Not much to say, other than it looks like this tale is going to be longer and quite different than I was planning, but hey, that's fun. X)
Not a Princess
I am no good at emotions, analyzing them or wallowing in them, so I decide very early on in the ride that I am not going to think about Donovan. Not a bit other than that I am sorry I had to do that but I made the right decision in the long run I think. I have much more important things to worry about like getting out of the curse, dealing with the tower, I wish I could have gotten some answers out of Arbol about the witch, and I am sure Arbol figures into all of this somehow. I just have to figure it all out.
I mean, it wasn't that the kiss was a bad one or anything, it's just that- No! It wasn't even a kiss and I am not allowed to- to- So yes, it is very flattering that... even at my most vindictive and angry, Donovan lo- liked me. It wasn't love, because when it comes right down to it, love is compatibility and the ability to get along for the rest of you life without killing each other! You just have to keep a rational head about it and that is exactly what I have done. So I don't want to hear your protests about- about how romantic it is to get kissed in the rain or how miserable he looked back there or anything! This conversation is over.
What was I talking about? Because by this point, yes, I am talking out loud to myself. I groan as the rain just keeps pelting down on me and this stupid horse. When do we get to the castle? I need something to keep my mind off of this topic for a little bit.
Grimm, is this going to be awkward for the rest of the curse, not to mention Senior year! It'll be fine, I've gotten to be very good at avoiding him, all I have to do is double my efforts and in a year I won't even remember this whole debacle. That's a lie, but it's a comforting one none the less.
Well, enough of this, the castle has finally been good enough to make itself visible in all the rain and dark. I spur the horse forward and we are out of the rain as fast as the two of us can manage. A puppet is waiting under a wide stone awning to take my horse and I gratefully hand it over.
I look searchingly behind me. Yeah, right, like I'm going to see anyone out in this storm. I wring my hair out and duck through the nearest door.
I'm what looks like a glorified coat room, probably not where I'm supposed to be so I find my way into a narrow sort of hallway.
"Wrong entrance," I hear above my head.
"I really don't care right now Lexi," I squeeze past a torch on the wall. I can't say how much I would really like to just stay there in front of the small but wonderfully warm little bit of fire. How sad is that?
"These are the servant's tunnels," she protests, "You are supposed to make a grand entrance with your prince!"
My mind conjures up an image of Donovan kicking through the doors, carrying me in bridal style, the both of us soaked to the bone. What a poor cliché, I can walk just fine, thank you.
"Donovan's not here right now, we're working with what we've got." The tone of my voice is enough to warn Lexi off any further questioning. Wow, I must sound REALLY scary for that to happen.
We walk in silence through the dusty dimness, until I finally think to ask some of the important questions like, "Which tale is this?"
"The Princess and the Pea," Lexi supplies helpfully.
Finally! I was beginning to think it would never come! That's... Cinderella... Goose girl... Rumpelstiltskin... Little Red... four tales left. Not a lot of time to work with should anything go wrong, but I think I can handle it. I am not about to have gotten this far to let a little thing like not enough time screw things up.
We continue walking. "Why did you only just show up now?" I ask after a pause. Not that I'm not grateful she wasn't there, other wise I'd be getting quite an earful at the moment.
"Rain hurts!" Lexi informs me passionately, "As if that isn't enough, you can't fly for hours afterwards., and that's only if you were lucky enough not to bruise a wing while you were out there. That's days of being grounded." I get the feeling I breached a sensitive topic.
"Well at least there's not that many curses were there seems to be a lot of rain," I shrug.
"Oh there's enough," Lexi assures me. "This one rains the entire time, and there's the Little Mermaid with not only rain but starts underwater! Then you've got Beauty and the Beast, the Crab Prince..."
"Lexi?"
"Sometimes there's a bit of a drizzle in Sleeping beauty"-
"Lexi, we're at the end."
"Oh, well then go ahead and open the door I suppose, though I still think it's a bad idea."
"Adele is hardly going to care if I enter through the main door or the servant's entrance," I shrug, opening the door with some difficulty. I push through the door with my shoulder and topple right into a poorly placed chair. The occupant of the chair goes flying forward.
