Once Enchanted

by Marie Higgins

  Slowly, awareness came to her, making her remember what had happened when Ormond had given her the flowers that first time. She’d been dizzy and disoriented for a moment, and when she’d looked at him again, he had seemed so different. Had the flowers been cursed like Ryder suggested? But the idea was so insane...

  “I’ve never heard of flowers being cursed.” She shook her head, not wanting to believe.

  Ryder cleared his throat and turned toward her a little more. He took her hand and lightly caressed her skin.

  He smiled. “Will you allow me to tell you what I discovered?”

  She didn’t want to pull her hand away from him. The contact was too nice and warming her body quickly. “Of course.”

  He leaned his shoulder against the stone wall as his gaze held hers. “When my father died of an unknown ailment, and other guards had also become sick and even died, I decided to investigate to see what was going on.”

  She nodded and grinned. “I’m happy to know you are putting your skills to work.”

  He winked. “Indeed, just as you suggested. The day after you met the prince, I was in the hospital and spoke with Fred Cook, who is withering away fast. He mentioned seeing an old woman the day he’d become sick. My father had said the same thing when I’d asked him about what he remembered. That evening, I decided to go into town and look around. As luck would have it, I saw her. She fit the same description my father and Mr. Cook had given me, but I had to be certain this was the same woman, so I followed her. She lives deep in the forest. Hiding behind a tree, I watched her for the longest time. She received a visitor. I couldn’t see who was in the coach that drove up to her small cottage, but I did hear voices. Apparently, the person inside the coach was questioning the old woman about a particular spell. The old woman assured this person that all of her spells work. She mentioned placing a spell on the Rapunzel flower.” He paused and cleared his throat. “Clarissa, she’s a witch! She then said something that sent chills up my spine.”

  Clarissa was afraid to ask, yet she needed to know. “What was it?”

  “The old witch told the person inside the coach that as long as the princess continues to smell the flower, she will fall in love with him and marry him.”

  Clarissa could hardly breathe. The shock seemed too much to bear. The throbbing pain inside of her head grew stronger. Tears collected in her eyes, and uncertainty twisted in her gut. But as much as her mind wanted to argue the point, she knew Ryder wouldn’t lie to her.

  “It was Prince Ormond inside the coach.” Her voice shook. “The flower he gave me was the Rapunzel flower.” She swallowed hard. “And even last night while we were at dinner, he asked a few times if I had smelled the flower. I told him I had, even though I hadn’t, only because I didn’t want to be rude.”

  Ryder patted her hand. “Why didn’t you smell it?”

  “Because of my headache. After leaving you yesterday, I was confused and had a lot on my mind. I didn’t want to think because of the throbbing in my skull, but I knew I must sort out my confusion.”

  “How do you feel now?” he asked softly.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “My headache is worse, and yet...” She looked at him again. “I know you’re right. Things are finally making sense to me. Now I realize why I felt that way about Ormond—and why he said what he did.”

  “What are you going to do about it now that you know?”

  “I have no idea what needs to be done. Do you think I’m still under the spell?” She scratched her leg. “If I’m still under, how could I break the spell? I don’t want Prince Ormond to have any kind of hold on me.”

  “I wish I knew, my sweet Rissa.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and Ryder caught it with his thumb as he stroked her chin. Her heart melted. Finally reality hit and she wanted to weep with happiness. Ryder had always been there for her while she was growing up, and as an adult, he was still there for her. What would she do without him? For certain, she never wanted to find out.

  Her mind spun with ways that could possibly break the spell, but she didn’t want to take chances. She wanted to know for certain. As she stared into Ryder’s amazing brown eyes, another idea popped in her head. At the thought, her heartbeat sped with excitement. “I suppose there is only one way to break the spell.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “What is that?”

  “True love’s kiss.”

  She leaned into him, keeping her gaze locked with his. Desire coated his chocolate brown eyes, and she wanted to sigh with happiness. Instead, she cupped his face and captured his mouth with hers. Fireworks shot inside of her, making her feel dizzy—but it was a different kind of emotion than what had happened when she sniffed the flowers.

  Ryder released a moan that was covered by the sound of his chains creaking as he wrapped his arms around her Charissa, pulling her close. His mouth melded with hers quickly, and he participated fully, moving his mouth from side to side. Excitement buzzed in her ears, and her heart sang with gladness.

  Finally, she broke the kiss, but stayed in his embrace. Smiling, she stroked his cheek.

  “How do you feel?” he wondered. “Did it work? Is the spell broken?”

  She tried to think of Prince Ormond and the thoughts she’d had about him, but they all disappeared. She couldn’t even conjure up the image of his face in her mind. Even her headache was gone!

  “Yes, it worked.”

  He bent his head and kissed her again, but she couldn’t allow their intimate moment to continue. Not yet, anyway.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “There’s something important I have to do first.” She pulled back enough to withdraw the string necklace from the bodice of her riding habit. She’d made this necklace so she would always have the key to his chains on her person at all times. She took one wrist at a time and unlocked him, and then moved off the cot and knelt in front of him to remove the chains around his ankles.

