Pea

“Who are my mum and da?” It's the first question I remember asking.

“I don't know, Pea.” Hans sighed in exasperation. “I never knew anything about your past. I found you in the woods, remember?” I do, but just barely. I remember the hunger, mostly. A deep gnawing ache that I can still feel sometimes, if I dwell on it.

We move to the orphanage not long after leaving Mindy's house. Hans says that he doesn't want me to go hungry. There, we have beds, Hans in the boys’ room, mine in the girls’.

None of the girls know who their parents are, unless you count Valise. She stays because her parents don't want her. Came when she was nine. Fourteen at this point, but I still see her crying sometimes.

It is nice orphanage. Good food, kind people. I am happy, mostly. But then Hans disappears.

I notice at breakfast. It was porridge, Hans’ favorite. But he isn't at our normal spot under the tree. And he isn't in his bed either, so he hasn't broken another limb. I ask some of his roommates and they get confused expressions and glance around. “He was here last night.” They say. When I ask Valise, she says he must have run. Some kids do that. But Hans wouldn't run without me. So something has happened.

I am nine, and Hans, fifteen. Hans could have found a job, but he would have told me that.

I am sure that something is wrong. Has Hans been kidnapped? Or maybe he left in the middle of the night for an adventure and got hurt? I just don't know. And so I run.

I leave in the night as well, with all my things wrapped in a bed sheet. Walking for days is exhausting, so when I come to a large mansion, I stumble to a door the size of heaven and knock. I can't imagine that it sounds like much on the other side, but to me it rings like a giant dropping a boulder.

Slowly, the door creaks open. There is a man and woman, beautifully dressed, and behind them, a boy about Hans' age. “Hello.” I squeak. The woman claps her hands together. “Wonderful!” She chirps. “The other kings are sending their younger daughters as well!”

I am confused. “Um,” I say, “Have you seen a boy named Hans?” They ignore my question. Actually, that boy looks a lot like Hans. But he has dark hair instead of sandy-blonde.

“Now child.” The man says. “Who is your father?”

“I don't know.” I say honestly.

“Come, don't be shy. Is it King Sigmund? My, what an honorable man!”

The woman rolls her eyes. “You are King Sigmund.”

“Oh.” The king laughs. “I guess I am.”

The boy, probably a prince, I figure, steps forward. “Why don't I show you to your room?” He looks kind and his eyes have that same twinkle as Hans'.

“Please.” I sigh. So while the king and queen bicker and tease, the prince and I walk down the hallway.

“Here you are.” The prince opens a door with a flourish. I laugh as I walk in. “Sorry about the height,” he says, “But my parents are being a bit crazy about this.” I smile like I know what he is talking about and turn to the bed as the prince closes the door.

This is absolutely ridiculous. The bed is as tall as a giant, if not more so, and has a ladder propped against it. How can it possibly be safe?

I walk around it first to see if it is evenly stacked. Maybe I should just push one off the top? But then I realize how foolish that would be. The whole thing will come tumbling down if I try that. So I climb the ladder. And climb. And climb.

When I finally make it to the top, something is wrong. The bed buzzes with magic. Not good magic, more like Mindy's. I shiver. Can I get down, or will the magic keep me?

I push one foot over the edge. Nothing. Thank goodness. I clamber down. Standing there, I gaze up at the bed. Then I step forward and put my hand against it. I nearly fly backwards the magic is so strong. It is far more powerful down here. But how? Might a spell be tucked between the mattresses?

I feel under the first mattress. Nothing. Second? Nothing. It is the fifth mattress that holds the surprise. A tiny but powerful spell, placed in my namesake. I roll the pea between my fingers, and think. I can try to reverse the spell, but I have never been good at that. Should I disperse it? No, there is too much. It might start a fire. Absorb it? Maybe. I am magic, so it will probably do nothing to me. Probably.

I finally decide on absorption. I pull, and the magic flows into me like a faucet. I suck in as much as I can, but there is still some left in the pea. I throw it in the fire. Can't start one if it is already there.

I scale the mattresses again. Laying down at the top, I hold still. No buzzing. I snuggle into the softness and fall asleep.

I have a dream. In it, a little man offers to help me. “If you can weave a barn load of straw into gold, I will give you back your little friend.” He does not say it kindly.

I wake up as I roll over the edge of the bed. Falling, screaming, flailing. I hit the floor. Hard. I just lie there a bit, trying to get my breath back. Just as I am feeling better, the door slams open. “Oh no!” The queen bustles in. “Poor child. It looks like you took a fall.” “I'm,” I puff out, “I'm all right.”

The queen smiles. “I am truly sorry, but you have failed. A princess would never fall out of bed.”

“A bed with a magical pea tuck between the mattresses?” The queen's mouth drops open.

“How...”

“I was an apprentice to a witch.” The queen's expression goes from concern to angry.

“Out!” She screams. “Out you little witch!”

I leave without a word. I am rather glad, actually. Now I can go find the little odd man and Hans.