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+JMJ+
Diary of a Kidnapped Prince
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| Tarek, Snow Queen, Rika (Tarek and Gerda are actually a lot younger but the scene maker has no children unfortunately) |
Part Three
Something Strange Happened Today...
Something strange happened today, I was looking at the bauble and trying to find Gerda. All I saw was here sitting in a corner, when a curly haired girl with a dirty face suddenly stood up and looked at me. The girl was about my age. She looked me up and down and sniggered.
“It is impolite to laugh at other people.” I said primly, although to be perfectly honest, I did not think she could hear me. She stopped laughing.
“Did you just say something?” she asked. I was startled. I could hear the girl as plain as I had heard Ebony.
“Are you speaking through a magic mirror?” I asked.
“Where can I find a magic mirror?” the girl demanded, “My father's den will have ever treasure of fame!”
“How should I know?” I asked, “I do not keep a tally of their locations.”
“How dare you sass me!” the girl said haughtily, “I, the robber princess of the lowlands!”
“A robber is a plain thief.” I said thoughtfully, “A princess is usually rich, so why are you a thief? You have no need of more treasures.”
“I am a robber princess because I steal more then anyone else in all the seven worlds!” the girl cried, “You really are a very stupid little boy!”
“So you are rich, but you enjoy taking things that do not belong to you?” I asked, “Do you realize that is very wrong of you!”
“That is what the silly girl said.” the robber girl replied with a toss of a her silky curls.
“What silly girl?” I asked.
“The one that father brought home to be my slave.” was the reply.
“That is terrible!” I cried, “What did she do that you would make her suffer?”
“None of your business!” the girl snapped and stalked off. The bauble went blank.
Another Time...
Another time I was watching Mama's cabin in the woods. As before the monster came out of the woods. But this time I had a name for it. I had done some hard studying in the library and finally came across a picture that matched the monster. It was called a bear. But the bear at the cabin was far bigger then the book said bears should be. It must be some kind of enchanted bear.
Snow and Rose danced barefoot around the bear, then the three of them went into the woods. Mama waved after them and said something. Once the girls were gone, she sat down on the porch and cried. Presently a Fox trotted up on four legs. It sniffed the air, then stood up on it's hind legs. I had read enough about animals in the last several days to know that they never walk on their hind legs. There was something very fishy about the fox. It was not the basket of fish that it handed Mama either. Oh if only I could hear what they were saying. But I had only been able to hear Ebony and the Robber girl. Maybe I should speak to her again.
The Following Day...
The following day I begged the bauble to show me the little robber girl again. She appeared in the bauble, riding upon a four legged beast that I had finally learned was called reindeer. At least I think it was. Apparently, Moose, Elk, Bucks, Does, and even more animals resemble one another slightly.
“Hello?” I said hopefully. The robber girl twisted in her saddle and looked right at me.
“Why if it is not the funny little boy who talks to me from the sky.” she said with a laugh, “Have you come to tell me all about the funny mirrors.”
“No.” I said, “I told you, I could not say where they are.”
“Then tell me, where are you?” the girl asked.
“Here.” I said. The girl laughed, and put one hand on the glass oval which hung on a chain around her neck. Immediately the bauble went dark.
“Where did you go?” the girl cried. I could still hear her. Perhaps her necklace had been made from the shard of a magic mirror.
“Let go of you necklace.” I suggested.
“As if that would do anything!” the girl cried. But she took my advice. Immediately we could see one another again.
“Your necklace must be made from a magic mirror!” I cried triumphantly.
“You don't say.” the girl said, and she inspected the glass.
“Please little robber girl,” I said, “Do you have a name? Not that it matters, here I have no name. But sometimes I remember the name my mama gave me.”
“Bonarikida.” the girl said.
“What?” I said.
“Let me spell it out.” the girl said with a sigh, “Bone-a-rike-e-da.”
“Can I just say Rika?” I asked.
