A demon’s rival. Natalie Yacobson

it because of his advisor?» Samantha guessed.

      The fairy nodded sadly.

      «I would have bewitched Serpin myself, but the demon is on guard. You see, as soon as the king marries a fairy or a mortal girl, the demon will have to leave Ivilor forever.»

      «I don’t understand!»

      «You don’t have to understand! Take care of yourself!» The fairy sent a goodbye air kiss and flew out the window.

      That’s a good thing to say – take care of you! The fairy said this just after casting thirteen curses and a magical defense against magical marriage on Samantha.

      Samantha had heard that fairies were frivolous, but this kind of recklessness was over the top. If it weren’t for the new dresses she would have slammed the window shut and told the fairy not to fly in again.

      A strange creature

      As soon as the fairy flew away, Samantha woke up as if from a magical dream. She finally realized it.

      If the fairy had put her mark on her, then she was enchanted! What a surprise! Samantha pulled her dress down off her shoulder and looked at the glistening mole. From the outside, the mark looked like a piece of jewelry, but if the inquisitors noticed it, they would suspect something wrong. Only the Inquisitors were nowhere to be seen in Ivilor, as if they had all disappeared into thin air. Perhaps young King Serpin doesn’t want to see their grim faces at court. Surely Serpin is cheerful and light-hearted. And he probably has tons of minions!

      That last suggestion made Samantha sick. Jealousy pierced her heart with a red-hot needle. Had she fallen in love with the king? But she was no match for him! She was just a provincial girl, while Serpin was the ruler of a great and powerful country. He may be very young, but he must be treated with respect. After all, despite his youth, he holds the rulers of all neighboring states in fear.

      Samantha herself did not notice that she had left her apartment. She stopped only when she came upon a large floor vase of gladioli. Oops, she thought these were already someone else’s quarters. Fortunately, their balcony overlooked the terrace, and from the terrace one could walk across to the night garden.

      There was only one girl strolling through the royal garden at this late hour. Judging from the tiara in her hair, she was no less than a princess. Except that she looked disheveled and strange. Her once luxurious dress was torn in some places, with burdock thorns clinging to the hem. The princess was picking twigs from the ground and folding them into fanciful patterns, as if she were going to leave a coded message for someone.

      «Florimonda still lives in this palace!» A familiar voice whispered in amazement behind Samantha’s back.

      Samantha turned around. The same blonde fairy who had recently slept in her closet was swinging on a cypress branch like a swing.

      «So you didn’t fly away!» Samantha rejoiced.

      «I decided to see if there was anything edible in the royal garden. There used to be sweet peaches here.»

      Now instead of peaches, there were briars and thorns everywhere. Maybe the fairy flew to the wrong part of the garden for fruit trees.

      «And this girl is a princess?» Samantha pointed to Florimonda.

      «Yes, she is a crazy princess,» the fairy nodded indifferently. «They say a demon put its claws into her brain and she went mad.»

      «Is she Serpin’s sister? But he looks quite normal.»

      «What a sister! Florimonda is an overseas princess who came to Ivilor to be Serpin’s bride, but it didn’t work out.»

      «No wonder if she’s crazy. Who would marry a madwoman?»

      «She wasn’t crazy when she came to lvilor.»

      «How is it so?» Samantha wondered. She was sure that one was born crazy, not made crazy, but the fairy thought otherwise. According to her, Florimonda was driven mad by demons.

      «Florimonda liked the young king very much,» the fairy said,«and he liked her, but the king has an advisor, a real demon, who does not want the king to marry. He has scared away the princess brides, or thrown them down into a ravine, or given them to demons. One crazy princess is still wandering the garden. Her father’s fleet was sunk by an imp who summoned water spirits. Yet somehow he couldn’t bring Florimonda herself down.

      «You’re telling tall tales!» Samantha was indignant.

      «Listen to her!»

      Samantha listened. There was indeed a whisper.

      «The water hands have pulled you to the bottom,» whispered the mad princess. «But I can hear you. You are still alive under the water.»

      Florimonda was just leaning over the pond. If she’s really crazy, she’d better get out of the garden soon. There aren’t even any guards around. Samantha was afraid that the crazy princess would attack her, but she was stacking twigs on the surface of the pond. Instead of sinking, they floated on the surface, joining together in fanciful patterns.

      Samantha walked down a path overgrown with weeds. The fairy didn’t fly after her. She herself only barely managed to find the doors leading back to the palace. In the evening the corridors of the palace were deserted. Where had all the gossipers who had teased Samantha during the day gone? It was instantly calmer without them. Except for some reason the silence was a little frightening. Samantha looked around for the guards with halberds. They were supposed to stand at every door in the enfilade, but there were no guards.

      Samantha walked forward until she came upon closed doors. From behind the doors came a low murmur, which was suddenly cut off by an angry grumbling voice:

      «Without me you are nothing! Remember that! If you want everyone around you to think of you as a mighty ruler and tremble before you, you need me! Who will sink enemy armadas for you? Who will defeat foreign armies while you sit peacefully on your throne? Who will catch all the spies and wipe out all the conspirators? You can’t do it all yourself!»

      «But I’m grateful to you! Why are you sulking?» The pleasant voice replied carefree. Somehow Samantha thought that it was exactly what King Serpin’s voice should be: beautiful, kind and gentle. She cautiously opened the door and made sure she was not mistaken. In a spacious, semi-dark hall draped in velvet draperies stood Serpin. His bright blond hair stood out against the gloom. A few candelabras flickered only somewhere behind him. It seemed as if stray lights, rather than candles, had been inserted into the holes.

      What was Serpin doing here alone at this late hour? Where are the king’s bodyguards? The king doesn’t think he’s invulnerable. Serpin looks carefree and seems to be playing at something. Or is he playing with someone?

      Samantha opened the door wide and watched the king squeeze either a skinny black cat or a black monkey. Where was the king’s strange grumpy interlocutor? He probably hid behind the draperies or was not there at all. The king was spending time with his tailed pet, who, of course, couldn’t talk.

      «You are my dear little one!» Serpin wailed over the animal.

      Does he really adore such a freak? Samantha marveled at the king’s quirks. How was he not afraid to have such a horrible clawed pet? She didn’t even know the name of such a terrifying beast, but it looked like a demon with a black tail, horns, and spikes on its spine. And the royal pet’s eyes burned like two red coals. Samantha became frightened as she intercepted the predatory gaze. In another moment, the pet jumped from the king’s arms and deftly climbed up the curtain. At the ceiling it disappeared as if it had never been there. Samantha thought she had imagined it.

      «You scared him away!» The king was furious until he saw who stood before him. He had a weakness for beautiful ladies. In a dress transformed by a fairy, Samantha was a real beauty.

      «Ah, a lady from the provinces…» King Serpin took a long, appraising look at her figure and was satisfied. «What a lovely