‘I require mermaid hair,’ she said, not wasting any time.
Josephine ran her hand through her wet yet untangled red hair. It was a dark red; that’s how Lori could tell she was old. Younger mermaids from this lake had bright red hair. ‘I cannot give you mine,’ she stated.
‘I require young hair. I need as much power as I can.’
‘I have a daughter, Ariel. She will give you her hair. In exchange, I need something from you.’
‘Of course,’ Lori said, expecting nothing less.
‘Find a sorcerer, someone to place a curse on my Ariel. She wants legs, to become a human. I can never allow this to happen.’
Lori grinned. ‘I am a sorceress. However, I cannot grant such a thing. No one can. Although I can do something else. A curse that will only ever allow her, if she found a way to become human, to leave the lake for up to three days before she has to return or she will turn into sea foam.’
‘What? No. I don’t want her to die,’ Josephine said quickly.
Lori shook her head. ‘She would feel herself being lured back to the lake, and if she gets legs, they will turn back into a tail after three days. She would find a way to return to the lake and will never be able to become human again. It is all I can do,’ Lori said. ‘Now, do we have a deal?’
Josephine hesitated and looked down into her underwater kingdom. ‘You have yourself a deal.’
Lori grinned and conjured up a vial of red and green liquid. ‘Make her drink this. It will enact the curse.’
‘Thank you,’ Josephine said as she took the vial and swam to find Ariel.
Lori and Stilt waited. ‘Never call me a prince of darkness again!’ he said through clenched teeth.
She cackled and pulled her hair down from the tight bun which stretched her skin on her forehead. He noticed when her hair fell, it tumbled down past her waist and was slightly curly. She looked much younger, more innocent with it down. All except for the eyes; they gave her away. You can always tell someone’s true nature by the darkness in their eyes, and hers were as dark as they come.
She sighed. ‘You’re never going to get over it, are you?’
He clenched his teeth. ‘Obviously not.’
She huffed and plucked one of her black hairs and popped it into another vial. She waved her hand, and the hair turned into an oozing black liquid.
‘What is that?’ he asked.
She handed him the vial. ‘This is an apology, the only one you shall ever get. Well, it’s more of a pity gift. It will make your wife forget that you ever had a child, the one that you ate.’
He scoffed. ‘I would say thanks, but this doesn’t even come close to making up for it.’
‘It’s all I can offer you,’ she stated. He snatched it from her and put it into his pocket. The boat rocked a little, and Josephine returned with Ariel. She had beautiful red hair that clung wetly to her face, neck, and chest.
‘Hi, I’m Ariel’ the chirpy redhead said excitedly. ‘Mother says you need hair. Here,’ she said. She was bobbing up and down excitedly. Lori had never seen anyone with so much energy. Ariel cut her hair with a sharp shell until her hair was shoulder length. As soon as the hair was on the boat, it became instantly dry and shone a little.
‘Thank you, Ariel,’ Lori said and smiled.
‘That’s okay. Hey, can I have that?’ she asked and pointed at Lori’s cloak.
‘No!’ Lori exclaimed.
‘Sorry,’ Ariel mumbled and swam back into the lake with a huff. Josephine rolled her eyes.
‘Sorry, she’s obsessed with collecting objects used by people.’
Lori forced a laugh. ‘We will be on our way now, thank you.’
They sailed back to shore. Stilt had tried to transport himself using his powers, but the power of the lake prevented anyone from doing that. She looked properly at his jacket, which was sewn entirely with thread made from gold. It matched the colour of his straw-like hair; even his eyes, though amber, had a slight gold hue to them.
‘I guess you spun the gold yourself?’ she asked.
He grinned, showing his crooked, partially blackened teeth. ‘Yes, lovey. As you know, I am the only man who can spin straw into gold.’
‘Yes, yes.’ She waved her hand impatiently. ‘It looks beautiful. I have never seen anything look like that. When the light catches it, it’s mesmerizing,’ she admitted in a trance-like state.
‘Want to strike another deal? I can make you the most beautiful golden dress,’ he said, his beady eyes locked onto hers.
‘No,’ she said, turning away from the jacket. ‘I know of your deals. I’d never be idiotic enough to make a deal with you, no matter how beautiful a dress you could make. After we get off this boat, we go our separate ways.’
