The Nine Princesses Novel

Chapter 55: Stranger

"I need you to come to the market with me," Jaedis said.

This was another thing Arialain despised. Not the market—she rather enjoyed that—but the fact that her sisters never gave her any notice. It was always like that. Come peel the chestnuts now. Come fold the laundry now. Come with me to the market now. They all assumed Arialain had no life of her own.

"Why am I coming?" Arialain had just returned from burning Willow's note and found Jaedis standing in the entry, a market basket dangling from each hand.

"I have to get a lot. It'll be too much to carry alone."

"Does Maelyn know?"

"She knows. She said to get Briette."

Meaning, get Briette to watch the door while Arialain was out. Of course, Arialain had to be the one to fetch her. Briette came with a long-handled duster, planning to make good use of her time.

"I'll shake out those tapestries too," she said, surveying the dueling peacocks.

Arialain felt happy to escape the door for one afternoon. Although they could have taken a carriage, Jaedis usually chose to walk the three miles from the castle to Merridell. She claimed it kept her strong and healthy.

"We need more candles. We always need more candles," Jaedis said as they started down the hill. "Heidel wants a side of ham—getting ready for you-know-who. That's going to be heavy. Ivy and Maelyn both want ink, and Shulay wants feed for her goats—but I told her that has to wait. I can't carry all that feed! Coralina needs another dummy sword for her play, and I want shoes."

Jaedis always wanted shoes. Arialain had heard Maelyn complain that Jaedis spent too much of their gold. Jaedis claimed she watched the books and knew what she could spend.

"Is that my dress?" Arialain asked. The mint green gown Jaedis was wearing looked very familiar.

"Oh—is it yours? Lace delivered it to my room and I couldn't remember. You know she's not too careful about those things. And I have so many gowns! We should go through my cabinets together—there are lots of dresses I don't wear anymore and you might like them."

"Sure!" Arialain smiled. Of all the princesses, she and Jaedis could share clothing only with each other. Both of them barely reached five feet and had similar figures, though in every other respect, they differed drastically.

Arialain kept up with Jaedis' chatter as they followed the road across the wide meadows that separated the castle from the nearest town of Merridell. Arialain added her own thoughts here and there, but knew Jaedis much preferred to hear her own voice. She didn't mind. The long, wild grasses waving under the cloudless sky had already cheered her, as did the smell of growing hayfields on nearby farms.

"Holy knuckles, it's hot out here! Feels like summer." Arialain wished she had thought to wear a kerchief. The sun could easily burn her scalp through her thin yellow hair.

"Well, it is summer! Close enough, at least. The town has started getting ready for Fenwick's Feast." Jaedis grinned. She loved festivals and holidays, tournaments, and royal balls—anything fun. "Think I might do a puppet show for the peasant children this year, what do you think about that?"

"Nice." Arialain would probably attend the festival with Tofer, and run the races. She loved physical challenges, which was why nursing the door all day felt so stagnating to her. Yes, it was heavy—but she had long since gotten used to that.

After nearly an hour, they reached the market square in Merridell. Always crowded, always joyfully busy, with a collection of colorful booths that never failed to excite her heart. Arialain could have been Market Princess, and a good one, if Maelyn had given her anything like a choice.