In chapter 47 of Do You Want To Sing Together XIV, Sandra was taking her Junior Knight test following her accident when she fell on top of Grimtrix and hurt her foot (see the flashback in chapter 6 of Hexley Hall Game Day Challenge). Now, as a kind-of-sort-of follow up to that chapter, the knights tell her that she has to take the test again, even though she passed it (just barely, but this time she's healed and can properly take the test). She agrees, and is surprised to see not just her family, but Sofia and her family, and the knights of Enchancia there when they come out to the training grounds. The knights of Enchancia tell her that this is something they sometimes do, watching different kingdoms' squires (or squiresses in Sandra's case) take their Junior Knight test. There is a reference to Miss Nettle from my story Royal Blood. There is also a thinly veiled reference to the show Neila the Princess Knight. When someone 'has the plague' in Orillia, that means they're sick. What Sandra said when she crossed the finish line is from Big City Greens. Jacob, Matt, Jason, King Robert's horse Melodeon, Alyssa, and the knights of Orillia are all my own characters. Thanks to theblindwriter95 for helping with the story. Thanks also to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details. Celtic Thunder is not mine.
Sandra had been helping the chefs with the desserts for an upcoming banquet when some of the knights came into the kitchen. At first, she didn't think much of it, since she told Zoe and some of their friends that the knights were all self-proclaimed cookie fans; she always made sure there was enough for whatever event she was helping to prepare for, as well as extras for anyone who wanted to try what she made. "I've got a plate of cookies over there if you want to try them," she greeted them.
"We'll take them with us, Princess, but right now we need to talk to you," Sir Steven said as he took the plate and led her out to where Sir Peter, Sir Avery, and Sir Nathaniel were waiting for them.
"Is something wrong?" Sandra asked.
"Well, Princess Sandra, it's about your Junior Knight test," Sir Nathaniel started.
"I passed it, didn't I?" Sandra looked surprised. "I know I had that issue with my foot after I slipped on the stairs and fell on that sorcerer who was going to attack the family, but I took the test a few days later and I thought I passed it..."
"That's true," Sir Peter agreed, "But even though you passed it, you were still injured, and so according to the rulebook, you have to take the test again. And don't give us that look," he smirked as Sandra gave him Zoe's 'puppy-dog pout'. "You know that after a squire, or in your case squiress, gets injured during the Junior Knight test, or before they take it, or if they're sick like Prince Ezekiel was when he took it the first time, they have to retake it, regardless of whether or not they passed it the first time."
Sandra nodded in acceptance, following behind Sir Steven.
While disappointed she had to take her Junior Knight test again despite barely passing it the last time, she couldn't complain about it too much, as not everyone got to retake the test due to an injury or illness.
She took Sir Peter's words into consideration. He and the other knights were following the rulebook, and while it seemed unfair to her that she had to retake the test again, she would gladly do it without an injury or illness to stop her along the way.
"You'll be great, Princess!" Alyssa, one of the kitchen maids, assured her as she followed her to her room, "My cousin Jacob first took his test on a sprained ankle, then again when he had the plague. He passed the third time around, and look at him now; he's the newest member of the castle guard! And you know Prince Ezekiel passed the second time around, and he would have been in Chivalry Hall by now, but…well…we know what happened to him…"
"I know, and second and third time's the charm," Sandra smirked, "And I remember, Matt and Jason retook their tests a few weeks after Zeke went to Azkaban, and now they're in Chivalry Hall!"
"And you never know; you might end up as Orillia's first female knight!" Sir Peter agreed.
Sandra grinned at the idea. A princess and a knight? That had a nice ring to it, and she had actually heard about something like that happening before.
Besides, if Jacob could pass his test the third time around, then she could do it the second time around.
"Should I get one of your little friends to help wish you luck?" Alyssa suggested a few minutes later as she helped her get ready.
