After Maxine's departure, Ashley thought this might be a good time to make sense of her life, but this exercise only resulted in more confusion. What did it mean to be a princess? Why did the prince marry her if he didn't want to be near her? How did she not know her fairy godmother was temporary? That she worked for a place that had a "headquarters?" What had Maxine meant to tell Ashley at the end?

The more confused she became, the more her body temperature rose. The silk bodice of her dress clung to her skin with sweat. She longed to strip off the layers. If only she could be a nymph, swimming in a cold mountain spring. But come to think of it, the few nymphs she'd met harbored bitterness about being confined to a single body of water or tree, their only company a human who might stumble into their domain. A nymph's life was rather like being a princess in a castle, only with less protocol and clothing.

Even a breeze would help. Though the fog and rain (courtesy of the fairy godmother head office) had dissipated, the library was abnormally humid. Charred remnants of an ancient fire decayed in the hearth, and cobwebs stretched between the stones.

Rows and rows of dusty, faded leather-bound books lined every wall of the dim library except for one at the far end. The shelves on this wall housed a collection of candles, flints, snuffers, crystal bottles of amber liquid, a human skull whose hollow eyes seemed to hold the secret of how it had come to rest in the Cornell Castle library, several scandalous nude female bronze sculptures, and a deck of strange cards with an aura of evil. Above the shelves was a small window overlooking wild fields and the Ever After River. Ashley threw the window open. The river roared, and a blast of chill mountain air cooled her face.

Bliss.

Breathe.

Calm.

So what if Ashley's life so far contained more questions than answers? Time to change that.

She stood, her skirts unfurling themselves like the petals of a water lily in full sun. So many books. How to choose? How much time did she have? Perhaps someone would notice her absence and send a search party.

At random, she pulled a small volume from between two behemoths. It smelled of old leather, dust, and boredom. The cover read Crop Yields, 1523. That was twenty years ago. Its pages contained lists of plants, dates, and numbers, drawn in neat, precise writing.

Nothing at all about being a princess.

She replaced the book and made her way to the next shelf. And the next. There were books on shipping, swordsmanship, cigar rolling, and beard care. None at all helpful. She closed her eyes and picked a book at random.

"You called?"

Ashley started, almost dropping the book entitled 101 Uses for Leeches. "Domino!"

The little pigeon balanced on the windowsill, tipping back and forth on her twiggy orange legs. "Sorry to scare you. Heard you had a job for me."

"I ... uh ... don't. Where did you hear this?"

"Aw, you know. The grapevine. This lizard told that squirrel who told that hedgehog. Like a game of telephone. In the end, no one knows the original message."

"A game of what?"

"Telephone. Oh, sorry. Forgot you humans don't have those yet, which is a good thing. Turns out, they put a lot of skilled pigeons out of business."

"Uh ... okay."

"So whatcha up to?" Domino flew in, skimming over the highest shelves close to the vaulted ceiling.

"Just looking for answers."

"In here?"

Ashley placed her hands on her hips, scanning the shelves. "It is a library."

"Yeah, but look at how old everything is. And dusty."

"History can tell us many helpful things."

"But whose history is it?"

"History belongs to all of us." Her father used to tell her this when she was small.

"Problem as I see it is it's a lot of opinions based on who gets to write the books. But what do I know? I'm only a pigeon who doesn't know a Q from an A. Oops." A white stream of bird droppings torpedoed an entire shelf of books. "Sorry, too much rye bread. Disagrees with the stomach, but it's good goin' down. Hey, what's that?" Domino alit on the arm of the chair, bobbing her head toward Maxine's gift.

"A gift from my fairy godmother. A memento." A sob climbed into her throat, but she pressed it back down.

Domino hopped, fluttering her wings. "Now I remember; she's the one who sent for me."

"She did?"

"Yeah. Well, you gonna open it?"

"It's locked," Ashley observed.

"When did a lock ever stop you?"

"Who told you that?"

"Chomperz."

"Ah." She removed another pin from her hair and knelt beside the chair, jiggling the pin in the lock. Nothing happened.

"Maybe you need to knock," Domino offered. "Like on a door?"

Rap, rap, rap. "Nope."

"Say abracadabra?"

"Abracadabra." Still nothing.

She lifted the book. Shook it. Held it against her chest, breathing in the scent of whiskey, and magic, tree roots, and wind. It smelled like Maxine. The lock clicked open, and a heavy silver foil card slid out—the invitation to Charming and Ashley's wedding. "But how?"

"It's one of those 'True Heart Locks.' Seen 'em before."

Ashley lowered the book to the floor. Opening to the first page, she ran her fingertip over the words printed in golden calligraphy on heavy vellum—The Tale of Princess Ashley.

A book about her?

The dedication read:

To my dear Ashley,

It's been a great honor to be your fairy godmother. Though I must leave you now, know that I will be with you in spirit always. Please accept this book as a token of my esteem. On these pages, you will find memories of a very kind, industrious, intelligent woman filled with humor and warmth. Many blank pages remain. Hundreds of adventures lie in wait. I pray you find what you're looking for, perhaps even within the confines of this volume.

