Sorry for the delay! I've been juggling several different projects lately.

IN NEED OF A COBBLER—Chapter 3

Tack stared around in amazement as Yum-Yum led him into the royal stables. Even the King's horses lived in luxury! The building itself was just as lavish as the rest of the palace, with colorful mosaics, shaded walkways, and high ceilings. The horses all stood in roomy stalls lined up against the walls. The whole place had a sort of musty smell, but Tack was used to that. His cobbling shop was pretty dusty, too.

Glancing sideways, he saw that Princess Yum-Yum looked perfectly happy here. Her bright purple eyes were all lit up in excitement. The stable attendants all bowed respectfully to her as they passed by, but they shot looks at Tack that were mostly either suspicious or confused. He wasn't really bothered by them, though. The Princess wanted him here, and that was the most important thing. He stole another look at her, admiring the gracefulness of her walk and the subtle sway of her hips. They walked through a beam of sunlight, streaming down from a high window; it cast a golden glow on her skin for just a second.

"Ah, here we are!" Yum-Yum said, leading Tack to one particular stall. A reddish-brown horse stuck its head out over the low stall door. It snorted and made a shrill noise, tossing its head up and down. Yum-Yum walked right up to the animal and stroked its soft-looking muzzle. "This is Amira; she's one of my favorites," the Princess explained.

Tack eyed the horse warily, but the horse didn't seem to share the feeling. It just looked curiously at him. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the horse let out another shrill sound, thrust its neck out, and sank its yellowed teeth into the floppy top of Tack's cap. Yum-Yum gasped and Tack's hands shot up to grab the hat's earflaps. He held on tight, struggling to keep it on his head, but the horse wouldn't let go! Tack's eyes narrowed and he let go with one hand to swat at the animal's snout.

"Amira, stop that!" Yum-Yum cried. The horse made a plaintive sound and let go. Tack stumbled backwards, wheeling his arms to keep his balance. He regained his footing and glared at the horse. Yum-Yum pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. Tack couldn't blame her; he could only imagine how silly he looked. His hat was sitting sideways on his head, covering one eye and leaving one ear showing. And his hair was probably sticking out all over the place. He most likely would have laughed, too, if he could see his reflection.

"Sorry, Tack," Yum-Yum said sheepishly. "I can't imagine what possessed her to do that!"

Tack gave her a smile and waved his hand dismissively, then went to straighten his cap. Before he could, though, Yum-Yum did something that surprised him.

"Here, let me," she offered, stepping a bit closer to him. He froze with his hands halfway to his hat and stared at her. She just looked back with a smile on her lovely, tan face. Her cheeks were a little flushed. Tack slowly lowered his hands back down to his sides. Yum-Yum reached up and tugged the cap back into place, then smoothed back all the tufts of hair that were poking out from under it. Her soft fingertips kept brushing against his face, and every time, his heart thudded in his chest.

Yum-Yum lowered her hands and stepped back with a nod. "There," she said.

He smiled his thanks at her, hoping his face wasn't as red as he felt it was.

"Amira can be rather spirited at times," Yum-Yum said. "Let's find a more docile horse for you."

He was a bit puzzled at that, until he realized what she meant; she'd been serious when she'd asked him if he'd ever ridden a horse. Tack followed her as she led him away from the stall. He was sort of nervous; he hadn't ridden a horse before, obviously. He was just a cobbler—why would he be riding horses? Only noblemen had them. (Well, some farmers had them, too, but most of the farmers he'd seen had donkeys and camels instead.) Still, he was also looking forward to it. He'd always wondered what riding a horse would be like.

The Princess brought him to another stall further down. This one had a brown horse inside it. The animal's ears swung forward as they stopped in front of the stall, and it looked at them with much gentler eyes.

"Her name is Aisha," Yum-Yum explained, giving Tack an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, she's much less high-spirited than Amira. I don't think she'll try to attack your hat," she added teasingly.

Tack chuckled silently and then eyed the horse. It made no move to grab anything, so he walked up to the door and held his hand up to its nose. It sniffed at him, its large nostrils flaring. He gathered up his courage and put his fingertips against its muzzle. Its fur was surprisingly soft and silky, and very warm. He patted its nose, smiling. The horse made a quiet sound.

