CHAPTER TEN
Family
The visit by Wendell's cousins put something of a damper on the wedding for Wendell and Rose. But the rest of the castle forgot about Barron and Felicity almost before their carriage had pulled away. The Fourth Kingdom needed this wedding celebration and they weren't going to let a couple of ill-tempered cousins (that no one really liked anyway) ruin it.
On the night of the Wedding Rehearsal Dinner, the castle was full of happy guests. These were the people closest to the bride and groom. They had come early to partake in the night of celebration before the actual wedding. The members of the Council of Truth, that had given out the pro-wolf proclamations and raised Wolf and Rose to royalty were especially conspicuous.
Queen Cinderella had Lord Rupert give her one of his extra special, over the top announcements as she entered the palace. She was dressed in a deep orange velvet cloak over a lighter colored frothy orange gown. She preferred orange because it showed up her red hair which (despite her being 200 years old) was still in its original shade of red thanks to a certain amount of magic. She looked wonderful! The only thing that betrayed her age was her penchant for falling asleep at odd times. But she was so well loved, that no one took any notice.
King Cole arrived shortly after her, looking as rotund in his powder blue suit as ever. Unfortunately, he wasn't all that jolly. The Fifth Kingdom was caught up in a lot of strife. The protests against the wolves and himself were growing in number. His Chancellor had advised him not to come to this wedding, saying it would inflame the people against him even more. But King Cole was a very loyal man. His mother, Rapunzel, had taught him to stand by his friends and defend the right. And seeing as she still haunted him from time to time, he tried very hard to be the sort of king that she would want him to be. So, King Cole had decided to attend both the Rehearsal Dinner and the wedding to demonstrate his full support for the happy couple. He had also ordered his Chancellor to come to the wedding so that the people of the Fifth Kingdom could see that its government was united.
King Eranthis, ruler of both the dwarves and the Ninth Kingdom, entered the palace with less pomp and circumstance. He was his usual serious self, dressed in a very proper suit of navy with very shiny brass buttons. But even he couldn't help but smile now and then on this bright and exciting occasion. His son and daughter-in-law were expected to join him at the wedding. They were much more into ostentation than Eranthis and it was a constant point of contention between them. Eranthis didn't like the trappings of the monarchy. In truth, most dwarves didn't. But his son was very much into it. The younger dwarf and his wife had even attended Wendell's coronation, dressed to the hilt, complete with crowns. That was something they couldn't have gotten away with in the Ninth Kingdom. In Dragon Mountain it was understood that crowns were only to be worn during special ceremonies. But Eranthis's son knew many of the royal heads at Wendell's coronation would be sporting crowns and he had decided to show his off as well. Of course his wife insisted on wearing one too. Eranthis had forbidden them to do it at Rose and Wendell's wedding.
Queen Leaf Fall, queen of the elves and ruler of the Seventh Kingdom also arrived without fanfare. In fact, she entered the castle from the back, as if she lived there and was not a guest, which was almost true. She had been using Wendell's castle as the center of operations for The Council of the Nine Kingdoms since The Giant War. Leaf was the Vice President of the ruling body. Her husband, Woodbine, was to attend the wedding ceremony only. Their daughters weren't attending at all. Leaf's impatience with her children was similar to Eranthis's, only he was irritated at his son for wanting to play king too much and Leaf was disappointed that neither of her daughters had an interest in being queen. Leaf was planning to utilize the wedding as an opportunity to talk to Virginia about her new position as Leaf's Second in the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. As usual, the elf was mixing business with pleasure, because she rarely took pleasure and her mind was never off business.
Of course, the final member of the Council of Truth was already living there. Matilde, queen of the fairies and ruler of the Eighth Kingdom was secretly engaged to Lord Lewis. But of course by that time, the secret was already publicly known.
In addition to these respected guests, there were many dignitaries of the Fourth Kingdom and military leaders from The Giant War, including the wolves who had commanded with Rose.
Queen Red Riding Hood the Third arrived quietly in a large throng of lesser Lords and Ladies. She was starting to look better after her trying imprisonment and torture in her own castle. She was dressed in one of her most impressive gowns, a red velvet maroon with a hoop skirt and gold brilliants. Previously this gown had always made her look imperious. Now she looked strangely shrunken within it, as if she'd worn it as a protection against the outside world.
