Any strength that the corrupted magic failed to take from Eric had completely waned by now. He slept through the rest of the day and night, and still showed no signs of waking come the following morning.
"It's to be expected, Clara," said Tommy. He glanced at his sister, who occupied the chair beside him. They were sitting in Tommy's bedroom, facing the bed Eric lay in.
Tommy poured a cup of cinnamon tea and handed it to Clara. "His body does not have enough strength to both heal him and keep him awake. He will sleep until his body has rebuilt an adequate amount of energy to sustain him during consciousness."
"And how long will that take?" asked Clara impatiently. She lowered the steaming teacup to her lap, not bothering to drink it.
"This isn't exactly something I've encountered before, Clara," sighed Tommy. After filling his own cup, he set aside the tea pot. "He's not in danger of dying, though, like he had been immediately following the transferring of Amaranth's magic." Noticing Clara's uncomfortable expression, he laid a hand on her arm. "He'll be fine, Clara. But replenishing all of that energy is going to take time; he doesn't have magic to help him."
"I'll give him mine," said Clara, desperation lining her words.
"I thought you were nervous of giving him any more magic," reminded Tommy.
"It's been over a day since then." Determination pulsed through her. She handed her teacup to Tommy and stood. "It should be safe for me to give him some of my magic."
"Be careful, Clara," Tommy warned, eyeing Eric nervously.
She was. She only gave Eric a small amount, but it seemed to make a difference nonetheless. Tommy examined Eric once Clara was finished, and seemed pleased with the results.
"There is a definite improvement," said Tommy, relieved. "Well done, Clara. That should certainly speed the process up." He set aside his stethoscope, placing it among the other medical supplies laid out at the edge of the bed.
"Now what?" asked Clara.
"Now," said Tommy. "We wait."
/
A light breeze brushed the leaves of a maple tree planted outside of the flat, rustling them softly. Warm sunlight poured through the open window of Tommy's bedroom, spilling onto blankets covering Eric. Clara sat in her usual chair as she watched him, the breakfast Rodolph had brought forgotten on the bedside table.
She sighed, absentmindedly fiddling with the locket still hanging about her neck. It was the third morning they had spent in the flat, and still Eric had yet to waken. Tommy had again assured her that this was normal, but she could not help the thin layer of apprehension shadowing her thoughts.
Clara remembered back to when Eric had talked about suspecting that his body had been permanently weakened by Mauscher's cruse. What if, even with all that they had done, Eric couldn't recover? What if Mauscher's curse had made his body unable to withstand something of this magnitude?
Clara groaned and pressed her face into her hands. No. She could not allow her thoughts to wander into such morbidity. Eric had not worsened since they had brought him here. He was improving, however slowly.
He would wake soon. He had to.
She sighed and took Eric's hand in both of hers, studying it. A few scratches marred the back of his hand, but they were of little concern. What bothered Clara the most was the bruising coiling around Eric's forearms. Tommy said it was from Amaranth's roots, when she had tried to harvest the leftover magic from Eric's curse. Rage spiked in Clara as she eyed the blue and black splotches, but she quickly repressed the emotion. Anger would do no good now. Amaranth had been seen to, so there was nothing else to be done about the matter.
Clara lifted Eric's hand to her mouth. She exhaled slowly, keeping her lips against his skin and closing her eyes. She sat like that for a long time, as though she could simply will Eric to break free of the sleep blanketing him. Time passed with a tranquil dullness, counted by the gentle ticking of a clock on the far wall.
Then slowly, Eric's fingers uncurled, brushing against Clara's cheek. She froze at the touch, snapping her eyes open. Hope burned in her, and she lowered Eric's hand to look at him.
Eric's eyes were partly open. They were hazy with sleep, but seeing the sliver of familiar blue sent a wave of mind-numbing relief through Clara. "Eric?"
Eric looked about, his eyelids fluttering tiredly before his gaze fell on Clara. "Clara..." The name was little more than a sigh.
