Read Online Charming, Volume 2 by Jack Heckel - Free Book Online

see you,” she was saying. “I am sorry about what happened with your sister, but I have something here that will explain everything.”
    He heard the bolt being thrown on the door behind him. Some part of his mind found that odd, but at the same time he was distracted by a glowing ball of light the Princess drew from the folds of her clothing. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to spring from their places and close in around him. Before he could react, she thrust the flickering sphere under his nose. “Now, my dear, for the wedding I think you shall wear blue or maybe green . . .”
    My dear ? he thought, followed quickly by, wedding ? The light in the orb began to dance, and he stopped thinking altogether.
    A FEW DAYS LATER, while the King was announcing the upcoming nuptials of the Lord Protector and Princess Gwendolyn Mostfair to the court, Lady Rapunzel arrived home to discover that things had not gone as she had intended.
    She had barely dismounted before beginning an interrogation of her footman, Collins. His answers made Elle increasingly concerned and confused. “I just don’t understand it, Collins. How did you lose Lady Pickett, and what do you mean you can’t ‘remember’ anything after meeting with the Princess?”
    â€œThat’s just it, Your Ladyship. I remember kneeling down to pay my respects, then she pulled out a sort of ball of light or some such, and then . . . nothing.”
    Elle tapped a finger against her lips. “I don’t know, but it sounds like sorcery, Collins.” She shrugged emphatically. “Well, I’ve called her a witch before, but I never thought there might be truth to it.” She turned her attention back to the man. “I suppose you can’t be blamed for being enchanted.”
    â€œThank you, Your Ladyship.”
    â€œBut,” she said sharply, and Collins winced, “Liz is in the woods all alone. When the spell was broken, why didn’t you go after her?”
    â€œWell, there was this cave, and . . . dwarves!”
    â€œAnd dwarves!” she snapped, and began pacing back and forth across the floor of the stables, gesturing wildly, her face flashing between a pale white and a bright red. “Well, we simply must go back and collect her.”
    â€œWe? Your Ladyship, but you shouldn’t . . .”
    â€œOf course I’m going, Collins. This is the Lord Protector’s sister we are speaking of. We can’t afford to have any more foul-­ups.”
    â€œBut, Your Ladyship—­”
    â€œBe still, Collins. There is nothing further to discuss. You and I will go and save Lady Pickett, and then the three of us will continue onto the castle, where we will almost certainly have to save the Lord Protector and His Royal Highness from Gwendolyn’s sorcery.” She swiveled on her toe and began marching back to the main house. “Saddle the horses. We leave at once! . . . Oh. And, Collins. Tell the stable hands to clean the stalls. There’s an odd smell in here.”
    Collins sniffed intently at the air. Perhaps the air did smell heavily of spice. He checked his armpit suspiciously and flinched at the odor, but shrugged and went back to his work. After all it was a stable.
    For the servants’ sake, Elle maintained her composure until she got back to her rooms, and then she collapsed on her bed with a sob. “Oh, William, Liz, please be safe.”
    â€œYOU LIED TO me!” Gwendolyn screamed into the transparent little ball as the flickering spark hovered and danced and the scene from Rapunzel’s home dissolved. Around her the shadows spun like a whirlwind.
    â€œ Nay, Mistress, I cannot lie ,” the fairy said smugly.
    â€œYou told me Elizabeth Pickett was dead!”
    â€œNay, Mistress, I merely said she was gone. It was thou that concluded that she was ‘dead.’ ”
    â€œYou deceptive little