Lord Rupert was in charge of everything that night. From the rehearsal itself to the dinner that followed. By that point, Rose was showing signs of nervousness and temper. Virginia wisely suggested that she honor the custom in her dimension of staying apart from the groom before the wedding, so there would be no misunderstandings during this very emotional time. Rose wisely agreed. During the actual rehearsal, Rose held herself in check, but there were times when her green eyes flashed at Rupert. He of course never noticed. He was way too involved with coaching everyone's steps.
"Listen to these beats," Rupert instructed. Then he clapped his hands in a simple four/four time. "After two counts of eight, a member of the wedding party will step forward and proceed down the aisle. King Wendell, please, no little hops in-between counts. Prince Wolf, you're walking against the beat again. Lord Lewis, please remember that the bride does not have your long legs. Take shorter steps! The bride should not have to gallop to keep up."
As Virginia started to march in, Lord Rupert hopped over to her and said, "I hate to have to say it, my dear, but you're not really walking in time to the music. But then, I guess you can't. A little weighed down, are we? Well," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "just do the best you can."
Virginia blue eyes narrowed. What did he mean she was weighed down? True, she was starting to feel her pregnancy, but she hadn't gained that much, had she? To show him he was wrong, she pushed down the aisle in an exaggerated step that was even worse than the original one. As the rehearsal was nearing its end, she felt fatigued and light headed. Her smile became strained. By the time they were on their way into dinner Wolf was noticing something was wrong.
"Are you all right," he said, supporting his wife's back. "You look like you're about to faint."
"I'm not. I feel fine," Virginia insisted.
But her tight grip on Wolf's arm said otherwise. He kept close to her side. Every now and then he would give her a worried look.
The ballroom was decorated in emerald green with a special table set aside for Wendell's newly extended family. The bride and groom sat on one side with Wolf and Virginia and Leaf Fall seated directly across from them. Rose made sure that her cousin Red Riding the Third was seated next to her. And Lord Lewis was seated next to Wendell with Matilde. These eight people were still very new to the idea of being a "family." Still, each of them wanted it to work. Their conversation was uncertain at times, but they tried very hard to like each other.
Wolf noticed the special relationship between his sister and their newly discovered cousin Red Riding Hood the Third. Rose showed no signs of flashing green eyes to Red. In fact, she seemed to hover over her as if she were Red's protector. Rose urged her to eat and made sure that all her needs were met. Wolf still thought that Red looked rather lost, but not nearly so much as the last time he'd seen her during the war. She was healing.
About half way through the dinner, Virginia's coloring began to match the emerald green table cloth. Wolf of course was the first to notice. Leaf Fall was talking to Virginia at that moment, but the elf was so involved with what she was saying that she didn't perceive it.
"I will need you to come to the Seventh Kingdom with me next week," Leaf explained, daintily swishing around some pureed green vegetable on her plate. "So you can see how I run things. I'll have you transported back and forth between here and Wendell's castle by traveling dust, so you won't have to be away from home much."
"Virginia," Wolf whispered. "Are you all right
"I think…I think I'm going to be sick," Virginia said. She reached out for Wolf's hand and he helped her up.
"Virginia?" Tony asked from across the table.
But Virginia couldn't answer. Her mind was totally concentrated on getting to a more proper place to be sick. Her untimely exit was noticed by the rest of the table.
"Maybe I should go with them," Tony said, getting up.
"She'll be all right," Rose said. "I've served as mid-wife in wolf-mix pregnancies before. She's entering her second trimester. That means she's going to start having morning sickness."
"Oh, dear," Leaf Fall said. "I hope this won't affect her working as my Second."
"We can't all have morning sickness at convenient times the way you did," Matilde observed. "As I recall, with both of your pregnancies yours came at the same time every morning and didn't dare interrupt your work for the rest of the day."
"Well, I've always been orderly," Leaf said, her wings buzzing slightly. "And don't look so smug, Matilde. Just because you've never been through it."
Tony glanced at Matilde. A look of pain crossed her face and she fingered her white cane, but said nothing. It wasn't Leaf's fault. Raphaela had lived and died long before the elf was born. And Matilde had worked hard to keep the fact that her spirit still lived on in her cane a secret. She had always been afraid that either Mazarin or one of his followers would find out and hurt her. Though of course at this point, Raphaela's spirit was well on the way to being five hundred years old and therefore powerful enough to protect herself.
