by Aron Lewes
“Elliot?”
“Yes. I believe that was his name.” The old woman's smile broadened as she studied her granddaughter's face. “He was wearing the strangest hat, and he had a fairy riding on his shoulder!”
“Grandmama...” Scarlet heaved a weary sigh as she sat on the edge of her grandmother's bed. “We've talked about this before. You have hallucinations... remember?”
“And then there was a wolf!” the old lady cried. “It had big eyes and big teeth and big--”
“Grandmama!” Scarlet interrupted with a roll of her eyes. “Grandmother, how many times do I have to tell you? You see things! There was no wolf, and you probably didn't meet Elliot!”
Scarlet's grandmother vigorously shook her head. “But I did, dear! This was no hallucination, I swear.”
“Grandmama.” Scarlet gave her grandmother's foot an affectionate squeeze. “You're breaking my heart. You need to acknowledge the truth. You see things that aren't there!”
“I know you think I'm senile... and maybe I am... but this was real!” the lady insisted. “There was a kind young man who helped me into bed, there was a wolf, and then you--”
Scarlet interrupted again. “Last week, you saw a man with an ax in your closet! Two days ago, you thought there were bugs crawling across your bedroom wall! None of it is real, Grandmama. I know it's difficult to admit, but you need to believe me! You didn't see a man and you didn't see a wolf! You have hallucinations.”
The old woman's smile gradually fell from her face. With a disheartened sigh, she finally admitted, “Maybe you're right, dear.”
“It must be scary to see things that aren't there. And I feel terrible for you!” Scarlet's red hood fell away from her face as she rose from the bed. “I wish there was some way I could help you. I--”
Before she could finish, a bearded man ran into the room and tossed Scarlet White over his shoulder. When Fenix realized it was Bruno, he growled.
“What are you doing?” Scarlet cried. “Who are you? What on earth are you--”
“Quiet, love,” Bruno croaked. “I'm taking you to Prince Gideon. For some reason, the little brat wants you. Dunno why.”
Rose was so tired of scrubbing the floor, she tossed her sponge with a frustrated squeak. As the soggy sponge bounced across the Palace's marble floor, she yelled, “I hate this! I hate this sooo much!”
The sponge bounced all the way to Prince Elliot, who was emerging from his bedchamber. When it hit his boot, he turned in Rose's direction. “Rose?” He carefully picked up the sponge and carried it back to her. “Is Prince Gideon making you scrub floors now?”
“Yes!” Rose whimpered as she combed back her hair. “Isn't that awful? A princess scrubbing floors! Is that not the most terrible thing you've ever heard?”
Elliot gave her a slow nod. “Perhaps I should have a word with him?”
“Don't bother. It's useless!” Rose declared. “What I really need is for you to rescue me! How can you turn a blind eye to your soulmate's plight, Elliot? I thought you were a better man than that!”
“I haven't turned a blind eye to your plight, Rose. I just don't know what to do.” With a sigh, Elliot pushed his spectacles to the bridge of his nose. “I don't want to make an enemy of King Orun. I'm sure my father wouldn't appreciate that.”
“But Elliooooot!” Rose picked up the sponge, and in a fit of rage, she slapped it against the floor. “I expected better from you, to be honest. I--”
Suddenly, another young lady was calling out his name. “Elliot!”
It was a voice he often heard in his dreams. “Scarlet?” When the prince glanced up, he saw his favorite young lady getting jostled down the hall by a tall, brutish guard. “Scarlet, why are you in the Winter Palace? What's going on?”
“I don't know!” the beauty cried. When she tried to run to Elliot, Bruno grabbed a fistful of her red cloak and pulled her back. “I'm so confused, Elliot! I have no idea what's going on!”
“I already told you, love,” Bruno croaked. “You're the prince's new attendant.”
“You are going to be Gideon's attendant?” Elliot rushed forward and seized her arm. “But that's unacceptable!”
As Bruno pried the prince's fingers from Scarlet's forearm, Princess Rose squawked, “It's unacceptable for her to be an attendant, but not me? Elliot!” She was so frustrated by the prince's preferences, she picked up her sponge and chucked it at his legs.
