"Josephine! Oh, Joey! Do slow down!" Jen called out breathlessly as she chased after her friend. She lifted the skirt to her burdensome dress and hurried down the hill after the laughing brunette. The grass felt damp under her slippers from the rain two nights before and she hoped she wouldn't fall. Her grandmother would have her hide if she mussed up her new dress. Luckily, she made it down the hill without incident and pulled up to a stop right beside her friend at the entrance to one of the ground's gardens.

"Jennifer, you are far too slow. I do believe I saw a snail pass you by."

Jen stuck her small tongue out and brushed unruly strands of curly blonde hair away from her face. Her hazel eyes narrowed impertinently and she lifted her small nose into the air. "We can't all go running around dressed like a commoner."

The girl rolled her eyes and smoothed down her plain woolen skirt. "I can't climb trees or run or even move," she stressed in exasperation, "if I wore what you did. Besides, father doesn't mind. It's your grandmother that's the problem," she said referring to Jen's staunch grandmother, Lady Evelyn Ryan, who was in charge of Joey's care.

Jen shrugged her tiny hands lovingly patting the silk of her dress. "You should behave like a lady. You are a princess after all."

"That's right." The brunette tossed her hair behind her shoulder and held out her hand, tilting her head just so. Her blue-gray eyes conveyed boredom and superiority, and she lifted her chin. "You must bow before me."

Jen brought her hands to her mouth to stifle a giggle for it was the perfect impression of Joey's older sister Bessie. Joey cracked a smile and soon both girls were bending over in fits of laughter. Jen's hazel eyes glinted a challenge as she regained herself. "I shall race you to the fountain."

Never one to resist a challenge, Joey followed her. Jen's pink dress billowed after her as she raced down the path, passing the wild flowers and rose bushes that had made this one of the girls' favorite areas for play. It was rumored that Joey's father had planted the garden for her mother as a gift to the dying woman and Joey loved to spend time in the one place her mother loved so much.

Jen came to a screeching halt when she spotted some beautiful flowers that would make a lovely crown and Joey nearly crashed into her from behind. "I shall be a queen today," Jen announced and she sat herself down on the warm grass and began to create her crown.

Joey rolled her eyes and plopped down beside her. "I do not see why you'd want to be queen. A queen does nothing but sit down all day and it's all quite boring and uninteresting."

Jen ignored her as she twisted stems for her beautiful design. "You shall be my knight."

The brunette stuck her tongue out. "Why must I always be the knight?"

"I'll send you on a dangerous adventure to fetch me more jewels. Your life might be in danger but I have utmost faith in you," Jen explained as she fastened herself a ring out of a blade of grass.

"Don't you have enough jewels?"

"A woman can never have enough jewelry," Jen repeated solemnly. It was something she heard Bessie say often.

Joey too remembered the line as one of her sister's favorites and rolled over in a fit of giggles. "Okay, my Queen. I shall go off in search of more jewels. Whatever was I thinking." She rose to her feet and bowed soberly before running off to find Jen a red rose that could pass as a ruby.

It would be hours before Dominic discovered his hiding place, and Pacey had no intention of wasting the afternoon. After the evening's meal, he would be back upstairs with Merlin practicing the dissolve spell he'd been having trouble with. Looking around, Pacey scanned the area for something to occupy his seven-year-old mind with. He spotted some Wythsborough buds and made a reminder to pick a few for Merlin before he left. He loved the magic, he rather enjoyed learning spells with Merlin. It was the boring repetition with Dominic that drove him to run away for a few hours.

The large garden was quiet and Pacey frowned, this place was probably even more boring than Dominic.

Just as Joey was about to pounce, a most peculiar thing began to happen. The frog slowly leviated from the ground. Then, much to the creature's bewilderment, it began to rotate in the air. Joey's eyes grew impossibly large and she quickly raised herself to her feet, her hands reaching out to grab it.

Abruptly, the startled frog fell into her hands as Pacey lost his concentration. "Hey!" He stood up from where he'd been crouched at the other edge of the pond.

Joey whirled around in surprise and let out a sharp cry when she felt one of the thorns bite into her skin. She hurriedly dropped the frog and tended to the wound on her finger. She glared at the stranger who had caused her to lose the frog and the scratch on her finger. "Who are you?"

"Pacey." He frowned and took a few steps closer to her. "Are you hurt?"

She took a few steps back and managed a haughty tip of her chin. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"You are on my father's property."

"Your father?" He blinked.

Her eyes were icy. "The King."

"Oh." He took a step back, his eyes wide.

"You are trespassing!"

"No," he shook his head, "Not exactly."

Her eyes flashed. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I live in the castle." He admitted, frowning at her hostile expression. "I have just as much right to be here as you do."

She regarded him dubiously. "I've never seen you before."

"It's a big place."

She watched him wearily not sure if she should believe him or not. Her brow furrowed and she lightly bit on her lower lip.

He thought she was almost pretty when she did that. She didn't look anything like what a princess should be. Her hair was hanging freely down her back, and her dress was a plain, serviceable wool, nothing frilly for this princess. And she was definitly a princess, her commanding tone left no doubt to that. But she was pretty. Probably the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. "You're still bleeding," he gestured to her hand.

She glanced down at her hand, she had almost forgotten. "It is all your fault."

"I can fix it," he offered, "If you want."

