Once Upon a Time Mercedes Lackey, the beloved Laureate of Valdemar, puts her own enchanting spin on our favorite fairy stories, in the first three Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdomsâ??a realm where it isnâ??t wise to buck Tradition. The Fairy Godmother: With no Prince to rescue her, Cinderella has to get a new job. In Elenaâ??s case, Fairy Godmother. Sadly, Tradition says Fairy Godmothers canâ??t take lovers, so Elena must deal with princes who try to rise above their place. And thereâ??s one in particular whoâ??s making a proper ass of himself.... One Good Knight: The virgin sacrifice for a fierce marauding dragon, Princess Andromeda intends to break Tradition and defeat the beast on her ownâ??but it doesnâ??t turn out quite that way. Enter Sir George, a most unexpected and unusual Knight...with whom sheâ??ll forge a different path for the story to take. Fortuneâ??s Fool: A daughter of the Sea King, Katya is spying on a strangely quiet little kingdom when a more urgent mission comes up. An evil Jinn is abducting maidens, and when Katia is taken, too, she finds herself in over her head. Now the only things she can count onâ??besides her native wit and courageâ??are a