The Dancing Princesses
The clear calm night air folded gently around a slim figure perched at the edge of a balcony. Faint shimmering starlight lit the brunette from above while the soft golden cast of lamps lit her from the back. She gazed at the darkness beyond her view. Closing her eyes, she imagined a different view. A blue sky framed by an enormous oak tree, and next to her, mischievous sky blue eyes dancing with laughter. A sigh escaped her lips. The owner of those eyes remained vague and lost in her memories. All her memories before the palace were indistinct and forgotten no matter how desperately she wished to remember.
"Princess Aurora," a male voice called. "The dance is over; a new waltz begins, so please come back."
Aurora glanced once more at the velvety darkness and the life beyond these palace walls. Gathering her skirts in one hand, she accepted his proffered hand. Slyly she began an ongoing joke between them.
"You know William, Rory is just as proper a name for a princess as Aurora."
"I'm sorry milady, tis not proper for a slave, even your personal slave, to call you by any other than her majesty's title for you."
She rolled her eyes at the so oft repeated response. Even after ten years, she never stopped asking to be called Rory. As William lead her in the dance Aurora's eyes lingered on the white slave collar wrapped tightly around his neck. He was no more free than she was, bound by Solange's magic. Dancing absentmindedly the familiar steps, she inwardly remembered the beginning of her nightmare.
It had been fifteen years ago, when a young naïve ten year old had stumbled into a frost laden garden. The little girl had looked in awe at blooming roses encased in ice. In the middle of the garden had stood a tall stately young woman. Her icy blue eyes had been kind as beckoned to the girl with one pale as snow hand. Wary, the girl had inched forward. The women had asked her if she wished to become a princess, loved by all. The girl had protested reminding the women that modern day princess were boring, the only princess worth being belonged to the medieval ages. Besides, the girl had explained, she wasn't royalty. Her parents were famous, a movie actress and a director, but not royal at all. Her white-blonde hair dancing the woman had laughed. What a frank child you are, she had said, so young yet so similar to her. Shadows of pain had flashed briefly in those blue eyes. Who, the girl had asked with childish innocence. My sister, the young women had replied. A moment of silence had passed before she'd spoken again, the pain must be difficult to bear, the separation of parents always is. That comment had startled the young girl; she had wondered how this lady knew of her parents' divorce. The lady had smiled, opened her arms and had said that only those longing for love entered her garden. My garden, she had continued, is a place of healing to those with wounded hearts. She held out her hand to the small child. Would you like to find love again, she had asked.
Slowly, the young girl had placed her hand in the pale white one. Rory Landon had put her trust into the hands of Solange de Chateies, the Snow Queen.
The beginning of a nightmare is never scary Aurora remembered. Her secret encounters in Solange's garden began as simple weekly visits. There Solange would instruct the young girl on how to be a princess of a royal medieval court. Gradually the visits increased to daily as Rory's infatuation deepened. Even when her mom moved to another state for her job Rory was always able to find the ice garden. It cemented her belief in the existence of magic. Glamored by the life of a princess Rory slowly drifted away from her friends and family.
At fifteen, her relationship with her mother deteriorated. One night after an argument, Rory left home. Feeling lost and alone she retreated to the only sanctuary she knew, the ice garden. Solange comforted her and offered her home to the girl. Unthinkingly, Rory accepted. Day and night she lived the life of a princess, with Solange guiding her. They lived in a glittering palace of white stone that stood beyond the ice garden. This was the turning point in the dream. Lessons dragged on longer and harsher, her teacher more strict and exacting. It was then that Rory saw Solange spending time with other girls. Fearing that she had lost Solange's love she threw herself desperately into her lessons. Her efforts were in vain, Solange never smiled for Rory after she moved into the palace. Instead, those ice blue eyes stared cold and contemptuously.
For her sixteenth birthday, Solange began calling Rory by her birth name, Aurora. Rory had protested, her nickname was appropriate enough for a princess. Bearing her punishment silently, Aurora accepted her new name with grace. Soon enough she grew to know the young girls Solange brought in to become princesses. She strived to befriend them and settle them in for their inevitable stay. Aurora watched for years, magically silenced, as eleven other princesses became residents. Instead of rebelling against her prison, Aurora decided to live life here to the fullest, though she never stopped seeking a way to escape.
The long scars lining her back ached as she spun intensely in Will's grip. Once, Aurora had set out to see how far the icy wastelands beyond the castle roamed. She never traveled past the wooden drawbridge. An impenetrable magical barrier blocked her path. To deter her from any escape attempts Solange had punished her harshly. The last trust she had in Solange dripped away with her blood from her wounds.
