A/n: This switching of places and characters isn't getting annoying isn't it? Good! Review!

Chapter Twenty

"No," Sidney said. "We don't have a phase two!"

Chaz nodded. "Yes, we do," he replied.

"About what?" Ophelia asked. "Why do we need a phase two?"

"We need an extra step of action," Tom explained. "If one of us is planning on saving Nora, we've got to make sure we can do it."

"And we don't know how long it will take," Mac said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. "What are you planning on doing?" Jocelyn asked.

"What any knight in shining armor would do," Sam replied. "Storm the castle."

Tom grinned. "Exactly," he said.

"Will that take long?" Ophelia asked.

They shrugged. "We don't know," Chaz replied. "It could take hours, it could take weeks."

"But tomorrow's her birthday!" Ophelia replied. "The kingdom is waiting for her…you can't just ignore that either?"

"Ophelia…" Chaz whined. "Don't you think we've got enough on our plates without having to please the whole kingdom?"

"But it's not me-" Ophelia replied.

"No, Chaz, I think she's right," Sam said.

"You do?" Chaz said.

"Wait, listen to me!" Ophelia cried.

"Yes," Sam said. "We can't have the people rioting. Even the King and Queen would be fretful and uneasy."

"So what should we do?" Mac asked.

"The answer to your question lies with those who've protected the Eleanor line forever. They are the key to your success," Ophelia murmured. "Without their help, you cannot achieve what you wish."

"A prophecy," Sidney said, nodding. "The Lady is right."

"Sorry I interrupted all of you," Ophelia whispered. "I was trying to tell you."

"That's alright, love," Sam said. "Do you know what it means?"

Ophelia shook her head. "Whoever has protected Nora's family forever has to help us," she said. "Or we'll fail. I think that's what it meant."

Sidney stood up suddenly. "I know what it means," he said, heading to the door. "I know what it means!"

"Tell us, for the Lady's sake!" Jocelyn cried. "Don't just leave us hanging."

Sidney walked back to the group and sat down. His face became eerily lit by the candles, and everyone soon realized that what he was about to say was extremely important.

"Nora has a fairy godmother," he explained. "Mandy."

"So?" Tom said.

"So, Mandy has been the fairy godmother of all the Eleanors," he replied. "If we get Mandy, and her sisters, to help us, we can't fail!"

"But help us do what?" Sam asked.

Ophelia looked up. "Help us put the kingdom to sleep!" she cried. "If they do that, all of Kyrria will think no time as passed!"

Sidney smiled. "Of course!" he cried. "But we must do it soon! Tomorrow is Nora's sixteenth birthday!"

Everyone agreed, and stood up to begin enacting their plan. Ophelia and Sidney decided to go down to the kitchen and see if they could find Mandy, while Sam, Mac, Chaz, Tom, and Jocelyn made the decision to go wake the king and queen and tell them of their plan.

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Sidney and Ophelia left the room first, creeping down the corridor to the kitchens. In the darkness, Ophelia found herself somewhat afraid. The halls in the castle were lit with candles, but the corridors weren't, and the open doors created an unnatural glow throughout the castle. A crash sounded from the opposite side of the hall. Sidney put his hand over Ophelia's mouth and wrapped his arm around her, stopping all movement between the two of them. In silence, they waited, until Sidney let go of Ophelia and began heading towards the kitchen.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I would have screamed if you hadn't covered my mouth."

"I know," he replied, continuing to walk.

Ophelia was slightly taken aback. Maybe she was overanalyzing the situation, but Sidney seemed…cold. Yes, yes, she believed she was right.

"Come on," Sidney said, interrupting her thoughts. "It's right over here."

He pulled her into a brightly lit room. All around her hung pots and pans, tables and basins crowded the floor. Large jars overflowed with flour and sugar. It seemed to be empty.

"Is this it?" she asked.

Sidney nodded. "Yes," he replied.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said, looking around. He peered down the room, looking for someone or something to show him someone. Finally, he walked to the doors on the opposite side of the room. He threw them open, revealing pantries, until he opened the last door. There was a crash and a muffled shriek.

"It's just me, Lady," Sidney said, falling to his knee. "Prince Sidney, of Ayortha."

"Now I know it's you, you buffoon," said the woman who bustled from the pantry. "I don't know why you insist on sneaking around so."

"I'm sorry, Mandy," Sidney replied. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine, dearie," she said. "But what are you doing up so late? And who's this?"

Mandy gave a hardened stair towards Ophelia, causing the gentle Ophelia to cringe and bow her head. "My name is Ophelia, Lady," she said softly. "Ophelia of March."

Mandy walked closer her and examined her. Touching her chin, she pushed her face up and looked her straight in the eye. "Lady Ophelia, love," she replied. "You're Lady Ophelia at court, and Lady Ophelia on the arm of a prince."

Ophelia blushed. "Thank you, Lady," she whispered.

"Mandy, we've got a favor to ask of you," Sidney said, steering the conversation back on track. "It's serious… and it's about Nora."

Mandy sighed, and her eyes misted over. "Yes?" she asked.

"We were thinking… that you could put the kingdom to sleep," he explained. "It'd give us more time to help Nora. It would keep the kingdom from waiting."

Mandy shook her head. "I can't, Sidney," she replied. "It's big magic; you know I can't do that."

"Please, Lady?" Ophelia asked. "Make an exception. It's for Nora Rose."

Mandy stood firm, tears streaking down her face. "No, my dears. I just can't," she said.

