“Sorry, were you waiting long?” Mercury stopped short in front of them, a big, beautiful dopey smile on his face; this was the smile he always wore after escorting Red back to Turin. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and beamed at them; he knew how dopey he looked and he didn’t care.
“Man, you love Red; if you could just see the dopey look on your face.” Cindy laughed out loud at the look of bliss plastered all over his handsome face.
“I do.” He confirmed simply. “I always will.”
Snow let go of her willow, and they began walking down the dimly lit path through the forest on their way to Rapunzel’s tower.
“Right. Until a beautiful werewolf lady catches your eye, all ‘come hither’ and all. Guys are so fickle. I know, cause I’ve had five guys ‘love’ me and where are they now? Men.” Cindy joked. “I think they realised that I was just too good for them, you know. They said it was them, not me. And it was.”
Snow cast a sideways look at her friend, but didn’t say a thing. Mercury almost choked, trying to suppress a laugh.
“Maybe that’s true for some men, but not all; and especially not for werewolves. We only fall in love once; and it’s for life.” Mercury explained.
“Seriously?” Snow asked. She had nowhere near the experience Cindy had, or rather claimed to have. “Wow.”
“Of course.” He replied. “That’s why it’s so special to us. Once you catch the scent of the one you love, you could find her anywhere, forevermore. I mean, I could track either one of you anywhere, but it’s not quite the same thing. Red’s scent is like a scarf, gently pulling me in to her orbit and-”
“Alright, alright! Enough, that’s so mushy it makes me want to throw up...I think I just did. In my mouth. A little...gross.” Cindy cut in. “No one has ever felt like that about me...” She pouted.
“You’re sixteen. We have lots of time to find True Love, there’s no rush.” Snow gently chided. She actually felt bad for the young werewolf now. How sad, because with Red being a member in good standing of the Aristocracy, her suitor selections were very limited. Snow was pretty sure that werewolves didn’t even make the list; the Aristocracy had a distinct dislike for ‘creatures’. A tidbit of knowledge she felt best to keep to herself. How truly sad.
“How predictable. Do humans females ever think of anything other than “True Love”, or “How does my hair look”, or my most favourite of all, ‘Prince Leonardo Charming’.” Manuel stepped out on to the path and continued on with them.
“Yes, sometimes we think about shoes.” Cindy laughed.
“I’m not going to be here for the next two nights, I don’t know what you girls have planned.” Mercury announced seriously. Tomorrow was the full moon, so once again Mercury would be locked in his room back at the Wolf Camp; a slave to his emotions...he hated the very thought of it.
“I suppose that means you will be expecting me to pick up your slack again, wolf.” Manuel rolled his eyes up toward the almost full moon, sighing. “Wrangling the ingrates and escorting your Red. It’s exhausting just thinking about.”
“Hey, don’t put yourself out; if it’s too hard for you, I can find someone else. I’m sure if I approached someone else in your coven and explained your physical limitations...” Mercury replied, seeing right through the vampires show of dramatics.
“Anyone else in my coven would simply eat them; a rather good idea most days.” Manuel sniffed.
“Oh crap, he’s leaving us with Mr. Personality over there.” Cindy moaned.
“Ingrate.” Was all Manuel said.
“Fanger.”
“Nuisance.”
“Dead head.”
Mercury stopped short.
“It’s not like I’m taking a holiday or something. I hate it! How would you guys like it if every twenty eight days your hormones took over, and you had to fight your own emotions, not to mention your inner beast from coming out and going medieval on everything and everyone you love! I feel so alone.” He bit his thumb, acting uncharacteristically fragile; his beautiful eyes large and glistening.
“Actually I-” Cindy started, before Snow clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Not the time Cindy, not the time.” She whispered shaking her head.
Why are you looking at me like that? You’re making me feel bad!” The werewolf moaned.
Manuel laughed out loud.
“You’re being very insensitive.” Snow growled at the mirthful vampire.
Suddenly Manuel’s whole demeanour changed. He stood completely still and motioned for the girls to be silent as well. Even Mercury seemed alarmed, he lifted his face up and sniffed the air before turning back to Manuel. A silent message was past between the two and Mercury took Snow by the hand while Manuel carried Cindy deeper in to the forest; crouching down in the, they waited.
Snow’s heart was pounding, and from the look on Cindy’s face, she was just as frightened. Something very big was happening and judging from the reaction of the boys, that something was nothing good.
The ground began to shake beneath them as a dark war horse and his rider thundered past them. Something about the rider’s armour seemed familiar to Snow, but it sped by her far too fast to properly identify; even so, she felt a deep sense of unease growing in the pit of her stomach.
After waiting several moments, the boys led the girls back to the path; but the playful banter of the evening was broken and they continued on to Rapunzel’s tower in silence.
Just as they came to the small clearing that surrounded the tower and house, Mercury made a sudden gesture and led them all back in to the trees. Standing in the clearing, bathed in the moonlight was the dark war horse, his rider was nowhere to be seen.
