[Half/Time 01] Half Upon a Time

by James Riley

  “I heard Merriweather,” the prince said. “I heard her within my head. She told me … she told me a name.”

  “A name?” Jack said. “For what?”

  “Someone to help her?” May asked.

  “I believe so,” Phillip said, and then shook his head. “Though why this individual, of all the beings in the world …”

  Jack waited for him to finish, but the prince just trailed off. Impatiently, Jack cleared his throat. When that didn’t work, he whacked Phillip on the arm. “The name?” Jack said, his irritation growing.

  Phillip sighed, his eyes haunted as he looked at Jack. “Malevolent,” he said. “The name she told me was Malevolent.”

  “Malevolent?” May said. “Who’s that?”

  Jack shook his head. He’d never heard the name either.

  “She’s dead,” growled a voice behind them. They all glanced over in surprise to find a very healthy-looking Wolf King staring at them with his glowing red eyes. “At least, she will be once I get ahold of her.”

  Chapter 29

  “Malevolent is a fairy queen,” Phillip said after a hesitant look at the wolf. “A distant relative of Merriweather, though that could be the only thing they have in common. The stories I have heard of Malevolent’s horrific deeds …” He shook his head sadly. “Still, if she is the only one who can save Merriweather, then to her we shall go.”

  “Wait a second,” May said. “There are evil fairies? That doesn’t seem right.” She reached up to her head and patted the still grieving fairy sympathetically.

  “It is not right,” Phillip agreed. “But let us hope that the rumors of her wickedness are just that.”

  The wolf laughed, a sound like gravel rubbing against meaner gravel. “That creature is as evil as they come,” he said. “She betrayed your grandmother, Princess, turning on her in her hour of need. She’s most likely the reason your grandmother fled in the first place.”

  May’s eyes went dead. “What did the fairy queen do?” she asked the wolf.

  The animal just growled in response, shook his head, then turned and padded away. May and Jack turned to Phillip with a questioning look.

  “I … do not know to what the Wolf King refers,” the Prince said, “but I will tell you what I know of Malevolent. As you know, Merriweather watched over me for a great many years. During that time, I heard stories about the other fairy queens, often told to me by candlelight as I drifted off to sleep. However, there was one of her kind that she would not speak of, no matter how much I begged—a fairy queen of perfect features, every bit as cruel as she was beautiful.”

  “I knew girls like that,” May said. “I’d trip them in the halls sometimes.”

  Phillip paused, threw her an odd look, then continued. “I learned about Malevolent from others, however. Stories of her vanity, her evil deeds. They say only one person has ever come close to matching her, and that’s the Wicked Queen.”

  “Perfect,” Jack said. “We could use a few more all-powerful enemies. Wouldn’t want to get bored.”

  “I am afraid there is more bad news,” the prince said, looking a bit embarrassed. “Malevolent … she despises my family in particular. The following events happened when I was but a baby, so I learned the details later: A neighboring kingdom to mine had just been gifted by the birth of a baby daughter. Seeking to unite our kingdoms, my father betrothed me to this girl—”

  “Betrothed?” May repeated in surprise.

  “It means engaged,” Jack said, grinning widely.

  May glared at him.

  “Arranged marriages are quite common in our region, Princess,” Phillip said, frowning disapprovingly at them both. “This royal family asked for the blessing of all the fairy queens at the birth of their children, hoping that each child would receive gifts beyond any that nature might bestow. However, at the birth of the king’s first daughter, he erred, asking for the blessings of all the fairy queens except one.”

  “I think I see where this is going,” May said, and Jack nodded in agreement. This sort of thing happened so often, you’d think people would learn.

  “Yes,” Phillip said. “Malevolent, enraged at what she perceived to be a lack of respect, stormed the castle during the baby’s celebration, then cursed the child to die the day the baby girl turned fifteen by pricking her finger on a spindle.”

  “Nothing good ever comes from sewing,” May said, shaking her head sympathetically.

