*~ of Magic and vegetables~*

The first time my parents knew something was special about me was when I was three years old. My oldest sister Leila was engaged at sixteen years old to a very wealthy Lord, and had given her an engagement ring encrusted with rubies and sapphires and diamonds. Leila lost it. Hysterical, everyone in my family had literally was on the floor crawling and searching for the ring that must of cost several thousand Gelds. As I came back from the market place with my Grandmother, she asked what all the fuss was about. They told her that Leila's beautiful, expensive ring had been lost and surely wouldn't the young Lord be angry at her. I don't remember much of it, but my Grandmother says that I looked up, surprised and told everyone that Leila's ring was up in one of the Willow tree's highest branches. I was three. There was no possible way I could of known that the ring was up there. Later we learned that my brother, James had hid it there. Though my sister married and the incident with the ring was soon forgotten, my acute awareness of where it had been was not. The talent set me out from my many other siblings and relatives, and the female side of my family was dead certain that I had talent and a future to be one of the King's magicians. Enter the male side of my family. As my Father never failed to point out, there had never yet been a female magician and so what that she knows where a couple of measly trinkets are, that won't bring in bread, will it? With my Grandfathers, uncles, and brothers all telling me that a pretty young thing like myself would bring in lots of fortune for my family, just like my Sister Leila. Another reason why my Uncle Arlian insisted that I should forget about my "little ability". " With those big blue eyes of yers and that curly blonde hair ye are gonna bring a fine bride price to us when the time comes." he meant it as a compliment, and most girls would love to be told that they were beautiful and gorgeous and how their laugh sounded like a bubbling brook and how they were just the perfect height and how their skin was tan like a bronzed goddess, but that's what men told me. Every time one of the village boys stopped by to tell ask me how my skin was so bronze or how my laugh could sound so perfect, I hated it. No one in my family could figure out where my looks came from, but no one really cared as long as I kept them. Perhaps good looks was what caused me to become a rebel. Or maybe I was just that way naturally. Either way, growing up, I was far from the docile Lady that all my parents hoped I would be. Though many people told me the older I got, the more beautiful I became. To my Father's upset, along with the increase of beauty also came the increase of willfulness, stubbornness, and a temper. But most of all, my gift of magic. The older I got, the more I became aware of. You could blindfold me and tell me to walk through the village square at high noon on market day without bumping into a single person. I could do that, and if you wanted, find Old Lady Jayne if she was there, pick up a loaf of bread for supper, and walk home with the blindfold still on. It came so that nothing was ever lost in our house. When I was eight, an ox was lost. I told the searchers where it was. When I was ten, a small child wandered off into the mountains. I was able to tell the family exactly what cave she was by, what the weather was down by there, and if she was sitting down or not. Men stopped me on the streets to ask met to take a moment and ask if there were any rats in their house. Even if I had never even seen their house, I could give them a definite answer, and tell them where the rats were if the house did have them. It became quite clear to the male side of my family that there was indeed something special about me, and that it shouldn't be ignored. But what could they do about it? Though they sent telegram after telegram to the King, the answer was always the same. If the girl can't spin gold, then she's no use to me ( a recent girl had succeeded doing that in another country, and now that was all the King cared about with girls and their talents.)Magic was rare though, and my father, the greedy person he was, was absolutely determined to get me to the palace now, since I obviously wasn't going to fetch a bride price with my attitude. So it wasn't until one evening when my siblings were out visiting my Grandmother that my Father came home, grinning happily.

" Lania, my darling, how old are you?" I looked sharply up from my book.

" Sixteen. Why?"

" You shouldn't be reading books. Their bad for your eyes. What color would you say her eyes were, Jelania?" he asked my mother.

She too looked suspiciously up from her embroidery.

" Their blue. The same exact color that they've been for the last sixteen years. John, I don't know what your up to, but I suggest that you tell me what its about." My father just grinned at me, and held out a letter, then read aloud:

" To his Lordship Jackesse Felipe Montecrass the fifth and his wife the Lady Alista : the royal house cordially invites you to a ball on the eighteenth of April. Please bring your daughter Jyssica, for an introduction to the Prince."

There was more, but I cut in.

" What does Lady Jyssica have to do with the color of my eyes?" My Father grinned again.

