Fairy Godmother

Not because it was filthy, because it wasn't — it was no dirtier than it had been when he'd been so unceremoniously transfigured. But — he realized at that moment how utterly ridiculous it was.

It was completely unsuitable for doing the sort of work he'd been put to; too tight, too ornamented, too ostentatious, too impractical, too hot. There was a reason why that woman swanned about in her peasant garb; this was a farm, and she was working just as hard as the rest of them. He'd seen her; milking the cows, tending the garden, and presumably, doing things in the cottage as well. You couldn't do any of those jobs trussed up in a Court Gown, teetering on high-heeled slippers.

And apparently the rule of 'if you don't work, you don't eat' applied to her as well.

He wasn't proving anything by clinging to this ridiculous suit of clothing except that he was stubborn. And, possibly, stupid as well. Yes; well, look what she turned you into, after all, commented that voice in the back of his mind. Making the outside match the inside?

He would have had a hard time denying it at that moment, so he didn't even bother to try.

Instead, he made his way slowly up to the cottage, with another request besides food on his mind.

To his intense relief, there was no sign of the Unicorns or that woman, but the Brownie Lily was already at work in her garden. She straightened as he came up the path and gave him a measuring look.

'Robin says he thinks your sickening for something,' she said abruptly. 'Well?'

'Not that I know of, Mistress Lily,' he said. 'But I would like something to eat — and — ' he hesitated, then blundered on ' — if you still have the shirt and breeches you gave me to work in, I would like to get rid of these. For now, anyway.'

Her expression didn't change, except that her eyes narrowed a little. In speculation? Perhaps.

He wondered what she saw when she looked at him, then got a kind of flash of what it might be. Sullen, rude, restless, stubborn. Foolish, insisting on working in his stupid quasi-uniform, as if anyone around here, where magic flowed and your dress could change in a wink, would be impressed! Pigheaded, too. And very, very young. Of course, he'd seem young to one of the Fair Folk; however not? He had no idea how old Lily was, but she'd mentioned serving several of this Godmother's predecessors, so he must seem like an infant to her.

He flushed. And added, belatedly. 'If you please?'

'If I — ah, right. Come along with you, then,' she said, and got to her feet.

She led him to the kitchen door, left him there, and came out with the clothing and a basket. 'Here,' she said, thrusting both at him. 'You can't go far, but — well, breaking your fast by the pond is — and a book — ah, here!'

Startled, he took the clothing and basket, remembered at the last minute to thank her, and decided to leave while she was still treating him nicely. What had gotten into these people? First Master Hob, thinking he was ill and giving him no work for the day, and now Mistress Lily!

Feeling unwontedly modest, he got out of sight around a shed and changed into the commoner's clothing. And knew in an instant that he had been a fool to refuse it before this. It wasn't coarse; on the contrary, the loose shirt was of linen as fine as anything he owned. For the first time he felt comfortable, not hot and sweaty, with a collar and waistband that were both too tight.

That left the boots —

He looked at them, looked at his bare feet, and wriggled his toes in the grass, experimentally. Riding boots, especially cavalry boots, were not made for walking. He hadn't gone barefoot since he was a child....

He left the boots on top of the clothing on the kitchen step, and took the basket back down to the pond.

There was a book on top of the napkin that covered the food. He picked it up, curiously.

The Five Hundred Kingdoms: A History of Godmothers, said the faintly luminous letters on the cover. He hesitated a moment, then chose a piece of fruit and began to read while he ate.

'Hmm,' Elena said, when Lily had finished explaining why the pile of clothing was beside the kitchen door and the Prince was nowhere in sight. 'You don't suppose — '

'He did say 'if you please,'' Lily pointed out. 'And 'Thank you.' It's possible he's finally turned the corner.'

'And it's possible that pigs will fly, but I'm not running out to buy any manure-proof umbrellas just yet,' Rose replied dourly, before Elena could say anything.

'His brother is just about to earn his freedom,' Elena felt moved to counter. 'And I'd have given that lower odds than this.'

'Hmph. I'd have said it would take magic to get that one to see what faults brought him here,' said Rose, and gathered up the quasi-military uniform to clean and put in storage. From now on, Elena's spell would transform Alexander's current gear, rather than his original clothing.

'Maybe. Maybe not,' Lily said to Rose's retreating back.

'I don't know that it would matter,' Elena replied, picking up a bread roll dripping with melted butter, and biting into it thoughtfully. 'Once the blinders are off, it's rather hard to go back to seeing things the way you used to.'

Lily's glance was startled. 'You don't suppose — ' Then she stopped.

'I don't suppose anything,' Elena told her. 'But I do know this much. Some of the other Fae have been very interested in him. There have been a great many of them