The Goblin Apple

by Eustacia Tan

  Slowly, a pumpkin-shaped cookie carriage pulled into the castle. It was studded with glistening candy gems and held together with white royal icing. Pulled by ten liquorice horses, the pumpkin-shaped cookie chariot slowly came to a halt. The Nutcracker burst out, and the cookie door clattered to the ground. A waiting gingerbread man quickly snatched it up, a pot of icing sugar already in his hand. Very gently, the Nutcracker helped Marie down, and put one arm over her as they made their way towards the Whites.

  “My dear Snow White,” the Nutcracker boomed. “It’s been too long.”

  Snow White dropped a curtsey and moved towards the Nutcracker, the smile on her face genuine. “It’s been too long, godfather,” she agreed. “It’s such a pleasure to have you and godmother Marie here.”

  The Nutcracker patted her head. “Your godmother has missed you terribly. You know, we don’t have children,” Snow White winced as the pats got a little more forceful, “so you’re like a daughter to us. Isn’t she, Marie dear?”

  Marie immediately nodded her head. “It is. I can’t wait to have tea with her, and my darling god-granddaughter, of course,” she said, smiling warmly at Lizzie. Very gently, she pulled Snow White away from the Nutcracker and gave her a warm hug. When she let go, the Nutcracker immediately took her by the waist and pulled her back to his side.

  “Please, come in,” King White, motioned towards the castle. “Your rooms are waiting for you. I’m sure that you and Queen Marie are tired from your long journey. We may not have enough room for your soldiers, I’m afraid I did not expect so many to come.”

  Her father didn’t bat an eye, but Lizzie did her best to look around without moving and catching the Nutcracker’s attention. The soldiers were all so different, with their many-coloured vests and weapons. Their sizes were different as well, but they all gleamed in the sun, even their faces.

  “Yes, they have increased in numbers.” The Nutcracker gave a booming laugh after that statement and Lizzie took a step back. “Have you seen my latest toys? These are tin soldiers, and they are quite indestructible. As the ages pass, more and more fine soldiers are being abandoned by their children. I give them a home, and in return, they give me their loyalty. How is your army doing?”

  “We’re doing fine,” King White said. He sounded calm, but his knuckles were white.

  Next up, Lizzie.

  “Elizabeth, how you’ve grown,” he bellowed at her, and she immediately ran up to him. She dipped a curtsey and gave him a big hug, turning immediately to do the same to Grandmother Marie. When Grandmother Marie let go, Lizzie did her best to stick close.

  But the wooden smile of the Nutcracker followed her.

  “It’s wonderful to see how much you missed your grandmother,” the Nutcracker said, smiling at her with that creepy fixed smile. “Isn’t it a pity, Marie dear, that we still have no children.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  The Nutcracker took her hand and kissed it. “I should be the one apologising.”

  Grandmother Marie reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. She was so pretty, with her blond hair and blue eyes. She made Lizzie’s black hair and brown eyes look so dull. She looked even younger than mom. “It’s not your fault,” she said softly, the words almost robotic. “We have all the time in the world. Let’s go in, shall we,” she said, addressing her words to everyone. “The Nutcracker has lots to tell you.”

  Taking her cue, Lizzie stepped in front of the Nutcracker and gave him her brightest smile. “Were you a hero again?”

  The Nutcracker chuckled and gently patted her on the head. Lizzie tried not to shiver at the touch of his wooden hand. He took Snow White’s waist with his other arm and nodded to Lizzie. That was her cue to walk backwards very carefully, all the while begging for the Nutcracker to tell more war stories.

  “Please, Grandfather Nutcracker, you have to tell me everything!”

  “Elizabeth, child, this is why I love visiting your family. Your grandaunts are such stick-in-the-muds. They simply refuse to listen any more. Sure, they smile and nod, but they don’t have your enthusiasm, my dear. Perhaps you should come to stay with us for a while.”

  “No.”

  Everyone stopped, and the Nutcracker turned to King White, who was turning red. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said through clenched teeth, “but Lizzie is still my little girl, and I cannot let her leave us for such long periods of time. Her mother and I would miss her too much.”

