The Enchanted Kingdoms (Haunting Fairytales Book 1)

by R. L. Weeks

  The man nodded and walked away. ‘What was that about?’ asked James, who had caught up with her.

  ‘Thought I told you to leave me alone.’

  James smiled. ‘Thought I told you that I’m not working with Lori to destroy you? I’m just looking out for my mother.’

  That hit her where it mattered. She understood. If it were her, she would have done anything to protect her mother. Had she known that she was in danger or upset.

  James swallowed hard. ‘Why do you still dislike me? You seemed quite smitten with me, to begin with?’

  Snow opened her mouth to speak but closed it. She was speechless, for once. She had an excuse to dislike him when she thought he was working with Lori. But now, she didn’t. Maybe it’s because she’s scared of getting hurt and handsome, confident men like him always end up hurting girls. ‘I just know your type,’ she said.

  ‘You don’t know me. Give me a chance. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked you!’ James stated.

  Snow took a deep breath. ‘I’m not looking for a husband if I’m honest.’

  ‘Okay,’ he said and grinned. ‘Well, can we at least be friends?’

  ‘Yes,’ she replied and walked with James up to the top of the garden. ‘If we are to be friends, then I must know if I can trust you. Tell me something personal about you.’

  His expression darkened. ‘I like daisies.’ She laughed but he groaned. ‘I can’t help it,’ he admitted. ‘They’re so pretty.’

  Snow bit her lip then smiled. ‘Enough with jokes. Tell me about your life. How did you end up here?’

  James brushed the snow off a log and gestured Snow to sit down, then sat down next to her. ‘My grandfather was cursed by a beastly man. Me and my mother went to the castle to see if we could make some sort of trade. He was cursed to die. Anyway, when we got there the man who cursed my father lifted the curse and kept us there as prisoners. Except, he treated us nicely, I guess.’

  ‘This is the one Belle fell for?’ Snow asked.

  ‘Yes, it was.’ He sighed and fiddled with the hilt of his new sword. It was a present given to him by Lori for joining her plans. ‘He thought of himself as a beast. I know now that he was cursed to be as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.’

  Snow grinned. ‘Wow, was there a beast?’

  ‘Well, he wasn’t actually a beast. It was more of a metaphor I think… Anyway, I was being taught to sword fight so didn’t mind staying. I wanted a way to protect my family so used the castle as a way to do that.’

  Snow nodded. ‘I would’ve done the same thing.’

  He raised an eyebrow and smiled. ‘Well, it was a mistake. Long story short. Mum fell in love with him. I should have been there to talk some sense into her. Maybe then she wouldn’t have sought comfort with him.’

  Snow looked at his expression. She could see that he was hurting over it. He was remorseful after all. ‘Anyway,’ he continued. ‘He kissed her and the curse broke completely, and then… he left.’ Snow showed nothing but compassion. He noticed that she had an almost innocent aura about her. Well, he would have believed it if he hadn’t got to know her. ‘I found out more when they left. I read through diaries. Stilt ate his own child!’ James’s eyes widened. ‘Like, his own real-life child. Lori cursed him, which I don’t agree with.’ Snow didn’t look surprised. Instead she gave him a told you she was evil look. He continued. ‘And Edward was a frog for years. Apparently the first kiss didn’t work so he found another. She became a frog and he killed her. Then, he came to the castle to get more power and the enchantress used his own ego to trick him into kiss…. Snow?’ He realised she was no longer listening. Her face had warped into one of pure anger.

  Snow opened her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes. Tears of anger. ‘That man, Edward. I think the woman he killed was my mother. She died as a frog. Nobody believed me, but I knew it. The next morning, after her disappearance, I found a dead frog where she usually sat. She wouldn’t have just disappeared. I knew it,’ she stood up and pulled out her dagger. ‘Where is he? I will remove his head from his shoulders!

  James grabbed her hand and lowered the dagger. ‘We’ll have to be careful. I want him dead too. Join me with Lori and my mum. We are going after them.’

  ‘I can’t,’ Snow admitted. ‘I have promised the people whose beauty she stole that we would destroy her. A group of dwarves out for revenge. I’ve been hiding them in the dungeons. We were planning an attack.’

