“Here, try this on.” The nervous girl handed me a beautiful rose-red ball gown with long, off-shoulder sleeves and a sparkling over skirt. I stared in awe at the beautiful garment for a moment before she spoke again. “It’s mine. I wore it to one of my family’s parties a few days ago. It was a little too long on me, so hopefully, it will fit you well.” She helped me into the gown and the feeling of the lavish fabric made me feel confident enough to stand to my full height.
“Wow.” Hazel gawked at the glittering skirt. “You definitely look like a princess now!” She smiled excitedly, and I gave a frail laugh in return.
“Thank you, Hazel, but I’m still just me.” I smiled sweetly, and she beamed brighter. I then turned my attention to Aurelia with a serious shift in my tone. “Did you see any sign of Peter yet?” I looked to her hopefully, but she shook her head.
“No, still no sign of him.” She sounded worried, and I couldn’t help but feel the same.
“Okay, then here is what we need to do…” I pulled up a stool and sat in an attempt to save my declining energy. “Clearly, somebody hired Mr. Dwarfer.... I would bet it was King Garrett. He must have known where I was hiding and paid Mr. Dwarfer to poison the soap. By doing so, he could effectively kill me and weaken the royal army in preparation for a siege.” Aurelia and the others gasped at the validity of this theory.
“How awful!” Susan exclaimed in horror.
“If that’s true, then it means the king is also the one who sent Dwarfer the remedies,” I gazed around the room at their captivated eyes. “Which means he might have more, or at least, knows the enchanter who created them. I don’t know how much time I have before the poison takes me. Right now, my best chance is to return to the castle with some of the soap as evidence to my claim.” I watched as looks of concern flashed between the ladies in front of me.
“I thought you need the letter and a witness of nobility to prove your claim?” Aurelia’s brow furrowed with a puzzled expression. “Won’t King Garrett just kill you if you return suddenly?” She brought her hand to her mouth, looking pale at the thought.
“He might if he finds me.” I tried to sound brave, but my shaking body made it difficult. “I’ll seek out my mother first. If I can get an audience with her long enough to explain the situation, then perhaps she can help me find the remedy. We can then make a claim toward King Garret’s treason with the poison solution. It should be enough to get the court involved, at least until we can deliver the letter and Aurelia.” I looked to the blonde, who still looked confused.
“Wait a moment… am I not coming with you now?” She tilted her head and I nodded.
“Not yet,” I replied confidently. “I need you to go to the outpost and check on Peter. He shouldn’t be taking this long, and I’m worried something may have happened. Also, I need you to warn the soldiers about their uniforms. Hopefully, exposure to the poison has been far more diluted than what we experienced.” I looked at the spilled toxins on the floor.
“So, you intend to storm the castle… by yourself!?” Aurelia’s tone was fully disapproving. “You’ll get yourself killed for sure!”
“And if King Garrett is waiting for me, he will kill whoever escorts me as well.” I spoke firmly, hushing Aurelia. “I’m sorry, but I can’t ask you to risk your life for me. Besides, your carriage only has two horses, and we need someone to get Peter. I would say we can use Dottie, but I don’t think the old girl has the stamina for anything more than a trot.” I sighed at the idea and the girls murmured notes of understanding.
“I have more horses at home,” Aurelia added hopefully. “There’s a larger coach there too; one that could probably hold everyone. I could send for it and have it back here within maybe a half hour.” The prospect made her eyes twinkle, and I considered the idea for a moment. My head ached viciously as I tried to think through the logistics until I finally decided it couldn’t work.
“There’s no time.” I pressed a hand to my forehead in an attempt to relieve the pain. “If I delay much longer, the poison will surely overtake me.” I rose shakily to my feet to make my way toward the horses. Sylvia reached for my arm and helped to steady myself. I smiled at her gratefully, despite the ache it caused.
“We’ll go get the extra carriage.” Glenda’s strong voice carried across the room. “It’ll take us a little longer, but Hazel can take Dottie and bring it back a little faster than on foot. We’ll meet you at the castle as soon as we can.” She smiled at me reassuringly, a real smile. I had to wonder who this woman was and what she had done with Glenda.
“Perfect!” Aurelia puttered around the room before grabbing a strip of cloth and a writing utensil. She scribbled out a quick message, then passed it to Hazel. “Give this to my stable hand, and he will do as you say.”
Hazel accepted the cloth and turned toward the door. “I’ll be back soon!” She threw her cloak around her shoulders and ran out before she shouted. “Don’t die, Arabella!” Her quirky encouragement made me smile as I started toward the door. Stopping by the thrashed shelving that Mr. Dwarfer had wrecked, I picked up a smaller bottle of the poisoned soap. Making certain the lid was screwed on tightly, I wrapped it in a piece of linen and stuck it inside my interior pocket to bring as evidence. With the assistance of Sylvia and Aurelia, I managed to adorn my cloak and make it outside. Aurelia commanded for her footman to unhitch the horses, which the man did diligently. With a lot of help, I managed to mount a dark brown mare with a beautiful black mane.