Sandra looked over the plush animals on her bed. Like her friend James, she used them as writing assistants in her Creative Writing class. Her plush cat Fig, however, was her good-luck charm when she had a fencing competition. She picked him up, thinking, 'Alyssa's got a good idea, having him watch me like he does during my fencing matches...but this is no fencing match; it's retaking my Junior Knight test! Still, I do feel better when I know he's watching me do things like this, and Zoe did give him to me when I became Sir Avery's squiress...' She wasn't superstitious, but she still felt better when she knew he was watching her. She nodded and handed the black and white plush tuxedo cat to Alyssa. "When I start my test, guard him with your life!"
"I promise, Sandra, he'll be in good hands," Alyssa chuckled.
Sandra nodded, patting Fig on the head in the hopes of having good luck.
Once she was ready, she walked out of the room with Alyssa, who smiled softly at her as she took Fig and tied him into her apron.
When they came out to the training grounds, Sandra was surprised to see not just her family and the knights, but also the royal family of Enchancia, and their knights. "Sofia! It's good to see you again, but what are you doing here...with your family, and your castle's knights?"
"We came to cheer you on!" Sofia smiled.
"Not just that, princess, but this is also a part of Prince James' knight training," Sir Finnegan explained. "At Chivalry Hall, some of the students go to different kingdoms than their own to see how their Junior Knight retests are done."
"Now that you say that, I remember Zeke did that too," Sandra recalled. "He was going to take his Junior Knight retest here, but he was told he had to go to Corinthia to see how it was done first. That way, he'd learn how their knights worked, and see if he could use any of their techniques in his test or training. We all went with him, but Zoe and I mostly stayed out of the way and hung out with Cleo."
James smiled, holding out his hand. "Good luck on your retake test."
"You too. With your knight training. Sofia told me how you passed your test the second time around, but you didn't have to go anywhere," Sandra smirked.
"Yes he did, but it's a long story we don't have time for right now," Sofia agreed.
As they led her over to the starting area, Sir Peter said to her, "Now, Princess, we've had to make some minor adjustments to the maze this time around. But don't worry," he added, watching as she glanced around and tensed up at the sight of the climbing wall. "You won't have to do any climbing. I know how you are about that."
Sandra breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered when she and Ezekiel had gone rock climbing with Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert during one of their visits to Orillia. She had slipped off the rock she was on, Rapunzel had saved her with her hair, and ever since then, Sandra had been terrified of rock climbing. "And there's no going upside-down, right?"
"That's right," Sir Peter assured her, "We know you can't tumble or go upside-down. This is a maze, just like the last time you took your test."
"I can live with that," Sandra agreed; she liked mazes better than rock climbing anyway.
Taking a deep breath, she looked around and smiled. Everyone cheering her on made Sandra feel a little less nervous.
She looked over at the group and saw Fig's head poking out of Alyssa's apron. Beside her, James was already getting into the cookies she brought out. At least there were enough for everyone to snack on while they watched her, she thought. "I can do this," she murmured.
"Just do your best, Princess," Sir Peter smiled. "You've surprised us with how well you bested that ogre, you led the charge against that fairy that attacked the castle, and you did help your family with that unorthodox surprise attack on that sorcerer who threatened them!"
"I told you clumsiness comes in handy," Sandra tried to joke, but she was still a little nervous.
"We believe in you!" Sofia called out from where she was standing.
"You can do it, Sandra!" Zoe cheered.
Sandra looked towards the maze and took a deep breath. She could do it, taking one last look at Fig before she smiled to herself.
"You'll do just fine, my lady," Sir Maxwell said before Sir Avery gave the cue to start. "Just remember that it's just you and the maze. Your only competition is yourself."
"Okay," Sandra agreed.
"That's right, lass," Sir Finnegan agreed. "I've heard about the maze in Orillia, and while it can be hard in some areas, you only need to worry about yourself in there. Take your time, do your best, and most important of all, look before you leap!"
Sandra smirked, nodding as she mounted the horse that was waiting for her.
Her only competition was herself as she heard everyone cheering her on.
"On your ready," Sir Avery called, "and...commence!"
