Chapter Twenty-eight: Planning for happily ever after

In retrospect, it wouldn’t have been terribly difficult to spend several hours in the forest, pretending like they couldn’t hear the raging battle going on at the palace...

But of course, they did not get to enjoy longer than a few restful moments in each other’s arms, finally aware of the love between them… Before they had to hurray back to the palace and save my sorry arse.

I was running at full tilt, the broken shackles, still dangling from my ankles were banging against my shins, but I paid the pain little mind---I was too intent to get away from the Goblin that was barely three steps behind me---mace in hand.

Make no mistake, I would have died accept that Arturo shot the thing with a flying fire arrow as he and Kit came from the woods… Arturo was leaning on his wife for support and looked very pale.

I ran from the dead Goblin to meet them, “Where have you guys been?! What’s happened… you’re covered in blood!” I realized this as I approached them.

“What’s happened here?” Arturo demanded, “Our story can be told later,” he added.

“Oh! It’s all gone wrong! The Queen and Cundry met to negotiate, while Torrence and Angelo went to find and free me and the others-” we were continuously moving toward the palace now, where a mighty battle was raging. War-cries and the crackle of fire and the groan of breaking rock and stone on metal grew more audible as the three of us jogged, “-they found us, but we didn’t realize that Cundry had sent the Goblins out to the palace to find you two, she figured out a way to seal the curse forever, so it can never be broken---but she needs to kill both of you and then use this wicked spell-”

“-There’s no need to worry about that now, the curse is broken,” Arturo assured her.

“What?! How did that happen?!” I didn’t believe it at first, but then I looked to the battlefield around the palace and saw that there were now some very angry looking humans fighting alongside the Goblins.

“What’s Cundry’s course of action?” Kit wondered, “Do you think she knows the curse is broken?”

“She knows,” Arturo assured his wife, “It is a great blow to her power, but she still has an army of angry Goblins, and reluctant humans after us, she’ll want revenge, at the least.”

“What do we do?! Oh they’re destroying the place…” Kit looked up horrified at the palace.

“I’ll call for backup, though I’m sure someone already thought to alert any allies we might have… I’ll go to join in the fight---you two, find any women and children who might be around and barricade yourselves somewhere.”

“You can’t go into battle like this!” Kit kept a firm hold of his arm even as he slipped free of her to support his own weight and drew his sword again.

There was a rather poignant moment in which I felt I was something of an intruder. Arturo kept his hand over his wife’s, leaned in, kissed her softly on the cheek then said, with a roguish smile that I’ve seen him use many times since, “I’ve fought in worse condition than this.”

He left us then, a blush rose to Kit’s cheeks as she remembered that I was there and looking at her with raised eyebrows, “So what did I miss?”

“You heard the Prince!” said Kit abruptly, her face still redder, even as she grabbed my hand, “We’ve got to find innocents!”

“Where are we going to barricade ourselves?” I became business-like once more, thinking I could discover the true nature of their marriage later.

“I’ve got an idea.” Kit’s eyes flashed with a brazened glint, an idiosyncrasy that would become common to her pretty face, whenever she came up with something particularly brilliant.

The battle was nothing to scoff at as far as battles go, but Arturo had to, or else he’d succumbed to weakness and undoubtedly be killed. Already pale from the loss of blood, he descended into the madness with no other thought that the safety of his family, and most particularly, the newest member of his family, his little wife Kit who was with me, gathering those who had fled from the battle to the woods.

Angelo had turned back from being a unicorn about half-way through the fight, right about the time when the curse was shattered because of the love Kit had developed for her husband. He’d quickly told them of what he’d overheard---about the death of the Prince and Princess being most nessecary to seal the curse forever.

Then he and I had been separated in the ensuing chaos, now we found him again, scared and hiding up in a tree, but unhurt, save for a black eye. We almost ran right past him but he called to us.

“Come down Angelo! You’ve got to help us look for people,” Kit informed him, and he joined our party.

We found Lindsey next, with a group of maids and the man who drove the carriage and used to be a fox, though now, he was a middle-aged gangling man who told them that he’d seen more people trying to escape the battle on the north side of the palace.

It wasn’t long before they had quite the little band of people, and by this point---the help that Arturo had sent for had arrived.

