Arden

Arden is the best friend and royal advisor to Princess Emily.

The Emerald Princess Plays a Trick
Arden reluctantly hides behind a tree with Emily as she excitedly prepares to pull a prank on the palace gardener, Staghorn. As the gardener tries to trim a mulberry bush, Emily joyfully tugs on a string, causing the bush to leap away from him. Emily laughs out loud on the look on his face, startling Staghorn even more. She gives the embarrassed Staghorn a hug, and demonstrates how she tricked him. He agrees that he must have looked quite silly before he leaves, insisting that he has more work to do. Arden notices that Staghorn does not appear to be amused and tries to get Emily to realize that maybe her tricks are not as fun for the people she plays them on, but the princess good-naturedly brushes off her concerns.

Arden reminds the princess that she's supposed to meet her sister Roxanne at the edge of the Greenwood, and Emily glows in anticipation of another trick. When they reach the border, Emily asks Arden to hide so that she can surprise Roxanne. Although suspicious of what her princess is planning, Arden complies and hides behind a large rock. Emily waits until Roxanne has crossed the Rushing River before leaping out at her, scaring her sister so badly she screams. When she realizes the creature is just Emily playing another trick, Roxanne is furious because she thought Emily was a Darkling and was genuinely scared. Emily finds it funny and doesn't understand why Roxanne is so mad, claiming that the people of the Greenwood love her tricks. Roxanne is skeptical and asks Arden to settle their discussion. Reservedly, Arden admits that she thinks pranks are only funny to those who pull them, but Emily simply waves away her opinion. Roxanne grows so angry with her sister's behavior, she announces that she's going to visit Sabrina instead and marches out of the woods, even using her magical shield to turn her invisible. Emily barely has time to be stunned before a young man named Crosscut stumbles out of the woods, begging the princess to go to Staghorn. As he was trimming the Twisted Vines, something went wrong, causing him to get hurt. Recognizing that this is very serious, Emily casts aside her her silliness, climbs on Arden's back, and rides to the Twisted Vines.

They find Staghorn near the Babbling Brook with an injured leg, but as he refuses to tell Emily where exactly it hurts, the fairy Hazelnut is obligated to tell her that his ankle may be broken. Emily wants to get him to the Emerald Palace where he can get treatment, but he insists that go to Nana Woodbine, a woman famed for her healing skills. Staghorn shakes her off when Emily tries to help him to his feet, accepting help from Crosscut instead.She asks how he got hurt, but Hazelnut rudely denies her an answer until Arden patiently reminds the fairy that Emily is her princess. Hazelnut snaps that Staghorn got caught by a rope that yanked him upside-down into the treetops. When Arden wonders where the rope could have come from, Hazelnut tells her to ask the princess before she flies away, leaving a very confused Emily behind. At Arden's gentle suggestion, she decides to go to Nana Woodbine's cottage and see if there is anything she can do to help Staghorn.

Nana pleasantly informs Emily that Staghorn's ankle is only badly bruised, but his pride suffered a deeper injury when he foolishly swung upside down in the trees. When the princess asks to see him, Nana gently but firmly refuses to allow it and closes the door in Emily's face. Unable to stand the cold-shoulder treatment she's been getting, Emily wishes that she could shrink herself down to the size of a mouse so she can smuggle herself into the cottage and hear what everyone is saying. Arden suggests she use the magical pan flute the wizard Gallivant gave her, which has the power to shrink her down to the size of a fairy or grow to the height of a giant. As Arden patiently waits outside, a now-tiny Emily squeezes under the door. After a while, a tearful Emily wriggles her way back out and bumps straight into her friend. Ashamed, she confesses that Arden and Roxanne were right in believing that the people of the Greenwood weren't amused by her tricks and that they even think she is responsible for Staghorn's injury. Arden encourages Emily set things right with the gardener by finding out who really set the trap, so the tiny Emily sends Arden to the Blue Lake to ask Roxanne for help as she herself hacks her way through the tall grass to investigate the Twisted Vines.

Quotes

 * "I think practical jokes are only funny to the people who play them."