Chap 16
Penny found her salvation in the form of Sable.
The moment she stepped into the grove where Sable and her friends spent most of their days, they descended upon her.
"Oh my goodness, look at your dress."
"You must have bloomed already to be wearing that."
"Let me see the embroidery."
Penny quickly threw up both hands before they could start tugging at sleeves and ribbons.
Then she pointed dramatically at the prince.
Very dramatically.
"Prints Saidbadton."
The girls erupted into applause.
Sebastian laughed.
"Very good."
"She said a word!"
"Two words!"
"Three if we're being generous."
Sable immediately slipped her arm through Sebastian's.
Smiling up at him.
"How did you do it?"
The other girls crowded closer.
"We spent all yesterday trying to teach her."
"And got absolutely nowhere."
"Not even a grunt."
Sebastian looked pleased by the attention.
A fatal mistake.
The flowers swarmed him.
"Tell us."
"Yes, what is your secret?"
"How did you get her talking?"
As they guided him toward a shaded tree, Sebastian launched into an explanation involving language acquisition, repetition, and patient instruction.
The girls listened with the fascination of scholars discovering forbidden knowledge.
Penny slowly stepped backward.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
Trees swallowed her from view.
Just before she disappeared completely, she caught sight of Sable.
The flower's hand emerged behind Sebastian's back.
A thumbs-up.
Penny grinned.
Then ran.
She sprinted through the garden paths, ducked around a fountain, and hurried toward the lake.
By the time she reached the lilac bush, she was slightly out of breath.
Dropping to her knees, she plunged her fingers into the water.
"Alyrina."
Nothing.
"Alyrina!"
The lake remained still.
Penny glanced over her shoulder.
No prince.
No flowers.
No attendants.
Good.
Then the water stirred.
Silver hair broke the surface.
Alyrina emerged with a grin.
"I got it!"
Penny tossed the stolen bottle toward her.
The mermaid caught it easily.
"I have something to show you too."
Alyrina floated onto her back.
For a moment Penny didn't understand what she was seeing.
Then she did.
Gone was the tail.
In its place were legs.
Penny burst out laughing.
"I thought it wasn't good to walk around naked in front of humans."
Alyrina immediately splashed upright.
Her tail reappeared in a shimmer of scales.
"You don't count."
She waved a dismissive hand.
"You're a witch."
Penny nearly fell into the lake.
"Shhh!"
She looked around wildly despite nobody being nearby.
"The gardener told me never to tell anyone that."
Alyrina rolled her eyes.
"The gardener is one too."
Penny blinked.
"What?"
"Oh yes."
The mermaid drifted lazily through the water.
"He used to be a flower."
"What happened?"
Alyrina's expression softened.
"Someone nearly drained him to death."
Penny winced.
"The king offered him anything he wanted afterward."
"And he chose gardening?"
Alyrina nodded.
"He asked to stay in the girls' garden."
Penny laughed.
"How do you know all this?"
The mermaid spread her arms.
"You learn things after a hundred years."
"Fair."
Alyrina floated onto her back again.
"Are you going to visit my brother today?"
Penny nearly choked.
"What? No."
A grin spread across Alyrina's face.
The dangerous kind.
"Oh, I felt it."
Penny's stomach dropped.
"Felt what?"
"When you gave me his magic."
Alyrina pointed dramatically at her.
"You like him."
"I do not."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You absolutely do."
Penny buried her face in her hands.
"I thought he was cute."
Alyrina gasped.
Triumphantly.
"HA!"
"That is not the same thing."
"It is exactly the same thing."
"It is not."
"It is."
Penny groaned.
Alyrina pouted.
"Darn."
The mermaid sank lower into the water.
"And I already started planning your wedding."
Penny looked up in horror.
"You what?"
Alyrina's hands rose into the air as though painting the image for herself.
"Imagine it."
"No."
"A beautiful beach."
"No."
"Your family."
"No."
"Our family."
"No."
"My brother looking handsome and heroic."
"No."
Alyrina pointed at her.
"And you."
Penny braced herself.
"...looking very human."
Penny stared.
Alyrina grinned and slowly sank lower into the water until only her mischievous eyes remained above the surface.
Penny responded by standing.
"I should get back to my babysitter."
Alyrina immediately popped back up.
"Your what?"
"My babysitter."
Penny brushed grass from her skirt.
"I'll come back whenever I figure out how to get rid of him."
"Who is he?"
Penny sighed.
"Prince Sebastian."
Alyrina's expression changed instantly.
"The horrible girl's son?"
Penny nodded.
"He seems nice though."
"I wouldn't trust him."
The mermaid crossed her arms.
Then smiled.
"If you're looking for a prince, my brother is still available."