  As she straightened, Ryder slowly stood. His wide brown eyes held a glimmer of moisture, but his smile was wide. He grasped her hands and brought them to his lips. Her heartbeat jumped with happiness as he kissed her knuckles. Then he wrapped his strong arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath touched her skin and tingles of delight ran rapidly through her. Closing her eyes, she relished this feeling, and especially the closeness they were sharing. If only they could continue like this for the rest of the day. The weather was perfect for cuddling in front of a fire... Then again, they’d need a fire, first.

  “Thank you,” he whispered in a tight voice.

  “Can you ever forgive me?” She kissed the side of his head.

  He lifted his head and looked at her. “Of course I can. You were under a spell. In fact, if you wish, I shall help you confront Prince Ormond about his trickery, since I was the one who witnessed the meeting between him and the witch.”

  “No. What I need you to do instead is to find her and put a stop to her spells. There must be a way to keep her from ruining people’s lives like this.”

  “Your wish is my command, princess.” He winked.

  “However,” she ran her fingers across his groomed goatee, loving how soft it was, “I do like the idea of us working together.”

  His brown eyes twinkled, and his grin stretched. “As do I.”

  In silence, she gazed into his eyes...so enchanting, so very desirous. She could scarcely hold herself back from flinging her arms around him and kissing him soundly on the lips one more time. He moved the palm of his hands up her arms to her neck. His strong, but very gentle, fingers stroked the skin at her throat. Heavens, but he was making her weak in the worst possible way. Between his tender touch and the simmering emotion in his eyes, she struggled to keep from swooning with anticipation right now.

  “Rissa,” he said in a low voice, “there are many things you and I could work together in doing...starting with this—”

  He knelt on one knee and held her right ha
nd. “Rissa, the love of my life, will you make me the happiest man in this kingdom by marrying me?”

  Her heart soared as she nodded. “Yes!”

  Ryder jumped to his feet, took her in his arms again, and brought his mouth to hers for a very passionate kiss. Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, she held onto his strong body. She moved her mouth with his urgently, not being able to get enough of his sultry kisses.

  Why had she ever doubted her feelings for him? Obviously, the spell had been that strong, and yet...she wondered if her heart had been fighting it the whole time. Her heart had wanted Ryder, not Ormond. That could have been the reason for her headaches, because right now, there was no pain in her body at all. Only a growing love for this wonderful and forgiving man.

  She could have kissed him all day. Unfortunately, until this witch was stopped, she’d have a hard time trusting people in her life.

  Hesitantly, she pulled away. When his gaze met hers, she smiled and stroked his cheek. “As much as I’d love to stay in here and kiss you for hours, we have a witch to stop.”

  He grinned and nodded. “Indeed, we do.” He glanced toward the window and his smile disappeared. “But the question is...will we make it back to the palace before the storm comes?”

  “I had forgotten about the storm.” She sighed and leaned against him. “I suppose if we do happen to get caught in the storm, we’ll have to stop somewhere along the way to get out of the rain...and cuddle together.”

  He looked down at her with dreamy eyes. “Now that sounds like the perfect solution.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “And I must say, I’m very grateful you still care about my health.”

  She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. Her heart wrenched. She slipped her hands into his and squeezed. “Oh, Ryder. I promise that from now on, I shall trust you without question.”

  “Let’s just hope you don’t fall under another enchantment.”

  She shook her head. “The only enchantment I will be under is yours.”

  His expression relaxed and he gave her another kiss. This one wasn’t as long, but still, it was just as effective.

  When he broke the kiss, he moved to gather the baskets of food. She grabbed the satchel of books and the blanket. He didn’t say anything more as he led them down the stairs. She, too, was eager to return home, only so she could set things right. Her first order of business would be talking to her father and informing him of Ryder’s intentions, and especially what Ryder had discovered while spying on the witch.

  As they reached the bottom level of the tower, a strange eeriness swept over her like a cold chill. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it. But as she scanned the meager floor and walls, she couldn’t detect anything that was wrong.

  She slowed her steps and concentrated on her feelings. If this place was haunted with ghosts as she and Ryder had discussed yesterday, what were the ghosts trying to tell her?

  Before Ryder reached the door, he turned to look at her. His forehead creased, and he frowned.

  “What is amiss?”

  She stopped. “I don’t know. I feel something is wrong.”

  “Like what?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. There is something about this place...” She ran her gaze around the room one last time.

  “I had felt that way, as well, but I figured it was because I was going half mad with boredom and frustration.”

  “I just don’t understand why I feel this way.” She shook her head. “I suppose this feeling is nothing, then.”

  “Let’s hope so.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “Shall we continue outside?”

  “Yes, we should—”

  Suddenly, a small voice calling for help echoed through the walls. Chills ran up Clarissa’s spine, turning her blood cold. Ryder’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. She sucked in a startled breath as her body began to shake.

  “There’s that voice again,” Ryder muttered softly. “That’s what I’ve been hearing.” He jerked from side to side as he turned and looked through the empty room. “But down here, the voice is louder.” He cleared his throat and called out loudly, “Where are you?”

