Page 3 of A Cake of Cherries and Charm

Rosie blushed. “It all happened so fast. I’ll just be happy to get the family there in one piece.”

“And you will,” Gus said soothingly. “If anyone can navigate such a change, it’s you.”

Rosie picked up her basket of fruit and her traveling sack. “Well,” she laughed breathlessly. “If I can’t, perhaps I’ll come back to be your nanny.”

“Oh!” Gus’s wife perked up. “Oh, yes! I should like that!”

But Gus put a hand on Rosie’s shoulder. “Truly,” he said, looking more like Rosie’s father than he ever had. “You’ll be fine.”

The words echoed in Rosie’s ears long after she had left the cottage. They were true, she told herself. She’d been telling herself this for the last two days, ever since she and her twin sister had broken a friendly bear’s curse to find out that he was the kingdom’s missing younger prince. Immediately, he had proposed to her sister and promised the entire family that he would bring them back to the palace with him, where they could all live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

And that was every common girl’s dream, was it not? Breaking a magic spell and moving from the country to a life of luxury, surrounded by noblemen while being waited on hand and foot?

Rosie had meant to go directly to the dressmaker’s shop, where her mother and sister were waiting for her. But as soon as she entered the village, her feet took her elsewhere, moving with a mind of their own until she stood in the middle of the church cemetery before a simple gravestone.

“You would have wanted them to have the house,” she whispered. “I know you would have. Seeing the good fortune that came upon us. It would have been selfish not to give it to them.”

But as she said this, she could no longer pretend to smile, and instead, she sighed. “I don’t really want to go. I’ve never wanted fancy clothes and riches. And I never meant to leave you.” Her throat threatened to close, and suddenly, speaking was painfully difficult.

She cleared her throat. “But I do want love. And I promised to follow Snow and Mother to take care of them. The way you wanted me to. And I could never deny Snow the love she…”

She had to clear her throat yet again several times. “I just wish I’d had more than two days to say goodbye.” And with that, she took a small nosegay of miniature roses out of her basket and placed it on the gravestone. Then she wiped her eyes, forced a smile, and turned to walk down the familiar road for what might be her last time.

Half an hour later, Rosie found herself slowly turning in a circle once more, studying the way the cream and cherry pink gown twirled around her ankles.

“Oh, Mayra, they’re perfect!” Rosie’s twin, Snow, exclaimed. She looked at Rosie and beamed. “The colors are superb!”

They really were perfectly matched to the girls’ complexions. Snow’s delicate pale features were offset by a gown of royal blue and cream, while Rosie’s darker hair and eyes were better set off by the red tones in her dress.

“How fortunate for us that a palace seamstress settled in our village,” their mother said, nodding in approval at both of them. Then she turned to Mayra, the dressmaker. “I’m so glad the girls won’t have to appear at the palace in homemade dresses. That would never do.”

“That was long ago,” Mayra laughed, waving a hand. “I only wish I could do more.” She took Rosie by the hand and slowly turned her once more, critically surveying her work. “If I’d had more time, I would have ordered nicer ribbons from the city. But it would have taken a week for Sam to make that trip with our old horse. Still,” she let go of Rosie and nodded once more, “I don’t think you’ll have anything to be ashamed of while you’re waiting for your new gowns to be finished by the seamstress there.”

Then she looked at their mother. “You will all have new wardrobes made up when you reach the palace, of course. The material will need to be far finer, seeing as you’re going to be noble ladies in the king’s court, and the modes, of course, will also have changed since I left.”

“These are more than enough,” Rosie said, assuring the seamstress with a smile. “I could never have made anything so fine.”

“How much do I owe you?” their mother asked, opening her reticule. There weren’t many coins inside, Rosie knew, but then again, they were going to live at the palace under the care and protection of the prince–Snow’s husband-to-be. They wouldn’t need to count coins for everything after this.

After all, you did save my life. He had grinned. The least the crown can do is make you comfortable for the rest of yours!

But Mayra just held up a hand and shook her head. “You’re not to pay a single copper.”

“Really, Mayra,” their mother began. “You’re surely not expecting me to let you make us gowns for free–”

“I’m doing no such thing. The village has gifted these gowns to you ladies as farewell gifts. Besides, I’d already had them mostly made up for another customer who never paid. All they needed were a few alterations.” Mayra’s eyes twinkled. “And… they might have possibly been gifted with the hope that Snow won’t forget the village when she’s crowned princess, and new taxes are to be decided.”

“That’s so very kind of them,” Snow said, blushing prettily. “Of you all!”

Rosie nearly pointed out that her sister was marrying the younger prince, not the crown prince, so it was unlikely that he would have much to do with writing the taxes, but she kept her mouth closed. The village was proud to have a princess from one of their own number. Nearly as proud as Rosie was. So she merely thanked the seamstress for the gown again before following her mother and sister back out to the street in their new finery.

As soon as they stepped onto the dirt road, however, Rosie realized with a shock that the entire village had apparently converged on the street while she was inside. And as soon as they were spotted, the three women were nearly trampled by their friends and neighbors in their excitement.

Most of them merely wanted to wish Snow well–which only made sense, as Snow was the one marrying a prince–but Rosie felt something pressed into her hands. She looked down to find the clergyman’s wife, Sonia, handing her a cloth-covered basket.

“Something to sustain you on your journey,” she called over the noise of the crowd.

Rosie peeked inside to see little round meat pies, slices of cheese, bread rolls, and plump, ripe berries. She grinned up at the woman.