“This is Saffron.” Aurelia patted the horse’s snout lovingly. “She’s the fastest horse we own. Hold on tight, and she’ll get you there safe.” She gave me an encouraging smile before stepping away from the reigns. “Oh! And you need one more thing!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out my simple tiara I had brought with me so many nights ago. “If you’re going to storm the castle to save yourself and your kingdom, you might as well look like the princess you are!” She gave me a small laugh and stretched upward to place the ornament in my hand. I offered her a weak but gracious smile as I accepted it and gently crowned myself. The weight of the metal felt both foreign and familiar.
“Well, I was always taught that appearances matter above all.” I rolled my eyes at the notion and shared a laugh with the fellow girls. “Thank you.” Aurelia smiled, then turned to her own horse.
She climbed up onto her mount with just about as much difficulty as I had. After struggling to swing her bunches of skirt over the side of the horse, she hunched down slightly embarrassed by her clumsy maneuver.
“I don’t usually ride…” She blushed sheepishly. “But I should be fine getting to the outpost. We’ll meet you at the castle as soon as possible.” She yanked on the reigns, startling her horse for moment before regaining control.
“Just be careful…” I felt a little uneasy as she struggled to tame her mare, but she regained her balance without too much trouble.
“That goes for you, too.” She gave me a playful smile. “Good luck, Arabella.” She turned her mare and shot off into the woods at a full gallop. I was rather impressed at how quickly she managed to overcome her stumble. I turned to the cobble path to set off on my journey, then turned my head back to my friends who were waiting to send me off.
“See you soon.” I tried to sound brave before turning down the path at a gallop. My body was beginning to feel stiff from all the aching and fever, so I was growing worried about how much longer I would be able to stay upright. Without testing how long that would be, I took full advantage of Saffron’s speed. The beautiful mare raced through the woods with the smoothest of gallops and I couldn’t help but feel thankful that the creature was so skilled. Any more jostling and I would have been sick from the motion.
I had never paid attention to the road when I was first left in this portion of the kingdom, but I knew the capital was to the east. I followed the paths that kept me in the general direction and veered off the road when they began to turn elsewhere. After a while, Saffron’s gallop slowed to trot so she could catch her breath. I let her go at her own pace but was starting to grow concerned about my own stamina. My fingertips were growing numb, and my left hand would hardly move whenever I tried stretching it out. This couldn’t be good…
The roads began to shift from dirt to cobblestone after about an hour of riding. I looked up through the trees and saw the familiar streets of the Isalla capital. The castle walls were directly in view, and I thought I could cry at the sight. I kept pushing onward, whispering apologies to Saffron along the way, as well as murmured promises of apples upon our arrival. The streets were far more crowded than the forest paths, so I had to slow my pace quite a bit. I held my head down with my hood pulled low to avoid any unexpected attention. Thankfully, the worn cloak was long enough to cover the bold red gown Aurelia had lent me. The dress might have been a little too attention-grabbing than what would have been necessary.
My left hand completely failed me as I drew near the castle gates. I watched in horror as it fell limply off the reins, and my fingers crumpled up as if they were lifeless. My right hand had begun to grow stiff, and my head was aching bad enough that I was struggling to keep my balance. Desperately, I pushed through the crowded streets, trying with all my might to go even an inch farther. The closer I drew to the castle, the denser the crowds became. It felt like the castle was moving backward as I was moving forward. After a few more steps, I decided I couldn’t risk riding for fear of falling off due to my growing numbness and vertigo. I half-climbed, half-fell off Saffron, drawing a couple of odd stares in my direction.
Stumbling to my feet, I clumsily grasped at the reigns, consistently failing. My right hand had gone stiff, so I linked my arm through the reign and awkwardly lead Saffron with my elbow. My steps had become sluggish, and I found myself leaning on the mare to keep upright. People were beginning to stare, but I wasn’t going to stop to take much notice. Despite the never-ending crowd, I managed to trudge forward until the gates were merely feet in front of me. I couldn’t feel my toes by the time I stood before the cast iron gates. The two front guards looked at me suspiciously as I leaned heavily on Saffron, trying to catch my breath. After a few moments of deep breathing, I stood to my full height and pulled my hood down.
“I am Princess Arabella Ivory Zakaria of Isalla.” I watched as the two men’s jaws fell wide open. “Let me pass and fetch the servant Earl at once. Do not alert anyone of my arrival and send for the man discreetly.” My words and expression were strong, but my legs shook. The men clearly looked panicked, but instantly rushed into action.