Chapter 4: Magic, A Plot, & Jealousy – Let the Games Begin
How was dinner?" Erebus said stretching on the bed.
"Fine. No more stealing food for us. This is the start of a good life." She smiled slyly, reaching in between the bed for the last of the pages.
"So you expect to flatter the prince? That's your plan?"
"Plan A, yes. However Plan B will be more oh homage to my father."
"Rothbart abandoned you, you know?"
"Yes, Erebus, he may have. But he was brilliant, and if he would have been king I would have been Princess, and heir to the throne. That is what should have happened. Remember you would be nothing but an ally cat if it wasn't for his magic" She said scribbling notes onto the pages, recalling the words like memories that were yet to fade. "Tonight I will finish this and the throne is as good as mine."
"Call me crazy," Erebus said pouncing off of the bed, "But that Prince Derek seems pretty fond of his bride Odette."
"Yes, but he thinks that I know where the robbers are hiding, and that I travel with bow and arrow around the forest. I have a feeling Odette is but a pretty face in the castle walls."
"And you are both?"
"You betcha." She winked slyly at the cat.
"Madam." A voice knocked outside the door. Veronica motioned for the cat to be quiet.
"Yes," She opened the door to see Rogers with a plate of fish.
"For your cat."
"Why thank you." She said remaining composed, taking it before shutting the door, not waiting for Rogers to leave
the door frame.
"I can live like this." Erebus said smiling a cat grin at the fish plate. She stared down at the black cat, with striking green eyes. Her father gave him to her, as a present; the result of one of his first few tries using the dark arts.
Ever since her talking companion has easily become her only ally. Named him after a Egyptian god of Death; she could tell her father had a sinister personality from the start.
"And I have the last two sentences to write." She hurried back to the writing desk and finished the act of destroying. "Now…" She took off her ruby necklace and placed the large gem on the desk. She recited the words from the pages, chanting quietly, the room illuminating a red color, the ruby glowing, floating in the air, sparking with power.
"Is it finished?" Erebus said, pouncing onto the table.
"Yes." She said tilting her head, snatching it into her hand, the red power reflecting into her eyes like fire.
"So…you said that you know where the robbers are? Did you really think that through?" Erebus warned.
"Thank you for reminding me." She said petting his head.
"What are you thinking? Veronica, what? You have that look…" Erebus said in a monotone, suspecting voice.
"Let's see how the power to create really works." She said. She demanded the power do as she wanted, she let it fly free of her hands and off to the woods to do it's work.
"And if it doesnt?" Erebus asked as skeptical as ever.
"It will. I have my fathers blood so it will. Plus your all seeing eyes have told me all i need to know about the past, that there is no way i cannot win."
Knock, knock.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"Its Prince Derek. I was wondering if I could talk to you Lady Harttrob."
"Quickly hide the papers!" Erebus whispered.
She nodded and stuffed them in between the mattress. "One moment please."
"I cant believe you've got him calling for you already." Erebus rolled his eyes pouncing back onto the bed to scout.
"Shh." She said in a sly smile and opened the door.
"Oh, and call me Veronica by the way."
"Well, then, uhm Veronica…I was wondering if you could try to show Bromley and I on the map where you saw that shed? It might be the hideout for those bandit thieves?"
"Oh of course…I mean I could try…I'm not really too sure where I was at the time."
"That's all we ask!" Bromley said poking his head up from behind Derek, smiling.
"Then I will." She smiled back, directing it to Derek.
She followed the two through the hallways towards a large library, also seeming like a study, with maps placed all on a single desk with x's all over certain areas and pins sticking out of others.
"So we found you just about here in the forest."
She nodded looking at the map. She had thought of the area, the large hollow tree is about where she put it. But maybe telling them wasn't exactly what she should do…
"Well it was back farther …maybe west? Or maybe more south west?"
"So towards the lake?"
"Is that the same lake that Odette turned to a swan?" She asked curious.
