Chapter Ten
"So, you really want me to tell you a story?" Mable asked Maddie later, as they walked up the stairs to Maddie and Monsieur Lune's private apartment.
Maddie hopped a few steps ahead of her. "Yes, I do. You don't understand, you have seen so much more of the world than I have." She waited for Mable to step onto the landing. "Before the curse, Papa always told me that he would take me off our lands to explore the world when I was older. But by the time I got old enough, we were stuck here, and I never got to see any of it." Maddie let out a frustrated sigh. "I've read about all these wonderful places; Rome, Paris, Madrid, but never got to see any of them." Maddie smiled brightly back at her. "But you are older than me, and have lived outside of the castle grounds! I bet you have been all sorts of places. I would just love to hear of some of them."
Mable bit her lip as she followed Maddie down the corridor. She had only lived about an hour away when she went to college. Before her father's illness, she had planned to travel, see the world, but like Maddie, had never gotten the chance to go. How was she supposed to come up with a story about the exciting outside world that Maddie expected her to describe?
They reached a large door with the name Lune inscribed on the gold nameplate.
"This is it." Maddie told, and opened the door to the most understated room Mable had been in so far. Coffee-colored rugs covered the wood floors, and the marble walls were covered with ivory curtains, far different from the ornate and gilded rooms below. The only lavish ornament Mable could see was a gold-trimmed mantle clock ticking away on top of a small shelf filled with leather-bound books. Several plump, comfy chairs were placed elegantly in the center of the room. A large, dark-wood table stood in one corner, with a delicate teapot and teacups arranged just so. There was the soft scent of lemon, reminding Mable of her father's favorite soap, the one he used every day. For years that scent enveloped her as he hugged her good-bye, or leaned in to kiss her goodnight.
She turned slightly so Maddie wouldn't see the tears pricking her eyes.
"This is our apartment." Maddie was telling her proudly. "Papa's room is through there," she pointed to a door off to the left. "My room is over here. I decorated it myself!"
Maddie went in her room and started lighting lamps, flooding the room with soft candlelight. Mable grinned as she beheld the vibrant colors of a young girl's fantasy bedroom. The room was cozy, despite its enormous size, with tapestries of animals covering every wall. The floor was like the one in Mable's room, a smooth, glossy pine floor that lay bare except for a pretty cerulean rug in the middle of the room. A child-sized desk was next to a partially opened door that Mable could see led to a dressing room like her own. On the other side was a short, plush bed covered in numerous colored blankets and pillows. The canopy above was plush velvet, the same color as the rug, and draped down to the floor. Mable didn't see any toys, except for a ragged-looking doll that was placed on the bed.
"Very nice." She told the girl.
"Papa helped with some things, but I did most of the work on my own. Well, except those," she pointed to the tapestries on the walls. "Some of the women in housekeeping made those for me for my last birthday." She patted the bed. "You sit here, I'll be right back. I'm just going to change into my nightgown." She hurried into the closet and shut the door.
Mable did as she was told, picking up the doll and idly stroking its hair as she thought. What kind of story of the outside world would appeal to a nine-year-old girl?
Maybe a story about Mable and her sisters would suffice. Maddie was young, and an only child. Hearing a story about three girls with vastly different personalities might not be as good as hearing about Paris or Rome, but it would still be new to Maddie.
At least, she hoped so.
Maddie flew through the dressing room door and vaulted onto the bed. Since the bed was big enough to fit her, Mable, and two more people, Mable didn't even have to shift over.
Mable handed the girl the doll. "Here you go. What's her name?"
"Angelina." Maddie hugged the doll to her chest for a moment, then settled it next to her and looked at Mable expectantly.
Mable smiled weakly. "I'm not sure how to do this." She admitted. "I've never told a bedtime story before."
"That's all right." Maddie snuggled down under the covers. "Start with 'once upon a time'. That's how all stories start."