Clara sputtered out a sob. She hastily moved from the chair to the bed, brushing her fingers against his brow. "Yes, I'm here," she whispered, cradling his face in her hands. She leaned down and rested her temple alongside his, stroking her thumbs over his skin. Eric's fingers grazed her cheek, and she pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. "How are you feeling?" she asked, straightening.
He took a moment to answer, as though his mind needed the extra time to process the question. "Better...I think." He frowned, looking unsure whether to trust his own judgment or not.
Clara grimaced at the scratchiness of his voice. Grabbing a water glass from the bedside table, she brought it to his lips. He reached up to hold it, but she kept her hand there as well, helping keep it steady as he drank.
"Thank you," he murmured, once she had set aside the glass. He shakily pushed himself into a better sitting position. "I'm guessing we're in Mapletown."
"Yes," said Clara. "In Tommy's flat."
Eric nodded. "How long have I been asleep?"
Clara held back a sigh of relief. The water had certainly helped; already he was sounding much more like his normal self. "If we're going to count the ride back from Raven's Pass...three days."
"Three days?" Eric gaped at her.
Clara smiled softly. "You had thoroughly exhausted yourself, Eric. Transferring that much corrupted magic was no easy task." She took his hand once again, unable to quell the fear that accompanied the memories of the cave. "None of us are quite sure how you survived it." A weary sigh escaped her. "Eric, don't do something like that again."
He gave her a worn smile. "I'll try not to."
Clara shook her head, unsure whether to be annoyed at his lack of concern for himself, or just immensely grateful that he had finally woken up.
"How's Rodolph?" asked Eric. His tone was calm, but Clara could detect a hint of nervousness behind it.
"He's fine. He..." Discomfort brushed Clara's expression. "Honestly, he won't ever be the same he was before this. Amaranth had done a lot of damage to his body." She paused at the guilt encompassing Eric's face. "But he'll be fine, Eric." Amusement filtered into her voice. "He is still perfectly capable of ordering others about, if that's a comfort. He had taken charge of most of the work concerning Raven's Pass after we had arrived here."
Eric's brow creased. "Doing what?"
"He sent his men, and a few Mapletown soldiers, to Amaranth's caves," said Clara. "They brought back the trinkets Amaranth had collected. Hopefully, one we get back to the castle, we'll be able to identify who they all belonged to. As for the caves themselves, Rodolph's men collapsed the tunnel leading to the outside, and the entrance was completely sealed off."
"And the rest of Raven's Pass?"
"Once you're able to, I'd like for us to go back there. I'll do what I can with my magic, and then perhaps the flower fairies can visit from time to time. Hopefully that will be enough to heal the land."
Eric nodded thoughtfully. He gave her hand a squeeze, a hopeful longing in his eyes. "Were you able to write to Marie?"
"Oh you do remember that," said Clara. "I was wondering, as you weren't very lucid at the time." She smiled at his disgruntled expression. "Actually, before I could send a letter, one of Elizabeth's owls came. It seems that Elizabeth and Marie are already on their way to Mapletown."
"They are?" Happy relief brightened his face, partially diluting the drowsiness clouding it.
"They began preparations to depart as soon as I had left. Candy is with them, of course, and word has been sent to the major, to inform him of everything that has happened in his absence."
"I'm sure he'll take that message well."
Clara laughed. Major Mint had been away on unrelated business for the past few weeks, and hadn't been expected to return for at least another fortnight. "Yes, well, I'm sure the major will leave for the castle the moment he receives the letter. As for Elizabeth and Marie, I wrote back to them, assuring them that we are perfectly safe. I gave Elizabeth the details on your condition, but I asked her not to share them with Marie. I don't want her to worry."
"I understand," said Eric. Gently, he pulled Clara towards him. She kicked off her shoes and slid beneath the blankets, sighing in contentment at Eric's warmth. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she settled against his chest.
