Chapter Thirteen
Goldilocks
"I still cannot understand why Prince Bennett would give himself to you so that he could be with those undesirables," Sir Kay clanked beside me.
"At least we have him," I held up a hand.
"Let's not look on the bright side just yet, Goldilocks," his voice lowered. "If Prince Bennett did this act of nobility for those troublemakers, he must care for them." He pushed past the red curtain in front of the office. "Your Majesty?"
I peered over his epaulet into an empty room. "Cold porridge," I gritted my teeth. First Prince Bennett forked himself over to me for those troublemakers, now he'd escaped to rescue them?
"This is what I tried to warn you about," He tutted under his breath.
Now I understood why the Fairy Godmother knocked him out for eternity. "Why can't he just care only for himself?" I gripped a fist by my side. "Why does he have to be all 'these people have helped me, I have to be all kind and heroic and give myself up to rescue them?'" I deepened my voice in a blubbering imitation.
"If I wasn't told damsels like you valued such qualities," Sir Kay nodded, "I would have thought it was insane."
"Yes," I raised my head. "What?" I jerked up. "What do you mean, damsels like me value such qualities?"
"Haven't I heard you mention at least once how adorable Prince Bennett is?"
"He just looks adorable!" Heat flared to my face. "And that was before he put that ogress, cat, and dragon mutant over me! And especially that witch!"
"So, you do have more green in your eyes?" His raised eyebrow was audible.
"Just find my prince!" I socked Sir Kay in the solar plexus. "Ouch," I rubbed my red knuckles.
"I'll take that as a yes, then!" He just chortled, raised a hand, and clanked off.
"Grrrr…" I grasped my black knots of hair. Why did Sir Kay think my frustration around Prince Bennett was some kind of a joke? I scanned all the shelves of spell books and brightly colored potions. If only I had witch magic with the green skin and warty nose. Why not see for sure? Ophelia did tell me this potion would only last until midnight, then I'd be back to my normal self again. My blonde ringlets and beauty would be back, but any magic I might have now would be gone. Ophelia used a wand to cast spells—did she need a wand to make potions? Oh, how the heck did witches even work? I never should've taken Ophelia's bargain! If I could do magic because of this potion, what should I do? Something to track down Prince Bennett, for sure. My eyes lifted back up to the bookshelves. Was there anything about astral projections? What about ghosts and spirits in general? What exactly should I look for? My eyes drooped down to the emerald heart around my neck. Why had Ophelia stolen it? Had she just taken it because it was fancy? "I wonder if I can use this necklace to bring Prince Bennett here," I sighed to myself.
Then, a warm, bright blue glow rose from the jewel, and swirled out in ghostly blue smoke that shaped and tapered into Prince Bennett.
His spectral eyes darted around, then narrowed in on me. "You? Where's Ophelia? How did you bring me here?"
This was incredible! "Your witch's 'Ugly-Ever-After Potion' gave me some of her powers," I put a hand to my amulet. "Now I can summon you all by myself!" And if I could control the amulet…I could brew my own Happily-Ever-After Potion! Now that I had Bennett under my control, all I needed to do was brew a new batch of real Happily-Ever-After Potion, use his hair to improve my former good looks, then I could live happily-ever-after!
Now, how did Ophelia brew that potion? My eyes lifted back to the shelves. Which book had she used? It was the big black one on the highest shelf, wasn't it? What was it called?
"Prince Bennett," I batted my wide eyes, "Would you be a dear and bring down that large black spell book on the highest shelf? This office wasn't built for people who can't fly."
"Is that Ophelia's broomstick over there?" Bennett pointed to a broom in the far corner.
Was that cheek? Those dark creatures must have rubbed their rudeness off on him. "I'm afraid it'll be difficult to fly a broomstick in this dress," I splayed out my layered petticoats. "And besides, helping a lady's the refined thing to do."