A young couple twirled by, jostling Aurora out of her grim reminiscing. She smiled at the dark haired and dark skinned woman waltzing with a sandy haired slave. Leanne was Aurora's best friend among the other princesses. Not only were they the same age, but Leanne possessed an insatiable curiosity and incredible intellect that balanced Aurora's desire for immediate action. Their friendship began six years ago when Leanne moved into the palace and only continued to deepen throughout the years. During their spare moments, the pair normally could be found in the castle's extensive library, where thanks to Leanne's photographic memory she was well on to her memorizing the entire place.
Another couple sailed past Aurora and William. Aurora barely suppressed a sigh as she met the sky blue eyed glare of the golden blonde princess. Adelaide Rose. This princess remained the only one of the twelve who actively disliked Aurora and refused to form even an acquaintance with her. Aurora had forgotten the reason for the initial dislike, but no action on her part seemed to convince the golden blonde that Aurora desired friendship. Pushing the matter of Adelaide Rose and her forgotten memories from her mind Aurora focused on dancing with William. Each princess had received a personal slave when they moved into the castle. Besides escorting the princesses to the balls, their personal slave performed any personal actions for the princesses, from fetching items to housework. Aurora had known William for many years. Over that time, they had developed a close bond. Aurora particularly enjoyed the rousing discussions they had. Sometimes she wondered about William's past before Solange's minions captured him.
The pale blush of dawn kissed the edge of the castle's turrets when the silvery chime sounded the end of the ball. William supported Aurora as she limped to her rooms, once there he helped her bandage the blisters and cuts on her feet.
"Thank you William, I have no idea what I'd do without you."
"Yes, those ten thumbs must be really inconvenient for you Princess"
"William!" Aurora lightly smacked his head laughing, "I'll have you know that I do have ten fingers, they just fail in the coordination aspect."
"I have seen your embroidery, Princess. That tangled mass must have been difficult to achieve, pray tell how you managed?"
Blushing madly Aurora shoved the laughing William out of her room.
As the oldest Princesses Aurora and Leanne ran the domestic affairs of the castle, while Solange organized the nightly balls and spent time teaching her princesses. The pretense of a loving friend gradually fell from Solange towards the oldest princesses, turning instead to distant formality. With ten others competing for her attention, the attitude seemed understandable. The pain remained though. It was at times like this that Aurora wondered whether anyone from her old life cared enough to attempt a rescue. Throughout the years, the fragile hope gradually dwindled to barely more than a glimmer.
During one of her few breaks Aurora lounged in the library, reading a novel she had started a few months before and as of yet remained unfinished.
"Aurora! Look at this!"
Aurora turned towards the shout, seeing Leanne barreling forward, brown eyes sparkling madly with excitement. She held up a hand to stop the incoming figure. Leanne slowed minutely at the gesture, before descending half way gracefully onto the leather couch next to Aurora.
"Here, look at this book."
Leanne placed an old worn and dusty tome on the table before them. The green vellum was cracking with age and the gilded edges were barely visible. Embossed on the cover in faded gold letters read Magick: A Guide to the Impossible. Aurora looked in awe at Leanne.
"Where did you find this?"
Leanne grinned, gesturing behind self to her slave Kyle, "He discovered it when we were searching the top shelves in the back. This tome was stacked behind some tomes of medicinal plants."
"Incredible," Aurora breathed .
"That's not all, here on the inside front cover."
Leanne flipped the tome carefully revealing inky letters inscribed there. It took a few moments but Aurora read the curly inscription and gasped. Solange De Chateies. Leaning closely Leanne spoke softly, "Is it possible for this to be the key to her all her spells?"
"It is a possibility, though, I'm sure the Queen would use more than one tome."
Leanne smiled, eyes glittering with borderline mania, "Are we waiting for an invitation? Let's begin!" As the young women began their study, soft chuckles emanated from their personal attendants who watched with amusement.
Hours later.
"Ugh! This is getting us nowhere!"
Leanne flopped down on her bed. At some point, the young women migrated to the comfort of Leanne's bedchamber. Aurora glanced up from her notes.
"What did you expect? It's a tome of magical theory not the Queen's personal journal."
Leanne sighed heavily, "I know, I just hoped," her voice trembled, " we'd find the counter spell to the slave collars."
Aurora hugged her friend tightly as Leanne sobbed softly. Aurora crooned soothingly in the dark haired ears. Her friend's crush on her slave Kyle began when they met, five years ago, but only in the last few years had the feeling deepened to love. Aurora knew that Leanne threw herself recklessly into learning magic in order to free him. Eventually Leanne leaned away from Aurora, wiping her eyes. Silently, Aurora handed over her handkerchief.
