Sara nodded. “Of course. They begged the fairy — and you know how hard it is for anyone to say no to your mother — but the fairy was firm. She said it was their destiny to rule kindly and justly for many years. Your destiny was different. She told them to take comfort in the fact that you were not dead. You would still have many years of life ahead of you. I think that helped ease their pain a bit, but they insisted on remaining nearby. With a wave of her wand, the fairy made a duplicate castle out in the fields, and your parents and all the staff moved there. That is, of course, the castle the Prince’s family now inhabits. I had a chance to visit it before the fairy agreed to allow me to stay by your side. Truly an exact replica in every way, except that you weren’t there. The fairy said she’d keep an eye on you over the years, to make sure no one entered before it was time. She did not say anything about coming back.”
“That figures,” I said, adding a deep sigh. “Fairies are notoriously vague.”
“So what should we do?” Sara asked.
“Everything we can to find her,” I said, determined to free us from these walls. No matter how comfortable and safe it was there, it was not freedom. I yearned to see the world outside the gates. How had the passage of a hundred years changed my beloved countryside? And the town itself? Was it thriving? Did anyone remember the good works my parents had done so long ago?
Sara followed me into the center of the Great Hall. I stood in the exact spot where the fairies had bestowed their gifts (and the curse) upon me a hundred and sixteen years earlier. We held hands. “Good fairy,” I chanted, eyes closed. “Young fairy who was so kind to look out for me, can you hear me now? We need your aid one last time.”
We strained to hear even a slight fluttering of fairy wings. Nothing.
“What if you gave a little display of your gifts?” Sara suggested. “Maybe that would bring her.”
“Good idea.” So this time instead of chanting to the fairy, I sang my request and added a little dance move. I wiggled my hips and spun in perfect circles. I tapped out a tune with the silverware on the table. Sara clapped, but the fairy did not show. Dejected, we sat on the lowest step of the stairs, chins resting on our hands.
“Smoke signals?” she suggested.
I shook my head. “We cannot get a big enough fire going.”
I noticed through the large windows that the sun had long ago set. “The Prince will be back soon,” I said, feeling a glimmer of hope enter me again. “We can ask him to send out word for us.”
“Excellent idea,” Sara said. “Why don’t we go wash up? I feel like I haven’t bathed in a hundred years!”
I laughed and followed her upstairs. Without being able to light a fire to heat the water, it was the coldest bath of my life. But I did feel refreshed. Sara helped me pick out a gown to wear for when the Prince returned — one that was not too flashy, but that complemented my eyes. I had never dressed for a young man before. After that, we went downstairs to the library to wait.
We waited and waited. I could feel my eyelids droop. How was it possible I was tired after sleeping a hundred years?
Sara yawned and curled up in her big chair. I could tell she was straining to keep her eyes open, too. “I am sure he’ll be here any minute,” she said.
I nodded. And that’s the last thing I remembered until the sun awoke me. I got up from my chair and went to the window. The dew shimmered on the tips of the flowers. The sky was still orange over the treetops.
The Prince had not come.
When I returned to my own castle, one of the young pages told me Father was waiting to see me in the library. I really wanted to go looking for Percival, but I did not want to ruffle any feathers with Father. When I arrived, he was going over some documents with one of his barons. He waved me over and told the baron they would resume their conversation later. The baron hurried out, head bowed.
“Sit down, son,” Father instructed. He snapped his fingers and a page brought me some cold water with a lemon on the side. I was usually only served lemon water when I was ill. I began to get nervous.
“We need to talk,” he continued.
“We do?” I asked. “Because I am in quite a hurry. I need to find Percival. Have you seen him?”
Father nodded. “That is what we need to speak of. Percival has left the castle and returned home.”
My heart leaped. One less problem to deal with!
“However,” Father said, “before he left, he delivered some very disturbing news to your mother and me.” Father paused for a deep breath, and then continued, “Percival told us you have been obsessed with an imaginary castle in the woods, and that you have become very unstable, believing you see things — something about a sleeping beauty and fairies. We are very concerned. I knew your behavior the last few years was odd, but I did not realize the depth of it.”
I had to grit my teeth to keep from screaming. Percival had devised the perfect plan to assure he would not be punished for striking me. “Excuse me, Father, I must go find Percival. You must not believe a word he says.” I tried to get up from my chair, but two castle guards appeared from nowhere and held me down.
“What’s going on?” I said, squirming under their grasp.
Father put up a hand and the men released me. “Your mother and I have decided it is in your own best interest to remain here in the castle for a while. You are obviously not well.”
I stared at him in shock. “You are keeping me a prisoner?”
Father looked pained. “Please do not think of it that way. All your comings and goings are very disruptive. The castle physician will help you get to the root of your problems.”
I could not believe this. “The root of my problems?” I shouted, unable to help myself. “How about the fact that I’m in love with a beautiful princess who I cannot marry because my mother might eat her! Is that a big enough problem for you?”
“Don’t say that about your mother!” Father exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “She hasn’t eaten anyone in years, and you know it.”