  “In here.”

  Clarissa gasped. “She answered you.” Unknown fear rushed through her faster. That voice... Clarissa knew that voice, but it couldn’t be who it sounded like.

  “Where are you at?” Ryder called again.

  “In a dark place.”

  Tears stung her eyes as she clutched Ryder’s arm. He jerked his head toward Clarissa. She licked her suddenly dry lips.

  “That voice is...my mother’s!”

  FIFTEEN

  Ryder’s heart dropped just as panic tightened his gut. The queen had been taken? When in the blazes did that happen? “Are you certain?”

  “Yes.” Clarissa’s voice shook.

  “But...did you not see your mother this morning?”

  She nodded as her face turned pale.

  Nothing was making sense to him. “Then this woman cannot be your mother, because I heard this same voice early this morning, and yesterday.”

  Tears streaked down Clarissa’s cheeks. “I can’t explain it, but that’s my mother’s voice.”

  Ryder gritted his teeth as anger shot through him. What kind of trickery was this? He’d find the culprit and make them pay severely for harming the queen!

  He dropped the baskets he’d been holding and slowly walked around the stone wall, listening for any more sounds. In several different places on the wall, he pushed with his hands and his legs, but the wall didn’t budge. There must be some kind of hidden room. Why else would he hear her voice and not see her?

  “There’s nothing in here,” he muttered. “Perhaps the secret entrance is outside.”

  The items Clarissa had been holding dropped to the floor beside the baskets, and she rushed out of the door. He followed, hoping they’d be able to find something. Ryder needed to settle the turbulence washing through his mind, and he was certain Clarissa was just as frazzled.

  “You go that way, and I’ll go this way,” she said, pointing down the path before taking careful steps in that direction.

  The dark clouds in the sky blocked the sun, which created more shadows, making it difficult to search for a secret door. But he pressed the palms of his hands everywhere, and even used his feet to try to locate a loose rock that might lead to an entryway. The more he moved along the tower, the more he seethed with anger. If the queen was somewhere in here being held a prisoner, was her captivity somehow linked with the spell placed on Clarissa? And who was the queen at the castle? Ryder was struggling to put the pieces together. How did everything connect?

  “I found something!”

  Clarissa’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He hurried around the tower until he located her. She stood transfixed, pointing to some bushes.

  “Look here,” she said. “The ground looks freshly dug.”

  He studied the ground. Most of the surrounding area had leaves and weeds littering the ground, but there was a six-foot section with no foliage—only an odd looking bush. He glanced at her and arched an eyebrow. Very impressive!

  “Indeed, it does, my darling Rissa.” He bent and moved the bushes, only to find that the whole bunch of them were not rooted to the ground. He quickly tossed them aside. Close to the ground, there was a door.

  “I was right!” Clarissa squealed with excitement and grasped his elbow.

  “You were. Now, before we open this, do you still have my sword?”

  She nodded. “I sheathed it on your horse.”

  He blinked, not hearing her correctly. “My horse is here?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t very well take it back to the palace with me and have the other guards asking questions, now could I?”

  “No, I suppose not.” He motioned his head toward the door. “Before we enter, I think we should have some weapon to protect us.”

  “Good thinking. I’ll go fetch it.”

  She ran away from him. He knelt
on one knee and examined the awkward door. It appeared the person had knocked the stones away and replaced them with a wooden door, but the workmanship wasn’t very precise. There was no door knob; however, attached to the piece of wood, the rope served as a handle, and there were many holes between the wall and the door.

  He leaned closer, listening for any sounds from within. After only a few moments, he detected whimpering. His heart broke. If this was the queen, there would be hell to pay for the person responsible. He’d see to it personally!

  Grunts and groans from behind him made him turn. Clarissa struggled with his sword as she hurried toward him.

  “I swear, I shall never know how men can fight with these things when they are so heavy.”

  Although it wasn’t a humorous moment, he couldn’t stop the grin from tugging at his mouth. “My darling, most men are taught to handle swords from the time they are young.” He took his weapon and turned back toward the door. “Stay behind me.”

  He first tugged on the rope handle, but that didn’t seem to do anything. He’d have to kick in the door, and if that didn’t work, he’d cut it to shreds with his sword. Nothing would stop him from rescuing the queen!

  Ryder stepped back and kicked with all of his might. Still, the door didn’t move. Growling, he raised his sword, preparing to cut the door to pieces.

  “Wait!”

  Clarissa’s voice stopped him. She pointed to an oddly shaped rock that poked out of the stone wall farther than the others. Cautiously, she stepped in front of him and pushed the palm of her hand against the rock. A loud grinding noise came from within the walls, and as unbelievable as it seemed, the door actually swung open!

  She straightened and grinned proudly. Once more, her intelligence amazed him.

  He winked at her. “Remind me to give you a big kiss after all of this is over.”

  “Indeed, I shall!”

  Taking careful steps, he moved in front of her. The ground sloped downward, and he followed the dirt path. The room—or whatever it was—down here had no windows, and the walls and floor were made of dirt. He assumed the only light came from the opened spaces around the door.