---

Fenrir and Fredrik were locked in holy physical combat a few feet away from Arturo, who was fighting Cundry himself---though her magic was broken, it was still more developed than his.

Spell after spell pushed him back toward the crumbling ramparts, he wished desperately that he had learned healing magic as well as combat. He fell to the ground and turned when he heard a thump that told him that Fenrir had also been taken down a few feet away.

Fenrir and Arturo simply looked at each other, then they sprang back up, Fenrir with his sword and Arturo with a conjured scythe, he blocked Cundry’s newest spell as she screamed at him, a horrible picture of broken magic, her eyes wide and mad, her cloak flowing all around her in a suddenly strong breeze and the backdrop of Goblins and men fighting the few people who had previously been animals in the forest and had returned when their King needed them.

Of course, it wasn’t just the men that answered the call, there were animals joining the fight now too, a trio of Goblins were loosing to a large black jungle cat with murder in it’s eyes, and a heard of wild horses had arrived just in time to turn the tide of the battle.

The Prince nearly decapitated his mother-in-law with a swipe of his scythe but she moved like lightning and was behind him before he could turn to face her, he darted to the side to avoid another blow and looked around in horror as he heard Fenrir cry out.

Fredrik stood above Fenrir who was on his knees, his hands cupped over his face and large amounts of blood gushing out. Fredrick look very pleased as he raised his sword to finish the job.

Arturo forgot his own opponent for a moment and sent a strong spell after Fredrik that threw him back into the nearest Goblin.

Fenrir crawled away quickly, with a nod of recognition to the Prince, his hand still covering half of his bloodied face.

Cundry hit the Prince from behind with another dark spell and he felt his legs come out from under him. She stood over him, ready to strike when a dark man flew into her and knocked her to the ground.

Arturo was helped to his feet by his father---who had a sword again, but didn’t look like he was planning to use it against his son. Still the Prince conjured the scythe again, as it had evaporated when he helped Fenrir, and faced the King for a moment before the two of them nodded and went to fight Cundry together.

---

Not too far away, Kit and I had gathered a rather large group of people…

“How are you going to protect us from that woman?” asked the Queen, who was nursing a broken wrist, compliments of Cundry. Torrence was next to her, muttering a healing incantation while holding the Queen’s other wrist.

Bronwyn, who was a little girl again, was clinging to her mother’s gown and Kit’s pant-leg, looking frightened but fascinated.

Torrence had left the battle and came to them moments before---she said she sensed that we needed her, but I was fairly certain that she just wanted to avoid as much of the battle as possible.

“Yes… just give me a moment,” Kit requested, shaking herself out and jumping up and down like a boxer preparing to enter the ring, “Okay… okay, everyone gather in close,” she urged to the twenty-five or so people who they had collected and deemed, innocents.

Kit closed her eyes and looked as if she was planning to fall asleep while simply standing there upright. For a moment, everyone just watched her, utterly confused, then a rumble beneath our feet sounded, and people started to swift uncomfortably, looking nervously between their strange Princess and the shaking earth.

The rumbling grew more distinct, and the ground started to rise and fall like waves, in a circle around the group.

I starred with my mouth open as the first steam burst through the ground, followed by more and more, large thorny bushes were springing up all around them… Their steams like tree trunks covered in small brown daggers.

“Dazzling Kit!” said Torrence in appreciation, as the thorn-trees spread out to encircle them and grew tall, their thorn-covered branches intertwining over them like a large sharp roof.

When the doom was complete, it was about four feet thick all around, ever branch covered in several long sharp thorns, and other smaller---harder to see needle like instruments.

“She knows I’m here,” said Kit as she opened her eyes.

That was very true. Cundry did know now, where her daughter was hiding, she could see the armored doom a ways off and sense the magic inside, “Go!” she shouted in a voice that was magically magnified, “Go and slaughtered anyone you find in there!”

Several Goblins obeyed instantly and left the battle to attack the thorny fortress. Arturo began to run after them but was caught by Cundry with a long black whip-like instrument made of concentrated magic that pulled him right back to her. The King sliced the rope and Arturo was freed, but now Cundry had disappeared and was spiriting herself to the doom.

“Don’t let her in Torrence,” Kit pleaded.

