The Matchmaker Meets a Prince By E. D. Baker
Cory never knew what to expect when her grandfather, Lionel Feathering, stopped by. This morning was no exception. “What do you have planned for the next few days?” he asked when she found him seated at the breakfast table with her uncle, Micah. “Anything you absolutely cannot miss?” “I have a few odd jobs, but they can wait, I suppose,” Cory said as she sat down on a mushroom stool. “Zephyr is playing at the Shady Nook on Saturday night and I need to be there.” Cory tried not to miss her band’s engagements, especially when they were playing at the most popular restaurant and nightclub in town. Her grandfather smiled. “Then we have plenty of time. How would you like to go on an adventure with me? We shouldn’t be gone more than a few days. An old friend of your grandmother’s has asked for my help. Micah has already agreed to watch Noodles for you.”
Cory glanced at the woodchuck gnawing a cabbage leaf under the table. He’d been very good for the last few days, but she still wasn’t convinced that she could trust him. “Are you sure, Uncle Micah?” she asked. “We’ll be just fine,” her uncle replied. “School is closed for Spring Festival Week, so I was planning to stay home and work on a new enclosure for him anyway.” “Then I’m all yours,” Cory told her grandfather. “Where are we going?” Lionel smiled again and set down his cup of apple juice. “To one of the old kingdoms. I brought you a change of clothes.” “That wasn’t necessary,” said Cory. “I still have the clothes I wore when Zephyr went to Misty Falls to play at Prince Rupert’s wedding.” “The clothes are different where we’re going and we want to be sure we blend in. There’s no hurry. Eat your breakfast first. We may not get to eat again for some time.”
“And there’s no telling what kind of food they’ll serve when you get there,” said Micah. “Some of the old kingdoms have awfully strange customs.” Cory was too excited to eat much. The way her grandfather was being so mysterious made the trip even more intriguing. After eating a berry-filled muffin, she went to change her clothes. The pale yellow gown with embroidery at the neck and trailing sleeves was beautiful and looked very nice with her chocolate-brown hair and tanned skin. The soft leather slippers fit perfectly, too, although she hoped she wouldn’t have to do much walking in them. When Cory returned to the main room, her grandfather was seated by the window, looking out at the street where her neighbor, Salazar, was walking his pet iguana. Cory paused in the doorway, watching her grandfather for a moment. Lionel was a handsome man, with thick white hair and strong, chiseled features. When he stood, he was taller than most men, and he carried himself with assurance and
dignity. This wasn’t a surprise, considering he was a demigod and one in a long line of Cupids. Cory straightened when he turned around. Eyes the same turquoise as her own crinkled at the corners when he saw her, and he reached out one blue-veined hand to invite her closer. “You look lovely, my dear,” he said. “That gown suits you very well.” “Just as those clothes suit you,” she told him, admiring the dark green velvet tunic and heavy gold chain around his neck. She thought it was a little odd seeing her elderly grandfather in brown-and-white striped tights, but then, they were going to a foreign land with different customs and she was sure she’d see a lot of unusual things. “Are you ready?” he asked as she took his hand. “If you are, just place your finger here on the map and we’ll be on our way.” Cory glanced out the window, expecting to see a magic carpet or some other form of transportation waiting outside, but all she saw was her uncle, Micah, talking to Salazar while Noodles and the iguana eyed each other. Puzzled, Cory placed the finger of her free hand on the map
where her grandfather was pointing. Although the map was made of some kind of heavy cloth, the picture under her fingertip felt cold and hard. Inspecting the map more closely, she saw that it depicted a town and she was touching a fountain in the center of a marketplace. With a shimmer of light, the world around them faded and disappeared. A blast of air hit her face, forcing her to close her eyes. She felt the sensation of flying, then the air suddenly grew warmer and she felt firm ground beneath her feet again. When she opened her eyes, she found that she and her grandfather were standing in a town square with their hands on the edge of a large marble fountain. Although Cory could feel the cool spray of the fountain on her face, she found it hard to believe that the town square was real. The trip had been so sudden and this was all too strange. Taking a deep breath, she looked around. The fountain had been built on a raised platform. Below them, carts and booths bearing brightly colored signs displayed the items they had for sale. People milled between the
booths, talking loudly as they attempted to hear each other over the shouts of the vendors hawking their wares. “What is this place?” Cory asked her grandfather. “It’s called the Magic Marketplace,” he said as he led her down the steps. “It’s the crossroads between worlds, but it’s also an excellent place to buy magic goods that are difficult to find anywhere else. We have a few minutes to spare. Why don’t you have a look around while I go talk to the owner of that cart?” Cory followed his gaze to a pink cart covered with bright red hearts. LOVE POTIONS read the banner stretched between two poles at either end of the cart. “I need to make sure that she isn’t making promises that she can’t deliver,” said Lionel. “No one can make a potion for true love. The best she could do would be a temporary infatuation potion.” Cory might have followed her grandfather when he let go of her hand if she hadn’t heard the tinkling of wind chimes. The sound was light and joyful, and it drew her to the cart with the pale blue canopy.
