The Wish Rewrite with the Cat

Prologue

To Amanda Hallay and James Clarke Crawford

July 10, 1252

Asha

The sun sank behind the horizon, and the first stars popped out.

No moon hung in the clear indigo sky.

I was the first to bound out of our cottage at the edge of the hamlet. "This is going to be the best night of my life!"

Papa chuckled as he came out with Mama by his side. "What makes you say that, Asha?"

I skipped half a foot ahead. "I visited Dahlia in the kitchens today. I helped her make those great cookies!"

They were the shortbread ones frosted to look like King Magnifico's head. Dahlia was still trying to work out the recipe so it didn't have anything my cousin Safi was allergic to.

"Then I saw Queen Amaya and told her how much I wanted to work with my best friends and cousins in the castle," I clutched my hands to my heart. "It's my biggest wish, and she and King Magnifico always grant those." And it helped that she was my tía, though she didn't feel like it.

Papa finally caught up to me. "They certainly do."

Mama straightened her necklace of large silver beads. "What are you hoping to do in the castle, Asha?"

"I want to help King Magnifico make wishes come true. So many people give him wishes each month. He has to need a person to keep a record of them. That could be me! I could be his...wish clerk." It even sounded amazing.

Saba thumped behind us. "I hope you will; I'm starting to worry he's forgotten mine."

We passed a signpost in the middle of a fork in the road in the evening. It had four signs pointing in different directions. One pointed to the woods in front of it and was labeled Hamlet. The second faced the road to the west and was labeled Plaza. The third faced the road leading to the sea behind it and was labeled Harbor. The fourth pointed to the field between the city and the hamlet and was labeled Pasture.

Stones and crosses decorated with flowers and candles flanked the roads. All the markers around the signpost brought up a question.

"Papa, I was wondering. Is it called a crossroads because that's where two roads cross, or because there are a lot of crosses on the road?" He was the Christian in our family.

He paused and shared heavy looks with Mama and Saba. Then, he spoke. "It's called that because it's where two roads cross."

"Oh, thanks." I glanced at a few of the names on the markers as I passed them. There was Cosimo the Astronomer and Flora the Painter.

We entered the city and joined the people hurrying out of their white stone apartments.

The church bell began to ring six.

I took off running again. "It's six! We're going to be late!"

Seagulls flew overhead, back to the beach after scavenging the city.

A warm breeze tickled us as we filed into the arena.

I stopped and pressed against a bench to let Saba pass. "You can sit down first, Saba."

He nudged past and took the seat I offered. "Thank you, Asha." He slumped and gazed at the stage beyond. "Another wish ceremony in Rosas."

The stage already had guards and thrones waiting for Magnifico and Amaya.

"I wonder who'll get their wish this month?" Last month, King Magnifico granted the carpenter's wish to make the best furniture for him. Maybe the blacksmith would get his wish! Or the funny lady who collected mushrooms!