To blend in, I grab a ruby tiara and plop it on my head. I giggle when I see myself in the mirror. Me, the shoemaker’s oldest daughter, the tomboy with the frizzy brown hair and freckles, in a tiara! One of the royals turns around and frowns. Uh-oh. One look at my overalls and she’ll know I can’t even afford to buy hair ribbons in this place. I’ve learned that when I’m stealing goods, it’s best if my mark barely notices I’m here. I put the mark at ease so she isn’t suspicious, then disappear like fairy dust so she can’t even remember the color of my hair. Later, when she’s filling out a Dwarf Police Squad report, she won’t recall anything out of the ordinary about her day.
I smile, which catches the blond off guard. “Where did you find that amazing boa?” I pretend to look through silk throws on the table in front of me. “I’ve been looking for one just like it. Not that it would look that good on me. It looks gorgeous on you.”
Gag.
“Doesn’t it?” Blondie grins and turns back to the full-length mirror. “It was the last one though, and I’m definitely taking it. Sorry.” She smiles thinly. Blondie doesn’t look sorry. I won’t be either when her hair clip is mine.
“Oh well.” I sigh. “I’ll have to find something else to get. Thanks!”
“Good luck.” The mini royal wraps the boa around her neck twice. It looks like a giant snake ready to squeeze her. “Pink must be my color,” she says as the other girls crowd around her.
“It is!” The others fluff her hair and play with the boa like they are professional royal stylists getting her ready for a ball that evening.
“Try it with your hair up,” I suggest, and the other girls nod.
Blondie removes the clip from her hair.
Yes.
I watch what Blondie does next like it’s happening in slow motion. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The mini royal drops the glittery golden clip on a table with half a dozen pairs of earrings and forgets all about it.
At least I’m hoping she forgets all about it.
That clip is the reason I’m here. I’ve been following Blondie and her gaggle of friends around all afternoon, waiting for a time to lift it. It has to be worth ten gold coins, at least. Maybe more. Dragon’s tooth products are rare in the kingdom of Enchantasia, and smuggling in goods from other kingdoms has gotten harder now that Princess Ella has cracked down on crooks. Yeah, that Princess Ella, otherwise known as Cinderella. She and the other princesses—Snow White, Rose (a.k.a. the expert sleeper), and Rapunzel—all reign over our kingdom together like one big, happy family.
Yeah, right.
I hear the princesses have their own issues co-ruling, but their issues can’t compare to those of us in the village—the trolls, ogres, gnomes, fairies, and other creatures that are lumped into the commoner category. Money is tough to come by. I could buy a lot with that one clip Blondie has carelessly tossed aside.
I stare at the clip wistfully, then notice Neil out of the corner of my eye. He’s looking at me again. I know better than to make my move yet. I walk to another table and pretend to be interested in magic wand holders. Like I would ever carry a sparkly, pink wand holder. Eww.
I notice Blondie pulling up her hair with a ribbon and the girls clapping.
“Much better!” one says and gives her own curls a flip with her hand.
I’ve always wondered how girls like that get anything done with hair so high-maintenance. Do they spend all day combing their locks? Have to sleep with rollers in their hair? The advertisements for Rapunzel’s new hair-care line say her shampoo helps you do away with all that primping. That’s why my ten-year-old sister, Anna, wants Rapunzel’s shampoo. But I say, what for? At Enchantasia Trade, where I go to school, doing your hair would be a total waste. When you go to shoemaker classes like we do, there is not much need for luminous hair.
Blondie spins around and squeals. “I’m going to get the boa to wear to Petra’s thirteenth birthday party.”
A snort escapes my lips. Thirteenth birthday party. I won’t be having one of those. I’ll be lucky if Mother has time to make me a cake with all the hours she puts in with Father at the shoe shop. Uh-oh. All the girls turn and look at me. So does Neil. I start to cough. “Sorry. I think one of the feathers from your boa flew into my mouth.”
Blondie turns to Neil and frowns. “Your boas shed?” She quickly unwraps the one around her neck. “Umm, I think I’ll pass then.”
“I can assure you,” Neil says, his stare at me darkening. “My boas do not shed.”
That was foolish of me. If Blondie walks out of this shop with her clip, I’ll have a tougher time snagging it. People drop things in a place like Combing the Sea all the time. Buying daisies at Everything’s Rosy? Not so much. I need to fix this. Time for a distraction.
“Actually, I don’t think it was a feather I swallowed,” I say, squeezing into the conversation. “These boas definitely do not shed. My cousin has had a feather skirt from here for years, and it still looks like she just bought it.”
“Feather skirt?” Blondie’s eyes light up. “Oh, I have to have one of those. Neil, do something with this.” She drops the boa on the floor and runs to the other end of the store. That’s so like a royal.
“I call it first to wear to Laurence’s!” says a tall girl with a big nose.