The 10th Kingdom

by Kathryn Wesley

  The Queen stood in front of her mirror. On it, she saw Relish the Troll King sitting on the coronation throne. Behind him, his henchmen were looting and sacking Beantown.

  This was not part of the rules. She should have trusted her instincts. He thought he was more intelligent than he really was.

  Well, he would find out exactly who he was messing with. “Exactly what do you think you are playing at?” the Queen demanded. “We had a bargain. I would give you half of Wendell’s kingdom in return for your cooperation.”

  “You’ve done elf-all since I broke you out of prison.” And now he was swearing at her. She had to swallow a

  vicious retort. She wanted to bend this man to her will, not scream at him.

  “It is essential to my plans that the coronation proceeds as planned,” the Queen said. “If you remain in Wendell’s kingdom, then a crisis will inevitably ensue.”

  “What’s ensue mean?” the Troll King asked.

  “Leave Beantown!” the Queen ordered. “Return to your kingdom or you’ll ruin everything.”

  “I might.” The Troll King shrugged. “I might not. How are my kids doing, anyway?”

  “Their intellect and bravery quite take my breath away.” “Yeah?” the Troll King asked. “Well you look after them. I want them back in one piece.”

  “If you will only be patient, Your Majesty,” the Queen said, “I will give you Wendell’s kingdom on a plate.” “Yeah?” the Troll King said. “Well, I’m hungry now.” She waved a hand, and his image vanished.

  “Moron,” the Queen said to herself. She turned to the other mirror. “Why haven’t you found Wendell yet?”

  Shapes appeared in its liquid surface. Shapes and colors and nothing else.

  “He is with others,” the mirror answered in its dry voice. “But I cannot see them.”

  “Who?” the Queen asked.

  “Three travel with Wendell,” the mirror said. “One who can talk with him and one who can hurt you. They are traveling down the river, toward us, unknowingly.”

  “Show me.” The Queen grabbed the mirror and pulled it close. “Show me.”

  “I cannot.”

  She pushed it away from herself and thought for a moment. Then she smiled. She had a solution.

  “The wolf is with them. Work on him. Make him talk to me.” Once she spoke to the wolf, everything would be as she wanted it to be. They would have a real wolf in their midst, and they wouldn’t even know it.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Wolf didn’t like the quarters below decks. They made him feel claustrophobic, almost as if he were back in prison. But there were times when a man needed to be alone, and shaving was one of them. He’d found a small, rusty mirror and he was shaving as delicately as a man could with a knife and cold water.

  He could never explain to Virginia why he had to be alone for this. A sharp movement, a loud voice, and suddenly he’d be bleeding.

  He was looking a bit worse for the wear. Even though he’d slept, he had shadows under his eyes. His hair needed a trim too. And he normally wouldn’t have shaved on a boat. But he was in love now, and he was trying to convince Virginia that he was the man for her. And a man in love took risks.

  Suddenly the image in his mirror changed. Fortunately, he’d been dipping his knife in the cold water or he would have sliced his own neck for sure.

  The Queen’s face was where his reflection should have been.

  “Hello, Wolf,” the Queen said.

  He dropped his knife and picked up the mirror with shaking

  hands.

  “Go away,” Wolf said. “Leave me alone.”

  “You agreed to obey me,” the Queen said. “Yes. I control you.”

  “No!” Wolf shouted into the mirror.

  “Why can’t I see your companions?” the Queen asked. “What magic is going on?”

  He threw the mirror facedown on a nearby bunk and ran up the stairs to the top deck. He was looking for Virginia, but he didn’t see her. Instead, he saw Tony, fishing. Wolf grabbed the book he’d been reading and waved it in Tony’s face. “Tony,” Wolf said. “I must bond with you.”

  “What?” Tony didn’t look away from the river.

  Wolf had to get Tony’s attention. He had to get his mind off the Queen. If he thought about her, she would have an entry, and if she had an entry, then she’d get to Virginia, and if she got to Virginia, then he’d never forgive himself.

  “It says in this book here, Ironing John, that we’ve lost our masculinity and need to do more man to man bonding,” Wolf said. “And perhaps that bond is fishing?”