Cindy and Snow exchanged a look, surely they were thinking the same thing. Why on earth would the Mother Goethal be receiving a guest so late in the evening? And more importantly, why would she receive a soldier? These questions and more tumbled around Snow’s mind as they must have Manuel’s, because she had never seen the vampire so tense.
Many minutes passed without anyone uttering a word, as they watched the rounded door of the cold stone cottage; finally it opened and the dark armour clad soldier strode out in to the night, closely followed by the dour and bent Mother Goethal. In the moonlight she bore a remarkable resemblance to a crone, something Snow had never realised before; and not one of the slightly crazy, but basically harmless wine and bingo loving ones either.
Snow finally had a chance to examine the soldier’s armour, and her breath caught in her chest as she did; his breast plate bore the emblem of Rylak, more specifically, the Queen of Rylak. Queen Rosalyn...her dreaded stepmother.
She was never sure who caught her as she fainted, but someone must have because when she fell, she fell hard.
How long they waited in the trees, she wasn’t quite sure, but when they finally stepped out in to the moonlight they were dismayed to see Rapunzel’s head pop out her window as she shook her head rapidly. Something was wrong, they couldn’t visit that night. Slowly, with heavy hearts they backed in to the forest and began the silent journey back home. Everyone except Manuel that was, he stayed in the bushes and watched the dark tower, as was his nightly custom.
Unbeknownst to them, the Mother Goethal had also been watching; she observed the two human girls, the werewolf and the vampire emerge from the bushes. Sitting in the darkness next to the window she silently watched as they emerged from the forest, gazing up at Rapunzel’s tower. She watched them wait in the clearing, she watched them retreat back in to the forest leaving the vampire behind. Her cold, wrinkled eyes narrowed in undisguised hatred.
Using only the light of a single candle, she wrapped her thin gnarled fingers around an ancient quill pen, dipped it in ink and began to write.
Chapter 8
Snow felt the change the moment the door was flung open, The Mother was usually hostile and suspicious, treating the girls as if they were diseased vermin, being needlessly inflicted upon her.
But today she was condescendingly smug; like a cat that has blocked all exits and now sits by the one remaining hole waiting for the mouse. Snow shivered involuntarily under the sharp smug gaze. After making the necessary polite greetings, she grabbed Cindy and fairly flew up the cold, dark winding staircase. Instinctively she knew that it wouldn’t be in their best interests should The Mother realise their actual feelings towards her, or what they had witnessed the night before.
Thank goodness for Manuel’s spell; for without it, The Mother would surely have turned her over. Of that Snow was positive.
She had hardly been able to sleep a wink the night before; visions of her stepmother and her dark minions were dancing in her head. Why would she send her dark soldiers here to Turin, and why to The Mother; what connection could she have to the beautiful and powerful Queen of Rylak? At least it hadn’t been Alaric, her stepmother’s main bodyguard. She felt shivers down her back at the very thought; although not evil in himself, he was hopelessly devoted to Rosalyn. There was nothing he would not do for her...nothing; and he was frighteningly competent. When he was present, you could be sure Rosalyn of Rylak was close by. He would die for her; he took his job very seriously.
No matter which way she examined the situation, she never could seem to find the answer. None of this made sense; she had hoped that Rapunzel might be able to shed some light.
“I have never seen such men before.” Rapunzel had responded with a shake of her lovely head. “Trolls, goblins, Imps and such have frequented this home after dark many a night.” She gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders at the thought of such unsavoury creatures.
“But a soldier I have never seen before. They spoke in hushed tones so I did not over hear any conversation, but I did see him show her a badge before she allowed him entry. What was on the badge, I could not see.”
“Such pacing I heard that night after the soldier left; behind this very door she stood, I heard her wheezing breath.” She continued. “But waiting for what I don’t know.” To be trapped in her tower alone indefinitely again would be a slow and cruel death sentence; sudden fear overtook her. “I can’t stay locked in here. I’ll go mad.” She whispered desperately.
Something had to be done, that much was sure; but what and where to start? That was the million dollar question.
Snow had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to the relationship between The Mother Goethal and Rapunzel than any of them knew. She didn’t believe there was any such disease as this ‘Hoglas disease’, and she didn’t think Rapunzel was her daughter. Proving these suspicions would be hard. Since they had befriended Rapunzel, Snow and Cindy had carefully avoided all lines of conversation that would touch on Rapunzel’s mysterious illness, all the while carefully notating her apparent good health.
“Rapunzel,” She started slowly willing herself to find the right words. “You have something called Hoglas disease, is that right?”
Rapunzel nodded absently. Cindy raised her eyebrows questioningly at Snow, but was apparently willing to follow Snow’s lead.
“What exactly is it? Please understand I have never seen you sick, or display any symptom of illness. I am somewhat confused.”
Rapunzel took a deep breath; no one had ever asked her this question before, not that she had ever had much contact with other people. She looked both of her friends carefully in the eye, unsure what to say.
“I don’t really know; it has always been said that I am afflicted with this unspeakable illness but I don’t know what part of me is afflicted. I have never felt ill. Perhaps I am addled in the brain? The Mother has often alluded to that.”
Cindy shook her head. “No. There is nothing wrong with your brain. I would know, believe me, I wouldn’t talk to you.”