I felt chagrined. Perhaps I did not give Mother enough credit for fighting her ogre urges as well as she did. “I am sorry, Father.”
“Yes, well, let us worry now about this imaginary girlfriend of yours.”
I opened my mouth to argue that Rose was hardly imaginary, when I realized it would actually be better if he believed her to be, at least for a while longer. I shook my head. “I am tired, Father. May I be excused? I should like to take a nap.”
“Of course, of course,” Father said. “We will see you at supper. But first, go see your mother.”
She was in her sewing room, surrounded by her latest crop of ladies-in-waiting. Mother may have been the only queen in history to darn her own socks, but she said it relaxed her. And in my case, a relaxed ogre-mother was definitely the best kind.
“There you are, son,” Mother said, laying the darning needle across her lap. “I want you to meet Giselle.” One of the young women hurried to her feet and bowed low. This took some effort, considering she weighed about four hundred pounds. I smiled as graciously as I could, said, “It’s been lovely to meet you.” I gave a quick bow, and muttering what I hoped was a good excuse, rushed off to my room. The guards were never farther than ten paces behind.
I shut my door, thankful they seemed content to wait outside. I looked around the room helplessly. I stared at my wardrobe and realized it was the same as Rose’s. That gave me some comfort. Then the most horrible realization hit me: How was I going to get back to her while under constant guard?
I hurried down to supper although I was not the least bit hungry. Mother had not arrived yet, but Father greeted me with a warm smile. His smile faded when he saw the traveling cloak in my arms. “Father, please, I must go back to the woods. I have an errand to complete. I promise I shall not be long. I’ll be back before —”
Father did not even let me finish. “Absolutely not. You will sit down and have a relaxing dinner with your parents, and we can talk
about your need to imagine a fantasy life when you shall inherit a whole kingdom someday.”
“But I promise I —”
He held up his hand without looking at me and growled, “Do not speak of this again.”
My usually mild-mannered father was clearly not going to budge. I couldn’t handle this on my own. Instead of joining him at the table, I ran back upstairs and rummaged through my desk until I found parchment and a quill. It would be dark soon and Rose was expecting me. I needed to get this out fast. I scribbled a letter to Jonathan at his knights’ quarters. Even though it was late at night now, one of the couriers agreed to deliver it.
Hurry, Jonathan, I prayed. I paced so hard, the rug in my bedchambers was thinning beneath my boots. I watched the stars come out through the window and wiped beads of sweat from my brow, even though it was a cool night. What must Rose be thinking of my absence? Thank goodness she was not alone. I pulled a high-backed chair to the window and stared into the woods as the hours ticked by. How had I believed Jonathan could possibly reach me before morn? Of course he could not.
I watched the sun come up over the treetops and felt utterly miserable. Some heroic prince I turned out to be.
Sara laid her hand on my shoulder as I stared into the garden. “He will come,” she said firmly. “I assure you. No man looks at a woman the way he looked at you and does not return.”
I sighed. “Perhaps he was a figment of our imagination. The fairy could have given us one last dream to prepare us for awakening.”
Sara didn’t answer right away. Then she said, “Definitely not. Remember your cooking, ah, limitations? Neither of us could have prepared yesterday’s salmon and rice stew!”
I brightened. She was right, of course. He HAD to be real. But then where was he? “Do you think something happened to him? Perhaps the invisible wall is keeping him out.”
“It did not do so before,” Sara observed. “Come, let us begin our day. I am sure he will show up. He seemed the type to keep his word.”
I let her steer me out of the library and into the kitchen. Making our own meals was certainly getting old quickly. What I truly wanted to do was hide in the corner of the wine cellar like I did when I was younger, closing out the world. But I was nearly a woman now. It was time to outgrow such things. I accepted the piece of peach pie Sara found in the back of the pantry, but I could not enjoy its sweetness.
By noon the courier had still not returned. Perhaps he had not even located Jonathan. As a knight, he could be off somewhere distant on a quest. I had no way of knowing. A tray of breakfast food had been delivered to my chambers earlier, but all I could choke down was one sausage. The porridge now sat in the corner, congealing.
I stared out onto the lawn. The falconer was there, working with his birds. Every few moments one of them flew dangerously close to my window but turned before smacking into the thick glass. I feared I might go mad if I sat there any longer, so I decided to join the falconer on the lawn. The guards were surprised by my sudden appearance in the hall and scrambled to their feet. I did not give them a backward glance. Fortunately they dared not stride too close to the birds so I was given a wide berth. The birds were used to my presence, but to a stranger they could be deadly.
“What troubles you, Prince?” the falconer asked, not turning around.
“How do you know I am troubled?”
He cocked his head toward the birds, circling a few yards above us. “The birds can always tell. They have sensed your distress. In addition, I do not recall seeing the castle guards posted to your care since you were a babe.”
I sighed. “You would not believe it if I told you.”
“Try me,” he replied, holding out his arm. A falcon landed neatly on the thick leather strap and accepted a small piece of fresh meat before flying off.