  “Oh really,” the Nutcracker said casually. “Well, that’s too bad. She would be a real joy to Marie, but I suppose you never cared about your mother-in-law’s happiness. Not like darling Snow White and Elizabeth here.”

  He was going to continue, but Snow White gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be mad, please, dear Godfather,” she said very prettily. “You know how he gets, he’s just nervous because he wants everything to be perfect for you and godmother Marie. Why don’t we just go in, and we can all listen to your stories over a cup of tea. Right, Elizabeth?”

  Lizzie nodded her head. “I love your stories,” she said enthusiastically. Marie chimed in with her support, and they managed to nudge King White to the back of the party, out of sight of the Nutcracker. Together, the three of them managed to cajole the Nutcracker out of the approaching black mood and into the castle.

  *******

  Despite all the effort Lizzie, Snow White and Marie had put into cajoling the Nutcracker back into a good mood, he still insisted on brooding in his room as soon as they entered the castle. Grandmother Marie had gone with the Nutcracker, and mom and dad had summoned the head of guards and head butler to their study, leaving Lizzie all alone.

  Without Laura around to exchange gossip, Lizzie spent a lonely afternoon in her room. She had almost been happy when it was time for dinner.

  Almost.

  Now she wanted to go back to the lonely afternoon. Dinner was a tense affair, and the Nutcracker had spent the most of dinner with his wooden smile up, along with the swords of his personal guards. Her dad was on his best behaviour, but things were tense.

  “Dessert is served,” a voice announced, and a plate of candied pudding was placed in front of her. Lizzie took one bite, and could almost feel her teeth turning black like Marcelle, Laura, and the others. She swallowed and ran her tongue along her teeth, checking to make sure she didn’t actually develop a cavity.

  “How is it, Elizabeth?”

  Lizzie looked up and smiled at the Nutcracker. “Delicious, grandfather. The fruits from your kingdom make the best desserts.” She turned to the servant waiting behind her, “May I get another glass of water?”

  As she sipped the water, she realised that all eyes were on her. Forcing a smile, Lizzie said, “I’m sorry, it’s just that if I don’t cleanse my palate every now and then, I can’t appreciate the taste of the dessert.”

  The Nutcracker beamed, and Marie and Snow White nodded in approval. Lizzie heaved a sigh of relief. Quietly, of course. The dinner talk turned to lighter topics, on agriculture and preservation of fruits, as well as their transport to and from the kingdoms. Apparently, the harvest this year had been particularly excellent, and the quality of the candy fruits was as high as it could be.

  It was only when dessert was almost done that the Nutcracker made his move.

  “So, Elizabeth, dear, I never did get the chance to tell you what heroic deeds I’ve done lately.”

  Lizzie sat up and leaned forward, plastering an eager smile on her face. “Not yet, Grandfather Nutcracker.”

  “Well, do you remember the story of the civil war?”

  Lizzie nodded. It had been the first thing the history tutor had taught her, on the orders of her mother. “After you became King and grandmother Marie became queen, there was an awful Lord Candy who tried to usurp the throne. He actually managed to rally a few nobles to his side. You spent a long time defeating them, and my mother was born a year or two after you won. Which is why you spent a lot of time teaching about the value of peace and how to rule.
”

  The Nutcracker nodded in approval, and King White rolled his eyes. Snow White discretely placed her hand on his.

  “That’s right, Elizabeth. But who would have guessed that the seeds of rebellion are still being sown among my own people. Here’s a lesson for you — cultivate loyalty among the people, and when they see a traitor, they will report it to you.”

  Lizzie felt her mouth turn dry, and she had to take another sip of water. “Were there traitors, grandfather?”

  The Nutcracker nodded, and if anything, his smile grew wider. “Yes, and they were of royal blood as well. One of the more distant branches. I had to spend a lot of time stamping them out.”

  Beside him, Marie seemed to blanche, and she had put down her fork. The Nutcracker immediately noticed and turned to her with a look of concern.

