The Lady-in-Waiting

Chapter 17

Lucinda

Today was the day of the Feast of the Queen. It would be hosted in the royal dining hall from eleven forty-five to one forty-five pm. The feast was always hosted at lunch to give the majority of us palace workers the rest of the day off. Since George and I can't go anywhere in public together until after I defeat Zora, I'm going to the feast with Arnold. It turns out it's easy to pass him off as a new staff member working in the stables. Right now, it's eleven forty-five. Arnold and I are standing in a hallway, slowly walking to the dining hall behind several people. I'm wearing a light blue dress as always, but this one is a bit longer than my other ones and has some nice designs on it. Arnold is wearing a new suit because his Christening suit doesn't fit him anymore and he's technically been wearing it for the last seven years.

I've been training for this fight for the last few days. I know I told the fairy godmothers I would be casting the spell, but I'm going to use the ultimate form. I don't care about the risks. It's my best bet. Maybe I can show that it's safe when it's under control. I haven't used the ultimate form yet, so I'm scared. What if it's more powerful than I think it is? What if I lose control as I did with the tornado? I can't hurt anyone!

"Invitation?"

I look up at the guards and show them my invitation as well as the invitation George gave to Arnold. We walk into the dining hall. It's as big as a ballroom and there are more tables than I can count, the entire back of the room lined with buffet tables with fancy food in expensive containers. Some people are sitting at the tables, but most are in line or talking to other staff members. I search the room for Colette and spot all of the fairy godmothers spread out in the room, all of them standing. I lead Arnold over to Colette. We'll lay low here until Zora comes in.

The drink line is short so I stroll over and get in line. I pick up a seltzer and pour some of it into a glass, walking over to a corner to sip it. It's quieter now that most people are here. It's uplifting in a way, watching these servants converse, unaware of what's about to happen. They're not prepared, but I am. I wait, hoping Zora isn't very late.

Suddenly, I hear cheering. It's the royal family. Desiree and her husband and children enter the room. She glances at me. I wonder if she knows about the plan. Edward and his older sons enter next, and then it's the moment these last two months have led up to. Zora and George enter the dining hall, smiling at everyone. George gives me a genuine smile. He knows about the plan. The lines clear out for the royals. I check my phone. It's eleven fifty-nine pm.

I look at the fairy godmothers and George, Desiree, and Eli. I know this is my plan and I'm the one who will reverse the spell, but I need a full team of people to protect me or else someone will get me in trouble. They're here to keep everyone away from Zora and I so they can be safe. They're also here if I need help or if Zora has allies here as well.

I walk across the room slowly, staring at Zora as she walks toward a table. George steps away and motions for his family to step back. Now, it's time to use the ultimate form. I think about what Zora did to me two months ago. She took my life and identity away from me. I no longer was in control of my body, my face, or my image. It was in her hands. I was stuck as her, an evil witch with a bad reputation and a job as a goose girl. She cursed me. And I was the one who had to reverse her spell. My alarm rings and I become myself again. I feel the magic in my veins. It's stronger than ever. My body aches as the veins all over my body glow. They glow brighter and I undergo a power-up. My skin turns to a dark pink and my hair becomes a cotton candy-like pink, misting away in the air. I'm suddenly wearing a flowy pale pink floor-length dress. I touch my arm and my hand goes through it. It's like I'm a thick air current.

With two months worth of memories going through my mind, I blast Zora with a large storm. Nothing will kill her, but hopefully, it'll be enough to break the spell. Zora turns her necklace into a wand and fights back with her blast. But I remember what she did to Arnold, my best friend. A tornado-like blast flows out of my hands and our heads glow, showing that the spell was hopefully broken as Zora falls over. I stop blasting her and the fairy godmothers run over to me.

_______

Thankfully, I didn't get in trouble for using the ultimate form. George, Desiree, and Colette helped me explain what Zora did to King Edward, my father, and later, in court. Since there's no real law against using the ultimate form, all I get is a lot of warnings to never use it again. I hopefully won't have to use it ever again. I don't want to fight anymore unless I have to, which is unlikely considering that now I have guards to do that for me.

Eli and I haven't talked at all since I told him the truth. I didn't even see him in the dining hall. I hope he's okay. Part of me even hopes that he kept dating the real Zora. But I guess we went our separate ways and that was for the best.

I'm visiting my sisters as often as I can until after my honeymoon. Then, I'll move back to Norillia. Milicent feels bad for not believing me when I called her the first time after Zora cast the spell. I told her it was okay although her alliance would have helped. Felicity has been asking me a lot of magical questions, mostly about the ultimate form. She wants to know how to use it. My younger sisters like that I'm visiting more and I tell them about how they can do cool things with their royal gems if they know how to control their magic.

Mother was really happy that I was okay and wishes she had known. She also thinks what happened to the camera is stupid and that she could have prevented the curse if Zora hadn't thrown the camera at a kid in a car. She wants me to move in with her in Perneete, but I told her I have to go back to Norillia.

Kara was sympathetic, but Father hasn't talked to me much. I'm disappointed. I've been looking forward to talking to him about what happened to me and how it's prepared me to be queen someday.

Desiree has been more friendly toward me since the spell was reversed. I can't wait for her to be my sister-in-law. She's a great friend and we like to talk about being heirs to the throne and being the oldest sisters and George.

Arnold is happier than I've seen him in seven years. He's moving in with his dad in Norillia. His dad runs a prosperous shoe company and Arnold is going to finish college and work for him (he was able to get through half of it with assistance online). I've seen him hanging out with Milicent lately. Now that he's human, I guess he's finally been able to ask her out.

George and I are happy about our arranged marriage. Even if we've only been dating for less than half a year, we're getting married this summer no matter what because we've been betrothed since we were born. But now, we're okay with it. I hope our love is strong enough that we can stay together. My parents were in a relationship and got divorced, so I'm scared. But at least George and I love each other right now. Our relationship is more than political. That's more than I could have asked for when I left for Lopegin. I thought I'd be getting married to a man I barely knew. I also thought I'd have a conflict-free drive to Lopegin. But this adventure has been more than I could have asked for. I have a fiance I love, powerful magic under control, and my best friend's a human again. I can't see the future, but I believe that things will end happily ever after.

Zora

The court decided that I'd be in solitary confinement for at least a year, banned from using magic. I wanted to continue living with my family, but they told me I had to stay in my house in Norillia. At least it's closer to the princesses. I'm not done with the royal family. I may never be. I may be stuck in my house, but I can still plan what to do when I get out.

I miss Eli. We've had to date long-distance ever since I left Lopegin, but at least he forgave me. I told him the truth about what happened at the Christening. I feel like he's on my side. He may be one of the only ones who are.

I look in the mirror. My hair has gotten a bit longer since I went to Lopegin. It looks nice in my black dress and blue coat. I take out a necklace, and my wand, and put them on. I grab a spellbook and an invitation. I received it recently and am allowed to go since I'm a fairy godmother. I have a particular spell in the book bookmarked. I had gotten the book from the books Lucinda had borrowed from the Lopegin spellbook room. I have a plan for this spell. This will show that Lucinda can't take me down. I open my bedroom door and leave. I have a royal Christening to attend.