Princess in Disguise (20 page)

The wizard looked more stunned than anyone else.

“You might want to get your father out of the way,” Annie told Mertice.

The princess nodded and ran to her father, whose chair had also come to the meadow. Helping him to his feet, she hustled him away from any errant magic.

The wizard turned to Annie. “You've proven my point for me. Only someone with great magical powers could have done this. And anyone with such powers could easily control the mind of a princess.”

“I didn't do it,” said Annie.

“I did,” Moonbeam declared.

“You're the witch!” exclaimed the wizard.

“Not quite,” Moonbeam said with a laugh.

The wizard raised his wand and aimed it at Moonbeam, saying, “I know how to deal with you!” He wore a satisfied smile as a light shot from the tip of his wand, but instead of striking Moonbeam, it faded away before it could reach her. Muttering to himself, the wizard tried again, but the second attempt was no more successful than the first.

“Now it's my turn,” said the fairy. With a twitch of her wand, the wizard's long sleeves wrapped themselves around him, holding his hands and arms to his
sides and covering his mouth so that he couldn't speak. Still pointing the wand at him, Moonbeam announced in a loud, clear voice,

The truth is like a beacon

Shining in the night
.

It cuts through all the murkiness

That can impede one's sight
.

Ensure this man will now speak

Only what is true
.

So all may know what he has done

And hear his point of view
.

“There,” she said, glancing at Annie. “That ought to do it. Although I must say, I'm surprised that he didn't recognize me for what I am.” Walking up to the still-bound man, she leaned toward him and shouted in his face, “I'm a fairy! Wizard's magic doesn't work on us.”

“Can we go back now?” asked Liam.

“Not quite yet. Come join us!” Moonbeam called to Mertice.

“Did you see what the wizard did to the finch?” Annie asked Liam. “The poor little thing.”

“Do you mean this little bird?” Moonbeam asked, reaching into her pocket. Raising the limp finch to her lips, she kissed the bird on her beak. The finch lifted her head and blinked at Moonbeam.

Annie gasped and Liam looked amazed. Moonbeam laughed. “Don't look so surprised. She was stunned, not dead. I felt her heart beating when I picked her up.”

“I'm so glad!” said Annie.

The finch turned her head at the sound of Annie's voice. “I saved your life, didn't I?”

“You certainly did!” said Annie.

“And you saved my life,” the finch said, turning back to Moonbeam. “Then I must stay with you until I have done the same for you.”

Moonbeam looked delighted. “I would love to have you live with me! You'll really like my garden! Ah, there you are,” she said, seeing Mertice. Once more the fairy raised her wand and pointed it at the wizard. With a light tap, the end of the sleeve that covered his mouth fell away, although his arms and hands were still bound.

“I hate what you've done to me, you crazy old fairy,” the wizard shouted. “It makes me furious when anyone's magic is stronger than mine.”

“Don't speak until you're spoken to, or I'll close your mouth permanently.” Turning to Mertice, Moonbeam told her, “The wizard has to speak the truth now. Ask him anything you want.”

“Are you a good man?” asked Mertice.

The wizard tried to keep his mouth closed, but the struggle didn't last long. “That depends on what you mean by good,” he finally blurted out. “I'm good at
getting what I want. I'm good at making people do as I say.”

“Are you a cruel man?” Annie asked.

“Every chance I get,” the wizard said with a pained expression on his face.

“Are you the man I thought you were?” the king said, staring intently at the wizard.

The struggle not to speak lasted longer this time, but finally the wizard's lips parted and the words tumbled out. “No. I never have been. I lied to you from the day we met.”

“Then our agreement is null and void,” said the king. Turning away from the wizard, he looked at each of the others in turn. “Thank you for opening my eyes. All of you. Now, if you'll take us back, I'll accompany my army home and see that my former wizard is locked away where he can't harm anyone ever again.”

“Does that mean the siege is over?” asked Annie.

