The faeries wanted the humans to stay out of the Moors, but wanted to be able to wander through Perceforest whenever they liked. And the humans wanted to be able to pick up whatever they found lying around in the Moors, even though some of those things were actually mushroom faeries, or crystals that were part of the landscape, or bits of other creatures’ homes.

She had spent the morning trying to make headway, to no avail.

“I hope no one here has offended you,” said Count Alain, drawing Aurora out of her wandering thoughts. The youngest of her important landholders, he was also the most dashing. He had thick midnight hair with a single stripe of white in it, like a very handsome skunk.

“Excuse me?” Aurora asked, puzzled.

He pointed toward the window. “You’ve put a terror in all of us that you might glare at us the way you’ve been glaring at that window.”

“Oh, no,” she said, embarrassed. “I was only lost in my own contemplations.”

On the other side of the great hall, a harpist was entertaining a group of ladies. The royal household had come from their midday dinner and were beginning to consider the games and activities of the evening.

Count Alain stroked his chin, where a thin beard grew. His green eyes sparked with mirth, but sometimes she wondered if he was laughing at her. “I fear we have neglected to amuse you, my queen. Let’s have a hunt in those woods you were staring at.”

“That’s very kind,” Aurora replied, “but I have never liked hunting. I feel too sorry for the creatures.”

“Your sympathy does you credit,” Count Alain said, and before she could respond, he broke into a wide grin. “Yet this you will enjoy! It will be all in fun. A mere excuse for a romp. Surely you’d like to get out of this stuffy castle for a pleasant afternoon.”

She did want to get out of the castle.

“Yes,” said a voice. It was Prince Phillip, just entering the room, mud on his boots. “I can testify you ought to, Your Majesty. Your kingdom is marvelously beautiful right now, with summer turning to autumn.”

With his caramel curls and a careless smile he bestowed on everyone, he turned the heads of most of the women and half the men in the room.

But not hers. Since she had become queen, he was the one she confided in, the one she laughed with when she felt overwhelmed by the task of ruling the kingdom. Just the night before, they’d spent a comfortable evening playing the Game of the Goose in front of the fire, both of them cheating unmercifully.

Friendship with Prince Phillip was safe. He’d already kissed her, after all, even if she didn’t remember it. And he hadn’t even done it because he wanted to, but in the hopes it might end the curse.