“Fine!” the girl snapped, “But I like my full name. It means princess of bones.”
“Gross!” I said, “I shall just call you Rika for sure!”
“Humph!” Rika sniffed, “What are you called?”
“Little boy.” I said.
“Is that your name?” Rika asked her eyes widening, “Because that is officially the stupidest name I ever heard in all my life!”
“No.” I said.
“You are making me very impatient!” Rika cried.
“I told you already,” I explained, “No one calls me by my real name here.”
“What is your real name?” Rika demanded. I thought but nothing came to mind. So I pulled out my little book. What was it called, ah yes, my diary. I flipped through the pages in search of my name.
“Are you ignoring me?” Rika demanded in a high-pitched voice. I looked up startled. She had drawn a jeweled dagger from her belt and was waving it in my direction.
“I was looking for my name.” I said, “Must you be impatient? You do realize that I do not keep it in my wallet.” Rika nearly dropped her dagger.
“You need to look up your name?” she gasped.
“Don't you?” I asked.
“Stupid, people remember there names!” Rika cried.
“Oh, I guess I am different then.” I said sadly. I was very sorry to learn this. I suddenly felt that I was a very strange person.
“You are a very strange person!” Rika said stiffly.
“Did you think that perhaps you are the strange person?” I snapped.
“Ha no!” Rika said, “I am wild, barbarous and free like all my father's people!” She tried to pick her teeth with her dagger. I grimaced, then turned away. The bauble went dark. If Rika was like everyone outside my frozen prison, I wanted no part of them.
This Day...
This day when I was walking with the Queen, I asked her if I was strange. She took my hand in hers. We were walking in the North tunnel so I had just destroyed the tradition of no talking there.
“Who says you are strange?” the Queen demanded. I was silent for a time. To tell would be to perhaps lose my chance of watching the outside world.
“Do you think I am strange?” I persisted at last.
“Do you think that I am strange?” the Queen said at last.
“No!” I said immediately, “You are the Queen! How could you be strange!” the Queen smiled. I liked her best when she smiled, which was rare. But it almost made me warm.
“Why thank you, little boy.” she said, “Do you also love me?” I stopped walking and stared hard at her. Why would she ask such a thing.
“Of course I love you!” I said, “You are my Queen, aren't you?”
“Is that the only reason you care for me?” she asked at last. I looked down. I was not skilled in pretty speeches. I also had no understanding of what she wanted me to say or how to put my words into feelings. I was only a child after all.
“Never mind, do not answer the question!” The Queen said at last, “I once learned if you know that you will not like the answer, never ask.” She scowled ferociously at the walls.
“Do you love me?” I asked immediately. I had often wondered this question. By the standards of all the many books I had read in the Queen's library, if someone loved you they did not make you forget the delightful memories of the past. They did not keep you hidden in an ice tunnel with no friends. The Queen turned to me.
“Of course I love you.” she cried softly, “You are my little boy!”
“But if you love me, why am I just your little boy?” I demanded pettishly, “Surely I have another name. Your other name is Snow White, so why do I not have another name.” The Queen looked at me silently, then she turned away muttering to herself.
“What has it been? Six years? I hardly noticed! He is still a child! But not longer little! What am I to do! Curse those wretched creatures! Oh miserable curse!”
“Are you alright, Queen?” I asked at last. She looked very unhappy. The Queen turned back to me and took both of my hands in hers.
“Quick,” she whispered softly, “Let us return to the throne room. We must open that box or we shall be doomed to remain here forever.”
“You mean we can leave if the box is opened?” I cried in pleasure as we turned and ran back the way we had come.
“I hope so!” the Queen said.
Many Days Later...