The cloud depicted on the canopy had a face with puffed cheeks and squiggly lines coming from the mouth as if it was blowing air. An assortment of carved wooden boxes rested on the table in front of the cart. As Cory worked her way through the crowd, a man dressed all in black with a skull and crossbones on his hat raised the lid of one of the boxes and reached inside. Lifting out a silver cylinder, he blew at the dangling glass pieces shaped like icicles within. When a cool wind sprang up, the man nodded and declared, “I’ll take it.” He set the wind chimes back in the box, but the wind didn’t die down until he closed the lid. “Come with me,” Cory’s grandfather said, appearing at her elbow. “I think you might want to see this.” Intrigued, Cory followed him through the crowd to a plain wooden stall that seemed to be one of the most popular. People of all sorts were crowded around the tables, looking through the racks holding a series of small paintings. Cory saw pictures of forests and meadows,
large towns and small villages, mountaintops and shorelines. She saw one that appeared to be deep in the ocean and it looked as if the fish were moving. Lionel seemed to know exactly what he wanted and headed to a table at the back of the stall. “You don’t need a ticket to return to wherever it was you came from,” said her grandfather. “But they help if you want to go anywhere else.” “It looks like a postcard,” she said when she saw the picture her grandfather had selected. It was a lovely picture of rolling lawns surrounding a gray-stone castle. Cory could have sworn she heard the pennants that flew from the five towers snapping in the breeze. Printed across the top of the picture was the word “Corealis.” “Is this where we’re going next?” she asked her grandfather after he’d paid for the picture.
Lionel took her arm to guide her through the crowd back to the fountain. “It is indeed,” he said. “Your grandmother’s friend is going to meet us there.” When they reached the fountain, he held up the picture again. “Put one hand on the image of the castle and one on the fountain and we’ll be there before you know it.” “I’m ready,” Cory said, bracing herself as the marketplace began to fade. Once again a blast of air made her close her eyes. When she opened them, she and her grandfather were standing in front of the castle on the postcard. “Wow!” said Cory. “That was amazing!” Her grandfather squeezed her hand. “It’s about time you learned that there is a lot more to the world than what your mother showed you. She didn’t do you any favors by keeping you from learning about my side of the family. I would have brought you on trips like this a long
time ago if she would have let me. Come along. I know Moonbeam is excited about meeting you.” “Moonbeam? That sounds like a fairy name,” said Cory. “Moonbeam is a fairy. I never did tell you much about your grandmother, did I? She was an elf named Sareffe. Her parents were woodland elves who had moved to Ever Green so their children could have more opportunities. When Sareffe was a girl, Moonbeam was her best friend.” “So they lived in the same town that I live in now?” “Indeed,” said her grandfather. “Moonbeam decided that she wanted to be a fairy godmother, so she studied it in school and moved to Corealis when they had an opening available. She’s a fully certified Fairy Godmother, LA, which means Licensed and Approved. That makes her much more powerful than most fairy godmothers, who don’t go through the formal training. Moonbeam and your grandmother remained friends over the years. I’ve kept in touch with her for your grandmother’s sake. Ah, there’s Moonbeam now!”
