The Magykal Papers (18 page)

THE SLIGHTLY NERVOUS

Chapter Sixteen:
T
HE
L
ESS
A
WFUL
D
AUGHTER

• Name: Queen Esmeralda
  
• Age when succeeded to Throne: Eleven, but her brother was Regent until she was well enough to start ruling when she was twenty.
  
• Length of reign: Thirteen years.
  
• Known for: Having bad headaches and wearing a very large crown. N.B. Are these two facts related?
  

SUNDAY

Said good-bye to Milo—I mean my father. I still can’t get used to thinking of him as my father. Felt really annoyed with him. He just shows up with a lot of stuff for the Palace and then he goes straight off again on another trip. This time he brought a pair of gold dragons, which Dad says look cheap. He gave me a compass and said maybe one day I would go on one of his voyages with him and then it would be useful. But I am never going in one of his ships. Why should I? Felt really angry after he left and threw it across the room. Took Domino out, but it rained.

MONDAY

Mum is really worried about this Sickenesse that is sweeping through the Castle. No one—not even Marcia—can find a cure. Last week they opened up the Infirmary just outside the Castle in case the Sickenesse is contagious, and Mum is going over there a lot. Dad is thumping around in the attic.

TUESDAY

Mum spent the night at the Infirmary and did not come home until this morning. Mum is tired and grumpy. Even Sep is being a bit weird at the moment. He told me he’s been reading about some old Alchemist and he thinks he knew how to cure the Sickenesse. But what use is it anyway—the Alchemist was alive
centuries
ago.

WEDNESDAY

Had an argument with Mum at supper. Mum said she does not want me leaving the Palace in case I catch the Sickenesse. Said I
have
to visit the Dragon Boat every day. Mum said I didn’t. Am going to read for a bit.

LATER

I can’t sleep. It is one o’clock in the morning. It has been a foul evening. I was reading in my bedroom and I had a visit from a horrible ghost—
Queen Etheldredda the Awful
. I am not usually scared of ghosts, but I was scared of her.

Decided to sleep in Mum's sitting room as the thought of that ghost coming back gave me the creeps. Fell asleep on the sofa (after taking off all the junk) and was woken up by Sep! Suddenly he was in the room, soaking wet, white and spluttering like he was half-drowned. And even worse, that Awful Etheldredda was there, saying that she had saved him—I don’t think so.

And then, when I went to get Sep a dry tunic, Etheldredda ambushed me outside the door. It was horrible. She said that if I didn’t do what she asked she would
“Reverse
my
ReClaime,
Granddaughter, and your darling
adoptive
brother will drown at midnight tomorrow.”

I don’t know what to do. I want to ask Mum, but she is at the Infirmary. Sep has told me all about
ReClaimes
—when you save people at the very moment they are about to die from some kind of accident. I am pretty sure he said they can be
Reversed.

I just don’t know what to do. Can’t sleep.

Things I Will Do in the Palace

When I Am Queen

BY
J
ENNA
H
EAP

I WILL:

Have a candle burning at every window.

Ask lots of people to live there.

Open up the Throne Room and make it feel nice again.

Have a system of bells so that everyone can call one another.

Get more stuff in the Long Walk—lots of tapestries would be good.

Keep candles burning day and night down the Long Walk.

Have big parties in the Ballroom.

Open the summer house.

Never eat ducklings.

Find my mother’s ghost.

DELIVERED FROM THE WIZARD TOWER BY MESSENGER

Received at Palace 10:00
A.M
.

From: Septimus Heap

Dear Jen,

Thank you for cutting Spit Fyre’s toenails—or claws, I suppose they are now. He likes it when you do that! Hope you have a nice day and the tutor does not do too much silly Princess stuff today. I have a few hours off this afternoon and will call in on you-know-who. He might just remember something.

Love to Mum and Dad.

Love, Septimus xxxx

Marcellus didn’t remember
ANYTHING
. Sep says they went all the way to the top of the house and then Marcellus forgot why.

Some Palace Ghosts That I Have Seen

BY
J
ENNA
H
EAP, PRINCESS

ALTHER MELLA

Alther is not really a Palace ghost, but he is my top ghost of all time so he has to come first. I have known Alther since I was tiny. He is like a ghost-grandfather to me.

SIR HEREWARD

My second favorite ghost after Alther. He guards my room. He has only one arm and tells the same joke over and over again, but he is lovely and would do anything to protect me.

GHDRHN THE GREAT

She is an Ancient—an ExtraOrdinary Wizard ghost who lives at the Palace Gate. I don’t know why. I suppose she likes it there. She is from the Lands of the Long Nights and is really nice but very faded. In the sunshine you can’t see her at all.

GODRIC

He used to guard the Palace door, but now he sleeps in the big armchair in the hall. Sometimes he snores.