"I'm so glad that you're awake," whispered Clara.
Eric kissed the top of her head. "Me too."
Outside, an orange and gold bird landed on the branch in front of the window. It twittered cheerfully, ruffling its feathers as the branch swayed in the breeze.
Eric looked down at the blouse Clara was wearing. He tilted his head, intrigued. "Mapletown colors suit you," he finally said.
Clara spared her clothes a glance. She had given Tommy some money to buy them for her when they had first arrived in Mapletown, as she had had nothing of her own to wear. The clothing certainly matched the aesthetic of the town; her honey-colored blouse was tucked into a deep red skirt, and tied around her waist was an orange sash. Embroidered on the sash were gold and scarlet maple leaves. Her hair had been braided in the typical Mapletown fashion, and through it weaved a red ribbon.
"Oh," she said. "Thank you." She eyed his clothes in amusement. "Now that you're awake, you should probably change out of Tommy's clothes."
"I probably should," chuckled Eric. He glanced about them. "Where are my clothes?"
"The ones that were in your traveling bag have been washed," replied Clara. "The ones that you wore in Amaranth's caves..." She grimaced. "We had to burn them."
"Burn them?"
"We burned all of our clothes we had worn there," said Clara. "Cleaning them proved to be impossible. Whatever that black sludge had been that had come off of Amaranth's tree...it simply would not come out. And it smelled terrible. So we had to burn them all."
"Those were my favorite boots," grumbled Eric.
Clara smirked. "Then you shouldn't have worn them to a maceri witch's cave."
"Yes, I suppose I shouldn't have," laughed Eric. It was a weak echo of his usual laugh, with an edge of breathlessness that made Clara slightly anxious.
"Do you need anything?" she asked. "I can fetch some tea, if your throat is bothering you."
He smiled. "I'm fine, Clara. Just a little tired. Which is ridiculous, if I've been sleeping for three days."
"What about some food? You must be starving."
"A little," he admitted. "But I'd rather just sit here with you a while longer."
Warmth flowed through Clara at the sincerity in his voice, but she twisted away from him regardless. "Here," she said, reaching for the bedside table. "Have some breakfast. I'm afraid it's a bit cold now, but the pumpkin bread is perfectly fine." She handed over a slice, then settled back against him.
Eric took the bread, but did not eat it. He fell quiet, and focused his attention back on Clara. "I'm..." He hesitated, a pained expression on his face. "I'm so sorry, Clara."
Clara frowned in confusion. "For what?"
Misery seeped into Eric's eyes. "I tried so hard to keep you safe from all of this. I thought sending you back to the castle would be enough, but it wasn't."
"Eric..."
Eric held up his hand. "But...I'm also sorry for not believing in you. For thinking that you needed the protection I was trying to give. It turns out that you were the one most vital in defeating Amaranth after all." He gave her a bitter smile. "Fortunately, you realized that even when I couldn't."
Clara sighed, giving him a mingled look of sympathy and adoration. "I understand why you were so adamant about me returning home. It was not from a lack of faith in me; it was purely out of a desire to keep me from harm." She paused thoughtfully. "You were right to be worried, but...you were wrong to place my safety above yours. To think that your life in not equally as important as mine."
Eric pressed his lips together, looking like he wanted to argue. But he didn't.
"And stop undermining yourself," added Clara. "I could not have overcome her on my own either; defeating Amaranth required both of us."
"Well, I suppose I can agree with that," teased Eric gently. "It seems that we do work better together, after all."
Clara smiled and leaned forward, kissing him. When they broke apart, Clara tucked her head beneath Eric's chin and looped her arms around him. They stayed like that for awhile, happy to enjoy the simple peace of the morning.
/
At lunch they received another owl from Elizabeth, promising their arrival in Mapletown within the next hour. By then Eric had changed into his own clothes, and was doing his best to walk around the flat on his own. But he tired easily, to his irritation, and seemed only able to do short distances at a time.
