yourself.” Lucretia blushed, but said nothing. “Yes, Kaelen you are a beast. We have already tried to undo this magic, but it is beyond us. Maeve, have you read the star charts?”
“Yes, I have,” she replied. “It was amazing how easy it was, just as Althea said. I just looked and it was all right there. It was the easiest thing in the world.”
“Would you kindly tell us what you read?”
“Read where?”
“The star charts, Sister. What did you read?”
“Oh,” she said, “of course. How silly of me. The transformation Kaelen has gone through cannot be undone by any of us. Only the maiden who is a true princess at heart will be able to rescue him. He must be able to fall in love with her and win her love for him before this magic will be undone.”
“What kind of stupid thing is that?” Kaelen asked. “Seriously, the stars told you?”
Maeve’s eyes flashed a venomous green as her blonde hair billowed out around her. “Do not insult the stars, prince. You have only seven years to win the love of this maiden as it is. Do not tempt me to shorten your time considerably.”
“Sister,” Calypso scolded, “control yourself.”
Maeve’s hair returned to normal and her eyes faded back to aqua green. “I’m sorry, Calypso. Anyhow, I cannot say more about it; the stars forbid it.”
Calypso turned to Kaelen and Calista, “Well, there’s your answer. We’ve done all that we can. I would recommend that Kaelen be put in double spell breaking as soon as possible. He will need the extra instruction. We’ll leave you now.”
Calista sighed, “Very well. Thank you, Calypso. I’ll be in touch with you soon about how we’ll proceed. In the meantime,” she directed at Kaelen, “the meeting with the princesses is tomorrow. We’ll have to groom you the best we can.”
“I’m not seeing Esmé like this,” he cried. “What would she think of me? She would think it was a joke at her expense.”
“Kaelen, your princess has to be able to fall in love with you,” she replied. “That means she needs to see you. Besides, Esmé should be mature enough to understand when we explain the situation.”
That evening at supper, the boys discovered Kaelen’s fate. Several of the younger boys squealed in terror as Kaelen entered the dining hall. For the second time in his life, he wished he could become invisible. It was difficult to get through the line for his supper; the tray was slick in his paws and the claws didn’t help. The fairy serving them fainted when he showed up, causing giggles among some of the boys until Kaelen started growling. A different fairy started serving the boys and placed silverware on Kaelen’s tray as she watched him struggle. “Thanks,” Kaelen muttered before heading to the table Lucian and the others were sitting at. “Can I sit with you guys?”
“Pull up a chair,” Adrian said.
“So which one of you wants to say ‘I told you so’ first?” Kaelen asked.
“We may have thought it, but I don’t think any of us planned on saying it,” George replied.
“Well, you can say it. If I ever deserved it, I do now,” Kaelen said. He told them as much as he could remember. “It was like living in a nightmare,” he said at length.
“So, what are they going to do?” Jacobi asked. “We meet with the princesses tomorrow.”
Kaelen growled, “The fairies are going to help me get groomed and looking as handsome as possible and then I’ll be meeting Esmé. Maybe Calista’s right and she’ll be okay with it.”
The other boys looked at each other. None of them thought for a minute that Kaelen’s princess would take his transformation well. In fact, they were sure that it was going to be the greatest disaster they’d ever had with the princesses.
When the princesses arrived Saturday morning, Kaelen was waiting for his princess along with everyone else. He saw Calista stop and explain something to Melantha. He could see her frown and turn to relay a message to her girls. As the girls began entering, some screamed in fright at the sight of Kaelen. Others gasped, but held their composure as they walked to their princes. When Esmé entered the castle she screamed before collapsing in a dead faint. Melantha and Calista rushed to help her back to her feet. Kaelen walked nearer to her. Her eyes fluttered open. “What happened?”
“You swooned, dear,” Melantha said. “Esmé, we need you to be strong. Kaelen is slightly altered from the last time you saw him.”
Slightly? Kaelen thought. That’s certainly a matter of opinion. Aloud he said, “Esmé?”
Esmé turned to Kaelen, her green eyes widening in fright and then narrowing in fury. “What did you do?”
Kaelen began stammering. “What he did is unimportant,” Calista interrupted him. “The important thing is that together you must overcome this obstacle. He is going to need you, Esmé.”
