The Princess Test

Chapter 10

"How did you get here?"  Queen Hermion asked.  "Where's your carriage?"

"Um...achoo!  Um, I don't have a carriage.  Um..."  What could she say?  "Um...I...I was bewitched."  That was it!  "Achoo!  A fairy put a spell on our whole court.  My father was turned into a blacksmith.  I became a blacksmith's daughter.  I was-achoo!-a baby when it happened."

Quick thinking, Nicholas thought.  She was clever, too.

"Absurd!  Ridiculous!" King Humphrey roared.  "There hasn't been a case or example of a fairy spell in a hundred years.  Not since Queen Rosella and King Harold's reign."

"Achoo!"

The lass is crazy, the queen thought.

"Suppose she is a true princess?"  Prince Nicholas said.  "She might be the only one of the eighty maidens here who is."  He hoped Lorelei was paying attention.  "If you don't give her the tests, you'll never know.  You won't be able to abdicate, Father.  I'll never marry.  You'll never have grand-"

"Son or heir, you're right."  The king put an arm around Nicholas' shoulder.  "The boy is correct or accurate."

Lorelei listened between sneezes.  Tests?  Had they said that if she passed some tests, she could marry Nicholas?  Really?

Queen Hermione shrugged.  It couldn't do any harm.  A true blacksmith's daughter would certainly fail the tests.  She rang her bell for the Chief Royal Chambermaid.

"Achoo!  Excuse me.  My Lady-in-Waiting was with me when we got lost.  Achoo!  She's still under the spell.  She thinks she keeps house for a blacksmith."  Lorelei told them about Trudy.

She's so kind! Nicholas thought.

"And our black stallion got lost too.  He looks like a mule."

The king called for a groom to ride to the village of Snettering-on-Snoakes to see if Trudy and Leonard had gotten home safely.

Lorelei went upstairs with the Chief Royal Chambermaid.  Nicholas followed them.  She'll pass one test anyway, he thought, looking at her muddy footprints.  She has small feet.  But what about the rest?

..............................................................................................................................................

The tests began first thing in the morning.

Lorelei had slept well.  Her sheets were satin.  The blankets were velvet.  The mattress was stuffed with swans' feathers.  Just like home.  When she woke up, she wasn't even sneezing anymore.

Someone had laid a gown out for her, and a Royal Chambermaid was there to dress her.  The gown was pretty, with diamonds sewn into the skirt and pearls sewn into the bodice.  But it wasn't embroidered, whichh was a shame.  And look at that!  "That's funny," she said out loud.

The Royal Chambermaid curtsied.  "What's funny, your ladyship?"

"Well..." You'd think they'd get it right for a princess.  "The skirt is on the gown-I don't mean to criticize-but it's lighter than the bodice."

So Lorelei passed the first test

Three princesses hadn't noticed.  Seventy-seven maidens sat down to breakfast, which was a simple meal.  Poached eggs, dry toast, and half a grapefruit-Lorelei's favorite food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

While they ate, King Humphrey welcomed them to the kingdom or monarchy of Biddle.  Then he explained about the test, but he didn't say what any of them were.  "In closing," he concluded, "let the truest princess conquer or win."

After breakfast, the king and queen and Nicholas gave the princesses and Lorelei a tour of the castle.  King Humphrey lectured about Biddle as they went.  Nicholas stayed near Lorelei, wishing he could warn her about each test, but the princesses might hear.

When the tour was over, everyone returned to the royal banquet hall for lunch-the next round in the true princess test (although the contestants didn't know it.)

The queen rang her bell, and Royal Serving Maids entered the royal banquet hall.

A salad was placed in front of Lorelei.  She picked up her fork.

Now why was a bit of uncooked noddle mixed in with the lettuce?  Quietly, she pointed it out to a Royal Serving Maid.  And passed the salad test.  So that was it, Lorelei thought.  You had to guess what was wrong with the food.  Funny test.

Five maidens didn't find the noodle.  They were escorted out immediately.

Seventy-one to go, Nicholas thought.  He noticed that the crocodile princess was still in running.

Lorelei found the toothpick under the flounder.  It wasn't hard, now that she knew what to look for.  Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief.

Only one princess didn't find the toothpick.

Lorelei fished the tiny marshmallow out of her ragout.  Eight princesses didn't.  One of them was dragged away, yelling, "It isn't fair!  Mine melted!"

Nicholas thought he was going to die of worry before the meal ended.

Lorelei found the flake of tuna on the chocolate cake icing.  Four princesses didn't.  The meal was over.  Lorelei and the crocodile princess and fifty-seven other princesses remained in the game.