"Virginia's morning sickness will probably fall into a pattern in a couple of weeks," Rose said.
"Maybe I should go to her," Tony said.
Matilde nodded and followed him out. They met Wolf and Virginia coming back. Virginia was looking less green, but very weak. Her bloated belly seemed to drag her down.
"You all right, Honey?" Tony asked.
Virginia shook her head and buried her face in the collar of Wolf's azure blue jacket.
"Here," Matilde said. "Take this." And she thrust her cane into the young woman's hands. "It has healing powers, remember?"
Virginia clutched onto it with whitened fingers. It felt warm to the touch. As she leaned onto it, the heat traveled up her arm and through the rest of her body. Color began returning to her face and she stood up straighter.
"That will make her feel better," Matilde said. "I think you should get her to bed now. She's got a big day tomorrow and I'm sure she'd feel terrible if she missed Rose's wedding. The cane will keep that from happening."
"Oh, yes! Thank you!" Wolf said. The slight smile on his girl's face certainly made him feel better.
"I think she should keep it through this trimester," Matilde continued. "Leaf is like a charging dragon when she gets her mind set on something. She's going to want Virginia to concentrate on becoming her Second. And I don't want her to miss that opportunity."
"You sure it won't take too much out of her?" Tony asked.
"Not with the cane," Matilde said.
"But what if you need it?" Wolf asked.
"If I do, I'll ask for it. But I think I can spare it for three months."
"Thank you," Wolf said. And he guided his wife upstairs to their room.
As soon as Matilde and Tony returned to the diningroom, Matilde told Leaf that Virginia would be using her cane to ease the burden of the next few months.
"Good," Leaf said. "I have lots of things I need her to learn."
The rest of the night followed without incident. Leaf Fall and Matilde talked mostly about the Council and of Virginia's new position within it. Usually, the Chancellor or heir to the throne served as Second. But Leaf was convinced that Virginia was the right choice for the job because of her intelligence and her ability to sympathize with others.
"I only wish my own daughters were like her," Leaf confided.
"Give them time," Matilde told her. "I wasn't all that interested in governing either until I was close to two hundred."
Tony and Wendell were kept busy answering questions about the wonders of centralized heating and hot water. All the visiting dignitaries wanted to hear more, especially Cinderella. Not only would it be a welcome luxury to her old bones, but she thought it might serve as a peace offering to the Naked Emperor's Great Grandson. He was so irritated that the Council of the Nine Kingdoms was lobbying him for a parliamentary government, that he had refused to attend Wendell's wedding. Cinderella was going there shortly and she thought she might soften his objections with the promise of a boiler system for The Great Snoozing Castle. Of course central heating would mean that he would probably run around naked all year long. But Cinderella thought if she could get a parliamentary system in place, she didn't care what state the Naked Emperor's Great Grandson went around in. At least the kingdom would be secure.
As for Rose and Red, they sat quietly in a private corner and talked about Ichabod.
"I have a new secretary," Red said, her green eyes wandering around the room without seeing anything. "He's an older man. Very quiet and very calm. I hardly notice when he's there. He's very efficient."
"But you miss Ichabod," Rose whispered.
"He used to jump every time I said his name. I'm afraid I made him the most nervous man in all of the Nine Kingdoms. Do you think he knows how much I depended on him?"
"I think he does, wherever he is. I've told you what he said when he died. He loved you."
"No one else ever knew me so well. Or put up with so much. I fear I will never find someone like him again. I've tried to think of ways in which I can honor him. But I haven't thought of anything."
"You placed a plaque over his grave commemorating his service to your kingdom, mentioning the love of a grateful queen."
"But that doesn't seem like enough. You know . . ." Red leaned into her cousin. "Sometimes I feel his presence in the castle, as if he's watching me. I know you'll think me foolish, but I find it comforting."
"Well," Rose said, with a tilt of her freckled face, "if King Cole's mother can keep an eye on him, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ichabod keeps an eye on you."
- - - - - - - - - -
Matilde and Tony were two of the last people in the castle to go to bed that evening. Silently they went up the stairs and into their room, the swish of the heavy gray lace in her skirt the only sound. Tony closed the door after them and waited for her to speak, but she said nothing.
"Are you going to be all right without Raphaela?" he asked at last.
"I think she wanted to help," Matilde said without looking up. "It's her nature to heal, after all."
"Does anyone else know who she is besides me?"
