I set off down the hall, my shoes clacking on the marble floor. I passed a
couple of maids, who were standing in a cluster giggling. They didn't look
as though they could help me however, so I kept going. I passed maybe
twenty-five doors or so, some open, some closed. The open rooms were
magnificent, most of them very large. Not surprisingly, the main color
theme was the whites and golds that coated the rest of the palace.
I saw a boy, about ten or so, dressed in a white and gold uniform up ahead. He was carrying a pile of towels. I ran to catch up with him.
"Excuse me!" I called. He turned around.
"Can you give me the directions to the prince's chambers?" I asked. "I can't find it."
"Down to the end of this hall there's a flight of stairs. Go up them and then through the first door on your left, his chambers are inside there."
"Thank you." I said. He nodded, gave me a small smile and went through a small arched door on his left. I proceeded down the hall until I came to the stairs. Fitting in with the rest of the castle, they were large, sweeping, and painted gold. I went up them, and went to the first door I came to on the left. None of the doors on this floor were white, at least as far as I could see. they were all gold, and the one I stood in front of had an intricate carving of a crown on it, studded with real pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other gems.
I hesitantly pushed it open and stepped into an immaculate parlor of sorts, with two large white sofas, crystal chandeliers, and carpeted in fluffy white. The walls were wallpapered, a white background with gold swirls. It was rather modern, but still fit in with the rest of the palace.
There were two doors on both the left and right walls, the one opposite the entrance had no doors, but a large cushioned window seat by a large bay window, overlooking the vast lawns and forests beyond. Large curtains were drawn up on either side.
I pulled out my wand and flicked it at the coffee table in between the sofas. A pile of white bedding --- gold trimmed, of course --- appeared. Just in case anybody came in, I had better have a good excuse for being in here. I tucked my wand away, then went over to the first door on the left and pushed it open. An office.
I closed that door and opened the next. A bathroom... nearly all white marble. The door straight across from it appeared to be a small dining area. And finally, the last door was the bedroom.
In the middle of the room was a huge golden canopied bed. The curtains were white, as were the bedspreads. A tiny set of stairs stood against one side of the bed, so the prince could climb into it. Without them, it would be quite a jump.
"I wouldn't fancy falling off that." I thought to myself. Though perhaps it wouldn't be too painful... there was a fluffy white carpet in here, just as in the front room. The carpet itself looked softer than my bed at home. There was a small bedside table on either side of the bed. The carved wooden legs that held them up were very long, so the tabletops were accessible from the bed. The one on the right had a small white lamp on it. I flew up onto the bed beside it. Thankfully, as I was in a servants costume, I didn't have to bother with turning on my wings. I never would turn them on, but they tended to get squeaky if they didn't feel useful. Temperamental things.
I pulled the parchment, quill, and bottle of purple ink out of my waistband, where they had re-located themselves after my slight transformation, then took out a piece of paper and uncapped the ink, dipped in my quill and began to write.
"Dear Prince"
I paused, my quill hovering above the page. I hadn't heard his name. There were so many princes around these parts, one never bothered to keep track of them. I glanced around the room, and spotted a luxurious looking white bathrobe hanging on a hook. Embroidered on the front were the words "His Royal Highness Prince Charming of Arpathia". I stifled a laugh. Prince CHARMING? Honestly, you would think his parents could have done better than that. But I added the name to my greeting.
"It has come to my attention that you wish to find a wife worthy of holding the name of princess, and someday queen. I would suggest you find this perfect damsel by holding a royal ball, inviting all the ladies in your land and princesses of any nearby countries. You may survey the ladies at will, and select a bride from among them."
I dipped the quill again, and signed "A Friend", then brushed the tip of the feather across the two words, making them sparkle animatedly. This was to let the prince know that the letter was from a magical source... he may be more willing to accept the idea if he knew it was from someone who either knew what they were talking about, or were going to curse him if he didn't use their suggestion. A couple of the free-lance fairies were like that. Take Millicent, for example. Wasn't invited to a christening and threw a huge fit. She now claims she did it so the princess she cursed would get to wed her true love, even though he wouldn't be born for nearly 100 years. Really.
I blew on the piece of paper to let it dry. The signature still sparkled. I folded the paper into thirds and wrote "Prince Charming" on the outside, then propped it against the lamp so he would notice it. After tucking the ink, quill, and paper back inside my waistband, and magically getting rid of the bedclothes that still sat on the coffee table, I took out my wand, changed back into my regular clothes, and unlatched the window. I sailed out of it (remembering to switch on my wings), and it closed and latched itself behind me.
