Nixiesocean: I'm back from my trip. We had some craziness, but overall it was awesome. I want to go back. Did you all miss me?
Responses:
Nyght Musique: I had fun. Of course, I understood less than a third of what everyone was saying, but other than that, it rocked! And I have a suspenseful chappie for you!
Piratess of Summer: He's changed a little bit. Mercy's gotten a little ruder, though. (laugh) as you'll read. Ah, yes, Mercy admits her love.
KMD3271: Germany was awesome. Have you been to the Black Forest? We didn't go in, but it was so green from the top, and so dark inside! That's kind of what The Royal Forest is based on. I still have problems with describing things in detail.
Thai Libre: The original quote was when the lion was telling Mercy what she would do. "You shall live in the beautiful house and serve me, and if you carry out all my orders, you shall see your brother again." That's the quote.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Tell me if you think it's going too quickly for all this to happen. I'm getting impatient because my mind is outrunning the plot.
Chapter 17: The Frog's Demand
Mercy entered the great hall, rather putout by all the happenings.
The lion noticed. "I didn't expect you back until late," He said. Thoughtfully, he added, "Though I daresay your room is still in order."
Because you never leave this hall – not since I've come.
"Will you make dinner tonight, since you're back?"
He never asked. The lion of her self-inflicted hell demanded.
She smiled sweetly, "Since you asked…" The lion's face brightened slightly. "No." Mercy's face turned into a ferocious glare. "I won't."
He shrugged, as if he knew it was coming, "Have sweet dreams, then, Maiden Mercy."
She didn't respond, but walked to her room, opened the door, entered and slammed the door. She sighed and sat on the bed. Her door began to glow. She gasped. A familiar laughed echoed through the room.
The glows flowed out from the door, and condensed into a solid, shimmering form. She stood and it grew more definition. The head formed, with curly hair. The body gained muscles, and the legs became more distinct.
"Marcus?"
- - - - - - - - - -
A lithe hand was on his shoulder. "You did the right thing, Jonas." He heard her say.
He sighed and blue eyes turned on his wife's green orbs. "Did I? Will it disrupt the balance of everything, particularly, Mercy?"
Queen Anna smiled. "It was the right thing to do, and Renold accepts it."
"Anyone would in his position." Jonas muttered.
The queen of Hanor shook her head; "This will make it easier for Mercy to accept a husband."
Jonas rubbed his temples, "Five more days, Anna, five."
- - - - - - - - - -
The shining form of her brother smiled. Mercy ran to embrace him; she threw out her arms, but flew right through the body. She slammed into the door. The princess thought she might be bruised.
The figure turned, and Mercy noticed with a pang that the laughter from the specter was hollow. It didn't speak, only met her eyes. A hand reached out, and she flinched when the spirit fingers lightly brushed her bare arm.
It stepped back, and the ghostly form of her brother burst into a thousand snowflakes. They never touched the ground.
Mercy slumped to the ground, sobbing.
-
The next morning came too early for the groggy princess. She was tired, because she had cried herself to sleep. She sorely missed her brother. The lion would demand she make breakfast, and worse: she'd have to apologize for last night's rude actions.
After all, she thought, the lion did take me from the dark forest. Glumly, she added, and I traded that for a gilded cage.
She exited her rooms after washing her face and making sure her puffy eyes weren't too noticeable. She didn't wear dresses anymore. Although her closet was filled to the brim with them, perfectly fitted and beautiful, she didn't touch them; she stuck to her worn boys' clothing.
The lion was asleep when she entered his hall; she snuck across the hall and out the servants' door to visit the frog. On her way, she stopped by a rose plant and plucked a petal to give to the frog.
Although the lion was a late sleeper, the frog was up and hopping around her mini island/prison. Mercy set the petal in the water and blew it across the water to the frog and settled into a comfortable position to speak with the frog.
"I'm sorry," Mercy started, "My behavior yesterday was very rude."
