Written in the Stars

  It was a beautiful sunny day in the kingdom of Wrenly. But Prince Lucas was hiding under a heavy wool cape.

  “It’s hot in here,” he complained to his best friend, Clara Gills.

  Clara nudged the prince with her elbow.

  “Just a little longer,” she whispered. “We’re almost there.”

    The prince sighed. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t be standing in this long line in the middle of Wrenly’s town square. But Clara desperately wanted to get their fortunes read by Elyza, the Star Reader.

  Fortune-telling is nothing but a bunch of hooey, Lucas thought.

  He had only agreed to join Clara under one condition. He would wear a disguise. What would the good people of Wrenly think if they knew the prince had visited a fortune teller?

  Well, perhaps they wouldn’t think anything. It seemed most of the townsfolk wanted to have their fortunes told too. Every day the line for the star readings snaked all the way through the square. And today was no different.

    Clara stood on her tiptoes and said, “I promise the wait will be worth it!”

  A farmer standing in line behind them overheard her.

  “Absolutely!” the farmer said. “Elyza read my stars last month. I’ve had nothing but good fortune ever since!”

  The farmer listed all the good things that had happened. Her crops had yielded more fruit. Her cow had given birth to a calf. And the crows had stopped pecking her cornstalks.

  Clara nudged Lucas again and said, “Did you hear that?”

    The prince’s hood bobbed up and down. He heard it all right, but he wasn’t sure he believed it. Still, he kept his mouth shut so he didn’t blow his disguise.

  The line slowly inched forward. Finally, Lucas and Clara reached the dark blue canvas tent. They slipped inside an opening in the flaps.

  Inside the tent, the air smelled of earthy incense. Tapestries hung on all four sides.

  Lucas was relieved by how dark the tent was. Only a single candle softly glowed on a table. Even so, he kept his hood on just in case.

       Elyza sat at the small table. She had long, flowing black hair and wore a purple silk robe.

  “Welcome, my children,” she said. “What are your names?”

    Clara introduced herself. Then Lucas cleared his throat and used the first name that popped into his head.

  “I’m Ivan,” he said.

  Clara coughed, covering up a giggle. Ivan was the name of Lucas’s horse.

  “Well then, Clara and Ivan,” Elyza said. “It’s time for your star readings.”