  ‘Ask for their help,’ James offered. ‘Tell them to wait. If they help us kill Edward and Stilt, then we will take Lori out. I promise,’ James took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. ‘We will get our revenge. Let’s help each other. It’ll be our little secret.’

  She looked back into his and grinned. ‘So, what do we do first?’

  HOME

  Edward finally arrived at the iron gates of Dolorom. A guard peeked into the carriage. ‘Your Majesty,’ he said and bowed.

  Stilt walked along side Edward. ‘It has been a long journey. I must get back to the castle.’

  The guard bowed again. ‘Of course, your Highness. Would you like us to escort you?’ he asked.

  ‘Please,’ Edward said. They followed alongside the carriage on horses until they arrived at the gates of the palace.

  They could have just reappeared at the castle, but the constant use of magic was wearing them out. They didn’t mind the scenic journey, anyway.

  ‘You’re home,’ Edward’s mother said and hugged him tightly as he walked into the room. ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘Long story,’ Edward said tiredly. He looked down at his mother’s stomach, which was now flat, instead of rounded. His mother beamed. Her hair looked softer, and she looked radiant. He had never seen her look so motherly. ‘Congratulations,’ Edward said.

  ‘Would you like to meet them?’

  Edward grumbled. ‘Yes, of course.’

  Stilt smiled broadly. ‘I would love to meet my daughter.’ The Queen frowned, but said nothing.

  She led him up to one of the top rooms, which had been converted into a nursery. As he entered the room, he saw two cribs, side by side. He walked over to them slowly and looked inside. The left child looked up at him and smiled. ‘Aw, she likes you,’ his mother said. He smiled back the little girl then looked at the other. She was asleep. ‘I’m going to find it hard to part with one,’ she admitted.

  Both girls had blonde hair and blue eyes. ‘We’ve called ours Aurora,’ she said. ‘Stilt, I believed you named yours-.'

  ‘Cinderella,’ Edward finished, knowing already.

  ‘Yes,’ Stilt said and picked up the beautiful child. She cooed lightly in his arms. His eyes bulged with tears. He wished that, more than anything, that Sadie could have been here to see this.

  ‘Aurora and Cinderella, my sisters.’ He couldn’t help but smile. Little Aurora kept smiling every time she looked at Edward. It was adorable. ‘I need to go. Stilt and I have unfinished business.’

  ‘Don’t leave again,’ Kathryn said, tears brimming in her eyes. ‘Every time you leave the gates; I never know when, or if, you are coming back.’

  Edward placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘I will do my best, Mother.’

  ‘I know you will,’ she replied, her lips spreading into a warm smile. ‘I love you, Son.’

  Edward nodded in reply and walked out of the room, leaving Kathryn alone with her daughters. One of which, she would have to give to Stilt. It killed her inside, she wanted, needed, to keep them both together. But King Thomas would not agree. A deal was a deal, and he was happy to keep to it. One daughter, and maybe more children after, is enough. He wouldn’t even look at baby Cinderella for fear of growing attached.

  Stilt cried as they walked down the corridor. ‘She’s beautiful and once we have completed our quest, she can come home with me. The King and Queen will have her here until then.’

  Edward and Stilt walked into his chambers where Johnathan was laying on his bed. ‘What the bloody hell do y
ou think you’re doing?’ Edward barked, noticing that Johnathan had his feet up, reading one of Edward’s books. Johnathan jumped off the bed and dropped the book on the floor, then scrambled to pick it up and put it back on the shelf.

  ‘So sorry, your Highness. I was just-.'

  ‘I need your help,’ Edward said, firmly. ‘Even if you are a blithering idiot, you are loyal. I don’t know who I can trust anymore. There is a woman, Belle. I love her. I need to find her and bring her here. My ex, Lori, has her.’ Edward paced around the room. Johnathan had never seen the prince looking so distressed. ‘So much to do,’ Edward mumbled. ‘I have to keep to so many deals.’

  Johnathan scratched his floppy white hair and pressed his lips together. ‘It will be okay, Majesty.’

  ‘Will it?’ Edward asked. For once he spoke to Johnathan, not with anger or authority, but with fear.

  ‘What do you need me to do?’ Johnathan asked.