"Go Sandra!" Sofia cheered as Sandra rode King Robert's horse to the first obstacle. She would have preferred riding her own horse, Phoenix, but she wasn't allowed to have a winged horse during the test. However, she still got along very well with Melodeon.
"Whoa!" Sandra shouted as she jumped off him. She bowed to the straw figures Zoe had made for her, found her right-handed bow in the special section of the cabinet the knights had their bows in, since some of them were left-handed, while others, like herself, were right-handed, and fired an arrow into the target. "Excellent!" she murmured as she put it back.
"I remember now, Sandra's right-handed, so she uses a right-handed bow," Sofia murmured. She didn't know much about archery, but Sofia didn't mind as she continued to cheer on Sandra.
Over the shouts and cheers of everyone around her, Sandra concentrated on the maze while not letting their words distract her from what she wanted to achieve.
When she came to her next obstacle, she smirked. She remembered Sir Steven telling her that this part of the maze dealt with riddles, and this was something she excelled at. Even before she had beaten the ogre who had threatened Orillia, Sandra was always going along with the knights and squires when they played their word games and had their riddle contests. And just like how she and James dominated the competition when they had word games at Royal Prep, Sandra led her team to victory when the riddles were posed.
She could do the riddles given to her with ease, beaming as she figured them out.
In a matter of minutes no less.
"Okay. I can do this. I love word games and riddles, but don't get cocky like I did with the ogre," Sandra murmured as she faced her first riddle challenge.
She heard Aleena's voice recite the riddle to her: "You are a flying carpet driver in Tangu. Eight people get on, two people get off, two more people get on and another one gets off. Someone is kicked off for not having correct change. Four people switch seats. Finally, three more people get on and two get off again. How old is the flying carpet driver?"
From where they listened to the riddle, Sofia, Zoe, Amber, and even Roland were counting on their fingers. "Okay, eight minus two plus..." Sofia shook her head. "Wait...that's not right...is it?
James, who was also watching Sandra, smiled as he said with her, "Sixteen."
As she watched Sandra go to her next riddle, Sofia asked, "James, how did you figure that out so fast?"
James snickered. "Not telling, Sof."
Sofia pouted, glaring at him playfully in response.
"Wait a moment, I remember now," Roland said after he puzzled it out for another minute. "Tilly told me this riddle once when we were younger. It said at the beginning that you, the person solving the riddle, were the flying carpet driver. It just threw in all those other people riding the carpet, but since you, the person solving the riddle, are the flying carpet driver, it's your own age."
"That's right," Robert agreed.
There were a few other riddles that Sandra had to solve, but she (and James) solved them quickly. Sandra even recognized one of them as one that the ogre who had attacked Orillia had posed to the squires when she faced him.
"Well, this was fun," Sandra grinned as she solved the final riddle. "Now, to the next challenge!"
At the same time, Sir Steven approached Sir Maxwell. "Excuse me, Sir Maxwell, as the next part of Princess Sandra's test, she needs to face a knight from a different kingdom. Would you do us the honor of dueling with her?"
"Actually, Sir Steven," Roland spoke up, "Even though Sir Maxwell is a knight of Enchancia, he was born in Orillia as well, and so he may have an unfair advantage, since he learned the same fighting styles as you and your knights, along with the Enchancian style of fighting, since I remember watching them spar once before. Might I suggest one of my other knights for Princess Sandra to duel?"
"Excellent idea, King Roland," Robert agreed. "Who would you recommend?"
"Daddy, is it alright if James and I make a suggestion?" Amber asked.
"Of course you can, Amber. Who do you have in mind?" Roland asked.
"I think Sandra would do well against Sir Finnegan or Sir Bartelby," Amber suggested.
"That's right," James agreed, "Sir Finnegan taught me everything I know, and Sir Bartelby's Enchancia's most decorated knight. Either one would be a brilliant choice for her."
Sofia nodded in agreement. Both knights would be good opponents for Sandra.
The only problem was deciding who was more deserving of a chance to duel with Sandra.
