inspired by "all-kinds-of-fur", a short fairy tale by the brothers grimm.
"She is fast fading, my lord."
Sarah cringed as the healer's soft voice cut through the silence in the room, her eyes flicking over to her father automatically. He was sitting on the other side of the queen's bed, holding one of her delicate, pale hands in his own.
"Is there nothing that can be done?" He whispered hoarsely, his eyes never leaving his wife's face as she shifted restlessly.
The dark-haired man at the foot of the bed bowed his head, and said nothing.
"Sarah?"
The dark-haired princess turned her head as her little brother crept into the room, looking timid. She raised a finger to her lips as he walked over, his eyes wide against his white face.
"Sarah, what's wrong? Has mother gotten worse?"
The queen moaned quietly at her son's voice and turned her head towards the sound, but her eyes remained closed.
Not knowing what to say, Sarah turned to the healer, who summoned Tobias to his side with a crook of his finger and bent his head to mutter in the boy's ear. Her brother's face began to break down into despair, and suddenly not knowing if she could face any more grief, Sarah rose quickly and muttered a hurried excuse, slipping quietly out of the room. The guards at the door gave her questioning glances, but all she could do was shrug her shoulders.
What was there to say?
Her mother had always been frail, from the time she was born. Sarah had heard all of the tales of how the princes used to call her a pale, sickly bird, and they would taunt her, telling her that no prince would ever want her. Perhaps that was why she withdrew herself into a fantasy world, where she was the star, and everyone loved her.
And when her father came, he had been the perfect prince charming to sweep her off her feet. Intrigued by her lively imagination and ready smiles, he asked for her hand in marriage. Her parents, who had bemoaned their misfortune at having such a daughter before, now gushed in approval, and knew nothing but kind words for their child.
The queen's happiness made her healthier, for she now had her love to live for. But she was always the first of the family to succumb to chills and fevers in the winter months, and with this winter, the worst anyone in the kingdom could remember, she had been bedridden with a terrible illness for the past two months.
"Oh! Sarah, dear, do watch where you're going!"
The voice came from underfoot, and the princess leapt aside with a squeal.
"Oh, Leoir, did I tread on you?"
The blue worm looked up at her with wide orange eyes. "Of course not, my lady, though it was a very near miss."
Sarah stooped down and quickly scooped up the diplomat into her palm. "What were you doing in the halls at this hour?" She asked, holding her hand up to her shoulder as Leoir inched on to the sleeve of her gown.
"I was making my way to sit with the king."
Distress flared in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her crushed father, but she stifled it quickly. "Surely one of the guards could have carried you."
He sniffed. "I'm not so helpless that I can't make my way around my own home, young miss."
Her lips twitched, and the smile felt foreign and out of place. "All the same, allow me to take you there."
"You are very kind, Princess, but suddenly I feel as though he's not the one who needs me the most right now." Sarah turned her head to see that the diplomat was eying her shrewdly. "What were you doing in the halls at this hour?"
Sarah didn't think her needs were anything compared to those of her father's but she humored her friend regardless. "I just needed…I wanted to get some air."
A half-truth, at best, and the noncommittal grunt from her companion told her that he had seen it for what it was.
"You don't have to go back there, Sarah."
She reached up to run the tip of her finger over his head, remembering how the coarse hair had tickled her hand as a child. "I have to support my family," she said softly. "Toby and father are in there, and they need me more than ever right now. Mother needs me too."
Leoir hummed quietly. "Your strength is admirable, Princess. You shall make a good queen one day."
A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she began to retrace her steps. "Sometimes the thought of me ruling something is quite daunting."
"As it should be. If you thought that you could do anything, I'd be quite worried for the safety of this kingdom."
"But inexperience could lead to weakness."
"As recklessness could lead to unnecessary conflict. Your caution will make you wise."
Sarah frowned. "I wouldn't call it caution. It's more akin to ignorance, in my case."
The worm snorted. "Of course you're ignorant, you haven't been exposed to much of royal politics as of yet. If it puts your mind at ease, Tobias often expresses the same concerns, and he's the one who is being preened for his future as the king of these lands."