  He took a deep breath. ‘I have heard whispers that Lori lives in the Dead Forest near Northmanni. I didn’t believe the whispers until now. Send spies to the town. They will be looking out for a sixteen-year-old boy, James. Brown hair, brown eyes. Belle, brown hair, brown eyes, beautiful. Lori, black hair, green eyes. And a dwarf, Henry. I can’t help but feel that he is a part of this all. He has a personal vendetta against me. Send them, the boy and Belle must not be harmed. Lori is dangerous, so they cannot make themselves known.’ Johnathan bowed and left the room to find spies to bribe with gold.

  ‘Majesty, the King would like to know about the trade deal with Forosh,’ a guard said who entered the room.

  ‘I could not do it,’ he admitted. ‘I will go over there again in one month. In the meantime, I have much bigger things to do. Johnathan will be head of trade in my absence.’

  ‘And where shall I tell the King you’re going, Majesty?’ The guard replied.

  Edward smirked. ‘Tell him I will be going to Dolorom with Stilt.’

  SEVEN DWARVES

  Snow pointed at a yawning dwarf. ‘This is Fred, I call him Sleepy. He is always drifting off during our meetings. It’s side effects of the spells that take their beauty from them,’ Snow informed James. ‘And this one is sneezy, he keeps having allergic reactions to almost everything,’ she said sympathetically. He looked around the dungeon. In the middle of the dimly lit room was a wooden table which looked out of place with the rest of the room, which consisted of stone seats, a barred window, and chains attached to the wall. He looked at the dwarf who was rubbing his nose. They all looked ugly. James felt pity for them. They were all once men, who simply ate an apple and had their lives ruined. ‘That one’s Doc. He was a doctor before, so, it fits.’ She shrugged. ‘And that one is Bashful. Always blushing away.’

  ‘No I’m not,’ Bashful said as his face filled with colour.

  One dwarf extended his hand to Edward. ‘I’m Gregory, Snow calls me Happy,’ he said a little too enthusiastically.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ James shook his hand and looked at Snow. ‘How are we going to do this? We are nine people.’

  Snow smiled. ‘Ten if you include Henry.’

  ‘Will he help?’ James asked.

  ‘I’m sure he will,’ she said and shrugged. ‘I can get guards, too. There are men I can pay to help us. Experienced sword fighters, assassins, and thieves.’

  ‘Let’s fight bad with bad, makes sense?’ Gregory said.

  Snow rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, now you have a moral compass. You’re planning on helping to kill a woman, and you’re judging me on who I get to assist us?’

  ‘Well, if we have to commit murder, then we must do it in the right way,’ Gregory replied.

  ‘Oh shut up you blithering idiot. We will use who we have too!’ Grumpy said. ‘I trust you, Snow. You’re the only one helping us. So, what do we do?’

  James stepped forward and knelt by the table. ‘There are two men who are worse than Lori. Edward and Stilt. Edward killed Snow’s mother then left my mother. Stilt ate his own child and is helping Edward. They are our first target. Lori hates them, and they hate her. They are our key to destroying her.’

  Snow smirked. ‘We have all been pawns in their games for far too long. It is time that we start playing them at their own game. We are going to be the ones who give them the pushes they need. I have spies right now finding out information about Edward, Stilt, and anyone else they have been in contact with. We are going to bring them down.’

  ‘To do that,’ James said. ‘We are going to join Lori. To pretend that we are on her side to bring Edward and Stilt down.’ He paused as they all gasped.

  ‘No,’ one of the dwarves said.

  ‘No way in Hell,’ Gregory protested.

  ‘Calm down,’ Snow said and pulled something out of the boot. At first glance, it looked like a stick, but they all quickly realized…

  ‘A wand? Where did you find it? They are so rare.’ James asked, a little annoyed that she didn’t tell him about that beforehand.

  ‘I have my resources,’ she said and winked at him, then turned her attention back to the dwarves. ‘We are going to use this to find the source of Lori’s unlimited power. Then destroy it. Then, we use her to get to Edward and Stilt.’

  Fred stepped forward. ‘How do we use Edward and Stilt against Lori?’