Bruno, who was much larger than the prince, shoved him aside and lifted Scarlet off her feet. He carried her, kicking and screaming, all the way to Gideon's bedchamber.
“Elliot!” Scarlet cried. “Elliot, please look after my grandmother! Can you do that for me?”
“Of course!” Elliot exclaimed. “But I'll not stand for this! I just need to have a word with Prince Gideon. I'll talk some sense into him!”
Elliot followed Bruno to Gideon's bedchamber. Inside, one of the attendants was brushing Gideon's hair. The prince's expression was pure bliss as the comb dragged through his locks. His eyes were closed, and his lips wore a dopey grin.
“Yer Highness?” Bruno spoke up. “I got yer girl.”
Gideon's eyes snapped open at the sound of Bruno's voice. “Scarlet White? Bring her closer! Let me see her!”
Scarlet squealed when Bruno shoved her forward. He roughly forced her to her knees in front of the appraising prince.
“My god, this girl is beautiful!” the prince cried. “She has lovely golden eyes and thick, black curls.” Gideon traced a finger along her cheekbone. “Would you like to be one of my attendants, my lady?”
“I...” When Scarlet glanced over her shoulder, she saw Elliot hovering in the doorway. Her charming prince looked just as panicked as she did. “I don't really know what's going on, Your Highness.”
“I lost one of my favorite attendants,” explained a sighing Prince Gideon. “I needed a replacement. I needed a replacement that was even more beautiful than the one I lost. I needed you.” Gideon's finger lightly tapped the young lady's lips. “Will you be my new attendant, Scarlet? Actually... you don't really have a choice in the matter, but I'm trying to be polite about it.”
“Wh-what does it mean to be your attendant, Your Highness?” Scarlet asked.
Gideon pulled back her hood and admired the girl's face. “It means you're my servant. Basically, you have to do whatever I want.”
“Gideon!” Elliot exclaimed. When he tried to approach, he was halted by one of Bruno's meaty arms. “Gideon, might have a word with you? Scarlet is actually someone special to me! I've been courting her for days. She has a grandmother who needs her, and--”
“Do you think I care?” Gideon interrupted. The spoiled prince flashed a smile at the attendant who continued to comb his hair. “I stole Prince Sharman's lady, and now I'll steal yours. It gives me satisfaction, to be honest. Bruno? Will you kindly extract Prince Elliot from my room? I don't care to listen to him anymore.”
Bruno accepted the task with a bored nod. He easily lifted Elliot off his feet and carried him through the door. Scarlet whimpered as her beau was hauled away.
“Now... Scarlet,” Gideon began, “Do you have any special talents?”
“Um...” Scarlet's fingers fidgeted as she considered her answer. “I'm... not a bad cook.”
“Can you sew?” Gideon asked.
“Of course.”
“Do you play any musical instruments?” When Gideon leaned back in his chair, the leather cushion creaked. His attendant's comb continued to plow through his hair. “I need an attendant who can entertain me.”
“I used to play a bit of piano, my lord,” Scarlet said. “I can only play a few songs, however.”
“Hmm...” Gideon's eyes narrowed. “I think I'll have you sew up a hole in my shirt. I don't even care about this particular shirt, but I need something for you to do.” The prince snapped his fingers and pointed at the shirt on his bed. “Go on. Get to work.”
“I can't believe I slayed a dragon. A dragon!” Pri
nce Sharman's eyes expanded as he excitedly paced around the bedroom he shared with Donnabella. “Well, to be fair, you did most of the work, but it was my sword that landed the finishing blow!”
“I know,” agreed a sighing Donnabella. “You stole my kill.”
“Sorry.” The smirk on his lips suggested he was less than apologetic. “You know, I never thought I would say this, but you're actually not a terrible human being, Donnabella.”
The witch chuckled at his meager compliment, then she returned one of her own. “I never thought I would say this, but you're actually not the most annoying man in the world.”
“I'm not?”
The prince's surprise had her laughing again. “No. Although you are still a strong candidate for second and third place.”
“If I'm not the most annoying, who is?”
He almost sounded disappointed, so Donnabella exclaimed. “Goodness! Do you actually want to annoy me, Your Highness?”
