from below Emerald’s seat echoed her thoughts. Emerald looked down and, peeking out from the skirt that decorated her chair was Maple. Maple winked at the princess and grinned. Emerald looked around quickly to make sure no one had noticed, but everyone’s attention was riveted on the prince currently taking the field. He appeared to be a crowd favorite.
Emerald looked back down at her friend. Maple pointed at Emerald and then mimed shooting with a bow and arrow. Emerald shook her head no, but Maple nodded and her grin got bigger. “Do it,” she mouthed. She waved her little handkerchief, clutched it to her chest and then pretended to faint. Emerald caught herself before she laughed out loud. She understood what the little imp was suggesting.
Emerald watched the favored prince aim and hit the target dead on. The crowd went wild.
“Mama, Daddy,” Emerald said shyly. “Would it be okay . . . I mean is it appropriate . . . I think I’d like to give him my handkerchief.”
Her parents exchanged surprised looks. They hadn’t expected their daughter to prefer one of the princes so quickly. Still, they were pleased their daughter wanted to express her interest in the customary way of young ladies in their land.
“Of course, dear,” her mother said slowly, although she looked a bit suspicious. Emerald tried to look as innocent as possible. She even flushed a bit under her mother’s sharp gaze. Hopefully that would sell her request even more. “I’m pleased one of the young men has caught your eye,” the queen went on.
“Er, yes. There’s one who might not be so bad,” Emerald said quickly. “Thank you.” She curtsied to her parents and dashed off before they could ask more questions. The king and queen exchanged baffled looks as she left. What was their daughter up to?
Moments later, Emerald and Maple arrived at the stables laughing and breathless.
“Do you think she actually believed me?” Emerald asked Maple. The imp shook her head.
“No, but she really wanted to. That’s why she let it go. Oh, I can’t wait to see her face when you show those princes what a real princess is like,” crowed Maple.
“Whose face do you want to see?” Porter’s voice interrupted the girls. Emerald blushed a bit as she turned to look into his brown eyes. At twenty-three years old, he’d grown from a brotherly stable boy into a handsome young man in charge of all the royal horses. Over the years, Emerald and Porter had grown very close as he risked his job and life at the castle to help her learn how to wield a sword, shoot with a bow and arrow, and ride a horse like a knight.
“My mother’s. When I outshoot all those princes,” Emerald said shyly.
“Oh, Emerald. When will you stop tormenting your mother? She just wants what’s best for you.” Emerald pretended she hadn’t heard Porter and began patting the velvety nose of her father’s horse, which was in the stall next to her. Porter turned and looked at Maple. “I see you’ve returned. Here to be the i
mp on Emerald’s shoulder?”
“If the shoe fits . . .” Maple replied sweetly. She pulled a bag of sweets out of her pocket and popped one in her mouth. Porter rolled his eyes.
“Porter, could you please get my horse ready?” Emerald pleaded. The stable master looked like he wanted to refuse, but Emerald gave him the most desperate look she could and he relented. He always had trouble saying no to her. Sighing, he beckoned Emerald and Maple deeper into the stable and went off to prepare the princess’s horse.
“What am I going to wear? I don’t exactly look like a man,” Emerald said, eyeing her dress unhappily.
“I’ve got something for you,” Maple said. “Here, hold this.” She handed Emerald the sweets bag and scrambled up a ladder to the loft. She soon dropped a pair of the king’s old pants, as well as one of his shirts and jackets down to Emerald.
Emerald looked at her friend in amazement. Maple shrugged.
“I hid them up here earlier today. I was hoping you would come back to Eseland and fight the evil king. Figured your parents would say no and that you might need a disguise,” Maple said as she climbed back down the ladder. She took the sweets bag back and popped one more into her mouth before offering one to Emerald. Emerald shook her head and smiled. Maple shrugged and put the bag back in her pocket. Together the friends pulled off Emerald’s gown and petticoats and she pulled on her father’s clothes. Luckily her father wasn’t a large man, but they still had to belt his pants rather tightly and cuff the sleeves of his jacket.
The sound of Porter clearing his voice made the friends turn around. He was leading Emerald’s horse by her reins and looking at Emerald with a rather strange expression.
“You better cover your, um, hair,” he said gruffly. Emerald put her hand to her head and realized her beautiful hairdo had come quite undone in the scramble to change her clothes. A few pins remained, but most of it was now loose and wild.
“Oh, right!” Maple said, and she scrambled up the ladder one more time before dropping one of the king’s formal hats over the side of the loft. Emerald picked it up and began stuffing her red locks under the hat. Maple helped, tucking up pieces Emerald missed.