“That hideous beast?” Esmé cried. “Absolutely not! That’s not Kaelen. You tell me what you’ve done with Kaelen, you monster!”
“Esmé, I am Kaelen,” he said. His voice was a low growl, harsh and wild sounding.
“You did this on purpose didn’t you?” Esmé shouted. “Did you want me to be a laughingstock? Look at yourself, you’re not a boy and you’re certainly not a man; you’re a monster. You did this to humiliate me. Well, it’s the last straw, Kaelen. I’ve never been so insulted in all my life.” She sniffed as though crying, though Kaelen could see that her emerald eyes were dry.
“Esmé, I didn’t do this on purpose. I never meant for this to happen. I need you to stand by me, you’re my princess,” he pleaded.
“I?” she asked, her voice biting and superior. “No, Kaelen, I am not your princess. Nor will I ever be.”
“Esmé,” Melantha interrupted, “don’t you understand? Together you must solve this if Kaelen is to return to himself. If you refuse to help him, you doom him to a terrible fate.”
“Not only that, but you doom yourself to a life of solitude,” Calista added.
A cold laugh escaped Esmé’s lips. “You think I need Kaelen? My mother has already said that she could find a more suitable match than you were able to procure. I hardly need any of you. Who would refuse me? I’m beautiful, I’m rich, and I’m the only child of a very influential man. Enjoy your life as a monster, Kaelen. We will never be.” She turned on her heel and walked out of the castle.
Hushed whispers filled the hall and Kaelen felt heartbroken and humiliated. She couldn’t even have waited for the hall to clear before shredding him like an old piece of paper. He ran up the stairs to his room as Calista turned to Melantha. “What do we do now?” she asked.
Melantha frowned. “Perhaps with time, she’ll come to understand. She will be punished for her behavior of course, but perhaps,” she sighed. “Perhaps Esmé will see her role in all this.”
Gelasia followed Kaelen to his room after telling Calista her intentions. When she knocked on the door, she heard him growl, “Go away.” Nonchalantly, she opened the door. “I told you to go awa…Oh, Gelasia,” Kaelen said in a softer tone when he turned and saw that she was standing in the doorway, a sweet smile on her face.
“I must have misheard you, dear,” she said. “I thought you’d welcomed me in.”
He sighed, “I’m glad you’ll cover for me when I’m being a brute.”
“Growing up is a painful process, dear. I came to see that you were alright.”
“Do I look alright?” he snarled. “Esmé’s right, I’m a monster.”
“That spoiled brat is certainly not right about you.” Kaelen was surprised at the unladylike tone in her voice. “Kaelen, you mustn’t believe the things that will be said about you. The next years are going to be the hardest you have ever faced. But, if you can face them as the strong prince I know that you are, then the rewards will far outweigh the sorrows. You must be strong.”
Tears pricked his eyes. “How? Look at me. Who would fall in love with me now?”
“Well,” she said with teasing wink, “if I were four thousand years younger…”
“Gelasia!” he gasp
ed with a laugh.
“Alright, so I’m out of the question,” she said, sharing in Kaelen’s laughter. “But you must remember, there is more to a person than physical appearance. You may look like a beast, but you are so much more than that. For the remainder of school, we will work hard to bring forward those best parts of your personality, but it won’t be easy Kaelen. This is going to be difficult. Humans are so easily led by their eyes; they often forget to follow their hearts. But don’t fret, you’re not beyond hope.”
“What if Esmé never comes around? What if she refuses to love me?”
“There’s more than one way to interpret any enchantment, my dear,” she replied. “I will help you in any and every way that I possibly can. But, I can’t help you if you don’t know within yourself that things will work out.”
“I won’t give up.”
“That’s the spirit.” They chatted for a long while until Gelasia commented, “Now, would you be a dear and escort me to lunch? I believe we’re both missing it.”
Kaelen stood and bowed before offering Gelasia his arm. “It would be my pleasure, my lady.”
They walked down the stairs and outside to the picnic lunch that was being held on the grounds. Kaelen started to lead Gelasia to the staff table and then hesitated. “Since my princess is unavailable, I’d be pleased if you’d join my friends and me.”
She smiled, “I’d be happy to, dear.”
Leading her to the table, he held her chair as she took her seat. The others stared