Pumpkins and Princesses (The Tales and Princesses Series Book 3) Read online

  I stepped out of my room and was greeted by Jacob and Jared standing over me in the narrow hallway. Both had their arms folded, and their noses turned up in disapproval. It took everything in me to repress an eye-roll.

  “More water?” I said, pushing past them and to the living area.

  I didn’t bother to look back at their reactions as I picked up the bucket in the furthest corner of the room and started to make my way outside.

  “Wait!” they called simultaneously.

  I turned around, hugging the bucket against my chest. “Yes?”

  The two looked at each other and snickered. I didn’t stop the eye-roll this time.

  “We were hoping...” Jacob said, approaching me. His spindly legs slinked in an unappealing fashion as he stepped. Jared’s hobbling behind his older brother wasn’t any more or less attractive.

  I moved my hand in circles, urging him to talk faster.

  “We were hoping that you could run some errands for us.”

  I raised an eyebrow, having no idea what he could mean and why they seemed so amused by the suggestion.

  “Do you want me to gather some more wood? Pick some tomatoes in the garden, perhaps?”

  They chuckled again, Jared’s flabby skin jiggling as he did so. I pursed my lips in annoyance.

  “We have some packages in Newvein that need picking up!” Jared blurted out.

  I gasped. The one rule Mother had given me was to never leave beyond a mile past our cabin. I never got the answer as to why, but she always seemed so severe about it that I just accepted the demand.

  “You know I can’t!” I exclaimed.

  “Hey!” Jacob shouted back at me. “Who’s in charge when Mother’s gone?”

  I clenched my fists but shifted my eyes to the floor.

  “We are!” Jared answered for me.

  Jacob smacked his brother on the head but continued: “That’s right. And you have to listen to us.”

  My body began to tremble as I tried to muster the courage to talk back to him— to threaten my telling Mother of their ridiculous demands, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  “It won’t be so bad, Ellie. It’s just a day’s travel by foot.”

  My mouth fell open, and this time words came rushing out. “I’ve never traveled before. You expect me to go alone?”

  My stepbrothers shrugged. “It’s incredibly safe,” Jacob said. “I honestly don’t know why Mother is so scared to let you go to Newvein. There’s a path at the south edge of the woods that leads straight to the city.”

  “Why— why don’t you just go?” I stammered.

  Jacob suppressed a grin. “We have so much to do around here. Don’t we, Jared?”

  Jared winked at me. “Sure do!”

  I narrowed my eyes at the two of them.

  “We do need some water first,” Jacob added.

  I realized that I had been standing there with my mouth ajar, and the water bucket still clutched in my grip. Without thinking, I turned on my heel and stormed past our dining table and through the back door.

  We had a large garden with rows and rows of growing produce. The boys were in charge of tending to it. Well, at least when Mother was there, and they weren’t making me do it. Behind the cabbage patch was our own well with fresh water. As I tied the bucket to the rope, I found myself grumbling under my breath. The metal crank was hot from the beating rays of the sun, but I barely noticed as I turned it. I was so angry with myself. Why did I have such a hard time confronting my stepbrothers? I always let them bully me around and was never able to talk back.

  Pulling the bucket back up wasn’t too difficult. I had a lot more upper body strength than one might assume by looking at me. After removing the bucket from the rope and heaving it back into my grip, my thoughts turned back to the “favor” Jacob and Jared wanted me to grant them. I couldn’t hide the fact that I’d always wanted to travel outside of the little parts of the wood Mother let me explore. Boredom seemed to be my constant companion in the years of my life after exploring the same trees and reading the same books over and over again. Seeing what the outside world was like was more than appealing to me. And Mother would never have to know…

  I smiled to myself as I dragged the heavy bucket back to the cabin. Maybe going to Newvein for my stepbrothers was the opportunity I didn’t even know I was waiting for.

  Chapter 3

  The halls in the castle were quiet in the early mornings. Most servants were receiving their daily tasks in the kitchens, and a majority of the guards were at their daily training on the grounds.

  Prince Gerald liked the silence while roaming the halls in the mornings. It allowed him the time to think and achieve solitude, even if it was just for an hour or two. It was either that or go train with the guards, which he did enjoy and do on some days. But today, he desperately needed peace and privacy.

  His parents were set on finding him a bride, but Gerald didn’t want to get married. One, marrying a stranger never boded well for someone. And two, he didn’t need a wife.

  Gerald stopped in front of a line of busts to his right. Each sculpture was placed underneath a small portrait hanging on the maroon papered wall. The sculptures and realistic paintings depicted past monarchs and others in the Grerivethan royal line. His hazel eyes moved along the line until he saw the one he was looking for: the bust of himself with a rather boorish-looking painting above it— both made on his sixteenth birthday two years ago. He stared at each depiction of himself and frowned. The bust was somewhat realistic, but it captured him with a deep scowl and dead eyes. The painting above was a little better, with vibrant colors and a small smile on his thin face, but the artist hadn’t quite captured the bits of red hues in his chestnut hair.

  The Prince then moved his gaze to the large, empty spot next to his. It was where his twin sister’s tribute was supposed to be. Adelaide had been kidnapped soon after they were both born, and Gerald mourned her loss every day.

  He could never get over how ridiculous her kidnapping had been. The nurse told a story of men with their faces covered forcing their way into the nursery and taking her straight from the cradle. His parents were idiots to let such things happen! Rumor had it the royal guard lacked much in intelligence when he was a baby, and the King and Queen never did anything to change that. Well, not until their beloved princess was snatched away. In Gerald’s mind, however, it was too little too late, and he hated his parents for it.

  The deeper he went into the recesses of the castle, the darker it became. There were parts of the building that servants didn’t usually attend to, and there was only one candelabra within each corner to provide light. And he was alone. At least, he thought he was alone.

  The sound of light footsteps behind him made the Prince roll his eyes and turn around to the intruder. He saw a scrawny serving maid rushing up to him with her white apron and dark blue skirts lifted above her ankles to avoid tripping over them.

  “Sire!” she hollered, catching up to him. “People have been looking everywhere for you.” The young woman’s cheeks were red from all her running, and she tried to take a deep breath before continuing to speak. “The King and Queen wish to see you.”

  “Mother, Father? You wish to speak with me?”

  Prince Gerald stood in the center of his father’s study that was almost as large as the spacious throne room. The room where the King workspace doubled as his own library and had a long, mahogany desk spreading from one wall to the other.

  King Thomas and Queen Catherine sat behind the desk, both still in their sleepwear. Gerald’s mother, as always, looked radiant regardless of the simple nightgown she wore, with her dark, chestnut hair tied up in braids from the day before, and her brown eyes reflecting the same calm that was always there. The King looked just as regal and powerful as he did any other day… His chiseled jaw was set confidently, and he sat up straight in his tall, wooden chair. But when he usually had his heavy, golden crown resting on the thick, black hair atop his head, this
morning, the crown wasn’t making an appearance.

  Clarence— a sniveling little man, and the Prince’s old tutor who was recently promoted to the chief advisor to the King and Queen— stood within the shadows beside one of the towering bookshelves about a foot away from the desk. His frail, old body was hunched over more than Gerald had ever seen it, and his dark eyes studied the Prince intently.

  “Yes, son. We have an important matter to discuss,” King Thomas answered.

  Prince Gerald straightened his shoulders and moved his gaze back to his parents. “Is this about marriage again?”

  The King frowned and studied his son up and down. “It’s an important conversation, Gerald.”

  “What he means is…” The Queen shot a quick look at her husband. “We have come up with an idea that you might like more than an arranged marriage.”

  Prince Gerald raised an eyebrow and shuffled his feet against the white rug underneath him. “And what’s that, Mother?”

  King Thomas reclined back in his chair and closed his eyes, hiding the brilliant blue color within them. The Queen rested a delicate hand on his arm and cleared her throat.

  “We’ve talked about this,” she whispered. “Even Clarence thinks it’s a good idea.”

  Gerald looked once more at his old tutor and caught a twitch of a smile on his wrinkled face.

  “What’s going on?” the Prince asked.

  There was a long pause, then the King clasped his fingers on the desk in front of him and began to speak: “How would you feel about picking a wife at a ball?” He held up a finger as Gerald opened his mouth to interject. “All women in Greriveth will be invited, and you can choose out of any of them.”

  “In just one night?”

  The King didn’t even flinch at his son’s outburst. “That is our final offer.”

  Chapter 4

  After I was packed and dressed for travel, Jacob and Jared gave me a few gold pieces for the journey. They said I would need it for lodge in Newvein. It made sense— I couldn’t do a day’s walk twice without any sleep. I was actually rather surprised by the small act of kindness from the two of them.

  As I stepped onto the dirt path that led away from the cabin, my excitement started to grow. No harm could come to me in just a few days of travel. I was going to a big city, and I had plenty of food, water, and money within the tattered, leather pack at my side. Yes, Jacob and Jared were forcing me to take this journey, but a part of me had always wanted to venture outside of our little world. What Mother didn’t know would never hurt her.

  Yes, I was excited. Until I walked along the path and not an hour passed before I reached a fork. I wiped the sweat off my brow and paced back and forth from each turn. Why hadn’t I thought about the fact that I didn’t know which way was south? Why hadn’t my stepbrothers explained to me which way to go? Actually, they probably didn’t care if I got lost or not.

  I closed my eyes as the breeze blew through my thick hair. It was very hot and dry during the summertime in Greriveth, so the breeze was welcome. I searched my mind for a book I’d read in the past mentioning something— anything— about navigation. And then I remembered a hero in one of my books searching the seas without a compass to guide him. I squinted my eyes up to the sun just as he did in the story and noticed it was starting to creep slightly downwards from its noon position, suggesting the time was creeping into the late afternoon.

  “Okay,” I said aloud, “the sun sets west, so the right turn must be north. That means…”

  I grinned so wide it made my cheeks hurt. “Left is south!”

  I jumped up and down on the balls of my feet and began to skip down the path. I quickly stopped skipping, however, as the small rocks below began to stab at my feet through my worn boots. But, it didn’t dampen my mood. I continued to step leisurely along, gazing admiringly at the incredible green surrounding me and smiling at the sound of bird song. My walk, at least so far, was highly uneventful. Why was Mother so against me leaving her land?

  “Help! HELP!”

  I froze in my tracks, legs beginning to wobble. What was that? It sounded like it came from the trees. I gulped and turned my body to face the direction of the shouting.

  “Hello?” I squeaked. “Is someone there?”

  The foliage and branches of the thick line of trees rustled before me, but I couldn’t bring my legs to move away. Then, with great force and incredible clumsiness, a young man in his early twenties burst forth and ran straight for me. His amber-colored eyes were wide in fear as he grabbed my arm and pulled me with him.

  “Run!” he cried.

  He yanked my shoulder nearly out of its socket as he pulled me across the narrow dirt path I‘d been following and through the tree line on the other side.

  “Hide!” he hissed through gritted teeth as he pushed me down and inside a red raspberry bush. The little twigs and branches surrounding me poked into my ribs and back uncomfortably.

  I stared at the strange man as he shoved himself beside me. The wool of his tunic scratched against my unprotected arms, adding to the discomfort. Before I could ask any questions, he held a finger up to his lips. He looked pale and terrified. I’m sure I didn’t look any better— my hands were still shaking uncontrollably.

  “Where’d he go?” a gruff voice shouted.

  I gulped and stretched my neck forward to peek at the owner of the voice. I was shocked to find it was a woman. She was very chubby with ruddy cheeks and a thinning head of hair. A man came trotting up to her through the trees, even rounder than she was. He stopped next to his companion with hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

  “I… don’t… see him, Mathilde,” the man wheezed.

  Mathilde shoved her clenched fists onto her hips. “We have to find him, Oscar! My satchel has all our money!”

  I gasped inaudibly and looked at the young man next to me, and the satchel strung across his shoulder. He smiled crookedly and shrugged. I almost moved to stand and rat him out, but his hand caught my wrist.

  “Don’t,” he whispered frantically. “They’ll kill me.”

  “Kill you!” I squeaked.

  “Did you hear that?” the man called Oscar whispered.

  My strange companion had his sweaty hand on my mouth to keep me quiet. My eyes grew wider and wider, and I could feel my own palms begin to grow clammy.

  Mathilde raised a bushy eyebrow. “Hear what? I didn’t hear anything. Look, there’s a hidden trail right up here. I bet that’s where he went.”

  Oscar slumped his shoulders and narrowed his eyes in our direction, but soon gave up after Mathilde began trudging along the path she had pointed out.

  “Wait for me!” Oscar called as he huffed away.

  After waiting for an increased distance between the strangers and us, the thief moved his hand away from my mouth.

  He stood to stretch and whistled. “Boy, that was close!”

  I was still frozen in my position within the bush. He raised an eyebrow and offered me a hand.

  “Do you need help, miss?”

  I shook my head and pushed his arm away. “No, thank you.”

  I rose, then proceeded to brush off my frock, groaning at the sight of two new tears in its fabric.

  “They were pretty stupid, huh?” he said.

  The young man smiled at me again and smoothed his blonde hair away from his face. His locks were a little longer than what my stepbrothers kept theirs at, but it didn’t quite reach his shoulders. Realizing I had been staring at him for a second too long, I blushed and shifted my eyes back to the grass at my feet.

  “What’s your name?”

  I took a deep breath, and with newfound confidence, I met his gaze. “Why did you steal that woman’s things?”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, they started it.” And, satisfied with his short answer, he changed the subject. “My name is Harry. I’m still waiting for yours.”

  I folded my arms at his refusal to explain more, but came to the conclusion that
I didn’t really care.

  “I’m Ellie,” I finally said.

  “Short for Eleanor?”

  I crinkled my nose in disgust. The villain in one of the books I read the week before had the name of Eleanor.

  “No,” I replied. “Short for Ellianne. Ellie’s just faster.”

  “Oh.” Harry eyed me curiously, and I shifted my feet uncomfortably.

  “Well,” I said, “I’ve gotta go.”

  I moved to find my way back to the path, happy to get away, but Harry jumped to my side and grabbed my arm.

  “Where are you going?”

  I pulled away from his grip and rubbed at my arm. “You really need to stop doing that.”

  Harry chuckled with a glint in his already shining eyes. “Sorry.”

  “I’m going to Newvein if you must know.”

  His smile grew from ear to ear. “Me too!”

  I raised an eyebrow but almost laughed at his enthusiasm. “Really?”

  He waved my words away. “Well, I can be. Would you like a travel companion?”

  I opened my mouth to say no, but all my previous thoughts of my safety on this journey had dissipated after the encounter with the two, thug-like people. Then I looked at Harry. He was a fit young man who was a lot taller than both Jacob and Jared. Maybe he would be handy to have along. But he was also a thief who provided no answers to my questions about his troublemaking.

  “Um…” I hesitated.

  Harry chuckled again. “I won’t steal from you. I promise.” He patted the bag at his side. “Ms. Mathilde gave me all I need.” He gave me another intense look with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “For now.”

  I gulped, but then determined Harry wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer.

  “Fine,” I said with a heavy sigh. “You can come along.”

  Harry began bouncing up and down with great height. “Great! I make a very fun conversationalist.”

  I pursed my lips to avoid showing him a smile. I still wasn’t sure if I could trust him, and I didn’t want him thinking I did. Besides, my human interaction had been very limited in my life. I didn’t entirely know how to act around a stranger.