"Mission accomplished!"
I saw a boy, about ten or so, dressed in a white and gold uniform up ahead. He was carrying a pile of towels. I ran to catch up with him.
"Excuse me!" I called. He turned around.
"Can you give me the directions to the prince's chambers?" I asked. "I can't find it."
"Down to the end of this hall there's a flight of stairs. Go up them and then through the first door on your left, his chambers are inside there."
"Thank you." I said. He nodded, gave me a small smile and went through a small arched door on his left. I proceeded down the hall until I came to the stairs. Fitting in with the rest of the castle, they were large, sweeping, and painted gold. I went up them, and went to the first door I came to on the left. None of the doors on this floor were white, at least as far as I could see. they were all gold, and the one I stood in front of had an intricate carving of a crown on it, studded with real pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other gems.
I hesitantly pushed it open and stepped into an immaculate parlor of sorts, with two large white sofas, crystal chandeliers, and carpeted in fluffy white. The walls were wallpapered, a white background with gold swirls. It was rather modern, but still fit in with the rest of the palace.
There were two doors on both the left and right walls, the one opposite the entrance had no doors, but a large cushioned window seat by a large bay window, overlooking the vast lawns and forests beyond. Large curtains were drawn up on either side.
I pulled out my wand and flicked it at the coffee table in between the sofas. A pile of white bedding --- gold trimmed, of course --- appeared. Just in case anybody came in, I had better have a good excuse for being in here. I tucked my wand away, then went over to the first door on the left and pushed it open. An office.
I closed that door and opened the next. A bathroom... nearly all white marble. The door straight across from it appeared to be a small dining area. And finally, the last door was the bedroom.
In the middle of the room was a huge golden canopied bed. The curtains were white, as were the bedspreads. A tiny set of stairs stood against one side of the bed, so the prince could climb into it. Without them, it would be quite a jump.
"I wouldn't fancy falling off that." I thought to myself. Though perhaps it wouldn't be too painful... there was a fluffy white carpet in here, just as in the front room. The carpet itself looked softer than my bed at home. There was a small bedside table on either side of the bed. The carved wooden legs that held them up were very long, so the tabletops were accessible from the bed. The one on the right had a small white lamp on it. I flew up onto the bed beside it. Thankfully, as I was in a servants costume, I didn't have to bother with turning on my wings. I never would turn them on, but they tended to get squeaky if they didn't feel useful. Temperamental things.
I pulled the parchment, quill, and bottle of purple ink out of my waistband, where they had re-located themselves after my slight transformation, then took out a piece of paper and uncapped the ink, dipped in my quill and began to write.
"Dear Prince"
I paused, my quill hovering above the page. I hadn't heard his name. There were so many princes around these parts, one never bothered to keep track of them. I glanced around the room, and spotted a luxurious looking white bathrobe hanging on a hook. Embroidered on the front were the words "His Royal Highness Prince Charming of Arpathia". I stifled a laugh. Prince CHARMING? Honestly, you would think his parents could have done better than that. But I added the name to my greeting.
"It has come to my attention that you wish to find a wife worthy of holding the name of princess, and someday queen. I would suggest you find this perfect damsel by holding a royal ball, inviting all the ladies in your land and princesses of any nearby countries. You may survey the ladies at will, and select a bride from among them."
I dipped the quill again, and signed "A Friend", then brushed the tip of the feather across the two words, making them sparkle animatedly. This was to let the prince know that the letter was from a magical source... he may be more willing to accept the idea if he knew it was from someone who either knew what they were talking about, or were going to curse him if he didn't use their suggestion. A couple of the free-lance fairies were like that. Take Millicent, for example. Wasn't invited to a christening and threw a huge fit. She now claims she did it so the princess she cursed would get to wed her true love, even though he wouldn't be born for nearly 100 years. Really.
I blew on the piece of paper to let it dry. The signature still sparkled. I folded the paper into thirds and wrote "Prince Charming" on the outside, then propped it against the lamp so he would notice it. After tucking the ink, quill, and paper back inside my waistband, and magically getting rid of the bedclothes that still sat on the coffee table, I took out my wand, changed back into my regular clothes, and unlatched the window. I sailed out of it (remembering to switch on my wings), and it closed and latched itself behind me.
"Mission accomplished!"