  ‘Oh easy,’ Snow said and grinned. ‘I’m going to switch sides when Lori is at her weakest. Once she is vulnerable, you all turn on her after I have done what I need to do to remove her power. I’m going to visit a powerful wizard who I think can help me. Apparently, he goes by the name Merlin.’ Snow took a deep breath. ‘One problem. It was the King, my grandfather, who originally banned magic. Although used, it’s used quite secretively. He used this wand to make everyone forget it. He will be angry when they find out. He needs a distraction while all this is going on. I just need to find one.’

  ***

  ‘Your Highness,’ Lori said to King Charles. She had gotten her beauty back after taking the last man’s beauty, and she looked incredible. Her dress was silk, reaching to the floor, and dark red, matching her lips. Her hair fell like satin around her heart-shaped face, and her eyes were glossy and dark.

  ‘Can I help you? How did you get in here?’ he asked. She lifted her hand, and a pink mist hit his face. ‘You’re so pretty,’ he said after, in a hazed state.

  ‘Thank you, you are so charming,’ she replied and sat next to him. They were sat looking over the pond, which was frozen over.

  ‘I cannot believe I am saying this, but will you marry me, um?’

  ‘Lori,’ she said. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Lori,’ he repeated dreamily. ‘Your beauty is outstanding. We will wed at the end of this month.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ she replied as he leant forward. She gulped and begrudgingly kissed him. As she walked away, ready to spread the good news, she smiled down at her hand which was holding the head of a pink rose; spelled with a powerful love potion. It would have only worked with her beauty at its peak. Well that was easy.

  RED

  James wolfed down his chicken and potatoes as he mulled over their plan. His part was probably the easiest. He looked at the door as Snow walked in. He noticed little things about her that he didn’t before. Like, how cute her dimples were when she smiled. How she kept pushing her fringe out of her face and, when she got nervous, she would pick at her fingernails. That she would always have a hole in her tights within half an hour of wearing a new pair. That her boots were always tied sloppily. ‘Hey,’ he said, feeling a little breathless. She grinned and sneakily poured a little whisky into his goblet. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Having a little fun,’ she stated. ‘Come on, never had whisky before?’ she asked, giggling.

  ‘No, actually,’ he admitted and drank it. ‘That tastes vile.’

  She laughed. ‘I know, I hate it. Was fun to see you try it, though.’

  ‘I really hate you sometimes,’ he said and huffed.

  ‘Aww, damn! I’m going to cry,’
she said sarcastically and ate some chicken. ‘Anyway,’ she whispered. ‘Update. I know where Stilt and Edward are. Apparently, they are in Dolorom.’ James leant in closer to her and noticed that she smelled subtly of strawberries with a hint of vanilla. He felt himself go lightheaded for a second, then shook it off. ‘A woman, Red, she lives nearby. Apparently, Stilt had something to do with her mother’s death, and she wants revenge.’

  ‘I know her, Red. We’re friends,’ James said.

  ‘Oh,’ Snow replied. ‘Good.’

  James looked puzzled. ‘So, she’s in?’

  She shook her head. ‘Not yet. I will go and see her. I’ve not actually met her.’

  ‘We will go to see her. I know her,’ he pointed out.

  ‘Okay,’ she breathed. ‘We’ll leave this evening. Now, pass me the water,’ she demanded.

  ***

  ‘You’re what?’ Belle asked, astounded.

  ‘Getting married,’ Lori replied simply.

  Belle looked at Lori through wide eyes. ‘Married? How did you get him to want to marry you so fast?’

  Lori shrugged. ‘I have my ways. Now, we will use, what is soon to be my army, to attack Stilt and Edward. Where is James?’

  ‘Spending time with Snow. They’re really hitting it off,’ Belle replied, smiling.

  ‘Of course, they are. She’s gorgeous, why wouldn’t he want to be with her?’ Lori said. Belle noticed that envy attached itself to Snow’s name on Lori’s lips.

  Belle smiled and turned to the fireplace. ‘I got the outfit, thank you.’ Lori had gotten Belle an outfit made. Black trousers, heeled pink boots with laces, and a fitted fuchsia pink halter-neck jumper. Belle tied her hair into a high ponytail and let little bits fall around her face. ‘The outfit is perfect for fighting in. Easier than a dress.’