She hid in her room for the rest of the day, researching giants. There weren't too many entries on them. Apparently they hid in their mountains halls, coming out only rarely to pillage and plunder. Emelye turned the pages rapidly, scribbling notes.
"Emelye?" a voice piped up. Two blonde heads poked over the railing. "Are you all right, dear?" Julietta asked.
"Fine, fine, just reading," Emelye said, skimming a page.
"It's too dark to read without a light, Emmalina," Jeanetta warned, setting a lamp on the washstand.
Emelye glanced up. "Shouldn't you be entertaining your princes?" she asked.
"They're not our princes, and they're spending the night at the village inn," Julietta said.
"They're waiting for your answer," Jeanetta said.
Emelye turned another page. "The answer is no. I don't want to live in the palace," she said.
"It wouldn't be for long," Julietta said. "Just for a little bit." She stroked her sister's flyaway hair.
"Just think of what we could do with the money the king would give us," Jeanetta added. Her twin elbowed her. "What? It's true."
"It's up to you, Emelye," Julietta said. She kissed the top of her head. "We're going to bed. If you're hungry, there's some dinner for you. Good night, dear." The twins retreated back downstairs.
Emelye sighed, set down her book, and went in search of the food they'd mentioned. As she reheated some of the mutton stew over the kitchen fire, she thought about her sisters' words. "We don't need the money," she muttered. As she spoke, a chunk of plaster plunked from the ceiling into the stewpot. "All right, maybe we do." She ate her stew, carefully fishing out the spots of plaster. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad at the palace.
It was still dark the next morning when she got up. "Morning, Sully," she said, hanging the lantern on the wall.
The chubby goat blinked and bleated. "It's the middle of the night, Emelye," he yawned. "Leave me alone. I don't want to go to the yard."
"I need you to deliver a message," she said. She tucked a roll of paper into his collar. "Take this down to the inn. I'm sure they're all up by now. They can give my letter to the princes."
"Refusal or acceptance?" Sully asked, squirming as the parchment tickled his neck.
"Acceptance," Emelye sighed. She swatted him. "Go on, then, Sully. I have to pack."
The goat trotted obediently down the path towards the inn. Emelye rubbed her nose and went back inside. There wasn't much for her to pack- just a few dresses and her books. And the one necessary thing- her special pack for her extermination escapades.
Julietta poked her head up the stairwell. "You're up early," she commented.
"Of course," Emelye said. "It's a long trip to the capital. Have you seen my gaiters?"
"They're somewhere in the cellar- the capital!" Julietta repeated. "Are you sure, Emelye?"
"Sure as I'll ever be," she shrugged. "Where in the cellar?"
"Somewhere around the apple-watermelon preserves. Is this really what you want?"
"We need the money, they need the giants killed. Does anyone in this household really eat apple-watermelon preserves?"
"They were here when we moved in. So you're definite about going?"
"Yes, sure, definite. Shouldn't we dispose of them? They're probably toxic."
"You're probably right," Julietta said as Emelye made her way down the cellar steps. "They're most likely ancient."
Emelye frowned. "Here's the label for the apple-watermelon preserves, but the shelf's empty," she called.
"That's strange," Julietta commented.
"What's strange?" Jeanetta asked.
"Emelye left her gaiters next to the apple-watermelon preserves, but they're not there now," Julietta explained.
"That's because I gave them to the princes as a gift," Jeanetta said. "Your gaiters are in your room, Emmalina."
"Which prince did you give them to?" Emelye asked, devilish thoughts dancing in her head.
"The youngest one," she said. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing," Emelye said, grinning wickedly. "Well, I suppose I'd better go fetch my gaiters, shouldn't I?" She made her way up to her room, waiting until she was safely inside to burst out laughing. It would serve that snobby little prince right if he ate those nasty preserves and ended up throwing up his guts. He wouldn't be so high and mighty then, would he?
She was sorely tempted an hour or so later to forgo the eating and just smash the jam in his face. "I knew you would acquiesce," Leverett smirked.
"Excuse me?" she repeated.
"Acquiesce. Agree, in your vernacular," he explained smugly. "It was the money, wasn't it? You peasants are such mercenaries."
"It wasn't just money," Emelye said. "I know people up in the north. And those giants eat people, correct?"
Jeanetta's head snapped up. She dashed over to her younger sister and dragged her away. "Do you really want them knowing about them?" she hissed. "Remember the spell!"
Emelye gave her a little push. "I remember. But right now I'll say just about anything to get that prince away!" she grunted, her sister's arm around her middle the only thing preventing her from ripping his spiky black head off his shoulders. "Let me at him!"
"Now, Emmalina, be a lady," Jeanetta said through her smile. "Be polite."
"Oh, I'll be polite," Emelye muttered. "I'll be so polite it'll kill him." She flashed Leverett a smile so tight it looked more like a grimace.
"Will it kill you to smile like a normal person?" he asked.
"It might," she said. "Now, how do you expect my sisters and I to travel to the palace?"
Leverett waved his arm. "We bought some extra horses," he said. "And a coach is also provided."
"And where does Sully ride?" Emelye asked.
"Oh, no. That goat is not coming," Leverett said. "If you do feel the need to speak to barnyard animals, you can visit the stable yards, wherever they are. That filthy beast is not accompanying us!"
