ᴍʏ ғᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀs ||ᴍᴀʟᴇ! ᴍᴇʀɪᴅᴀ||

❤︎ Chapter Twelve

Elinor, Merdius, and Blair all headed out into the forest in search of the witches castle. Not taking Angus of course, a bear can't fit on a horse. "We must head back to the ring of stones." The young Prince stated as he led the way.

Blair walked beside him, her blue dress still dirty and worn. They didn't have any time to change into fresh clothing due to the Queen becoming a bear. "I don't know if it'll be that easy Mer. Witches like to hide their homes and shops." She said.

Both Elinor and Merdius glanced at her, confused of how she knew so much. "How do you know about witches?" The Prince asked curiously.

Blair just shrugged her shoulders. "I just do. When I was little I was taken in by a witch until I was-" she stopped for a moment to think. "16 years old. But she suddenly disappeared and I was alone again." She sighed softly, frowning at the memory. The witch that took her in felt like a grandmother to her and sometimes that's what she called the old women.

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They had finally made it to the ring of stones, Merdius started looking around and calling out to the wisps. "Here wisps. Come on out." He shouted into the darkness. But nothing popped up. The young lad groaned as he kept searching behind and around the stones. "You won't show now that my mums here."

Blair watched him, amused. She chuckled at the queens confused expression. "Mer-" she started. "They're not gonna show up if you want them to."

The prince slumped his shoulders with a frown. "I-I know that. But without them, I have no clue where the cottage is."

The Queen raised her hand up to silence her son. She grabbed Blair's hand, protectively, and turned to led them to a different direction. "Come on Mer!" Blair called out as they entered the forest.

Merdius groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Does she think I just happened upon a witch's cottage?" He asked no one in particular as he followed behind the two women.

Blair glanced up at the queens bear figure. She could see how the witch made a spell to turn her into a bear. Bears were stubborn as well as humans. Plus, Merdius did call her a beast once.

"Merdius." Blair called back to the boy, glancing behind her. "The wisps led you to the witch right?" She asked. The prince nodded towards the girl. "I'm not a big fan of destiny or fate, but I know the wisps lead you to your fate." She glanced back at Elinor who had started listening in. "This all have happened for a reason."

The Queen nodded her head, agreeing. But she still didn't like being the one stuck as a bear. The three were silent as they kept in search of the cottage. Merdius glanced around, noticing the familiar giant tree the cottage was built into. "Oh! Here we are!" He said excitedly as he ran to the front door.

He quickly slammed the door opened and stepped inside. He frowned when he noticed the whole cottage was empty. "She was here!" He groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Blair sighed. "She must've moved. Or had some place else to be." She said softly, gently grabbing the boys hand to comfort him. "We can see if she left a message." She suggested, tugging his arm to follow her inside. The young girl accidentally tripped over a wire, not noticing it was there.

This set off the Rube Goldberg machine which brought up the witch's cauldron. The giant pot glowed a bright blue as Merdius helped the young girl back to her feet. "See-" she chuckled. "I figured she left us a message."

The pair cautiously walked up to the cauldron, which a ghostly image appeared. It was the witch. "Welcome to the Crafty Craver, home of bear carvings and novelties. I am completely out of stock at this time, but if you'd like to inquire about a portrait or wedding cake topper, pour vial one into the cauldron. If you'd like a Bedouin garlic, vial two. If you're that red-haired lad, vial three." The witchs room echoed across the room.

Three vials sat on a small table next to the cauldron, all three different colors. Merdius picked up the third one that was made for him. He popped the lid open and poured its contents into the cauldron. "Prince-" the witch then began. "I'm off to the Wickermans festival in Stoneleigh. I won't be back until Spring. There's one but I forgot to mention about the spell. By the second sunrise, your spell will be permanent."

Blair's eyes widened as she glanced at Elinor who stood behind them. The Queen scowled at her son. The witch continued- "unless you remember these words;" the witch's ghostly image suddenly turned red as she spoke. "Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride."

Merdius frowned and muttered to himself. "Fate be changed? Mend the bond? What does she mean?" he asked, not understanding the meaning behind all this.

Blair shrugged as she sighed softly. "I'm not sure. But in due time it'll make sense." She said as she glanced back at the cauldron, the image starting to talk about.

"Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride." The witch repeated her words. "That's it! Ta-Ta! Oh, and thank you for shopping at Crafty Carvers!" And with that, the image disappeared.

Merdius panicked, grabbing the vials and pouring them all into the cauldron. "No! No! Come back!" The whole room started to glow a bright blue, alarming the queen whom grabbed the two protectively as the cauldron blew up and the cottage disappeared. The three stood in silence, soaking up the new information.

Blair watched as all hope drained from Merdius and Elinors eyes. The girl frowned as she cleared her throat. "We will figure out a way. There has to be another solution." She gently grabbed Merdius hand and Elinors paw. "Please, don't give up hope. We still have time." She gave the two a reassuring smile.

The young prince smiled back at the girl, his heart thumping in his chest. 'Gosh, she's so pretty.' He thought in his mind, a blush creeping up. The Queen noticed this but quickly shook it off.

"We need to get a good nights sleep." Blair said as she chewed on her lower lip. "My- uh- old cave is nearby. Let's sleep in there for tonight." She said as she motioned for the two to follow. She had hoped she didn't ever go back, but tonight it was the only place to sleep.

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Blair had lit the torch's she has made hanging against the cave walls. The light allowed the three to see. Elinor glanced around the cave, frowning at the thought of the young girl having slept on the cold floor. A small fire pit sat in the middle, very few blankets scattered in a pile and some small bowls forgotten on the cave floor. "Home sweet home." Blair chuckled sadly. She grabbed some of the blankets and handed them to Merdius.

The young prince shook his head, gathering all the blankets and making a pile for the two to sleep together. "I know it gets chilly at night. It won't hurt with us sleeping next to each other." This caused Blair to blush at the thought, but he was right. It got chilly.

Elinor watched the two with a small smile on her face. Maybe she was being too hard on her son. She stretched her furry limbs before plopping on the crowd with a yawn.

The two teenagers sat beside each other on the pile of blankets as Merdius started a small fire. "We'll figure everything out Mer." Blair reassured as she gently grabbed his free hand. "You'll have your mother back."

Merdius let out a small sigh. "I know I took this whole situation too far. I just-" he glanced over at his mother, who was already fast asleep. "I want to write my own destiny."

Blair smiled, leaning over and placing a small kiss against his cheek. "And you will. Your mother will come around." She said, yawning. She laid down on the pile as Merdius finished the fire. The young prince laid down beside her, hesitating before wrapping his arms around her and allowing her to lay her head atop his chest.

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♥ Thank you for reading! ♥