"Wake up! The princess is here today! You're gonna miss it!"

Daisy tried to open her eyes but found it too hard. She rolled over on her cot and curled up tight in her blanket. A warm, heavy slumber was about to claim her when Chibibo jumped up on the cot until she sat up.

"Quit it! Ugh!" Daisy said, swatting at him. "Fine, I'm up!"

"Don't be mean to me!" Chibibo said. "You made me promise not to let you miss the princess!"

Daisy looked around, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The orphanage was the same as it was every day, but something felt weird. Like something was off but she did not know what. She was dreaming before Chibibo woke her up, dreaming about something important, but now that she was awake it all slipped from her mind.

Whatever. It was not like it mattered. Today was her big chance and there was no way she was going to mess up. She ran across the old creaking floorboards to get dressed.

Ms. Peony ladled out the very last of the porridge into a bowl for Daisy's breakfast. Daisy frowned at the itty-bitty serving.

"There's barely any left!"

"Then you ought to have gotten up early," Ms. Peony huffed. She was a grumpy old pionpi zombie who had forgotten what fun was like a long time ago.

"Fine," Daisy said and gulped her food down in one go and ran outside to join the others. Missing out was the story of her life, but that would change after today.

Basil, Chibibo, Rose, Bryony and Poppy were already outside, either running around the half-broken playground or talking.

"Should I play too?" Daisy asked Chibibo. "Do you think the princess will like me better if I look happy or if I look serious?"

Chibibo punted his favorite kickball, which was the only one that still had air in it. "How should I know? I've never met the princess!"

Chibibo was a chibibo. A lot of kids were named after their species, especially if their parents wanted their kid to be the best parts of their race. Sometimes Daisy wondered if her name would have been Human if she had parents.

Chibibo were a breed of goomba that were smaller than a regular goomba but bigger than a micro goomba. Chibibo told Daisy before that this meant he was the best of any kind of goomba. Daisy was not so sure. She figured it meant he was not any good at being big and bad at being small.

Poppy the fighter fly buzzed over with a naked plastic toy doll in each arm. "Don't even bother Daisy. She's going to pick whoever the cutest is. You haven't got a chance!"

"I do so!" Daisy said, pointing at the massive bow she was wearing for the occasion. "This proves I'm the cutest, and that means you have to shut up!"

Bryony the tokotoko waddled over to join the conversation. "The princess doesn't have to adopt any of us, y'know. All Ms. Peony said is she is gonna visit."

"That's dumb," Daisy said. "Don't be dumb, Bryony."

"Nobody comes to an orphanage just to visit!" Poppy said.

"Yeah, idiot!" Basil said. "You dumb stupid idiot."

"She might pick the person who's nicest," Chibibo said.

A stunned silence fell over the group as they considered this idea.

"No, it's going to be the cutest," Poppy said. "Moron."

Ms. Peony appeared out the back door of the orphanage. "Children!" She said. "The princess is here, out front! You must not keep her waiting!"

Daisy and the others elbowed and shoved each other to be first before slowing down to a well-behaved stroll the moment they were in eyeshot of the princess.

It was the first time Daisy had ever seen her. Princess Merlana was slender and tall, wrapped tight in mystical starry robes. She was a shaman, whatever that was. It was tough to tell what she looked like since her face was a dark shadow under her hood and crown, but her eyes glowed a bright, piercing red. They were sharp. Always on the tip of decision.

Her husband, the royal consort, stood next to her. He looked dopey and handsome and nice, dressed up and paying more attention to the birds in the trees than anything going on. He was human. Daisy hoped that meant the princess liked humans.

"These are all the children you have on offer?" her voice was like icy water.

Ms. Peony curtsied, looking a bit scared. "Ah… yes, your highness. If I had known you were looking, I would not have found families for so many!"

"Hmph. No matter. It is my own fault. I ought to have waged more wars if I wanted options."

The princess studied the children. Daisy tried to will the princess to pick her. Their eyes met, and Daisy realized she was glaring. She stood up straight and tried to smile as cute as she could. The princess chuckled at her, which made Daisy feel much worse.

