Hidden through time

23. Princess Charming

Written 2015 by VeGirl ©

When Quin and I got back to the castle it was almost dinner time and as we hurried along the corridor to get to the diningroom, we met a girl. The girl furrowed her brows and I felt the same confusing frown on my own features. "Hi?" this was the girl who had wanted me to play boule in my holiday town. "What are you doing here?"

"Fran!" Quin hissed and grabbed my wrist while bowing deep. "My princess." He did his best to force a bow or curtsy out of me and I took the hint. I was in a deep curtsy when I heard the woman snickering.

Curiously I peaked up at the laughing woman. "You were in the town! I remember you."

I looked startled up at the woman in front of me and got to my feet. "Princess? You're princess Roselba?"

"The very one." She looked smug.

I didn't know what to say to the woman, but snapped out of it. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Were you one of the old people." She shuddered, "That was fortunate enough to rejuvenate from my little prank?" The curiosity was profound and I debated whether to answer yes or no to that simple question and decided finally on a "Yes."

Delighted she clapped her hands. "Wonderful!"

I couldn't understand why Ty had been so negative in his description of this woman, she was positive and upbeat. "Do you know anything about what happened to Taithleach?"

Her upbeat and smiling face was instantly changed into a snarling grimace. "What about that little twat?"

I blinked at the sudden outburst. "Excuse me?"

"That little tosser is the worst spoilsport there is in the entire fae realm, and possibly in your realm as well," she added with a nod. "Does he think he's the sodding police?" The poise and exterior of this woman didn't match that vocabulary or the anger.

"Do you know where he is?" By now I didn't care if she was a princess or not.

The evil laugh that erupted was shrill and loud. "I sure do."

Another blinking erupted. "You know where he is?"

"Of course."

"But we've been looking for him for weeks now."

"Yes, and I've been waiting impatiently for you to figure it out," Roselba was almost giggling. "I have him."

I gasped. "You have him?" I almost shouted. "Where and why?"

"He is such a spoilsport," she snarled.

"It is all because he stopped you from taking over that little town?"

"Yes, blabbermouth..."

"I'm actually disappointed Roselba, I thought you had bigger ambition than that." I spoke from my heart, regardless of social status. "Where is he?"

The princess got a high and mighty expression again. "Not anywhere close to this place." There was a glib and nasty look that was so different from the one she had showed me earlier that I was taken aback.

"I actually liked you," I almost sighed, disheartened and deeply disappointed.

"Naw..." the princess feigned a pout before she smiled widely. "But I'm sure that you feel better now than as an old lady." Her smile turned mischievously and her eyes glistened evil. I flickered an embarrassed glance towards Quin.

Suddenly Roselba turned towards Quin. "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm Taithleach's friend and I've come to rescue him from the claws of his capturer." His eyes narrowed in on her.

"He had it coming!"

"But he is your nephew," I objected with a step closer to the princess.

"I don't know what that has to do with anything," Roselba snarled.

"What's going on here?" Ty came barging towards the arguing party that took place in the hallway of the royal castle. "Roselba, what are you doing here?"

While he spoke I let my anger flare the magic that built inside me and soon the image of Ty flickered away as if he had been a fictional character on tv. The man beneath the surface was shorter, older and ugly compared to than the one he was impersonating.

Everyone that barged after Ty gasped and stumbled backwards before we came to our senses and grabbed both Ty and the snickering princess. Her laughter while they were led out of there was ominous.

"Wait, where have you taken him?" I yelled after them. "Where is the real Ty?"

"You will find him in your world."

* * *

The ruckus alerted the Queen who came striding along the hallway looking for answers.

"It was your sister, your Majesty. She is the one who has taken Taitleach."

"Taken Taitleach? I saw him this afternoon," she said confused.

"No you didn't, what you saw was a simple glamour. Fran here managed to break it and reveal the man behind it."

"Glamour?" The Queen of Alfheim exclaimed shocked and then added with anger reverberating between the walls. "I've been made a fool by glamour?"

"It was a good glamour. I was fooled before I figured out why he was so changed."

The Queen strode into the closest room and gracefully slumped down on a chair. Her face was etched with pain and despair. "I was just so glad he had come to his senses and wanted to work for the court." Grief laced her words. 

"That's what a mother does," I offered my support and had experience to back it up.

"I'm not his mother," she sighed and looked like she was about to cry.

"In your heart you are." I squatted down in front of her. "And in his heart you are," I continued and the Queen gripped my hands.

"Thank you dear." A single tear slid down the Queen's cheek.

My mind flickered to my own children and I so desperately wanted to see them, but knew it was impossible. "I know what it is like to lose parents... and I know what it is like to lose children as well."

The Queen squeezed my hand for support. "Do you know where Ty might be?" She directed the question to Quin but kept the desperate grip on my hand.

"Your sister said she had taken him."

"What?"

"Roselba said he is held in my world," I revealed and the look of pain and anger I retrieved from the Queen was enough to push me back on my hiny. I was lucky that anger wasn't directed to me.

"Then you must go and get him."

"Yes your Majesty," Quin answered ceremoniously.

"I will call my troupes together to accompany you."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

Anger flared up in the Queen's eyes but when she saw the gratitude in mine, she knew it was said from the bottom of my heart and that I would never deceive her.

"Thank you."

* * * * * * * * * *

Hello my beautiful readers.

So Princess Roselba is the bad guy here, did you anticipate that? Where is Ty now and will our dynamic duo manage to free him? Please let me know what you think.

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