  Tony didn’t answer. Wolf stared at Tony’s fishing line, wondering if he should get his own. He really didn’t want to catch the fish. Maybe he could divert Tony’s attention from that fish, too. Wolf smiled. “Boy, I love fishing with my future father-in4aw.”

  “I want you to stay away from Virginia,” Tony said. “You hear me? You’ve got a criminal record.”

  “We’re on a small boat,” Wolf said. “How can I stay away from her?”

  “Will you both stop talking about me as though I’m not here,” Virginia said.

  Wolf turned. He hadn’t seen her. The love of his life, and he had missed her as he had come up on deck. She was steering the boat and she looked beautiful.

  “What’s the biggest catch you’ve ever had, Wolf?” Tony asked.

  “A young mountain girl called Hilda,” Wolf said.

  “I caught a mullet once. It was this big if it was an inch.” Tony held his hands a yard apart. No fish ever got that big. “Biggest mullet caught in New York State in 1994.”

  “That’s nothing,” Wolf said. “I caught a fish last year. It was this big.”

  He held his hands twice as far apart as Tony had. “Really?” Tony asked.

  “No, no,” Wolf said. “I just made it up. Are we bonding

  yet?”

  Sunlight glinted toward them. Wolf shaded his eyes. The light was reflecting off a solid gold cottage on the bank.

  ‘ ‘Wow, look at that,” Tony said. ‘ ‘He was probably a simple guy like me. Now I bet he’s got a hundred servants.”

  Wolf doubted that, but he said nothing. He’d seen too many people mess with this fish even though, rumor had it, only princes, nobles, and foundlings caught magic fish. So if the rumor was true, Tony was safe.

  “You see, bait is crucial,” Tony was saying. “If this fish has been caught and thrown back lots of times, he’s going to be smart. If it’s a tench, I’d go for the heavy-feed, big-bait approach, whereas if it’s a carp, I’d prefer sweetcom or maple peas, or sour-bran specials if he’s a chub or a roach.”

  “I hope we’ll be bonding soon, Tony,” Wolf said. “I can’t take many more of your fishing stories.”

  Tony’s line suddenly jerked.

  “Hey, hey,” Tony said. “I got a bite.”

  Wolf looked at it in surprise. He hadn’t expected this. “It’s a big-un, that’s for sure,” Tony said, working the line. “Oh, my goodness,” Wolf said. “I think you have caught the elusive magic fish.”

  Tony got leverage on the boat and tried to pull again. The silly dog woke up and sat beside them. Tony gave him an angry look, as if the dog had said something Tony didn’t like.

  “Be careful of your back, Dad,” Virginia said.

  Tony played the fish out, the pulled it in hard. As he started reeling in the line, a beautiful choir started to sing. Wolf winced. He had a feeling this would be bad.

  “Who tries to catch the magic fish?” The voice was female and beautiful and magical.

  Wolf’s wince got worse.

  “I’ve got her,” Tony shouted. “I’ve got her. Baby, you’re mine now.”

  He fell backwards on the boat, and the fish flew out of the water. It landed on his chest before slithering off and flapping on the deck in front of all of them.

  Wolf watched it, feeling a kind of foreboding and pity. Curiously, he wasn’t hungry for the fish at all.

&nbs
p; “Throw me back immediately,” the fish said. “I demand you throw me back.”

  Virginia left the wheel and crouched beside the fish. Wolf crouched beside her. The fish was giving off tiny gold stars.

  “Give up the gold and we’ll throw you back, Flipper,” Tony said.

  “Very well,” the fish said. “The very first thing you touch with the little finger of your left hand will turn to gold.” “Guaranteed no side effects?” Tony asked. “One touch and then my finger goes back to normal?”

  “What is this? A fish quiz?” the fish asked. “I’m dying. Throw me back.”

  “All right, it’s a deal,” Tony said. “I’ll throw you back.”

  ‘ ‘Not you! ” the fish screamed. ‘ ‘Don’t you touch me. Someone else do it.”

  Virginia grabbed the fish so fast that Wolf didn’t have a chance. Not that he wanted to do it. But he did want to prove to her that he could see food and not be tempted.