  “Don't worry,” Marie said softly, “I was just thinking of the poor children.”

  “Why?” the Nutcracker asked, “they had the least amount of blood to give.”

  Blood?

  It was only when the Nutcracker turned his wooden smile on her that Lizzie realised she had spoken the thought out loud.

  “It’s doesn’t concern you, Elizabeth,” he said firmly. “Little pitchers shouldn’t have such big ears.”

  Lizzie bowed her head in an apology, but now she felt sick. She wanted this dinner to be over with. What was all this talk about blood? Was the Nutcracker a vampire doll king or something?

  “You know,” the Nutcracker said almost casually, looking at King White, “for a while, I had suspicions that people in Paperland helped those rebellious nobles. I even recommended an investigation immediately.”

  “I thought the matter had been settled,” King White said tersely.

  Snow White immediately tightened her grip on King White’s hand. Lizzie could see her father’s free hand clenched into a tight fist, the knuckles turning white. It was a good thing she had already eaten enough of the dessert to be polite, because she had to hide her own hands under the table too. Her dad was from Paperland. True, they had no contact with their relatives from there, but that was all the Nutcracker’s fault. He hated it when rulers had meetings without him, even if it was just a family reunion. And since the Nutcracker had the strongest army, and surprisingly good tactical skills, Paperland and her parents had to listen to him. It was all his fault. She barely knew her Paperland grandparents.

  “Well, you can never be too sure,” the Nutcracker said, his smile growing more and more real. “But you’re right, they had nothing to do with it. However, your generous family felt so bad for wasting my time that they decided to increase their yearly tribute.”

  That was it. Ignoring Snow White’s whispered pleas, King White jumped up and slammed his fist on the table.

  “I’ve had enough!” he yelled. “You have done nothing but attempt to intimidate my family since you and Queen Marie arrived. And what’s more, you’re bullying my family. You’ve gone too far, you ugly wooden doll.”

  Immediately, a rusty sword was at her father’s throat, and screams could be heard. Lizzie recognised one of them as hers. Through panicked eyes, Lizzie saw her mother get up, but she was moving past her father towards her.

  “Shhhhhh,” Snow White soothed, hugging her daughter tightly. “Please, Lizzie, I need you to calm down.”

  “Let her scream,” the Nutcracker ordered. “It’s the only natural reaction when one learns her father is a traitor. Marie, stop that noise.”

  My father is not a traitor, Lizzie wanted to scream. But her mother held her close and gave her no opportunity to open her mouth.

  “My love,” Marie said, “King White may have been rude, but he is no traitor. You have no right to threaten him in his own home.” Marie gave a gasp as the Nutcracker pulled her roughly to his side and forced her eyes to meet his, one hand around her delicate throat.

  “I do wish, my darling Marie, that you would use these terms of endearment as a norm, not only because you wish to save some unworthy candidate. And have you forgotten? This country is mine in all but name. You helped arranged it, in exchange for darling Snow White’s return to the throne. What do you have to say?”

  “I’m sorry,” Marie whispered, and he let go. Breathing heavily, Marie stumbled backwards and sent an apologetic look to Snow White and Lizzie. Lizzie could already see the bruises forming on her face and neck.

  “Take the former King away, and place him in one of those isolated rooms,” the Nutcracker ordered. “White, remember, it is only out of respect for my goddaughter that I do not have you thrown into the public jail. After all, a useless person like you, who hasn’t even been able to capture the man that tried to harm my dear Marie after all these years isn’t fit to be a king. You’re as useless as Snow’s husband.”

  The toy soldiers moved in and led King White away. Lizzie had never been prouder of her dad, as he walked away with his head held high. She turned to her mother, who hadn’t moved from her seat.

  “That fool,” she whispered. Her eyes were glazed.

  Lizzie didn’t know who she was talking about.

  The Nutcracker grabbed Marie by the wrist and led her away. Faintly, Lizzie could hear Grandmother Marie’s voice as she told the Nutcracker to ‘let go of me, that one day in the year is over’ and that he should ‘calm down because Snow White is our daughter. We must make allowances for family’.