"Would you like to try riding this one?" Yum-Yum asked. Tack turned to her, chewing on the ends of his tacks as he thought about it. Then he nodded and Yum-Yum gave him an excited grin. "Good!" She waved at a stable attendant sweeping at the end of the hall. The servant came over quickly.

"Yes, Princess?" he asked, bowing.

"Please groom and saddle this horse for my guest," she said. "And saddle Amira as well."

"Yes, Princess." The attendant took a piece of rope headgear from a peg next to the stall, went inside, and put the rope thing around Aisha's head.

"Come on, we'll wait by the riding ring," Yum-Yum said to Tack. She took his hand, surprising him again, and led him out of the stables.

A short time later, Tack found himself facing a particular problem: getting on a horse's back. The brown horse stood in front of him, with a servant holding its head to keep it still, and he was supposed to climb up into its saddle. He tilted his head back, looking up at the animal. It seemed much taller now than it had when it had been in its stall.

Yum-Yum rode by on her own horse, the high-strung reddish-brown one. "Just remember what I told you, Tack. You'll be all right!" she called down to him. Yes, she'd tried to tell him all about this riding stuff while they were waiting for their horses to be saddled up. Left foot first, she'd said…

Tack grabbed the ridge at the front of the saddle with his left hand and lifted his left foot high, trying to shove it into the stirrup. Instead, he just poked the horse's ribs with the toe of his sandal. The horse neighed at him. Tack let go of the ridge and grabbed the stirrup, thrusting his foot into it. He hopped on his right foot, grabbing at the saddle as he scrambled up. His foot slipped out of the stirrup and he slid down, then pushed off the ground and hauled himself up. Finally, after lots of flailing around, he was up and sitting astride the horse's back! He stared down at the horse, wondering what in the world he as supposed to do next.

Yum-Yum rode up next to him, smiling widely behind her thin veil. She seemed very natural riding her horse, sitting up tall and proud in the saddle with her hair and veils fluttering in the wind. She looked… well, she looked like royalty!

"Well, what do you think?" she asked lightly, smiling widely.

Tack shrugged, still looking down at the horse's neck. He picked up the reins, remembering that he was supposed to steer with them.

"Just tap her sides with your heels, then she'll walk for you," she reminded him.

Cautiously, Tack tapped the heels of his sandals against the horse's ribs. Sure enough, the horse set off at a slow pace, plodding along calmly. Tack smiled; this was easier than he'd thought it would be! He relaxed in the saddle, taking one hand off the reins to pat the side of the horse's neck.

Then he saw something strange from the corner of his eye—a dark, huddled shape sneaking along outside the riding ring and looking at Tack and his horse with huge, yellowed eyes. The bizarre person looked familiar somehow… Tack's eyes widened. It was that thief! And then the horse saw the thief, too (or maybe it smelled him). It jerked its head up, ears lying flat back against its head, and it let out a piercing shriek. And then it whirled around and ran!

"Tack!" Yum-Yum cried. He caught a flash of her shocked expression as the horse flew past her, hurtling across the riding ring. Tack clung precariously in the saddle as the horse ran, his elbows flapping up and down wildly and the wind whipping past his face. His heart pounded in his ears. The fence around the ring was coming up fast! "The reins, Tack! Pull back on the reins!" Yum-Yum shouted.

Tack hauled on the reins and the horse skidded to a stop. He lurched forward over the horse's neck, barely staying in the saddle, and then fell back onto the seat with a thud. All he could do was sit there in amazement. He looked up at the sound of hoofbeats and saw Yum-Yum riding over to him.

"Are you all right?" she asked anxiously, pulling her horse up next to his.

Tack stared at her for a moment, and then a wide smile spread over his face. He thrust his fists into the air and then grabbed the reins, turning the horse around. He nudged it with his heels until the horse got going at a slower run. Behind him, he could hear Yum-Yum laughing. She caught up to him and their horses ran side by side.

