Grey clouds gathered in heavy clumps covering the forest in its shadow. A low rumble of thunder vibrated through the forest and served as the perfect mood music to the two ruined royal's reunion. Calpernia's breathing became quick and shallow as she took in the sight before her.
He was here standing right in front of her. Not eaten.
The lost Monochrome prince stared with an equally shocked expression. Neither of them moved for the longest time; The gathering storm clouds turning darker with each passing second. Calpernia fought to slow her breathing as a multitude of emotions swelled in her chest but to no avail. A small sob escaped from the woman's mouth as tears streamed down her face; A cool breeze of relief enveloped her body.
He was alive. She didn't eat him like some animal. She wasn't a monster.
Seeing his ex-fiancé breakdown brought the man out of his shock. He began to walk towards her.
"Calpernia. Please, don't cry... I... I didn't think I'd... ever get this chance..." Whitney said. He stopped in front of Calpernia and began to stretch a comforting hand.
"I just want to tell you-"
He stopped when he felt a sharp sting at his neck; It happened so fast he felt a brief buzz of vertigo. The young woman, who had looked so fragile and broken just seconds ago, held her razor like hair crown tight against his throat. Her stormy hair framing her snarling face and gave her livid yellow eyes an almost unbridled intensity.
"Don't. Make. Another. Move."
Whitney is absolutely stupefied by those ferocious eyes. The once timid princess he knew long ago now peered upon him with a smoldering hatred that burned so bright he could feel their flames licking his soul. This was a well-deserved greeting.
"You're angry with me and rightfully so but I-"
"No. I don't want to hear your excuses or any half-hearted attempts at an apology. All I want is an answer. How are you alive?"
Back at the estate, Curtis was undertaking his toughest challenge yet. A task that not even giant spiders, mercenaries, or evil royals could even top.
Teaching princesses how to cook.
This may sound like an exaggeration, but you would disagree if you saw the state of the kitchen. Curtis felt his orderly façade begin to crack as he saw his precious kitchen become a warzone. He cringed as girls used utensils incorrectly, scratched up shiny pots and pans that he kept unblemished for years and flung batter around when they grew restless. It took every bit of strength he had not to kick everyone out.
But this was not his lesson.
Since hearing about her coping mechanism, the princesses thought it would be fun to have Gwen as their baking instructor. The man took a deep breath to calm down as he turned his attention to the young girl. Gwen was very diligent with her instruction, made sure that the girls understood the basics, and had fun. She encouraged them to be messy and creative, a technique that Curtis found appalling yet couldn't argue against it as he saw them absorbing the instructions. Then the kitchen door swung open and Saffron burst in.
"GUYS, I'M CALLING AN EMERGENCY CLUB MEETING!"
The girls looked up in surprise and they began to slowly follow him to the main room. Gwen began to ring her hands nervously at Saffron's perturbed expression; Syrah caught it and gave her shoulder a warm pat. When all the members had gathered in the room, Saffron took a few deep breaths before he spoke.
"Ok, how do I...," He ran his hands through his hair. "Whooo. Oh, man... What if it was all a dream? That thing... It couldn't have been... God, I feel stupid."
Curtis approached the young prince, A cup of tea in hand. "For your nerves, Master Saffron." He said.
Saffron takes the tea and tells everyone about his strange encounter with the skinless monster and the giant with black stripes. When he was done the room was filled with murmurs and gasps. Gwen moves towards him and takes his hands.
"Take me to them."
Frederick winced as thunder echoed through the trees. The air was thick with moisture as the rain clouds above him grew heavier; He couldn't help but think that this mood was intentional. This was the perfect scene for the protagonist's fall. Dark atmosphere. Conflict and betrayal of their closest friend. A return to loneliness. It was the type of scene that would tug at his heartstrings as he silently cheered for the character to prevail and fix their mistakes.
But this wasn't one of his storybooks.
This was real life and he had messed up. Big time. Even though he didn't go through with it, Whitney was absolutely disgusted with what he had almost done. A deep pain tore his heart as he heard the dark voices come back with a vengeance.
Monster.
Blood thirsty psycho.
Insane.
What's wrong with you?
You're broken.
You're vile
You don't deserve to be loved.
His breath became labored as he saw himself inside the unstable houseboat again. A shiver ran through him as the voices echoed through the dark space; The shadowy corners shifted and wiggled like fish swimming just below the surface. Frederick backed away when he saw a hand crawl toward him.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
*Its not real. It's all in my head. They can't hurt me. I have to think of something else. Come on, focus on something. *
It took some time, but the teen was finally able to focus on a sound other than the voices; It was so faint most wouldn't even notice it. At first, he heard a soft beating; A measured sound that seemed to keep in step with the thunder. Then a metallic sound came after the small beat creating the beginnings of a melody. He felt his heart bond with the melodic rhythm as his breathing slowed to a regular pace and his foot tapped along. He never told Whitney about the forest music since it sounded like another reason to have him committed; Hell, he sometime wondered if he should be.
But this... it was nice.
Usually, the songs he heard in the forests were original but today the tune sounded more familiar; His mouth twitched as the words itched his tongue. Then a tinnier yet deeper sound came in, sounding like a small guitar. And just like that, the song came to him.