"I'll duel with her," Sir Finnegan offered, "After all, I've taught Prince James how to be a knight. Besides, I've had nine squires already!"
"But eight of them quit after a day or so, since you had eight in one week," James pointed out. "And I admit, I had a hard time learning about being a squire at first, but I stayed with it, and look at all you taught me!"
"Indeed you did, lad, and you make me proud every day," Sir Finnegan smiled.
"I'll duel her," Sir Bartelby offered. "I saw her and Sir Maxwell duel, and she was very good. I also remembered her helping us during a demonstration once."
"How about you both duel Sandra?" Sofia suggested. "We can play a song for all of you, and you can each do a verse as you duel."
"What a great idea, Sof!" James grinned.
"It's the perfect plan for our brother, the royal jukebox, to sing to his heart's content," Amber snickered.
"We've got a castle music box ourselves, and here she is now," Robert smiled as Sandra came up and found her fencing foil. He glanced at the hourglass and murmured, "You're doing very well time wise."
"Thanks, Dad," Sandra whispered back, then she raised her voice. "I'm ready to duel!"
"Good! You'll be dueling two of Enchancia's knights," Robert explained. "Sir Finnegan, and Sir Bartelby."
"It's an honor to help you, Princess Sandra," Sir Bartelby smiled.
When she heard him speak, Sandra looked worried, but it was for a different reason. 'I'm glad Zeke's not here to hear Sir Bartelby,' she thought, 'I know he'd normally never tease a knight, but if he heard him speak now, he'd have a field day!'
"Don't worry, lass," Sir Finnegan smiled, seeing her worried look, and mistaking it for nervousness about facing them, "We know you'll do your best." He turned to King Robert and chuckled, "And don't worry, King Robert, we might even let her win!"
Sandra smirked in reply. "Don't worry, Sir Finnegan, I'll bring you and Sir Bartelby back to King Roland in one piece!"
Sir Finnegan chuckled as he and Sir Bartelby followed Sandra to where they would be dueling.
Sandra smiled, feeling confident with dueling the two knights. They may have been older and had more experience than her, but she was faster. "No problem, this is just like when I was first learning fencing," she mused. "I'll use not just what the knights here taught me, but like I did before when I faced that ogre and copied the knights' movements, I'll use Popov's dance lessons too; they won't be expecting that, and that sometimes even surprised my opponents during fencing matches." She stole a glance over at Alyssa, and felt a little calmer when she saw Fig's head still poking out of her apron.
As she got into position, she saw Sir Nathaniel setting up the tape player the knights used when they practiced. The knights always found good songs to practice with, and as they sang, they sometimes even heard their opponents sing with them. The other fencer would sometimes get distracted as they got into the song, and that would give the knights of Orillia the chance to beat them.
"This is going to be interesting," Miranda murmured. "I've always enjoyed hearing the knights and James sing around the barracks back home, but I've never heard them sing as they practiced dueling."
"Oh, yes," Patricia smiled. "Even before she got into fencing, Sandra would always sing with the knights as they performed their duties, played their word and puzzle games, or practiced dueling."
"James did the same thing before becoming a knight in training!" Sofia grinned.
"After he started singing in public again," Amber smiled.
"And he did such a wonderful job both times he sang," Patricia smiled. "He didn't have to hide his talent." She didn't know the reason why James had sung in a disguise, and now wasn't the time to bring it up, but she thought that he was probably shy about singing in front of everyone. In either case, she and her family knew that it was Ezekiel who had unmasked James when he first sang in his disguise, but Patricia had enjoyed James' repeat performance, and she had been as proud as the Enchancian royal family when James unmasked himself.
At the same time, Sir Nathaniel was acting as referee for the match. "Sir Finnegan, Sir Bartelby, you'll each duel Princess Sandra for part of the song. Then you'll both duel her together."
The two knights nodded in agreement, Sir Nathaniel gave the command to start, and Sir Finnegan and Sandra started dueling as the other knights started singing along.
In Banbridge Town near the County Down
One morning last July,
Down a boreen green came a sweet colleen,
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so sweet, from her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair.
Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself
For to see I was really there.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay,
From Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the fair colleen
That I met in the County Down.
'Ah, yes,' Sandra thought, smiling as she heard the knights start singing. 'the 'Sandra McCann' song. I haven't heard this in a long time. But duel first, reminisce later, and if they want to later on, they can sing it for me again.'
"Ah, yes," Roland smiled as he recognized the song, "I used to sing this to Amber when she was younger. I always changed the name of the girl to her name, and Amber loved it!"
He smiled as he spun Amber and joined in, As she onward sped, sure I scratched my head,
And I looked with a feeling rare.
And I says, says I, to a passer-by,
"Who's the maid with the sun-blonde hair?"
He smiled at me, and he said, said he,
"She's the gem of Enchancia's crown,
Young Amber McCann from the banks of the Bann,
She's the Star of the County Down."
"I did that with Sandra too," Robert smiled.
He joined in the chorus, From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay,
From Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the fair colleen
That I met in the County Down.
"I did that with Sofia as well," Miranda smiled. "Whenever I'd finish the song, she would beg me to sing it again."
"Mom!" Sofia blushed, but couldn't help but smile at the memory despite her embarrassment. She was also enjoying watching Sandra as she used a combination of the footwork she learned from the knights and the dance steps she learned from Professor Popov.
At the same time, Amber was helping to keep Zoe back, since she was dancing along with her sister. "You're right that this is a fun song, Zoe, but we've got to stay clear of the duel. You can dance over here as much as you want."
"And who knows, there might be a 'Zoe McCann' version in the near future," Sir Steven added.
Zoe smiled at the thought, and she watched Sandra managed to win her bout with Sir Finnegan, then watched as she moved onto Sir Bartelby. "Wow, that's Enchancia's 'Silent Knight!'"
"That's right, Zoe, but he can actually talk," Sofia agreed, then she went on to tell her the story of how she got him and her aunt Tilly together.
Zoe grinned once Sofia finished her story before focusing on her sister.
Watching Sandra duel was always a treat whether she won or lost.
At the same time, Robert was singing, I've travelled a bit but was never smit
Since my roving career began.
But fair and square, I surrendered there
To the charms of Sandra McCann.
I'd a heart to let, and no tenant yet
Had I met in a shawl or gown.
But in she went, and I asked no rent
From the Star of the County Down.
All the knights joined in again, From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay,
And from Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the fair colleen
That I met in the County Down.
As he watched her begin her duel with Sir Bartelby, Sir Maxwell smiled. "Well done, Sir Finnegan. She was a worthy opponent."
"Indeed she was," Sir Finnegan smiled back. "She'll make the knights at Chivalry Hall proud."
At the same time, Sandra was thinking, 'Okay, Sir Bartelby's about the same height as Sir Steven. But just because he's as tall as him doesn't mean he has the same fencing style. Like Sir Peter tells me, I'm not careless, but not too careful either. If I see a chance to score a point, I should take it. Make sure it counts.'
She took a deep breath before making her move.
As she began her duel with both Sir Finnegan and Sir Bartelby, Sir Avery was singing, At the harvest fair, she'll be surely there,
So I'll dress in my Sunday clothes,
With my shoes shone bright and my hat cocked right
For a smile from my nut-brown rose.
Sir Maxwell joined him, No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke,
'Til my plough is a rust-colored brown,
'Til a smiling bride by my own fireside
Sits the Star of the County Down.
Everyone around her was watching, and though Sandra knew that they wouldn't care if she won or not, she still wanted to do her best.
It was a close match between the three of them. Sandra focused on her footwork and kept the dance steps to a minimum, but she did manage to get a spin or two in and tapped Sir Bartelby and Sir Finnegan on the back whenever she got behind them.
"Point: Princess Sandra!" Sir Steven called. "The score is tied. The next person to score wins, then the princess goes on to her final challenge in the test!"
As they watched the final moments of the duel, Robert, Roland, Miranda, and the knights were all singing, From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay,
And from Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the fair colleen
That I met in the County Down.