"But it just seems so difficult-"
Leoir cut her off with a dry cough. "Are you arguing with the King's most trusted advisor?"
Sarah arched a thin brow. "Did you just interrupt the King's most beloved daughter?"
He chuckled quietly. "So I did. But worry not, Sarah, you have a few good years yet before anyone will seek your hand. Don't be so concerned with the future."
"Oh, very well." Sarah casted about for a change in subject as she walked briskly down another hall. "While we're on the subject of queens and kingdoms, where were you coming from just now?"
"Ah, the Goblin Kingdom."
Her nose automatically winkled in distaste. "Such a dirty place."
"It is not, and as you very well know, King Airdeall is a very good friend of your father's. Now do you want to hear more or not?"
Chastened, Sarah bowed her head.
"Yes, that's what I thought. Quite contrary to your misjudgments, that kingdom is quite organized and well-managed. Airdeall certainly knows what he's doing, in any case. The goblins wreak their usual havoc, but do it in such ways that don't get in the way."
"Such as?"
"I believe they're very fond of chickens."
Sarah choked back a laugh.
"But, in all truthfulness, their subjects don't present half the problems that their son does."
"Son? What's he like?"
Leoir spared her a sly glance. "Caught your attention, have I?"
Sarah flushed darkly. "Of course not, I was merely curious!"
"Of course you were. I haven't met him in person, he's usually in his room brooding or out flying."
"Flying?" Sarah echoed.
"Yes, flying, he can turn into an owl at will. Now, are you going to keep interrupting me or may I actually tell my story?"
Sarah nodded mutely, but her mind was really soaring someplace else, high above the treetops and clouds. She wondered what it would be like to be able to turn into a bird and find some faraway paradise in the stars, and felt her heart race in response to her imaginings.
"Apparently, his parents are having a great deal of trouble in finding him a bride."
She frowned. "Is he truly that awful?"
"I don't think so. He seems to be highly intelligent, and from the amount of girls he has flocking to him, I doubt he's lacking when it comes to good looks."
"So what's his problem?"
"You've studied the fair folk in your tutoring classes, have you not? Did you ever learn how, er, appreciative the fae are when it comes to, er…"
"Leoir, I may not be as old as you, but I am no longer a child," Sarah growled irritably. "You don't have to tiptoe around my innocence; I know you're talking about sex."
Leoir coughed uncomfortably. "All the same, it's not a subject I should be discussing with you. However, you are correct. Fae naturally find it very hard to remain loyal to a single partner."
Sarah blinked. "But what of Airdeall and Maidin? They are both fae, and they have always been loyal to each other."
"They are a special case. Indeed, I myself have been in other courts where their monogamy is openly scoffed at." His eyes narrowed coldly. "And make no mistake, I wasted no time in telling them off."
"So, you think this prince doesn't want to be married because he doesn't wish to be tied to one woman?"
"Yes and no. There are several fae couples who practice "marriage" simply for the sake of having a King and a Queen, but neither person has any qualms about infidelity. So, technically, the prince could marry anyone he chooses and still live an adulterous lifestyle."
"Hmm, what an enigma."
"Indeed." The worm grunted. "This is why humans don't normally tangle in the affairs of the fair folk. They're far too mysterious."
Sarah raised her eyebrows. "You don't seem to have a problem with King Airdeall."
"Again, he is a special case. That pair is probably the most normal of the lot of them."
"You mean the most human."
"Exactly."
Sarah didn't have time to debate Leoir's prejudice against the majority of the fae race because they had reached her mother's chambers. The guards stepped aside immediately to let her through the door, and she entered quietly.
Toby had taken her empty place at her mother's left side, while her father still sat on her right, her hand still clasped in his own as if he would never let it go, a curtain of his golden hair falling across his face as he hung his head.
The healer glanced at her. "I was just about to send for you," he breathed softly. "She is very close to death."
