Disclaimer: I do not own Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper.
AN: Last chapter...big thanks to stu180282 and LavernaG for reviewing!
Chapter 25:
Julian wasted no time, hurrying to the library with Dominick hot on his heels. Preminger, surprisingly, followed behind. But Julian wasn't about to argue. The doors to the library flew open, scattering parchments.
Striding over to one of the tables, he fished out the vial with the air and carefully emptied it into a small glass container, sealing the contained immediately. He then paced it under the equipment, studying it carefully and muttering to himself.
Dominick snatched a nearby empty sheet of parchment and quill, dipping it in ink and then holding it, poised to write.
Julian muttered some things that Preminger couldn't hear, but Dominick obediently wrote it down, snatching up the vial when Julian stopped for a while. He recorded the name of the vial and then gently set it down.
"We were right." Julian concluded, looking up. His legs were barely touching the floor in the chair he was sitting on. "The air is infused with the miraculous cure."
"Are you sure?" Dominick asked, worried. "So the air is the problem?"
"Not necessarily." Julian said thoughtfully. "Even factoring in our breathing, I don't think the calculations would match up. It is still too weak to have induced this speed of deaging this quickly."
"Then what do you think it is?" Dominick asked.
"Do you have the air sample I told you to get at the back entrance?" Julian asked.
Dominick nodded and rummaged through his satchel, pulling a vial out and handing it over to Julian. Julian grabbed another glass container and did the same thing he did with the first vial. Dominick, too, wrote down the name of the vial and then waited for Julian's instructions. Julian nodded to himself as he muttered.
"Just as I thought. And lucky for our experiment, too." Julian said.
"What?" Dominick asked.
"This cure isn't as strong at the back entrance, which means the plants at the front had more influence in the cure. Which are the ones we got."
"Lucky coincidence." Preminger muttered, obviously surprised.
"So we go through the vials again?" Dominick asked.
Julian nodded, sighing. "It'll take us forever."
Preminger sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. This would affect Anneliese, and she would de-age into nothing, and he had promised Radius to take care of Anneliese. Well, there was that lapse of judgment when he had sent Anneliese to die, but it wasn't like they did, was it?
"I can manage some of the equipment." He offered tiredly.
"You can?" Two sets of surprised looks.
"Hey, I know how to use science equipment!" Preminger snarled. "I was friends with the science-loving king, remember?"
"So that's where Anneliese gets her love of science from." Julian mused.
"Are we going to get this done or not?" Preminger demanded.
Suddenly, the doors to the library burst open and Bertie rushed in, eyes wide with panic. "Julian, Dominick!" She cried, forgetting to use the titles she often used with their names. "It's Anneliese and Erika! They're in our room-"
Glancing at each other, Julian and Dominick fled through the door, the only thought on their minds being what happened to their wives.
Bertie hesitated only a moment before turning and leaving as well. Preminger scowled as he looked around, before shrugging and plopping down on a chair. He cautiously eyed the equipment, then sighed heavily and fished out one of the vials. "Radius, you owe me."
Madame Carp opened the door to find the two flustered men, hissing for them to keep quiet in a low, dangerous voice. When the two men tried to collect themselves, Carp rolled her eyes and let them into the room. Dominick's eyes briefly wandered around the room to the sewing machines, where there were half-finished outfits.
"Where-?" Dominick asked out loud, but Julian turned and elbowed him sharply.
Julian turned and inclined his head at the bed, where two children, barely two years of age, were sleeping on. They had been changed to something more manageable but also less detailed than the dresses the princesses wore on a daily basis. The Queen was nowhere to be seen.
"What happened?" Julian whispered.
Bertie slipped in through the door.
"And where's the Queen?" Dominick demanded in a low voice.
Carp hissed out, eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "The doctor told us he had to go to the bathroom, and we thought it was okay, since the bathroom was connected to the room and there was no way out. But it turned out the doctor could climb, and he managed to get into the room next door and out to the hallway."
Bertie continued. "The Queen had brought the girls out to the library, but the doctor somehow managed to cross paths with them. He grabbed the girls and tried to run down an empty hallway leading out. Carp grabbed a lamp nearby and nearly hit the doctor with it. The children were dropped, around four years old now, but I managed to get them before their heads hit the ground. The hallway is carpeted, so that was alright."
Carp snarled angrily. "He then fled and left the children de-aging even more. They didn't stop even after we got them to the bed."
Julian sucked in a breath. "And now we know the doctor knows we know that he's a culprit. He's not going to be stupid enough to return."
"Hold up." Dominick frowned. "I thought it was the air that was de-aging people; not the doctor himself."
"Was he holding a vial or anything?" Julian asked the two ladies.
Carp shook her head, but Bertie was looking thoughtful. "I might have heard a clink, but there was nothing there when he got away."
Carp frowned. "Then why weren't we affected?"
"Probably because the girls had prolonged exposure?" Julian suggested. He turned to Dominick, eyes narrowed in determination. "We need to get back to the library now."
When they reached the library, Preminger had already gotten through three vials. He was frowning and turning the dials, as if trying to get it to work. Julian frowned, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we only needed to test two vials."
Preminger stopped, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. "Well, that's none of your business!"