"How do you stand it, Aurora? You've known William longer than I've known Kyle." Aurora turned to the window, staring out at the blue sky.
"Of course I want to see William free," she began softly, "I do love him, though only as a friend, but," her voice hardened, "if you're not careful she will punish you. I've learned many things during my stay in the castle; the most important is to avoid the Queen's anger."
The ball that night drifted sluggishly. Aurora admired the gorgeous room as she sipped wine from a silver amethyst encrusted goblet. White marble walls lined the floor, draped with dark blue silk. The high arches and domed ceiling opened up the room and provided a sense of ethereal lightness. Delicately carved tiles in the shape of snowflakes dotted the floor as soft gray tiles formed the rest of the surface. A slight tugging on her sleeve drew Aurora's attention downwards to the light brown eyes of the eleven-year-old Pryiabelle.
"Aurora, will you dance with me? I've danced with Jerome forever and you make dancing wonderfully fun!"
"Of course, sweetie, I'd love to dance with you."
She gave her goblet to William and lead Pryiabelle to the center of the dance floor. Aurora bowed graciously in her heavy brocade skirts, extending one arm to the younger girl proclaiming in a dramatic air.
"Would Princess Pryiabelle care to dance with me?" Giggling Pryiabelle replied in a haughty tone, "Why of course, I'm only the best dancer at the ball."
With that they set off, twirling around the hall in time to the stately music. Laughter and happiness followed the pair, eliciting amusement from the onlookers. Gaiety overfilled the ballroom, aided in part by the breath-taking jig the musicians performed. All too quickly, the music ended and Aurora, eyes sparkling mischievously, bowed low again.
"This humble person thanks the Princess for deigning to dance with me." Pryiabelle followed suit gravely curtsying to Aurora, "The pleasure was mine, kind sir."
The solemn moment lasted until Pryiabelle giggled, which prompted Aurora's own giggles. Soon both were shaking with soft laughter.
Aurora had scarcely brought Pryiabelle back to her attendant before the other young princesses bombarded her with requests to dance. Laughing she accepted them one after another, dancing the night away. Exhaustion lined the dancers' faces when the dawn gong heralded the end of another ball.
Tonight Aurora's feet ached monstrously. Even aided by the shoulder of William she stopped to rest just across the threshold of the ballroom. Glancing down she glimpsed the tiled floor and froze. Slowing she straightened, glancing around for Leanne. Not seeing her, she proceeded with William towards her own suite of rooms. Once there she asked William for some warm towels and tea from the kitchens. Once he left she glided across the hall to Leanne's quarters. Kyle looked slightly puzzled when she opened the wooden door to the sitting room. She ignored him except to tell him to watch for William to let him know her whereabouts. With an outwards calm that belied her stormy emotions, Aurora entered Leanne's bedchamber. The room was perfect for her friend, two floor to ceiling bookcases graced the walls nearest the door while a desk and queen sized canopy bed done in purple silk occupied the remaining space. On the bed Aurora found her friend bottling a jar of homemade healing salve, unused clean bandages on the bed next to her.
"The extra jars of salve are located on the second bookcase to the right next to the books on animal anatomy. Though I just gave –" Her voice cut off as she noticed Aurora made no move for the bookcase and instead only gently closed the door behind her. Her face must have betrayed her fear since Leanne immediately rushed over and gripped her arms.
"What happened?" She whispered fiercely, gazing into Aurora's hazel eyes. Slowly Aurora began to speak, voice flat in shock.
"Tonight I looked at the tiles that ring the ballroom floor. Carved into the white tiles were runes. I only recognized a few but enough to understand the enchantment. She's killing us by slowly draining our life through the tiles." Aurora heard a sharp intake of breath but continued on, "She used the druid runes of 'store', 'blood', and 'drain'. As our blood falls, it seeps into the curves of the runes collecting our inherent magic in the blood stream and converting it to raw magical power. This is the reasoning behind her command for us to dance barefoot; nothing hinders our bloody feet from smearing across the runes. She requires us to dance since the kinetic energy enhances our inherent magic. If all she needed was blood she would whip us instead."
Silence dominated the room. Leanne's mouth gaping silently in shock, Aurora barely noticed, her head in her hands. Gradually Leanne recovered her voice.
"Well," she began weakly, "that tome on magic really was useful in the end." Aurora stared at her nonplussed. "If we hadn't found it we would never have learned any magical runes or discovered part of her enchantment."
