14

Will turned the wheel on the well and watched as the bucket slowly rose towards him. It finally reached the top; he filled his bucket and then turned back toward the house.

"Will, have you seen Jake?" Lotte called to him from other side of the village square.

"Not this morning."

"I can't find him."

"Don't worry, he won't have gone far. I just need to take this water to Angelika and we'll find him. Have you checked his room?"

"He wasn't there earlier, but I'll check again." She watched as Will set off towards Angelika's before she went back to their house. She knew that it was silly to worry about Jake; he was probably just indulging his curiosity somewhere in the village, but she still was concerned for his safety. Maybe it was just her maternal instincts, but he had only just come back to them and she would feel much better when her little brother was back at her side.

She entered his room to find Jake standing by the bed. The contents of his bag were laid out in front of him and he had just picked up one of them as she entered.

"Where have you been, little brother?" she liked the sound of those words every time she said them.

"I went to look at tower again," he admitted looking down at the floor, "but nothing happened that you need to worry about. I just wanted to get the atmosphere right for when I write about it.

"You should have let me know you were going," she crossed the room and put her arms around him, "I was worried that something had happened to you. You are the only little brother I have, you know." And she ruffled his hair.

"But I did find something that I think you might be interested in." He handed her something, it appeared to be a piece of broken mirror

She watched as the sunlight glinted off it and felt her eyes drawn to the reflection in it. It showed what appeared to be a richly decorated room, with a large, ornately carved chair, a table with a book on it and bed with many mattresses on it.

"Charlotte, my child."

She had heard the voice before, but didn't know where. But the voice was soft and comforting and it took all her fears and worries away. A feeling of fatigue swept over her she felt her eyes start to close. Jake caught her as she fell and held her in his arms

"Charlotte. Look at me!"

Lotte opened her eyes to see a beautiful woman now reflected in the mirror. She smiled at Lotte and held out her hand. Lotte took it and felt the warmth of the touch pass through her and she knew she would be safe. Jake released her from his arms and she found herself standing with the mirror in her hand. Then the woman stepped out of the mirror and was stood beside her. Lotte looked at her and Jake and smiled, now she and Jake would be together forever.

"Charlotte, I need Wilhelm and Angelika and then you all can join Jacob. Will you take me to them?"

"Yes…my Queen." Lotte knew that the Queen would allow nothing bad to happen to any of them.

"Jacob, remain her and await my return."

Lotte led the Queen to Angelika's house. Angelika was in the workshop preparing to skin the rabbits she had found in the traps she checked that morning. She poured some of the water that Will had brought her into a bowl and then went to collect the rabbits. She was just about to make the first cut into one of them when she noticed that the sunlight coming through the window was making a sparkling pattern on the water.

I must be love, if I'm distracted by sparking water! She thought with a laugh. But as she stared at the water she became more and more transfixed by the patterns. So much so that she didn't hear them enter.

"Hello, Angelika."

The voice was almost a whisper in her ear and she felt the air change around her so that she had difficulty breathing.

"You seem unwell, my child. Here, let me help you."

She felt a warm soothing touch against her hand and the knife was slipped from her grasp. There was a suddenly pain in her hand and when she looked a bead of blood was on her fingertip. As she watched it rolled over the edge of her finger and fell into the water in bowl. She felt her body grow heavy and, as her eyes started to close, she began to fall. She fell into arms that held her in a strong and comforting embrace.

"Will…"

"No, Angelika." Angelika opened her eyes and looked at the woman who had spoken. "Will you serve me?" She felt there was nothing else she had ever wanted to do.

"Yes, my Queen."

The Queen smiled and Angelika rose from her arms and crossed to where Lotte was standing.

"Angelika, where is Wilhelm?"

"He went to find Lotte, my Queen."

"Lotte are you there?" Will called as he entered the house.

He had given the water to Angelika and it was now time to help find Jake. Although he was sure that he was somewhere close by he would humour Lotte by helping her look. He entered Jake's room to find him standing there.

"There you are! Do you know that Lotte is looking for you?"

"Yes, she was just here. In fact I think she went looking for you!"

"Oh well, I'm sure she will end up here eventually. Where were you, by the way?"

"I went back to the tower."

"Jake! I thought we agreed that Lotte or I would go with you. Anything could have happened!"

"You sound just like Lotte!" Jake laughed as he started to put his things back into his bag.

As his finger closed around his book he felt something brush past the now almost healed cut on his temple.

"Jacob!…Jake! Are you all right? Can you hear me?" the voice was Will's and he sounded concerned. But Will was right next to him and he hadn't spoken. Jake put the book into his bag, stood up, and turned to Will.

"Will, I did find something in the forest that Lotte found very fascinating, would you like to see it?"

"Sure, Jake."

Will came over and looked at what Jake had in his hand. It was a piece of mirror. As he removed it from his brother's hand he noticed that it didn't show his reflection. It showed what appeared to be a richly decorated room and the light seemed to almost dance across its surface. Will found himself transfixed by the mirror and everything else just faded away.

A noise from behind Jake made him turn and he saw them standing at the door. The Queen entered followed by Lotte and Angelika. He smiled to see that Angelika was now under the protection of the Queen.

"Wilhelm, my handsome prince."

She approached the man as he stared at the mirror in his hand and watched the familiar change in his breathing that indicated that her magic was working on him. She reached out and took the knife that Angelika held out to her.

"It's all right, Wilhelm."

She took his hand and he felt her touch pass through his body. There was a sharp pain in his finger and he looked down to see blood falling into a bowl of water in Lotte's hands. Then his vision faded, his body became heavy, and he fell into the woman's arms. He felt safe and secure in her embrace and knew that he must serve her.

"My Queen." He murmured as he gazed up at her face.

"You have done well, my servant."

She smiled at Jake who stood beside his brother. Maybe she had been wrong about him and his illness had just been a temporary lapse in his loyalty and now that she had them all under her power she could see the sense of having more than one servant to choose from and she was sure she could think of uses for them!

"Thank you, my Queen. I live only to serve you."

Jake met the eyes of Will and he smiled. His brother, the woman that his brother loved, and their sister were all now under the protection of the Queen. All that he loved was safe from harm and would share his life forever. He felt a deep contentment fill him and he knew that to serve the Queen was all he ever wanted to do.

"Come, we must be going. "

Jake led Will to the Queen, who held out her hand. Will took it and escorted her out of the door. Jake turned to Lotte and Angelika and he was just about to lead them out of the room when he remembered that he had left the mirror piece on the bed and he turned to retrieve it.

The strap from his bag was hanging over the side of the bed, he caught his foot in it as he moved and before he could stop himself he began to fall. His head connected with the bed post, right where the cut already was, and there was a suddenly bright flare of pain and then, as the darkness came, he could swear that he could hear Will's voice again. He tried to respond but the darkness overwhelmed him.

They turned at the sound of the thud and saw that Jake lying on the floor. Lotte approached his still form and turned it over. His eyes were closed and there was blood coming from the cut on his head.

"My Queen, your servant has fallen and he is hurt."

The Queen entered the room and looked at Jake's still form.

"Does he still live?"

Lotte bent down by Jake and felt for a pulse. "He does, my Queen."

"Then bring him."

Will carried the injured Jake as he; Lotte and Angelika followed the Queen out of Marbarden and into the forest. Despite the fact that it was nearly midday they had met no one whilst the Queen was in the village.

The Queen led them to clearing by the tower. Will laid Jake close to the pool and then the Queen commanded each one of them to "sleep" as she guided them to their "beds" where they would be safe and protected as she had promised.