Cory looked toward the castle drawbridge where a silver-haired woman was standing just outside the open portcullis. The woman waved when she saw Cory and Lionel looking in her direction. All three started walking and met at the edge of the road. “Lionel! You’re looking better than you have in years!” Moonbeam exclaimed. “That’s because I’m happier than I’ve been in years. A very special person has come back into my life,” Lionel replied. The old man laid his hand on Cory’s shoulder. “Moonbeam, this is my granddaughter, Corialis.” “So you’re the granddaughter I’ve heard so little about,” Moonbeam said with a grin. “I’m happy to see that your mother finally let you visit your grandfather!” “Mother didn’t let me,” said Cory. “I found him on my own.” “Good for you! I like a girl with gumption. I bet that made your mother mad.”
Cory grinned. “She may never get over it, but then, I’ve done a couple of things lately that she doesn’t like.” “A girl after my own heart! Anyone who would keep a wonderful man like Lionel Feathering from seeing his granddaughter is not a good person. Speaking of girls, that’s why I asked you here today, Lionel. One of my charges, Queen Bealine, needs my help, but you are far more suited to help her with this particular problem than I am. Bealine wants her son, Andreas, to get married, but he hasn’t been able to find the right girl. He’s very particular and insists that he can’t marry just any beautiful princess. Bealine has asked me to help him find his one true love, and you are the only person I know who can do that.” “Actually, you know one other,” said Lionel. “Corialis has inherited the gift as well.” “Really?” Moonbeam said, looking at Cory with renewed interest. “Then you’ll have to tell me if you see someone for Andreas when you meet him. They’re waiting for us in the queen’s chamber. I wanted to talk to you before you met them so you’d be prepared.”
Cory looked around as she and her grandfather followed Moonbeam into the castle. She’d never seen a castle built by humans before, and thought it wasn’t nearly as pretty as Prince Rupert’s fairybuilt castle located at the base of a waterfall. This one was more substantial, however, and looked as if it had been there for a very long time. As they walked through the corridor, a few people gave them curious looks, but no one approached or tried to talk to them. Climbing the stairs to the second floor, Cory thought it was funny when Moonbeam swept into a light, airy chamber and announced to the people gathered there, “His Grace, Lord Lionel Feathering, and his granddaughter, Lady Corialis.” The older woman seated beside a small table in the center of the room inclined her head, while the young man with her looked up and frowned. When Lionel bowed, Cory took his cue and curtsied. “Queen Bealine, Prince Andreas, I’d like you to meet Lord Lionel and his granddaughter, Lady Corialis,” said Moonbeam.
“Just Lionel, Your Highness. I have no desire to become a lord,” said Cory’s grandfather. The queen was a beautiful woman with a sweet face who looked far too young to have a son as old as Andreas. If the queen was Andreas’s mother, she had to be much older than she appeared. “Welcome, Lionel, Corialis,” said the queen. “It was good of you to come.” The prince, who was standing at his mother’s side, had blond hair and vivid blue eyes like the queen. He would have been handsome, with even features and a squared jaw, if his lips hadn’t been pressed into a tight line and he hadn’t been scowling. “Really Mother, we don’t need him here! I can find my future bride myself. I’m sorry,” he said, turning to Lionel. “Your trip was a waste of time. Mother told me that you’re a matchmaker, but I really don’t need your services.” “Andreas!” cried the queen. “You can’t be serious. You’ve been looking unsuccessfully for years.”