"That's a good thing?!" Aurora's voice cracked in disbelief, "If we never found that tome my misguided belief that Solange cared for us would remain unshattered! But now! I knew logically that her love was fake, who couldn't after years of neglect, but somewhere deep in my heart I believed, hoped that so small piece of her loved us…loved me." Halfway through her rant Aurora's voice slowly dwindled with sadness. Tears plopped down her cheeks in clear streams. Leanne made to hug Aurora, she stopped her with a negative shake of her head.
"I'm alright now. I just feel numb, all my lingering affection for Solan-no, the Snow Queen, has fled, trampled by her inhumanity and greed."
A knock sounded on the wooden door, breaking the dead silence.
"Princess Leanne? William has arrived for Princess Aurora," Kyle called through the thick wood.
Aurora stood up, only slightly unsteadily. Glancing down at her rumpled and tearstained dress she remarked nonchalantly if a bit dazedly, "I wonder how many dressed I have left, now that another one's ruined. I might be down to two." Leanne laughed, really laughed, small tears forming in her eyes. Castle legends infamously told of Princess Aurora's inability to care for her clothes. Every other week one accident or another completely demolished her attire. Just last week Princess Aurora had visited the kitchens, clean when she arrived yet when she left char spotted her gown and a huge stain littered her front.
Huffing at Leanne's laughter Aurora exited the bedchamber, grabbing the jars of salve on her way out.
A week had passed since Aurora found the runes on the ball room floor, in that time Leanne discovered an enchantment on each of the princesses. Magic left a trace on everything it touched, only visible to the trained eye. This trace, unique to its owner, is comprised of tiny almost transparent sparkles. The sparkles faded as the spell aged, the newer the spell the more prominent and densely pack the sparkles appeared. Now Leanne and Aurora knew why young women readily descended into the Snow Queen's arms, she enchanted them. Compulsion enchantments on humans are tricky though, the caster needs to exploit a weakness in the target and offer what was missing. In the Snow Queen's case, she offered familia love to young women from broken families, coercing them with their deepest desire.
On this particular occasion, Aurora and Leanne lounged on Aurora's bed, comparing notes on the various enchantments and rereading the guide to magic.
"Oh! I've remembered something!" Leanne exclaimed, rushing over to Aurora, "Composite spells!"
"Of course," Aurora smacked herself on the face lightly, "That explains everything. A composite spell provides the caster with the ability to tie multiple enchantments together yet only absorbs the amount of magic to fuel one spell."
"A composite spell explains more than that though," Leanne replied her gaze in the air as her analytical mind theorized, "A composite spell is incredibly complex, requiring a solid base enchantment and additional control of the objects under the spell. The most effective control spells use the names of the objects, true names are preferred yet the commonly used name is an adequate substitute..." Leanne's voice faded as the implications struck her, "Oh, our names."
Aurora nodded, "She changes your name once you live in the castle. It strengths her hold over you and deepens the enchantment."
"I'd not be surprised if changing our names also fogs our memories. I can barely remember my family or my name." Leanne's voice was soft.
"Well," Aurora chuckled wetly, "my verbal spats with William have become handy I suppose; I've never forgotten my real name."
"I think that if someone else knows your real name it will weaken the Snow Queen's hold on them." Leanne took a deep breath. "My name is Lena LaMarelle."
"That's a beautiful name, my name is Rory Landon."
The young women smiled at each other, their friendship deepening over shared secrets.
Months passed for the captives of the Snow Queen's castle. By working together and enlisting the aid of their fellow captives the princesses discovered the complete extent of the composite spell used by the Snow Queen. Other than the draining spell and the control spell, two other spells comprised the enchantment on the princesses. One prevented magical healing of wounds and another tied their essence to the magical barrier. Even if they escaped from the castle, they would be unable to pass the barrier itself. Armed with the knowledge of her enchantment, Rory and Lena set about weakening her power base. The Snow Queen herself provided the weak links they needed. For an enchantment to continue past a decade, the caster needs to continue offering the object from the original casting. In her arrogance Solange believed herself too powerful and never renewed her binding enchantment.
Slowly all the princesses weakened Solange's power over them. In the Snow Queen's absences each Princess called each other by their real name, the one they used before their capture. For some it was hard to let go of the false names that they had used for years, for others it was as easy as breathing. Unfortunately, it took only a short time for the slaves and the castle staff to uncover their plot.
"What are you doing?" William hissed, arm clenched around Rory's. "If the Snow Queen discovers your dissent she'll kill you!"
"She's already killing me!" Rory retorted.