" I intercepted this invitation. This, Lania, is how we are going to get you a suitor. This is how we are going to get you to marry the Prince." I stared at him in horror.

" The Prince? I refuse to marry a man who chooses women to love according to their eye color. I heard that he refused to marry a Princess because her eyes were brown, not blue!"

" But your eyes are blue, not brown." my father told me as if that made all the difference.

" There's one thing I don't understand. People will never believe that we are of Noble birth. We lack the makeup. But Lania is so beautiful without makeup. We must pool in our money to get her a dress. Perhaps Leila will lend us some." my mother told us.

I snorted. Leila had forgotten all about her family as soon as she was married, and we saw her about once a year. She would never give out money, too embarrassed that she had come from such a poor family. Then I glanced up, realizing something. Mother had suggested that.

" Mother!" I cried out. She sighed.

" La, darling, magic is not for women. Your talents are not spinning straw into gold, so they should not be considered important. Right now what is important is getting you married, and to a Prince!"

" I refuse to marry a man who chooses wives on the account of their hair color. I'd rather marry the pig boy."

" If you had wanted to Lania, then you would of accepted his proposal when he did ask you. Poor Evan's face was so distraught when you turned him down...."

" Father, that is besides the point. I am not going to impersonate some Jyssica! If I'm caught I'll be hanged or who knows what! And what about my magic? What about my gift? " My mother took my hand. " Lania, listen to me. We have tried all that we could to get your talent noticed. But you are not a man. What you are is beautiful, and the Prince will not be able to resist you, and you can come back home and help us out. The mortgage is closing, and you know Leila. She lives so far away now, and she tends to.......forget our troubles. Just try and go Lania." My Father was never one for promises.

" There is no try. Lania will go. And we will soon move into the castle."

Frowning with disgust, I threw my book on the ground, marched upstairs, and slammed the door to my room. I stared at myself in the mirror, and for one moment considered hacking off my long, silky, golden curls. If they were what was causing me to possibly marry, then so be it away with them. I sighed and laid across my bed. Maybe my parents would forget about the entire thing. But I had no such luck.

"I look like an a turnip. I refuse to go out in public in this." I told my mother straight forward. Had she gone mad with all this ball business? It would never work.

" Pink is just your color. You look gorgeous tonight! Now hurry outside. We mustn't waste the rent on the carriage." I reluctantly picked up my skirts and stepped inside the carriage, sulking. My father grinned like a Cheshire cat, and handed me the invitation.

" Remember, your parents are ill." he told me, and both of my parents waved to me as I was carted away. I sighed and looked out the window.

" Everything alright back there Miss?" the coachman asked me. I nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see me.

" Yes. I'm fine, thank you."

" A pretty lass like yourself shouldn't be troubled about anything, specially going to a noble ball." Pretty again. " I prefer to think my future husband will love me for my brain." I told him carefully, waiting for his reaction. He laughed. Typical.

" Pretty lasses like you don't think. You sit tight and look pretty and the husband will take care of the rest for you. Don't you worry, honey, and don't joke about something like that. Without a husband, yer gonna find yourself really scared one day."

I really shouldn't of gotten angry, but angers in my blood. Once my great grandmother shot 9 soldiers dead, then five minutes later gave birth to my grandmother. She was angry because she wanted to have my grandmother in peace without in meddlesome miracle workers in the way. so you can imagine what sort of temper runs down my line.

" But you know, I always think, it's better to be pretty and stupid then to have a large wart on your nose and be carrying around the pretty and stupid. Don't you think so?" The man didn't reply, and I was glad. Who did he think he was, telling me that I shouldn't think? Before I knew it, I had arrived at the castle.

" Thank you." I told the driver, feeling a little guilty about the whole episode. He gave me a curt nod out of politeness, and I walked up to a man dressed in expensive clothing.

" Your card, My lady." I handed it to him.

" You are the Lady Jyssica, I presume?" I nodded.

" Presenting, her Ladyship of Shire, Lady Jyssica." the man announced, and I was ushered into the castle. And my breath was taken away. The castle had to be the most beautiful place I had ever been in, in my life. On the ceiling, pictures of unicorns and centaurs were seen carrying cherubs. The floor was a sparkling type of glass, reflecting off the thousands of lights. People were dancing everywhere, and the most magnificent was the King's throne. It had rubies encrusted all over it, and probably costed as much as the entire ballroom by itself. I gazed around in awe when somebody tapped me on my shoulder.

