The Curse of Windsor Castle

Chapter Ninteen

When Rose and Tara were dropped off, they were met at the doorway by Melinda, who was holding the home phone. Melinda asked whoever was on the other side to hold as she greeted her daughters. "Girls, I just got a call from my friend Maria."

"What does that have to do with us?" Rose asked.

"Maria is Henry's mother and she said she got a call from Mrs. Berger saying that Luke was in the hospital. "

"That happened ages ago," Tara said. "Why does that matter now?"

"Girls, you two and I know why Luke and Henry disappeared, and possibly why they are in a comatose state. But their mothers don't. Should I tell them?" Melinda sat down and turned to face them.

"I don't think it's a good idea to tell them." Tara chose her words carefully. "To let them know that their children are being held be a man whose power can't be comprehended in this world, that would send any mother into shock."

"Not me though." Melinda looked smug.

"Something tells me you already knew about Maagiline," Rose said.

Melinda turned away from the girls and picked up the phone. "I'll tell Maria that I have no idea what's going on and that Rose is also missing."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"Rose, you've been gone for almost two weeks. I need an excuse for why."

"Right," Rose sighed. "Go on."

After Melinda spoke to Maria, she turned to the girls. "Tara, Rose, tell me everything that's happened right now."

And so Rose narrated how the girls go involved in this mess. From the chairs disappearing, to Miss Lawson agreeing to send the girls."

Melinda massaged her forehead and sighed. "I know I agreed to send you girls, and so it was also my fault. But how irresponsible is she?"

Tara shrugged and continued the story.

When the girls were done, Melinda looked like she was going to faint. "You got robbed?"

Tara tried to brush it off. "We're fine, Mum. The police got our belongings back in no time."

"Still," Melinda protested. "Knowing the dangers you girls are facing, how am I supposed to sleep at night?"

"You'll find a way," Rose said. "A book, Netflix, et cetera."

"I guess," Melinda sighed. "Well, where are you going next?"

"France, right?" Tara looked to Rose, who nodded.

"Pack appropriately, especially you, Rose." Melinda nodded knowingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose whined.

"It means you dress like an eighty year old," Tara explained slowly.

"Shut up."

Some things would never change

"So, France," Rose said to the phone. "The fashion capital of the world. What am I supposed to pack?"

"Something that doesn't make you look like an eighty year old," Amy said from the other side. "Oh wait, you don't have anything like that."

"Shut up, Amy."

"Borrow something from Tara," Amy suggested. "She's short so she will definitely have something that fits you."

"Shut up, Amy." Rose could hear Tara from the other room.

"Okay," Rose reluctantly agreed. "As long as she hasn't sprayed any of her awful perfume." She hung up.

Rose hesitantly ventured inside the dangerous jungle known as Tara's room. Poisonous gases, also known as Chanel perfume, constricted her breathing. How can Tara afford Chanel? Rose waved the smell away from her nose. She looked inside a treacherous cave, known as Tara's closet. None of Tara's clothes were what Rose wanted to wear. She walked deeper into the cave. At the very back, were a few shirts that looked like Rose's style. Tara would have called them boring. Rose thought they were comfortable. She picked up a few and walked out.

Tara slid on her bracelet after examining her appearance in the mirror once again. After double checking- triple checking- that she had packed everything, she got into the car where Rose, Amy and her mother were waiting.

"What took you so long?" Rose asked. "Mum and I drove to Amy's house, picked her up, and came back before you even stepped outside."

"I was checking to see if I had all the necessities for France," Tara said calmly while examining her fingernails.

"Like what? Stilettos?" Amy snickered. "Because if you packed those-"

"It's none of your concern." Tara put her sunglasses on and turned away from Rose to look at the scenery passing by.

"Stilettos are deadly. So much better than my pathetic bow."

"Shut up, Amy." Rose opened up her book and started to read.

When the girls finally arrived at London Luton Airport, they quickly got their bags out and ran through security. While Amy used the loo, Tara got her laptop out, and she and Rose looked up France's famous authors. Tara handed the laptop to Rose who quickly scanned through the various authors. "Blah, blah, blah, Jules Verne, blah, blah, Charles Perrault."

"I'm pretty sure they aren't all named 'blah'." Tara said.

"I only recognize two of those names," Rose said. "Jules Verne and Charles Perrault. It would make sense that the chair would go to Charles Perrault's hometown since he authored quite a few fairy tales. Just like the Brothers Grimm."

"Actually," Tara corrected. "The Brothers Grimm didn't create the fairy tales. They simply wrote down the fairy tales that had been passed down generation to generation."

"Same thing." Rose waved her hand. "Now to find out where Perrault was born." She typed in a few keywords and clicked 'enter'. "Great."

"What?" Tara squinted at the computer.

"He was born in Paris. We'll never find the chair." Rose snapped the laptop shut in defeat.

"Then search up Plan B," Tara suggested.

Rose opened up the laptop and did a quick Google search. "Jules Verne was born in Nantes."

"Never heard of it." Tara admitted

"Good."

Just as it was time to board, Amy came back. "I feel like I just missed something big," she said as she joined the girls in line.

"Amy, I figured out where we are going," Rose said triumphantly.

"You mean we figured it out," Tara corrected her.

"No I mean I figured it out. You just squinted at the screen," Rose said. "Anyway, I think the chair is in Nantes."

"What now?" Amy snorted. "Nannytes?"

"Nantes, the birthplace of Jules Verne." Tara paused as if expecting something.

"What, do you want a medal?" Amy asked.

"Shut up, Amy."