"You're just making it easier for her. You've lived here the longest of the princesses; please persuade them to give up this foolish nonsense."
"No." Rory's flat denial had William tearing out his hair in frustration.
"Can't you see? I'm giving them hope, hope that one day we'll be free."
"A false hope is worse than no hope at all. All of you will die!"
"Better to die fighting for freedom then to sit in my gilded age and slowly fade away to nothing."
Rory closed the gap between them, her voice determined, "Please don't stop me. I have to do this, for everyone."
Looking at her face, William sighed in defeat. Gently he gathered Rory's hand and kissed it softly. "I see that I can't change your mind, so I will help you in any way I can."
"Thank you." Rory whispered, eyes shining.
With the help of William, the trust worthy members of the staff learned of the Princesses plot. Many willing assisted in any way they could. Using the princesses' real names and distracting the loyal servants of the Snow Queen to prevent her from ever knowing of the conspiracy.
One day Lena stepped into Rory's room Kyle close behind, her face bright and hopeful. Turning to Kyle, she gestured for him to speak. Kyle bowed low to Rory.
"Princess, I come to offer you my services. I belong to the Ever After School of Characters located in North America. Years ago, some of our female adventures began to go missing. We searched everywhere for them but could never locate them. Six years ago, we discovered the garden of ice. There we learned of the Snow Queens' scheme."
Something about Ever After School sounded familiar, but Rory couldn't quite remember. Dismissing the matter, she listened to Kyle intently.
"Lena, who was also a part of the EAS, decided to come undercover to decimate the Snow Queen from the inside."
"Unfortunately, we underestimated the power of her enchantment and I fell completely under her grasp." Lena admitted sheepishly. Kyle smiled at her softly before continuing his tale.
"So I came as spy as well; I became the personal slave to Princess Leanne. The Snow Queen's enchantment was too strong for me to break single-handedly so all I've been able to do is send reports to EAS headquarters." He stopped and took Rory's hands in his own, "Now, thanks to you, we've been able to weaken the Snow Queen's magic more in three months then in the ten years we've tried."
Kissing her fingertips, he offered his services again. Rory gratefully accepted his offer. From Kyle she learned that there was an army of Fey warriors on standby for her orders. That surprised her enough that she fell from her chair with a squawk of disbelief. The four of them, Lena, Rory, Kyle, and William-who insisted on participating-strategized for hours before deciding on a course of action. To distract and weaken the Snow Queen, the Fey warriors would destroy some of her well known allies. The princesses in the castle would continue developing counter spells to her other enchantments.
Hours later, when she climbed under her satin sheets, Rory wondered how she became the leader of this conspiracy. It was mind boggling how many servants and slaves came to offer her their allegiance that day alone.
The diversions the Fey created produce an unintended side effect. The Snow Queen increased the draw on the draining spell. Now instead of a trickle of drain it was like a whirlpool sucking them dry. It was seen in the exhaustion-lined faces appearing earlier and earlier in the night. Some nights, a few of the younger princesses fainted during a dance. Solange was drawing recklessly from the girls, no thought to how long they could sustain her pull.
This time at the ball, fourteen-year-old Chatty slumped across her attendant, Ben, fighting to counteract her dizziness. Seeing this Rory quickly made her way over. She took a flask from her pocket and handed it to Ben.
"Here, it's a restorative draught. Cook made a new batch this morning."
Ben took it with thanks, leading his charge to a nearby seat to rest. Grimly Rory watched them, turning, she nearly ran into William. He looked at her face and sighed.
"There's no hope for you is there? Always off to do something brave."
Rory smiled at him, "No, this might be a stupid thing to do not brave, but," she glanced as those weary faces next to her, "the people here have suffered so much. I would do anything to alleviate their pain."
"I agree, my princess. Now what do you have in mind?"
Rory explained her plan. William raised an eyebrow but nodded his assent. Together they asked everyone to evacuate the tiles to rest. It was a testament to their weariness that everyone; princess, slave, or servant agreed.
The opening notes of a soft waltz echoed around the vaulted ceiling. Positioned in the center of the white ballroom Rory and William danced. Her full skirts swirled and spun, his pale golden brown suit complementing her fern green gown. Together they appeared as lonely soldiers battling on fields of snow.
"Princess Aurora!"
The call was distant, easily ignorable.
"Aurora!"
Someone was calling again, why? She needed to dance, not distracted by people calling her name.
" RORY!"
That call caught her attention, the hands shaking her shoulders helped as well. She turned under the force of the hands; it was Lena, her dark face tight with worry and pain.
"Stop dancing Rory, you've done enough. Someone else can dance for you" Her tired brain slowly processed Lena's plea. She shook her head just as slowly.