"Ok…Once upon a time…" she wracked her brain for a moment, and dug up one of her favorite memories. "Ok, I got it. Let me start again. Once upon a time, there was a princess, who's only request on her birthday was to get a card from the handsomest boy in her, ah…class." she shrugged. "How am I doing so far?"
Maddie giggled. "Good. Keep going."
"So, anyway, the princess went to school on her birthday, hoping this prince would bestow upon her a magical card. But instead, the prince told her that he didn't get her a card. He told her that he thought she was weird, and that he had decided that he wanted to um…court another princess, Princess Katie."
Maddie wrinkled her nose. "He doesn't sound like a very nice prince."
"Very few princes are." Mable agreed. "But there is a happy ending, I promise. So, the princess went home to her castle in tears, and explained what had happened to her sister, Princess Colette. Princess Colette was very angry at the prince for ruining her sister's birthday. She went and took her family's…carriage, bought a birthday card, and hunted down every boy in the young princess's class. She made every boy sign his name and tell the young princess happy birthday in the card. When she got home, she gave the young princess the card and told her that all those princes wanted to wish her a happy birthday, and to tell her that the other prince was an idiot."
Colette had been grounded for a month for that stunt, Mable remembered. She didn't even have a driver's permit when she had taken the family car to find all those boys. Mable had no idea where Colette had tracked them all down, but she still had the card with all of the signatures tucked away in her closet. She had carried it in her purse when she went to her college advisor to drop out.
As a reminder of what Colette had done to make sure her little sister had a great thirteenth birthday, and why it was Mable, not Colette, who was making a sacrifice.
"Colette sounds nice." Maddie's eyes were fluttering, her voice heavy.
"She is, sometimes." Mable's lips twitched. "I can go, if you want me to…"
"No! One more."
"Ok. So, once upon a time, there was a princess named Jeanne…"
Maddie drifted off about halfway through Mable's story about Jeanne trying to teach her to drive. Instinctively, Mable tucked Maddie's doll under one arm and smoothed a curl away from her forehead. She tiptoed out of the room, casually wondering how she would get back to her own bedroom.
She stifled a shriek when she saw the shadow blocking the light in the door.
The shadow walked closer and she just made out the amused face of Monsieur Lune. He glanced at his sleeping daughter, smiled, and gently pulled Mable into the living area.
"I apologize, Lady." He said contritely, "I did not mean to startle you."
"It's all right." Mable replied, a bit breathless since she was trying to slow her heart rate.
"It looks like my daughter enjoyed the story. I must thank you; it has been a long time since she has requested a story before bed."
"It was no trouble." Now that she was calmer, she remembered why Monsieur Lune wasn't in the apartment in the first place. "So, how was your…meeting?"
Monsieur Lune patted one of the chairs, and took the seat across from her. "It was just Labelle and myself, so I would hardly call it a meeting." He told her solicitously. "But Theo did tell us why you were outside this morning."
Was it really just this morning? Mable glanced around and saw that it was nearly midnight. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her body reminded her that she had been up for about fourteen hours, and she fought back a yawn.
"I can not tell you how sorry I am that we pressured you so." Monsieur Lune leaned towards her, taking one of her hands in his own. "It must have been too much, for you to feel you needed to leave us so soon."
"Y-you're not mad?"
"Why, of course not!" Monsieur Lune was surprised. "No, my dear, merely angry at myself for upsetting you. You are our guest, and we made you feel unwelcome. I can only imagine how awful it must have felt, to find that you are trapped here with us." He smiled slightly, "Comfortable as this castle is, it is still a prison."
"Well, I suppose it could be worse." Mable gently pulled her hand out of his grip. "You guys could all hate me for trying to leave."
Monsieur Lune shook his head vehemently. "Never, my dear." He told her sternly. "Never feel as if you have to please us to be welcome in this castle. If you wish is to find a way to break the spell keeping us here, so that you may return to your family, well, then we shall assist you."
Mable blinked. She was too tired for this conversation. "You'll help me?"
