The Wide-Awake Princess (24 page)

“But what if my family doesn’t wake up?”

“Am I right in assuming that anyone who isn’t touching you will fall asleep?” said Liam. When Annie nodded, he continued, saying, “Then we leave Clarence to sleep along with everyone else in the castle, and keep looking
until we find Gwendolyn’s true love. Don’t worry, if this doesn’t work, we’re not giving up.”

“Thank you!” Annie said, her words so heartfelt that tears made her eyes glisten.

“Don’t thank me yet,” said Liam. “We have a lot to do tomorrow and no guarantee that any of it will come out right.”

Suddenly there was crashing in the forest and two figures emerged from behind a tree. Liam leaped to his feet and reached for his crossbow, but Annie just leaned forward for a better look. “Is that you, Beldegard?” she called. “What are you doing with Clarence?”

The bear prince lumbered closer, dragging Clarence by the collar. When he reached the light of the campfire, Beldegard pinned the prince to the ground with one massive paw and spit out the collar with a loud
ptew!
“I found this dreg of humanity lurking behind a tree, listening in on your conversation. Do you want me to eat him for you, or what?”

“Get your paws off me, you flea-bitten bear rug! I’m Prince Clarence of Dorinocco and I have every right to be here. I’m traveling with my brother and the princess.”

“But you didn’t have any right to listen in on a private conversation,” said Liam. “How long were you there?”

“Long enough to hear that you plan to leave me in the castle, asleep! Wait until Mother hears this!”

“And I thought my family has problems!” said
Beldegard. “I take it you wouldn’t want your mother to hear about that nap you have planned for sneaky boy here?”

“It would be better if she didn’t,” said Liam.

“Then I’ll see to it that he doesn’t go anywhere. I owe you one, Princess. I found those children you told me about and I took them to the widow’s cottage. That’s when I saw the woman I’d intended to marry kissing another man.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that!” said Annie.

“Yeah, and I was sorry to see it, but I’m glad I found out now instead of after the wedding. I wouldn’t want to marry someone who didn’t love me, now would I?”

“Why would a girl want to marry a bear?” asked Clarence.

The bear cuffed him across the head, making Clarence duck when the bear raised his paw again. “I’m an enchanted prince, you dunderhead!” roared Beldegard. “Didn’t you notice that I can talk?”

“Now that you mention it...”

“We’re on our way to Treecrest,” said Annie. “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

“We are inviting princes, after all,” said Liam.

“I might as well,” said the bear prince. “I lost track of that dwarf days ago and haven’t seen him since.” Raising his paw, he gestured to Annie and Liam. “You two go ahead and get some sleep. I don’t need much sleep this
time of year, so I’ll keep an eye on this fella... Hey you, come back here!”

Clarence had taken advantage of Beldegard’s raised paw to roll out of reach and stand up. In only three steps, the bear prince had knocked him down again. “I’d go to sleep, too, if I were you,” he growled into Clarence’s ear. “I said I wasn’t sleepy, but I never said I wasn’t hungry! Say good night to your brother and the princess.”

“Good night, everyone,” Clarence hurried to say.

“Excellent,” said Beldegard. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

FOR ALL THE TRAVELING Annie had done, she thought that the last few miles to Treecrest were the longest. Since Beldegard had taken on the job of watching over Clarence, Annie and Liam no longer had to keep track of him. The bear prince had to stay well back from Clarence, however, because even the smallest glimpse or the faintest whiff of his bearish scent terrified the horses. Clarence had tried to get away only once. Although Annie hadn’t seen what happened, she heard Beldegard roar, the horse scream, then silence. Clarence disappeared for a few minutes, but when he returned he looked chastened and not at all eager to try again.