Bennett gritted his teeth and flew up to the shelf a few inches below the ceiling. He reached out for the black book, but as he did so, his hand disintegrated into a puff of blue smoke. He jerked his arm back, and his hand gathered back into shape. "I'm afraid ghosts can't hold solid objects," he called down.
To believe this. "Fine," I rolled my eyes, grabbed the broomstick, and flew up myself. Why did Bennett have such a problem with me? It was because of the ugly green face, wasn't it? Even that ogress looked better than me right now. "Look," I pulled the book from the shelf, "I know you're not happy with me, but in a few hours, Ophelia's Ugly-Ever-After spell on me will be broken, and I will be much more beautiful." I flew down, laid the book upon the desk, and with a quick glance at the table of contents, flipped to the proper page. I scanned the list of ingredients. Faith? Trust? Pixie dust? Prince hair? Some cauldron-heating and wand-stirring? This would be easy. But first, to get a wand. My eyes first went to a glitter-covered quill cup, where Ophelia's gnarled wand looked especially uncouth among the bright purple feathers. Then, I turned to the wall behind me, where the Fairy Godmother's star-tipped wand hung in a shut glass case. Ophelia's wand might be stuck doing nasty spells like creating the Ugly-Ever-After Potion, but the Fairy Godmother's wand had a long history of casting good magic. I hurried over to the case, threw its lid open, and pulled the wand from its clamp.
Its glass star glowed with purple light as it reacted to my magic.
Now, to begin. I scurried back over to the book. "Fill cauldron with water and set fire under it to bring water to a medium boil," I read aloud. I pointed the wand into the cauldron. "Water!"
A thick jet of water sprayed out of the wand as if it was a garden hose.
"Whoa!" The wand nearly fell from my hand. "That-that's enough water!" I shouted as the cauldron was almost overfull. I pointed the wand beneath the cauldron. "A small fire, please."
A thin beam of flame shot from the wand and ignited the grate under the cauldron.
As the water began to warm, I returned to the list of ingredients. "I need a teaspoon of faith, a cup of trust, a pinch of pixie dust, and a lock of your hair, of course," I turned to Bennett. My eyes lifted to the shelves. I should be able to summon all those bottles and measuring tools with just a flick of a wand! "Bring me the measuring tools," I waved my wand in a circle.
The drawer under the cauldron slid open, slamming me in the solar plexus.
As I doubled back with a gasp, cups, spoons, and measuring tape flew out of the drawer and landed around the cauldron.
"Just a cup and teaspoon," I put them aside, dropped the rest back in the drawer, and slammed it shut. "Now," I raised my head to the shelves, "Bring me one jar of faith, one of trust, one of pixie dust, and one jar with hair from Prince Bennett."
Three jars flew from their shelves and floated down in front of me. All half-full at least, but—
"No prince hair?" I drew in my head. "Where is the jar labeled 'prince hair?'" I shook my wand.
An empty glass jar floated down. Prince Hair was right on its label.
"Cold porridge!" I hissed as I seized the jar. "What did Ophelia do with your hair?!" I spun around to Bennett and thrust the jar in his face.
"She used it to summon me," he floated back.
The hair was wasted on summoning him? Why did that feel worse than her just throwing it out and using it for evil spells? Thanks to her, I had Bennett, but not the key to the Happily-Ever-After Potion! But I'd overheard Ophelia say the prince hair didn't have to come in right after the rest of the potion was brewed. I could work with these ingredients, then go to Tempest Tower and pluck a hair from the Sleeping Bennett!
"Go back inside my amulet, Bennett," I waved him off. "I can do this myself, and I don't need any distractions."
"You need to say, 'Bennett, you may now return to the beyond,'" he forced the proper quality of his voice as he raised a finger.
Oh, great. Who knew princes were this difficult? "You may now return to the beyond!" I half-shouted.
Bennett shut his eyes, dissolved back into blue smoke, and soared into the emerald heart around my neck.
Why did that prince have to give me such a hard time? But I had to get serious now. It was time to make myself pretty.
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