The Perfectly Proper Prince (3 page)

“I'
VE COMPILED A LIST OF THE TOP TEN ACTS,”
Gabriella said to Lysandra after the other princesses had left to prepare for dinner.

Lysandra scanned Gabriella's list. Of the three princesses whom Lysandra had chosen, Gabriella had only picked Elena. “Well, at least we agree on her,” Lysandra said, pointing to Elena's name.

Gabriella nodded. “She recites very well,
doesn't she? And did you know she asked to borrow my copy of
Courtly Manners and Duties
when she saw me reading it last night? Of course I gave it to her right away.”

“Hmm,” said Lysandra. In her mind, wanting to read
Courtly Manners and Duties
was a black mark against Elena. But she still approved of Elena's healing abilities and her kindness to Fatima. “Why aren't Princess Fatima and Princess Tansy on your list?” she asked. “I thought they had the best acts of all.”

Gabriella sniffed. “I don't think riding a flying carpet should be classified as a ‘talent,' since the carpet does all the work. Besides, Princess Fatima fell off. As for Princess Tansy, her technique was good, but some of her notes were flat. And I am firmly of the opinion that one's thoughts should remain private.”

Lysandra frowned. “But Tansy and Fatima
are
my
choices. Please add them to your list.”

“But we said we'd only pick
ten
,” Gabriella protested. “It wouldn't be proper to choose twelve.”

Lysandra crossed her arms stubbornly. “Then take two off
your
list.”

“I can't do that,” Gabriella said, just as stubbornly as Lysandra.

In the end, however, Gabriella reluctantly agreed to twelve acts. Lysandra announced the finalists in the Banquet Hall during dinner. There were applause for the winners and groans and a few tears from the losers. The next morning the twenty-one princesses who hadn't been chosen departed the castle.

Now that the auditions were over, Lysandra was eager to spend time with the three princesses she wanted to befriend. She couldn't have cared less about the talent show.
After sending for Fatima, Tansy, and Elena, Lysandra asked them to wait for her in her bedchamber. She wasn't worried about Gabriella coming up to their room, as she and Queen Rowena had gone for a walk in the Royal Gardens. The three princesses looked at Lysandra questioningly but did as she asked.

Meanwhile, Lysandra snuck into her mother's room. She painted her face and neck with bright red spots and drew dark lines under her eyes. Then she gathered the remaining nine princesses together. In the most pathetic voice she could manage, Lysandra said, “I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but last night I came down with the plague.” She coughed without covering her mouth. The nine princesses squealed and scooted as far away from her as they could get.

Lysandra faked a sneeze. “I'm afraid the talent show will have to be cancelled,” she said in a croaky voice, “but I promised prizes, so…” Pulling her magic purse from around her neck, she poured a pile of coins onto a table. “You may each help yourself to fifty coins. Just think of all the new gowns and miles of embroidery thread you'll be able to buy!”

When the nine princesses hesitated to pick up the coins, Lysandra said, “Don't worry. They're plague-free. I haven't even touched them.”

Sighing with relief, the princesses scrambled to pick up the coins. “Please don't mention my illness to anyone,” Lysandra said, “especially not to Gabriella. She doesn't know I'm sick, and the doctor says she's likely to get it too. I don't want her to know
until she must.” She paused and coughed again. “Even though Gabriella isn't showing symptoms yet, she's probably highly contagious. You might want to skip saying good-bye to her when you leave.”

With coins clutched in their fists, the nine
princesses edged around Lysandra, keeping as far away from her as possible. Once the princesses were out of the room, they raced down the corridors to their quarters, packed up their belongings, and fled. Lysandra couldn't help grinning as the drawbridge was lowered and nine horse-drawn carriages thundered across and into the countryside.

L
YSANDRA PULLED OUT A LACE HANDKERCHIEF
and wiped off her makeup, then ran to her bedchamber. Fatima, Tansy, and Elena looked up as she burst into the room. A frown played at the corners of Fatima's mouth. “We've been waiting here for over an hour—”

“Sorry,” Lysandra said quickly. “It couldn't be helped.”

“What's up?” asked Tansy, who was
polishing her flute with a rag.