She held out her hand imperiously. "It is the least you can do."

He rolled his eyes, and took her hand, turning it to the side he examined the cut. He could fix it. Probably. Maybe. He'd never actually tried the healing spell on a person before. But it was pretty basic.

"Are you just planning to stare at it?" She snapped impatiently.

"You should learn a few manners, *Your Majesty*." He frowned in concentration. Very lightly, he placed his fingers over the cut and a swirl of deep blue, that matched the color of his eyes, encircled him. Joey's eyes widened in awe and a sharp response died on her lips when she felt a strange kind of warmth overcome her.

After a minute, the shimmering light faded around him, and he moved his fingers away. The furrow in his brow dissapeared, "It worked."

Joey gazed down at her now healed finger in amazement. "How'd you do that?"

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Magic."

She grinned eyeing him with a new reverance. "I shall kiss you," she announced for it was what Bessie said whenever a suitor gave her a particularly wonderful gift.

"You shall what?"

"Kiss you." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his cheek.

He blinked, his eyes wide in surprise as she pulled away. "Oh." A giddy smile streched across his face.

Joey began to gather the roses she had dropped. "I must go."

He took a step forward, a dissapointed frown crossing his young features. "Why?"

"Jen is waiting."

"Who's Jen?" He wondered.

Joey giggled. "She's the Queen. You must meet her and show her your magic. She would love it so."

"But I thought the Queen..." his brow furrowed in confusion.

"She's waiting. I really must return." She turned and raced back the way she came.

"But," he glanced back to the castle. He really should be getting back. On the other hand, he'd never played with someone his age before. Maybe he could convince her to stay. Without a second thought, he ran after her.

Jen glared at Joey when the brunette almost stepped on the crown she had just set down. "Really Josephine, you must be more careful." Joey made a face and then Jen laughed. "So what did you bring me?"

She carefully presented the roses to Jen. "The finest red rubies for her Highness."

Jen chose one of the roses and inspected with great interest. "It is perfect." She set the delicate rose in her crown before placing it on her head. "You are very brave."

Joey sat down next to her friend eager to tell her what had happened. "I have met someone who knows magic." She held out her hand to Jen. "He healed my wound."

The blonde's eyes widened with great amazement as she looked at her friend's hand. "Really? Magic?"

Joey nodded gravely. "I swear."

"Princess?" Pacey wondered how you addressed a Princess. "Your Highness?" He rounded a corner and found the princess sitting beside a pretty blond girl, wearing a crown of flowers and a beautiful satin dress.

Joey smiled when she spotted him and she climbed to her feet. "May I present to you the Queen."

Jen's eyes filled with avid interest. "How do you do?"

"He's the one that knows magic," Joey leaned down and whispered in her friend's ear.

He grinned, falling into the game. "Your Highness," he knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

A wide grin spread across the girl's face and she tilted her head a slight eagerness in her voice. "Is it true that you know magic?"

"A little bit." He nodded. "I'm still just learning."

"May you show me some then?"

"Um," he glanced quickly to Joey and then back to Jen. "Shall I make you a flower?"

Jen nodded enthusiastically her crown falling crookedly on her head. "Oh, please do."

He bit his lip and nodded. This was a spell he'd only just learned. So far, he'd only been able to conjure small things. He cupped his left hand and held it out in front of him, the shimmering blue light twisted around him as he rubbed the fingers of his right hand together. Slowly, a perfect yellow rose appeared, floating above his hand as it faded into existance. He broke the spell and the tendrils of magic dissapeared. Smiling, he handed the flower to Jen and wiped the bead of sweat from his face.

Jen held it in her hand and studied it critically. It was absolutely perfect. She brought it to her nose and inhaled its scent deeply, a smile coming over her lips. "I am impressed."

"I'm glad, Your Highness." He smiled at her, she was very pretty too. Were all girls his age pretty? "I meant to make it red."

She smiled sweetly. "I love it."

He turned to Joey, "Would you like one?"

"Joey doesn't like roses," Jen interrupted hurriedly. Her nose crinkled in distaste. "She prefers frogs and tree climbing."

Pacey looked at the other girl with something like awe, "You climb trees?"

Joey nodded and Jen just shook her head in disapproval. "It's very unladylike."

"Is it fun?"

"You can see just about everything from up there." She smiled at Jen. "And I don't see you complaining when I fetch you apples."

"Show me how?" He asked.

She arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." He nodded enthusiastically. "I'm never allowed to do that sort of thing."

She thought about it carefully. "I suppose I can."

"Pacey!" Dominic's demanding voice could be heard echoing throughout the garden. "Pa-cey!!"

Joey's eyes widened along with Jen's. "Who's that?"

"That," Pacey frowned, "Is Dominic. Merlin's apprentice before me."

"Must you go then?" Jen questioned curiously.

"I should." He frowned. "But...I could come back tomorrow, maybe?"

"We shall be here," Jen responded without hesitation.

"Alright." He bowed to Jen, "Farewell, milady Jen." He grinned at Joey. "Your Majesty."

Both girls smiled and Jen pressed the yellow rose to her chest. "Farewell then."

He waved a last goodbye and took off at a run towards Dominic. As long as Dominic was unaware he'd made friends he could continue to meet with them. He was glad he'd met Jen and the Princess, he'd never been allowed friends his own age.