  She tossed the fish overboard and it disappeared with a splash. Tony held up his little finger in wonder.

  “I’ve got a magic finger,” Tony said. “I’ve got a magic finger.”

  “Keep that digit away from us,” Wolf said. “Your finger is now a deadly weapon, Tony.”

  Tony moved his hand as far away from his body as he could.

  “What do we even want gold for anyway?” Virginia asked.

  “What a stupid question,” Tony said. “Because it’s gold. When we get home, I can retire. We’ve won the lottery.” Wolf didn’t know why that was a good thing. He was hoping that Virginia would never go home. But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he went to the wheel.

  They were near Rivertown. Soon they’d see more boats. Ahead, he saw a ruined castle on the hill. Apparently Tony did too.

  “Maybe I’ll turn a whole castle into gold,” Tony said. “Like that place.”

  ‘ ‘And how are you going to carry a golden castle?’ ’ Virginia asked.

  “You’re right, you’re right,” Tony said. “I need to choose something as big as I can possibly carry.”

  That castle made Wolf nervous. There was something up there, something he really, really, really didn’t like.

  “Wolf?” Virginia asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Wolf said. “Just a feeling.”

  “That looks like Acorn’s boat,” Tony said. “Moored over there. He’s here.”

  Tony was pointing at the docks in front of Rivertown. And it did look like one of the moored boats belonged to Acorn. Wolf glanced at Virginia. She seemed excited. He felt even odder. He didn’t want her to find that mirror and leave.

  “Everything’s coming up roses,” Tony said. “We’re going home with Olympic Gold.”

  The silly dog started running up and down the boat. Wolf turned to Prince, but didn’t say anything. It looked as if the dog was feeling the same way he was.

  “What’s with Prince Wendell?” Virginia asked.

  Tony shook his head. “He says he feels like two people at the same time.”

  Wolf gave the castle a sharp look. Was Wendell’s human body up there?

  “He says he has to go to the castle.” Tony peered at Prince. “Why?” he asked the dog. “It’s just a ruin.”

  Prince Wendell shook his head, and then took a flying leap at the rail. Before any of them could stop him, he had landed in the water and started swimming toward shore.

  “Prince!” Tony shouted. “Come back.”

  “We can’t go after him,” Virginia said. “Let’s find Acorn and get the mirror.”

  That was Wolf’s girl. She knew what was important. But Tony stared after the dog as if he were puzzled, and just a little bit worried. Which made Wolf a little bit worried. Tony was a nice guy underneath it all, but he was, after all, the biggest screwup that Wolf had ever seen.

  “He’ll be all right,” Wolf said, not sure if that was true or not. “He’s got his own mission now.”

  Blabberwort’s hands ached, and she missed the magic of the Brothers Gibb, even though she had complained about it. The music of it still ran through her head. She wondered if it poisoned her thoughts, if it would ever leave her mind.

  She didn’t think on it too hard, however, because she used the rhythm of the music to continue rowing. They were just getting to a bend in the river. The area was looking familiar, but she really didn’t have time to examine it. Instead, she had to concentrate on what she was doing.

  “Faster, faster,” Burly said.

  “I can’t go any faster,” Bluebell said. “My hands are bleeding.”

  “Look,” Burly said. “The ruined castle. Should we report to the Queen?”

  They all looked up at the ruined castle. A report would save their arms for a few hours. What could it hurt?

  “Excellent idea,” Blabberwort said. “Pull over to the bank.”

  The boat was empty. No Acorn, no mirror. Virginia hadn’t felt this dejected in her life.

  Her father seemed to feel the same way. He was staring at the boat as if it had stolen his life savings. Wolf had a slight smile on his face, though, and Virginia didn’t want to ask why. He wasn’t saying anything. In fact, it had been Virginia who’d been asking all the questions of the boatman who was standing on the dock.

  “Acorn’s been here all morning,” the boatman said. “He left—oh, not half an hour ago.”

  “When’s he coming back?” Virginia asked.

  “He’s not,” the boatman said. “He swapped me this lovely boat for my pony and cart. Reckon I got a good deal.”