"Eric, you must allow yourself to rest," insisted Clara. "Your body is still replenishing itself."
"I'm tired of laying in that blasted bed," said Eric. He clutched the back of a chair by the kitchen table, trying – and failing – to hide the trembling of his arms as he leaned on them. "I have slept more than enough these past few days."
Clara sighed and glanced at Rodolph, who was seated at the table opposite of Eric. He was slicing up a fruit that looked remarkably similar to a banana, if one did not take into account its red shade.
Rodolph shrugged, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Let him do as he pleases. When he collapses, we'll drag him back to the bedroom."
Eric threw Rodolph a glare, but Rodolph happily ignored it.
Tommy snorted, shaking his head as he looked out the parlor window into the street below. Then his face brightened. "They're here! And..." He grinned. "Looks like they brought Pepper along too." He pushed away from the window and hurried across the parlor to the flat's front door. "I'll go meet them." He was gone a second later, his footsteps disappearing down the hallway.
Eric exchanged a happy look with Clara. But Clara's smile quickly faded, her gaze flickering to Eric's legs. "Eric, you have to sit down."
He emitted a sigh. "Clara –"
"How exactly do you plan to stay standing when Marie jumps into your arms, as she always does?" inquired Clara, raising her eyebrows.
Eric grimaced.
"Here," gestured Clara. "Come to the parlor. We can sit on the sofa."
Eric unrolled his sleeves as they walked from the kitchen into the parlor, tugging down the fabric to cover the bruises on his forearms. "I don't want to frighten Marie," he said to Clara, who nodded in understanding.
They barely finished settling onto the sofa before the front door slammed open, and a set of pattering feet rushed over the threshold.
"Papa! Mama!" Smiling broadly, Marie ran forward. She launched herself into her father's lap, clinging to him tightly.
Eric was knocked a little breathless from the impact, but he grinned nonetheless and returned the embrace as fervently as he could. "Hello, love," he whispered, pressing a kiss to his daughter's temple. "I'm so happy to see you."
Marie kissed both of her parents in greeting, then settled back on her father's legs. "Are you alright, Papa?" she asked, scrunching up her face in concern. "I know that Mama left the castle to rescue you."
"Rescue me?" Eric smirked at that. "Well, yes, I suppose she did."
"I helped Aunt Elizabeth make the transportation spell for Mama!" Marie declared proudly.
"Did you?" said Eric. Clara had mentioned the spell after she had freed him from Amaranth's cell, but he hadn't had a chance to ask for specifics yet.
"It was quite the disgusting concoction, I can promise you that," said Clara humorously. She stroked her daughter's hair affectionately. "But Marie was very helpful during the process."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that Elizabeth has such a knowledgeable assistant," said Eric. He reached into his breeches' pocket and pulled out Marie's gold coin. "I got your message," he added, placing it in her hand. "Thank you, Marie."
Marie beamed, curling her fingers over the coin. She pocketed it and looked back up at Eric, her lips pursing slightly. "You promised you wouldn't be longer than a week."
Sorrow passed over Eric's expression. But it was brief enough that Marie didn't really catch it. "I did, didn't I?" He took her hand in his and gave it an apologetic squeeze. "I'm sorry I broke my promise."
"I know you couldn't help it," sighed Marie. Fear flickered through her eyes. "Whatever you came here for, is it done?"
"Yes," said Eric, his voice quiet, but firm.
"Was it something bad?"
Eric hesitated. He exchanged a glance with Clara, but she said nothing to dissuade him from continuing. He looked back at Marie, a grim honesty in his eyes. "Yes, it was."
"Can't you tell me what it was?" begged Marie. "Now that it's over?"
"I have half a mind not to tell you anything," said Eric sternly. "Not after hearing about how you disobeyed your mother and snuck down to the dungeons."
Marie winced and glanced at Clare sheepishly. "You told Papa?"
