Cinderella vs. Happily Ever After

Chapter 46

             The hall they were currently walking down had required Enax to create a light out of one of his copper discs. With no windows to let even ice filtered sunlight and no torches, they’d have been walking blind without the makeshift lamp. Valerie found it was worse in the half light, with sudden sparkles of ice in the corners and surprising glints off the icicles overhead, it was like something out of a nightmare. If the hallway had been made of grey or black stone, she thought she’d be trying to find a way around. The pink was just ridiculous enough to keep her from panicking.

            She thought the others might feel the same, since no one, not even Isaac, was saying anything. Their steps echoed in the absence of any other sound, and Valerie could hear her heartbeat thudding in her ears. She concentrated on steadying her breathing, keeping her breaths deep and even.

            The clinking sound in the lighter area ahead of them made her squeak and grab Isaac’s hand. She’d have felt bad if everyone else hadn’t jumped, flinched, yelped, or cursed according to their natures. Sadly, in the quiet, the noise carried further and they heard the shout that announced their discovery.

            With no further need to be quiet, they all raced forward, drawing weapons as they went. Sliding to a halt in the doorway to a wide room lit by both the iced windows and a handful of lamps, Valerie could see one of the enemy soldiers frantically waving his fellows up from the next room. Their purple uniforms made Konah glare and step forward. “I command you to halt. I am Prince Konah and you owe me your obedience.”

            The solider shook his head, hefting his spear a bit higher as he back up a few paces. “No, your highness. The godmother told us we obey her orders above all others.”

            His fellows cam racing in to surround him, all armed with spears or swords and every one of them wearing chainmail over their uniforms. There were easily twenty of them, all standing firm despite their pale faces and the eyes that kept flicking to Konah.

Valerie frowned, her hand tightening on her sword as she considered their options. The fastest and most direct path to the throne room lay ahead but the squad of soldiers here made her think it was also likely to be heavily guarded. Retreating would only warn whoever was ahead that they were coming and the last thing she wanted was for the godmother to know they were coming. Or rather that she was coming. She didn’t know why she hadn’t shown up yet but she was hoping it was because she was busy with something else. If her attention was divided Val thought she just might be able to free Darren and get them both somewhere more defensible before confronting her.

Her attention was pulled from her thoughts when Enax stepped forward, like the men in front of him were of no concern. Kafin, who stared for a moment like he couldn’t believe what the magician was doing, quickly moved up to guard his back. Enax smiled, hands spreading wide as if to show he held no weapons other than a new, shiny copper disc in one hand and a scuffed silver one in his other. “I think it would be best for you if you were to move now, of your own will.”

The men looked at him then smiled at each other, seeing nothing more terrifying than an old man. That, more than anything she’d been told, made Valerie realize how rare it was for a mage to get involved in a battle between armies. Enax sighed theatrically then made a little shooing gesture with one hand. The men all fell backwards, dragged their by their armour and weapons. The magician smiled. “I believe you young man are in need of a lesson in manners. Luckily for you, I’ve raised a daughter and a son to adulthood and am very, very good at teaching people lessons.”

As the soldiers fought against their own armaments, Enax half turned so he could look at the others. “I will handle these men. You’d best hurry on. I will join you when I’m able.”

“I’m staying to watch his back. Not every man here will be covered in metal, and some will fight like sir Isaac there,” Kafin said, turning so his back was to Enax’s. “And someone might sneak up on ‘im.”

The wizard snorted but said nothing. Miette ran forward, kissing Enax’s cheek. “Be safe,” she whispered, eyes bright with tears.

He chuckled. “Always Mi. Now go find that thief of yours and tell him I intend to have a long talk with him when this is all over.”

She nodded, wiping her eyes and moving ahead with the others. Val paused at the door to call, “If you don’t meet up with us in a reasonable amount of time, I’ll take all the worry you cause us out of your hide.”

She heard him laugh as they ran through the next room into another hallway. This one still had lamps that glowed, reinforcing Valerie’s feeling that things ahead were going to be guarded and probably trapped. She only hoped they all got through this in one piece.

            Isaac caught sight of her expression and half-patted her head, half-smacked her on it as they ran. “It’ll be fine. He’s a wizard, Val.”

            “Dumbledore died.”

            He winced. “But, as weird as it feels to say this, this is real life, not a book.”

            “All the more reason to worry. Things don’t work out in real life the way they do in books. And despite this being fairy tale land, I have no illusions about us all having a happily ever after. Now, leave me to my worries. I’ll be distracted by the enemy soon enough,” she said, facing resolutely forward.

            He sighed but said nothing, also concentrating on the path in front of them. It was hard to argue with her when he thought she was right.