him treated so shamefully.”
“You know this creature?” the innkeeper asked, disgust in his voice.
“That ‘creature’ is a prince and you will treat him as such,” Lysander replied. There was an icy fire in his eyes. “If you have a problem housing Kaelen, we will take our business elsewhere.”
“I don’t allow animals in my inn,” the innkeeper said stubbornly, though he had backed away from Lysander.
“Then we have no further business here,” he retorted. He took Alexandra by the hand and walked out the door, motioning for Allegra, Lucian and Kaelen to follow him.
As they walked out, Lavinia too approached the innkeeper, “We won’t need your rooms after all.” She then left as well, taking her family with her.
It took the families a couple of tries before they were finally welcomed into The Dancing Fairies. The elderly woman running the inn showed them to a few comfortable rooms. “I don’t get very many customers,” she said, her voice cheerful and pleasant, “so you’ve got pretty much the whole inn to choose from. Not that there’s much, but I’m sure you’ll be quite comfortable in any of the rooms. And for you, sir, I think you’ll like this room,” she said to Kaelen. “It’s very roomy and quite comfortable.” She opened the door leading to a large, spacious room, cheerfully decorated with fresh flowers in a vase on the bedside table and homemade quilts and bedding.
“This will be great,” Kaelen replied, trying to stifle a yawn. The group had already spent much of the day traveling and trying to find an inn that would accommodate Kaelen had been exhausting.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” the old woman replied, patting Kaelen’s arm. “And now I’ll let you get some rest. You all look exhausted. Oh my dear, would you like a vase for your rose?” she asked Moira. “I have many in my cupboards and would be glad to let you borrow one.”
“Yes, thank you,” Moira replied. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it,” the woman replied with a smile. “I’ll be back up in a few minutes with that vase. For now, get yourselves settled and get some sleep.” She then turned and walked down the stairs, leaning heavily on the banister for support.
“A woman her age shouldn’t have to work so hard to earn her bread,” Alexandra said sadly. “So kind and generous. We should do something for her, Lysander.”
Early the next morning, the families left to go to the wedding. Before they left, Nana restocked the woman’s kitchen and Lysander left far more money than what was owed. Lavinia also left a generous amount and the girls had quietly cleaned all the rooms they had used.
When they arrived at the castle in Rendorlin, there were doormen waiting to take their invitations. Another servant announced their arrival and they were led to their seats inside a grand hall, decorated with fragrant, yellow roses and white, summer daisies. Garlands of greenery were draped about, mixed with flowing cuts of sheer fabric and ribbons in yellow and green. Kieffer was standing at the end of the hall with George standing next to him, straight and tall with a bright smile on his face.
They rose from their seats as the fairy king and queen walked down the aisle. Soon, Samantha was walking down the aisle, one hand on her father’s arm while the other held a bouquet of roses and daisies. Her dress was a pale, summery yellow and there were green and yellow ribbons tied with roses and daisies intertwined through her tumbling bronze curls. She was a picture of loveliness and joy. As she reached the front, they saw Kieffer smile warmly. Though her back was to them and he couldn’t see her response, Lucian knew she was smiling in return.
The friends didn’t talk while watching the ceremony. When Kieffer kissed his bride a cheer went up. They walked together out of the castle and onto the lawn where a large banquet had been arranged. Kieffer and Samantha were seated and then everyone was invited to find their seat. George was sitting with his family, but the others were able to sit together. Lucian wasn’t sure whether to blame George for the seating arrangements or Samantha. Each prince was seated next to his princess, except Kaelen who was seated instead next to Nana. Lucian was worried that this would mean another meal in awkward silence; but Moira surprised him. “They really look happy together don’t they?”
Lucian glanced over at them. He could see the couple giggling and blushing. He was sure neither was aware of the conversations around them. “Yeah, they do,” he replied.
“Do the fairy king and queen always preside at weddings?” Allegra interrupted, saving Lucian from trying to cover himself.
“Only graduate weddings,” Alexandra replied, “Any couple who both graduated from the academies is married by the fairy king.”
