Fairy Tale Wedding (Book One: The Road to Ever After)

Chapter Thirteen

Princess Adeline peered through the dark for some hint of the speaker's identity. Her heart was beating violently in her ribcage, quite over-exerted from the emotional mountains she had been climbing in the last hour.

"Who's there," Adeline asked the darkness. "Show yourself."

There was a slight murmur of amusement from the opposite corner of the room. The princess felt goosebumps grow up all over her arms and legs.

"Do you think that wise, dearie," the female voice questioned.

Princess Adeline did not like to have her commands ignored, nor did she feel comfortable speaking to someone she could not see. So, Adeline held her shoulders back with royal authority and took control of her raging emotions. She wiped her tears away with two swift motions and said,

"I demand that you show yourself!"

The unknown intruder sighed very unconvincingly, "Very well."

Princess Adeline heard the snap of fingers first. Then, all the candles in the room suddenly sprang to glorious light. The princess blinked away the painful adjustment of her eyes to brightness. She looked at the floor for a few moments to recover her vision. Finally, she lifted her blue eyes to take in her persecutor.

"Oh my," she tried not to cry out as she realized in whose evil presence she stood. She did not want to believe her eyes, yet denial would only lead to greater damage down the line. Adeline steadied her back against the door for much needed poise.

"I suppose I should consider this unexpected meeting a compliment," Princess Adeline said with disgust. "Only very upright and devoted rulers become objects of your interest. Or am I mistaken...Lady Jacqueline?"

The wicked woman smiled at the young lady's sneering pronunciation of her name. The black feathers that formed the collar of her ladyship's cape ruffled against her unnaturally white skin. Her indigo eyes maintained a deadly stare upon the fair monarch, causing Princess Adeline to swallow a jagged lump of spit and insecurity.

"I see my reputation precedes me," Lady Jacqueline stated. "But don't believe all the horror stories you hear."

"My father taught me everything I need to know about you," Adeline said, stepping forward with sudden anger. "You think you can talk your way into my confidence, Your Vileness, but you are mistaken. I will not listen! You might as well leave directly."

Lady Jacqueline ran one of her fingers down the upholstery of a gilded chair nearby, tearing the handsewn bouquet of spring flowers right down the middle. She did not notice the destruction, though Adeline's eyes bulged in terror at the sight. Lady Jacqueline was too busy thinking she might have underestimated the girl. This perhaps would have been a day darkening revelation if the witch had no other cards up her long sleeves. But the enchantress did have other tricks to play, due to her inside knowledge of Once-upon-a Time's interpersonal workings.

"Ah my dear," the mistress of Distress sighed, "You take everything so personal. You are not the only important being in this part of the map."

Princess Adeline's brow wrinkled. "Why should Once-upon-a Time draw your gaze?"

"Location, location, location." Lady Jacqueline giggled in a nauseating fashion.

"Oh, I see," Princess Adeline crossed her gloved arms over her chest. "This is one of your ill-planned attempts to take over Fairy Tale."

"Guilty as charged." Lady Jacqueline's lightness of the issue, being the destruction of every creature in Fairy Tale's hopes and dreams, disgusted Adeline. How could anyone condemn an entire land to dim, dreary days in flippant amusement? The princess imagined the dark lady's soul was full of spiders, snakes and red-eyed rats – and maybe not just metaphorically.