“She can’t just appear in here, I’ve done that already,” said Torrence, “She can break through the bushes though,”

“I hope she tries,” said Kit mysteriously.

Cundry did try, she blasted a large hole into the first two feet of thorny branches but Kit simply made more spring up in their place a second later.

Enraged, Cundry dove toward the bush, ignoring the cries of fear as her men began to flee.

A large black dragon had answered the call of the Prince and swooped down onto the battle field to join the fray. A dozen Goblins ran simply upon seeing the thing, while all the humans were off the field in minutes.

The Prince and his father caught up with Cundry as she attempted again and again to break through the thorns. But Kit was determined to keep them up and because of that they would not be cut down. She began also to try and spring up thorns around Cundry too, until the bush closed in on her from all sides.

“Give it up!” yelled Arturo breathlessly, “You’ve lost, your army is retreating and your daughter has captured you.”

But Cundry was still struggling angrily against the branches, her skin already raw from being bloodied by the thorns. With a wail of defeat Cundry fell to the ground, but didn’t stop there---they heard a crash and moment later, there was silence save for the roar of the triumphant Dragon.

Cautiously, Kit began to make the thorns retreat enough that there could be a small doorway, she stepped outside and embraced Arturo, who motioned to the extra lump of thorn-bush that was sticking off of the doom. They could see nothing through the branches, but the silence was enough, “She’s not there anymore,” said Arturo, his sword drawn protectively.

“I know…” Kit let the thorns descend back into the ground. The spot were Cundry had been was burned and blackened, a perfectly round, deep crater was carved into the grass.

Without thinking about it too much, Kit made the grass grow back where it ought to be.

“Come on,” Arturo looked at her sideways, “The Castle should be safe now, let’s get everyone inside until we’re sure the army’s gone for good.”

---

The entire east wing of the palace was in ruins---and Arturo never did get a straight answer as to who was responsible. Therefore, he assumed it was Fenrir’s fault, which is probably correct.

Torrence got some tea for the King, Queen, Prince and his Princess, then proceeded to summarize what had happened while they were away.

Needless to say, Kit was exceedingly alarmed at the state of the palace… (her room had been located in the east wing, as well as Arturo’s.)

Torrence explained that the Queen had used her magic mirror to call to Cundry and get her to come to have a formal meeting. Cundry had done so willingly---which probably should have been their first tip-off that something was wrong…

Angelo and Torrence had been unable to find anyone else before this occurred, so they left the King and Queen alone with Cundry and snuck out to the witch’s house. On their way to the cottage, they had heard the marching, but didn’t even want to venture a guess at what Cundry had planned---so they hadn’t, they just went as quickly as they could to Cundry’s cottage, and felt very lucky when they found both Fenrir and me alive, with the missing staff of the palace. We were all restrained and without a guard.

Even Fredrik had disappeared, so they freed everyone and hurried back to the palace to find it overrun with Goblins.

Most creatures don’t like the goblins… so when a plea for help was sent all around the Grave of Bastion, there was a remarkable amount of feedback. Dragons, and wolves and any benevolent creature within twenty miles hurried to aid them and the battle began.

It hadn’t lasted long, really---as battles usually go.

Most of the goblins retreated as soon as they saw that first dragon.

Cundry and Fredrik had both vanished.

And Kit didn’t have a room anymore…

“What are we supposed to do now?” Angelo raised the master question, the little boy was sitting back in the King’s throne, the King himself was hunched over, cross-legged on the ground, with his wife’s hand over one shoulder.

Torrence was fluttering a few inches off the ground with her wings, obviously still very pleased with them.

Fenrir was with Dr. Russell, he’d sustained the worst injury out of all of them… his left eye had been lost when Fredrik struck him across the head with his sword.

I was completely unharmed, thanks to the Prince.

Torrence was using her wings to get herself around because she sustained a nasty knee injury from the blunt end of a broadsword and she had various scratches and bruises along her whole body.

The King had a fat lip and a laceration along his arm that looked infected. The Queen’s broken wrist had been a quick fix, as well as the black eye that Angelo had gotten before he escaped to his tree.

Arturo and Kit were sitting on the right side of the throne together.

