Page 15 of The Beauty and the Griffin

When Rosa’s face lit up, I realized she could see—or sense—the Gamekeeper. “Good morning, Gamekeeper and Miss Beatrice,” she said with a bright smile. “Flora and I are making our morning rounds.” The rosebush at her side appeared to sit upright like a dog, wagging one leafy branch, and just behind it, a large holly shrub trimmed into the shape of a bear rustled while shifting its weight from side to side.

My jaw dropped.

“Good morning.” The Gamekeeper’s greeting held amusement. “Have you never seen Rosa’s animated shrubs and topiaries before, Beatrice?”

I slammed my mouth shut, mumbled, “Oh, um, good morning,” and gave my head a quick shake. “I . . . I’ve heard about them.” My voice squeaked.

“Today I brought honey for Teddy.” Rosa held it up. “You can watch him eat it if you like.”

When I did my best to smile, Rosa offered a small jar of honey to the shrub, which accepted it with bushy paws and upturned it over a gap that appeared in its leafy face. I watched in fascination as honey vanished into the bush, which then handed the jar back to Rosa.

For some inexplicable reason, a honey-eating shrub amazed me more than winged horses or cinder sprites or the Gamekeeper himself. How could a plant have a personality?

“Earlier this summer, these two shrubs and many others helped Rosa and Prince Briar save Faraway Castle, and the rest of the world, from the evil sleeping Princess Zafira of Evora.” The Gamekeeper’s voice held deep approval.

Part of that statement shocked me out of my stupor. “Prince Briar?”

I sensed the Gamekeeper’s amusement. “Not many people are aware that Geoff Bryant, our Magical Creature Controller, is Prince Briar of Auvers in disguise. He and Rosa are training to take over the overall maintenance and security at Faraway Castle when I retire.”

“They are?” I paused, then blurted, “Wait. Retire? You?”

Rosa gave me a curious glance. Heat rushed into my face.

“Not anytime soon, but it’s good to have backup prepared.” His calm tone defused the tension. “We’ll get out of your way now, Rosa.”

I retained awareness enough to mumble something like a farewell before we walked on. Too many revelations all at once! The concept of the world’s most eligible (and arguably best-looking) bachelor’s working in disguise at Faraway Castle was surprising, for sure, but my mind had snagged hard on the concept of the Gamekeeper’s being old enough to retire. I’d always thought of him as near my age. He couldn’t possibly be retirement age. I would know. Or would I?

“Please keep Prince Briar’s identity a secret,” the Gamekeeper requested, his voice calm and deep. “You are now one of very few ‘in the know,’ as they say.”

I nodded. “I hope I didn’t offend Rosa.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I . . . well, I’ve always had difficulty relating to people my age.”

“You needn’t worry. She’s introverted too.”

I kept talking as if he hadn’t spoken. “Life is easier now that I’m an adult. Not even Raquel Cambout and Lady Gillian Montmorency pick on me directly anymore—they’ve been the ‘Mean Girls’ of Faraway Castle for years now.”

“Every generation seems to produce a few of those. Most grow out of it eventually.”

“For Eddi’s sake, I hope those two grow out of it soon. They used to drive her crazy. And then there’s Prince Max the Malevolent, as Eddi calls him, who believes he complimented me by stating what a pity it is that I’m neither royal nor titled, so I have no hope of gaining his interest.” I pulled a “gag me” face that made the Gamekeeper chuckle, which only encouraged my prattle. “Most of the time I feel like a sidekick, or like the ‘Wise Old Woman’ side-character in other people’s stories.”

“Hardly the worst of roles,” the Gamekeeper said, his tone gently playful. “Consider its acronym:WOW.”

I couldn’t prevent a surprised chuckle from escaping before I protested, “But I’m serious! Eddi says I bypassed youth and rushed straight into middle age.”

I wanted him to protest, and he didn’t fail me. “As if Eddi would know.” But when he spoke again, that note of humor had fled: “True wisdom is a rare treasure in this world.”

My bubble of happiness fizzled. “I don’t feel wise at all. Any wisdom I might have, I’ve learned the hard way.”

“Which is far superior to never learning it at all. Not one of us is born wise.”

“So, wisdom comes with experience?”

“Not necessarily. Wisdom comes only with a hefty dose of humility.” His voice sounded deeper, somehowheavierthan usual. “Many people seek knowledge and power, but few desire wisdom once they realize what it requires.”

I didn’t know what to make of this, so I diverted the conversation to the impending end of our summer season. “Every year, I wish I might stay here forever, but the days and weeks tick past far too quickly, each more precious than the last. I suppose this will be our last time together this summer. But maybe I’ll see you in December, if Eddi chooses to attend Christmas Camp again.”

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