“And I’ll continue to look for as long as it takes,” Andreas told her. “I don’t want help from a stranger!” Nodding to Lionel and Moonbeam, he strode to the far end of the room where two other young people stood gazing out the window. “Please pardon my son,” said the queen. “He hasn’t been himself lately. Ever since he attended the wedding of Princess Gwendolyn and Prince Beldegard, he’s been obsessed with finding his true love. He insists that she is the only girl he can marry, but he thinks he must find her himself or it won’t really be true love. I don’t understand how you can find such a person on your own.” “It’s very difficult,” said Moonbeam. “I was fortunate to find my true love, my husband, Selbert.” “Moonbeam told me that you are the expert in true love,” the queen told Lionel. “I had hoped that Andreas would accept your help, but he is very stubborn. Ah well, despite what Andreas says, I believe he needs your help. However, I would prefer that he think he made his own decision without any outside influence.”
“Of course,” Lionel told her. The queen leaned forward and gestured for Lionel, Cory, and Moonbeam to step closer. She spoke in a quiet voice when she told them, “When I first married the king, I thought I had married my true love, but we’ve grown apart and I’m no longer so sure. I want my son to know that the girl is right for him.” Lionel nodded. “That won’t be a problem. Cory, I think you’ll have to handle this. He’ll suspect me no matter what I do.” “It would be my pleasure” said Cory. “Please excuse me for a moment. Moonbeam, may I talk to you?” “Of course, my dear,” the fairy said, following her to the corner of the room. “How much do Andreas and the queen know?” asked Cory. “Did you tell anyone who Grandfather really is?” The fairy looked shocked. “I’d never do that! I promised Sareffe a long time ago that I wouldn’t and I’ve kept my promise ever since!”
“That’s good to know,” said Cory. “I’ll see what I can do. Could you introduce me to Andreas’s friends?” Moonbeam smiled. “I was just about to suggest that very thing! They are two of my dearest friends and I want you to meet them,” she said, hustling Cory across the room. “Cory, this is Princess Annabelle and her husband, Prince Liam,” she said, smiling at the young man and woman standing with Prince Andreas. When the princess grinned at her, Cory smiled back, unable to resist the twinkle in the princess’s eyes. Although Annabelle wasn’t beautiful, she was pretty in a quirky way with sun-bleached hair and a smattering of freckles across her friendly, cheerful face. Cory immediately decided that she liked her. Liam, however, was as handsome as Andreas, but his features weren’t perfect with a dimple in one cheek and not the other, and slightly crooked teeth. Even so, Cory thought he looked more genuine
than Andreas, which made Liam the more attractive of the two, especially since Andreas was looking annoyed that she was there. “Cory’s grandfather is an old friend of mine. Her grandmother was my dearest friend when I was just a little girl,” Moonbeam told the princess. “Cory, Annie, and Liam are the ones who helped me find my husband, Selbert, and for that I am forever in their debt. I’m sure you’ll get along wonderfully!” Moonbeam sighed when she saw the sour expression on Andreas’s face. “Now dear, you may be annoyed with me, but don’t take it out on Cory! She didn’t have a thing to do with it.” Cory took the opportunity to study Andreas’s face as he watched Moonbeam scurry back to the queen and Lionel. When she had a good picture of him in her mind, she closed her eyes and wondered who would be his one true love. A heartbeat later, the image of a girl with black hair and eyes as green as spring grass appeared. Although her hair was disheveled and her smile promised mischief, she looked beautiful enough to be a fairy-gifted princess. If Cory could have, she
would have asked Andreas if he knew such a girl, but she knew that wouldn’t work now. “It really is time for us to leave,” Annie was telling Andreas when Cory started paying attention again. “We stopped by to see if you wanted to go with us. Digby’s birthday party is supposed to be a surprise, so he doesn’t know that we’re coming.” “Join us, Andreas,” said Liam. “If you’ve never visited Shimshee, this will be a great opportunity for you to see the kingdom.” Andreas shook his head. “I don’t really like Digby.” “No one really likes Digby,” said Liam. “But even he needs guests at his birthday party.” Cory had the sudden urge to go with them, which made almost no sense when she thought about it. She didn’t know them, she wasn’t sure she’d like the young men and women there, and she had no desire to see Shimshee or the person named Digby. But, like the other times she’d had such an inexplicable urge, she knew she shouldn’t ignore it.
