"My dreams of gingerbread castles and a full village will have to wait." Hansel placed another batch into his teal-colored oven, and he walked out of the kitchen into the main room and placed blue and gold cups on his tea table.

A silver Christmas tree sparkled with fairy lights. Gifts wrapped in brown paper were piled halfway to the ceiling.

Young Hansel was satisfied, except for his desire for a proper wife. Life is better when you have a friend to love and share it with.

Hansel rushed back to the kitchen, turned off the oven, and removed a batch of warm cookies.

He placed a single gingerbread princess with the other cookies and pieces of gingerbread houses.

His perfect princess in cookie form was not yet decorated.

Hansel had hoped she'd come alive, but the cookie didn't dance or move.

His housekeeper, Mary, spoke. "I could try to bake the last four batches." She pulled her gray hair back.

He ran to the pantry and removed jars of homemade strawberry preserves and seeded crackers. "No, please don't bake."

She broke into laughter. "I promise, I won't burn them this time or set the kitchen on fire."

"Bring two large cheese balls, your best-smoked ham, sausages, and a goose, from the refrigerated larder."

"Why, it's only us." The elderly dragon woman's emerald-colored wings twitched.

"Joyfully, no. That is why I have bought extra gifts. We're having King Richard and one of the princesses for Christmas, and your family will dine with us. You cook, and I'll bake and serve." Hansel grabbed his heavy wool coat. "King Richard needs your expertise with horses. They want to shoot his favorite."

Blackened smoke left nostrils. "I hope he's not bringing Princess Tina. She is unpleasant."

"Maybe we can soften her with kindness." He rushed outside.

The violet sky darkened overhead.

All Hansel wanted to do was bake a dozen more gingerbread cookies for Christmas, but the light snow he was looking forward to was becoming a thunderstorm, and his animals required him more than his oven.

Hansel and three dragon farm hands guided sheep into the barn connected to his large stone home.

"I'll make sure the chickens are safe and leave food for the horses," one of the young men said.

Tina and her sister exited the carriage and stopped in front of Hansel's cottage, which stood on a sturdy cliff.

He smiled at the princesses, but he never met Tina's sister before. She wore a royal pin in her hair instead of a crown, so she couldn't be in line for the throne. Tiny wings stuck through her traveling dress, so her mother must be a fairy, unlike Tina.

Princess Tina's curls bounced when she walked. Artisans created her crown from broken sea glass. The glass pieces, unlike her jagged and cutting words, were softened and molded into something beautiful. "Hansel, I already have ten princes fighting for my hand..."

The storm clouds grew darker.

"Another poor suitor! And he stinks of gingerbread the same as you do. He'll die for my hand, and only my true love will survive. All I want him to be is brave and rich." She turned to the other woman. "Alana, this is terrible."

Hansel winked at Alana. "But the king never said anything to me about marrying."

Alana laughed in pure joy, and her wings fluttered. "Tina was supposed to come alone, but my plans fell through. Our sister, Skylark, told us your housekeeper is the best at mending horses. Father doesn't want to shoot his baby, and I want to learn how to mend horses."

Hansel nodded. "Yes, Mary is fantastic with horses. She does a bit of everything, except for baking, but her sausages never burst, and her Christmas gooses and hams are absolute perfection."

"Won't she spend time with family?" Alana asked. "Most of our servants have off during the holidays, except our guards?"

"Who cares, and who cares about Father's ugly horse?" Tina interrupted. "We need to be talking with the troops."

Hansel ignored Tina and spoke to Alana. "Yes, but the farm hands are her grandsons. They live in a cottage because I pay a fair wage, but they'll be staying over."

"I hope she can save Freddie." Alana touched her fingertips to his own.

He blushed, her fingers felt soft, not soft like the princess she was, but smooth from making butter.

Princess Tina huffed. "Just shoot the stupid horse and let me go home!"

Alana's eyes widened. "But Freddie saved his life, and he's a fine horse."

"Then why force me to show up? Father thinks this is a setup. I don't want to wed a man with the stink of poverty and baked goods. I might as well marry an idiot prince, or worse, a miller." Tina commanded her sister to come forward and lace her dress.

"That is not very kind to say, and there is nothing wrong with millers, without them, we'd have no bread," Alana said. "He's not your suitor, yet."

"Stupid Servant, just shut up! Every man who meets me wants me, and I am tired of it!" The beautiful princess kicked in the air, and her corset loosened.

Guards held Tina back.

Alana spoke calmly. "I'm not your servant. Stop being such a child. Everyone thinks I'm older for a reason." The twenty-one-year-old woman laced up Tina's dress. Alana's eyes sparkled. "Please, sister, we're asking him to keep us an extra three days due to the storm, and the horse. It doesn't help if we're rude. Why do you behave like this in front of every eligible man?" The aroma of fresh Christmas cake and gingerbread clung to Alana's skin. Her lips were the color of roses.

Hansel blushed and looked away.

