I OWN NOTHING
Roderich's Tale Continued
There was a knock on the door of the Court Astrologer.
"Hello Herr Edelstein, I predict you are here about the Princess's problem."
"How did you know Arthur?" Roderich asked.
"Oh please even you have to give me some credit!" laughed Arthur Kirkland.
"Now's not really the time to joke," Roderich said sternly.
"As I've heard it King Ivan is pretty mad at you," Arthur said inviting the man in.
"It's been a month and still no cure for the Princess," Roderich groaned.
"Which is why you've come to me, obviously," Arthur said smugly.
"Can we read his horoscope already?" Roderich asked impatiently.
The Astrologer nodded and pulled out a tome covered in dust. He opened the book and magically words appeared.
Arthur Kirkland
Today a man will visit you in desperate need of your help (and helping him will be easy as pie).
Your eyebrows will look good (as per usual).
And you will have good luck (since you didn't break any mirrors int the last few days).
"Ehm," Roderich said looking over Arthur's shoulder.
"Oh right, um I forgot to say the Princess's name as I opened it, that's why it has my horoscope," Arthur blushed. He closed the book, and opened it again this time saying, "Kiku."
Kiku Honda
The cure will be found in the form of a Crackatook nut (the hardest nut in the world...good luck with that),
It must be presented to the Princess by a man who has never shaved nor put on boots (eww!).
With closed eyes he must crack the nut and present it to the Princess (ooh that's gotta hurt!),
Take seven steps without stumbling and the Curse will be lifted (and voila!).
Looking at the Horoscope Roderich realized something, but he still felt stupid for asking. "Is your book...sarcastic?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "And if it is?" he growled.
"Nothing, nothing," Roderich said quickly...a wizard's rage was not something he wanted to add to his life. He already had enough problems as it was.
That evening the two men told the King and Queen what they found out.
"Oh that's wonderful!" exclaimed the Queen.
The King watched his wife's joy then added, "Good job Herr Edelstein. But to fully redeem yourself you and the astrologer here must find the young man, and nut. Da?"
They both drooped, for the kingdom was very large and it would be much easier if the King's soldiers did the searching but neither of them had the courage to voice their opinions. "Yes my liege," they both said tiredly.
"And if you dare return before you have found them both I shall kill you, da?" The King asked.
"Yes sir," they both looked ten years older.
For many years both men searched and found nothing. One day they had decided to give up, and return..death was better than the life they were living.
"Hey Arthur, let's try that last shop," Roderich said pointing to a small little store nudged between two larger ones.
"Alright," Arthur said wearily. "Then when we tell the King we looked everywhere we really will mean everywhere."
The shop was full of odds and ends, but in one corner sat a nut. It was the Crackatook nut.
"Excuse me sir?" called Arthur hoping to get the attention of the proprietor.
"What is it?" asked a young woman.
"Elizabeta?" asked Roderich in shock.
"Oh Roderich! It's been ages!" The woman ran to him to give him a hug.
"I hate to interrupt, but who is she?" Arthur asked awkwardly.
"This is my sister, Elizabeta, Arthur," Roderich said with hurried introductions.
"Madam, might I ask where you got this nut?" Arthur said handing Elizabeta the Crackatook nut.
"That?" her green eyes showed puzzlement. "I don't know."
"Well being that your brother's life depends on it I am afraid we need it," Arthur said.
"What Roderich? What have you gotten yourself into? You must stay for dinner, meet my son, and tell me what has happened. I'm afraid I'm not rich, but the food will be good," Elizabeta said hurriedly.
"We can't" Roderich said.
At the same time Arthur said, "We would be honored."
"Wonderful, my apartment is just above the shop! Oh wait till you meet your nephew Roderich he is so clever, just like you were as a boy-"
The two men followed Elizabeta up the stairs.
Sitting at a roughly hewn table was a young man, in fact he was more of a boy really. As they approached they found the boy was reading a book about the size of him.
"Mother," he said in a well mannered voice. "Do you know how a grandfather clock works? Well in this book it says a grandfather clock works on a mechanical system of gears, spring, levers, catches and a pendulum for keeping time. And that energy is stored in a wind-up spring or a weight driven axis. The time keeping is achieved by a pendulum that counts time in an accurate fashion within seconds per month. Isn't that amazing? This uses the principle of some kind of motion and can be adjusted to be slightly faster or slowly by shifting the pendulum ball's position slightly. All this is done simply with mechanics, and the pendulum counter can then control the movements-"
"That is quite impressive young man," Roderich said beaming at his nephew.
"Who are you?" asked the boy. Roderich had to catch his breath. The young boy looked very similar to their (Elizabeta and his) father. He had the same Aryan hair, and that intense look in his eyes- but there was also a spark of passion that had not been in their father's warrior-like eyes. The young boy also had an innocence to him, one that the General had not.
"I too am a clock enthusiast," Roderich said with a gleam in his eye. "In fact I make them for my living."
"Really?" the boy looked enthralled, "do you think you could help explain some of the working parts to me then? This book is rather ancient, and I am afraid it is not up to date."
"Give your uncle a chance to rest!" Elizabeta scolded though her eyes held gaiety in them.
