Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales Paperback(123)

Trojan War!” She had brought them a set of papier maché puppets

and necklaces of lapis lazuli. For Blanchefleur, she had brought a hat of crimson felt that she had seen on a dancing monkey in Marakesh.

Blanchefleur said, “Thank you. You shouldn’t have.”

Once the presents were distributed and the lizards were eating an

enormous box of Turkish Delight, she said to Ivan, “Come outside.”

When they were standing by the house, under the alders, she said,

“Ivan, I can see you’ve taken good care of my children. They are

happy and healthy, and that is due to your dedication. Hercules told me how you took care of Medea when she was ill. I want to give you a present too. I brought back a camel whip for you, but I want to give you something that will be of more use, since you don’t have a camel.

You must raise your arms, then close your eyes and stand as still as possible, no matter how startled you may be.”

Ivan closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect.

And then he felt a terrible constriction around his chest, as though his ribcage were being crushed. He opened his eyes, looked down, and gasped.

There, wrapped around his chest, was what looked like a thick

green rope. It was Dame Lizard’s tail, which had been hidden under

her duster. For a moment, the tail tightened, and then it was no longer attached to her body. She had shed it, as lizards do. Ivan almost fell forward from the relief of being able to breathe.

“I learned that from a Swami in India,” she said. “From now on,

when you give pain to another, you will feel my tail tightening

around you so whatever pain you give, you will also receive. That’s called empathy, and the Swami said it was the most important thing anyone can have.”

Ivan looked down. He could no longer see the tail, but he could

feel it around him, like a band under his shirt. He did not know

whether to thank her. The gift, if gift it was, had been so painful that he felt sore and bruised.

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? Blanchefleur ?

After he had said a protracted farewell to all the lizards, hugging them tightly, he and Blanchefleur walked north, along the river. He told her what Dame Lizard had done, lifting his shirt and showing

her the mark he had found there, like a tattoo of a green tail around his ribcage.

“Is it truly a gift, or a curse?” he asked Blanchefleur.

“One never knows about gifts until later,” said the white cat.

Marmalade met them at the front door. “I’m so sorry, Miss

Blanchefleur,” he said, “but your mother is not home. The King has

asked her to the castle, to consult about the dragon attack. But she left you a note in the solar.”

Blanchfleur read the note to Ivan.

My dear, Ivan’s third apprenticeship is with Captain Wolf in the Northern Mountains. Could you please accompany him and try to keep him from getting kil ed? Love, Mother.

This time, there was no banquet. With the Lady gone, the castle

was quiet, as though it were asleep and waiting for her return to wake back up. They ate dinner in the kitchen with Mrs. Pebbles and the ladies-in-waiting, and then went directly to bed. Blanchefleur curled up next to Ivan on the pillow, as usual. It had become their custom.

The next morning, Mrs. Pebbles gave them Ivan’s satchel, with

clean clothes, including some warmer ones for the mountains, and

his horn-handled knife. “Take care of each other,” she told them.

“Those mountains aren’t safe, and I don’t know what the Lady is

thinking, sending you to the Wolf Guard.”

“What is the Wolf Guard?” Ivan asked as they walked down the

garden path.

“It’s part of the King’s army,” said Blanchfleur. “It guards the

northern borders from trolls. They come down from the mountains

and raid the towns. In winter, especially . . . ”

“Blanchefleur!” Tailcatcher was standing in front of them. He

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? Theodora Goss ?

had stepped out from behind one of the topiaries. “May I have

a word with you?” He did not, however, sound as though he were

asking permission. Ivan gritted his teeth. He had never spoken to

Blanchefleur like that—even if he had wanted to, he would not have

dared.

“Yes, and the word is no,” said Blanchefleur. She walked right around him, holding her tail high, and Ivan followed her, making a wide circle around the striped cat, who looked as though he might take a swipe at Ivan’s shins. He looked back, to see Tailcatcher glaring at them.