  “Mom, are you alright?” Lizzie asked.

  Snow White turned to her and gave her a cheery smile.

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? Go to bed, dear, I need to see your father and grandfather if we’re going to clear this mess.”

  “We should just kick them out.”

  “Now Lizzie,” Snow White said, giving her a stern look, “that’s no way to talk about your grandparents. He means well. He’s always meant well. He always has.” She waved her hand and a servant immediately hurried to Lizzie’s side.

  “Time to go, your Highness.”

  Where did he come from? Where were they when the Nutcracker took her dad away?

  No one had tried to help him.

  Not even her mom.

  Part 2: Of the Legend of the Red-Caped Princess

  Initiation Sheet

  I, ______, hereby pledge my allegiance to the Red-Caped Princess, the daughter of Queen Beauty and the true successor to Queen Daji. I swear to keep the remembrance of the Red Caped Princess and Queen Daji alive, to never forget how they are unfairly maligned as evil in the eyes of history.

  I, ______, promise to work with my fellow sisters to bring the Red-Caped Princess back to her rightful throne. We will work as equals, and with the goblins, the wraiths and all the other creatures of the night if need be.

  I, ______, also swear to keep my true loyalties a secret, to never betray my sisters and to never forget the role of the fairies in imprisoning our princess.

  Signed by,

  Ella

  Rachel

  Xiao Zhen

  Marcelle

  L—

  Chapter 6

  “Where have you been?” Lizzie asked as soon as Laura came in.

  “I’m sorry,” Laura said, panting a little, “I rushed here as soon as I heard the news. Is it true your father is going to be executed?”

  “What? No!”

  Laura held up her hands. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that everyone is saying different things and I have no idea what’s going on. I just wanted to avoid the Nutcracker and now I miss the most exciting things.”

  “Stop talking about it like it’s a show. Where’s my mom?”

  “I have no idea. Do you want me to find out?”

  Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Of course! See if it’s alright for me to leave this stupid room.”

  She waited for Laura to come back, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor. What was taking her so long? First, she disappeared at the most crucial time, and second, she became as slow as a snail. She thought servants were supposed to be fast.

  After wha
t felt like an entire day, Laura returned.

  “Lizzie,” she said, her voice hushed, “You have to come with me. But not a word. And act like you’re meant to be outside. No one knows what’s going on.”

  Lizzie rose from her seat and followed Laura out. The corridor was deserted, but they soon came across a group of servants.

  “We should leave,” one of them insisted. “What if we upset the Nutcracker King?”

  “And where will we go? Beauty’s Kingdom is crumbling and it would be pointless to go to the Nutcracker’s. We should just stay. All those high-and-mighty people tend to ignore us anyway. We just have to be careful.”

  “Or the crazy doll could decide we’re traitors and kill us all.”

  “I won’t let him,” Lizzie said and felt all eyes shift to her. None of them bowed, although they did move so they weren’t blocking her way. “I promise, you’ll be safe. So please don’t leave.” She felt proud of the fact that her voice only shook a little. This was what a princess should be — brave in the face of danger.

  “I told you not to draw attention to yourself,” Laura whispered from behind. “Walk faster, you’re as white as a sheet and I don’t want you fainting before we arrive.”

  “Where are we going anyway?”

  Laura didn't answer, instead overtaking her. She led Lizzie to her parent’s study but stopped just outside the door. She turned to Lizzie, put her finger on her lips and motioned to the door. Nodding, Lizzie walked to the edge of the door crouched down, trying to make herself as small as possible.

  “We are not a threat.” Lizzie heard her mom say. She peeked around the door and saw the Nutcracker sitting in her dad’s chair, while her mom and Grandmother Marie knelt in front of him. At one side was Marcelle and Lady Bella, their greedy eyes focused on the Nutcracker.

  “I promise, Godfather, that my family and I will leave the kingdom. You will never see us again.”

  The Nutcracker leaned back. “And why should I trust you? Your husband has shown that he can’t be trusted, how can I trust you?”