I love you,

Maxine Merryweather, Fairy Godmother, First Class

P.S. Sorry about those glass slippers. You were right. They were monstrous.

P.P.S. I managed to scrounge some of these mementos out of Marveloni's lair. He doesn't grasp that it's a felony to open someone else's letters. Beware the royal mail!

Leafing through, Ashley discovered this was no ordinary book. Rather than a story told in words, it was a story told in memories and objects. Pictures, cards, and letters were fastened to the pages.

It included a twig from the tree she'd cried beneath at her Stepmother's house just before Maxine arrived. The tree which had magically grown from the silver twig her father brought her as a souvenir from his last business trip.

The royal decree inviting all eligible women to Charming's ball.

Pumpkin seeds from the gourd that was to become her coach.

A scrap of fabric from her mother's gown, which had been torn to shreds by her stepsisters.

A clipping of Ashley's Princess Monthly interview.

Ashley returned the invitation to its place on the first of many wedding pages. The pages that followed brimmed with notes and cards from all over the world, from dignitaries and royals and ordinary citizens, all wishing the couple a happily ever after.

She clenched her jaw so hard it ached. Marveloni had kept these from her. What was he trying to accomplish? Why had he always loathed her? He didn't even know her. Perhaps to him, Ashley would never be more than a servant girl elevated above her station. It was as if he wanted to show the prince she would never be a true princess. But to what end? Could it be that the magician was in love with Charming?

Well, Charming was her one true love. And she would prove her worth to him. She turned the page to discover a note addressed directly to Ashley. It read:

Dear Princess Ashley,

I wish you much happiness. I'm sure your new life will have challenges, but if half the stories I've heard of you are correct, I'm sure you will meet them with kindness and wisdom, like all the royal spouses of the seven kingdoms. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

With best wishes,

Princess Sadira

Kingdom of Morpheus

Such a kind sentiment. If only Ashley could meet Princess Sadira in person.

But wait. Why not?

Ashley had been looking at this problem wrong all along. She could look to others for help, not dusty old books. There were royal spouses in each of the seven kingdoms. Why not invite them all to come and share ideas, hopes, dreams? Though the neighboring lands had their disagreements, and wars had periodically been fought over the centuries, this could be an opportunity to bring lasting peace and understanding.

Not only would Ashley learn what it meant to be a princess, but she could also help her people. Perhaps they'd all have a grand adventure! Her heart swelled with excitement.

Now that she had the beginnings of a plan, she couldn't wait to make it happen. She jumped up, eyes darting from the window to the book to the door. Where to begin? The invitations. Yes.

"Domino, are you up for traveling to some kingdoms far far away?"

"Bring it," said the little bird, puffing out her chest.

"Come on!" Ashley ran from the library, the little pigeon flitting close behind. They didn't stop when the seneschal yelled after her. They didn't stop to ask directions. They didn't stop when Ashley almost knocked over the judgmental court jester. Nor when her ladies-in-waiting, bearing sharp embroidery needles, tried to intercept her in the anteroom.

Not until she thrust open the door to her chamber did Ashley pause to catch her breath. Breathing hard, she bent over, clutching the stitch burning on her side. She gathered her thoughts, then swept around the room, collecting parchment, quills, and sealing wax. Because the spouses would have to travel for days to get to Ever After, it made sense to have them stay for at least a week.

A weeklong sleepover would require a lot of planning. Beyond the invitations, there were sleeping arrangements for the royals and their entourages, welcoming events, entertainment, food, wine preparations, and a billion other things to plan.

She scratched out a list of the invitees:

Princess Sadira, Kingdom of Morpheus

Princess Kai, Kingdom of Atlantis

Princess Blanche, of Gravenstein

Prince Derek, of The Rainbow

Princess Layyin, of Upper Sealy

Princess Tressa, Kingdom of Xanthe

Each person would have individual needs and desires.

Did Sadira avoid spinning wheels after the whole spindle curse? Princess Kai was a mermaid. Would she require aquatic accommodations? Was Blanche allergic to apples after she ate that poisoned one so long ago? Would Derek be offended if the chef served frog legs after that evil witch had turned him into a frog for so long? How many mattresses would it take to make Princess Layyin comfortable? Did Tressa require extra bottles of shampoo and conditioner for her famous tower-length tresses? And beyond that, would any of them even accept? They all had lives. And princes who loved them. Families. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself.

But her fairy godmother must've given her the stolen notes for a reason. Even if only one prince or princess came, it would be amazing.

It would take a while for her to write the invitations. "Domino, it's going to be a difficult journey. Perhaps you should rest."

"Good idea," she said, tucking her head beneath a wing.

Hours later, when the ink had dried, and the seals were in place, Ashley woke Domino. "Are you ready?"

"Can't wait."

"Sure you can handle six letters at once?"

"Is the sky blue?"

"Sometimes."

"Maybe that was a bad example. But you get my drift."

"You're the best, Domino."

She opened the window, and Domino flew off into the orange sunset.

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