From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay,
And from Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the fair colleen
That I met in the County Down.
"Well, that was fun, but what if she doesn't win?" Zoe frowned.
"It's okay, Zoe. Whether she wins or loses the match, she'll still be allowed to go on to her final challenge," Sofia smiled as Sir Peter nodded in agreement.
They looked up just in time to see Sandra land the winning point. "Point: Princess Sandra!" Sir Steven called. "Sandra wins, and if she completes this second maze, she will pass her test!"
'A second maze?' Sandra thought, 'That must be the change the knights were talking about earlier. But it's okay, I can do this.'
As she ran into the second maze, Sandra tried to ignore the cheering. She had heard that she was still doing very well timewise, but the final bout with Sir Finnegan and Sir Bartelby had lasted a little longer than she would have liked. But it was like Sir Maxwell told her: she was competing against herself, and all the knights encouraged her to do her best.
Doing her best was going to be worth it in the end. She just knew it as she navigated through the second maze, ignoring the cheering of her name.
For this part of the test, like the last time, she was allowed to use her wand. She knew she'd had trouble with another maze a long time ago, but she'd been practicing ever since, going out on the obstacle course and doing the maze, so if she ever had to run one again, she'd be better prepared.
As she navigated her way through the maze, Sandra made sure to be careful. She thought this maze was similar to the one she was in the first time, but she didn't see imps guarding the paths. She did, however, check each of the doors she came up to them.
Luckily for her, the doors weren't guarded, but she stayed cautious just in case.
Taking a deep breath, Sandra had her mind set on getting through the maze by any means necessary.
Nothing was going to stop her now.
A few minutes later, she came to the final door. "Check this one too," she mused. "But what can I do with all this stuff near the door? And what's on the other side?" As she spoke, she saw a large wooden plank, a large axe, and spear. "Lots of luck trying to lift these, but what can I do with them?" she wondered.
James smirked when he saw what was on the other side. "Why do I have a strong feeling of deja vu about this?"
"It's the same final obstacle you had during your retest," Sofia smiled.
At the same time, Sandra opened the door, and seeing the large mud puddle, she aimed her wand at the plank and recited, "Wingardium Leviosa!" She grinned as the plank levitated over the puddle, and she crossed it with no problems. "All my decisions are good ones!" she jokingly cheered as she ran across the finish line.
"I should have said that after I retook my test," James was laughing with her as he felt Sir Finnegan muss his hair.
"But you didn't," Sofia smirked. "You were silent the entire time."
"Maybe it was because he was trying to concentrate?" Amber teased.
At the same time, Sir Peter and Sir Avery came up to Sandra. "Well done, Princess Sandra," Sir Peter smiled. "You passed your Junior Knight retest with flying colors, and with plenty of time to spare."
Sandra grinned as she took her shield again. "Thank you, Sir Peter!" She figured that the knights had come into her room and taken the shield back while she had been helping in the kitchen earlier, since she hadn't seen it there when she was getting ready earlier. 'I have to remember to have a talk with my writing assistants, Ambre, and Marcella about keeping an eye on my stuff when I'm not in the room, but I will forgive them since I passed the test with no problem this time,' she thought as she held it up and everyone came up to her.
"Congratulations, first female knight of Orillia!" James grinned as Zoe grabbed her hands.
Amber rolled her eyes playfully. "She's not there yet, James."
"But she will be," Sofia smiled.
"With Fig as the knights' mascot?" Alyssa whispered to Sandra as she gave the cat back to her.
"That's right! And with Fig, Soldier, and Ambre as our mascots, the knights and I will do everything in our power to protect Orillia!" Sandra agreed.
"Or I'll get you another cat or something for you!" Zoe offered.
"If you want to, Zoe," Sandra agreed.
"We want to thank you for inviting us to see you retake your test," Amber smiled.
"We're so happy you passed!" Sofia grinned.
"So am I, Sofia," Sandra smiled, "And like I said before, second time's the charm!"