Later that afternoon…

"It's just a bit further," Yum-Yum said over her shoulder, leading Tack down another winding hallway. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon showing him around the palace, and now there was one place left to go. "This is the best place in the palace to watch the sunset," she explained, glancing back at him.

Tack smiled patiently at her and she couldn't help but smile in return. They passed through the very same garden where he'd been working earlier; her shoes still sat by the fountain. Glancing back again, she saw a puzzled look on Tack's face. But then she led him to an arched doorway along the western side of the garden. When she paused at the threshold, he tilted his head in a questioning way and she gestured eagerly for him to go through first. He did, cautiously walking out beyond the doorway. Yum-Yum followed and came around to stand next to him, just in time to catch his reaction. His puzzlement turned to wide-eyed amazement and Yum-Yum beamed in satisfaction.

They stood on a wide, curved balcony on the western side of the palace, looking out over the Golden City. Its streets and buildings gleamed in the setting sun. Tack turned towards her, his face alight with excitement. Then he rushed over to the edge of the balcony for a better view. Yum-Yum chuckled and walked after him, leaning against the carved balustrade as he took in the magnificent sight of the Golden City at sunset.

After a moment, he suddenly thrust a long, thin finger outward, jabbing emphatically with it. Yum-Yum realized he was pointing to a wide, checker-tiled square off to the right.

"Is that where you live?" she asked. "That's where your shop is?"

Tack nodded enthusiastically and turned back to look out over the city again. His pale hands settled on the stone balustrade. Yum-Yum smiled again as she tried to imagine what sort of place Tack would live in. She wished she could see it for herself! If Tack would agree to show her, perhaps she could convince her father to let her go…

They stood in silence, watching the sun sink towards the horizon. Yum-Yum's gaze flickered down to Tack's hand, resting on the balustrade. It was an awfully tempting thought… She pulled her eye away. But that didn't last long. After a moment's debate, she decided that propriety was vastly overrated. She slid her own hand over and lightly placed it atop his. Tack glanced down sharply, his eyes widening again. The tacks in his mouth moved sideways. Then the tacks swung up in a shy smile and he curled his long, warm fingers around hers. His bandaged thumb brushed gently over the back of her much smaller hand. Yum-Yum's heart fluttered and she returned his smile. They watched the sun descend out of sight, their fingers twined together.

The sound of footsteps in the garden broke the spell of the moment. "Princess?" called a familiar voice. It was Amaris, Yum-Yum's maid. She reluctantly dropped Tack's hand and turned to face the doorway. Amaris stopped in the threshold and bowed. "Princess, supper is ready," the maid said.

"Thank you, Amaris," Yum-Yum said. The maid bowed even lower and started to leave. She turned her head, about to ask Tack if he would join her for dinner, when a sudden thought stopped her: Zigzag may have been absent at breakfast, but he would almost certainly be there for supper. That conniving old sycophant wouldn't dare miss two meals with the King. His reaction to a "lowly cobbler" dining at the King's table would certainly be amusing, but they would risk bringing Zigzag's wrath down upon Tack again. The Grand Vizier had already tried to feed the unfortunate man to his vulture! "Amaris, wait a moment," Yum-Yum called.

The maid reappeared in the doorway. "Yes, Princess?"

"My guest and I will take our supper here, on the balcony," Yum-Yum said.

"Yes, Princess," Amaris said. She bowed again and left.

Tack caught Yum-Yum's eye and gave her a puzzled frown.

"I thought it best if we avoided running into Zigzag, at least for now," she explained.

He looked slightly nervous as he nodded in understanding, the tacks swiveling downward.

"And besides, it would be rude of me to allow my guest to dine alone!" she added lightly.

The tacks swung upward again, twisting to the side. He regarded her for a moment with that peculiar smile of his. Then the white rat poked its head out from his pocket, where it had been sleeping, and he tore his gaze away to tend to it. Yum-Yum watched as he lifted the rat out and gently rubbed between its delicate ears with his fingertip.

