“Happy birthday,” he said again, sitting beside me. “I remembered a little late that today was your birthday, and I wasn’t sure what to get you, so bear with me.”
I thought he meant the cupcake. However, he reached over to the bedside table and put the cupcake down to lift a piece of paper to show me. The moment I saw it, I couldn’t help but stare. He had drawn a very detailed sketch of me coming up the stairs, dressed as Cinderella, my hairstyle exactly as it was the first time we’d met. And instead of being shocked, I was smiling.
“I’m not the best artist. I know. I have other things planned today also, so if you don’t like—”
“I love it,” I said, taking the paper gently from him. “Though I feel as if I look much prettier in this drawing than I did that day in real life...with all my...yelling.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t even think I caught half of how beautiful you looked,” he whispered, and when I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t find any words to say. I felt all bubbly and weird.
“Thanks,” I muttered quickly and also reached for his cupcake. “Thanks for this, too.”
“Wait for it,” he said, pulling out a lighter from his pocket and setting fire to the top of it. “Now, make a wish.”
I giggled and blew out the candle, but it lit back up again. I glared at him, and he just grinned. “A trick candle?”
“I like to think of it as a many-wish candle.” He laughed.
I blew again, and it came back, so I blew once more, and each time he laughed. It felt more like a gift for him than me, but I didn’t stop trying—I liked his laugh. Finally, after what felt like the hundredth time, the candle finally went out and stayed out.
“Bravo.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I meant it, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh, this is just the beginning.” He kissed the side of my cheek. “Get ready. We are going out.”
“Out? Out where? Iskandar is letting us out again?”
He laughed and nodded. “It’s a special occasion, and I should at least do one princely thing today of all days.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he said instead, getting up to leave, but I got up too, holding on to my cupcake.
“But...but how do I get ready?”
“How?”
“I mean, what am I supposed to wear? Where are we going?” I couldn’t help but get excited as I followed him into the hall.
“Oh, just wear something comfortable and warm.”
That was not helpful. I looked downstairs to see if Iskandar or Wolfgang would give me any hint, but they weren’t there, which meant he’d sent them somewhere.
“Go on,” he said, waving me to my room with a smile on his face. “You aren’t going to figure it out.”
“Give me a hint.”
“Odette.”
“Fine.” I walked across the hall and to my room, shooting him a glance again, and he just kept watching me. Shaking my head, I entered only to rest against the door. It was the first thing in the morning. There was no reason for my heart to be racing as it was.
“Get yourself together, Odette,” I muttered, pushing myself off the wall and toward my closet only for my cell phone to vibrate beside my bed. I wasn’t sure how it had gotten there, but there it was charging, and on the screen was a text message from my mother, which read, Happy birthday, my dearest and most special stubborn princess. Love you, Mom.
I love you, too.
Good. So, try to have fun today and send me pictures!
So Gale had told her what was happening? Exactly how close were those two? I texted for her to give me a hint, but she just stopped replying.
I did not like surprises!
That was why it took me three outfit changes, two hairstyle changes, and a broken toenail to finally put myself together—all so I could wear jeans, a fluffy sweater, and my hair in a ponytail. And even then, I wasn’t really sure, but I also didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer. When I stepped out of the room, Gale was waiting by the stairs, thankfully, dressed in jeans and a sweater, too.
“And here I was wondering whether I would need to send in the troops.” He grinned.
“It is a little hard getting dressed for something you don’t know about,” I replied defensively, wondering how many times he’d heard me curse through the door—very ladylike.
“And yet you did so perfectly,” he said, outstretching his hand to mine. “Part of me was thinking of what I would say if you came out in a cocktail dress or something.”
That was option one, actually. “So, where we are going is not cocktail dress appropriate?” I probed, but he didn’t answer and led me down the stairs.
“You really are not good at surprises, are you?”
“Nope, terrible. They make me anxious.” I hopped—yes, hopped—like a bunny in front of him because he was obviously affecting my mental state.
He cupped my face. “I guess you’ll just have to be anxious for a little while longer.”
I made a face, and he made one back as we reached the bottom lobby. It was sunny outside for once, and parked outside the lobby was Wolfgang. He grinned as if it were his birthday.
“Wolfgang, good morning.”
“Happy birthday, ma’am. I hope you—”
“Ahem.” Gale coughed, glaring at him.
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said quickly.
“Sure you weren’t,” Gale muttered before ushering me into the car.
I did my best not to laugh. He was putting a lot of effort into this morning, which was hilarious and sweet. I had no idea what he planned, but the fact that he was trying so hard, no matter what happened, today was already one of the most memorable birthdays I would ever have.
“Where is Iskandar?” I asked, putting on my seat belt.
Again, he gave me a look that screamed, just let me surprise you!
“I wasn’t prying. I was just asking,” I said quickly.
“Uh-huh.” He nodded.
Rolling my eyes, I looked away from him and out the window, trying to figure out where we were going by landmarks. However, the farther we went down the highway, the clearer it became that we were not going to be staying in the city. After almost an hour, the gravel switched to a dirt road, and we pulled up someplace called Hummingbird Forest. But that wasn’t the most surprising part. It was Iskandar standing there feeding carrots to two large dark-brown horses.
“Are you just going to stare, or are you going to ride with me?”
My head whipped back to Gale, but he was already out and coming around to open my door.
“So, you are using magical prince powers?” I giggled, taking his hand as I came out of the car.
“Something like that.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it before winking.
“I haven’t gone horseback riding in years,” I said gleefully as we approached the horses and Iskandar. For the first time, he looked genuinely relaxed. “My father got me a horse just like this once. I named him Maple because of a white birthmark he had on his forehead that looked like a maple leaf.” It brought back so many memories I couldn’t help but smile as I stood alongside the horse.