/Born incomplete/
/with a father so sweet/
/Used the gold that he had/
/To make my lovely hands/
/How they shinned in the light/
/Brought me peace in the night/
/Like the stars up high/
/Met a man in the summer/
/His love just a cover/
/The greed for my hands/
/Brought a great evil plan/
/As my body grew weaker/
/and his eyes eye grew eager/
/I saw no more/
As he approached the chorus, the strings changed to a higher tone yet still retained a minor tone.
/You took my hands/
/Crushed my heart/
/Now, I'll tear you apart/
The teen repeated this verse over and over again; The drums and strings rising in crescendo to match his forlorn yet wrathful voice that became stronger with each verse. His skin prickled as the music flowed through his veins and filled his body with a marvelous warmth. Vivid images played before his eyes; His hands became weighted and glittering; A beautiful dress engulfed her body as she danced with her suitor; Then came the sickness. Followed by the cold smile of her lover. Death came but brought no relief as her heart burned with the fury of hell itself. When her deceiver hung limp in her hands, she found peace and her song returned to the grave.
"My goodness, what a voice!"
Frederick's jumped a foot in the air.
"Wha- Who's there?" he says as he spun around, looking for whoever it was.
A clamor of shushing and hushing surrounded the teen as his nerves flared up again. Spying a flash of black to his left, he leapt towards it. Only to find nothing.
"Huh? -What the-"
Then he saw another flash out the corner of his eyes. The teen dashed back and forth trying to catch the black blurs as bodiless voices giggled and laughed all around him. After a minute or so, he let out a snarl
"Oh, this is funny to you huh? Hahaha! Look at that dumbass running around chasing nothing! He's so stupid! Well, how about you come and laugh in my face you, cowards!"
Over the snickering, he heard the same voice.
"C'mon, guys. Stop teasing him."
"Don't be a fud dud, Moss."
"Yeah, we're just trying to have some fun. He looks like he needs a laugh."
"Getting all sad over pussy cat yelling at him. If you ask me, they're both a bunch of idiots."
"Quiet! All of you!"
Frederick looked around trying to find the source of the voices.
"I don't know who you are or... what you are or... Aghh! I just don't care! But whatever problem you have with me just come at me already! I've had a... really tough night and an even crappier day. I have no patience for this hide and seek bullshit." he said as he began searching behind trees. As he looked behind an oak tree, he heard.
"There's no need to be snippy, love. I just want to say hi."
Frederick turned to the voice and froze. There, inches from his nose, was a sight he thought only existed in books. A tiny humanoid draped in grass blades gripped the bark of the tree; Parts of her torso matched with the tone of the bark perfectly while her arm, hands, and legs were a leafy green. Her onyx black eye gleamed out from her moss textured hair.
She smiled warmly.
"Hi there, neighbor."
"They're not our neighbors, you stupid git! cried an angry voice from a few feet. They're smelly, bumbling, borksnogs that bother everyone with their wailing and whooping! Why dja show yourself to 'em? They don't belong here!"
"Oh, shut it, Spur. You always get thorny when someone is just as good at something as you are. Just give 'em a chance. I like hearing this one's stories and the cat guy is funny." said Moss.
"Who- Who are you?" the teen said, wonder taking over his senses.
Moss turned her attention back to him. "Oh, where are my manners. I'm Moss and the rude arse somewhere around is Spur. We're wood nymphs.
Frederick's eyes lit up. "Wood nymphs! You- You're... HOLY SHIT, THIS IS AMAZING! I LOVE STORIES ABOUT YOU! YOU'RE SO MYSTERIOUS AND WISE AND COOL AND-OH MY GOD I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS TO ASK YO-" The teen stopped as the woman curled up, hiding in the bark again.
He gasped. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm sorry. I just... I shouldn't have gotten so loud."
Frederick saw the woman wave a small hand. "It's ok. Just a force of habit. We don't normally show ourselves too much. But... I just couldn't resist. I've never seen a vampire quite like you and I've been around for thousands of years. So, I've got more than my fair share of questions myself."
Frederick felt his heart patter with excitement. This was an interaction that only happened in his dreams but now, it was happening. Before he could get speak, the voice called Spur spoke.
"I don't think your cat friend will last long enough to hear about your "engaging" conversation."
Frederick's head snapped towards the voice. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, Your friend might be in a spot of trouble with that spider woman."
The teen frowned. "Spider woman? Are you- Is this some kind of joke? You're not even near him. How can you see him?"
"Not that you'd know, because you're a dense little halfer, but wood nymphs can speak to trees. We see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel. Right now, it seems like your friend is talking to a woman. Bit on the tall side. She looks pretty angry, and I've seen enough murders go down here to know what blood lust looks like."
Frederick closed his eyes and inhaled searching for Whitney's scent. He finds it after a few seconds but there's something else. Another smell. Like old sweat stained silk.
He dashes towards it.
"And that's it."
Whitney peered at Calpernia gauging her reaction. She seemed cautious but Whitney could still see anger bubbling under her restraint.
