“Without true love, Morven’s kiss will be useless. And in any case, you have something more important to do.” Tanitha lay down on top of Anya’s feet to indicate the significance of what she was going to say next. “The time has come when you must go on a Quest.”
“A Quest! I haven’t got time to go on a Quest, or even a noncapitalized little quest!” protested Anya. “I have so much reading to do—I mean when I can actually get back to it, after I sort out this frog … and I suppose I’ll have to hide in the library somehow and get you all to bring me food—ow!”
She stopped talking because Tanitha had leisurely nipped her above the knee.
“You can’t hide away,” the elder dog informed Anya. “You can’t even go back to the castle now. It is time that you sought help against the Duke. He grows in strength and power, and he clearly feels he can move against you and Morven now. This is your Quest: to find those who can help you defeat the Duke.”
Anya was silent for a moment, thinking about this. Tanitha watched her with her wise old eyes, while Ardent snapped at a confused dragonfly that had followed the wet frog baskets from the moat.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “But I don’t want to leave Morven here alone. I know you’ll look after her, but … ”
“The Duke is not threatened by Morven. He doesn’t need to transform her or kill her. He will merely distract her with his magpie prince.”
“I can’t go back? I need to talk to Gotfried, fetch the books I’m reading … ”
Anya’s voice faltered as she caught Tanitha’s eye.
“Why do I have to leave now?”
“Because it will surprise the Duke. He will expect you to hide in the library. If you go now, you may gain half a day’s head start on any pursuit.”
“Pursuit?” Anya did not like the sound of that.
“The Duke has his sorcery and controls the kingdom’s wealth. He will transform weasels and stoats into human hunters, and buy the services of bandits and the like. You will be constantly in danger.”
“Great!” said Anya bitterly. “I simply want to read my books and learn magic and get on with things and now not only am I saddled with a frog prince, I have to go on a Quest to save the kingdom from Duke Rikard and I’m not even the oldest. It’s so unfair! Why do I have to do it?”
“You don’t,” replied Tanitha. She paused to worry a little point on her back, teeth harrowing her hair, before turning around to the princess again. “It is entirely your decision.”
“Is it?” asked Anya. She extracted her feet with difficulty from under the dog and hunkered down next to her.
“It is,” confirmed the wise old dog. “I can merely advise.”
“What … what do you think my parents would tell me? My real parents.”
“I think you know,” said Tanitha softly.
“Father would tell me he trusted me to do the right thing, whatever it is,” said Anya with a small sniffle. “I can’t … I can’t really remember Mother. I only sort of remember her voice. And something she said once, that I overheard. And her favorite shawl, the red woolly … ”
“The red woolly,” said Tanitha, nodding her head. “She wore it most evenings in winter, when her official work was done and she could put off the crown and the fur robes and play with you and Morven.”
“What would she say?” asked Anya.
“She would want you to decide for yourself,” said Tanitha. “I suppose you could even join forces with the Duke, if you really want to be a sorcerer.”
“I don’t want to be that kind of sorcerer,” said Anya swiftly. “Besides, you wouldn’t … you wouldn’t love me then, would you?”
“We will always love you,” said Tanitha. “But you would not know that if you become like the Duke. He has grown too cold from his magic, and has forgotten what it means to love.”
“I haven’t got any money, or spare clothes or food or anything,” said Anya, changing the subject. “I need to prepare, to organize lots of things … ”
Tanitha turned halfway around and pointed with her snout towards the castle. Anya looked up and saw three royal dogs trotting along the road, each carrying a small parcel in his or her mouth. She smiled tentatively, the smile getting wider as she saw an owl flying erratically along above them, a small book held in its powerful talons.
“I don’t know where to go,” continued Anya. “For help against the Duke, I mean. Who would help us?”
“The Good Wizard might, or perhaps a responsible dragon, a sensible knight, a great queen or king … You will have to seek out suitable allies,” Tanitha advised. “That is why it is a Quest and not simply a matter of writing a letter or asking random visitors if they could help you out for a moment.”
“I have to transform Denholm back as well,” said Anya thoughtfully. “I made a sister promise. I can’t forget that.”
“No, you musn’t break such a promise,” Tanitha agreed. “But you can do several things at once.”
“I suppose someone else might be able to transform—” Anya started to say, but was interrupted as Gotfried swooped low over her and dropped the book, almost on her head. She caught it just in time, by pure reflex. Gotfried did not stop, but looped around and headed back to the castle.
“Good luck, Princess! Recipe!”
Anya looked at the book. It was one of Gotfried’s own notebooks, and written on the front in his familiar cursive script was A Recipe: For the Making of Fairly Reliable Transmogrification Reversal Lip Balm.
Anya’s smile vanished and her face fell. “Oh,” she said. “I’d hoped Gotfried might come with me. I suppose he’s too scared of the Duke, and since it’s my Quest, I have to go … alone!”
Alone?” repeated Tanitha. “I don’t think so. Young Ardent here also happens to be overdue for a Quest, so he can accompany—”
“Me! A Quest!” barked Ardent, almost turning a somersault in excitement. “With Princess Anya! Let’s go!”
He tore off up the road for about ten yards, stopped suddenly, and raced back, barking happily.