She blinked back her tears and nodded to him respectfully as she brushed past, picking Leoir, who had fallen silent, up off her shoulder and depositing him on the table beside the bed next to her father. Sarah trailed her hand across the king's shoulders, but his only response was a slight stiffening of the back. Sadly, she let her hand drop and walked around the bed to stand at her brother's side.
They did not have to wait long. The queen's gasps grew louder, and the rustling of her bedclothes as she tossed and turned beneath the sheets filled the entire room. Tears stung her eyes, and this time Sarah let them fall across her face, leaving hot, wet trails in their wake.
"Robert?"
The king leaned over her, his other hand reaching out to cup her face tenderly. "Melinda. I am here."
"Please, Robert…"
The sight of her father stroking her mother's pale face brought another fresh wave of tears, and Toby turned his face away, burying it in the hollow of her throat. Sarah ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. In her liftetime, she had attended the funerals of a few family members, so she was no stranger to death. But Toby had always been too young to understand. She held him close as he sobbed quietly, his tears soaking the neckline of her gown.
"You should rest, my Queen."
She laughed, the sound like nails on chalkboard. "I know I am dying, Robert. Please…please listen to my request."
He looked at her intently. "Anything, my love. Anything for you."
The queen smiled weakly at him. "I was never the most beautiful of women. And you deserve someone truly wonderful. When I am gone, promise me that you will marry the most beautiful woman in the kingdoms, a beautiful woman with my spirit and my imagination."
Toby looked up at Sarah, and they exchanged confused glances. But if their father thought anything seemed amiss, he said nothing. "Of course, my Queen. It shall be done."
Satisfied by his response, their mother turned her head to her children. Sarah took her mother's other hand, and Toby clasped his hand on top of hers.
"My children," she rasped. "My wonderful children."
And then her breathing hitched and her body shuddered. They could only watch in silence as her eyes closed for the last time.
"My lady, please, it is time for you to wake."
Sarah cracked her eyes open to glare at the faerie who was perched on the rim of a glass of water sitting on her night table.
"Leanun, the sun hasn't even risen. Be gone."
"I implore you, princess, your father demands it."
Her father demands it? Sarah sat up, suddenly very wide awake. Her father never demanded anything of them.
"What's going on?"
A knock sounded at her door, followed by a hesitant whisper. "Sarah?"
Tobias. Maybe he had an idea. "The door's open, Toby!"
He slipped in and shut the door behind him, still in his nightclothes, and sat on the end of her bed. Leanun glowered at him and fluttered her wings. "A boy in a lady's chamber is highly improper."
Sarah resisted the urge to give the faerie a good flick. "He's my brother. You know that."
Leanun huffed and crossed her arms. "What shall I tell the King, then?" She inquired icily.
"That we will be down shortly."
The faerie scowled at the pair of them and leapt onto the windowsill and out into the pre-dawn sky.
"Pest," Sarah muttered under her breath, and Toby cracked a smile before it turned into a deep frown. "So, what's all this demanding about, anyways."
"I woke up about an hour ago because I heard a carriage coming up. I got out of bed and snuck over to the Entrance Hall just as this lady walked in." He wrinkled his nose. "She looked like one of your old dolls, Sarah, all dressed up with her hair done and this fake smile. And then father entered from the throne room and greeted her and all that and took her arm…" his voice trailed off.
Sarah groaned. "Another suitor?"
"That's what it looks like. But why so early in the morning?"
"Who knows, with the way father's been acting lately…" Sarah let her sentence trail into nothing, and Toby nodded in understanding.
Two months had passed since the death of their mother, and ever since then, the King had been sorting through every type of women imaginable. All of them beautiful, but some short, some tall, some kind, some cruel, some wild, some quiet, and, if Sarah could recall correctly, one with a horribly obnoxious laugh that still made her wince every time she thought of it.
"He's just trying to fulfill mother's wish, that's all," Sarah muttered. Toby scowled at her.
"Don't defend him Sarah; you know that he's changed. Mom would have wanted his happiness, not this desperate search. He's done nothing but entertain one woman after another, and it's making me sick."