"Of course! Why, we would never keep someone here against their will. If you wish to spend the rest of your days here in the library researching a way out, then that is what you shall do, with our blessing."
"Well, Maddie promised me a tour of the castle tomorrow afternoon. I would still like to see it." Mable said.
Monsieur Lune smiled warmly at her. "Certainly. Though I might suggest breaking it up into a few days; this castle is rather large."
Mable giggled.
Monsieur Lune stood, and helped Mable to her feet. "Now, it is quite late, and I imagine you are exhausted. Should I return you to your rooms?"
"Yes, thank you." Mable tried not to lean on the Seneschal. She took a step forward, expecting him to escort her out of the room, but all of a sudden, the living area they were in disappeared. Mable felt air whoosh as the room melted in colors around her, and newer, brighter colors erupted from the floor upwards. She shrieked and hung onto Monsieur Lune's arm with both hands, completely terrified. With another pop, the two of them landed safely in the middle of Mable's bedroom, thankfully a place Mable was quite familiar with
"Here we are." said Monsieur Lune. He seemed surprised for a moment to find Mable clutching his arm, but his surprise swiftly changed to concern. "Oh, no, I frightened you. I am terribly sorry, Mable. I thought you knew…"
"I thought you were going to walk me to my room." Mable fought to keep her stomach from revolting. "I'm fine, really." She held up a placating hand when it looked like Monsieur Lune wanted to support her. She couldn't trust herself not throw up all over him.
"Well, you go and change, and I will get everything ready for you." He suggested, brown eyes worried.
Mable stumbled toward her closet and thought of the closet, and once she was inside sat on the floor, breathing shallowly until the nausea passed. Eventually, the room stopped spinning and she was able to change into her nightgown.
Monsieur Lune was considerably distressed when she came out. "I am so sorry, my dear. I did not realize it would affect you like that." He said.
Mable smiled at him, touched by his concern. "It's all right, it's probably just because I'm tired." She climbed into bed, nearly groaning with relief as her body relaxed into the soft covers.
Monsieur Lune, ignoring her protests, tucked her in as gently as he would his own daughter. "It was quite a long day." he agreed. "Now, would you like someone to come get you for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Could we eat in the library again?" Mable asked, finally letting him settle her under the covers. It might have been a childish question to ask, but it had been rather fun, having breakfast in the library. And she needed to start researching some more.
"I am sure that can be arranged." Monsieur Lune said, and got down to the arduous process of putting out the multiple candles in the room. "Would you like to dine alone?"
Mable was half asleep already. "What?"
"Would you like to dine alone tomorrow, or would you like company? I am sure Theo would be happy to join you. My Maddie probably would too."
"Sure, that's fine. I liked having breakfast with Maddie and Theo this morning." She was startled to discover this was true.
"Good, since Maddie certainly enjoyed it. I think Master Theo did too, and that was certainly a shock to him." Monsieur Lune continued, not noticing Mable's eyes starting to close. "As a matter of fact, I do not think that boy has ever allowed anyone other than Labelle or myself call him just 'Theo'." Monsieur Lune mentioned pensively.
Mable didn't hear him; she was fast asleep.
Mable woke the next morning, refreshed and bright-eyed. She had a game plan now, even if it was just hanging out in the library studying like in college. Eagerly, she got up and used the closet to take her back to her bedroom at home.
Her bedroom hadn't changed in twenty years, but Mable was thankful for the familiarity as she ransacked her desk drawers for papers and pens. It gave her comfort to see her little desk, the family pictures on the walls, and the lavender bedspread. She briefly considered just sleeping in here every night for the rest of her stay, but dismissed it. If she was going to be trapped in a giant castle, why not enjoy the luxury of sleeping in a bed as big as a lake?
After she collected the things she needed, she used the closet again to shower, and once more to survey the closet. Another perk of an enchanted castle, she supposed. She ran a hand along the fabrics, from silk to cashmere to wool. Any outfit was here for her choosing, and based on past experience, would fit her exactly.