"Good morning, orphans. I have come here today for a special reason. For many years, I have wanted for a child of my own, and yet the storks did not deign to bless me with one." She lifted one of her long arms, holding out her palm. "Our kingdom allows only the best and strongest to rule. I have held the crown for many years, but soon I will be too old and decrepit to keep it. That is why I wish to see if one of you is fit to become my legacy."

"Oh, pick me!" Chibibo said. "I'm great."

"Perhaps I will," the princess said, "If you prove yourself worthy." She looked to her husband. "Make the preparations."

"Okey doke!" he said.

A racetrack was drawn around the outskirts of the orphanage with little flags stuck in the ground. The first to the finish line would be the winner. This was not what Daisy was expecting.

"THIS is how you're gonna pick your new kid?" she said.

"Daisy!" Miss Peony scolded, but the princess waved her away.

"Do you presume to have a better idea?" the princess said.

Daisy hesitated. It felt like she was on the edge of being in trouble.

"We thought you were going to pick whoever was the cutest!" She pointed at her bow. "Did I put this on for nothing?!"

The princess shook her head. "Charisma is important, but I have already judged each of you on that front among other traits. Consider this a chance to make up for lost ground."

Daisy understood half of that, and it did not sound good. She hurried to the starting line.

The Princess snapped her fingers and they sparked like lightning. Everyone bolted forward, kicking and shoving to be first. Bryony was made of rocks and kicked hardest, so she got an early lead but toddled along too slow to stay in first place. Chibibo ran so fast he got way ahead but wore himself out right away and fell down panting. It was not too hard to get ahead of Rose, she was a nokobon turtle, but she kept up and showed no sign of slowing. Daisy rounded the corner for the homestretch and knew it was time to let loose. She pulled ahead of everyone and that's when it happened. Basil the scuttlebug spider spat a bit of web on Daisy's foot and it stuck to the ground.

"No!" Daisy said, struggling to get unstuck. "You cheater!"

Basil blew a raspberry as he and Poppy raced neck and neck. Daisy tore herself free and threw herself back into the race, heart pounding. But it was too late. Poppy dodged around web blasts and zipped right over the finish line before anyone else.

Daisy slowed as she caught up, still huffing. "That's not fair! I didn't get to race right! We gotta do a do-over!"

"What? No!" Poppy said. "You're just mad you lost! Get over it!"

"But Basil cheated!"

"I did not!"

"So what if she did?" Rose said. "Basil didn't even win. That doesn't even matter."

Daisy spun to face the Princess. "Make us race again! I can win! I can do it this time! Please!"

The princess tilted her head at Daisy before turning to Poppy. "Your rival wishes to race again. Do you accept that challenge?"

"What? Why should I?!" Poppy said. "I already won! Everybody saw that I'm the best! Why should I have to go and prove myself again?"

"And what about the rest of you?"

There was a general groan at the idea of racing again.

"Do we have to?" Chibibo said, lying on his side from exhaustion. "What's even the point? I know I can't win."

"It sounds as though no one else wants to compete, little one," the princess said.

"Whatever! I don't care! I'll race by myself! Just let me try again! I know I can do this! Please!"

The princess was quiet, staring down at Daisy in a way that made her nervous.

"What is your name, child?" the princess said at last.

"Daisy."

The Princess turned to Ms. Peony. "I have made my decision. I will take this Daisy into my tutelage. Henceforth, she will belong to me."

"What?!" Poppy said, thrashing all her arms in the arm. "But I won the race! You're supposed to pick me!"

The princess smiled. "I never said I would pick the winner. And I never said that was the only test. If you wanted to be my child, you ought to have been more tenacious. I have no use for a lazy girl who would refuse a challenge."

Poppy's mouth hung open in despair. It was the most amazing thing Daisy had ever seen. The royal consort bent down to pick Daisy up.

"Daisy," the Princess said. "If you are to be my daughter you must know that I will expect you to win. Even if you lose, you must win, and win, and never stop. You must not show weakness and you must make a mark on this world. Do you accept these terms?"

"Okay!"

There was a flash of pitch-black dark. The whole world in silhouette with ghosts all around. A red and white mask. Daisy blinked and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, she could make out the shape of her mother's shadowy face smiling down at her.

"Then it is a deal."