Act 11.

Linda, Margaret and King Patrick watched as the visiting dignitaries’ carriage pulled up outside the castle.

It was well made but not overly made up. It had the Coat of Arms of the royal family of Amford, who ruled the small kingdom to the south of these lands of the Halberd line.

It was small, as kingdoms go, but very rich because of its fertile soil that grew some of the best and most delicious fruits. Affordable by only the more well off families. The kingdom also had much in the way of minerals that could only be found there.

The first king knew that these things would cause a lot of problems for his people, what with everyone else wanting their riches, that he negotiated treaties with all the other kingdoms that had each keeping an eye on the other. So if one tried to invade, the others would band together to stop him. This lead to a prosperous growth for the kingdom of Amford, and everyone got what they wanted.

It was rumoured recently though, that the latest king, named William, was a little more ambitious than his predecessors and was looking to form new alliances to expand his own territory.

Margaret confided in Linda that she was worried that her brother’s magical gift was making him a very good catch in the foreign king’s eye.

But she also knew that her brother and the young princess Amy, were taken with each other, and she did want to see her brother happy.

So she had cautioned her brother to take his time and not make hasty decisions. And to her surprise he had actually agreed. That was when Margaret had realised that her little baby brother was no longer little.

The driver stopped the carriage and climbed down off of it. He walked over and opened the door.

The first one out of the carriage was the princess herself.

She looked nothing like those fairy tales that Linda had sometimes read when she was younger and still living in a home.

Linda had dreamed of becoming one of these princesses. She had pictured herself with long flowing golden hair and not the short mousy yellow she had had as a child. She had wanted lovely green eyes that shone like emeralds and a castle to live in with friends and servants and being happy and carefree.

But she hadn’t any of these things.

Linda felt a hurt cross her heart.

Her world as a child was very unlike that of a fairy tale princess. With a mother who had to support the family because the dad was constantly in and out of jail. Having to hear the woes of her mother who looked upon her children as a burden and not a blessing.

So Linda had turned to others for support.

The gang at school who made her feel part of something.

Together with her new found family she would go and not return for days. Not that she thought her mother cared or noticed.

Not that others didn’t notice.

Authorities always noticed them and many a time Linda found herself facing these authorities.

They would talk to her and try to make her change her ways. But in her mind they were not the ones who cared about her. Her new family did, not them. They would talk to her mother who only sighed and told them how it was not her fault as her life was so hard and how Linda was a no good kid.

That was when Linda had realised that she could no longer stay there. She was not wanted so she would go with those that did want her.

At the tender age of 14 she left her home for good and lived her new life on the streets with her new family, until she found herself here.

Now Linda was about to meet a real princess who looked nothing like she had pictured.

Compared to the princesses in the stories, Amy was rather plain. Her hair was of a soft brown that almost perfectly matched her eyes. Her nose was slightly larger than fit her face but she held her head in a way that defied you to say anything about it.

Her demeanour was that of a princess though. She stood straight and tall, and walked with an air of confidence.

She walked up to the the king and his two companions.

"I bring greetings from my father, king William, to his royal highness king Patrick. And thank him for the hospitality he offers." she said in a slightly nasally voice.

Patrick bowed and said.

"I thank his highness for allowing such a beauty to grace my humble domain."

Amy blushed and Linda suppressed a smile as Margaret rolled her eyes at her brother’s words.

Patrick continued.

"This is my sister the lady Margaret." he said turning to his sister.

Linda saw Margaret stiffen a little at the use of the title as she greeted the Princess.

"I hope you will enjoy your time here. If I can be of any service, you need but ask."

The princess stared at her in silence for a short time before shaking herself out of her reverie.

"I am sorry my lady." said the princess. "It is just that I have heard many stories of your exploits and your brother has talk of you in his letters, but you are not what I expected."

"You mean you expected a much taller and muscular woman." said Margaret.

This was the normal reaction people had when first finding out who she was. It usually took her wiping the floor with one of her doubters to show them the erroneous assumption they made.

Margaret decided that that was exactly the wrong way to prove the princess wrong. So she respectfully said.

"Do not worry. Many cannot believe I am who I claim to be. I have gotten a little used to it."

"Be that as it may." said the princess. "I apologies for my presumption."

The King continued.

"And this is Margaret’s friend. The Lady Linda, who is the Champion of the fair Queen Adriana."

Linda bowed.

"It is an honour to meet you princess." she said.

"And you." said Amy. "You have not been with us long but you have quite a reputation."

The king looked back at the carriage.

"Was not your brother supposed to be visiting us as well?" he asked. "I do not see him."

"Oh he is with me." answered Amy. "It is just that my brother does not ride in carriages well and was a little ill. He shall disembark as soon as he is feeling less queasy."

Margaret looked at Linda with a look that said.

‘He gets sick riding in carriages? What kind of person is he?’

Linda just shrugged. Many people get motion sickness, it didn’t mean they were sickly.

There was movement from inside the carriage.

"Ah." said Amy. "My brother stirs."

And as everyone watched out of the carriage stepped a large man wearing a jacket and shirt that had more buttons and frills than Linda had ever seen except in the movies.

He looked like an overweight old english fop.