Amaris arrived quickly with three other servants. They carried steaming plates of roasted lamb and vegetables with rice, and Amaris carried a teapot. They'd brought a bowl of sugared almonds for dessert, too, much to Yum-Yum's delight. They put the plates down on a small, wooden table and set cushions around it. Yum-Yum thanked the servants and they departed. She turned around to face Tack, who was peering at the table and sniffing appreciatively. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, go ahead and eat!" she said, seating herself on one of the cushions. She took off her face veil and poured herself a cup of fragrant tea.

He sat down next to her, putting the tacks in his pocket as he did. He took a piece of flatbread, scooping up some lamb and rice with it. His eyes brightened as he took a bite, obviously enjoying the savory meat. Up on his shoulder, the rat let out an agitated squeal. Tack put his flatbread down, plucked the animal from its place, and set it on the ground beside him. Then he gathered some vegetables on a little piece of flatbread and placed it next to the rat, which squeaked and dug right in.

"What a lucky little creature," Yum-Yum commented, "To go from scrounging crumbs in the dungeon to getting fresh food from the King's own kitchen!" And hand-fed to it by a handsome man, no less, she added inwardly.

Tack smiled again—that wonderful, tack-less smile—and gave the rat an affectionate pat on the head.

Once they'd finished their dinner, Yum-Yum picked up the bowl of almonds. "Have you ever had these before?" she asked Tack. He shook his head. Grinning, Yum-Yum took four from the bowl and held them out across the table. "Here, try some."

Tack reached out his hand and she dropped the treats into his open palm. He picked one up, inspected it for a second, then popped it into his mouth. A wide smile stretched across his face and he quickly ate the other three.

Yum-Yum laughed. "They're delicious, aren't they? These have always been my favorite," she said.

The stars were shining overhead by the time they'd finished their meal. Yum-Yum lit the lanterns on the balcony and then joined Tack, who sat on a carved marble bench near the balustrade. He was once again staring out over the city. The tacks were back in their usual place, swiveling around pensively. She perched next to him and followed his gaze. Out in the city, the lights from hundreds of torches and lanterns flickered like a reflection of the night sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she murmured.

Tack nodded slowly. After another moment's silence, he suddenly turned towards her and pulled the golden string out of his pocket again. Yum-Yum watched with curiosity as his fingers started weaving. A rose took shape in the twisted string. Then it collapsed and a bird took its place. Tack wiggled his fingers and the bird's wings flapped, making Yum-Yum gasp in amazement. Then, after a moment's thought, a mischievous smile crossed his face and he went to work again. The face of a man emerged, but it wasn't just any man. She'd know that sneer and that curly beard anywhere; it was Zigzag! With a flex of his fingertips, the string-Zigzag's mouth opened and closed. Tack scrunched his face into an exaggerated scowl and moved his hands so that the face bounced up and down, as if it were shouting.

Yum-Yum let out a peal of laughter. "That's definitely Zigzag!" she said, rolling her eyes. Tack's shoulders shook with silent laughter as he collapsed the string face. Then an idea popped into Yum-Yum's mind. "Will you show me how to make those string pictures?" she asked eagerly.

He sat back on the bench, surprised, but then his face lit up and he scooted closer to her. He held his hands up a few inches apart, palms facing inward, then nodded at her own hands. She mirrored his gesture. He reached out, hesitated for a moment, and then gently grasped her hands. He gingerly spread her fingers and moved her hands a couple more inches apart. Then he looped the golden string around her hands, draping it between her fingers.

She watched with bated breath as he worked, handling her fingers with such care. He guided each one into place as he wove the string around them. Her eyes drifted from his hands to his face. His forehead was furrowed in concentration. But then he paused, feeling her eyes on him, and slowly looked up. His blue eyes met hers and they both held still. Then Tack blushed and quickly went back to his task. Yum-Yum's cheeks heated up, too, something that seemed to happen quite a lot when she was near Tack.

Finally, he lifted her hands up and pulled them apart. A simple circle appeared between them. Yum-Yum smiled proudly at it. Then Tack motioned for her to drop the string. She did, and he gestured at it and made a circle with his hands.

