Ok! I'm back with round three! And yes, I'm still holding Mendanbar hostage. More wonderful pieces of fiction in this section, gosh darn it! Thanks for the reviews that I've gotten so far. I hope I don't dissapoint you! I may not be able to get back to this for a week, seeing as the Enchanted Dorm Room needs cleaning. *doffs hat* But enough with my yammering. Let's see what's going on in Chapter 3!
The illustration for this chapter can be found at http://yinandyang.keenspace.com/images/enchantedforest.jpg
Chapter 3: Smashed Mirrors, Stuff Trashbins, and Silly Kings -or- Cimorene talks some sense
Cimorene was just about to see what was taking Mendanbar so long when she heard the distinct sound of shattering glass and a string of curses. Not taking any chances, she hiked up her hastily put on dress and ran as fast as she could to the main hallway.
When she arrived, she noticed the remains of a mirror by the left wall. A magic mirror, but not theirs. 'Who would bother sending a magic mirror when they could just use the one they had?' She noticed the silver frame was pompously frilly, and naggingly reminded her of something...
Her thoughts were interrupted another string of curses from the kitchen, along with the sounds of a struggle. Cautiously, Cimorene sneaked up to the swinging door, hoping she wasn't too late to save her husband. Determining the attacker had his back to the door, she burst in, hoping to knock him with the frying pan.
Instead, she was met with the strange sight of her husband trying to stuff the messenger into the trash bin. "Mendanbar! What in the world are you doing?" Cimorene planted both hands on her hips.
Her husband shot her an annoyed glance, and then returned to the task at hand. Only after he had placed the lid on the trashcan did he turn around, a slightly pleased look on his face. "Sorry, but he really did deserve it."
Cimorene crossed her arms. "Does this have anything to do with the smashed magic mirror in the hallway?"
At the mention of the mirror, Mendanbar's face fell. "Cimorene, do you know the King of Eldanberg?"
Cimorene knitted her brow in thought. "I think so. But he was a prince when we met. In fact, I think he tried to rescue me at one point. He was very much miffed by the fact that I didn't do things properly. He was such a stickler for tradition. He was more than slightly angered by the idea of being beaten by a girl as well. Nothing like you of course." Mendanbar blushed slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Mendanbar leaned on the table with a bitter sigh. "That makes a little sense, now. The King of Eldanberg has declared war on the Enchanted Forest." He looked up to see how she took the news.
She took it only slightly better than he did. "What?" she asked, still shocked. Then, as it sunk in, she walked over to the trash bin, and gave it a good kick. "Stupid, little, rotten headed, pompous windbag! How dare he!" She gave the poor trash bin another kick, and a tiny whimper echoed inside. She turned back to her husband, who had sagged slightly. "Can I see the message?"
Mendanbar dropped his head. "It was recorded on the mirror, which now lies in pieces in the hallway. I wasn't really thinking when after heard the message." The King of the Enchanted Forest's shoulders sagged a bit more.
Cimorene sat next to her husband, and placed an arm around him, bringing him into a hug. "You're the King of the Enchanted Forest. Why can't you fix the mirror?"
Mendanbar looked up, and blinked several times. "Oh, right. I forgot about that."
A laugh escaped from Cimorene's lips. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Sometimes I wonder if you aren't as silly as all those princesses you groan about all the time."
That caused him to look up with a mock-annoyed look. "Don't you dare compare me to that stupid air-headed-"
Another kiss stopped his talking. "I'd never be that mean to you, Mendanbar. Let's fix that mirror, and see how pompous the King of Elanberg really is compared to you." She led Mendanbar out of the kitchen.
"I love my wife." He said, a dreamy grin plastered on his face.
A high, querulous voice emitted from the trash can. "Would someone let me out? Please?"
After an hour (most of it spent trying to piece back the mirror), Mendanbar and Cimorene studied the message from the mirror.
"That's him alright. A tad rounder, but still just as silly. He definitely either was told he had to do this, or read it out of silly book. Oh wait!" A grin spread over her face. "Can you rewind that just little bit?"
. "There! I knew he was too silly for his own good. I think we can use this against him." Mendanbar frowned in concentration, and the mirror went back to the very end of the message Cimorene tapped the glass of the mirror.
"What is it?"
"Well, he says, 'I'm afraid I must declare war on you, King Mendanbar of the Enchanted Forest'. He doesn't declare war on the Enchanted Forest itself, only you." Cimorene frowned with thought.
Mendanbar looked at her quizzically. "How does that help us?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. But I'm sure we'll think of something. If we can't figure it out, I'm sure we can find someone who can."
He nodded thoughtfully, then stood up. "I guess this means we should be calling on the usual cast of characters? I hope Telemain doesn't mind being dragged away from his experiments again. You know how he is when he gets into things." He offered her a hand up.
She accepted, and allowed him to drag her up. "Oh, don't think he'll mind too much. He'll like the idea of being a trusted advisor to the King of the Enchanted forest. It's Kazul I'm worried about. She's bound to want to burn the entire country down."
Mendanbar snorted, as if wishing he could blow fire. "Doesn't sound so bad."
Cimorene patted her husband on the shoulder, and pecked him on the cheek. "You don't really mean that, now do you? Ordinary people don't usually pick their kings, or agree with them. That's why they're so silly. No point in punishing a country just for a stupid king."
"But he's going to be punishing a lot more people if he tries to go to war. People who are under my protection, as my subjects in the Enchanted Forest. I don't like this." Mendanbar grumbled.
"Well, let's call up our friends and see if we can't fix this mess." Cimorene linked arms with her husband and they walked into the study.
