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knights, but he found it impossible to pass the lake of monsters. Zee king fought and fought and many nights passed, but the monsters were too strong
.
    â€œBut the frog was wise and he knew an old dragon that livednot so far away. He went to fetch the dragon, and zee dragon promised zee king that if he gave him his first-born daughter, he would defeat the monsters. The king agreed and the queen and king were reunited
.
    â€œTheir joy was short, however, and soon zee queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The dragon took the girl while the kingdom slept and for sixteen years, the kingdom mourned. So long, zat it was called the kingdom noir – the kingdom black
.
    â€œBut the frog did not forget the kindness of zee queen or her beauty and he wanted to save the lovely princess. He knew the old magic. He knew dragons, so he went out and found a prince of great strength and honor. The prince was a famous monster hunter who had slain the Lion Fairy and others like her. The frog told the prince that if he killed zee dragon and cut it open he would find zee most beautiful princess in the world. The prince did as the frog said and he killed the dragon and saved the princess. The kingdom rejoiced and as a wedding present, the king gave the prince his castle, The Chateau Larcher, and the prince became king of all he saw and the frog lived with them forever in the castle. The king and queen ruled for a thousand years and were beloved of all the people.”
    The story ended and I looked over and saw that Alex had fallen asleep.
    â€œIs it true?” I asked Aunt Perrine.
    Aunt Perrine closed the book. “It is an old fairytale.”
    â€œBut…but you said this place is magic, so couldn’t it be true?”
    â€œI zink zat all fairytales carry a piece of truth.”
    I yawned. It was late and I was tired. “I think it’s true.”
    I got up, and went back to my room. I thought about Lion Fairies as I fell asleep. I dreamt of dragons and knights fighting wicked Lion Fairies and terrible monsters. I woke up and Bastet was sitting on my bed, watching me with sleepy green eyes. She purred loudly and I reached out topet her. I knew that Alex was standing by my bed, but I tried to ignore him.
    I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but I could hear Alex breathing. I put a pillow over my head, but he just came closer.
    â€œGo away!” I yelled.
    â€œI’m going to the cemetery tonight,” Alex said. “And I think you should come.”
    I sat up in bed. “Why? Why are you doing this?”
    â€œI never got to say goodbye,” Alex said. “I just want to say goodbye.”
    I nodded reluctantly and getting out of bed, put on my sneakers. “Ok,” I said.
    The village was quiet at night. In France, everything seemed to shut down after seven. All the stores were closed. Everyone went home. There were few streetlights and darkness spread out over the village like a blanket. There were no twenty-four hour gas stations, grocery stores, or fast food restaurants. So especially in the small village of Chateau Larcher, there was a sense of utter quiet.
    It wasn’t cold, but I was still shivering. I’d never say it to Alex. Maybe I’d never say it at all, but I was really scared. Wandering an ancient cemetery at night looking for ghosts to me sounded like something of which most adults might be afraid. I followed my brother, because I didn’t want him doing it alone. I didn’t want him getting hurt.
    Uno and Roger were waiting for us at the gates with candles. Uno smiled and he looked like a boy in a Halloween costume with the silly smile on his face.
    â€œTime to call the ghosts,” he said in a fake creepy voice.
    Roger looked a little cross. “This stuff never works.”
    â€œIt worked for you, didn’t it?” Alex said.
    â€œWell, yeah, but that was different.”
    â€œHow?” I asked.

    Roger smiled a strange, skeletal