“It will be fun!” Annie continued. “You’ll see a port town you’ve never visited before. It’s really quite beautiful.” “I like the ocean,” Andreas said, looking thoughtful. “And I don’t get to see it very often. All right, I’ll go. I suppose I need to take a gift for Digby. One should never attend a birthday party without a birthday gift. I’ll be right back.” When Andreas had left the room, Cory turned to Annie. “Do you mind if I go with you? I’ve never been to Shimshee.” Annie looked a little surprised, but she smiled and said, “Of course you may come! We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we Liam?” Liam grinned at Cory. “The more the merrier!” “It will be fun having another girl along,” said Annie. “I’ll be right back,” Cory told them. “I have to tell my grandfather that I’m going.” Lionel was talking to Moonbeam and the queen when Cory joined them. She waited until she could get his attention and drew him aside. “I know what Andreas’s true love looks like,” Cory told him. “Andreas is
going to Shimshee with his friends and I have to go, too. I think that’s where he’ll find his true love.” “Then go, by all means,” said Lionel. “Your gifts will always tell you what to do. I’ll wait here until you’re ready to return home.” When Cory started back to Annie and Liam, she couldn’t help but smile. She might not have anything for Digby, but if all went well, she’d be giving a wonderful gift to Andreas.
Cory had never ridden in a carriage quite like this before. Made of carved wood embellished with gold, it was the most beautiful carriage she’d ever seen. Although the seat cushions were thick and the large windows let in plenty of fresh air and sunlight, the carriage was very uncomfortable as it bounced and thudded down the road. Cory wondered if the carriage builders had ever heard of springs. “We’re almost there,” Liam finally said, pointing out the window. “See, the ocean is just beyond those hills.”
Annie leaned over to look out. “I can smell the salt air! One more hill and we’ll be able to see the water.” They all moved to the windows, trying to be the first to see the ocean. When they finally reached the top of the last and tallest hill, Annie and Cory spotted the sparkle of blue water and cried out at the same time. A good-sized town surrounded the port on three sides. Ships at anchor bobbed in the water and an imposing castle of gray stone rose above the other buildings at one end of the town. Cory thought that the view would be perfect for one of those magic postcards. Although Cory had seen the ocean before, this was different somehow. Annie’s enthusiasm was contagious and both Cory and the princess seemed to find it hard to sit still. When they finally passed between the gates of the town, they were both perched on the edge of their seats, gripping the window frame as they rumbled down the cobblestone street. “What time is the party?” Andreas asked.
“Suppertime tonight,” said Annie. Cory glanced out the window. They were heading to the castle, but the salt air was calling to her. Something else was drawing her to the water as well. “Supper is hours away,” she said. “Why don’t we do some sightseeing while we’re here?” “What a good idea!” said Annie. Andreas, who had ignored Cory for most of the trip, agreed as well, so Liam knocked on the roof of the carriage. The vehicle rolled to a stop and one of the coachmen jumped down to see what Liam wanted. A minute later, they were turning down a road that led to the port. Although the need to reach the quay was growing inside her, Cory didn’t have any idea what to do when the carriage stopped and they all got out. Andreas lifted his chin and sniffed the air. “I’m starving and something smells delicious! Ah! Fried food. Anyone else want some?” Before they could answer, he was heading for the street vendor selling hot fried fish on a stick. The others trailed after him and soon
they were all nibbling fish. After stopping at a vendor selling fried balls of dough coated with honey, they strolled to the water’s edge to watch the ships come in. When they finished eating, they tossed their leftover scraps to the gulls before moving on. They were strolling past a ship that had just docked when a girl leading a pack of large, barking dogs ran down the gangplank. She had reached the dock when one of her dogs broke loose and took off, dragging its lead behind it. “I’ll catch him!” Andreas shouted as he started after the dog. Liam looked as if he was going to help as well, but Cory put her hand on his arm and shook her head. “Let him do it,” she said. She had recognized the girl with the black hair and green eyes as the girl she had seen in her vision. While they waited for Andreas to come back, Cory turned to Annie. “How well do you know Andreas?” “Fairly well. Liam and I haven’t known him for long, but we’ve been through a lot together.”