Lysandra looked at the princesses. “I'm afraid there won't be any talent show after all.”

Elena's soft, hazel eyes widened. “Why not?”

Hoping they wouldn't hate her for what she'd done, Lysandra took a deep breath. “Because I sent all the others away.”

“What?” exclaimed Fatima. “Are you nuts?”

Tansy just looked amused. Maybe she didn't care all that much about the talent show, anyway.

Laying a hand on Fatima's arm, Elena said, “Let's hear what Lysandra has to say.”

Lysandra plopped down beside them. “I wanted to meet other princesses my age,” she explained. “The auditions were a way to do that. Now there's no need for a talent show.”

Fatima's dark eyes flashed. “Why, of all the cheap tricks—”

Lysandra held up a hand. “No, wait. You
have to understand. I hate sewing, and dressing up, and doing all the other things a proper princess does. I want
adventure
.”

“Well, what's that got to do with us?” Fatima asked, sounding more puzzled than angry now.

“I picked the three of you because…well, because you were different from the others,” Lysandra explained. “You seemed like fun. I thought maybe the four of us could have adventures together.”

The three princesses looked at her in surprise. “What are you getting at?” asked Tansy. “You want the four of us to form some kind of a…
club
?”

Lysandra nodded. “Only in
our
club we'd do exciting things—like rescuing towns-people from a fire-breathing dragon.”

Fatima cocked her head. “That would be exciting all right.”

“Maybe
too
exciting,” said Elena.

Lysandra grinned. “Well, we could start with a smaller, easier adventure.”

“Like what?” Elena asked.

“I don't know. But we could search for one.”

Fatima nodded. “I'm beginning to like your idea.”

“You can count me in,” said Tansy.

“Me too,” said Elena.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor. “Shh,” Lysandra said hurriedly. “It's probably Gabriella. She doesn't know I cancelled the talent show yet.”

Sure enough, Gabriella strode into the room. “The oddest thing just happened—,” she said, then stopped when she noticed the three princesses with Lysandra. “Pardon me. I didn't see you had company.”

“It's okay,” said Lysandra. “Go on.”

Gabriella sank onto a cushion. “I was out
in the courtyard overseeing the final work on the stage when Princess Lavinia, one of the dancers, came running by. I called to her and she shrieked as if I was some kind of monster! Then she covered her mouth with her handkerchief and raced away like the devil was after her.”

Fatima looked at Lysandra and lifted an eyebrow.

Lysandra pretended not to notice. “How very strange,” she said. “Listen, Gabriella, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but nine of the twelve princesses who were supposed to perform in the talent show, including Princess Lavinia, have gone home.”

“What?”
Gabriella's face went pale. “Why would they do that?”

Tansy piped up. “Stage fright?”

Gabriella shook her head. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“You've still got the three of us,” Elena said with a smile.

Gabriella looked at them suspiciously. “So why are the three of you the only ones who stayed?”

“Because Lysandra asked us to,” said Fatima
matter-of-factly. “Besides,” she said, looking around at the others, “we don't suffer from stage fright.” She smiled at Gabriella. “Would you still like us to perform?”

“Three acts wouldn't be nearly enough,” said Gabriella.

But Lysandra knew—and felt sure Fatima did, too—that Gabriella hadn't cared much for the flying-carpet act. Nor had she liked having her thoughts revealed by Tansy's magic flute.

“Why don't we call back some of the others?” Lysandra suggested slyly. “I bet we could get Princess Penelope and her one-ball juggling act.”

“Or the Magic Seashell Princess,” Elena added.

Tansy grinned. “I liked Princess Minerva with the long second toes.”

Gabriella groaned. “It's no good. We'll have to cancel the show.” She rose to her feet, mumbling “very improper business, indeed” and “things like this just aren't done” as she went out the door.

Fatima turned to Lysandra. “About those nine princesses…why did they
really
leave?”

Lysandra blushed. “I told them I had the plague. It was the only thing I could think of that would get them to leave quickly.”

Fatima and Tansy laughed so hard that tears rolled down their faces.

Elena shook her head, but Lysandra could see she was smiling.