Penny bent down and picked up a rock.
Alyrina disappeared beneath the water before Penny could even throw the rock.
Her laughter echoed across the lake.
Penny turned toward the grove where the other flowers were.
Made it three steps.
Then glanced toward the men's garden.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she ran.
By the time she reached the gate, she was breathless.
One hand clutched the iron bars while she searched through the trees.
Flowers wandered the paths.
Some laughed.
Some rested beneath the shade.
Then she spotted a flash of blue hair.
Penny waved both arms.
Huge circles.
Completely undignified circles.
The sea prince looked up.
Immediately changed direction.
Coming toward her.
Penny quickly smoothed down her dress.
Ran her fingers through her hair.
Then smiled.
The sweet one.
The smile she had practiced in mirrors since she was twelve.
When he reached the gate she beamed at him.
"Your sister showed me her legs today."
The sea prince stopped.
His eyes traveled over her.
The white gown.
The embroidered roses.
The ribbons.
The perfect hair.
The absence of mud.
For a moment his expression became unreadable.
Penny waited.
She was beginning to think he had forgotten how conversations worked.
"That's good."
The words were flat.
Polite.
Nothing else followed.
He nodded once.
Then turned and walked away.
Penny stared after him.
Offended.
Deeply offended.
She looked down at herself.
The gown was beautiful.
Her hair was neat.
She smelled like sea roses.
She had even remembered not to have twigs in it.
And somehow that was worse.
A horrible realization began to creep into her mind.
He liked her better when she looked half drowned.
The thought was so insulting she almost shouted after him.
Then she felt it.
A sharp twist deep inside her.
Not her own.
Not even close.
Possessive.
Irritated.
Jealous.
Penny froze.
The king.
The king was jealous.
Penny ran back stopping by the lake and finding the bottle full of sea water under the lilac bush.
She tucked it into her pocket and kept heading to the sound of laughter and talking.
Penny returned to the grove out of breath and increasingly convinced that whoever invented corsets deserved to be cursed.
Prince Sebastian remained trapped beneath a tree.
The flowers had surrounded him completely.
Questions flew from every direction.
"What are court balls like?"
"Do nobles really wear jewels to breakfast?"
"How many coats do you own?"
Penny slipped around the edge of the crowd unnoticed.
The moment she spotted Sable, inspiration struck.
She grabbed a handful of her own skirt.
Then pointed dramatically at Sable's loose white flower gown.
Then back at herself.
Sable stared.
Penny repeated the motions.
Dress.
Sable.
Dress.
Penny.
Understanding dawned.
Sable gasped.
"Oh, you want to trade dresses?"
Penny nodded enthusiastically.
Sable immediately launched into an elaborate performance involving miming dress exchanges, dramatic pointing, and enough exaggerated nodding to injure her neck.
"Yes?"
Penny nodded.
Then Sable made a face of absolute horror and shook her head.
"No?"
Penny laughed.
It was a pity the garden didn't have a theater.
The flowers would have been stars.
"Yes."
The word slipped out automatically.
Half the grove froze.
Sebastian looked up so fast Penny thought he might hurt himself.
"Did she just say yes?"
Sable beamed.
"I taught her."
The prince immediately abandoned his audience and walked over.
Before Penny could retreat, he wrapped her in a hug.
"This is wonderful."
Penny squirmed.
"Did you teach her no too?"
Penny shoved herself free.
"No."
A few flowers burst into laughter.
Sebastian looked entirely too pleased.
Penny ignored him and returned to Sable.
She tugged her own dress.
Then pointed at Sable's.
"Yes?"
Sable groaned dramatically.
"I wish."
Her gaze drifted longingly over the fitted gown.
"How do I explain that flowers can't wear those until they're engaged or married?"
"I have an extra."
Mary pushed through the crowd.
Her bright red hair stood out like a torch among the darker heads.
"When I arrived, the one they gave me was too small."
She grinned.
"So I shoved it under my bed when they went to get another."
Every flower within earshot immediately looked interested.
Mary grabbed a handful of her own loose white gown and gave it a tug.
"Yes?"
Penny nodded eagerly.
"Yes."
"I'm not sure this is a good idea."
Sebastian's voice was immediately drowned beneath a chorus of giggles.
"It'll be fine."
Sable waved him off.
"You'll just tell the king she couldn't breathe."
"Which is true."
"Mostly true."
"True enough."
The flowers all nodded.
Sebastian looked unconvinced.
No one cared.
The entire group swept toward Mary's room.
Penny was surprised when she stepped inside.
Her own chambers were white.
Every room in the garden was white she thought.
Mary's room had clearly lost that battle quickly.
A green woven blanket covered the bed.