Stilt nodded. ‘Agreed.’
They jumped off the boat and waded through the shallow water until they reached the pebbly beach. Lori twisted the hair until it too turned into liquid. She magicked a little glass bottle and uncorked it. The liquid danced into the bottle. Lori poured the contents of the vial from Ursula into the bottle and pushed the cork back in it.
Stilt looked through jealous eyes. Lori was more skilled at sorcery than he was; despite the magical power, she had skill. He hated that and would never admit it to her. But he did appreciate it. Ursula was a sea witch, which meant her magic worked in a different way. Merlin prevent the use of sorcery to take other’s powers from them. However, mermaids were not under his domain and realised that Lori must have made a deal with Ursula before to gain unlimited power. Stilt took the bottle.
‘Don’t forget,’ Lori warned. ‘Prince Edward does not get a happily ever after!’
PRINCE EDWARD
‘Your Majesty,’ Edward said. He knelt and bowed his head. He looked up at his parents. His stepfather, his hair now dark grey and hidden under a thick gold crown, sat on his white throne. His mother smiled, and her eyes filled with tears.
‘Edward,’ she said, and he stood. She jumped up off the throne and embraced him with a hug.
‘Kathryn,’ the King expressed in a dark, demanding tone. ‘Pull yourself together.’
She bowed her head, still smiling, and sat back on her throne. She was only forty, and her husband was fifty- five. They had married when she was just seventeen. Edward was her child from a previous marriage. She and Edward’s father married when they were sixteen. He died before their first anniversary. Fortunately, the king enjoyed her company at court so much that he wed her just a month after the accident that killed Edward’s father.
‘Edward,’ King Charles started. ‘We are happy for your return. We would like you to go back to your previous role as head of trade.’
‘Of course,’ Edward replied and walked out of the room.
‘That was a frosty welcome,’ said Johnathan, Edward’s right-hand man from before he was cursed. Edward looked him up and down. He hadn’t changed a bit, aside from looking a little older. His albino white hair still suited his pasty complexion. He still looked thin and scrawny, and his head still looked far too big for his body. ‘I don’t care. I have my old position back; my life back,’ Edward stated.
Johnathan sighed. ‘Majesty, you have been gone for five years. Things have changed. The king and queen have been trying for a child.’
‘What’s new?’ Edward scoffed. ‘He should give up. It hasn’t worked so far.’
‘They’re trying magic now,’ Johnathan replied.
Edward sat back and caressed the hilt of his gold-encrusted sword. ‘I tried to help with my powers. Lot of good it did; I lost most of my magic that day.’
‘The king is desperate,’ he said.
‘Hold on,’ the prince said and sat forward. ‘Did you say five years?’
‘When?’
‘A moment ago, you said I have been gone for five years.’
‘You have,’ Johnathan stated.
‘I was not a frog for ten years,’ the prince said, confused. ‘You there,’ he shouted to one of the guards. �
�How long has it been?’
‘Five long years, your Majesty,’ the guard replied and returned to staring at the doors to the prince’s chambers. Maybe I was a frog for longer than I realised, thought Edward.
‘Terribly boring job, being a guard, don’t you think?’ Edward asked.
Johnathan nodded in reply. ‘If the king and queen have a child, won’t you lose the throne?’
‘If they have a boy,’ the prince corrected him. ‘And they will not have a boy!’
‘How can you be sure?’
The prince laughed. ‘Leave it to me, Johnathan.’ Edward got up and exited his chambers. Now that he was back, his hair was slicked back, he was clean shaven, and he wore a white suit embellished with gold buttons and diamond cufflinks. He strode through the palace and out the back entrance.
‘Stable boy,’ he said, addressing a young man with scruffy hair. ‘Bring me a horse; I’m going to see a friend.’
***
Stilt clicked his fingers. He arrived back at his home—a manor house covered in ivy. The garden was overgrown, the stone walls were cracked, and most of the windows were broken.
He looked around at the many surrounding fields with the same dead woods to the left and a rippling pond to the right. The house had not been looked after in his absence. Of course, he knew his wife, Sadie, was okay, after receiving reports from his spies who kept an eye on her while he was away. However, she may be physically well, but mentally, she was not. People now called her Crazy Sadie. He sighed as he approached the front door, knowing that if she saw him, it could tip her over the edge. He hesitated by the knocker when he heard a horse approaching. He turned and saw Edward on a magnificent white stallion.