Annie had expected the princes to be waiting by the castle gate, but she never expected so many people to be there. A group of villagers greeted her first, tossing flowers in her path when they saw that it was indeed
their own beloved princess. She saw soldiers then, a few who had been out on patrol when Gwendolyn fell asleep, some who had been on leave to visit their families, and a few she didn’t recognize, but Liam said they were wearing the colors of the princes who were supposed to be there. Regardless of their allegiance, however, they all saluted the brave princess who had gone on a quest to save her family and her kingdom.

She saw the princes next. Digby was there, half-drunk and declaring that he was the only one with the right to kiss the princess. His hands and face were scratched as if he’d tried to pass through the roses. Andreas greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a bouquet of the roses that guarded the castle. Cozwald waved hello with one hand and held the hand of the little girl Clara with the other. Tomas was there as well, standing beside his father, Emilio. Annie hugged the children and greeted each of the princes with enthusiasm; she was grateful that they were there, but all the while she was hoping that they were enough, that one of them really would prove to be Gwendolyn’s true love.

“Are you ready, Princess?” asked Andreas when the princes had gathered around her.

Annie took a deep breath and glanced at all the expectant faces. “No time like the present,” she said, and reached for Liam’s hand. “I’m going to take you in all at once. You should stay awake as long as you keep in touch with each other and with me.”

“She means you hold hands,” growled Beldegard, shoving Clarence toward the other princes.

Although Digby and Clarence complained, the rest of the princes hurried to get in line and take each other’s hands. When Digby saw that he would be last, he ran to the front of the line and shoved Liam aside. Taking Annie’s hand, he looked down at her and smiled. “Thought you’d pull a fast one, didn’t you? You’ve never liked me and I’ve never liked you, but we both know that I’m the one to marry your sister. Hurry up and take me in there. I want to get this over and done.”

Annie gritted her teeth and looked away. If there was one prince she wished she could ban from the castle, it would be Digby.

“I’d be nicer to Princess Annabelle if I were you,” Liam said in a soft voice. Annie glanced back and was surprised to see him examining a knife as if to check its sharpness. “She means a lot to me, if you know what I mean.”

“Yes. Yes, I suppose I do,” Digby said, his voice coming out higher than normal. Clearing his throat he added, “And your name is...?”

“I’m Prince Liam and I’m a friend of Princess Annabelle’s. Anyone who doesn’t treat her nicely has to answer to me.”

“Oh, and um... to me as well,” murmured Digby. Annie saw that he didn’t look quite as handsome as he
had before he took her hand. He looked older and more careworn, with his nose red from drinking and his hair turning limp and a dull shade of brown. His bloodshot eyes seemed to draw closer together even as she watched.

“Good!” said Liam. “Then take my hand so we can get started. Annie, are you ready?” Liam asked, looking past the prince to where Annie stood, openmouthed.

Annie closed her mouth with a snap. “Yes, as soon as your brother gets in line. Clarence, are you coming?” Annie called. “We’re about to start.”

“He’s coming,” growled Beldegard. “Even if I have to carry him in myself.”

Annie waited while Clarence joined the line. She noticed that her touch changed Digby the most. As the only one she was touching directly, he was the only one who seemed to get the full effect of her non-magic. The appearance of the other princes seemed to change by varying degrees according to how close they were to her, with the ones farther away changing the least and Beldegard not changing at all. Annie wondered if the same would hold true for how well her touch kept them awake.
Well,
she thought,
if the others fall asleep, I’ll just have to bring them back here, then take them in one at a time.

With Annie leading the way, the line of princes approached the roses. She heard the faint sound of the wind chimes even before she reached the flower wall. Upon reaching the front edge of the rose wall, Annie
laid her free hand gently on one of the blossoms. As if stricken with blight, the rose withered and the plant shriveled down to the ground. The roses behind it shrank back as she took one step, then another, touching a rose here and another there. She could hear the princes whispering to each other behind her; it was evident from the strain in their voices that they were afraid.

They were nearly halfway through when Annie glanced back. The roses behind them were growing again only yards from where Beldegard followed Clarence, nudging him even though the prince had nowhere to go but forward.

Their progress was slow, and it took them almost an hour to reach the drawbridge where the roses formed a solid mass, climbing from the wooden floor to the bottom of the open grate nearly a body length higher than Annie could reach. With each step she took, a swath of roses shrank back, although the taller princes still had to duck under the hanging flowers.

They had reached the last of the roses when Annie paused to look behind her once more. To her relief, all of the princes looked wide awake. “You mustn’t let go, even though you may be tempted,” she told the princes. “We have to walk through the keep and up to the top floor. We’ll move faster now, so hold on tight.”

They continued on, crossing the courtyard in an
awkward single file, and were approaching the stairs when there was a loud grunt and a thud from the back of the line. Annie turned to see Clarence beside Emilio instead of behind him. Beldegard was a few paces back, lying asleep on the ground with his nose resting on his paws.

“It looks like we have to go back,” Annie said. “We’re not leaving anyone behind.”

All the princes groaned as she started back the way they had come.

“But why?” said Clarence. “He’s just a bear.”

“Would you like it if we left you behind?” Annie snapped. “You could stay here with them.” She pointed at two guards who had fallen asleep leaning against a wall, neither of whom looked comfortable.

Clarence glanced at the angry faces of the other princes and turned pale. “No,” he said so softly that Annie could barely hear him.

“Then stay together and don’t let go, no matter whom you’re touching.”

As the line doubled back on itself, Annie noticed that Clarence avoided meeting anyone’s eyes. He was quieter now and didn’t hesitate touching Beldegard when he was close enough. The bear prince lurched to his feet, grumbling and shaking his mighty head as he lumbered after Clarence.

Once they were inside the castle, they saw sleeping people everywhere. Maids and courtiers were sprawled
asleep in the halls. Pages snored softly over the boxes they had been carrying. A cat lay twitching in its sleep only feet from the sleeping mouse it had been chasing.

They climbed the stairs, quiet now as the overwhelming silence of the castle weighed down on them. Up one flight, then another, until they reached the floor where the princess Gwendolyn had her room. Once Annie crossed the threshold, the princes crowded in behind her to stare wide-eyed at the sleeping beauty.

It was Emilio who finally broke the silence, saying, “They were right. She’s the most beautiful princess in all the kingdoms.”

“And she’s going to be my bride,” said Digby, pushing Annie while dragging Liam and the rest of the princes behind him as he strode toward the bed. He was smiling when he bent down and planted a big sloppy kiss on Gwendolyn’s lips. After waiting a moment, he kissed her again, harder.

When nothing happened and it looked like he was about to try again, Annie said, “That’s enough. You need to stop now.”

“Just one more kiss,” Digby said, leaning over the princess again.

Liam tried to pull Digby away by the hand he held. When the prince refused to move, Liam looked back at Annie. “How much force do you want me to use?”

“None,” she said as she let go of Digby’s hand and stepped back.

All the princes closed their eyes and were asleep in an instant. Some collapsed to the floor as if made of melting ice, while the others fell against the bed, which helped to prop them up. Annie stepped around Digby and pulled on his sleeve, removing his hand from Liam’s. When she took Liam’s hand in hers, he and all the princes behind him woke.

“I should have made myself clear,” she told the princes as they got to their feet. “If you kiss her and nothing happens, your turn is up. Please step aside then so someone else can try.”

Annie and Liam moved out of the way as Andreas approached Gwendolyn. The kiss he pressed on her lips was both tender and sweet. He was obviously disappointed when nothing happened. “I suppose I could hold another contest,” he said as he stepped back.

“You’ll find the right girl someday,” Annie said. She was disappointed, too. He would have made a pretty good brother-in-law.

Annie kept hold of Liam’s hand as the other princes rearranged themselves in the line. Cozwald was the third prince to try. His kiss was so passionate that Annie had to turn away. When Gwendolyn didn’t respond, Cozwald sighed and moved to stand beside Andreas. Annie had been full of anticipation just minutes before but was now starting to get nervous.