“…I think, we should focus mostly on rebuilding. The Goblin King was killed, before he ever had the chance to become human. The rest of the Goblin society probably won’t rebel much to reinstating the monarchy, even the ones who are pissed off about being human again. I expect you’ll be ruling?” Torrence looked to the Queen for help.

The Queen’s eyes flickered toward her son, “For now, maybe---but I think it’s about time we retired together,” she stroked the King’s shoulder.

Torrence just nodded, “I was thinking we should send out some scouts… find out the state of the rest of Bastion, and maybe send for some magicians to help repair the palace.”

“What about Cundry?” Kit spoke up finally, “Can she still bounce back from this? I mean… What was her plan anyway, could she just come back for me?”

“No,” said Angelo sharply, “Cundry’s plan was to use your blood as a loop-hole… Just in case things weren’t going her way. The spell she wanted to perform would have killed Arturo and left that beast in his stead… It also would have turned everyone back into animals, and kept us that way. It was something of an attachment to the old spell, she would have had to change you back into a rose. Your life and your blood would have sealed the curse… Killing you would not have actually broken the curse but reversing what had started everything would.” Angelo spoke very quickly, as if it didn’t matter, “I heard them talking about it, and they found me before I could sneak away---that’s why she threw the pumpkin at me,” he admitted.

“Why didn’t she just kill you?” I wondered, suspiciously.

“Bad luck to kill a unicorn,” Angelo shrugged.

“I still don’t see how this means I’m safe---what if she just comes back and finishes what she had planned?” Kit felt Arturo squeeze her hand and barely heard Angelo’s responds.

“The curse is entirely broken now… You said that you swallowed that blue wish and Arturo and the beast…” Angelo trailed off.

“…pumpkin,” Torrence finished for him, lamely.

“That’s very like Cundry,” Angelo laughed, “…Arturo’s affliction was the core of the curse. The Prince was the object that Cundry directed all her malice against. That Blue wish… whatever it was, destroyed the core of the curse. She can’t hope to seal it now. She might want revenge though…”

Kit just nodded in an absent sort of way, “Should we go after her or something?”

It was silent for a moment before Torrence said, “Where would we look for her?”

No one answered.

“I think we should just assume, for now, that she’s gone…” the Queen took the liberty on herself to push past that issue and towards some other ones, “Torrence, I believe you said that you thought her powers had been greatly injured? It will take quite a while for her to recover from that, and in the mean time---we have a lot that needs to be decided upon and done.”

“Yeah---I think the first thing we can all agree on is that there’s no reason for Kit and Arturo to stay together,” Angelo rubbed at his temples and sighed, looking worn,” they’re completely miserable and no one is gaining anything from this marriage, so let’s get it annulled already, by the power invested in me and what-not…”

“Here, here!” Torrence nodded vigorously, “I’m sorry you two had to---”

Arturo and Kit were wearing half-smiles as everyone’s attention was finally brought to them.

“A-actually,” Arturo cleared his throat, “I was thinking… since my home will be under repairs for a while, and it’s silly to live with your parents when you’re as wealthy as I am…” Arturo trailed off for a moment.

Kit blushed badly.

“Well, I was just thinking, it might be nice for us to get a home in Kit’s world,” his expression had turned to it’s usual, somber, pensive and serene look, that didn’t seem to mirror any of the surprise that was generally displayed around the room.

Kit tried hard to look equally cool, but failed quite abruptly, when Arturo laced his fingers through hers.

For a full ten seconds no one said anything.

“I KNEW IT!” I had jumped to my feet and pointed one accusing finger at the couple. Half a second later the throne room had exploded with talk as everyone tried to get their own opinion into the ensuing discussion.

Arturo and Kit snuck away from the noise to talk and the Prince glared meaningfully at both Angelo and Torrence who had attempted to follow them, but where easily put-off.

“Did you mean that?” Kit demanded as soon as they reached the hall. She thought to herself that she’d never seen the palace look so bright! Possibly, it had to do with the gaping hole in the side of the castle, just down the hall. Sunlight streamed in through the corridors that had once been stuffy and chilling. She could hear birds and the wind, and even what sounded like the sea…

Arturo smiled, “I did… I think I could grow to appreciate your world.” he let Kit slip into his arms again, and held her for a moment until footfalls sounded from the most brightly lit part of the hall---were the air from the outside blew in to rustle their hair.