But Sarah shook her head. "This will all go away, Toby. You'll see."
He gave her a reproachful look. "Who are you trying to convince? Me, or yourself?"
The princess looked away. "Go get ready, Toby. Father will be expecting us."
She did not look up until she heard her chamber door slam shut.
With a sigh, Sarah got out of bed and crossed over to her wardrobe. Opening it, she sifted through the fabric, looking for only one dress in particular. It had once been her mother's, and had been a wedding gift from a fae family once upon a time when her parents had gotten married. It was a magic dress that would flatter anyone who wore it, but that wasn't the reason Sarah wanted to wear it; the back automatically laced itself after it was put on, and since none of her maids were awake this early in the morning, she figured she would need all the help she could get.
She found it and pulled it out of the closet, allowing the smooth green silk to slide over hands. For a moment, she held it against her, her face pressed into the fabric, and in that moment, she could almost imagine she was holding her mother, her unique scent of roses washing over her.
"Hurry up!" Snapped a voice from the window.
Sarah turned to glower at her faerie servant. Leanun wasn't really a maid so much as she was an annoyance. She was a messenger for the royal family, a job that only existed for her because she wasn't good at anything else.
"Your father and his suitor are waiting for you," she continued airily. "Hopefully your brother is getting ready…" To Sarah's relief, she went away, probably off to torment Tobias with her superior attitude.
She pulled the dress over her head, gasping as it adjusted to her body and squirming as the laces laced themselves just a bit too tightly for her sake. Looking in the mirror at her wild bed hair, she flinched, and set about to the impossible task of taming it.
If father wanted me to look truly presentable, then he wouldn't have called this little meeting at such a god-awful hour of the day, she finally thought venomously, throwing her brush down and snatching up a few pins to pin up her hair in a passable bun. Slipping her feet into a casual pair of day slippers (who would see? her dress was long enough, after all), she flew out the door and down the hall at a brisk walk.
She was worried. As much as she tried to tell herself that it was not so, she could no longer deny that her father was a changed man. Just one week before, a hostile neighboring kingdom had ransacked one of the villages in her father's land. The man she had known before would not have stood for it, but he had been replaced by a weak shell of a king who had simply stared blankly at the panicked messenger before shrugging his shoulders and looking away.
And then there was this whole suitor business…this one was the twelfth woman to pass under her father's eyes as a potential queen in the past two months. And it was always the same. He entertained them and smiled cool smiles that didn't quite reach his hollow eyes, and then dismissed them. He would say that they had the wrong shade of hair, or didn't like the way they smiled at him. It was enough to make Sarah ill.
This was not the way a king should act.
As she neared the dining hall, the sound of raised voices drew her attention. Outside the closed doors stood the guards, and she noticed they had their heads tilted towards the heated conversation going on inside. Irritated, Sarah stalked up to them.
"My father does not pay you to eavesdrop, fools," she spat. Looking embarrassed, they snapped back to attention and looked straight ahead. Sarah felt guilty. Though eavesdropping was wrong, and she could technically cast them out for it, her father would have never argued with anyone where someone could hear him before. He had been growing careless.
Swallowing nervously, she proceeded through the doors.
She was just in time to see the hem of a golden gown whip out of sight as its owner rushed through one of the back doors, her loud cries cut off suddenly as she slammed the door behind her.
Toby had arrived before her, and was staring at something in front of him, his face completely white. Sarah rushed to his side. "What's happened here?"
Her brother looked up at her and then took her chin in his hand and turned her head so she could see the figure that had sunk to his knees in front of the empty throne.
Their father.
"Father." Sarah ran to his side as quickly as her gown would allow it. "Father!"
As she reached out to touch him, he rose quickly, making her jump back. His mouth was curled into an angry snarl, his eyes glittering with a deranged light. Sarah backed away hastily and felt Toby draw up beside her, one of his hands automatically seeking hers.
This man could not be their father.
"How could she have done this to me!" He howled viciously, his hands fisting in his hair. "I loved her, and she left me!"