Before I could stop myself, the whole story came pouring out. Princess Rose and the invisible barrier, Percival and his lies. The castle guards. When I was finished, the falconer watched the birds circle for another moment, then said, “You shall have to move quickly.”
“I know,” I replied. “Every hour seems like a year to me.”
He shook his head. “It is more than that. Your father has asked me to prepare the birds. He is planning a hunt for tomorrow.”
I gasped. “He shall find the castle!”
“You will have to reach Rose before that happens.”
“What can we do? I can run swiftly, but I cannot outrun the guards. They would surely pursue me.”
“I shall help you,” the falconer said. He walked a few paces farther from the castle, keeping his eyes focused on the air so the guards would think he was just following the patterns of the birds. I followed. “The way I see it,” he said softly, “you must get word to the princess of your situation. I can send my swiftest peregrine with a note. Then tonight, under the cover of darkness, I shall cause a distraction — perhaps I visit the aviary and some falcons are missing. Your father will call for an immediate investigation, and your guards, believing you to be sleeping in your bed, shall be called to help. You will then flee into the woods and return to your princess. Even if you have not figured out how to grant her total freedom, at least you will be together when the hunting party arrives at her door.”
“I do not know how to thank you,” I said humbly.
For the first time, the falconer met my eyes. “I have known you since you were a babe and watched you grow. Your life has not been easy. You deserve your happiness now. I shall prepare the note, telling the princess you will be there before midnight.”
I grasped him on the shoulder in thanks. For the rest of the day I was a dutiful son. I helped Mother organize a charity dinner. I sat in with Father as he met with the bailiff about something to do with taxes, a sick goat, and a barrel of ale. I couldn’t focus enough on their conversation to figure out what those three things had to do with one another. I was too busy planning my escape.
At supper, Father spoke of his plans for the hunt. Mother said she’d like to come along and Father said that would be fine. I began choking on my pheasant. The steward brought me some water. I gulped it down as I quickly calculated the date. We were still four days away from the second Thursday of the month. We were just about to begin the apple cobbler when the porter came in and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me, Your Highnesses, but the Prince has a visitor.”
I jumped up from my chair. Could Rose have broken through the barrier? If so, I needed to hide her from Mother! Or maybe the visitor was Jonathan!
“Show him in,” Father said, obviously pleased with the thought I might have a friend.
The porter shook his head. “The visitor told me he should like to see the Prince in private. He says it is a matter of state business.”
Father looked confused.
The porter continued, “Something about the work the Prince is doing in the village, in Rose Square? Helping the townspeople?”
My heart thumped in my chest. Rose Square! Whoever this visitor was, he or she knew something about Rose! “Oh, yes,” I said hurriedly. “I know what this is about. I’ve been helping to plant some new rutabagas and turnips in Rose Square. I shan’t be long.”
Mother wore a pleased little smile. “You go on, son. What a lovely way to help the less fortunate.”
I nodded and followed the porter from the room. Mother gestured for the guards to stay behind, which was kind. The porter led me to the library. A very short man in a black cape was facing away from me. He waited until the porter left us to turn around and lift his head. I almost fell over backward, quickly steadying myself on the arm of a chair, amazed by the disguise.
“You must be … you’re …” I stuttered, not being able to form the right words.
The creature nodded and curtsied slightly. “I am the fairy who has looked after Princess Rose for lo these many years. I looked after you, too, although you did not realize it.”
When I could catch my breath I said, “You did an excellen
t job of keeping Rose safe, and I thank you deeply for allowing me to be the one to awaken her. But why can she not leave the grounds of her castle?”
“Oh, but she can,” the fairy said with a shrug. “Just as soon as you let her.”
I almost fell backward again. “Me? Whatever do you mean? What could it possibly have to do with me?”
The fairy sighed, shaking her head. “Men. Do you understand nothing? I shall tell you this much:
Until both worlds unite
in welcome harmony,
past and present as one
shall not grow to be.”
And with those cryptic words, her features began to shimmer and I had to squint to see her. Then she was gone. Just gone. Cape and all. I stared at the space she had previously occupied.
“Fairy!” I whispered loudly. “Please come back. What does that mean?”
I caught a faint shimmer near Rose’s painting on the wall, but it quickly disappeared. The fairy was not coming back. Thankfully I would see Rose soon. I hoped she had better luck with the fairy than I.
“What is that?” Sara asked, pointing above our heads. I laid down my paintbrush and looked up from my easel. It had been Sara’s idea to take out my old art supplies, and we had spent a peaceful hour in the garden, painting. The missing prince was never far from my mind, though. I had to put up my hand to shield my eyes from the sun. A dark shadow passed back and forth, circling overhead. It gradually got lower until I could clearly see it was a large falcon. I had not thought to check the aviary when Sara and I toured the castle yesterday. Had some of the birds possibly survived? But no, this one did not have our family’s colors on its talon.
“Should we go inside?” Sara suggested, backing away. “Those birds can be very dangerous.”
I shook my head. The bird was gliding to a halt on top of one of Mama’s prized blueberry bushes. It shook its leg. “I think it’s hurt,” I said, stepping toward it.