front of a long mirror. She carefully examined herself and then said, "This is really not up to my standards. I feel like I'm dressed for Halloween."
Davina suddenly jumped in front of her and struck a pose. "Well, I feel like I was born to wear this type of clothing," she boasted, looking into the mirror at Kristina's refection behind hers. "And, what about you?" she asked.
"What about me?" Kristina said.
"What do you think of these fabulous outfits?" Davina said in a dramatic voice.
"I think they're okay," Kristina said, but she, like Hester, felt awkward in them.
Another knock came at the door. "You may enter," Davina said, while bowing to her reflection in the mirror.
It was Elzwur again. He opened the door slightly and peered through the crack between the door and the wall. "I am waiting to take you to the kitchen," he said impatiently.
The girls quickly hurried out of the room, and followed Elzwur. Davina kept in her distinguished character, holding her nose up high and sauntering with long strides.
A gnome house maid passed by them carrying a large vase filled with flowers, and zooming in and out of the flowers were two female fairies, one with light blonde hair, and the other with tawny brown hair. They were busy arranging the flowers when the blonde fairy took notice of Kristina. She pulled at the other fairy's arm, and then the two of them flew over to Kristina.
"Aren't you the girl in the paintings on the ceiling in the lower corridor of the palace?" the blonde fairy asked Kristina excitedly.
"Yes—at least, I think so," Kristina answered.
"Oh, brother," Davina said under her breath.
The blonde fairy touched Kristina's hair and face. "I am truly honored to finally meet you, Kristina," she said.
"Thank you," Kristina said. "It's really nice to meet you as well."
With a squeamish look on his face, Elzwur stood impatiently waiting. "Would you please come along now?" he finally said. "We certainly don't have time for your dilly-dallying."
The girls continued following Elzwur, and after quite a walk through a long hallway, they finally made it to a set of large white doors. Elzwur pushed through them, and as soon as the girls stepped foot in the next room, their nostrils instantly filled with the fragrant scent of cinnamon. They were in the palace kitchen, and in its center was a long table crafted out of a single slab of wood. It was set with three plates, and on top of each plate, sitting in an egg cup, was a boiled egg. Beside each plate was a cup of steaming hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. A twisted candied orange slice sat neatly on top of the whipped cream.
The girls could hear someone humming a strange tune, and then at the back end of the kitchen, someone suddenly pushed through a set of wooden swinging doors. It was a fat, elderly, gnome woman, carrying a tray with a large stack of pancakes, tilting to the right, on top of it. She set the tray down on the table, and then looked up at Kristina. Bewildered, her mouth dropped open. "I thought I'd be struck by lightning before I'd see the likes of my dear chosen one again," she said astonished. She quickly made her way around the table to Kristina and embraced her tightly. Then with faded blue eyes and an almost toothless grin, she looked up at Kristina's face. "That Werrien, the little sneak—he told me that I'd be serving breakfast to a friend of his that would be traveling with him to Tezerel, but I would have never guessed it would be you."
"Leacha! It's so good to see you," Kristina said joyfully. She took Leacha's wrinkled old hands in hers. "Though I'm surprised to see that they've put you to work here."
"What do you mean, child?" Leacha's eyes grew wide. "It was my own choice." Her gray chin hairs poked forward as her smile grew more pronounced. "Werrien wanted me to come and live at the palace and have me do nothing but take it easy, but I wouldn't have any of it. I told him that I would come, but only under
Davina suddenly jumped in front of her and struck a pose. "Well, I feel like I was born to wear this type of clothing," she boasted, looking into the mirror at Kristina's refection behind hers. "And, what about you?" she asked.
"What about me?" Kristina said.
"What do you think of these fabulous outfits?" Davina said in a dramatic voice.
"I think they're okay," Kristina said, but she, like Hester, felt awkward in them.
Another knock came at the door. "You may enter," Davina said, while bowing to her reflection in the mirror.
It was Elzwur again. He opened the door slightly and peered through the crack between the door and the wall. "I am waiting to take you to the kitchen," he said impatiently.
The girls quickly hurried out of the room, and followed Elzwur. Davina kept in her distinguished character, holding her nose up high and sauntering with long strides.
A gnome house maid passed by them carrying a large vase filled with flowers, and zooming in and out of the flowers were two female fairies, one with light blonde hair, and the other with tawny brown hair. They were busy arranging the flowers when the blonde fairy took notice of Kristina. She pulled at the other fairy's arm, and then the two of them flew over to Kristina.
"Aren't you the girl in the paintings on the ceiling in the lower corridor of the palace?" the blonde fairy asked Kristina excitedly.
"Yes—at least, I think so," Kristina answered.
"Oh, brother," Davina said under her breath.
The blonde fairy touched Kristina's hair and face. "I am truly honored to finally meet you, Kristina," she said.
"Thank you," Kristina said. "It's really nice to meet you as well."
With a squeamish look on his face, Elzwur stood impatiently waiting. "Would you please come along now?" he finally said. "We certainly don't have time for your dilly-dallying."
The girls continued following Elzwur, and after quite a walk through a long hallway, they finally made it to a set of large white doors. Elzwur pushed through them, and as soon as the girls stepped foot in the next room, their nostrils instantly filled with the fragrant scent of cinnamon. They were in the palace kitchen, and in its center was a long table crafted out of a single slab of wood. It was set with three plates, and on top of each plate, sitting in an egg cup, was a boiled egg. Beside each plate was a cup of steaming hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. A twisted candied orange slice sat neatly on top of the whipped cream.
The girls could hear someone humming a strange tune, and then at the back end of the kitchen, someone suddenly pushed through a set of wooden swinging doors. It was a fat, elderly, gnome woman, carrying a tray with a large stack of pancakes, tilting to the right, on top of it. She set the tray down on the table, and then looked up at Kristina. Bewildered, her mouth dropped open. "I thought I'd be struck by lightning before I'd see the likes of my dear chosen one again," she said astonished. She quickly made her way around the table to Kristina and embraced her tightly. Then with faded blue eyes and an almost toothless grin, she looked up at Kristina's face. "That Werrien, the little sneak—he told me that I'd be serving breakfast to a friend of his that would be traveling with him to Tezerel, but I would have never guessed it would be you."
"Leacha! It's so good to see you," Kristina said joyfully. She took Leacha's wrinkled old hands in hers. "Though I'm surprised to see that they've put you to work here."
"What do you mean, child?" Leacha's eyes grew wide. "It was my own choice." Her gray chin hairs poked forward as her smile grew more pronounced. "Werrien wanted me to come and live at the palace and have me do nothing but take it easy, but I wouldn't have any of it. I told him that I would come, but only under
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