  “Indeed,” Phillip agreed. “Still, Merriweather had yet to bless the child, and was able to transform Malevolent’s curse from one of death to an eternal sleep instead. Meanwhile, the king attacked Malevolent for cursing his child, which enraged the fairy queen even more. Just as Malevolent was about to destroy the entire kingdom, Merriweather blocked Malevolent’s spell. The two began a great battle that ended with Malevolent holding the upper hand over Merriweather. Before she could strike the final blow, however, my father stepped in.”

  “Brave guy,” Jack murmured.

  Phillip smiled. “You have no idea, friend Jack. My father struck Malevolent over the head with a spinning wheel, of all things, a gift for the king’s daughter. This distraction gave Merriweather time to banish Malevolent from the castle. It was then that Merriweather vowed to watch over my father’s family in thanks, promising to someday return the favor.”

  “So what happened to the baby girl?” May asked.

  “No one knows,” Phillip admitted. “The good fairy queens consulted with the king and my father, then disappeared with the child. No one has seen her since. We assume she’s being protected from Malevolent, hidden away from spindles and curses.”

  “Sleeping babies aside, it sounds like Malevolent wouldn’t be too thrilled with you just showing up,” Jack said. “Or with helping Merriweather, for that matter. But why would Merriweather have given you Malevolent’s name, then? It sounds like she’s almost the worst person we could ask for help.”

  Phillip shrugged. “That, I do not know,” he said. “Perhaps Malevolent is the only one with enough power to save Merriweather?”

  “Maybe,” Jack said. “First we have to find her, though.”

  “Do not worry,” Phillip said. “All children in my kingdom know of the fairy queen’s castle. It sits atop an island in the sky on the eastern shore, formed of lava and maliciousness. Parents told us stories to scare us into eating our vegetables.”

  “Vegetables can be scary,” May said, frowning. “This castle, though, sounds pretty much par for the course for us. So, I guess we know where we’re going next.”

  “But how do we get there?” Jack asked. “We don’t have time to trek across the world, not with Snow White most likely being—” He stopped and glanced at May. “Being, uh, held prisoner,” he stammered. “She needs to be rescued now.”

  “We passed a river on the way here,” May suggested. “If the castle’s on the shore, maybe we could build a boat or something, float down the river to the ocean?”

  Phillip and Jack just stared at her.

  “What?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “You two aren’t afraid of water, are ya?” She smiled mockingly at them.

  “Afraid of water?” Jack said. “No. Afraid of the things that live in the water? Terrified.”

  “What,” May said, “like fish?”

  “On the bottom half, yes!” Jack said with a shudder.

  “Princess,” Phillip said, stepping between them. “Jack is right: Traveling by water would be suicide.”

  He was right. After all, giants, witches, and genies were one thing. But mermen? Those things were something else entirely.

  “Worry not, children,” the wolf said. “I know the location of Malevolent’s castle, and I can carry you three once more. I’m healed enough for that.” The animal smiled, showing far too many teeth. “I can even protect you from the fish-men, if that is your worry.”

  “Mermaids?” May asked incredulously. “You’re afraid of mermaids?!”

  “Mermen,” Jack corrected.
“No one’s seen a mermaid in like fifty years. Since that day, the mermen have been hunting down anything that goes within five feet of the water’s edge. I know people who won’t even go outside if it rains.”

  “I give up,” May said. “I’m just gonna have to see one, I guess.”

  The wolf smiled again. “By the time you saw one, it would be far too late. Now, are we finally ready to run?”

  Chapter 30

  The ride to Malevolent’s castle combined at least three of Jack’s top ten least favorite things. Between holding on to the wolf for dear life, infrequent stops for too little rest, and stopping for those rests on the riverside and catching glimpses of yellow eyes and hideous looking claws in the water, it all blended together into an unholy nightmare that Jack was only too glad to put behind him.