" Do you care to dance my lady?" a short bald man asked me, who looked older then my father. " No, I do not, Thank you." I told him simply.

He politely bowed, but I could see anger in his eyes. I walked off to the patio. I could just wait here until the ball was over, go home and tell my parents that I was not betrothed to the Prince. I sat out on the patio and gazed out at the lake. Far beyond it was the private castle where the royal family actually lived. This castle was for important occasions only. Someone bumped into me, causing me to stumble back onto the ground. Ashamed, humiliated, and temper fired, I snapped.

" Watch where your going!"

" Oh, excuse me milady. My apologies." My glare softened.

A young man ,who looked slightly older then me helped me up. He was taller then I was, with jet black hair and dancing green eyes.

" Sorry. I was looking for something I lost out here." He told me, looking worried.

" What is it? I have a...knack for finding things, I guess you could say." I told him. He looked at me sheepishly.

" An engagement ring. You see, my parents want me to propose sometime tonight." An image of an ring with tiny emeralds around it came to me. It was underneath the bench we were standing by.

" It's underneath the bench. That's tough, having to propose. To just any girl you see?" He nodded.

" Yeah. Well, I'm used to it. It's been coming for awhile. My mother is obsessed with having perfect grandchildren. She wants them all to be beautiful, so I have to marry the most beautiful girl I see here."

" Here it is." I said at the exact same time as we found the ring. For a brief second his hand rested on mine.

" Sorry." he apologized again, grinning at me. I smiled back. He was nice.

" Just tell your mother you don't want to marry anyone right now. Your only, what, how old?" I was one to give out advice. My own parents were marrying me off.

" Twenty one."

" Just like the Prince! Are you friends with him?" I asked. Maybe I could learn enough about him to please my parents. The man laughed.

" I guess you could say that."

" There! Just tell them you want to get to know the girl. No one in their right mind wants to get married to someone they've met for only a night!"

" My mother. She won't have me marrying any girl who isn't a true.... Lady, I suppose you could say. In addition to being beautiful, she has to have grace, be quiet, agreeable, a good temper," How nice. Everything that I was not.

" So, if I was to wiggle my nose your mother would consider me unworthy of being a Princess?" He laughed. " Especially if your nose turned red."

" But turning my nose red turns my cheeks red, giving me a rosy complexion that is not very ladylike indeed?" I wiggled my nose to let him know that I was making fun of myself. He laughed again.

" I like you. You're not like the other girls."

" you mean to tell me other girls don't wiggle their noses?" I asked him, pretending to be amazed. So the result of the man losing an ring turned out to be a very long conversation. He told me about all the Quests that he had been on, which I found better then all of the stories in my books. I told him about all the normal life back in my village, and especially about all the rumors all about the Prince, which he found very entertaining as I found his stories.. When the clock struck ll:00, I gathered up my skirts.

" I should be leaving now. It's a long journey back."

" Thank you, Lady Jyssica." he told me, bowing. " Thank you as well. And please, call me Jyssica."