"I know that apologizing will never erase or reverse what I've done to you, your family, or your lover. I've caused you unbearable pain and suffering. It's my fault that you have this curse and that you've been ripped away from your family, your kingdom, and your future. But I do wish to ask what I can do to make things right for you."
He sees her brows furrow as she seems to ponder. Then her eyes widen like she just remembered something awful. Her golden orbs harden, and Whitney could feel cold fury radiating from her stare like the biting wind of a snowstorm. Calpernia clamps a hand on his shoulder.
"Maybe once I would have believed that you were sorry. Back when I was naïve and accommodating. But now, I can see through it. Do you really expect me to believe that sob story? That someone like you actually experiences remorse. Regret? Those are feelings for humans. Not monsters like you. "
She pressed down on his shoulder and Whitney got down on his knees. The knife still held tight against his throat; The edge nicking his skin and blood began to drip out.
"I can't let you go. I cant afford to be foolish right now. Not when everything Ive built. Everything I love. Is on the line. "
Whitney gazed up at her with calm eyes. "If this is what you want then do what you must." he said. Calpernia raised her dagger. Whitney shut his eyes.
(This is where my story ends.)
Suddenly, a loud roar pierces his ears followed by a yell. He opens his eyes to see Calpernia recovering from a strong push and his cryptid companion standing in front of him arms outstretched
"Get away from him!" Frederick growled.
Both adults were dumbstruck. This was not something either of them was expecting. Calpernia was the first to snap out of it.
"What the hell is a kid doing here!? Is he your lackey or something," She let out a snort and her glare turned sour.
"And I thought you couldn't get any more disgusting. Now, your using confused kids as your slaves," The woman waved her hand at the angry teen.
"Just step aside, boy. You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in going around with him.
Freddie crouched into an offensive stance; claws stretching out from his fingertips.
"I know that I'm not going to let some psycho bitch kill my best friend!"
Whitneys heart thundered in his numb body as he spoke.
"Frederick... what are you doing...? you shouldn't be here... please, go."
"The hell I will!" the teen yelled glaring back at him
Calpernia rolls her eyes and places her weaponized hair pin back in.
"Look, I don't know who you are or what you're doing with this dingle berry but you're making a huge mistake defe- "
She felt the air burst from her mouth as Frederick's fist connected with her stomach; Her mind reeling at the insane speed.
"Damn, he's fast." She thought as she stumbled back, doubled over. Then she sees him raise a clawed hand to strike downwards.
"But he's not very bright when it comes to fighting." she thought before using her left elbow to knock his left hand away leaving his torso open. She thrusts an open palm at his exposed throat, knocking the wind out of him in return. As he bends over and grabs his injured throat, Calpernia takes a hold of both wrists, and throws the boy to the ground pinning him on his back. The teen snarled as he struggled and squirmed, but the woman held firm and used her knees to hold down his legs.
"I don't want to hurt you. So how about you stay down and let the grown-ups continue their chat."
Calpernia saw his eyes flash an intense green as his whites turned black.
"And how about you go fuck a tree!" He yelled before jerking his head upwards and biting down on Calpernia's arm. She let out a scream as her grip slipped and Frederick shoved her off throwing her against a tree. The woman groaned as her skull throbbed and her arm stung. The teen darted for another attack but was stopped by a set of large arms wrapping around his waist.
"That's enough! " Whitney said as he carried Frederick away from his ex. Frederick squirmed around like a cat with an aversion to hugs.
Hey! Whitney, let go! I'm trying to save your crazy butt!" Frederick said as he shoves his hand into Whitney's face.
"You don't understand. This isn't," The man's reply became more muffled as his cheek was pushed. The two continued to struggle; One trying to escape back to the fight; The other trying to restrain the wild cat in his arms. Through jabs to the face and twisted limbs, they continued yelling.
"AGH! STOP IT! THAT WAS MY EYE!"
"THEN LET ME GO! OWW!"
"NO WAY! YOU'RE ACTING CRAZY!"
"SINCE WHEN IS PROTECTING YOU-URG! FROM A HOMICIDAL EX CRAZY!?"
"IT'S NOT LIKE- OUCH!"
Calpernia stared at the sight before her dumbfounded.
"What the hell is even happening?" she says.
A rustling to her left causes her to turn. Gwen, Curtis, Saffron, Syrah, Themidora, Renee, and Abbi. emerged from the brush. Her caretaker eye's light with concern when he sees the battered princess.
"Your highness!" he yells dashing over to her aid along with Renee and Themidora following. The rest stare in shock at the tussle ahead of them. Gwen gazes at the boy trying to wiggle his way out of the giant man's grasp. His hair was long and untamed, spiking in all directions. His clothes were tattered and torn giving her the assumption they were his only set. At first glance, he looked like one of those pickpockets she read about in story books.
But when she saw his eyes, her heart swelled with joy and abundant relief.
Before anyone could stop her, the young lady ran towards the two; The fight forgotten. Tears had already begun to stream down her face as she slammed the boy with a hug, Their struggle ceases.
"You're alive... Oh, thank God... You're alive. I didn't think I was ever going to see you again, Frederick."