“Of course. I came here only because I believed his lies. He told me that my daughter had been kidnapped. A week ago an informant of his said that Mertice had been taken to Treecrest and held prisoner in the royal castle. I am sorry for believing him and hope that you will forgive me for all the trouble I have caused you. Mertice, I hope that you will join me. My fleet is waiting on the coast.”

“I'd be happy to go home with you, Father,” his daughter replied.

“By the way,” he told Liam. “I met your brother. He had some sort of arrangement with my wizard.”

“I know,” said Liam. “Annie and I already took care of it.”

“Then we must be off. Mertice and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“And Liam and I have to see about a wedding,” Annie said, linking her arm with Liam's.

The fairies were determined that the wedding was going to be the most beautiful one anyone had ever seen. They felt awful about what they had done, and had all decided that putting on the perfect wedding was the only way they could make up for it. By the time Annie, Liam, and Moonbeam returned to the castle, the fairies' preparations were well under way.

Annie was surprised to learn that her wedding was going to be that very night. When she offered to help, or at least give her opinion, Sweetness N Light shooed her away, saying, “I've already told your mother, your sister, and your friends that we don't need any help or interference. Go away and don't come back until I tell you we're ready.”

“But—” Annie began.

“No buts about it! No one can put on a better wedding than a fairy, and you have every fairy in the kingdom working on this. Like I already said, go away!”

Annie walked off, feeling slightly stunned. She was finally about to get married! A hair tickled her neck and she brushed it back only to notice how grimy it felt. Suddenly all she could think of was a good, hot bath and clean clothes. On the way up the stairs, she stopped a maid and told her that she needed hot water. Only minutes after she reached her room, servants lugged in the tub while others carried in steaming buckets. Before they left, she had them move her dressing screen to block the magic mirror's view and ignored the face's grumbling.

When everyone was gone, Annie disrobed and climbed into the tub, letting the hot water ease her aching muscles. After washing her hair, she scrubbed herself until her skin was as clean as she could get it. She let her thoughts drift as she settled back in the still warm water, and found herself remembering the night before the failed wedding. Something niggled at her mind—something that had happened halfway through the night. When she remembered it, she sat up suddenly, making the water slosh back and forth.

“Magic mirror, did you say something to me the night before my wedding?”

She waited impatiently for a reply as the face took form on the other side of the screen. “What?” it finally said. “No ‘Hello, mirror. How have you been while I was away, leaving you shut in a room with no company for days on end?'”

Annie sighed. “Hello, mirror, I'm sorry I left you alone for so long. Now will you answer my question?”

“I can't,” said the mirror. “I said lots of things that night. You'll have to be more specific.”

Annie reached for a towel and stepped out of the tub to dry herself. Slipping on a robe, she walked around the screen to face the magic mirror. “You woke me in the middle of the night and said something. What was it that you said?”

“I don't remember,” the face said, looking irritable.

“Don't play games with me, mirror. You remember everything,” said Annie.

“Why should I tell you?” the mirror asked. “You were rude and wouldn't talk to me.”

“I was asleep and you woke me! I can't be held responsible for things I say when I'm still half-asleep. If you don't tell me right now, I'm going to sing!”

“You wouldn't!” said the mirror.

Knowing that the mirror hated her singing more than anything, Annie opened her mouth and started a song she had made up when she was little and her sister had once again refused to play with her. It was a short song, but it was filled with all the things she had loved as a child.

Unicorns with silver horns

Daisy chains to wear

“No!” shouted the face in the mirror. “Stop!”

“Then tell me what you said,” Annie told him.

“I said that I knew something you didn't. There, are you satisfied?”

“Not until you tell me
what
you knew that I didn't.” When the mirror didn't answer right away, Annie began to sing again.

Pennants snapping in a breeze
,

Flowers in my hair

“Stop! All right! I'll tell you. I'd learned that the sprite wasn't really here to help you. He wanted to ruin your wedding because he said you'd ruined his life.”