" And call me Corin. Until next time." He kissed my hand and winked at me as I left the grand ball room. Smiling dreamily, I walked about the coaches. The unicorn's pulling them snorted, their horns glowing like radiant rainbows from the lights. My coach wasn't there. At first I didn't think much of it. Not until I had searched for half an hour. My coach wasn't there. He had left me. The stupid chauvinist coachman had left me. After all the Gelds my parents had paid him! La, this is what you get for letting your temper loose. I glanced frantically around me. I couldn't go back in and ask for a ride. What sort of Noble would I be? People would be suspicious. Lania, a few hours of talking with Nobles hasn't made a princess out of you. You can walk home. It isn't that far, and halfway you can stop at Farmer Hands to be lent a horse I told myself. Picking up my skirts, I held my head high and marched down the road, trying to ignore the stares I was getting. At first I made good progress. I was a quarter of the way there when I let down my skirts and started humming tunes to myself. It wasn't that bad, and I would be home yet. Whistling, I smiled at the prospect of a warm fire. An icy drop of water landed on my head. I looked up. Angry storm clouds loomed for miles, even in this dark night I could see them. The wind picked up a bit of speed. Another drop fell. I began to run. Within moments, buckets poured down onto the land, drenching me. The storm raged, thunder and lighting crashing together. Blinded by the water, I pushed my way through the storm, rain whipping back my hair and stinging my face. I kicked off my expensive shoes. To the underworld with them. Wet, cold, and sniveling, I blindly tried to find my way for a couple of hours. Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get worse, I slipped. I heard a sickening crack and pain shot through my ankle. That was it. There was no way I was getting back home. I heard a low growl. Glancing up, I frantically looked around. Had I imagined it? A twig snapped. I glanced sharply up. A Hippogriff stood, creeping towards me. His claws glistened in the rain, even in this dark night. Weakly I pulled myself up, only to collapse again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tiny bright light. I was not ready to die yet. I squinted and saw that I wasn't dying, that it really was a light. The Hippogriff growled again, and began walking over to me. It was going to eat me. My god, all this fuss and I die from an overgrown eagle. People are going to be snickering at my funeral. Terror shot through me, and I pushed myself up, and began running. My ankle screamed with pain, but I ignored it. A piercing shriek was sent through the air, as the Hippogriff became airborne. It flew up high, getting ready to die. I ran as fast as a cripple could, hoping against hope that I could beat the Hippogriff. The wind howled, the rain poured, the thunder crashed in anger. A flash of bright lightning struck. I saw that I was indeed near a...castle? Had I gone in a complete direction? I stared at it, mentally kicking myself. The Hippogriff gave a triumphant piercing shriek. It was diving now. With no hesitation, I knocked on the door. No one answered.

" Open up! Please, someone!" I screamed, kicking the door like mad. No one answered.

" God have mercy, open the door, please!" I screamed again. No one came. I turned around just in time to see the Hippogriff several feet away from my face. His claws, sharper then a dozen axes, were going to mutilate my face in a moment. At last moment, someone yanked me to the side. The Hippogriff froze in midair, then fell. Purple blood oozed out of it from an arrow. I stared at it in horror.

" Are you all right?" Someone asked me awkwardly. I was shaking.

" Um, I suppose as far as nearly being killed goes. Thank you very­CORIN?" I asked, amazed. He nodded, grinning as he lowered his bow.

" You remember me. Good, good. Come in. The storms a bloody hell out here."

" But you can't live in here. This is where the Prince lives." Ignoring my protests, he ushered me inside. Servants were bustling all over the place. Before I could say another word, a incredibly royal, absolutely perfect voice shot through the air.

" Coriner! What are you doing out in this absolutely hideous shower? And who is that young....miss with you." A tall, elegant woman with snow white hair and sharp, hawk like green eyes demanded. With her jewels, her crown, her gown, and the way she carried herself I could tell that she was the Queen.

" Your majesty..." I began, curtsying as well as a person who is throughly soaked and temporarily crippled can. She stared at me in horror as I dripped water on the floor.

" Coriner, you are a Prince! You cannot be bringing in young ladies like her when your future betrothed is waiting in the other room!" The rest she began rambling off in French like a mad woman. Corin said some things back to her, also in French. I stood there feeling like a fool in a foreign country. But something was registering. If the Queen said that Corin was a Prince, then he had to be her son, who would have to be the Prince, which would mean he would have to be a chauvinistic fool who married girls for their looks. Finally the Queen glowered at me.

" Well, Lady Jyssica, we will get you accommodated then see you off in the morning. In the mean time, you may have the honor of joining us for dinner. And get those rags off. You smell like the rotting flesh of a thousand dead camels." With a delicate wave of her hand, the woman glided off. I turned to Corin.

" You're the Prince! You told me that you were a friend of his!" I told him angrily.

" I wanted to see if you'd like me, even if I wasn't the Prince. The whole royalty thing gets a little tiring."

" But you can't be the Prince! Everyone knows that the Prince chooses girls to marry on the account of their hair color." He grinned at me.

" Don't tell me that you actually believe that."

" Well, not exactly, I mean, well, you just don't, well......" I fumbled for words.

