Amphibious

“Come on Belle! We have to get moving!” I yell up the stairs.

“Hold your horses!” My little sister snaps down at me.

“We should have left twenty minutes ago!”

“Who cares, since when have you decided you want to be punctual?” She asks bouncing down the stairs as she adjusts her crown.

“Because I-I-” I haven’t told Belle about Ella yet, I think I’ll just wait until after they meet to explain it all, “I just feel like we should be on time for once.”

She rolls her eyes, “Fine then, I’m ready now anyway.”

“Great,” I say and open the door for her.

Our footman greets us at the carriage and helps my sister in first, I climb in after.

Belle

I know we are nearing town when the smell of sweet bread and candy fills my nose. I press my face to the window and look at all the bright colors as the people of the village run around creating all sorts of noises. Here, we will search for my big brother’s future wife. Sometimes I’m a little jealous, I think it would be nice to know who I was going to spend the rest of my life with, and I wish people would give me all the help they give Amphi.

We pull slowly through the festival. Girls dressed in fine clothes and boys dressed in their sunday best run about eagerly looking at all the pretty things. There is a glint of white in the corner of my eye and I gasp.

“What’s wrong?” Amphi asks, popping his head beside mine.

“Nothing I-I-” I’ve lost sight of her, she was the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, “There was an angel I think; a beautiful angel clothes in stardust!”

Amphi laughs, “I wish I would have seen your angel.”

“If you had you would be in love with her,” I say straining my eyes to get another glimpse of the girl.

Amphi laughs and sits back in his seat. I search the crowds and my eyes land on yet another handsome individual. He is a boy, about my age, maybe a little older. He has a nice smile. His eyes are warm and brown and his hair is tousled and messy. He’s speaking to two other boys and he throws his head back and lets out a great laugh.

Suddenly his eyes scan across and pass me, and then pop back onto me. He stares at me and I swallow. Then slowly he smiles, and his hand moves to his head. He pretends to tip a non-existent cap at me as he begins to shrink from my view. I smile and blush. I hope he’s at the party tonight.

Our arrival at the contest is very great indeed. It’s an enormous amphitheater filled with people. The trumpets sound as Amphi and I enter and take our seats directly in front of the stage on two thrones, his is just a little taller and bigger than mine. Our people cheer as we take our spots. Amphi turns to the townspeople and lifts his hands for silence.

“My people!” He shouts at the anticipating audience, “Let the festivities begin!”

The villagers begin to hoot and holler from the stands and I let out a giggle. Very suddenly my eyes land on the boy from before. He is dirty and tall, but his eyes are bright and alive. He looks at me and smiles widely. He nods his head at me and I give a teensy bow in his general direction. He knows it is at him. 

I tear my eyes away from him and we are seated as the girls begin to walk the stage. It is the same every time: a girl comes out, she is introduced, she is given the opportunity to say why she should be chosen to attend the ball and be in the running to be Amphi’s bride, and then the audience cheers and she leaves the stage.

“Your majesty,” The foreman projects over the roaring stands, “We, small community as we are, are proud to offer you our finest contenders to the throne! We are pleased to offer you any maiden that you please. As our future king, we hope that you will find our humble offerings to your taste and remember our hospitality when you ascend the throne. As the foreman elected to the position by your father, I hope to gain as much favor in your eyes as I did his; and I pray that under your reign we will be every ounce as prosperous. To you my lady,” His eyes linger on me, “I would like to inform you that you are twice as beautiful as the rumors; and although there is not a maiden here who could outshine you in beauty,” He turns back to my brother, “We hope that we could supply a close second.”

My brother nods at him and the audience cheers their approval. “Now, without further ado, let us begin!” He clears his throat and announces, “Presenting the daughter of the town seamstress: Goldilocks Diamond!”

An obnoxious looking girl with the fakest smile I’ve ever seen steps onto the stage, she waves her hand with a lightness to her movement, and I only hope Amphi can tell that it is a very forced mannerism. I must admit, however, that she is quite beautiful. The foreman wasn’t kidding when he called her goldilocks, I’ve never seen hair such a stunning color of shimmering flax.

She arrives at the foreman’s side and blows Amphi a kiss, I roll my eyes. The foreman whispers something in her ear and she smiles and nods. She clears her throat for an unpleasantly extended amount of time.

“Fair people, your highnesses,” Her voice is very nasally and hard to listen to without comparing it to a witch cackle, “Friends and family of myself. I should be the queen because I look like a queen. I have the most beautiful hair in all the land and the manners of a cloud in the midst of spring. I will float to the crown and wear it as angel would, with a halo of golden hair. Thank you.”

There is scattered applause as she exits the stage. I’m trying really hard not to laugh. I glance at Amphi out of the side of my eye and see his face fully red with cheeks puffed out as if he’s holding his breath to keep from laughing. 

“I’ve never heard a speech like that,” He mutters.

“Me neither,” I whisper back, eyes wide.

“And next we have her younger sister-” The foreman begins.

“Oh great,” Amphie interrupts quietly.

“-Thumbelina Diamond!”

“What kind of names are these,” I hiss in my big brother’s ear. 

A plain looking ordinary girl steps onto the stage. She has a big smile on her face as she stumbles across the floor waving one open hand high above her head.

“Well hello there,” The foreman greets her when she reaches the end of the stage.

“Hi,” She giggles.

There is an awkward pause before the foreman whispers out of the corner of his mouth, “Do you have a speech?”

“Oh right! My speech,” She chuckles, “Sorry, my bad. Yes I have a speech. I should be queen because I would enjoy it more than most people, and it would prove to my big sister that people like me. Thanks!”

She waves all the way off the stage. I sit staring at her disappearing figure and then turn slowly to my brother. He’s already looking at me.

“This is gonna be a long show…”

“You’re telling me.”

It wasn’t long before most of the competitors had taken their turn. Amphi became continuously more nervous and fidgety as time rolled by and we had yet to be presented by a single suitable prospect. He seemed glummer than usually and almost disappointed.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

“Of course,” He says, agitated, “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, you just seem sort of down, that’s all,” I whisper.

“I’m okay-”

“And last but not least: we have Ella Woodsman! Daughter of the carpenter!” The announcer interrupts.

Amphi suddenly perks up, his eyes brighten and his smile widens. He sits up straighter and his face softens as the final maiden takes the stage. She lights up the space-literally.

Her dress sparkles like a thousand diamonds. Her smile is sweeter than honeycomb. Her hair hangs loosely, framing her face with graceful ringlets. She bats her eyes and I hear a soft shiver escape my brother’s mouth.

She floats across the stage with the straightest back I’ve ever seen. The way she carries herself is as a queen. She holds her head up with a sense of pride, but her eyes are a well of humility. Her feminine air is backed by her slim figure. And her delicate fingers clasp softly in front of her.

As her eyes land on my brother he grins like a child. Her face turns a soft shade of pink. And her eyes fall to the floor before her. She reaches the announcer and stops. She stands with a sense of quiet confidence and immovability. She is still as a stone statue.

“I do not pretend to be any more worthy than anyone else. But I offer myself to the service of the kingdom; and, if I may be bold I would conject: that I even more importantly offer my heart and my love to the prince. If he accepts it I will be glad and if he does not then I will live, thank you,” She smiles and gracefully walks away like a swan on a glassy lake.

Amphi smiles like a small child. 

“And with that our parade has reached its conclusion. We will now give the royals a few moments to decide who has won the prince’s heart,” He bows to us and exits.

“I wonder who you’ll choose,” I roll my eyes.