"I can't," her voice soft yet determined, "The Snow Queen expects more power from her spell. There's only one day left before the Fey strike, she needs to remain unaware of it." She looked around at the slumping figures, "Besides the younger ones don't have enough strength left as it is, this pace will kill them. I refuse to allow any one of them to die."
Rory smiled softly, "So I will dance."
Lena turned towards William, "William, you stop her nonsense right now!"
"I am sorry, your highness, but I am afraid that I cannot stop her. This is Princess Aurora's decision. Though, I will help her in any way that I can."
"Of course you would take her side." Lena grumbled under her breath. She grabbed Kyle's hand, who had watched the entire exchange silently.
"This dance will be my dance as well Princess Aurora." A soft smile lit Rory's face at the courage in her friend's eyes. They curtsied to their partners and began the next polka.
For hours they danced, sparing the other princesses as much as possible. As each dance passed, Rory found it harder and harder to breathe, sweat poured down her back. At her limit, Rory envisioned those laughing blue eyes and somehow knew that their owner would approve and accompany her in her actions. Bolstered by this knowledge Rory's strength lasted til dawn.
As the blood red sun crested the horizon, the dawn bell sounded and Rory fell. She landed on the cold, blood-smeared tiles, her head caught with gentle hands before she slammed into the floor. A thump beside her told her that William had also fallen. Dimly, she saw Lena and her escort totter and collapse. Servant rushed to help them, gathering the four fallen into their arms to carry them. William's sweat soaked hand brushed hers and she squeezed it gratefully before welcoming the numbness of unconsciousness.
Unbeknowst to her, Princess Aurora gained the respect and affection of all the servants that night, even those loyal to the Snow Queen. By dancing as she did, refusing for others to dance with her, demonstrated her compassion. The enchantment on the tiles affected all who cross the threshold, even the servants, so her dancing saved everyone pain. Princess Leanne as well garnered respect from all those present.
Sleep and many restorative draughts later Rory, Lena, Kyle, and William we recovered enough to leave bed the next afternoon. Then all chaos broke loose.
Miriam noticed it first. She burst into the library startling Rory and Chatty on the couches.
"Miriam! What's wrong?" Rory asked in surprise. The younger girl rushed to the floor to ceiling bay windows, grabbing Rory's hand as she went. Chatty followed a step behind.
Panting Miriam gestured towards the sky, "I saw it first from my sitting room then I rushed here to look. The sky's cracking apart!"
It was an apt description. The magical domed barrier was developing fine hairline cracks along its surface, barely visible. Suddenly a massive boom sounded from outside the wall, causing the tears to widen and lengthen.
"Someone's trying to break in!" Chatty exclaimed.
"Yes," Rory whispered, "Someone is."
Quickly Rory turned to William who was staring wide eyed at the cracking barrier. "Gather the servants and organize the evacuation," she ordered. He turned, saw her face and nodded, vanishing beyond the door.
"Now," she turned to the younger girls who watched her silently, "gather all the others and take them outside. Lena will know where to go." Chatty spun around and darted out the door, while Rory snagged Miriam's arm.
"When you find Kyle, send him to the ballroom alright?" Miriam nodded and was off. Smiling dangerously, her hazel eyes glinting wickedly, Rory set off.
The conspirators had planned for this eventuality. William and Lena would evacuate the castle with the help of the slave sand servants while Kyle and Rory struck one last blow to the Snow Queen.
Quickly Rory strode to the ballroom. The room had already been disastrously affected by the blows to the barrier, cracks appearing in the white marble walls. Spying a spear lying on the ground Rory picked it up. She would have preferred a sword, but this would do. She glared at the white tiles, covered in runes. Lifting the spear as far as her aching muscles could stand she brought it down as hard as she could.
CRACK!
The tile split in jagged pieces, blue sparks exploding from it. The reverberations echoed in the stately hall. Overhead, outside the castle, another tremendous boom sounded. Rory guessed that a section of the barrier had fallen in. She hoped nothing landed on the castle before the evacuation was complete. She brought the down again, shattering another tile. Two down, many more to go, she though grimly, lifting the spear again.
Half of tiles in the circle were smashed when the heavy ornate ballroom doors swung open. A half dozen fey warriors in glittering gold armor strode in. Rory relaxed when she saw Kyle standing with them. A fey in golden armor but slightly different style ran to Rory, she assumed he was the commander of this platoon. As he approached, she noticed he was taller than her and had curly blonde hair escaping his helmet.