‘Stilt,’ said the prince, breathless. ‘I was hoping to find you. I knew you lived here.’
Stilt cackled. ‘Edward, I was going to come and see you soon. How are you?’ he asked, pretending to care.
Edward jumped off the stallion and walked up to Stilt. Stilt wrapped his arm around Edward’s broad shoulders. Edward had grown fond of Stilt, seeing him not only as an ally but a friend. They understood each other’s need for power. They didn’t look down on the darkness in each other. They did not judge each other. Edward liked that, for so many looked down at him for his decisions, his selfishness, and his power lust. Stilt did not. When they had arrived back in Dolorom, Stilt had been extremely understanding of Edward’s problems. He’d even given good advice on what to do next. Now, Edward hoped that Stilt could help him with another problem. ‘My mother and the king wish to have a child,’ Edward said.
‘So I have heard,’ Stilt admitted. ‘What are you going to do about it?’ he asked, devilishly.
Edward sighed. ‘I have heard rumours that they may have found a magic strong enough to help them. However, if they have a boy, he will take the throne before me. I cannot allow this!’
Stilt smirked. ‘Of course.’ He looked at Edward with a mischievous grin. ‘You are the prince. It does not matter that the king is not your father! You are the rightful heir to the throne. Your mother is a queen. How dare some little kid come into the world and take that from you? Perhaps, if they had a girl, then that would be okay?’
Edward smiled. ‘My thoughts exactly.’ Stilt hid a grin. Knowing Edward, of course, he had calculated all his options first. Edward continued, ‘They won’t give up until they have a child. However, like you said, if they have a girl, that would be okay. He is desperate for any child of his own, girl or boy. I don’t think he would care.’
Stilt piped up. ‘We must find a way. My wife, she is childless and is in the same position. I’ve tried to find a way for magic to help her, but nothing helps. She had her ovaries and other parts ripped out many years back,’ Stilt admitted.
Edward turned slightly green. ‘Oh gosh, how awful.’
‘I know,’ Stilt said. ‘Anyway, with no ovaries, there is no way she can have a child, even with magic. But I can help your mother and stepfather, in exchange for their firstborn. I will, of course, make sure both children are girls.’
‘Both children?’ Edward asked.
Stilt nodded. ‘I will make sure they can have more than one child, seeing as I am to take their first.’
‘And you will make sure they are all girls if I help you?’ Edward asked.
‘Of course. I consider you a friend and an ally. I wouldn’t trick you,’ Stilt said with a menacing twinkle in his eye.
Edward lifted Stilt up onto the back of the horse then jumped up himself. ‘I don’t know if they’d agree.’
Stilt cackled. ‘Of course. they will if they are as desperate as you say they are. For now, we need to find out who’s helping them and kill them before they ruin both of our plans. Do you know who is helping them?’ asked Stilt.
‘Yes,’ the prince said and whipped the horse, who was now galloping across the fields. Stilt looked back sadly at the house. He had hoped to see his wife. But once he returned with a child and gave the potion to make her forget what happened, then she’d be happy. They would be happy again.
‘Who is it?’ Stilt asked Edward.
‘He calls himself Merlin,’ Edward stated.
***
Spring was nearing. The shrubs of green shot through the mossy mattress. They rode through the forest, which showed little light, and toward centre of Cantata.
‘Merlin, present yourself!’ Edward shouted, once they were at the centre of Cantata.
‘You’d think the magical hub of the world would be more than just a tiny cottage,’ Edward said. Stilt rolled his eyes at Edward’s arrogance. A man with a long dark beard tied into segments with little bands covered in purple beads appeared. The purple beads complemented his violet eyes. His wavy raven black hair, tied into a ponytail, reached down to his shoulder blades. He wore a long green velvet robe, patterned with gold thread. Stilt looked at it fondly. He was one of the few who had enough power to force Stilt into making it for him.
‘Stiltskin,’ Merlin said. His voice was low and gruff. ‘It has been too long.’
‘It’s just Stilt now,’ he replied and looked at the ground. ‘You look well; you haven’t aged a day.’
Merlin laughed throatily. ‘I see you’re still a coward.’