" Seem like that." he helped out. Relieved, I nodded.

" My mother." he told me. That made perfect sense. That insane woman who was rambling off in French. She seemed just like the type of woman who would choose on how much of a Princess a girl was. " Corin!" a musical voice called, not the Queens. A look of annoyance crossed his face. " Coming, dear." Dear?

" I'll see you at dinner." He winked at me, and strode toward the voice. A servant came up to me, looking at me with distaste. Good god, even palace servants were looking me down. I had to look like the underworld itself.

" Um, my lady, fancy a bath?" I nodded.

" A bath would be good."

An hour later I was dressed. I smelled good, I was wearing a blue gown, my curls were blonde again, I was clean, and felt great. Famished, I walked toward the grand dining room. I had never been in the castle where the royal family lived, and was greatly astonished by it. It was far more beautiful then the other castle, though it was smaller. As I sat down at the Table, I noticed two things. One, that the Queen was glaring at me, probably thinking that my relations with her son were terrible. Two, there was another girl with Ebony black hair and cold purple eyes staring right at me. I uncertainly smiled at her. She didn't smile back. The King chewed happily on his food and questioned the Prince on war with Doresa, unaware that the female side was already hating each other.

" Who did you say this was again, my Queen?" Purple eyes asked.

" The Princess Jyssica." Princess? I saw Corin shifting uncomfortably. He must of told her that. Instead of taking insult, I was kind of happy that Corin had done that for me.

" And you are...." I asked purple eyes.

" The Princess Eliana of MoniKa.. Future wife of the Prince Coriner." He was getting married? He shouldn't get married to her. She looked like a spider.

"Well, Princesses, I believe that Jyssica has not seen the royal jewels yet. Perhaps Eliana can show her. Eliana, may I speak to you for a moment? Go on ahead, Jyssica."

" Er, thank you." I told the Queen as I stood up. My napkin fell. The Queen and Eliana's mouths dropped open in horror.

" Excuse me." I told them, picking up the napkin and shoving it onto the table. I could see Corin was trying hard to control his laughter. As I walked toward the jewel hallway, Corin caught up to me.

" Listen, Jyssica, I don't know what their planning to do, but it has something to do with peas. Ok, just remember that." He told me quickly.

" Why are you getting married to a girl who looks like a spider. Her eyes are purple! Purple, the color of rotting flesh!" He raised an eyebrow.

" Listen, just remember what I told you. And be careful. She'll stoop to anything. Believe me, I know."

" Oh Jyssica!" a fake voice called out. He rolled his eyes, and walked off just as Eliana arrived. She smiled a chilling smile at me.

" Listen, I don't know who your trying to fool, but you are not a Princess. You don't act like one, you don't talk like one, you don't walk like one. You just look like one, but I have a bet for you." I raised an eyebrow. She continued.

" If you can prove yourself to be more of a Princess then I am, then you can have the Prince. But, Jyssica, if that's what you call yourself, if you don't." she smiled a chilling smile.

" I get your life." My mouth twisted into a grin.

" What makes you think I'll agree to your little game?"

" Oh, you will. Because you like the Prince. And because I have proof that your not a real Princess, but you're an impersonator. And you'll get hanged anyway. What is it to you anyway? You have Fairy blood in you." I stared at her.

" Bring it on. And I don't have fairy blood." The girl smiled evilly.

" Every girl that looks as perfect as you has fairy blood in them. Why do you think that your laugh stops men in their work? My point rests. Bring it I shall." With a whip of her hair, she waltzed back to the queen. For the rest of the evening, I talked with the Prince and The King. The Queen and Eliana laughed with each other, and I felt a bit left out, but glad I could talk with Corin anyway. It wasn't until the King and Corin left did the Queen come back over to me.

" How tall are you?" she demanded.

" 5'5... I think." I said nervously. She measured me.

" Waist."

" I don't know." The Queen and Eliana looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

" Eyes. Color."

" Blue." After quizzing me for several more moments, the Queen glared at me, upset at not finding any split ends, or better yet, a pimple. None of those found, the Queen couldn't send me away with no faults. Suddenly though, she cooed.

" It's getting late, girls. We need our beauty rest for tomorrow. Sleep tight in your rooms." She escorted us to them.