“No.” Sharman's smile wavered as he joined her in the bed. Her dress had slipped from her shoulder, and it didn't escape his notice. When his gaze was drawn to the exposed skin, he felt a bit sheepish. “But you never answered my question. Who annoys you? Apart from myself, of course.”
“Oh, I don't know. Rank, perhaps? He has his uses, but he's such an odd bod,” Donnabella said. “Or... perhaps the title of most annoying should go to Jostle or Pitch?”
“Jostle and Pitch?” The Prince rolled on his side, facing Donnabella's direction. He had to stop his eyes from wandering to her bare shoulder. “Who are Jostle and Pitch, might I ask?”
“They're two of my magic students.” Donnabella watched him drag a hand through his curly brown hair. The prince's fetish with his own hair never failed to make her chuckle. “Actually, now that Fenix is cheating on me, all of my magic students annoy me.”
“You teach magic?”
“Indeed. Do you want to learn?”
Sharman scoffed at the thought. “Goodness, no! If I started to learn magic, I would feel like I was selling my soul to the devil. No offense.”
“Magic itself isn't evil. It only has a bad name because some of its practitioners misuse the power.”
The prince's perfectly plucked eyebrow raised as he suggested, “People like you, you mean?”
“You still think I'm evil, Your Highness?” Donnabella's arms crossed at the thought. “And here I thought we were getting along so well...”
“No. No!” Sharman sat up and seized her arm. “I was only teasing you! I-I didn't want to offend you!”
“Why so panicked?” asked a grinning Donnabella. “Are you afraid I'm going to turn you into a toad, Your Highness?”
“No. I'm afraid I'll lose my friend!”
Sharman's words were so surprising, she might have staggered if she was on her feet. “Friend?”
“Yes. Are we not friends now? I've come to care about you... a bit... a very small amount, really. Anyway, I wouldn't want to make you upset.”
“I haven't invested you with the power to make me upset,” Donnabella coldly informed him. “Besides, I really don't care what you--”
Donnabella's retort was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sharman immediately hopped from bed to greet their visitor, Emperor Regus, who was as naked as ever.
“Hello, hello!” As he greeted the prince, Regus tugged on his invisible robe. “I just heard the good news, boy! You killed the dragon?”
“We did!” Sharman glanced back at Donnabella, who was hiding her eyes from the emperor's naked body. “Actually, it was Donnabella who did most of the work.”
“A lady slew a dragon? Fascinating! I had no idea such women existed,” Regus said. “What was the young lady's name again?”
“Donnabella,” the witch answered as she peeked through her fingers. Fortunately, Sharman's body was blocking the emperor's private parts from view.
“Donnabella...” Regus dreamily repeated. “From now on, this day shall forever be known as Donnabella Day.”
“Please, no,” she protested. “I don't want to be a holiday.”
“But we must celebrate your heroics!” Regus insisted. “You are a heroine, dear, and your name shall be remembered for eternity.”
Donnabella shook her head and sighed. She never would have expected to transition from wicked witch to heroine.
“Anyway...” the emperor continued, “a camel-powered wagon will be provided for you tomorrow. Don't worry, it won't be as slow as you think. Well... it might take you an entire day or two to get back to the Winter Palace, but it's better than making the journey on foot, no?”
“I couldn't even make the journey on foot,” Sharman glanced down at his shiny new boots. “These feet weren't made for such a trek.”
“Indeed. Pampered princes aren't cut out for it.” Regus suddenly slapped Sharman's shoulder. “Anyway, I'm leaving now. I just wanted to thank you for a job well done!”
As Regus turned away and marched down the hall, Sharman's eyes tried to avoid the emperor's bare bottom, and Donnabella didn't uncover her eyes until the bedroom door was closed.
“What a strange man,” Sharman mused as he returned to bed. “A strange, peculiar old man.”
“Perhaps he is the most annoying,” Donnabella changed her previous answer. “Someone really needs to reason with the man. They need to sit him down and convince him to wear some actual clothes.”