Julian shot Dominick a secretive smile as he picked up the vial with air inside it and sat himself down at another piece of equipment. He carefully held the vial up to the light, and then started to examine it.
Dominick picked up a piece of parchment and a quill. "Ready when you are."
"I've got it!" Julian leapt up after an hour of doing what they were doing. Preminger was filing his nails, looking completely disinterested, but Dominick leaned forward, eyes wide and earnest.
"What?"
"It is the air. An exposure of several of the plants there created this toxin."
"But then why didn't it act before?" Dominick frowned. "Before the doctor used it?"
"Firstly, he must have needed to synthesise it. Secondly, the combination is rarer than you might think. Many of these plants cannot survive in these tropical climates, so the possibility of finding them naturally are next to none. Also, the colours do not match, nor the flowers, so no one would think about arranging them together."
Dominick hissed through his breath. "But can we find an antidote?"
Julian nodded. "It won't be easy, but we'll definitely be able to find one. The only problem is administering the toxin and if we decide to share the knowledge with the public."
"Why wouldn't we?" Dominick tilted his head.
Preminger snarled. "Goodness, you are an idiot. The public may attempt to replicate this to either sell or threaten the kingdom with."
Julian frowned. "Maybe we should just keep it silent. Have everyone wondering."
Preminger nodded, leaning his head back. "It'd be even better if you can get the Queen to admit what happened with Radius. People would be so focused on that they wouldn't even think much of the de-aging. Especially if the re-aging happens gradually and stops."
Dominick nodded. "I'll talk to Bismark about helping confirm this and finding a cover story for the equipment being used, but I think that will be for the best."
"Of course it would." Preminger snorted, flipping his hair. "I thought of it."
Julian sighed and shook his head, but for the first time in several days, saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Three weeks later…
Genevieve looked up at the portrait of her, Anneliese and Radius, that had been rehung in the Throne Room and was no longer hidden by a tapestry. Julian and Dominick's antidote had worked marvellously, and while Genevieve had enjoyed the time she had without needing her glasses or the aches accompanied with old age, she was gladder that everything was back to normal.
The doctor had been arrested and another physician was appointed to tend to the royal family.
The scandal had caused quite the backlash, but Anneliese had remained unaffected, thank heaven, as Genevieve had been careful to point out Anneliese's innocence in all this. It was one of the few things she could have done after what she and Anneliese talked about. Anneliese had spoken to her a few days after she returned to her proper age, where they had settled several long-unspoken matters.
Genevieve turned to look out the window, smiling at the sight of Madame Carp and Bertie hugging. Erika and Anneliese were stood to the side, smiling. When Carp let Bertie go, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Erika, who returned the hug whole-heartedly.
Anneliese merely smiled and shook Carp's hand, but there was warmth in her gaze, and – if Genevieve was not mistaken – there was the same warmth in Carp's eyes. With a solemn nod, Carp straightened up, picked up her suitcases, and marched out to the village like she had those few years ago.
Except this time, Carp was leaving by her own choice.
Bertie had invited Carp back to the emporium as a design consultant – a position which while not as prestigious as her former one, was still highly coveted for – but Carp had declined. She had stated something about wanting to 'find herself' on her travels. Genevieve felt like she was missing something here, but she didn't bother to find out. Julian and Dominick also didn't know, but they seemed to have no interest in forcing Carp to tell her, so Genevieve stayed quiet.
It was clear that the dynamic had changed somewhere, but it was for the better.
As Genevieve returned her thoughts to the trio gathered outside, she noticed Seraphina and Wolfie stalk up to their owners, their newest kit curling around his mother. She smiled at the adorable sight, especially when Bertie picked up the kit and stroked him. The kit purred and snuggled deeply into Bertie's arms, causing the three to laugh.
Erika and Anneliese were going on another honeymoon with Dominick and Julian, all to talk about what happened and find their new dynamic.
Genevieve smiled as she watched the carriage arrive, Dominick and Julian lugging up their trunks to load onto the back. Erika and Dominick got in first.
Anneliese looked up before she headed to the carriage, shooting Genevieve a blinding smile and a small wave. Genevieve returned the gesture, mouthing for her to have fun. Anneliese nodded and turned to let Julian lead her into the carriage.
And that just left…
"Genevieve." The cold voice greeted her.
Genevieve didn't turn, a contrast to the last time they had spoken. "Preminger."
The man joined her as he watched the carriage start to leave the castle. "So what now?"
Genevieve shrugged as she thought of her and her daughter, of forgiveness and the like. "You finish your sentence. Then we talk."
"Talk?" The man snorted. "You think we can talk like civilised people?"
"We are now, aren't we?"
"Barely."
Genevieve exhaled. "I know you will never forgive me for what I've done to Radius. But I want to try and change that."
"You probably never will." Preminger's eyes narrowed.
"I know." Genevieve murmured, her eyes fixed on the retreating carriage. Preminger tilted his head, regarding her thoughtfully.
"But maybe you will."
Genevieve turned to him, but Preminger said nothing else. A small smile fixed on her face, she turned back just in time to see the carriage disappear. She turned to glance at the portrait again, at the smiling faces that indicated a happy family, that now represented a family not broken, just bent. And, for the first time in years, she finally felt something in her soul settle peacefully.