‘Merlin, I am Edward, Prince of—’
‘I know who you are, boy!’ Merlin spat. ‘A prince, soon-to-be king. A coward who abuses his power. A man who will stomp on anyone to get what you want. I’ve heard all about you.’
‘At least, I am more handsome and wealthy than you are!’ Edward snapped back.
Merlin raised an eyebrow and smirked. ‘Arrogance, oh, how it must feel to be young and stupid. Ignorance is bliss as they say—’
‘I am not ignorant or stupid! You think you can talk down to me because you are a powerful sorcerer? You used to be someone to admire; now, no one hears of you anymore. I used to go off your teachings when I found out that I possessed the magic. Now, you’re a laughing stock, hiding in this tiny cottage, afraid to make new deals with anyone.’
Merlin gritted his teeth. ‘I am helping your parents. Therefore, I will warn you not to get on my bad side.’
Edward smiled at Stilt. ‘I do not care. If you help my stepfather, the king, he will go back on any deal he has promised you. That is what he is like. He is uncannily like me for someone who is not blood-related.’
Merlin laughed. ‘I will rain havoc on Dolorom if he dares to cross me.’
‘You could try, but I will rise against you, along with all the sorcerers I can find, with all the men I have. I will find a way to crush you and your stupid magical cottage.’
‘Leave here now!’ Merlin ordered, shouting.
‘Refuse them help,’ Edward said.
‘Why should I? It is not you I made a deal with.’
‘I need you too,’ he protested. ‘Tell them you refuse or I will make you pay.’
‘Edward,’ Stilt said nervously. ‘This is Merlin you are talking to.’
‘Yes, Edward. Listen t
o your cowardly friend. At least he isn’t stupid enough to think he can take me on.’
‘What did they offer you?’ Edward asked. ‘When I become king, I will give you that plus more. I will sign a contract, so I cannot break it.’
Merlin raised a tangled eyebrow. ‘I want a ship, a unique ship.’ Edward's expression twisted into one of frustration. ‘You know what ship I am talking about, Edward. The same one you have been looking for. A pirate ship, with a particular pirate, owned and controlled by a very powerful boy.’
‘I have been trying to get to Neverland for years; it’s impossible,’ Edward replied angrily.
‘It is merely improbable, not impossible,’ Merlin said and conjured up a contract and handed Edward a quill. ‘Sign here. If not, I will help your parents. Oh, and I know what you want, it is evident. You don’t want them to have a boy, for you will lose your right to be king first. If you do not get me what I desire, if you do not sign, I will make sure they have only boys.’
Edward begrudgingly signed the contract.
‘You have three years from the moment you are crowned king to deliver the ship to me. Unless you die first,’ Merlin stated. ‘Now, leave.’ He turned to Stilt. ‘Oh, Stilt. I will need you to redo some of these threads at some point.’
‘But they are made of gold; they cannot fray,’ Stilt replied.
Merlin laughed. ‘They haven’t; they are just dulling in colour!’
‘Every time I spin gold, it takes some of my power, I cannot—’ Stilt protested.
‘I do not care. You will do as I asked,’ Merlin interrupted.
Stilt stared at him coldly. ‘I will come here after I have finished my business in Dolorom.’
They walked away, and Merlin and the cottage vanished, leaving nothing but a sea of trees. ‘You just do what he asks?’ asked Edward.
‘He has always pushed me around. I want to say no, but he is powerful. He could ruin me,’ Stilt admitted.
‘Ha.’ Edward laughed. ‘I would never let anyone speak to me like that, whether it was Merlin or the king himself. I would crush them,’ Edward said and laughed. He stood proudly, pushing his shoulders back and chest out. His white jacket was untarnished and fitted well over his muscular stature. He put his feet into the silver stirrups of the horse and grasped the hilt of his sword before lifting it into the air. The beautiful gold lines cracked their way around the blade; the edge was terrifyingly sharp. The hilt was covered with rubies, and it was long and thick. ‘How do you think I got this, Stilt? I took it from a king many years ago. I always get what I want. Remember that.’ He didn’t mention that his other sword had been broken by that enchantress. Well, he almost always got what he wanted.
The Enchanted Kingdoms (Haunting Fairytales Series Book 1) Page 9