"No, Father," Sarah whispered quietly, but he did not hear.
"She told me to find someone who was beautiful, someone with spirit! How could she! Who in this kingdom is more beautiful than she? What woman has a spirit that could ever compare to hers?"
"My lord, please calm yourself."
Sarah whipped around and noticed for the first time that Leoir was there, perched on the shoulder of one of her father's other advisors. The entire council was there, all staring at her father with mixed expressions of shock and disgust. Sarah wanted to shield him from their prying eyes. She wanted to wake up from this awful nightmare.
"I cannot! My life isn't worth living!" He tore at his golden hair.
"How can you say this?" Leoir protested furiously. "Look at your children! Your son and daughter are worth living for!"
"My children?" The King echoed bitterly.
"Yes!" Desperation was creeping into the worm's voice. "Tobias will be a king one day, after all. And look at Sarah! Look at how beautiful she is. She will certainly make a fine queen!"
The King grew very stiff at the mention of Sarah's name, and turned around to face her slowly. While Sarah was relieved that her father had ceased to make a spectacle of himself, the way he was looking at her was making her nervous. Toby noticed it as well, and stepped in front of her slightly, his grip on her hand growing tighter.
"Of course," her father whispered. "Why didn't I think of it?"
"My lord…?" Leoir sounded nervous.
When Leoir was nervous, it was usually a good time to start panicking.
Her father walked smoothly towards her, and while every instinct screamed at her to flee, Sarah could not bring herself to run from him. He was her father; surely he would never harm her. And so she forced herself to stand still before him, even as he reached out to stroke a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place.
"Sarah," he rumbled softly, gazing into her eyes. "You are beautiful."
"T-thank you, my lord," Sarah responded shakily.
His eyes swept over her form, widening slightly in surprise, and Sarah remembered that she was wearing what had once been her mother's dress.
What had she been thinking?
But rather than looking displeased, the King looked soothed at her appearance. He resumed stroking her hair. "Sarah."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Tell me your greatest dream."
Confused, Sarah looked to Leoir for help, but he looked just as puzzled as she did. Toby was staring at her from where he had been shunted to one side, his face muddled with confusion. She looked back at her father, who was staring at her expectantly, and decided to tell him the truth.
"I dream about flying, my lord. I dream about how it would feel to be one with the clouds, to chase birds all day and enjoy the sun's warmth." His eyes glittered and she swallowed before sweeping on. "I think about how amazing it would feel if one morning, I just woke up and realized I was floating."
An odd smile stretched across his face. "Your imagination indeed rivals that of Melinda's, my dear."
Ice cold fear gripped her insides. Certainly he could not be insinuating what she thought he was?
No…
"My council!" Her father declared roughly, grabbing her by the shoulders and twirling her around. "May I present to you my future queen?"
NO!
Toby gasped as Sarah fell forward onto her knees. The advisors rushed forward as she fell, one of them wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to her feet.
"Are you mad, man?" He shouted, his hands resting on Sarah's shoulders. "She is your daughter!"
"All the more reason to choose her! For who could ever surpass Melinda other than her own blood?"
Sarah shivered. Any moment she would be waking up now.
No, you won't be. Think, Sarah, think…
"There are plenty of beautiful women in this kingdom," another man snapped furiously. "Certainly they are enough to tempt you?"
"No," her father replied stubbornly, his eyes only on Sarah. "I am not interested them at all."
"My King," Leoir stepped up to try his luck, his wide eyes filled with grief and despair. "Please listen to us. You are upset, you distressed. Do not do something so rash, you aren't thinking clearly!"
"This is the clearest I've been in weeks," the King said quietly. "I've made my decision."
While his attention was on his advisors, Tobias stole up behind her. "Ask for something impossible," he breathed in her ear. "Something that can't be obtained."
Toby, you little genius!
"My lord."
Everyone's eyes turned to me.
"If we are to be married, then you must present me with a wedding gift."
"Sarah, no!" Leoir's despair was almost her undoing, but she kept a sweet smile plastered on her face as she gazed up at the fiend who had once been a beloved father.