Fenrir had appeared. For a split second he looked completely furious as usual, but his expression changed in an instant when he caught sight of the two of them, pressed up against each other, lips brushing skin.

Looking arrogant, Fenrir walked up to the couple on light feet.

Kit turned out of Arturo’s embrace and faced Fenrir…

He looked battle-worn, but not tired at all… His head was wrapped in the magic gauze, his one eye covered completely.

“I suppose you lost the eye?” said Arturo, his voice tinged with a hint of sympathy.

“Wait!” ordered Fenrir forcefully, “You have to let me stand here and enjoy vindication for a moment.”

Kit sighed audibly.

“Alright,” Fenrir was grinning now, “That’s enough… what now? Happily ever after?”

“That’s what you plan for,” Kit shrugged, and slipped her arms back around Arturo’s waist.

Fenrir nodded in what he probably thought was a sagely manner, then for once in his life, thinking of others, he slipped into the throne room and left Arturo and Kit alone.

---

Kit couldn’t find the camera, which was too bad, because she would want to remember what she was seeing. After years of living in homes that were never really hers… with people who didn’t want her, she had found two homes and a real family.

Arturo had picked out a little home, close to the forest and not too far from everything else. They had been living there for just over a month… Ever since Kit turned eighteen and explained to her foster parents that she was married and planning to move out.

They were shocked, but behaved reasonably, considering everything. They wished her good luck and told her to call if she ever needed anything.

It seemed like it had all led here. With Kit peering out the kitchen window, to see the Queen of Bastion and the King sipping hot cocoa on her new porch… The white lace curtains fluttered a little with a breeze that came in through the window.

The King seemed a little saner every time Kit saw him. He still didn’t talk much, nor did he and Arturo seem to get along particularly well, but they didn’t fight either, and she had the feeling they would warm up to each other with time.

She had just gotten off the phone with me… who was excited to tell her that I had managed to convince my parents to let me stay with Kit and Arturo while they vacationed in Arturo’s old home for the remainder of the summer.

Of course, everyone thought that Arturo’s family was from Canada.

I wasn’t actually planning on spending much time with the newlyweds, but was very excited to explore Arturo’s Kingdom, and any others that I might come across. I’d hired a guide in the form of an old pal of Fenrir’s who agreed to protect and advise me while I compiled some research on the mysterious land… and Angelo might come along, with Torrence planning to join us halfway through the trip.

Torrence was falling into her role as a badge carrying faery godmother pretty well, now that she had her wings back. Her powers were slowly growing more stable and more powerful as well.

Angelo had instantly begun to resume his education as a sorcerer and was sticking with Fenrir for the time being.

The last months of school had been sufficiently awkward, since by now everyone had learned that Kit was married to some mysteriously wealthy and eccentric guy from Canada, who had beaten the living tar out of Gordon… But one merciful thing about gossip is that it’s always overshadowed by some more interesting rumor. Like the ones about Tiffany having seen the new coach of the wrestling team, Mr. Fenrir, wandering naked through the forest after the Willow Call.

Kit wasn’t much looking forward to her senior year. Mostly because Fenrir was likely to try randomly attacking her at least a half dozen more times before she hopefully escaped him forever.

She heard metal scratching metal as someone fiddled to unlock the front door, Fenrir’s voice and her husband’s sounded from the hall before the two of them appeared in the kitchen.

“Nakita,” Fenrir greeted her in an oddly respectful voice, but his face was sneering and cocky as ever, as he adjusted the black patch over his left eye.

“Good after noon Nikki… I hope my father’s behaving himself?” Arturo looked up expectantly and Kit who nodded yes, before she greeted him with a little hug and a kiss.

Fenrir looked away uncomfortably and made to sit down, just as Bronwyn sprinted down the stairs, a blur of black hair and pink ribbons before she jumped up on Fenrir’s back, insisting that he was her horse.

“I heard from Jewelz,” Kit told him.

“Can she come?” he wondered.

Kit nodded, “She’s very excited, says she’s going to write books about all of us.”