Many days later I remembered Gerda. I returned to the round chamber and demanded the bauble to show me her. She was seated in a branch clinging to the tree. A ring of wolves surrounded the base of the tree. The boy was standing at the foot of the tree holding a blazing torch. The reindeer were on either side of him. Gerda was screaming. At least I think she was. I quickly left the chamber. It was true. Best not ask questions that you do not want to know the answer of. Poor Gerda. She was as good as dead. Perhaps if she stayed in the tree all night she would live. But her companions would surely be devoured by the starving wolf pack. I felt like a cowered. But if I could not even leave the tunnels how was I supposed to save others from being killed.
One Fine Day...
One fine day I went to look in the bauble and found the Queen there. She turned as I entered. I wondered if I would get in trouble. If she asked I would certainly admit that I had been sneaking into the chamber quite often.
“Come.” the Queen said and beckoned for me to approach her. I did. There was a man in the bauble. I stared. I had never seen him before. He was no longer quite young, but he did not appear to be old either. He was seated on a stump outside a cottage. Two incredibly short men, whom I decided must be dwarves were talking to him.
“Who are they?” I asked.
“He was the man I sent away.” the Queen said, “You do not seem to think I am capable of love. But I loved him. I would still love him if I had a heart.”
“You have a heart.” I said.
“I doubt it!” the Queen laughed bitterly.
“But I grew up side by side with that man. One day he dared ask me to marry him. Me, a princess!”
“Did you say yes?” I asked hopefully. The Queen stared at me.
“Certainly not!” she said, “I was a princess, he was nothing but a hunter and a woodsman.”
“But you said that you loved him.” I protested in confusion. Grownups were certainly strange creatures. What had being a princess to do with anything.
“Little boy, your memory is addled!” the Queen snapped, “Remember, I told you that I swore to my sister that I would never marry!”
“But she got married so why not you?” I asked.
“She married that clod long after I was gone.” the Queen said coldly, “She was still far to little back then, when the hunter asked me.”
“If we break the curse, will you go back to him?” I asked.
“Certainly not!” the Queen snapped, “He is probably married himself, with eleven strapping boys and one adorable little girl! Back then there were lots of girls who would have killed for him to notice them!” I was silent. As I said before, grownups are weird.
“Well, anyway, you should let Ebony know you are alive.” I said at last. I remembered my conversation with her. She seemed nice.
“Never!” the Queen said.
“Don't you want to know all about your niece or nephew?” I asked.
“Not particularly.” the Queen said dryly, “I have you.” This time I did not answer at all.
Tonight...
Tonight I could not sleep so I went to the round chamber and asked to see Gerda. I wondered if she had escaped the wolves. Well according to the bauble she did. Thomas and the two reindeer did too. They looked much the same as they had before the wolf attack. I was rather disappointed that I had not stayed to see the end of the battle. Now I was filled with curiosity. How had they escaped. But just because they had escaped the wolves did not mean they were safe. It looked like they were trying to climb some sort of snow mountain. The snow came up to their shoulders. Gerda and the boy were floundering and clutching at the necks of their reindeer. The massive beasts were forcing their way through the snow. But it was hard work and they kept slipping back down again. I wondered what was so important that Gerda never rested.
A Few Mornings Later...
A few mornings later, I was working on the box again, when all of a sudden I dropped it upside down. There was a window carved in the bottom. A fine latticed window. I looked closer and a I could see a scene. It was not like the bauble. It was more like looking out a real window. I could see snow and ice, but blue sky too. I appeared to be looking down a mountainside.
“Queen!” I shrieked. She came running. I showed her my find.
“The box is going to open soon.” she whispered, “I can feel it. Already we have seen a glimpse of outside. This view is Everton Mountain of Death. Our palace is built on it's summits and deep in it's belly.” I stared hard out the window.
“There are people coming.” I said softly. The Queen took a second look and gasped. Sure enough four shadowy shapes were forcing their way towards us through the snow. I did not need a closer look to know who they were. It was Gerda and companions. Now I knew what she was looking for. Me. I felt a curious thump in my chest. The Queen looked at me and frowned. Somehow I knew that she was not pleased. But she knew that I knew who the girl was. I avoided her gaze.
To Be Continued
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