He was smiling triumphantly. "Anything you wish, my beloved."
She pretended to deliberate. "But, even now, my imagination runs away with me. I can't choose on simply one gift."
"If my lady wants more than one gift, I will not deny her."
Sarah smiled up at him. "Would four gifts be too much, my lord?"
The King's smile never wavered. "Any want or need of yours shall be met when you are my queen."
"Very well. Give me a dress as golden as the sun, a dress silver as the moon, and a dress that sparkles like stars. And.."
Her eyes fell on Leoir, who was watching her with an amazed, admirable look in his eyes. She thought back to their last true heart-to-heart talk on the night of her mother's death. She could remember talking about a prince who could turn into an owl…
"...and a cloak of a thousand feathers."
The King looked stunned, and she half-expected him to retreat right then and there. But then, a smile unfurled across his face.
"Whatever you want, you shall have. You will find that nothing is impossible for me."
"A brilliant idea, Princess, but do you think it will work?"
Sarah shrugged. "It gives me time to think up an alternative plan."
She strolled calmly through the gardens, Leoir perched on her shoulder. She had just been released from the Throne Room, though not before the King had taken it upon himself to kiss her hand. Her fingers flexed in response to the unwanted memory.
"Leoir?"
"Hmm?"
Sarah sat down on the edge of a stone bench. "If you ran away and didn't want to be found, where would you go?"
The blue worm deliberated for a moment. "To a place where no one would look for me."
"And where would no one look for me?"
He looked at her. "Sarah, I think you underestimate the extent of your father's madness. If we ran, there would be no place left untouched in his search for you."
"Then where would be the last place he would look?"
"A place you would be unfamiliar with, the last place you would go. Perhaps the kingdom of a-"
"-a trusted friend?" Sarah interjected. She stood up and began to walk again. "Then I think I have the perfect place in mind."
"Well, my dear? Is this not what you asked for?"
Sarah could only nod slowly, staring down at the three dresses lying side-by-side on the table.
The first dress was spun from gold so finely that it was feather-light when she lifted it. The silver one was very much the same. The dress of diamonds was woven of silver silk with the precious jewels sewed in at every interval, so when it moved, it indeed sparkled like stars.
The feather cloak was hideous in comparison, but Sarah had to admire its unique beauty.
"The inside is lined with down feathers," the King said pompously, following her gaze. "There is no softer cloak in all of the Kingdoms. And, of course, it is made of a thousand feathers. Just as promised."
"Do you accept my wedding gift, my love?"
Sarah glanced towards Leoir, sitting quietly on the shoulder of one of the advisors, who were staring at her with pity. He gave her a tiny nod.
"I accept, my King."
He smiled. "Then we shall be wed tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?" Sarah's voice came out as a frightened squeak.
"The sooner the better. Unless you have an objection?"
Sarah shook her head hesitantly.
"Then it is done. You should retire, my dear. The hour has grown late." He bent down and kissed her cheek, an action that once would have been affectionate and soothing, but was now something akin to the kiss of death.
She turned heel and began to walk away, deliberately taking the long way around the room so she could brush shoulders with one of the advisors.
"My apologies," she muttered as he stepped back.
It was not until she had entered the Entrance hall that Leoir peered out from her curtain of hair, wobbling precariously on her shoulder where he had slipped on when she had bumped into the councilman.
"We must leave at once!" He hissed in her ear.
"I know."
The journey to her room was rushed as she flew down the halls, her dress hiked up in her hands. When she reached her door, she slipped inside and closed it quickly behind her. But not a moment had passed before someone was knocking on it.
"Sarah?"
She flung it open and Toby barreled through, embracing her. "You can't leave without saying goodbye."
Sarah hugged him back fiercely, but something felt off; Toby seemed unnaturally bulky. She pulled back to see that he was clutching several dresses in his arms, and recognized them as her wedding gifts. A glimpse of feathers told her that the feather mantle was among them. Toby saw were she was looking and smiled wryly.