"You're my uncle? That is so cool!" the young boy looked up in awe.
"Yes I am your uncle, and don't worry 'Beta..I'll work with the boy while you and Arthur cook dinner," Roderich said pulling a chair over to the small boy.
Elizabeta led Arthur into the small cramped kitchen.
"A sweet boy you've got," Arthur said as he chopped carrots at her instruction.
"Yes he's so much like Roderich~ and a bit like his father," Elizabeta's eyes clouded over as she remembered her dead husband.
"What's his name?" Arthur gasped as he had cut his finger with the knife.
Elizabeta's eyes grew fond. "Gilbert."
"Has he ever shaved?" Arthur asked trying to be nonchalant.
She turned curiously to him, "no, he is a bit young for that...why do you ask?"
"Uh no reason. I don't suppose he's ever worn boots?" Arthur asked his hope getting up.
"I can't afford boots, so no," Elizabeta frowned. "I hope you aren't getting the impression that I am a bad mother. Ever since Gil died it's been hard on me..."
"Oh no madame, I meant in no way to offend you. I'm sure Roderich can explain everything after dinner."
And so he did. After they had eaten a hearty bowl of soup (that was slightly burned) with a slice of bread (also slightly burned), and sent young Ludwig to bed, Roderich explained the whole story.
"My boy could be the princess's savior?" Elizabeta asked in surprise.
"Yes," Arthur added.
"Alright brother," she said turning to Roderich. "You can take the nut, but please stay here just a bit longer that Ludwig can begin to get to know you."
"I'd be honored to," Roderich said with a soft smile.
Simultaneously Arthur said, "he can't."
"Oh Arthur, how about you go back to the King with the nut and say I will come shortly."
Grudgingly Arthur agreed, and the next day he set off to the courts.
He was greeted by Ravis, trembling as usual. "I hope you were successful, otherwise the king will kill you."
"Take me to him, will you?" asked Arthur a bit pompously.
He was led before the entire court to find the handsome king, graceful queen and their hideous son.
"Well?" the Queen leaned forward anxiously.
It seemed the entire court held it's breath.
"We found both the boy, and the nut," Arthur said with a grin.
Without realizing it everyone let out their breath at once.
"And where is Herr Edelstein?" asked the King.
"He has stayed behind to train the boy," Arthur replied.
"I see..Ravis tell the town criers that anyone who can lift the spell will marry my daughter," the King said with glee. The poor man in question paled...he hated the town criers...they liked to beat him up.
"Yes sir," he squeaked and ran off.
Within the next few weeks young men were streaming from all over the kingdom to try there luck. All left with either broken teeth or a broken jaw. As they began to lose faith Herr Edelstein returned, with his nephew in tow.
"Ah Herr Edelstein you have decided to rejoin us, and who is that young boy behind you?" the King asked turning his purple gaze to the small boy clinging to Herr Edelstein's coat tails.
"Your majesty this is my nephew, Ludwig. He has come to try his luck," Roderich said with a grin.
The King smiled innocently..while the Queen with held the need to sigh. "Alright, Ravis!" he called. "Bring the Crackatook!'
Instantly the small page returned with the nut on a pillow. Ludwig walked forward and grasped the nut in his clumsy hands. He walked to the Princess and put the nut in between his teeth. Instantly a sharp crack filled the silent air, and from his lips he pulled out two halves of the nut. He bowed lowly before the ugly Princess and offered her the two pieces. With closed eyes he began his seven step journey backward. The Princess swallowed the nut easily, and the change was instantaneous.
Gone was the bulbous head, and beard. What replaced it was a proportionally right head, with glossy ebony hair on top. Deep brown eyes immediately searched for their rescuer. Alas all did not end as one would have hoped. For said rescuer was taking his last step back, when underneath his foot he felt something scurrying from beneath him. It was the Mouse Queen up to her usual tricks. As the young boy stumbled a change came over him, turning him into a nutcracker.
Brown eyes full of hope quickly turn to disgust. "I will not marry him father."
The King glared at Roderich, who held the poor boy in his arms, "You dare trick us with one of your dolls Herr Edelstein? Is that what you were doing while you were away? Ha you foolish man! For this both you and that toy are banished. Forever, da?"
The poor man held in his grief and rage and simply nodded. That evening he left the kingdom for good. And never returned.
End of Roderich's Tale.
"Roderich, was that about you?" Feli asked in awe as the story.
The man he called godfather looked suddenly very old and tired. "No Feliciano. We just have the same name. That is all."
"Oh~" Feli tried to ponder what that could mean.
"Come it's getting late. Try to get some sleep," Roderich said getting up from the child's bed and moving to the door.
Once the lights were off Feli settled in to sleep, pulling the Nutcracker close to him. Then he heard an odd sound he didn't think he would hear again, the scuttling of little paws.
I would like to thank everyone for their continued support! I love all your great comments. Perhaps I should try to explain a few things. So yes Elizabeta is Roderich's sister, and she married Gilbert and had HRE. Since HRE has no name and I am doing Hre/Germany I decided just to use Germany's name. Elizabeta and Roderich's father is Germania (for you wide eyed wonders) but he also does not have a name of his own. To Be Continued! Please review!