"Of course I told him," said Clara, sounding vaguely exasperated. "We won't discuss the matter now, but you can be guaranteed that all three of us will talk about it later."
Marie's mouth twisted into a grimace. But before she could interrogate her parents further about the mysterious danger they had encountered, a swarm of familiar people shuffled into the flat. Elizabeth was first, followed by Candy and Tommy, who was arm-in-arm with his wife, Pepper.
"Eric!" exclaimed Elizabeth in relief. She crossed the parlor and bent down to kiss Eric's cheek. "Thank the heavens. How are you feeling?"
"Fine, Elizabeth," assured Eric warmly. "Thank you for bringing Marie."
Elizabeth smiled, then settled into an armchair by Eric's end of the sofa. After greeting everyone, Tommy and Pepper brought kitchen chairs into the parlor for themselves and Rodolph. Candy, though, made his way to Eric, unable to hide the worry in his eyes.
"I told you I should have gone with you," he grumbled, a teasing curve touching the edge of his lips.
Eric laughed. "Sorry to have kept you from all the excitement. I hope transporting Vogt wasn't difficult?"
Candy made a sound of disgust. "Hardly. But next time, you can deal with the arrogant ratbag."
A grin pricked at Eric's mouth, but he gave his friend a grateful look.
They all sat there for a good part of the afternoon, each telling the others what had happened to them during the past week. Eric did not speak much, in hopes of conserving his energy by letting Clara talk instead. Which Clara did, though she softened the details of the story, conscious of their daughter's presence. Unwilling to part with either of her parents, Marie remained seated between the both of them. Eric wrapped his arm around Marie's waist, which allowed Clara to rest her hand in the crook of his elbow as she spoke.
Soon, the question of when they would depart Mapletown came up. Eric was eager to return to the castle, but Clara, worried of the strain the trip would have on him, insisted on them leaving three days from now. She blamed the delay on wanting to allow the others to rest from the first journey, as well as needing time to visit Raven's Pass once more. No one objected, though Clara could tell that Eric saw through her excuses, and the decision was made.
/
Marie begged her parents to allow her to accompany them to Raven's Pass. Clara and Eric were reluctant at first, but agreed once Tommy had assured them that the ravine's air would not harm them if they took precautions. Which consisted of tying cloths over their noses and mouths, and keeping the visit to a minimal amount of time.
Clara's magic made a significant improvement to the rotten land, though she was unable to fully heal the damage. Yet she was not concerned. With recurring visits from the flower fairies, the ravine would repair itself over time.
They left for the castle not long after. The following four days passed without incident, and when they finally arrived at the castle gates, an overjoyed – if slightly frantic – Major Mint was there to greet them.
Over the next week, everyone took their time settling back into their usual routines. Eric and Clara had a thorough discussion with Marie about her excursion down to the dungeons, and it was settled that as punishment for the act, Marie had to help Major Mint sort through some boxes of old military documents. Eric stopped by to check on their progress a few hours into the project, and though he ignored his daughter's pleading glances to help her escape, he did slip her a caramel candy, in apology for having to endure the major's chatter.
As for Vogt, Eric worked with Candy to prepare the promised estate. Once everything was set, Eric had Vogt sent off to the western border, hoping that that would be the last he and his family would see of the man.
Meanwhile, Clara and Elizabeth were finalizing everything for the upcoming charity ball. They did not want to delay the event, and they worked long into the nights to catch up on the time that had been lost. It was exhausting work, but they were finally able to get back on schedule. To celebrate their success, they decided to host a small dinner that night.
/
"Bravo!" cried the major. "Wonderful! Absolutely splendid!"
The rest of the group clapped and cheered with equal enthusiasm as the major. All were smiling at Marie, who slid off of the piano bench to curtsy before them. They were in the castle's main dining hall, and had just finishing listening to Marie perform her original music piece, which would officially debut at the charity ball next week.
