Chapter 17

Anaeth

In the Kingdom of Sopo, the Princess Anaeth was sitting in her tower room. When she had returned from the school she had tried to argue for going to war with the school, with Alexandra's father, with Poond, with anyone who had any part in her humiliation. The Queen of Sopo had flatly refused and reminded her daughter that in a few short months she and the entire kingdom would be in an enchanted sleep. Sopo needed to take the long view. Anaeth could not move her mother with any argument, or even a tantrum which upset the castle routine for days. There would be no war. So Anaeth sat in her room and plotted. The bedroom was white and lacy and very much in character with Princess Anaeth. The servants had repaired the havoc of the tantrum and left her alone again in her perfect room. Anaeth was tempted to destroy her room again, but her mother had ways of punishing her for behavior that went outside the bounds allowed for a princess. One tantrum was allowed, two would put her in trouble. She did not want to risk her last few months before her birthday living through one of her mother's "lessons."

Anaeth considered her options. She put on her calm, genteel face and went about her days. The people who knew her best watched for the coming storm. But Anaeth surprised them. She continued to be even tempered and even pleasant. She graciously thanked her maids and her ladies in waiting hadn't broken down in tears in days. Anaeth had discovered that she enjoyed being devious. When she heard of the coming tournament to celebrate the Princess Alexandra's return home and installation as the heir to her father she smiled. She rejoined the castle society, dancing and laughing, and cultivating the young princes who flocked about her. She planted words in their mouths and ideas in their heads. She was going to enjoy this. Laughing gaily, she allowed yet another gallant prince to whirl her around the ballroom.

The endless series of grand balls were meant to cement the wealth and power of the Kingdom of Sopo, and to make sure that there would be candidates to awaken the princess after her hundred-year sleep. They probably could have arranged a shorter term. But the hundred years was traditional and it was long enough for the Sopo agents to build even more wealth for when the kingdom awoke. It was also long enough for the Kingdoms to forget a certain unenchanted princess. Not that she intended to leave that up to chance. she arranged to meet with a man who looked very uncomfortable with the conversation he was having with the beautiful princess. It wasn't the concept itself that bothered him, but being hired to kill by a girl younger than his daughter seemed wrong. Nonetheless, her gold was as good as the next person's.

Anaeth was sure that Alexandra wasn't going to enjoy a moment of the tournament. Anaeth had planted enough ideas into the empty heads of the princes to ensure that. Then at the height of her misery, she would meet her end. By the time Anaeth woke, she would be barely a footnote in the history of the Magic Kingdoms. So it was that she suggested to her parents that an especially grand ball for the heirs of the Kingdoms was in order. For some reason, only lesser sons and heirs had been invited to the tournament, she might as well enjoy a ball with the really important people.

A couple of days before the grand ball, Anaeth decided that a walk in the garden with her ladies in waiting was a good idea. They walked around the carefully manicured path. Her attendants knew how to keep their conversation innocuous enough to avoid their princess's wrath. The day was pleasant and cool. They had reached a point in the garden near a tiny copse of trees when Anaeth heard someone call her name. She instantly hushed the other girls. They obviously heard nothing, even the second time.

Anaeth left them on the path and headed into the tiny woods. Only when she got there she realized that they were bigger than she had thought. She followed a path into the trees. The warm sun disappeared and she shivered a little. She thought about turning around, but her feet kept carrying her deeper into the forest. It was getting gloomy under the huge trees and Anaeth found herself gasping for air. It was so quiet she could hear her heart beating.

"Anaeth!" she heard. She tried to cover up her start and very unprincesslike squeal by stamping her foot. She just heard laughter behind her. She spun to look behind her and saw nothing but trees. The cruel laughter came from her left, then her right. It jumped all around the tiny clearing she found herself in.

"Stop it!" she screamed and put her hands over her ears.

"Of course, your Highness," the voice wasn't much better than the laughter.

"Stay in one spot," she yelled, stamping her foot again.

"Is this better?" whispered the voice from behind her right ear. Anaeth squealed and jumped again, and the laughter started over.

"What do you want?" cried Anaeth.

"I want to help you," whispered the voice in her ear. "I am afraid that your plan to have Princess Alexandra...disposed of failed. One of the gallant princes caught your assassin. Fortunately, he has vanished from his cell. I do hope he wasn't a favorite of yours. His vanishing is rather...permanent."