"Yep, that was ol' Rothbart's lake before we took the castle over, after Derek here, gave him a good arrow to the heart." Bromley added.
"Well it was only to save Odette."
"And you couldn't have done it without me?" Bromley added giving him a nudge.
"Yes, and you'll always remind me of that eh Brom?"
"Heh, heh." He laughed.
"You must have been really good with your arrow? I'm guessing you two used the catch and fire?"
"How do you know?" Bromley asked.
"I studied arrow shooting remember? If you only had one arrow...which if the rumors are true?" What she had actually studied where the stories of the battle between Rothbart and Derek, that scattered the land, finding fact from fiction until she knew most of the story herself. She held this knowledge with great pride, dangling it in front of them as if she was there. Not to mention her Erebus had a small secret of his own that aided her so often. Her arrow shooting skills were actually better than any other girl she'd ever known; without magic it was one of the few ways she could travel the forests.
"I know that the second shooter must have a steady hand otherwise the arrow will go straight to the heart. Quiet impressive actually…"
Derek looked smug. Bromley sunk down a bit. "So anyway back to the shed?"
"Oh I'm not really sure, I'd know the area if I saw it but on a map it looks so plain…"
"You'd remember the part of the woods?"
"I'd say so…I was wondering in it for a while before you found me."
"Then…come with us."
"You can't be serious Derek, a girl out in the dangerous woods?" Bromley asked.
"She'll be with us, plus I have a feeling she can handle a bow better then you can Brom."
"Catch and Fire…" He muttered back in retort.
Derek laughed.
Suddenly Odette came down into the library. "Derek I was wondering if you wanted to take a stroll out in the garden tonight..."
"Sorry Odette, I can't we have to go looking for the bandits again."
"But won't it be dark soon Derek?" She asked.
"It will, but that means that they won't expect us. Plus we don't want another night time surprise attack from them."
"And how are you planning on finding them?"
"Veronica's going to show us the way." Bromley added.
Odette looked from Bromley to Veronica.
"It's only because I couldn't find it on the map. I'm not very good with maps…" She admitted. Better play innocent for now she thought, the later Odette came to despise her the better.
"Your bringin' a women to the battlefield ah mate?" Puffin flew down and perched to Derek's shoulder.
Veronica was taken back. An enchanted animal? This was not something she had counted on.
"Is she a princess?" John Bob asked looking at Veronica with thoughtful eyes.
"Doesn't matter, 'cus you're not a prince." Speed said rolling his eyes.
Three enchanted animals? Her father must have enchanted his whole castle area from his magic? Now she'd have to eventually take care of these too?
"Sorry Veronica these are my friends; Puffin, John Bob, and Speed."
"Pleasure to meet you mademoiselle." John Bob said bowing.
"John Bob she's not a princess. She's Lady Harttrob, and she's going to help us catch these thieves." Derek explained
"Oh and adventure? We haven't had one of those in a while!" Puffin said.
"Then we'll all go?" Odette asked, in a more telling matter.
"No Odette, I don't know how vicious these thieves are. They already hurt one of the elderly, I don't want them to get to you." Derek answered.
"Then why does Lady Harttrob get to go?" Speed asked, not to be rude but out of curiosity in his melancholy voice.
"Veronica here says she's good with arrows." Bromley explained.
"Don't worry; we'll stay here with ya Odette." Puffin said trying to up her mood.
"It's fine. It's best if you guys just get the thieves. Good evening." She gave Derek a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the room.
"Are you okay?" Speed asked Odette.
"Yes, it's just I wish Derek would let me come along more often. I think after all of our adventures he's scared for me to get hurt."
"He lost you almost three times Odette, you have to realize he's only trying to do whats best." Puffin shrugged.
"If it was me, I'd have never let you get hurt once. A prince should always keep his princess safe."
"I know John Bob." She smiled at the frog, and walked up the stairs to her room.
"That's what he's trying to do." Speed nudged John Bob giving him a look.
"What was it something I said?"