" The servants will take you to them from here." she told us, and left for the night.

" Remember." Eliana told me, glaring as she walked into her bedroom. A single fluffy mattress with silk sheets and swan feather pillows. I walked down to my bedroom, wondering how bad it could be. I couldn't believe my eyes. Twenty four fluffy mattresses lay on top of each other. A ladder was put against the bed so that I could climb up. This couldn't be right.

" Excuse me, sir. I think I have the wrong room." I told the servant. He looked at me.

" Princess Jyssica, you are."

" Yes, but."

" This is your room. The ladder goes up higher, if you need it." Good god, was this woman mad? She snaps at me all night and then gives me this for a bedroom? I was dealing with a mad woman. I looked uncertainly at it, but climbed the ladder. High up, I bounced on the soft sheets. To my amazement, I could touch the ceiling, as well as look out a window. As the candles were blown out, I lay in bed, thinking about Corin. What had he said? Something about peas. I concentrated of peas. Suddenly the image of a pea came to me underneath mattresses. Underneath my mattresses. Why would a pea have to do with all of these mattresses? And why did I have servants guarding the bottom of my beds? I figured I had better tell the Queen in the morning. She would freak out about it ruining the mattresses and stuff. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep asleep. But I couldn't. I kept worrying about Eliana. Finally, after a long time, I drifted off to sleep.

The moment I woke up, I was ushered down the ladder and the Queen was in my face.

" Princess Jyssica, if you are a true Princess, you will tell me if you got a good nights sleep."

" No. Not at all." I hoped this was the right answer.

" Why. Pray tell why?"

" I was worried about Princess Eliana. And in case you realized this, there's a pea underneath all of those mattresses. I thought you might be upset with it there, you being so concerned. Are you alright?" The color had drained out of her face. Eliana's face was pale too.

" Guards! Did she come down at all during the night?" The Queen demanded.

" No milady. Not at all." Corin, dressed and looking more handsome then ever did the most unexpected thing ever. He kissed me. Grinning, he looked at me. I glanced around.

" Jyssica, will you marry me?"

" Wait. I don't understand something. Why is this happening?" I asked, dizzy.

" My mother and I came to an agreement weeks ago. If another Princess could be more of a Princess then Eliana, then I could marry her instead. You passed the test." Tears streamed down my cheeks.

" What's wrong?" He asked, confused.

" I'm not a real Princess. I'm an imposter. My name isn't Jyssica. It's Lania. I lied to you to get into the palace. I can't marry you." Eliana's color in her face came back with a triumphant smile. The Queen smiled too.

" Out! Imposter in my castle! I can't bare it! Guards!" she called out.

" Wait, Elisabeth. I think the girl is just fine and that she should marry our son." the King said, unstably. The Queen threw her hands up in the air.

" Darling, your medication is running out. This girl is not a true Princess."

" Gosh, that may be true, but Elisabeth, I refuse to have my grandchildren having purple eyes the color of rotting flesh." For the first time, the Queen realized this.

" Eliana. Let me see your eyes." she said sharply. The princess cowered.

" Your eyes! They are the exact same color! Good god, the horrors I could of done! Away with this one, royal blood or not!" With that, the Queen fainted. The King sighed, and snapped his fingers.

" Guards." I turned back to the Corin. He continued talking.

" You know, Jys- I mean, Lania, it doesn't matter if you're a princess, or if you have lands or not. I can't talk to land. I can talk to you. And even if you are an impostor, it doesn't matter. So will you marry me, I ask one more time?" I smiled.

" Yes. I will."

* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

I bet your thinking, oh these two fell in love and got married right away cause that's how it always happens in these stories. Well, that's not true. Well, the falling in love part is, but we didn't actually get married until a year later. The Queen, after realizing that even though I didn't have royal blood, I would bear beautiful and perfect grandchildren at least, which was a prospect she was happy of. My parents moved into the royal family, and my sister Leila suddenly began keeping correspondence with us again. my dream of being a enchantress came true, and soon I was the only female enchantress in the world, as well as Princess. As for Eliana, she never got over the whole purple eye color thing, and became insane, and died while trying to change her eye color. As for me and Corin, we lived and loved, and best of all, lived happily ever after.

The end.