Marie, looking rather proud of herself, grinned broadly as she made her way to her seat between her parents. On either side of them sat Elizabeth, the major, captain, Rodolph, Pepper, and Tommy. A few other castle staff members were present too, including Masha and Walther, filling half of the long table. Off to the side stood Hoffmann, who waited until Marie was seated before moving to the stand in front of the group.
"Excellent performance, Your Highness!" praised Hoffmann. "Now, allow me to present you with a special gift of my own. I've been working on it for a few weeks now, and I think it's high time that you've seen the finished product."
Masha rolled her eyes. "Is this that nonsense you barricaded yourself in your workshop for?"
Hoffmann lifted his chin in a dignified manner. "It is," he said proudly. "And it was well worth it, if I may be so bold as to say." He walked over to a rolling cart, on which a large item had been placed. Draped over it was a white sheet. Grabbing the cart's handle, Hoffmann pulled it to the front of the waiting group. He gestured at Marie, who excitedly bounced to her feet and scurried to Hoffmann's side.
"If you will do the honors, Your Highness?" asked Hoffmann, waving at the sheet.
Marie grasped the sheet with both hands and gave it a yank. As the cloth fluttered upwards, it dissipated in a flurry of sparkling dust, revealing what had been hidden beneath.
On the cart sat a large model castle that, if placed on the ground, would easily reach Marie's shoulders in height. It had a more delicate appearance than the castle they were currently standing in, with a graceful thinness to its golden towers and spiraling columns. Miniature trees made of peppermint stood on a green lawn spotted with bright flowers. Twirling within the castle were at least a dozen doll couples, who were all dressed in magnificent gowns and plumed hats. They moved in tune with a song that emanated from the castle towers, a happy melody comprised of chimes and bells. From one particular window a man dressed in emerald green kept appearing and disappearing, waving happily. He bore a slight resemblance to Hoffmann, who looked exceptionally pleased as he watched Marie examine the castle.
"Oh, Hoffmann, this is wonderful!" exclaimed Marie. She clasped her hands in joy, bending down to get a better look at the dolls. Behind her, the onlookers murmured their concurring admiration. Even Masha could not help looking dazzled by the spectacle.
"Very impressive," agreed Eric, walking over with Clara to stand beside Marie.
Clara smiled. "You've outdone yourself, Hoffmann."
Hoffmann beamed at the king and queen. "Thank you, Your Majesties. I know that Marie's birthday has already passed, but I thought that this could be considered a gift to display my gratitude to her." He looked at Marie affectionately. "She is always a very willing assistant whenever she visits my workroom."
Marie rushed to Hoffmann and threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you!"
Grinning, Hoffmann gave her a pat. "You are most welcome, princess."
"However are we going to top this when Christmas comes?" Eric muttered to Clara with a smirk.
Clara laughed and took her husband's arm. "We have quite the act to follow now, don't we?" she teased. "We shall have to be extra creative this year."
Eric chuckled and gave Clara a kiss. Then he led her back to the table, where supper was being laid out. Marie and Hoffmann soon joined them, and everyone chattered happily as they ate, their cares and worries cast off as they celebrated each other's company.
/
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As much as I have adored writing "A Simple Touch," I'm going to have to end it here for now, as I need to focus on other projects.
However, I do have a few scenes that didn't make the final cut to "A Simple Touch." I uploaded them as a separate story, titled "First Meeting." So there's a bit more Clara and Eric for you to read. ;)
/
Writing has been my lifelong love and passion. I've wanted to become a published author ever since I can remember, and now I think I might be able to make that dream a reality. I am currently writing a fairy tale-inspired YA fantasy novel, and hope to get it published once I complete it.
I've recently put together a blog website where I will post updates about my novel, as well some discussions on fairy tales, retellings, and the highs and lows of the writing process. My novel will be written in a very similar manner and style as "A Simple Touch," so if this story appealed to you, you are more than welcome to take a look at my blog.
This website doesn't allow me to post full urls, but the url name is simply kaceythiele.