"Oww," I struggle up, rubbing my shoulder and my elbow and my knee and my head, all of which I managed to bruise at some point in that. "That was not a good idea." I quickly try to right the chair as the person I pushed over flounders about.
Hopefully not that many people saw?
I happen to glance up at a room full of loosely scattered people, I of course, am on a raised dais.
Well great.
I finally take a moment to look at the person I tipped over, just as they are straightening their crown.
That is not Adele.
The Queen turns around. Giselle.
I try and smile sheepishly under the glare she has fixed on me.
Oh Grimm, how did I get stuck with the only magical creature who doesn't seem to like me and who just loves to stick to the script?
"Where's Adele?" I whisper to Lexi, though I almost feel like I am shouting in the oppressive silence and glares.
"Busy," is the only answer I get. "Besides, Giselle likes this part."
Of bloody course she does.
And just to confirm my thought she finally speaks in the most disapproving voice I think I have ever heard, and I get disapproving a lot. "And what exactly are you?!"
A far cry from the fairy godmother.
I straighten up and try my best to look regal through the soaking wet hair, mud caked dress, and clumsy entrance, "A princess." Yeah, I would laugh too.
"You, my girl, are the farthest thing from a princess that I have ever had the misfortune to know."
Her tone catches me so off guard that it takes me a moment to realize that she is playing her part, not ragging on my blatantly un-princess like qualities.
"Well, it's a shame that you think that," I force a smile, "because you are going to have to get used to me as a daughter-in-law."
The crowd of puppets lets out a well timed gasp and a low mumble of unidentifiable whispers. Without even missing a beat, Giselle grabs me and drags me out a side door. I just smile and wave as I am dragged out the ornate doors and into a much smaller room with a few pillars and a set of uncomfortable looking chairs.
I pull from her and flop into one of the chairs. "Alright, Giselle," I address her, "what do you say we just drop the script and work together, huh?"
"How dare you tell such lies about my son," she says, and the look that she gives me along with it makes it very clear that she has absolutely no intention of doing any such ting.
"Come on, what are you getting out of just making this harder?" I press, now standing up again to face her.
"None but a true princess would be appropriate, anything but would just ruin the entire affair. Everyone else just lacks a certain heroic quality that enable quests to succeed." She chooses her words so carefully that I couldn't have avoid the double meaning if I'd covered my ears and shouted. "The position you seem so sure you deserve was not meant to be wasted on common folk. Trust me girl, I have seen many princes and princesses in my time, and you are nothing even close."
"Please, like any princesses would be up to this. You've had droves of princesses and each of them has had their opportunity. I think it's about time you sucked it up and gave me a chance," I say, matching her tone. "I may not be what you were expecting, I know I screw up a bunch, but I'm cursed stubborn."
Giselle purses her lips and glares at me a bit.
I try and stand a little straighter.
"I know of several tests which only a princess could pass. I think it unlikely that you will manage them, but perhaps if you do..." she trails off.
"Then I'm not just getting everyone's hopes up," I finish cheekily for her.
She shoots me a look and whips around in a huff.
I run a hand through my hair and sigh, watching her sweep through the door to the hallway.
"Well, come along!" she shouts back to me as she exits.
I am caught off guard and hurry after her.
It is only with Giselle a good ways ahead and not even glancing back at me that Lexi dares show up again. I am starting to understand her aversion to the fairy.
"What are we doing now?" I whisper.
"I don't know!" Lexi whispers back, pulling at her braids, "This was supposed to be the short version with only the pea test."
I glare up at the crazy fairy I am following. Of course she was going to draw this out and make it harder. I shake my head, I need to do this. Giselle might be a valuable ally. Sure I could do fine without her, but I really don't want her as an enemy.
Lexi flutters along with me until Giselle turns and stops at a pair of doors. By the time she turns to look at me, Lexi is gone.
Giselle smiles at me before she opens the doors, my stomach sinks by I steel my face. I refuse to be intimidated. I can handle whatever she throws at me.
She won't ask me to cook, right?