“What is he like?” “I suppose you could say that he’s playful. He likes crazy dances and riding bareback. He likes a challenge, too, but he’s a good sport whether he wins or loses. All in all, I’d say he’s a good person at heart.” Cory nodded. Although she could make matches between people she’d never met, she preferred to get to know at least one of them before she started. “Got him!” Andreas called out as the big, shaggy dog dragged him by the lead back through the crowd. When he handed the dog’s lead to the girl, she smiled so broadly that her face seemed to light up. “Thank you so much! Boris is always getting away and sometimes it takes days to find him.” Rising up on her tiptoes, she kissed Andreas on his cheek and giggled when he blushed bright red. “Thank you again!” she cried as she ran to a waiting carriage. The dogs jumped through the open door and she followed, pausing only long enough to wave at Andreas.
“We should probably go to the castle now,” said Annie. “I’d like to clean up before the party.” “Uh-huh,” Andreas said, following the departing carriage with his eyes.
When they arrived at the castle a short time later, they were immediately shown to rooms where they could rest and change their clothes before the party. Cory wasn’t sure about the elaborate green gown with puffed slashed sleeves that Lionel had sent with her, but Annie seemed to like the dress when they met again in the corridor. Annie was dressed in a lovely blue gown the same color as the sash Liam wore on his uniform, but it was Andreas who really caught Cory’s eye with his cloth-of-gold doublet embroidered with red poppies. He seemed embarrassed when Cory and Annie told him how much they liked it. “It was a gift from my mother on my last birthday,” he told them. “She said that it might make girls notice me.”
“Like a male cardinal’s bright red feathers,” Annie whispered to Cory as they started to the Great Hall. The girls struggled to wait until Andreas was a good distance behind them before they giggled. They had scarcely entered the Great Hall before Digby walked in. He made a great show of being surprised, but Cory didn’t think he really was until he saw Annie, Liam, and Andreas. “You’re here!” he said, turning from one to the other. “What did my parents do to make you come all this way?” “They invited us,” said Liam as he reached out to shake Digby’s hand. “Happy birthday!” “And who is this?” Digby said when he finally saw Cory. “Prince Digby, I’d like to introduce our friend, Corialis,” Annie told him. Digby had opened his mouth to say something when there was a stir by the door and they all turned to look. The girl with black hair that they had run into earlier had shown up, and everyone seemed to know her. Cory glanced at Digby when he grunted.
“Margo’s back,” he said with a scowl. “I was hoping she’d stay away.” “Who is Margo?” Annie asked. “My twin sister,” said Digby. “Yes, I know. We don’t look anything alike, but we really are twins. She was born four minutes before me.” “We saw her at the dock today,” said Andreas. “One of her dogs got away.” “She and those blasted dogs! Did you see the size of those beasts? She can’t have one or two little lapdogs like most ladies. She has to have great galumphing hounds that slobber all over you and bark loud enough to wake the dead.” “I like big dogs,” said Andreas. “You don’t have to worry that you might hurt one when you wrestle with it on the floor.” “I wouldn’t know about that,” said Digby. “I’ve never wrestled with a dog.” “It’s time to take our seats. Your parents are already at the head table,” Annie told Digby.