"No. It was so long ago. Prince Brutus, my uncle, and Mazarin are probably the only two other than myself who even remember her being born." Matilde sat on their king sized bed with a deep sigh. "You should have seen her, Tony. She was a beautiful child. So delicate, yet strong, with the pale skin and platinum hair of an ice fairy. She wanted to be a healer like her father. She knew it from the moment of birth, I think. I felt so lucky. Michael was already gone by then, from typhoid. She reminded me so much of him in temperament. I turned into a recluse after Michael died. But Raphaela would have none of that. She wanted to be out in the world, following in her father's footsteps. Some magical folk are ashamed of having a human in their family tree. But not my Raphaela. She was always so proud that her father was a human. When I saw that dieing vine that Mazarin had made her into, I almost died as well. To see my once vibrant child become a withering white vine…" Matilde's eyes filled with tears at the memory.
Tony sat down beside her and rubbed her back. He was always uncertain of how to deal with tears. Men of his generation on the other side of the mirror weren't supposed to cry or be sensitive, even if they were. He'd never learned how to deal with the emotions of others. That's why he'd left Virginia to work out most of her own heartaches. He simply hadn't known what to do.
"My mother," Matilde continued, "her name was Sabirah, she was close to a thousand years old when Raphael died. She was nearing the end of her own life, but she was still very powerful. She told me to cut the heart out of the vine. Then she called Raphaela's spirit back to it, so that she could continue her work as a healer."
"Your mother sounds like quite a mover and shaker," Tony said. "What with bringing her granddaughter back from the dead, sending dragons to other dimensions, fighting back Satyrs. And what were those other creatures Wendell's cousin mentioned?"
"Hsigo. Winged monkeys."
"Oh, you mean like in the Wizard of Oz."
"What?" Matilde said, looking around at him.
"Never mind. Let's get back to your mother."
"Did you know that after her death, she served as Cinderella's fairy godmother?"
"No, I didn't." Tony pulled Matilde into his chest and locked his arms around her.
"Just as Snow White has served as Virginia's. Many of the stronger souls stay around after death. Either to do evil as Snow White's stepmother tried to do. Or to do some last bit of good, as Snow and my mother did. I suppose Raphaela will do something like that sooner or later. I suppose I shall as well."
"Well, I appreciate your giving Raphaela to Virginia."
"It's nothing. She has her own destiny, you see. Apart from me."
- - - - - - - - - -
Virginia had felt so well after taking Matilde's cane that she had actually asked for the rest of her dinner once she and Wolf got back to their room. "To replace what I lost," she explained.
Wolf being the dutiful husband immediately sent for a tray and stood over her as she ate. He was so concerned, he didn't even remember that he hadn't finished eating his own dinner. Food was not important when it came to his creamy dreamy girl and little cub. Afterwards, Virginia felt ready to go to bed. Wolf helped her into a soft flannel gown and tucked her in, Matilde's cane in her hands.
"How are you feeling?" Wolf asked.
"Hmm?" Virginia couldn't talk. She felt like she was floating on a fluffy white cloud in a television commercial back home.
"I said, how are you feeling?" He brushed her dark hair back from her face.
"Fine." she said dreamily.
"Good. You just hold onto the cane. I remember how much it helped me. You know, I really enjoyed tonight. I mean, before you got sick. It reminded me of our wedding."
"Hmm?"
"I remember how much I wanted to get everything right. And how angry Lord Rupert kept getting me. Oh! And remember how I slept out in front of the castle the night before. I can't believe you talked Rose into following that same silly custom. But the best part was when I saw you march toward me at the wedding, looking all beautiful."
Virginia didn't answer at all this time. She was now fully asleep.
The singing ring wiggled its head and stood up as straight as a ring can sit.
"While the cane is in her keep," the ring sang softly.
"Have no fear and let her sleep.
No illness will she have to bear,
Safe within her sister's care."
"She does look peaceful, doesn't she?" Wolf said, patting the covers in place around her. "Like a sleeping cub."
"There's another one that I fear for," the ring continued,
"I cannot sense her anymore.
Something now does not feel right.
I cannot sense my dear Snow White."
Wolf frowned. "Maybe she's just busy doing fairy godmother stuff. It's not like she can be sick or anything. I mean, she's already dead."
"What you say is true, I know," the ring sang, "Then why should I feel worried so?"
