A Gown of Spider Silk Read online

“And all the maids in the kingdom must be instructed to never kill spiders.”

  “That’s a strange request. Why such a fondness for spiders?”

  She thought about telling him, but who would believe such a story? It would be more likely for a fairy godmother to appear than for spiders to save the day. She would explain everything to him later, but now was not the time.

  “Spiders are helpful,” she said instead. “They eat all the flies in the kitchen. If we let them live in our houses, I’m sure they would protect us from other insects and keep out of our way.”

  “Are you always this practical?”

  “A scullery maid must be practical.”

  “Are you always this kindhearted?”

  “I try to be. Do you always ask so many questions?”

  “When I’m fascinated by someone. May I kiss you?”

  Elizabeth nodded.

  Colin and Elizabeth’s love story passed from history into legend. It was said that her wedding dress was made of starlight itself, and only a few people (and spiders) knew otherwise. Prince Colin’s first decree as king was to grant royal protection to all spiders. This met with some raised eyebrows but little resistance. Citizens became more accustomed to the edict when decorative tapestries appeared in their homes every morning as if by magic. The lack of flies in their food also helped matters.

  Guests to the kingdom found the spiders unsettling, especially if they planned to deal dishonestly with the royal family. The first time spiders swarmed into dishonorable ambassador’s room and chased him out of the castle, everyone thought it was a coincidence. How could arachnids know a man’s intentions?

  But word of the incident spread. By the time Colin and Elizabeth’s daughter Henrietta took the throne, everyone respected the queen in a gown of spider silk.

  About the Author

  A.G. Marshall loves fairy tales and has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She is a professional pianist and perfected her storytelling by writing college papers about music (which is more similar to magic than you might think).

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