"Why should I be polite? And you shouldn't either. He is beneath even you, isn't he, or are you an idiot?" Tina asked. "Alana baked our gift cake. It's a good cake. She isn't a rat like you."

A guard gave Hansel a red tin.

"Thank you." Hansel handed it to a farmhand to bring inside.

"Rat, help us inside," Tina demanded.

"My name is Hansel Graybeard, not a lowly man nor a rat either, but you are both welcome to come in before the storm hits, and I have Christmas gifts set aside..." He paused. "I'm not poor, but not a king and I have the title of count." Hansel earned enough fairy coins, during the salt crab season, and sold wool and sheep cheese. He was royal, but with no real dowry, he earned everything.

The kings and princesses were far richer, but many of them were miserable. Their servants who worked for them were even more so.

Alana was gangly with a crooked nose. Her eyes were large, and he liked her lips.

"I am Alana, and this is Princess Tina. But I am not a servant as much as my sister claims I am."

"Alana, don't be an idiot. He knows who we are, and he knows I was joking!" Tina adjusted her crown. The soft green and brown glass glistened in the sun, but her beautiful eyes were dim.

Hansel frowned. "No, I've never met Alana before. I wish that you had brought her around the last time you and your twin sister, Skylark, visited with her husband. This kingdom has so many princesses."

"Father only has five children, unlike his brothers. He's only been married twice, and I'm the oldest daughter and turning 24. I came out two minutes before Skylark," Tina corrected. "We're not identical, I'm prettier, smarter, and if you weren't a poor loser, you'd know that."

"I know you're the oldest. You won't let me forget. But I am doing quite well for myself." He bowed to both women.

The king caught up with them, trailed behind them, and struggled to guide his lame horse along the path.

Hansel's housekeeper, Mary, and his farmhands ran out of the house and helped the princess and guards inside.

"The king and Hansel brought the horse to the stall."

Mary and Alana came back in with ointment, and Mary taught the girl how to use it.

Mary examined the horse. "The real issue is his hoof. The front left hoof is infected. I will cut it out, clean it, and bandage it, and your beautiful horse will rest. I will also add a cushion to the other hoof."

Mary went to work, and the horse screamed in pain but seemed relieved afterward. He limped less and devoured the feed provided to him by Mary's grandson.

"Alana, I will wash up before I start cooking," Mary said.

"Can I help?" Alana asked.

"You are a unique princess, but Hansel is a strange count and the best employer I've worked for." Mary smiled. "I'll dress you up in one of my Christmas kitchen dresses. You'll look so adorable in it."

Alana and Mary left.

"Kind Hansel, my daughter, Skylark, told me you might take us in longer than expected. I hadn't planned on it, but my horse still wants to rest, and I won't go without him."

"Good King Richard." Hansel bowed. "Yes, of course, and the storm would be too hard on him."

"You would make a fine son-in-law."

"Sorry, sir, I'd rather decline if it is Tina."

"Yes, I understand." The king frowned.

"I do not mean to insult your family. Tina is beautiful, but not for me. Her sister, Alana, seems more of a woman than I'd be interested in. I'll try to impress her with tonight's meal."

The king grinned. "Yes, my ex made me miserable all through my first marriage, but Tina isn't like her mother and would rather hang out with the troops. Alana's mother is a friend, but not royal. She has no claim to the throne or wealth, and I cannot find a husband for her. But since you are technically a count, you could marry Tina."

"I'd rather be happy than king. Someone else can die of misery, but not me."

The king hugged Hansel. "And I made that mistake fighting for Tina's mother's hand."

The storm hit, and first came the rain and the snow.

"My barn is heated, so I don't have to work them in the snow to keep them alive," Hansel said.

They walked out through the house.

Alana was dressed in a red and white kitchen dress. She worked in the kitchen, finishing off his gingerbread baking.

He was glad his lowliness had protected him from Tina, but a sudden sadness fell upon his heart. He had tried kindness on Tina, but not really.

"You must be terrified about being married off to someone you don't love," he said.

Tina nodded in agreement. "Yes, and I am not as foolish as people think I am, and I can be every bit as strong a ruler as my father with or without a prince. Though my mother doesn't believe I can rule like she can, but I don't want to be her."

"I bet you will be." He pointed to the kitchen table. "We're going to make gingerbread houses and castles. I promise you, it'll be fun."

"I can help make the frosting, and we can play party games," Alana said.

Tina almost smiled for a moment.

Maybe, they could change her with one gingerbread house at a time. He gave her a miniature castle made of gingerbread.

Tina smiled to spite herself.

Hansel handed Alana a large piece—a princess piece he had baked earlier—not knowing it was for her. "We can frost her together."

"Could you bake me a princess too?" Tina forgot to act spoiled.

"But of course, I have more dough. I hope you rule well, but I'll court your sister if she allows it." He located the gingerbread molds and handed her the princess. "You can make your own like your own destiny."

"Yes, I think I would like that very much." Alana made more frosting.

He touched her hand. "But you have no crown, so I'll make you one of gingerbread."