Red turned to go, but Sabrina took her hand. “Um, want me to comb your hair?” she asked.
Red smiled. “I would love that.”
? ? ?
Sabrina slinked into the courtyard, hoping no one would notice her clothes. She found a seat next to Henry and Veronica. Baby Basil was slumbering in his mother’s arms. Veronica studied her son’s beautiful face. The only time the little boy would sit still for her was when he was asleep, and Veronica took full advantage of the time to worship her cherub.
“You look uh . . . lovely,” Henry said, when Sabrina sat down next to him.
“Nice try, Dad,” Sabrina replied. She turned in her seat to check out the other guests. Fanny was right. Most were dressed in the best clothes they had, which turned out to be nothing more than Tshirts and sneakers. Nurse Sprat and Snow White had stolen flowers from their chairs and woven them in their hair. Even Charming had a rose pinned to his shirt. Everyone had done the best they could. Sabrina took a flower from her chair and twirled the stem around her ear. It was better than nothing.
“He’s been trained well, honey,” Veronica said. “Don’t worry about it. We’re all a wreck. The bride is wearing farmer’s overalls.”
“Has she got any clue?” Henry asked.
Sabrina grinned. “Not one.”
Puck dropped clumsily out of the sky into the chair next to her.
“Where have you been?”
Puck had a dead skunk in his hand. “Shopping for the happy couple. I didn’t check the registry, but I’m sure they don’t have one of these.”
“You got them roadkill as a wedding present?” Henry asked.
Puck seemed confused. “It’s a wedding! Aren’t you supposed to send the couple off with things they’ll need for their home? Which reminds me, when your daughter and I get married, it’s customary in the fairy world for the groom and the father-in-law to challenge each other in a fight to the death. Glad to see I’ll have a worthy contender. It’s very disappointing when the bride’s dad gets killed right away. It can totally kill the mood of a reception.”
“Has anyone seen Uncle Jake today?” Sabrina asked to change the subject.
“I don’t think he’s in the mood for a wedding,” Veronica said.
The Pied Piper and his son stood at the front of the audience with their instruments in hand. They played an up-tempo march and the crowd stood to greet the wedding party. Daphne was the first to appear, and Sabrina’s jaw hit the floor. The little girl was dressed in a beautiful silk dress lined with delicate lace. Her shoes were spotless and her hair was clean and flawless. She strolled to the front of the crowd, sprinkling rose petals behind her, and when she got to the platform she reached into her flower basket and removed the star-tipped fairy godmother wand.
“Attention, everyone,” Daphne said. “I thought and thought about what kind of gift I could give the happy couple, and I hope you don’t mind, but this is what I came up with.”
Daphne flicked her wrist and there was a loud POP! The air filled with a purple mist. When it lifted, Sabrina looked down at herself. Her jeans and T-shirt were gone, replaced with a soft pink gown and white shoes. Pearls draped her neck, and her face and hands were scrubbed clean and fresh. Sabrina glanced around the courtyard. Everyone was dressed just as beautifully. Even her father’s four-day beard was gone.
“Wow!” Puck said.
Sabrina turned to Puck, hoping for a compliment, but the boy fairy was looking down at himself. He was wearing a smart black tuxedo with a black tie. His hair was shiny and combed. There wasn’t a single fly buzzing around his head, and he had the pleasant aroma of soap about him. “This suit is going to look great when I roll in those deer droppings I found by the front gate.”
Sabrina sighed and told herself she should have known better.
“Enjoy the clothes while they last, ’cause at midnight we all go back to being slobs,” Daphne said.
Everyone laughed and broke into applause as Mr. Seven appeared in a blue tuxedo, top hat, and tails. He thanked everyone for coming. He pointed to Sabrina, thanking her for all her hard work, and also thanked Daphne for the fancy suit but, he insisted, the crowd hadn’t seen anything yet. He pointed to the back of the courtyard and there was Morgan le Fay. Her dress was the color of vanilla cream, and it was embroidered with seed pearls and tiny crystals. The dress’s train spread behind her for several yards and her jet-black hair was woven with little white daisies. She was the most beautiful bride Sabrina had ever seen.