Born to Rule

but poured forth a song of liquid silvery notes like those plucked from the strings of a harp.
    In the distance she could hear cries of delight as other princesses caught their birds. But just as Alicia had feared, she was having no luck at all. She peeked into a rotted-out tree stump filled with moss. It was said that sometimes birds hid in mossy places. But Alicia saw nothing inside except a few spiders.
    Not far away, Alicia spotted a lovely tree with low-hanging branches. She could almost touch the bells as she stood beneath them. She looked up and searched for birds that might be hiding among the bells. But all she saw were the crystal clappers that made the beautiful sounds.
    “Alicia! Time to come in, dear,” Lady Merry called. “Don’t worry if you don’t catch your songbird today. There is always tomorrow.”
    But tomorrow won’t be the same, Alicia thought sadly as she walked back toward the edge of the forest. It might be winter again, or maybe even a hot summer day when the birds were said to be too tired to sing. And even now the light was growing dim. It would be harder to find a bird as the sun sank toward the horizon and twilight set in.
    Alicia turned her head quickly as she heard the tiniest tinkling chimes of a bell bush. She saw a flash of gold. A bird had settled in the thickest part of the bush.
    Alicia tiptoed toward the sound. Never mind the net, she thought. Her hand darted out and she caught the songbird in her hands. The songbird was hers! It was a beauty—a deep golden color with lovely turquoise flecks sprinkled on its wings.
    Twilight was deepening as Alicia began to find her way out of the forest. In the fading light, she had the oddest sensation that someone was following her. It could hardly be Lady Merry. Trees would be crashing and the earth underfoot quaking, she thought, trying to distract herself with this silly thought. Twice she looked behind her to see if there was something. But she saw nothing unusual. Still, she could not shake the eerie sense of being followed. Finally she emerged from the forest.
    Lady Merry was fretting when Alicia reached her. “I was about to send in the game warden to find you. You had me worried to death, my dear. How would it look if I lost you on my first day as your lady-in-waiting? I have never lost a princess in all my years here. And I don’t intend to.”
    Alicia followed the sedan chair in which Lady Merry rode, carried by two footmen. For the walk back to the castle, the ample lady muttered about naughty, headstrong princesses. “Naughty, naughty princesses, one in every lot. I’m older now. Don’t know if I can still take it.”
    But Lady Merry did take time to examine the bird Alicia had caught and pronounced it enchanting. “He’s simply enchanting. And it’s a weeb—how lucky!”
    “What’s a weeb?” Alicia asked.
    “A weeb, my dear, is a lovely bird found only in the Forest of Chimes. He is very rare indeed.”
    “How can you tell it’s a he?” Alicia asked.
    “Do you see the bright turquoise spots on the wings?” Lady Merry said as she gently stroked the bird’s feathers. “That is how one tells with weebs. The females don’t have those spots. And it’s said males are very difficult to teach. But when they finally learn, they have voices beyond compare. They are dear, sweet little birds.”
    “Will you sing me a nice tune and then let me teach you more, dear, sweet little bird?” Alicia asked.
    The little bird seemed to shake his head. He looked at her as if he wanted or needed something. Alicia felt a cold shiver run up her spine.
    When she returned to the South Turret, Alicia heard her two turretmates already practicing with their songbirds in the parlor.
    “Listen up, birdie boy, I’ll sing you a sea shanty,” Kristen was saying.
    “Nocht, nocht, nocht , Princess Kristen. That is much too difficult for a beginning piece. You must try something with a good, precise beat. Vatch me!” Princess Gundersnap had an orange and green bird perched on her finger. She now stretched her arm straight out in front of her. “ Vrachtun , birdie,” she said firmly. Alicia thought that this must be the call for attention in Slobo.
    Gundersnap gave the bird a crisp salute with her free hand.
    “Holy monk bones! He’s saluting her back,” Alicia gasped.
    “Totally ice!” exclaimed Kristen.
    Indeed, the bird had raised one wing slightly in what could only be thought of as a birdlike salute. Then Gundersnap began