  The only problem was, by putting the ride behind him, he was forced to look ahead to dealing with Malevolent. That reality hit hard when they finally reached the castle right as the sun giant in the sky began to lower his burning orb to the ground, giving up for the day.

  Malevolent’s palace sat atop a large island of land hundreds upon hundreds of feet in the air, supported by a fragile rock base rising out of the ocean. The castle itself had been built in the shape of a snarling dragon, with the head directly across from what looked to be half a bridge jutting up from the forest. Jack wondered if the dragon’s lower jaw might actually be a drawbridge; it certainly was in the right place.

  On either side of the head, the dragon’s front legs were raised in the air as if ready to clamp down on intruders. The dragon’s claws acted like ramparts, perfect for defense. Rock spines covered the back of the dragon, the larger ones creating towers that rose above the main castle-body. At the very back of the castle, the dragon’s tail stuck straight into the air, with the end of the tail forming yet another tower, this one with a lit window at its peak.

  All in all, it was very creepy, very intimidating, and very high up.

  “First problem,” Jack said, nodding at the castle. “Anyone have any ideas how to get up there?”

  “We could fly up on the broomstick,” Phillip suggested, which seemed logical enough. The logic only held until the part where they dropped like a stone from five feet in the air, the broom not able to hold all three of them.

  “Phillip,” May said sweetly from the ground, “if you ever make another suggestion like that, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

  “Could we climb up the side?” Jack asked dubiously. The island’s overhang would most likely make it impossible, but for some reason, Jack didn’t see Malevolent lowering the drawbridge for them.

  “Whatever we do,” May said, “I think it’s going to have to wait until morning.” She squinted as darkness fell over the beach. “I can barely see you guys, let alone a way to get up there.”

  “If we flew up now, Princess, we could use the dark to our advantage,” Phillip suggested.

  “Honestly, Phillip,” May said. “I’m going to shove the broomstick right up your—”

  “I think we should wait too,” Jack agreed quickly. “It’s too dark to see what we’re doing, and it’s definitely too dark to be breaking into that,” he said, pointing at the castle. The whole thing was much too real-looking for Jack’s taste. The dragon’s fangs even glistened in what sunlight remained, while its claws, some kind of lava stone like the rest of the castle, looked lifelike enough to skewer a giant through the heart.

  All in all, waiting until daylight seemed like a good idea.

  They didn’t dare light a fire, not this close to Malevolent’s castle. Instead, they ate fruit from Phillip’s bag and tried to make themselves comfortable on the beach. The Wolf King left them to hunt for his own food, promising to keep watch over them. For some reason, that didn’t make Jack feel much safer.

  “He’s really not into the whole protecting thing, is he?” May said.

  “He did lead us to the Mirror,” Jack said. “Without that, we’d have had no idea where to find it … you know, to break it.”

  “Sometimes I can’t believe any of this is real,” May said, lying down on her side with one arm supporting her head, staring into the distance. “I mean, I can’t even believe my grandmother is trapped somewhere, maybe hurt, maybe …”

  Jack and Phillip glanced at each other, and both moved closer to May to offer what little support they could.

  “She’s the sweetest woman,” May continued, still staring at nothing. “She taught me to be my own person, but she was still there to support me when I needed it. And her laugh …” May smiled at the thought. “Such a beautiful laugh. So full of life.”

  The fairy in her hair patted May’s head, and May absently patted her back.

  “I know how you feel, Princess,” Phillip said. “I miss my father every day. I miss my mother as well, though she is safely back in my kingdom. Still, I couldn’t just stay there, not with my father’s death to avenge.” Phillip sighed. “Besides, my mother kept pushing me to hold a royal ball to find a wife.”

  “Ah!” Jack said. “So the real reason comes out finally!”

  “Not true!” Phillip said. “Justice comes first, of course! It … it was just a convenient time to go. Still, once I find the giant that murdered my father, I will be ready to settle down and marry.” He gave May a meaningful look, which she didn’t see. Jack, however, saw enough for everyone, and moved the conversation back to a safer topic.