Cory followed Annie and Liam to the dais, and was pleased when she was seated at the far end of the head table, where fewer people would notice her. She was there for one reason and one reason only— to help Andreas. Attracting attention to herself would only complicate things. When Andreas was told to sit next to her, she suggested that he switch with Liam. Andreas saw right away that he’d be beside Margo, and was happy to make the change. Servants started bringing the food out right away. Although the dishes smelled tempting, Cory took one peek at the lifelike roasted peacock that had had its feather’s stuck back in and lost her appetite. Her companions were eager to help themselves to the peacock, wild boar, and eel stew, however. While they ate with gusto, Cory nibbled some of the vegetables she had taken. Uncle Micah was right, she thought. They do have strange taste in food. It didn’t take Cory long to eat, and she spent the rest of the meal watching and listening to those around her. Although Cory couldn’t
hear what Andreas and Margo were saying, she smiled when she heard them laughing together. Most people had finished eating when Digby’s parents stood and left the table. Everyone followed them to the empty center of the hall where the servants had removed the tables and chairs, leaving the floor free for dancing. Cory looked around when music began to play. People were already forming two lines. When Liam led Annie to the floor, Cory started for the far end of the hall. A drummer herself, she was more interested in the music than in dancing. After watching a bearded man play the lute for a while, she shifted around so she could see the young man who was thumping a small drum. Glancing at the dancers, she was pleased to see that Andreas had claimed Margo as his partner. She laughed when she saw that they were dancing with more exuberance than anyone else. From the big grins on their faces, Cory was sure they were enjoying themselves.
Although other people changed partners, Andreas and Margo stayed together for the next three dances. Cory overheard people muttering that it wasn’t proper, and she was sure Andreas and Margo heard as well, but it didn’t seem to bother them. From what she had seen, Cory thought that the two had a lot in common, and she was more than ready to shoot them with her arrows. All she had to do now was get them alone somewhere, although she could do it in public if she had no other choice. It was after midnight when some of the older people, including the king and queen, retired for the night. Cory still hadn’t thought of a way to lure Andreas and Margo out of the hall, but she hoped she’d come up with something while she was talking to them. She was easing through the crowd when Digby walked up to Margo. “You should be ashamed of yourself, dancing and carrying on like this in public,” he told his twin. “You’re an embarrassment to the family. Why do I have to be stuck with the least ladylike princess in all
the kingdoms for a sister? No man will ever want to marry you! You’re going to be a burden on our family forever!” “You’re one to talk!” cried Margo. “If anyone should be ashamed, it’s you! Everyone knows that you spend all your time in the taverns when you should be learning how to rule. You’re already a big disappointment to Father!” “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Digby shouted. “Now I remember why I went away!” said Margo. “It was to get away from you!” “Then why don’t you leave again?” Digby snarled. “We have lots of other relatives you can impose on!” Suddenly Andreas stepped between the siblings. “If anyone is wrong, it’s you, Digby! I’d be honored to marry a girl as wonderful and fun as Margo.” “Then you’re dumber than I thought!” Digby said, his mouth twisted into a disgusted sneer. Turning on his heel, he stomped from the hall.
“Thank you!” Margo said as Andreas turned back to her. “You didn’t have to say that.” “But I mean it,” said Andreas, leaning in to kiss Margo. Cory was delighted when they kissed. She wondered for a moment if she needed to get involved. They’d found each other and it already looked as if they were thinking of marriage. But then she remembered what Queen Bealine had said about no longer being sure that her husband was her true love. The queen wanted her son to know that the girl was the one for him. The only way Cory could guarantee that was to shoot them both. After looking around one last time, Cory decided that she would have to do it right there in the crowded Great Hall. “Margo, Andreas,” Cory said so that they’d both turn toward her. When they were facing her, she thought, Bow, and held out her hands. Time stood still as her silver bow appeared in one hand, the white-leather quiver in the other. Taking the silver arrow labeled “Prince Andreas” from the quiver, she placed it in her bow and shot him without hesitating. The arrow hit him
in the chest directly above his heart, yet Andreas didn’t budge. A puff of gold shimmered for a moment, fading as Annie drew a second arrow from the quiver. Checking to make sure it read “Princess Margo,” she set it in her bow and pulled back the string. The arrow hit Margo’s chest without making a sound. This time the puff of gold grew until both Margo and Andreas seemed to glow. When the light faded away, the arrows had vanished along with Cory’s bow and quiver. Suddenly time began to pass again. Sound returned and the people who had been frozen started to move. Margo and Andreas turned to each other. Without speaking a word, they were in each other’s arms. Cory sighed. Although she’d shot dozens of people with her arrows, seeing the couples in love like this still brought tears to her eyes. I have the best job in the world, she thought. And I hope I never change my mind!