"You forgot these when you left. I brought them with me; you never know when you might need them." He gestured to the diamond dress. "This one would sell at a very high price, should you ever need the money."
Tears stung her eyes at her brother's thoughtfulness, and she gave him another hug. "Toby, you're the best."
Leoir coughed. "We can't waste the whole night, Sarah…"
"Yes, yes," Sarah responded, flustered. She searched the room for her knapsack, which she had used on her frequent journeys to foreign kingdoms, but as she hadn't traveled much as of late, she hadn't seen it around. She finally found it stuffed in the corner of her wardrobe, and pulled it loose where it was caught underneath dress fabrics, shaking it free of wrinkles.
"Here," Toby said, holding out his hand. She tossed it to him, and he carefully lowered the three dresses into the bag. He hesitated before adding the cloak as well, glancing out at the night sky. "The inside of the cloak is stuffed with fur and feathers. I think you should wear it when you go, it'll keep you warm."
"A clever idea," Leoir muttered. Sarah swung the cloak over her shoulders, amazed at how quickly it warmed her, and continued to search the room for anything she might need. She threw upon the top drawer of her dresser and sifted around it, wincing when her hand brushed something sharp.
She pulled out an aged medallion, a small crystal orb, and a solid gold feather, weighing them in her hands. They were just trinkets and jewels, probably with little value (excluding the feather, of course), but she put them in her bag anyways. Maybe if she ever got bored of her lifestyle, she could ponder over them.
She took off the feather mantle and pulled the sack up onto her back before putting the cloak back on. The cloak itself was so bulky and odd that it disguised the bag she had slung over her shoulders.
"Alright. This is it."
"Princess, wait! Your face!"
Sarah touched her cheek. "What about it? It's perfectly fine."
The worm sighed. "Exactly. You must conceal it. Use soot from the fireplace."
Me, a princess, wipe dirt on my face? Sarah cringed at the thought, but another image of herself approaching her father in a wedding dress quickly banished her vanity and pride. She crossed to the fireplace and dipped her hand into the ashes, wiping it across her brow and cheeks, nose and chin, until she was certain that there was no part of her skin left uncovered.
Toby whistled softly when she rose. "Wow, Sarah, if I didn't know you were my sister, I'd call you a kitchen rat."
She pulled a face. "Thanks, brother."
He grinned easily. "No problem. Don't worry about things here. I'll hold the place down until we can find a way to get rid of him."
"Don't do anything stupid."
"What, like run away?" He winked. "I can take care of myself. Now you get out of here. The guards who watch over the back gate have probably just retired, and I know for a fact that their replacements are usually about ten minutes late."
Sarah threw her arms around her brother affectionately. "I'll miss you, Toby."
He returned it double, practically breaking her ribs. "I'll miss you too. Be careful."
They left the room together, but went their separate ways at the back door to avoid suspicion. Toby gave her an encouraging smile before turning down a hall and disappearing from her sight. Sarah looked after him for a moment, but Leoir coughed quietly from where he was nestled comfortably among the feathers.
"We don't have much time."
"Right."
She strode out across the lawn, wanting desperately to run, but knowing that to do so would be foolish. To her immense relief, she saw that Toby had been correct, and the back gate stood unguarded. She started for it, but saw something move out of the corner of her eye and froze.
But it was just a peach tree. But not any peach tree; it had been a gift to her mother from the Goblin Queen. It was enchanted to keep its fruit all year round, and it never died. Even now, in the deep of winter, it remained as leafy and green as ever, the ground beneath it where its roots touched also as lively and frost-free as it would ever be. Sarah studied it for a moment, and then walked up to it.
"Princess?"
She ignored the advisor and looked up at the peaches that hung above her, just within reach. Even after being plucked from the tree, the peach would still remain ripe for years. Reaching up, Sarah snagged one and pulled it gently from its branch.
"Just in case."
When the replacement guard finally bumbled down to take their places at the gate, they noticed nothing amiss and stood there, muttering amongst themselves about how cold it was and whether or not it would snow that night.
The Princess and the worm were gone.
read and review (: