The Salamander Spell (24 page)

Prince Torrance pushed his way to the front.

“Princess Grassina, may I be the first to congratulate you.”

“No!” snapped Olivene. “I already did!”

“And I’d like to wish you well,” Torrance continued. “I’ve always considered you remarkably intelligent and beautiful. Being the Green Witch will simply add to your long list of accomplishments.”

“I’m going to be ill,” muttered Olivene.

“I can’t believe my ears!” exclaimed Chartreuse. “Just the other day you told me that you were glad Grassina wasn’t around anymore to distract you with her silly prattling!”

Torrance looked irritated when he glanced at Chartreuse. “I’m sure you must have misunderstood me. I would never be so unkind as to say such a thing about dear, sweet Grassina.”

“I say,” piped up Prince Miguel, “you do sit that horse well, Grassina.”

Prince Stephen scowled. “She’ll make a good witch. We could use someone like her in my kingdom. Might keep the minor nobles in line.”

“What’s going on here?” said Chartreuse. “She’s still the same person she was the other day when none of you had time for her. And now you’re talking to her and ignoring me!” As if someone had opened a sluice gate, tears flowed from Chartreuse’s eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. Dabbing at her eyes, she turned her back to her suitors. “I’m sorry. A princess should never cry in public.”

Prince Limelyn was at her side in an instant. “Your Highness,” he said. Taking her hand in his, he spoke to her in a voice so quiet that only she could hear it.

“Do you mean that?” Chartreuse asked through her tears. “You want to marry me whether I have magic or not?”

“With all my heart,” said the prince.

“What do you intend to do as your first act as the Green Witch?” Torrance asked Grassina.

“Um . . . I . . .”

“More to the point,” said Prince Stephen, “have you thought about getting married? I have a lot to offer a wife.”

Chartreuse’s eyes flashed. “
I
would like to make an announcement. I have chosen the prince who will become my king. He is brave and true,” she said, giving Torrance a nasty look, “unlike some others I could mention. I have decided to marry Prince Limelyn.”

“Good for you,” said Prince Miguel. “Grassina, you haven’t answered Stephen’s question. Have you thought about marriage?”

“You’re not too young,” said Torrance. “If anything, Chartreuse is a bit on the old side.”

“Do you mean it, Chartreuse?” Limelyn asked, cupping her face in his hands. “Do you really want to marry me?”

“Yes,” she replied. “It would make me the happiest woman in the kingdom. There is no one with whom I’d rather spend the rest of my life.” Limelyn was drawing her into his arms when Chartreuse whispered to Olivene. “Don’t try to talk me out of it, Mother.”

Olivene snorted. “Why would I? You can marry whomever you wish. After all,
you
aren’t the Green Witch.”

Limelyn had already wrapped his arms around Chartreuse, and so didn’t see the stricken look on her face.

“Come, Grassina, we’re all waiting to hear your answer,” said Stephen. “Because if you’re not interested in getting married, I might as well go home. I’ve already wasted too much time here as it is.”

“As a matter of fact,” said Grassina, “I do intend to marry, and I know exactly who my husband will be.”

“Good!” said Torrance. “Which one of us is it?’

All three princes crowded closer as if expecting to hear their own names.

“None of you. I met him while I was away. He’s kind, thoughtful, and brave. He loves me for me, not for my title or for what I can do for him. He’s the perfect man for me,” she said, turning to Olivene. “Mother, I know you’ll love him as much as I do. He has magic, too!”

“Really?” said Olivene, arching her eyebrows.

“Then I’m leaving!” announced Prince Stephen as he shoved past everyone else on the steps. “Stable boy, saddle my horse!”

“I might as well go, too,” said Torrance. “I’ve heard there’s a princess in North Aridia who isn’t half bad.”

“Care for some company?” asked Miguel. “They’re said to have excellent horseflesh in North Aridia. Even the women are accomplished riders.”

“Congratulations, Grassina,” said Limelyn. “When will I meet this lucky fellow?”

“You already have,” said Grassina. “Now I just have to let
him
know how lucky he is!”

After visiting her father to share the good news, Grassina hurried back to the swamp. She didn’t see Haywood at first, but the fire was burning in the circle of rocks, so she knew he had to be close by. When she sat down to wait for him, she found Pippa stretched out on the rocks beside the fire.

“Pippa, how did you get here so quickly? I thought you were looking for the salamander.”

“I found him! Princesss Grasssina, I want you to meet my friend, Igniss.”

The fire flamed higher, and something shifted in its depths. Grassina glanced down and was surprised to see the salamander resting comfortably among the glowing embers. “It’s nice to meet you, Princess. Pippa has told me all about you,” the salamander said in a husky voice.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Grassina replied.

“The moment I saw Iggie, I knew we were meant to be friendss,” said Pippa. “He’ss warm and friendly and warm and honesst and. . . . Did I mention how warm he iss? With him around, I’ll never be cold again. You were right about my luck. I musst be the luckiesst ssnake in the world to have found a good friend like Iggy, and it wouldn’t have happened if Haywood hadn’t ssaid hiss ssalamander sspell! It’ss amazing what ssmall magic can do.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe we should call any magic small; certainly nothing Haywood does. He is quite wonderful. Do you know—”

“After I found Iggie, I perssuaded him to come with me,” said Pippa. “I told him that I knew of a nice ssafe place where he could live. We were on our way here when we ssaw Haywood and he gave uss a ride.”

“Where is Haywood now?” asked Grassina.

“I’m right here,” said Haywood, rounding the hut. His eyes brightened when he saw her, but then he shook his head and turned away, although not before Grassina saw his eyes cloud over with despair.

“I was wondering if you’d come to say good-bye,” he said.

Grassina shrugged. “I had to come. We have too much left to say.”

“No, we don’t,” said Haywood, turning back to her. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I saw how those men looked at you. You told me about your sister’s suitors. I’m sure that you’ll have even more now that everyone knows you’re the Green Witch. You’ll marry a prince, not someone as lowly as me. I’m not worthy of you. I have nothing to offer other than a hut in a swamp. Please, be kind and make this quick. Seeing you is hard enough.”

“I don’t know why,” said Grassina. “Hearing that someone loves you to distraction and wants to marry you shouldn’t be all that difficult. Why, when I told the princes back at the castle that I’d already chosen the man I wanted to marry—”

“You want to what?” Haywood asked, blinking at her in confusion.

“Marry you, of course. I’ve never met anyone who suited me better. Since I couldn’t possibly live without you, there’s no need to talk of anyone being unworthy. Those princes couldn’t hold a candle to you. And I’m the Green Witch now, which means that I can live anywhere in the kingdom and no one can tell me what I can or can’t do. Greater Greensward needs me too much. Chartreuse won’t dare try to order me around. She’s getting married, too, you know. To Prince Limelyn, the only one of the lot whom I could stand.”

Haywood pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Grassina kissed him back and sighed when it was over. She was thinking about how happy she was when Haywood pressed his cheek against the top of her head and said, “But what will your family say? Your mother—”

“My mother will love you. I’m sure of it. And if she doesn’t, what can she do? The Green Witch is always the most powerful as well as the nicest witch in the kingdom. No one will dare get between you and me. Just wait and see. Everything will be wonderful. You and I are about to find out what it really means to live happily ever after!”

Books by E. D. Baker

THE TALES OF THE FROG PRINCESS:

THE FROG PRINCESS

DRAGON’S BREATH

ONCE UPON A CURSE

NO PL ACE FOR MAGIC

THE SALAMANDER SPELL

Copyright © 2007 by E. D. Baker

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

First published in the United States of America in September 2007
by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
E-book edition published in September 2010
www.bloomsburykids.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Baker, E. D.
The salamander spell / by E. D. Baker. —1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
“Tales of the Frog Princess.”
Summary: Thirteen-year-old Grassina vies with her older sister, Chartreuse, to see who will inherit the family’s talent for magic and become the Green Witch, while each ponders which prince will be at her side during her “happily ever after.”
ISBN-13: 978-1-59990-018-6 • ISBN-10: 1-59990-018-1
[1. Fairy tales. 2. Salamanders—Fiction. 3. Princesses—Fiction. 4. Princes—Fiction. 5. Witches—Fiction. 6. Humorous stories.] 1. Title.
PZ8.B173Sal 2007 [Fic]—dc22 2007000330

ISBN 978-1-59990-402-3 (e-book)