Inclining his head in respect the commander asked, "You are Princess Aurora? Kyle led us here to help you." His voice was young. She judged him to be about her age.
"Yes, I am Aurora." She curtsied before slamming her spear down on a tile. The castle shook slightly with that blow.
The commander saw the trail of shattered tiles in her wake and understood immediately. Gesturing to his men, he slammed the handle of his sword into a blue tile. It cracked immediately, blue sparkles exploding from the fissures. Swiftly his warriors followed suit, even Kyle procured a sword and helped smash the tiles. They had a dozen tiles left when the commander spoke again.
"This spell is incredibly large and complex, but is it enough for the magical backlash to significantly harm the Snow Queen?"
Rory shook her head, "Unlikely. The Snow Queen possesses immense amounts of magical power. It would take the destruction of multiple of her complex working for her to feel any backlash."
Magic workings are finicky, they remain permanent unless they faded or dismantled, but they needed to be dismantled properly or the magic in the spell rebounded back to its castor. The severity of the backlash depended on the power in the spell; the greater the spell the harsher the backlash.
"A working such as the barrier protecting the castle?"
Rory smirked, but before she replied the last tile shattered. An explosion of blue magic knocked them to the floor, shaking the castle like an earthquake. Masonry dropped from the ceiling with a groan shattering the already damaged floor. The commander quickly swept Rory into his arms and jumped. Fiery orange wings unfurled behind him. His warriors followed suit. Rory saw one of his warriors hoist Kyle onto his back, black wings outstretched. They flew across the room, dodging falling debris. Smashing through the glass doors leading to the balcony, they shot clear of the crumbling castle.
Below her, Rory saw an army spread out across the lawn. There was a slight gape in the line and the remnants of the Snow Queen's ice army stood there, surrounded. The fey warrior, with Rory and Kyle, descended to land next to a General in blazing white armor.
Looking at the army Rory immediately saw that the magic allowing the ice statues to move had vanished. Peering around Rory noticed that all of the Snow Queen's spells had disappeared. White slave collars littered the ground and their owners were rejoicing. Rory frowned, a mass termination of a sorceress' enchantments meant that their castor died.
"General Hansel, where is the Snow Queen?" While Rory was looking around the blonde haired commander had approached as tall middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair.
"There, Commander Turnleaf, among the remains of her army." General Hansel pointed to an ice statue at the edge of ice army. The transparent statue glittered in the sunlight, showing no sign that it had once been a living human being. Rory shivered, she felt pity for the Snow Queen. No one deserved a death of becoming ice. Magical backlash could not be undone however and Solange de Chateies, the Snow Queen was gone forever.
Faint music woke Rory. Confused by her surroundings she blinked. White canvas walls and multiple beds with hospital like curtains filled her field of vision. She blinked again; now she remembered the events of yesterday.
The barrier shattering, the castle exploding, destroying all those tiles. Rory remembered it all. After the Snow Queen's demise, her magic spells failed, freeing everyone under her enchantments. Then General Hansel sent all those recently freed from her spells to the infirmary to check for possible adverse effects of any enchantments.
She sighed in relief that the whole ordeal was over. She reached for the glass of water next to her cot, bandaged hands proving clumsy. Gretel, the kind chief healer, saw her movement and limped unsteadily over. The swishing of her cream healer uniform revealed a too small bronze leg, explaining the limp. Something was undoubtable familiar about this woman but Rory couldn't remember. Gretel smiled reassuringly at Rory.
"How are you feeling dear? Any pain or soreness?"
"No, there's none madam. I feel perfectly fine."
Gretel patted Rory gently one the cheek. "I'm glad there's no pain. You were my most injured patient last night; a multitude of scraps and cuts. It was almost as if you had run into a storm of glass shards. The cut on your shoulder was seriously deep. I was surprised when you arrived last night, no tears, no whining. You just sat there calm as you please."
Rory felt the shoulder the woman mention and winced. A thick pad of bandages lay there covering her from collarbone to elbow. Gretel handed her a ceramic mug of faintly steaming green liquid. At the inquiring glance, Gretel explained.
"That's a strong restorative and healing draught. Aside from your other injuries you had magical exhaustion, now drink up."
Taking a sip Rory grinned with pleasure. Whoever said medicine always tasted awful was wrong. Seeing Rory drink, the healer turned from her cot and went towards one on the far side of the tent where Rory could just barely see a dark-haired shape turn fitfully in sleep. Rory sipped her draught and relished the feeling of freedom blooming in her chest. She was free. She could go back to her family… Rory paused mid sip. A horrifying thought came to her.
