A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Seventy-Four

Desdemona lingered into one of her mirrors, rubbing the back of her hand, where the skin looked aged and wrinkled. She was getting older and older with each day, and there were very few young maidens left in the kingdom for her to steal youth and beauty from. Taking the life of her stepdaughter was her only chance, otherwise she would be stuck like this forever, her powers vulnerable, as long as Princess Charlotte lives.

When Striker reported to Desdemona that their plan with the poisoned comb had failed and that Charlotte was still alive, she went into a rage worse than the last one. She ranted and raved, she could barely breathe. She felt the walls closing in on her, and the weed of envy strangling her from the inside. It seemed impossible for her to know any peace until the young princess was dead.

"Why?!" She demanded to know from her mirror. "Why will she not die?! The laces should have suffocated her and the comb should have stopped her heart! Yet she still lives! How?!

"If you really want to know." The spirit replied. "It is because she is pure, innocent, and good. Such goodness is too strong for witchcraft. Even dark magic has its limits and it's not strong enough to kill anyone truly innocent and good."

"You choose now, to tell me that?!"

"You never asked."

"Well if I can't kill her with witchcraft, can't I just have Striker hunt her down and rip out her heart?!"

"No good, he'd never get close enough to do her in. She's too well-protected, she's never left alone."

"So a stranger wouldn't be able to get close to her?"

"Correct."

"But what if it wasn't a stranger? What if it was one of those filthy alps?" The wicked woman started to think of a new and especially horrible plan. "I'm sure one of them could be bribed to do the deed."

"Not likely. They've fallen victim to Charlotte's beauty and goodness, like all the others. Even the alp Blitzo who utterly despises human beings and is completely ruled by greed, cannot bring himself to harm her for any reason."

"Then I'll bewitch one of them to do it! I'll use the same spell I cast on her father."

"That spell only works on humans. Mythical creatures like them have stronger will power and can easily see through deceptive charms. Also two of them are in a happy, seduction-proof marriage."

"Then is there a human I can use it on? A human who's close to her?"

"Only one at the time being. The cursed prince who helped her escape from Striker."

"You mean that nasty beast is still human?"

"He doesn't look it, but yes technically he is still a human being."

"So the spell would work on him?"

"Yes, but I'd advise against it. With this human, the spell might not be as full proof as you would expect."

"And why is that?"

"His heart yearns for Charlotte, he loves her above everything and everyone in his life. She is his one and only weakness, there's nothing he wouldn't do for her. He would die a thousand deaths before he ever harmed her."

"But he's a man and every man has needs. And if he can't have his way with Charlotte, I'm certain he'd be more than willing to succumb to my charms."

"I'm afraid, you won't be able to charm this one. At least not in the lustful, seductive manner. In matters of the heart and desire, this man has blinded himself to every other woman. Except for lovely, beautiful Charlotte."