Snowy shot her friend a horrified look.
“What?” Cindy exclaimed. “I don’t like stupid people; they irritate me.”
“Perhaps” Rapunzel tentatively asked. “Perhaps you could ask your uncle, the doctor. If any would know the particulars of this illness, a doctor of such renown would certainly be amongst them.”
“I could,” Snow started. “I haven’t actually told him what we are doing you know, about breaking you out, sneaking out myself all that jazz. She Not that I think he would be mad if he knew the real situation, I just...”
“I understand, I understand. “ Rapunzel murmured. “Please do not trouble yourself. I would never desire to create more trouble for you.”
“No, no!” Snow protested. “This is important, I’ll ask him, but maybe we just don’t say much about the whole sneaking out thing...yet. I will find out what Hoglas disease is, if it even exists. Rapunzel, I don’t think there is anything wrong with you, but I will find out for sure. I promise.”
“What do you mean if it exists?” Cindy looked completely confused.
“Why would The Mother tell me I was ill, if no such illness exists?” Rapunzel seemed equally confused.
Snow had no answer to this. Why indeed? Why would she create a fictional illness for Rapunzel? Why would she keep her sequestered in this lonely tower for the majority of her life? Why, why, why? All Snow had were questions, she was going to go out and start getting some answers; but for now, she knew nothing. So she answered as honestly as she could.
“I don’t know. But I am going to find out; and soon. I promise.”
~~*~~
The tall, broad shouldered soldier strode through the back gardens with great haste. He followed the dusty path through the dark and overgrown bushes that sheltered this section of the garden from all curious eyes. An urgent message from his queen had commanded him to meet her on this relatively unknown dirt road, at the very back of the palace grounds. She had arrived with neither his knowledge nor protection, and although the queen was magically more than capable of protecting herself, he found he constantly worried for her safety. He had found that the more confident one was, the more likely they were to take chances, placing too much trust in their own abilities. Rosalyn of Rylak was very, very confident.
The path led out of the grounds on to the edge of the forest. Carefully he stepped out from the dark, dense grounds out in to the early morning sun that shone brightly in the cloudless sky.
The queen, dressed in black riding clothes, her crown curiously absent from her beautiful dark head, was issuing orders as several servants scrambled to load an unmarked and nondescript carriage.
“Your Majesty.” He greeted her with a wary, low bow as he unconsciously scanned the area for any possible threat. He was never, ever off duty.
“We are leaving for Turin.” She said, thrusting a hastily folded letter at him. “Immediately. I have found Snow White.”
Curiously he unfolded it, unsure how he felt about her revelation, but wise enough not to make his reservations known. Squinting at the barely legible chicken scratches, he was able to make out only a few of the key words “Vampire”, “Werewolf” and “Human Girls”. Nowhere on the hastily written page could he make out the name “Snow White”. Confused he handed the letter back to his queen with another low bow.
“Forgive me, my Sovereign, but I do not understand.”
“Night, smoke and moon. The mirror’s riddle? Do I have to spell it out for you? Fine, fine.” The queen spoke rapidly with a great intensity. “Vampire’s represent night, werewolves represent the moon, and therefore smoke can only be some sort of enchantment. Perhaps the enchantment that has been hiding her from me. A very powerful enchantment, which is why I must deal with this myself. One of the human girls mentioned is Snow. She’s in Turin.”
“Begging your pardon My Queen, how can you be sure?” He had asked ever so carefully, his face a mask of devoted concern. During his tenure as the queen’s personal bodyguard he had learned to carefully phrase any comments that might seem to question the queen’s wisdom. Their working relationship had been relatively peaceful, but he had heard rumours of other...less fortunate working relationships with his tempestuous sovereign. He had
no wish to become one; their history was too long and intertwined.
She spun around on the heel of her long black boot to directly face him. The simple servants loading the carriage froze in place, almost too fearful to breathe.
Carefully she scrutinised his face, finding nothing aside from his utter devotion, she relaxed. “Get in the carriage, Alaric.”
And so he did.
~~*~~
Crouched in the bushes next to Manuel, as they waited for Red to begin her trek home from Granny’s, Snow had ample time to let her mind wander. How was it that no one had ever heard of Rapunzel’s disease, providing such a disease existed that is? Could that really mean she was right, and it didn’t exist? And if so, what would be the purpose of creating such a thing? So many questions; so few answers, she needed an objective mind. She gave the vampire beside her a speculative look.
“If you were to create something, a disease say, purely fictional of course, and make someone think they had it. What would be your purpose?” She whispered.
Manuel gave her a withering look. “Why on Earth would I care to create a fictional disease? Humans amuse themselves in the most absurd ways.” He went back to watching the house.
She ignored the insult. “Exactly, why would you do it? Imagine you were an ignorant, slow witted, irritating human.”
“I’d rather not.” The vampire said with more than a little distaste.
“Please? It’s important and you are so much smarter than I; I really need your superior intelligence here.” Snow fought hard to suppress a snicker at her well placed flattery. Flattery she knew would guarantee the vampire’s cooperation.
Evermore: The Rylakian Heir Page 11