“No one will like them,” Arturo rolled his eyes skeptically, his long black hair had been cut shorter and was slicked back off his pale face. He still looked a bit odd to Kit in blue jeans and t-shirts, but the Prince insisted that he would get used to them.

Dinner consisted of delivery pizza and a lot of talking around a kitchen with mismatched chairs filled with mismatched people. Fenrir and Angelo were playing rock paper scissors for the last slice of sausage pizza, while the Queen looked no less ethereal in a flowered sundress, as she sat between her husband and Kit. Torrence and I were fighting over who got to French-braid Bronwyn’s hair tonight.

Kit traced the tips of her fingers over Arturo’s palm under the table.

“Could I expect grandchildren soon?” the Queen spoke up suddenly and the rest of the room decided to join in the discussion.

Kit blushed fiercely and groped around for anything to change the subject, “Any news about Cundry?” she demanded of Fenrir urgently.

Fenrir frowned, like he knew what she was doing, “Yeah actually,” he answered and the whole kitchen hushed.

“Is she dead?” demanded Torrence.

“Of course not,” said Fenrir easily, “It’s just whispers though, rumors, really… Some people are saying they caught her on her way out of the grave. Fleeing the Kingdom it seemed.”

“Which coast?” asked Arturo, with a businesslike tone.

“She’s headed into the Mountains of King Zephyr’s territory,” said Fenrir, “Doesn’t seem likely she’ll try anything for a while, but I’ve got some scouts on her trail just in case.”

They didn’t talk about much else throughout dinner, except for Cundry and what could possibly happen with her still out there. The general belief seemed to be that she’d need a good deal of time and planning just to regain her lost powers, but no one really thought she was gone.

Probably, it didn’t even matter. She had failed, and they had won, and at least for now that was all anyone cared to know. The happiness of things overshadowed some of the looming threats that could come to light as time stretched on.

---

Near the end of the meal, Arturo and Kit snuck out together to let everyone discuss battle tactics over the empty pizza boxes.

Kit leaned against the railing and felt Arturo slip his arms across her shoulders. It was at that moment that she started to feel guilty… There was something she had been meaning to tell him, but the moment just never seemed right.

She was silent while she searched her mind for something else to mention first… Then she remembered something else that she had been meaning to ask him for a few months.

Arturo had the tendency to make Kit forget absolutely everything.

“Do you feel different?” she wondered.

“You mean… compared to how I felt before the curse was broken?” he guessed correctly.

“Yeah,” Kit slipped around in his arms and held onto his belt buckle to pull him in close, as she leaned back against the balcony railing.

He looked at her, his big silver eyes reflected a glint of joy that had become more prominent recently. He no longer seemed so cold or distant. He was still very quiet and reserved in public, but when they were alone, like this---he could talk her ear off, and she was perfectly content to let him.

“Generally, yes.” He decided, “I don’t feel like I expected to, though…”

“How did you expect to feel?”

“Like someone else,” he seemed vaguely sad as he said this, but he gave her a reassuring smile.

“Who?” she asked playfully.

“Someone better.”

Kit kissed his neck, “Not possible. I wouldn’t want anyone else. You’re the only man who could be my husband, my King, the father of my children…”

“I feel good though,” he nodded, “Much better than I did. I’m much stronger, much happier---and in love to a point of insanity.”

“Insanity?” Kit giggled, “You have such a way with words.”

“It’s true,” he promised, “I couldn’t love you anymore than I do. It’s emotionally impossible. But every time I think that, I end up proving myself wrong, and loving you even more... some moments later.”

Kit kissed him once on the right cheek, and went in for the left as well, but he caught her on the lips before she could make it, she stopped after a moment, still running the little hairs at the back of his neck through her fingers. “What’s next then, for us?” she wondered out loud.

“Retirement, I hope.”

‘Not a chance.’ Kit smiled but didn’t speak it out loud.

As if Arturo could hear her thoughts he groaned and joined her in a little laugh, “We’ve got a busy future, don’t we?”

“Dangerous also, don’t forget dangerous,” Kit winked.

“Yes, yes,” he sighed, then smiled warmly, “As long as I have you beside me, I can handle anything,” he whispered, letting his mouth brush along her ear.

“What about twins?”

“Pardon?”

THE END!

XOXOXOXOX andabigredheart/Me!