Always Be Appreciative of Opposable Thumbs

Chapter Forty-One: Nothing Like Family to Ruin Family

 Willow's pulse pounded in her ears as she followed the man—whom she guessed was Fawkes—down a long hallway lined with dark-purple marble pillars. Her sisters trailed behind, silent but for the flapping of their feet against the hard stone floor. She glanced about, taking in the splendor of Teodric's castle. There was nothing that flashy about it, but it had a certain sense of magnificence and dignity.

And coldness.

She shivered, rubbing her arms as she tried to keep up with Fawkes who continued to limp along without a word. When they had first approached the castle, Willow had thought that the miniature krakens in the moat would be the most intimidating creatures she would have to encounter on this mission. And then she met Fawkes. With his one black eye and cold, hard stare, she felt like an insignificant speck under his gaze. Even when she explained the contribution she had for the king, he had merely grunted in response, clearly unimpressed by her enchanted geese.

Was this going to work? If the king already had Lisette, maybe he wouldn't want eleven more like her. What would she do if that were the case? Would she be enough to tempt him? The thought terrified her. But she owed it to her sisters to try to help them.

Didn't she?

Fawkes threw open a heavy set of doors, startling Willow out of her thoughts. She stood frozen as he held them open, tapping his foot and glaring at her. He jerked his head towards the doorway, his eye growing wide with impatience. Taking a deep breath, Willow turned to her sisters and gave a nervous smile before following him inside.

The room she entered was enormous but incredibly empty. It was all stone and marble with no furniture or windows that she could see. Only lampstands that lined the walls, each topped with several lit candles that let off a low, flickering light, casting eerie shadows against the walls. There was also a long, indigo carpet that led from the door where she stood to the far end of the room. And right where the carpet ended was a deep-purple marble throne.

And in that throne sat a regally dressed man drumming his fingers against the marble arms.

"Your Majesty," Fawkes said, speaking for the first time since Willow had arrived. "I apologize for the late meeting."

Heaving a sigh, the man—King Teodric—rolled his wrist in the air. "Bring them forward."

With a small bow, Fawkes motioned for Willow and her sisters to approach. Her heart beating wildly, Willow took a deep breath and followed the gruff man to the throne. As they drew nearer, she was able to get a better look at the king. He appeared to be the same age as Inez. His dark brown hair was beginning to gray at the sides, and even his short beard was peppered with silver. He was a handsome man, but something about his gaze made her uncomfortable. There was both haughtiness and boredom behind what could have been warm brown eyes if not for his cold stare. He looked like a man who had become jaded with his life and the world around him.

He raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of her sisters. "More geese? Really, Fawkes, must we repeat the same old, tired trope?"

"This was not my doing, Your Majesty," Fawkes said, now stationed by Teodric's throne. "This girl demanded an audience all on her own."

"Your Majesty," Willow said as she dipped down into a curtsey. "I beg forgiveness for the intrusion. But I have some amazingly magical creatures for your collection."

"Are these the same geese that were with that girl with the bonnet?" Teodric asked.

Willow hesitated. "Lisette, you mean?"

He scoffed. "How should I know her name? She had some golden bonnet that made her human, but without it, she was a goose."

She nodded. "Yes, that's our older sister, Lisette. My sisters here are also geese. Well, they were technically human before they were cursed. Or rather, they still are human. They're just in goose form. Without the golden bonnet, that is."

Sighing, Teodric rolled his eyes. "Then why would I want them? I already have an enchanted goose and bonnet."

Willow swallowed, trying to think of a way to catch his interest.

"Does something spectacular happen when all twelve are together?" he asked.

"Ah, no."

"Do they lay golden eggs?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Does each have a special talent with which to entertain me?"

"Well, Odette can bake," Willow said, pointing to her sister. "And Franziska is a beautiful singer, and she knows several different languages. And Adalyn—"

"Lord, you do babble on."

She lowered her head and muttered, "Apologies, Your Majesty."

"And why are you not a goose as well?"

Willow blinked. "Pardon?"

"You claim that these geese are your sisters, so why are you not like them?"

Again, she hesitated. She should sacrifice herself. She should do it for her sisters. She owed it to them.

Right?

Gertrude stepped forward. Your Majesty, this intruder is far more enchanted than we are, even more so than Lisette and her bonnet.

Willow gasped at her sister's ready betrayal. "Gertrude!"

She stole that bonnet from us, and now—

Teodric held up a finger and motioned to Fawkes. The bounty hunter dug through the rather large bag that hung off his shoulder and pulled out a strange device. It looked like a brass hearing horn with all sorts of dials and knobs attached to it. Teodric took it and adjusted the dials. When he was satisfied, both he and Fawkes leaned their ears in towards the device and nodded for Gertrude to continue.

This little tart stole that bonnet from us and wore it for who-knows-how-many years, Gertrude said. And now, because of her dishonesty, she is able to turn into a human without the aid of it.

Panic took over, and Willow bent down and held Gertrude's beak shut. But it was too late. Teodric and Fawkes glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows with mild interest.

"Hmm," Teodric said, stroking his beard. "Have you any proof that she turns into a goose?"

Keep her long enough and you'll see, Adalyn said.

"Sister!" Willow objected.

We are not your sisters.

"Your mother felt otherwise."

Only because you lied to her.

"I loved her."

You don't know anything about love!

"How dare you!"

"Enough!"

Willow and her sisters went silent and turned back to the king, lowering their heads contritely.

"I have no interest in your family problems," Teodric said. "If what the goose says is true, though, you would make a fine addition to my collection."

Willow's heart skipped a beat, but before she could even think to run, Fawkes grabbed hold of her arms and tied them behind her back. She looked to her sisters for help but was met with nothing but smug, self-satisfied smirks. Her heart sank in her chest, and she swallowed down the tears that threatened to leak from her eyes.

"Add her to my collection," Teodric instructed Fawkes. "I'll keep an eye on her and see if what these geese say is true."

Nodding, Fawkes pushed her towards a nearby door. Heartbroken, she put up no fight.

"Oh, and Fawkes."

The bounty hunter glanced back, keeping a tight grip on Willow.

"Send out the cook," the king said, gazing at her sisters thoughtfully. "I have no need for more geese that require a magical bonnet to be interesting. However, I'm sure they'd make some delicious meat pasties."

Her sisters panicked, scurrying towards the door from which they'd come. But with no thumbs or fingers to open it, they simply ran in circles, honking frantically. Fawkes chuckled under his breath as he pushed Willow through the back door. The last thing she heard was her sisters ranting about how this was all her fault.