She pulled out a black tunic-sweater and leggings, opting for comfort. She studied herself in the vanity mirror she brushed her hair, and smiled. The black should have made her look too pale, but with the dim candle lights of the castle, it merely made her skin glow and the red in her strawberry blonde waves stand out.
Luxury, she thought wryly, looked rather good on her.
She frowned at the closet door once more. She could wait for someone to retrieve her, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her days here being escorted from place to place. Monsieur Lune, Maddie and Theo all knew she was going to have breakfast in the library, so why not beat them there?
Throwing her chin up, Mable thought of the library as she touched the handle of the closet door. The familiar spark danced up her arm, and she stared into the library several floors below.
Grinning, Mable grabbed her pens and paper and hustled over to one of the chairs. The servants from yesterday had cleared the buffet table, but must have been instructed to leave the books, because almost everything was in the exact same place as before. The only change Mable could see was a few of the books Theo had been reading were marked, as if he had spent more time in here after she had left last night.
Not to be outdone, Mable grabbed a book and started to read, still trying to wrap her head around the idea that some words in a book would be able to get her home. Curious, she read the sentence she was reading out loud, sounding out the words as best as she could.
She sputtered out the sentence, tripping over every word.
Nothing happened.
She sighed. How was this supposed to help her? They were just words in a book, nothing more than ink on paper.
"Lady Mable, are you all right?" a voice asked, and Mable jumped.
Madame Labelle stood in the door of the library, poised and beautiful as ever, with a tray in her hands. Her Housekeeper's apron appeared freshly washed and ironed, the navy dress underneath spotless. Not a strand of her dark hair was out of place.
Mable's hair was clinging to her face from the static of her sweater, and when she glanced down at herself, she saw creases on her arms where she had pulled up her sleeves. She quickly tugged her sleeves down over her arms.
"I'm fine, thank you. Were you looking for me?"
Madame Labelle smiled warmly and strode into the room, the coffeepot and cups on her tray not even jiggling with the movement. "I was, though I suppose this should have been the first place I looked." She said as she put the tray on one of the table. Carefully, she poured coffee into one of the cups. The smell of the dark brew made Mable's mouth water. "Cream, sugar?"
"Both. Why is this the first place you should have looked?" Mable took the cup of coffee with a cautious smile.
"Theo told us last night about…well, everything." Mable squirmed in her chair, but Madame Labelle didn't notice, "I probably should have been surprised that you could not leave, but it makes sense. If outsiders could come and go as they pleased, well, that would just make it all too easy, wouldn't it?" Madame Labelle shrugged as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across from Mable.
Mable sipped her coffee. "You aren't mad?" she asked in a small voice, "About me trying to leave?"
Madame Labelle, like Monsieur Lune, looked shocked that she had even asked. "No, of course not! Lady Mable, if I were in your place I probably would have tried to leave too. Here we are, just going on and on about the curse, and putting all that strain on you. No, we should have known better." She shook her head. "I blame myself. I know as well as anyone that true love takes time, but I just pushed you at Theo without any regard to your feelings. I am so sorry."
Mable gaped at the other woman. "I can't believe this. I try and run away, and you guys are apologizing."
Madame Labelle chuckled. "You want us to be angry with you, then?" she asked.
It sounded stupid when it was put that way. "No, I don't…" Mable said slowly, thinking it through. "But it just seems like someone should be angry with me. I mean, I probably messed up your plans for a happy ending pretty badly."
Madame Labelle put down her coffee cup and gave Mable a stern look. "No, you didn't and no, they should not." She said sharply. Mable sat back a little, surprised by the unexpected ire in Madame Labelle's musical voice. "And if any of the staff here tries to place the blame on you, you send them to me or Lune."
Mable was pretty certain this wasn't just about her anymore.