  “So what happened to your father?” Jack said quickly. “Who is this giant? Where did he come from? Tell us everything, Phillip.”

  “There is little to tell,” the prince said. “My father was known far and wide for his giant-slaying skills. Therefore, when a giant began rampaging in a kingdom miles from home, word came to my father requesting aid. He bravely set out to slay the beast, but the creature was too much for him, and he was slain. To this day, I know little more about the giant than what details were in the message my father received.”

  “What were the details?” May asked.

  “The giant apparently lived in a castle in the clouds,” Phillip said, “and a thief broke into his home and stole some items of great worth.”

  Jack suddenly froze in place, but Phillip didn’t notice. “In chasing the thief,” the prince continued, “the giant rampaged across kingdom after kingdom, killing many, including my father, before escaping to parts unknown.”

  “So,” Jack said as calmly as he could, “what kinds of things did the thief steal from the giant?”

  “Priceless trinkets and such,” Phillip said. “A harp that sang the most perfect melodies. A bag of gold bigger than the thief’s head.”

  “And a goose that laid golden eggs?” Jack said, almost off-handedly.

  Phillip’s head shot up. “Why, yes! How did you know?”

  Jack cringed. “I think I know who the thief was.”

  “How?” Phillip said. “I would as soon bring him to justice as the giant, for both were equally to blame in my father’s death!”

  “Good luck with that,” Jack said very softly. “No one’s seen my father for years.”

  The entire camp went silent, and Jack found that he had some trouble breathing.

  “Your … father?” Phillip said, a torment of emotions flooding his face.

  “My father, yes,” Jack said, avoiding Phillip’s gaze. “Believe me, you can’t hate him any more than I do.”

  “I think you might be mistaken,” Phillip said softly.

  “Uh, let’s all calm down,” May said, moving between the two boys. “How could anyone know who did what so long ago?”

  “My father broke into the castle of a giant who lived in the clouds,” Jack said. “He stole a magical harp, a bag of gold, and a goose that could lay golden eggs. The broken harp is still at my grandfather’s house, May. It was him.”

  “Because your father stole from this giant, my father was murdered,” Phillip said, his voice very quiet.

  May looked between them quickly, then laid a hand
on Phillip’s arm. “Listen, how could Jack’s father even get up there? I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at them, but the clouds aren’t exactly close. Not to mention that they’re just water vapor, so you can’t exactly build a castle on them, let alone walk—”

  “He climbed up,” Jack said. “He climbed up a magical plant.”

  “A what?” May and Phillip said together, their confusion harmonizing nicely.

  “He climbed a beanstalk,” Jack said. “He traded the family cow for some magic beans that were supposed to make him rich. Turns out they could have, given that one giant bean could feed a family for years. My grandmother tossed them out the window, though, pretty annoyed at her son for trading away their only cow for some potentially normal beans. The next morning, there it was, a beanstalk ladder to the clouds.”

  “So the giant pursued your father, ravaging whole kingdoms to find him while he hid like a coward?” Phillip sneered.

  “Pretty much,” Jack admitted. “And ‘coward’ is putting it lightly. Still, that was probably the smartest thing he ever did, as it at least saved my grandmother.”

  “At the price of my father’s life,” Phillip said, rising to his feet.

  “Whoa!” May said, standing up too. “Phillip, none of this is Jack’s fault. And Jack, stop telling him all this!”

  “Why?” Jack said, standing up as well. “He deserves to know. And if I were him, I’d beat me up too.”

  “No one’s beating anyone up!” May said.

  Phillip growled. “Of course not. Jack, I formally challenge—”

  “No formal challenges, either!” May yelled. “Besides, I think you’re all missing the big picture here!”

  Both boys turned to her while May grabbed Jack’s grandfather’s bag and rummaged through it. Finally, she pulled out what looked like a tiny round seed.

  “Don’t you see?” she said. “We’ve got a way to get to Malevolent’s castle!”