“So who married you and Dad?” Lucian asked.
“Phillipa Rosepetal,” Lysander recalled. “She got special permission.”
Soon it was nearly time to leave. George broke away from his family long enough to say hi to everyone before they left. Samantha and Kieffer thanked them for coming. “I wish you could stay for the rest of the activities,” Samantha said. “Have a safe trip.”
After everyone had said their goodbyes, the two families headed to their own provinces. Lucian listened to Allegra babble the whole length of the trip of what her wedding would be like. He tried to point out that Adrian may not agree with everything. “Don’t be silly,” Allegra retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Boys never care about the details of the wedding so long as there is in fact a wedding. Isn’t that right Daddy?”
Lysander, who had long since stopped listening, mumbled, “Of course, Allegra.”
“See?” she said triumphantly.
Lucian was about to argue that his answer didn’t count because he didn’t even know what they were talking about, but caught his mother’s eye. There was an amused twinkle and she just barely shook her head. Of course Mother is right, Lucian thought. It’s not worth the argument.
Year 4 Chapter 2
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With school starting again, the boys were busy with homework. They often brought their homework under their favorite maple tree while the weather remained warm and pleasant. During these times, Lucian would contemplate going over to the witches’ hovel and asking to speak to Althea. He remembered in class last year talking about the gifts the witches had and that hers was understanding animals. Over the past month, Rusty had refused to sleep in his own bed every night, curling up on Lucian’s feet and refusing to budge; even if Lucian’s tone became frustrated. Finally one afternoon, Lucian decided it was worth the trip.
“Where are you going?” Jacobi asked.
“I’m going to go talk to Althea about Rusty,” Lucian replied.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” George asked. “Nobody ever goes to the hovel willingly.”
“Oh come on, guys, I go there every week for my healing class,” he said.
“But you’re not going to class,” Adrian pointed out. “You’re just going to go.”
“It’s not like I’m in trouble. I just have a question.”
“Couldn’t you ask Diana?” Kaelen asked.
Lucian sighed, “I’ve already tried. I talked to her last week and there hasn’t been any change. If anything, Rusty’s gotten worse. Althea is my only other option.” Without another word he walked confidently over to the hovel and knocked on the door. He heard a faint, “Come in.”
He opened the door and walked inside. From its gloomy outward appearance, he had expected similar on the inside. However he was surprised to see comfortable rocking chairs and a crackling fire in a well-kept fireplace. A large cauldron was bubbling and frothing, yet he didn’t feel nervous or apprehensive. The room was as inviting and comforting as being in his living room at home. It even had a slightly homey smell, although the herbs were a little more overpowering than the soft potpourri his mother made.
“Prince Lucian,” Althea said, “this is a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the honor of a visit?” She was sitting close to the fire, Horus purring on her lap.
“
I came because I was hoping that you could help me with Rusty,” Lucian said.
“I see. What seems to be the problem?”
“He won’t sleep in his own bed. I’ve done everything I can think of. I’ve moved him closer to my bed, given him extra blankets, everything. I don’t understand why his behavior has changed.”
She looked thoughtful. “Is anything else different about him?”
“He’s reluctant to leave me at all, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he’s not there,” he said.
“Bring him here tomorrow evening,” she requested. “I’ll have a chat with him and see if I can figure out what’s bothering him.”
“You can do that?”
Althea laughed; a strangely pleasant cackle. “My dear, I am a witch. I can do a great many things that are, shall we say, unconventional.” She smiled as he blushed. “Bring Rusty tomorrow and we’ll work out this puzzle. How are your classes going?”
The change in subject surprised Lucian, but he continued chatting with her for a short while before saying, “I should probably get back. Thanks for helping me.”
“Anytime, dear,” she said and turned backed towards the fire.
As Lucian walked out of the hovel, George asked, “Well, what happened?”
“What do you mean what happened?” he asked as they walked toward the castle for supper. “I just talked with her. It’s not like they punish people for talking to them.”
There was a