"I'm sure she's just catching up on some important business. And don't fairy godmothers fade away at some point? Maybe she decided her work here was over."
"But then of course I must ask why, why she never said goodbye?" There were tears in the little ring's eyes.
Wolf looked away and nodded gravely. "Well, you know. She probably just wanted to slip away unnoticed."
"I should not feel such concern," the ring said with a sniff. One day perhaps she will return."
Wolf rubbed the ring's tiny head gently. How do you comfort a ring anyway? "Maybe she'll write or something."
"Maybe." the little ring sang with a sigh.
Virginia, of course, was too far into sleep to hear any of this. She was off in a dream, in a gray place surrounded by purple mist. In front of her was a reflecting pool of water, but it was murky like her thoughts. She couldn't see the bottom of it. All around her was a short circular wall of brick. It may not have been tall like the tower walls that imprisoned Rapunzel, but they were strong enough to keep out unwanted things.
Behind her a leafless white vine grew up out of the mist. It grew and grew, twining and branching in on itself until it stood at the height of a human. Virginia didn't turn, but she could still see it, as one always sees in a dream. Virginia knew that a woman was standing in the midst of the vine somehow, a woman of about her age, with platinum blond hair, pulled up in a curly mass at the back of her head. It was Raphaela, Matilde's daughter. But of course, Virginia didn't know that.
"You sit alone," Raphaela said. "Touching me has eased your physical pain, but others still remain."
Virginia didn't answer. She kept gazing into the pool.
"What do you see?" Raphaela asked.
Without turning around, Virginia said, "Taffeta dresses touched with perfume. A blue washcloth. A teddy bear all alone. A hair comb dipped in poison. And a rose reborn."
"These things are of your mother. It is good that you can see them now and recognize their meaning. The walls around you have grown shorter, but they still exist. Let me come in and take them down the rest of the way. Little Sister, you must go into yourself and face your fears."
"No."
"I will shield you."
Tears came to Virginia's eyes as she watched the reflection in the water change. "My baby. I don't want to hurt my baby."
"You won't."
"She did," Virginia said, meaning her mother.
"You are not the same," a voice in the mist answered. A form took shape on the other side of the reflecting pool. It was still on the outside of Virginia's wall, but more within Virginia's range of sight. It was the Evil Queen, dressed as she had been on the day of her death. But her face was not twisted with confusion or hate this time. It was a mother's face, filled with concern and regret. "You are not me!" she insisted. She came at the wall and pushed, but was not able to get through. Christine wanted to comfort her daughter, but this wasn't something that directly involved their relationship and she had no right of entry. "You won't make the mistakes I did. You're not me!"
"We can't reach her until she's ready," Raphaela said. "You can heal a physical wound with touch, without the agreement of the one who suffers. But an emotional wound can only be touched if the sufferer chooses."
"She's been through so much," Christine whispered.
"Yes. And she has healed many things. But this still remains. She fears that her relationship with her child will be like yours was with her. She will probably continue to fear until she sees the truth of your words." Raphaela turned back to Virginia. "We will not give up on you, Little Sister. We will be with you every day for three months. And beyond that, if need be."
"No," Christine said. "She won't go through the same thing, will she?"
Raphaela's eyes were full of sympathy. "Some things are passed down and can't be avoided. I will soften it as much as I can."
"But it won't…all be the same, will it?"
"No. She is yours and her father's too. Only this one thing will pass to her. Other women have dealt with it, she will too. But when it comes, it will make her afraid. Make her fear that what happened to you will happen to her. And even after it passes, she may give it more power than it deserves."
"How does she even know? Who told her? Tony?"
Raphaela turned toward Virginia to search her mind. She had created this dream place where they could all meet. Christine and Virginia's spirits could converse, but they could not read each other's minds. Only Raphaela could do that. "No. It was your mother. But I can see from your mind that she only told Virginia half the story. She told her of your changes after her birth. But she said nothing of your father."
"Daddy?" Virginia looked up, a childlike expression of worry on her face. "Will I lose him?"
"Lose him?" Raphaela asked reading her thoughts. "To Matilde?" A smile finally came to her pale lips. "No, Little Sister, you will simply gain more family. And in the meantime, your mother and I will be here waiting."
Virginia looked back into the pool at her own reflection. But the eyes and face that stared back at her were not hers. They were Christine's. For that is who she feared she would become.