and lords, who practiced discretion before the commonpeople, the black knight brandished his sword threateningly. “Make way for the king! Make way or I’ll have your head!”
Soon the stately carriage was rolling right in front of Nell. She saw the queen smile and wave to the crowd, but the king sat motionless beside her, eyes closed. A fine horse prancing just behind the coach carried a boy only a year older than Nell. He wore a jacket of deepest red, with ten buttons running up the front, and three interlocking gold circles embroidered on his shoulder. A small, handsome sword bounced at his hip. Nell gasped. It was Ryan, her friend from the tower!
Though no one was allowed on the street during the procession, Nell just had to see him again – to tell him he was wrong about the witch. Without stopping to think, she bolted into the middle of the grand parade. A horse reared to avoid trampling her, throwing the lord riding it onto the cobbles. People roared and hooves clattered all about. Nell dodged another horse in the confusion, and rolled between someone’s legs. A soldier almost caught her by her collar, but she ducked quickly beneath the king’s carriage, landing in a puddle of mud. What am I doing?
As the carriage clattered past, a guardsman scooped her out of the muck. “You filthy scamp, a bath in the bay will teach you to run out before the king!” The king and queen rode on, but the many horses and soldiers following behind got clumped together, coming to an angry stop because of Nell. The guard locked her under his arm, and then stalked toward the edge of the pier to toss Nell into the water.
“Ryan! I need to see Prince Ryan! Ryan! It’s me!” she called, waving furiously to the prince. The jeers of the crowd thundered in her ears.
Ryan turned just in time to see the guard readying to fling Nell into the filthy bay. “Stop!” he shouted, and then cantered his horse over to the soldier. Motioning, he bade the soldier set Nell back onher feet. “You’re the girl from the tower. What are you doing out on the road?”
Nell was out of breath from fear and excitement – all her thoughts rushed out at once. “I met the Witch of the Weald! Do you still have the bracelet? Can you talk to cats too?”
The young prince beamed, holding up his wrist to show the handsome silver bracelet. “Yes, and, er, no. What’s that about cats?” he asked, a little confused.
Nell was suddenly aware that she was covered head to toe in mud. She tried to smooth her hair with a grubby hand. “The bracelet, I think it’s magic – it’s from Lady Zel.”
“Really? Mother said that the sorceress wanted to give me a present on my birthday. The castle guards wouldn’t let her see me though. Maybe she meant for me to have it all along…”
“I think she did!” Nell laughed, quickly covering her crooked smile with a dirty hand.
The soldier cleared his throat. “You’re holding up the parade – er, your Highness,” he added hastily.
“Tomorrow my father is expected to ride into the weald, Mother says he loves to hunt. I will be going with him,” Prince Ryan told Nell. “Perhaps you will join me? You can show me to the witch’s tower so I may ask her about the bracelet myself.” He looked behind him at the jumbled throng of soldiers. “Until tomorrow then.”
The prince gave her a quick smile, and kicked his mount forward. None-too-gently the soldier shoved Nell back toward the crowd, muttering, “Don’t you ever…”
Shocked that she knew the young prince, Nell’s parents forgot to be upset at her for interrupting the procession. Only Lexi scowled. “Everything always goes right for you,” she sneered. “Anybody else would have been trampled on sight.” Nell merely stuck her tongue out at Lexi, safe behind her father.
It was the cry of a hog wild for its meal that jarred Nell awake that night. She wasn’t sure if she had dreamed the eager squealing or if it was real. Whatever the case,
Soon the stately carriage was rolling right in front of Nell. She saw the queen smile and wave to the crowd, but the king sat motionless beside her, eyes closed. A fine horse prancing just behind the coach carried a boy only a year older than Nell. He wore a jacket of deepest red, with ten buttons running up the front, and three interlocking gold circles embroidered on his shoulder. A small, handsome sword bounced at his hip. Nell gasped. It was Ryan, her friend from the tower!
Though no one was allowed on the street during the procession, Nell just had to see him again – to tell him he was wrong about the witch. Without stopping to think, she bolted into the middle of the grand parade. A horse reared to avoid trampling her, throwing the lord riding it onto the cobbles. People roared and hooves clattered all about. Nell dodged another horse in the confusion, and rolled between someone’s legs. A soldier almost caught her by her collar, but she ducked quickly beneath the king’s carriage, landing in a puddle of mud. What am I doing?
As the carriage clattered past, a guardsman scooped her out of the muck. “You filthy scamp, a bath in the bay will teach you to run out before the king!” The king and queen rode on, but the many horses and soldiers following behind got clumped together, coming to an angry stop because of Nell. The guard locked her under his arm, and then stalked toward the edge of the pier to toss Nell into the water.
“Ryan! I need to see Prince Ryan! Ryan! It’s me!” she called, waving furiously to the prince. The jeers of the crowd thundered in her ears.
Ryan turned just in time to see the guard readying to fling Nell into the filthy bay. “Stop!” he shouted, and then cantered his horse over to the soldier. Motioning, he bade the soldier set Nell back onher feet. “You’re the girl from the tower. What are you doing out on the road?”
Nell was out of breath from fear and excitement – all her thoughts rushed out at once. “I met the Witch of the Weald! Do you still have the bracelet? Can you talk to cats too?”
The young prince beamed, holding up his wrist to show the handsome silver bracelet. “Yes, and, er, no. What’s that about cats?” he asked, a little confused.
Nell was suddenly aware that she was covered head to toe in mud. She tried to smooth her hair with a grubby hand. “The bracelet, I think it’s magic – it’s from Lady Zel.”
“Really? Mother said that the sorceress wanted to give me a present on my birthday. The castle guards wouldn’t let her see me though. Maybe she meant for me to have it all along…”
“I think she did!” Nell laughed, quickly covering her crooked smile with a dirty hand.
The soldier cleared his throat. “You’re holding up the parade – er, your Highness,” he added hastily.
“Tomorrow my father is expected to ride into the weald, Mother says he loves to hunt. I will be going with him,” Prince Ryan told Nell. “Perhaps you will join me? You can show me to the witch’s tower so I may ask her about the bracelet myself.” He looked behind him at the jumbled throng of soldiers. “Until tomorrow then.”
The prince gave her a quick smile, and kicked his mount forward. None-too-gently the soldier shoved Nell back toward the crowd, muttering, “Don’t you ever…”
Shocked that she knew the young prince, Nell’s parents forgot to be upset at her for interrupting the procession. Only Lexi scowled. “Everything always goes right for you,” she sneered. “Anybody else would have been trampled on sight.” Nell merely stuck her tongue out at Lexi, safe behind her father.
It was the cry of a hog wild for its meal that jarred Nell awake that night. She wasn’t sure if she had dreamed the eager squealing or if it was real. Whatever the case,
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