What if her family didn't want her? She certainly had burnt her bridges by running away. How could she find them anyway? It had been five years without contactand her memories remained frustratingly fuzzy and vague. She could only hope that the love she felt for them was enough. Rory sipped the remainder of her draught in sad silence, ruminating on depressing thoughts. Tears slipped, unbidden down her cheeks. Angrily she wiped them away with her bandaged hands.
A handkerchief was put in front of her view. Glancing up Rory saw the young blonde commander from yesterday. With murmured thanks, she took the proffered item, gently rubbing her eyes. He took a seat next to her.
"A maiden should never cry alone."
Rory was unsure what to say to that so she thanked him again. She wondered why he was here.
"I heard you were awake and came to see how you were doing," He grinned, a dimple flashing, "You were so banged up yesterday that I needed to carry you here. It's only fitting that I come to see since I rescued you."
Rory blushed crimson. She then noticed his bandaged hands. She grasped one gently, turning it over to expect the damage.
"Oh no! You were hurt because you helped me. I'm so sorry." She exclaimed sniffling. He took one of her hands in his own kissed the linen covered fingertips.
"It was a very brave thing you did yesterday, smashing all those tiles on your own. I'm just sorry that we weren't there sooner to help." Something about his voice and face were bothering her. Gazing into his sky blue eyes, she realized why they were so familiar. She had to make sure though.
"Chase ?" She whispered, "Chase Turnleaf?" He tilted his head, blue eyes tinted with surprise. That was all the confirmation she needed. Covering her eyes with her hands, she burst into tears softly. She felt his hand on her shoulders comforting her and his murmured, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
"I remember. I remember you. You were my best friend at EAS." Memories tumbled into her mind making it ache. All the memories suppressed by the Snow Queen became crystal-clear, as she made them yesterday. Rory barely felt the tighter grip of Chase's hand, her memories holding her close. She remembered EAS, her family, all the girls captured after her-she knew them!-Lena had been her friend for years. Lifting her tear streaked face she gazed into Chase's troubled eyes and smiled.
"It's me Chase, Rory Landon."
He stared unbelieving at her. She scrambled to remember the things that they had done together.
"I smeared chocolate cake all over your hair and face in sixth grade and you retorted by frightening me with a glamour of Iron Hans."
For a moment nothing happened. Then Chase crushed Rory in a bone-breaking hug. Soft sobs sounded near her ear. Gently she wrapped her arms around him as his shoulders shook.
"I missed you so much. I was devastated when my best friend disappeared in sophomore year. After you went missing I search everywhere for months; everyone at EAS did too. No one could find any trace of you. It was as if you had vanished from the face of the earth."
He drew back wiping his eyes, grinning Rory offered him his own handkerchief.
"Just when I lost hope another girl disappeared, exactly as you did. No doubt there was a connection between your disappearance and hers so EAS doubled their search parties. Needless to say, we found nothing. For years, young girls and women disappeared no matter our efforts. Then finally, we managed to identify and track the magic here, to the Snow Queen.
"It was then, a few years ago, that Lena went undercover and Kyle soon followed. Based on his information EAS was able to plan. It was amazing, Rory," He spoke eyes shining in wonder, "All the species of the magical realms united to face the Snow Queen. All the elves, fey, dwarfs, even some giants pledged their help. Hundreds of years of enimity, poof! Gone in a single night.
He hugged her again. Almost as if he didn't want to let go in case she vanished again.
"After you left I threw myself into my swordsmanship and became a commander in the Unseelie Court's Army. By becoming a commander I was privy to the information regarding the search and the Snow Queen. During the attack today I hoped that you would be there. I'm such an idiot!"
He smacked himself in the head, "Why didn't I see it? Aurora is your birth name, yet I still failed to recognize you. My best friend." His voice was low and self-deprecating.
Rory grabbed his hands, running her fingers along his. He turned to face her again, having looked away in guilt.
"It's not your fault," she began, "I've been gone ten years. That's a lot of time for someone to change."
"I wish I had found you sooner."
"No, I'm glad you found me at all. I missed you deeply Chase."
She took a shaky breath, here was the hard part. "Could we…possibly-maybe…be friends again. Even after so long?" Chest tight she looked in to his face. He was grinning in a way that made her heart flutter.
"We were never not friends Rory. Sheesh, ten years under an enchantment must mess with your head."
The tightness eased in her chest and she gave him a smile of her own. A few minutes later Lena crushed them in a hug crying with happiness. Laughing Rory freed herself and dished out Chase's much used handkerchief.
Finding Chase heralded a new time for Rory; one of restoration with her family and happiness.
THE END