"This 'filthy beast' happens to be a key player in my expeditions," Emelye said, jamming her hands on her hips and bringing her eyebrows down in a practiced glower. "The goat comes, or I stay. Take your pick."
Leverett rolled his eyes and blew a piece of hair upward out of his eyes. "Well, if it was my decision, you would both stay in this little hovel of a town," he said.
No one would ever know if he intended to say anything else, because Emelye slapped him across the face, sending him reeling in the dirt.
"You- you- you!" he sputtered, hocking a glob of mud out of the side of his mouth.
"Oh, do forgive me, highness. Did you muss your cape?" Emelye mocked, standing over him with her arms crossed. "I simply must do something about all this dirt."
"Now, now, children," Keefer said, striding over and plucking his younger brother up by the back of his tunic. "Leverett, you ought to be nicer to her. After all, Father does need her help."
"Why are you taking her side?" the prince whined.
"Because she's going to do something useful. You...well, you just sit around and take up space," Calix shrugged, mounting his horse. "And now, we must be off." He smiled gallantly to the blonde twin girls. "All set, ladies?"
Jeanetta and Julietta looked perfectly dainty and ladylike sitting sidesaddle on their horses. "Yes, highness," Julietta said, demure.
Emelye clambered into the carriage, her pack in hand. "Up, Sully," she said. The goat didn't need a second invitation. He leapt into the coach and sat beside her on the seat.
"Don't let him sit there! That's hand-tanned sheepskin!" Leverett said.
Emelye stuck her nose in the air and petted Sully, purposefully imitating the haughty poses of ladies of leisure. "Well, Sully deserves to sit on hand-tanned sheepskin. He does more than just sit around and take up space," she said. Leverett's reply was lost in the clatter of wheels and hooves.
"Well, that could have gone better," Sully said.
"Oh, come on, Sully," Emelye said. "You have to admit he deserves it."
"True," Sully said. "But- no, he really did deserve it. In that case, carry on."
It was a long ride to the capital- nearly three days' journey from Ciderbarrel. Emelye prepared herself for the journey by stretching out on the seat to sleep.
She didn't awaken until noon. "Hey. Hey. Hey!"
She sat up, rubbing her nose. "Hay's for horses," she mumbled. "Whaddaya want?"
"We've stopped to eat," Leverett said. "And I must say your hair looks divine."
Frowning, Emelye reached up to pat her hair. One tawny pigtail was nearly two inches lower than the other one, and she could feel silky strands sticking out in all directions. "Thank you," she said, yawning. She climbed out of the carriage, leaving Sully to snooze in his own square of sunlight.
"Emmalina," Jeanetta said. "Go clean yourself up right now. You're a mess!"
"I've been sleeping in a bumpy carriage for the past three hours," she yawned. "Leave me be. I'll take care of my hair in a minute."
"I'm afraid the provisions aren't much," Calix apologized. "I'm sure there'll be better food at the palace."
"It's all right, highness," Julietta said, shyly avoiding eye contact. "This is fine."
"Please don't be so shy. I promise I don't bite," Calix smiled.
"Oh, please," Leverett mumbled. "Next thing you know, he'll be asking her to call him 'Calix' instead of 'highness'."
"And what's wrong with that?" Emelye asked, grabbing a cold pheasant wing out from under Leverett's nose.
"It sets a terrible precedent," he said, scowling at the loss of his pheasant wing. "No one in our entire family has asked a mere peasant to call them by their real name. It's always 'highness' or 'majesty' or 'milord' or 'milady'."
"I ask again, what's wrong with that?" Emelye said. "Don't you get tired of being called fancy titles? Or even by your full name? Don't you have a nickname?"
"I don't enjoy such frivolous things like pet names," Leverett said. "And what of you?"
"Do you think I like to be called Emmalina?" she asked, munching contentedly. "I've been called Emelye since the day I was born. And my sisters- they don't mind being called Jeanie and Julie."
"Well, I don't wish to be called 'Levy'," Leverett scowled. "And if you'll excuse me, Emmalina, I would like to complete my repast in peace. Which means I'd like to eat without you jabbering in my ear. And you spit, too."
Emelye stuck out her tongue. "Stiff-shirt," she hollered as he got up to eat under the shade of an old oak tree. Leverett placidly ignored her.
A sharp nudge startled her. "Save me anything?" Sully asked eagerly.
She nodded and fed him bits of her pheasant wing. "I can't stand that boy," she growled.
"Now, Emelye, his father is our meal ticket. Be polite," Sully said. "Hm, they used rosemary on this pheasant...quite pleasing."
"Pay attention, you stupid goat. I'm trying to talk to you seriously," she groused.
"I am listening," Sully protested. "Be nicer."
Emelye plugged her fingers in her ears. "This is as nice as I'm going to get," she said firmly. "Come, Sully. We're returning to the coach."
"You're so immature," the goat mumbled, following her.
The rest of the day's journey was as uneventful as the beginning. But when they stopped for the night, they stopped at an inn in the village of Willowbranch.

Author's Note: Yippee skippee, more Half Pint goodness!!!! I hope this is making sense...this is my personal favorite out of all my stories that I've ever written...anyways...Shout outs!!

Princess Amoreth- Thanks for the compliment on my writing style! Like your name, by the way. Elemental Girl- Thanks for putting me on your favs list!! Well...there's the shoutouts. Just two. But hey, better two than none at all, ne?

Emelye, Leverett, Julietta, Jeanetta, Keefer, Calix, and Sully the talking goat all belong to moi, and Sully will knock you over if you copy. Sully: knock