Pumpkin Patch Princess

CHAPTER EIGHT: A Diet of Salad and Jealousy

Maud and I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about our forthcoming adventures. Well, she called them "client visits," but I preferred "adventures," since traveling to kingdoms with goblin caves and bramble forests definitely deserved the term to someone who had barely ever left her backyard.

"This week, you'll meet one of my clients and help me run an errand in the Tented Market," my trainer said.

I had completely forgotten that the traveling bazaar was here in Irisia. I told Maud about the man and the horse-wife I had run into on the way to Valentine's house and she laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'll have to share that one with the girls in the record-keeping department," she said, wiping her eyes.

When she had recovered, she told me that our first stop would be Viridian, the kingdom at the foot of the Citrian mountains. I told her about Geoff up at knight school and asked whether we might have time to pass by.

"I have an errand there, so yes," she agreed. "But not for a little while. Once we take care of my client in Viridian, we need to head east to Heliotropia." The name seemed to remind her of the crate by her feet, which had a door made of thin metal bars.

"What's in there?" I asked.

She opened the door and stuck a hand inside. I wasn't sure what I expected her to bring out, but it wasn't the gigantic frog that emerged. Its skin was purplish-green, like a bruise, and gleamed in the sunlight. It looked slimy and sticky to the touch.

"Gross!" I exclaimed.

The frog opened its large yellow eyes and glared at me.

Maud laughed. "Now, Noelle, that's not very nice. Alfonso is a perfect gentleman. Aren't you, Alfonso?"

"Sorry," I apologized. "I guess I'm not a big frog fan."

Alfonso closed his eyes and turned his little green back, as though he couldn't stand the sight of me. His tongue lashed out vengefully at a passing fly.

"Oh, he's still a bit cranky from the journey," said the fairy godmother with cheer. "We just got back from an assignment overseas."

"Is he a pet?"

Maud waved a hand in dismissal. "Only witches have familiars. Alfonso's got to do with my client in Heliotropia."

Before I could ask her more questions about the frog – which was still shooting me dirty looks – we were interrupted by the appearance of Muffet, who looked rather cranky himself.

"Noelle, I thought you were going to come get me for dinner," the cat complained.

"Sorry, I lost track of the time," I said, just realizing that my stomach was rumbling.

"It was my fault, Muffet. I was talking my new trainee's ear off," Maud said. "You look great, by the way. Valentine said you'd been feeling a bit under the weather."

He hopped up beside her to be petted. "Thanks. There's nothing a cup of strawberry yogurt can't fix," he replied, turning to me. "I'm glad you two got paired up, Noelle. Maud's one of our best fairy godmothers."

"I know. She's going to get a seat in the House of Godmothers soon."

"Just being considered for one," Maud corrected me.

"Oh, Merlin's tutu." Muffet waved a dismissive orange paw. "I think of myself as somewhat of an insider, and I'd say you're a front runner."

My trainer flushed with pleasure. "And just for that, Muffet, your strawberry yogurt's on me tonight."