"You want me to try it on my own?" she asked. He nodded once. She picked the string up and did her best to mimic his actions. After a few corrections from Tack, a lopsided oval took shape between her spread hands. She let out a triumphant cry and Tack beamed his approval. "Show me another," she said excitedly.

Her next lesson, a star shape, was slightly more complicated, and recreating it herself proved to be even more so. Tack studied her hands speculatively, tapping his fingertip against his chin, and then he reached for her hands once more. He guided her fingers again, twisting loops of golden string between them in intricate patterns. The furrow in his brow deepened. He looked almost nervous. Yum-Yum watched on, mystified by his sudden intensity.

When he pulled her hands apart this time, a heart emerged in the golden string. Tack's face went red again and he glanced away for a moment. His hands stayed on hers, warm and as gentle as ever. Then he met her eyes again, smiling bashfully. Her own cheeks flushed once more and her heart beat faster. She was suddenly very aware of two important things: firstly, that they were sitting very close together; and secondly, that she'd forgotten to replace her face veil after supper.

Almost unconsciously, she reached up to pluck the two tacks from his mouth. It felt like such a perfectly natural gesture, despite the pounding of her heart. Tack stared at her, confusion in his blue eyes. Yum-Yum hesitated for a second, her courage wavering. And then she reached up again and grabbed the earflaps of Tack's cap, pulling him down and pressing her lips softly against his.

He gasped quietly, almost inaudibly, startling her so much that she let go of his hat and jerked away. He stared dazedly at her, his face redder than ever, and then he frowned in bewilderment.

She giggled breathlessly. "Sorry, it's just that, well… that's the first sound I've ever heard from you!" she exclaimed.

The frown turned to a smile and he shrugged. Then he looked at her with a mix of curiosity and yearning, and she didn't need words to guess why. They leaned towards each other and their lips met again.

"Princess?" came a voice from the garden. Now it was Yum-Yum who gasped, pulling away and quickly standing up.

"I'm out here," she called, glancing apologetically at Tack. He smiled at her, but she could her own disappointment mirrored in his face. She swiftly settled her face veil back in place; although her back was to him, she could guess that Tack's tacks had returned to his mouth.

Amaris walked through the doorway. "Your nanny has sent me to tell you that your bath is ready, Princess," the maid said.

"Thank you, Amaris," Yum-Yum said. "I'll be there in a moment." Amaris bowed and went back into the garden. She turned around again, sighing wistfully. "Good night, Tack," she said.

The tacks twisted up in a tender smile. In a sudden moment of boldness, he reached out and clasped her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. The corners of her mouth curled upward and she squeezed back. Then she let her hand slip from his and they left the balcony, entering the garden. Amaris was waiting for them beyond the doorway.

"Amaris, please escort my guest back to his quarters. And have Fikri see to it that he is taken care of in the morning," Yum-Yum said.

"Of course, Princess." Amaris bowed again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tack," Yum-Yum said, glancing at him. He nodded emphatically and then followed Amaris out of the garden.

Yum-Yum watched him leave, then sighed again and headed towards her bedchambers. As she passed the fountain and the piles of shoes, a metallic gleam on the tiled floor caught her eye. She bent down, picking the tiny object up. It was a tack! It must have fallen out of Tack's pocket while he was working here, she thought with a chuckle. Seating herself on the edge of the fountain, she lifted the tack up and inspected it. Its dark surface glinted in the moonlight.

Then, in a fit of curiosity, she dusted the tack off and stuck the end of it between her lips. She twisted around and looked down into the pool of the fountain, using its surface as a mirror. She contorted her face and mouth, trying to make the tack swivel and swing around like the tacks in Tack's mouth. It bobbed up and down, but it stubbornly refused to do what she wanted. Years of practice, I suppose, she thought ruefully.

After changing into her nightclothes, she passed through the garden once more and entered her summer bedchamber. She held the tack cupped in the palm of her hand, held close to her chest. The little object went onto the small table by her bed. Yawning, she curled up on the soft bed. She gazed up at the stars as she waited for sleep to come, happiness filling her heart, and she wondered if it were really possible to fall in love so quickly.