“Why didn't you tell me sooner? At least then we could have been a little more prepared.”

“Because he didn't say it out loud until that night. I can't read people's thoughts, you know,” said the mirror.

“So he said something the night before my wedding?” Annie asked.

The face in the mirror nodded. “All his plans were coming together and he was very pleased with himself. He sang a little song and danced a little dance. It was actually very entertaining.”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

“Yes. You really do need to learn a better song. It sounds like a six-year-old wrote it.”

“I believe I was five at the time,” said Annie.

“See! Definitely time for a new song. Maybe one that isn't so happy!”

Annie turned away as the image faded from the mirror. As she dressed, she wondered what she should do until the wedding. Liam had already gone to retrieve Otis and Hunter, so there was no one she really wanted to see. Although she'd promised to answer questions, she wasn't in the mood to do it, so she decided to check how the fairies' repair work had gone. Hoping no one would find her, she took a little-used staircase to the upper floors to inspect the leaky roofs. From what she could see, all the water damage had been fixed, the floors and walls cleaned, and the ceiling looked new. She didn't see any sign that bats and squirrels had ever been there.

It was dusk when she headed to the kitchen to make sure the cooks had enough food, but she smelled the aroma of roasted ox and pheasant before she reached it. Changing direction, she headed for her mother's garden to see how it had fared. She was crossing the courtyard when she spotted Liam coming out of the stable, back from his errand.

“Did you find the horses easily enough?” Annie asked.

Liam nodded. “They'd found a small clearing and were gorging themselves on grass, but they both seem happy to be back in a stall with a bucket of oats.”

“I've been inspecting the fairies' handiwork,” said Annie. “They did a marvelous job fixing everything they'd damaged. I have to admit, sometimes magic can be a good thing.”

“I've always thought so,” Liam said, pulling her into his arms. “Especially the kind of magic we have.”

“And what's that?” asked Annie.

“A different kind of magic. This kind.” Still holding her in his arms, he kissed her until she could barely stand. When he finally pulled back, he cleared his throat and said, “I thought I'd go study some of your father's maps and find a place for our grand tour. I'll choose a few places, but I want you to help me with the final decision.”

Annie nodded, missing the warmth of his arms when he let her go and walked away. Once again she headed for her mother's garden. She was admiring the roses, wondering why the fairies hadn't used them to decorate the great hall, when Sweetness N Light found her.

“It's time for you to get ready!” the fairy trilled. Raising her wand, she tapped Annie on the top of her head … And nothing happened. “What's wrong with this thing?” she muttered, tapping her wand against the palm of her other hand.

“Um, it's not your wand, it's me, remember? Magic doesn't work around me.”

“Aphid eggs! You're right. I had forgotten. Well then, we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Take your clothes off while I conjure up your gown.”

The gardeners looked up with interest, turning away when they saw that Annie had noticed. “I'm not taking my clothes off here!” she told the fairy.

“Oh, all right!” Sweetness N Light said, sounding exasperated. “Meet me in your bedchamber and you can get dressed there. Hmm … We'll have to do something about your hair.”

When the fairy disappeared in a haze of sparkles, Annie turned and ran. Avoiding the great hall, she took the closest stairs and ran through the corridors until she reached her own chamber. Moonbeam was already there waiting with dozens of flower fairies. A pale blue gown covered with silver embroidery was draped across her bed, sparkling in the light of the already lit candles.

“It's gorgeous!” Annie said, gently caressing the fabric.

“Moonbeam saw to your dress,” said Sweetness N Light. “Apparently she remembered that magic doesn't work around you, because she had one hundred fairies do all that embroidery by hand.”

“Oh, my!” Annie exclaimed.

“Now you can take off your old gown,” said Moonbeam. “Fairies, help me lift this thing. It weighs more than a sleeping gargoyle, and I've moved my fair share of those.”