As Sharman laid down, his gaze was pulled to Donnabella's shoulder yet again. It was an agonizing sight. A part of him wanted to cover it, and a part of him wanted to kiss it. He did neither. He kept his eyes on the ceiling and forced his attention elsewhere.
“How long have you been a magic teacher?” the prince asked.
“Oh, I don't know!” Donnabella shrugged. “Decades.”
“Decades?” His voice squeaked. “But how is that possible? You barely look older than me.”
“Uh... I'm a witch?” she reminded him with a roll of her eyes. “I've used magic to stave off death and preserve my youth.”
“That's... fascinating. And somewhat disturbing, to be honest.” The prince paused to fuss with his hair—as he often did. “So... you're an older woman then? I always assumed we were roughly the same age.”
His naivete made her smile. “You assumed wrong.”
“You know, I don't believe I've ever kissed an older woman.” Sharman shared the thought and held his breath.
“I hope you're not saying that because you're thinking about kissing me, Your Highness.”
Sharman snorted at the thought. “No! Of course not!”
“Good.” Donnabella removed her necklace and placed it on the nightstand beside her. There were many odd charms dangling from the chain, including a dragon's tooth, a crow's foot, and a vial of Minotaur blood. “If you were thinking about kissing me, it would be a recipe for disaster.”
“Why?”
“Do you really need to ask that?” Donnabella grumbled. “We would be the strangest couple in the world, Sharman! A witch and a prince? That... never happens.”
“I never said anything about being a couple! I was just talking about a kiss!” Sharman squawked. “A-a-and besides... I never said anything about kissing you. I talked about kissing older women. In general. If you thought I was talking about you, you made an erroneous assumption.”
“Good.” Donnabella blew out her nightstand's candle and slid beneath the blankets. “Now... if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.”
“Well then... goodnight.” Sharman rolled away with a snort. “I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose.”
The prince was asleep within minutes. She could hear his soft snoring over the constant chirp of crickets. As she watched his chest rise and fall, she whispered to herself, “itinerantus dissipatia.”
In an instant, she was back in her own bedroom. In the boot. Donnabella's eyes widened as they darted around the room.
“This is... unexpected,” she said aloud. “Hmm.”
Her own bed was infinitely more comfo
rtable, but she felt an odd pinch in her heart.
A few seconds later, she whispered again, “itinerantus dissipatia,” and returned to the prince's side.
She wasn't ready to say goodbye.
Not yet.
“Get Terra out of the palace,” Fenix advised Rank as they reunited with Cinderella in front of The Green Serpent Inn, where she was having a discussion with one of the maids.
“When it comes to scrubbing, I find that a coarse sponge is most effective,” Cinderella told the girl. “I spent quite a lot of time cleaning my stepmother's cottage, and I always had to clean their tub.”
Fenix didn't want to interrupt her, so he hovered nearby and kept his attention on Rank. “I mean it. Get her out of the palace now, Rank,” the shapeshifter reiterated. “I'm taking the girls back home.”
“But is that what Sweeping Beauty wants?” Rank asked.
“I don't know... but the more I think about it, the more I think it's not safe to stay here. What if Gideon found us? And Terra should most definitely not be in the palace.”
“Agreed, mate.” Rank delivered an affectionate slap to Fenix's arm as he sidled toward the palace. “I'll be back in a bit.”
When Rank left, Fenix listened to Cinda's conversation with the maid.
“Vinegar is great for getting rid of mildew,” she told the girl. “It removes soap scum as well. It--”
The maid interrupted her. “I think that young man wants to speak to you.”
“Oh!” Cinda whirled around, facing Fenix's direction. “Fenix! How long have you been standing here?”
“Not long.” He thrust a thumb over his shoulder, directing her attention to the departing mage. “Rank was with me. He's heading to the palace to get Terra.”
“Good! Terra needs to be freed from that terrible place.”
Fenix started to speak, but he was momentarily distracted by a fly on Cinda's shoulder. Anyone else might have swatted it away, but flies were kindred spirits to Fenix. It was one of his favorite forms. “I, uh... when Rank and Terra get here, I'm taking you back home.”
“Back to my stepmother?”
“Yeah.” Fenix gave her a nod. “Unless you have another destination in mind?”