"That's alright." The frog said, picking up the petal. "I'm quite used to it."
Mercy shook her black head. "No, it doesn't excuse my actions. Will you still help me?"
"Of course, dear." The green thing hopped about her isle. "What has our antagonist demanded for today?"
Mercy laughed for the first time in what felt like a long time. "I left before His Laziness could awake and give orders." Mercy lay down with her face toward the frog. "I think the lion's palace in haunted. I saw my brother yesterday night."
The frog's eyes became very large. "You saw your brother?"
"It was all quite strange." Mercy told the frog of the encounter, and throughout all of it, the frog was very quite and serious.
"You'd better head back, His Laziness tends to be irritable this time of morning."
Mercy didn't bother to ask how the frog knew that; she'd likely not tell regardless. "Yes, thank you. I'll be back when I get orders," She smiled lightly, "With more petals."
As Mercy walked away, she heard her friend say, "Dear, I only need one per day!"
-
Two more days passed with Mercy in the lion's custody. Her frog friend provided anything the lion demanded, from peaches to venison steaks and water to wine. Mercy upheld her end of the bargain, and never once saw a ghost of her brother.
And never once thought about her predicament with Renold.
-
Mercy woke. She didn't know why she was up so early, the sun had barely crested the hills of her prison, and the lion would never be up so early. The frog and herself had adequately nicknamed him 'His Laziness'.
She crept into the great hall. Following her normal path, she didn't make a sound, at least to her human ears.
"Maiden Mercy," She heard the lion's voice echo across the hall. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and turned to face her master. "I require a strawberry pie for lunch, it must be well-made, and very hot. Bring it at high noon."
She nodded, "Very hot strawberry pie to be delivered at noon." The lion growled slightly, "And of high quality." He nodded and Mercy left. She plucked a rose petal and brought it to the frog, and spent the better part of a morning gathering strawberries for the frog to make the pie.
About an hour from noon, Mercy brought the basket of washed strawberries to the frog's lake and waited. The frog piled wood shavings and Mercy watched at the frog found ingredients from all around the lake and watched with amazement as the frog created dough, and took the strawberries and made the lion's pie.
Just before the pie was finished the frog turned to her, "In order to receive this pie, I ask one favor."
"Anything." Mercy promised before thinking what that could mean.
The frog sighed. "I have a request – nay, a demand," THe frog pointed one webbed finger at the princess of Hanor, "Today, after the lion eats his pie, he shall ask you to stroke him, to soothe him into sleep." The frog smiled at the joke, but that quickly vanished, "After that, you will take the sword hidden between his bed and the wall, raise it above you head a strike the lion's head off."
Mercy stood, shocked. "What?!" She screamed, "Has the scent of the wood shavings made you gone mad? Eaten any foul-tasting bugs lately?" She was surprised at herself, "I can't kill the lion!"
The frog shrugged. "Two reasons: one, you have no choice, two, it took a long time to find these strawberries, and make the pie, therefore you have no time."
Mercy sighed, "You've given me an ultimatum then. Take the pie, and kill the lion, or… make the lion angry and risk never seeing Marcus again."
"Exactly." The frog said.
"Devil toad," Mercy muttered.
The frog seemed to bristle at the comment, "I am no toad!"
Mercy shrugged. "I don't want to kill the lion." What am I saying?
"Then it's a fine thing that we all don't get what we want."
It's just a lion, why can't I do as the frog says?
"Give me that pie." Mercy said without thinking. "God help you, frog, if this is a death sentence!" She took the pie.
The frog placed the rose petal upon her head. "I believe His Laziness is waiting." She stretched out in the sun and fell asleep.
The trip to the palace seemed to take much longer than ever. Each footfall echoed inside her skull and despair took place in her stomach. As her hand touched the large doors she thought,
Can I kill a friend?
- - - - - - - - - - -
Bwhahaha. Evil cliffie.
Review!