Sidney nodded. "I understa-"

"Please, Lady!" Ophelia cried. "Nora has been the only friend in my entire life. She saved my brothers, sister and I from the streets of March. She protected me throughout our journey. I don't… I don't know what I'll do without her. If you would only help us, it would make rescuing her much easier."

"I know it's a lot to ask, Many," Sidney continued. "But think of Nora. We've got to do something for her. Tomorrow's her sixteenth birthday."

Mandy was downright sobbing now. She put her face in her hands, taking deep breaths. Moments passed. She looked up again. "All right," she muttered. "I'll do it, but only for Nora Rose. For Nora, it'll be small magic."

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"Come on," Sam whispered. "We've got to go now."

Sam, Mac, Chaz, Tom, and Jocelyn slunk from the room to the corridor, where they all began to expertly sneak up the stairs to the bedroom of the king and queen. When they looked around the corner to the royal bedchamber, they were not surprised to see it guarded by two men.

"Castle goons," Sam whispered. "What should we do?"

Tom gestured towards the large, heavy drapes hanging on a nearby window. "Get behind those," he replied. "I've got an idea."

The group clustered behind the thick drapes, sure that they were virtually invisible. Tom nodded in approval. Quietly, he picked up a large, round dish hanging on a nearby wall, and threw it as hard as he could down the corridor. When he heard it crash further down, he ducked into the shadows and waited for the men guarding the doors to rush past him to investigate. When they were out of earshot, everyone emerged and headed for the doors.

"Come on," Chaz said, turning the knob and opening the door.

Jocelyn shook her head as they walked in. "This is wrong," she whispered. "We're like walking dead in here."

"Shhh!" Tom replied. "How should we wake them?"

The five of them glanced at the bed, where Ella and Char were sleeping. Neither of them made a sound. The room was silent as Sam tip-toed to Char's side of the bed and peered at him. Stifling a giggle, he glanced at his four friends and back at the king.

"Your majesty!" he screamed, shaking Char. "Your majesty, wake up! We need to speak with you!"

Char jolted from his sleep and sat up, eyes wide in shock. "What-what-where-who..?" he said incoherently, his eyes falling on Sam. "You! What are you doing here?"

Ella stirred in her sleep and her eyes opened. She gasped, looking around at the people who were suddenly standing in her room.

"We needed to speak with you, your majesties," Sam replied, bowing. "I know-"

"Are you aware of the time, Samuel Havanera?" Char said sharply. "And are you aware that you, currently, are standing in the bedchamber of the two most powerful people in Kyrria?"

"Yes, your majesty," Sam said, bowing. "But we needed to speak with you."

"Now?" Ella asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes," he replied. "About Nora…we've got a plan to rescue her."

"Do we know that she needs rescuing?" Char said, rising from the bed and wrapping himself in a robe. "We don't even know if she's pricked her finger yet."

Chaz coughed and stepped forward. "With all due respect, your majesty, I beg to differ," he said, bowing.

"Who are you?" Ella blurted out, looking at Chaz, Tom, and Mac. "You weren't here earlier."

Tom tried not to smile. "No, your majesty, we weren't," he replied. "We've only just arrived, bearing news of Princess Nora Rose."

"This is Charles Ballidino," Jocelyn said, formally introducing them, "Thomas Eblect, and Mischa Canberra. They went to Lucinda's castle."

"And?" Char said, raising an eyebrow.

"And," Tom continued, "we found Nora and watched her…fulfill the curse."

Ella squeezed Char's hand and buried her head in his chest. He stroked her hair, and glanced up at the group in his bedroom. "We've failed her…" he muttered. "I failed my own daughter."

"No!" Sam cried. "No, your majesty, on the contrary! We've only just begun!"

"What do you mean?" Ella asked, wiping her eyes and turning to face him.

Sam stepped closer to them. "With your permission, your majesties, we'd like to enact a plan," he explained. "We think we could get Nora free."

"How?" Char asked.

"Well, we'll need a bit of help from Nora's fairy godmother," Jocelyn said. "We thought that if we used a bit of magic to put everyone in the kingdom into a temporary sleep, we'd have a little more time to storm Lucinda's castle and get her. It'd be like time was frozen."

Char and Ella looked at each other and back at the group. "That's not a bad idea," Char said. "But Mandy would never-"

The doors of the room suddenly burst open. Mandy came marching in, followed quickly by Sidney and Ophelia. "Ella!" she cried. "Char! Wake up!"

"We're already awake, Mandy," Ella replied coolly.

"What's going on here?" Mandy cried, looking around. "Who are all of you?"

Everyone laughed. "More importantly, Mandy," Char said, "do you know what's going on here? About Nora?"

Mandy nodded. "That's what I'm here to talk to you about, Char," she replied. "I don't know if you know what these friends of Nora's are planning-"

"We know, Mandy," Ella said. "We just wanted to know if you were okay with it."

Mandy gave Ella a puzzled, shocked look. "You can't be serious, Lady," Mandy replied. "Why, in the Lady's name, would I not be okay with it? Save Nora Rose, I'm willing to do it all."

Char smiled. "It's settled then," he said, finalizing the deal. "We've got some preparations to make, don't we?"

A/n: Haha! A mini-cliff hanger!! By the way, I'm planning on posting a new chapter on my other story in Fairytales, The Lost Prophecy of Aodhagan. If you feel like reading it, please do! I'm on the fence about whether to continue it or not. Anyway, review on this one!!