Once Upon a Marigold Read online

  One trend Christian hoped would die out, at least with Marigold, were her awful jokes. Now that she could get out and about, she was hearing more of them, but they were all as bad as the ones she'd heard from the stable boy. Although he had to admit that he rather liked one: What side of a dragon has the most scales? Why, the outside, of course.

  The sun shone in golden spears and birds sang cantatas as the guests drank lemonade and ate larks' tongue pâté and honey tarts. Marigold and Christian and Swithbert stood together with Calista and Teddy, Eve and Harry, Tatiana and Willie, and their frisky and adorable assorted children, watching the guests pack away the free refreshments. Slightly off to one side, Ed stood with Wendolyn, the red-haired troll maiden. Her father had had a sudden change of heart regarding Ed when he learned about Tooth Troll Limited, and the fact that it was operated out of King Swithbert's castle, not to mention that Ed now had an ODD Medal. They were each as happy as they could ever remember being in their entire lives.

  They couldn't know that the next day would bring news of a woman who, one year ago, had been fished out of the river many miles downstream, half drowned, wearing one bow-toed silvery shoe, clutching a sopping ferret, and suffering from amnesia. It seemed that she had recently regained her memory.

  CARPE DIEM EVER AFTER.

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