  “Oh, no,” Virginia said. “Which way did he go?”

  “He said he was taking the forest road,” the boatman said. “You might still be able to catch him if you hurry.”

  “Good idea,” Wolf said. “Let’s go.”

  “What about Prince?” Tony asked.

  Wolf looked at the ruined castle anxiously. What was bothering him about that place? He wasn’t telling Virginia. She wondered if he even knew himself.

  “He’s off. He wants to be on his own,” Wolf said. “My heart is breaking, but let’s follow the mirror. Anyway, Tony, you said yourself he’s been nothing but a nuisance.”

  “Yeah, I know, but it doesn’t feel right to just run off and leave him. He must have bounded off for a reason.”

  “You’ll lose that mirror,” Wolf said.

  “Dad,” Virginia said, knowing what her father was thinking. She felt concern for Prince Wendell, but she also knew they only had one real chance at that mirror.

  “Stay here,” Tony said. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.” Virginia sighed, but she didn’t try to stop him. She was feeling guilty too for leaving Prince Wendell alone. Maybe her father could do something. Or at least find out what was going on.

  She’d give him his fifteen minutes, and then he’d have to catch up to her. If they had to split up, they had to. She’d bring the mirror to him if she found it.

  She looked at Wolf. Wolf was still staring at that castle, a faraway look in his eyes. He seemed almost frightened.

  Her heart started pounding. She tried to shout to her father, but he was already too far away to hear.

  She had changed her mind. She’d wait here for fifteen minutes, and then she’d go after him, no matter what Wolf said.

  Or what waited for them back there at that ruined castle.

  The morning had been a dismal failure. The Queen tried to keep her impatience in check. First that aborted attempt at influencing Wolf, and now this—trying to teach the Dog Prince how to act human.

  She had dishes and cutlery laid out before him on a simple table. She’d been afraid to use the good table, thinking that perhaps he would scratch it somehow. Dishes could be replaced, but her good table couldn’t.

  The Dog Prince was studying the dishes before him as if he wanted to bury his face in the plate. He longed for the meat. She knew it. Meat—of any kind—was his favorite food. She had deliberately given him a piece too big to bite easily.


  “When waiting to eat,” the Queen said, “try to keep your tongue inside your mouth. It is somewhat vulgar to have it hanging out all the time.”

  “I’m starving,” the Dog Prince whined. “Where’s my bowl?”

  “You’re going to have a lovely meal,” the Queen said. “But only when you’ve learnt to eat with a knife and fork. Until then you will starve.”

  She placed a knife in his right hand and a fork in his left. He looked at them as if they hurt his fingers.

  “Would you like a drink, Your Majesty?” she asked, just to confuse him.

  “Bowl of water.”

  “A glass of water,” the Queen said. “A Prince does not drink out of a bowl.”

  He rolled his eyes. He’d drink from the water closet if she let him, and they both knew it. “A glass of water,” he said. “Please.”

  In spite of the fact that she didn’t like his tone, he did ask properly, so she poured him a glass of water. He stared at it as if he were trying to figure out how to put his snout in the opening.

  “Now,” she said, “is there anything else you want?”

  “My woolly ball,” the Dog Prince said.

  She let out a horrible sigh and was about to lecture the Dog Prince yet again on the fact that he was now human and not a dog when the door opened. A servant entered. She didn’t recognize this one either. A few years in prison, and the staff turnover was uncontrollable.

  “Majesty,” the servant said. “The three Trolls have returned.”

  Ah, they must have found Prince Wendell. Good news then. She turned to the Dog Prince.

  “Practice using your knife and fork,” she said to the Dog Prince. “I will return to test you in ten minutes.”

  And then she left him alone. She hoped his wooly ball wasn’t anywhere in sight.

  She hurried down the corridor to the main entry. The Trolls stood there, adding a stink that was unwelcome, and looking quite proud.

  She didn’t see Prince Wendell anywhere. Had they—perhaps—killed him?

  “Well?” the Queen asked.

  “We are here, Your Majesty,” Burly said.

  “And?”

  “Just that, Your Majesty,” Bluebell said.

  “Where is Prince Wendell?”