Madame Labelle got up and paced, her face clouded with anger. "There are several individuals here, men and women on our staff, that have a problem with Theo asking for a Fairy's help back before we were cursed." She said after a moment. Even frowning with anger, she was stunning, Mable thought with a little jealousy. "They blamed Theo for our entrapment, claiming that going to the Fairy was his idea, and that he alone should have been cursed. Never mind that it saved their miserable lives." She snorted in the most unladylike manner. Mable sipped her coffee, trying not to smile. "Do you know what they call him, when his back is turned?" she shot at Mable, who shook her head. "Master Beast. Oh, they don't call him the name to his face, but they say it amongst themselves."
Mable thought about the men yesterday, the fear in their eyes when they saw Theo lumbering down the hall. "And you can't just kick them out." she pointed out the obvious.
Madame Labelle nodded. "All that would happen is they would just wander around the woods. Because of this curse we're under, they can't even die. So, even though we know they say hurtful things, even though we know they are resentful, me and Lune keep them here. Better for them to be under our eye, then out enraging another Fairy who could probably put us under a worse spell." She sat back down in her chair, letting out a breath on her way down.
"I can't tell you that there is no one in this castle is who is upset that you are not the person who can break this curse." She told Mable, dark eyes sad. "I am sure there are people who are just as angry at you for wanting to leave as there are who are angry at Theo for getting us in this situation in the first place. But do not let them upset you, and certainly do not let them distract you from finding a way home. Lune, Theo, and myself all understand why you need to go, and we'll do all we can to help you."
Mable forced down the lump in her throat. "Thank you." She got out.
Madame Labelle gave her a lovely smile. "Besides," she said shyly, "I was hoping we could be friends."
"Friends?"
Madame Labelle scooted closer to Mable. "Friends." She chirped. "I don't have many friends here. Oh, I get along with all of the staff, of course, but they are my subordinates, so I have to draw the line between mistress and friend. I love Lune like an uncle, and Theo is a dear-" Mable choked momentarily on her coffee, "but I can hardly sit around and gossip with them like I could a good female friend. And Maddie, while darling, is still far too young." Madame Labelle's brown eyes were wistful, "It has been much too long since I have a friend, a woman my own age to talk to."
Mable put down her coffee cup and grabbed Madame Labelle's hands. "Of course, I'll be your friend." She grinned at the other woman. "Do you want to gossip now, or later?"
Madame Labelle threw back her head and laughed. "Later, I suppose. I must go let Monsieur Carnier know you are here and probably ready for breakfast."
Mable's stomach gurgled. "I think I am."
"Then I shall go." Madame Labelle stood and stretched. "But I will return later with your breakfast. And I will let Maddie know you are down here; I am sure she is looking for you as well."
"If you want, you can join us for breakfast, Madame Labelle." Mable offered. "I doubt Theo and Maddie are going to mind."
Madame Labelle beamed at her. "Thank you, cherie, but I am afraid I must return to work right after. My little maids will waste the day if I do not pester them. But I do appreciate the gesture. Why don't I join you for lunch, this afternoon? I always take a short break during the day for a sandwich and some tea."
"Sounds like a plan." Completely forgetting protocol, Mable got up and walked Madame Labelle to the door.
"You can also call me Labelle, if you'd like, Lady Mable." The woman offered.
"You can just call me Mable. I don't really fit the Lady title anyway." Mable waved a hand dismissively.
"Oh, now, I wouldn't say that." Labelle caught the look on Mable's face. "But I will call you whatever you wish." She corrected herself hurriedly. She gave Mable a quick smile and walked out—again, straight through the door instead of opening it.
Mable stood there for a moment, basking in the idea that she now had a friend. Well, she supposed she had several friends now; Maddie, Monsieur Lune, Madame Cecile, Monsieur Carnier…maybe even Theo would become a friend eventually. At home, all of the friends she had in high school and her short time at college had slowly drifted away to find their own careers, families, and lives. And constantly caring for her father made it difficult to make new friends.
But here, she had just accumulated them out of nowhere, doing nothing special other than being herself. Even after she had tried to leave, even though they knew she wasn't going to try and break the curse, they still wanted to be her friend.
Perhaps being trapped here wasn't a curse after all.